𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐔𝐒 [𝐓𝐊]

Chapter 26

Locum Tutum

Safe Place

With one foot on the pavement, another on one pedal, and his hand holding the handles of his bike, he stared at the bridge ahead of him, frozen in place.

The sky was getting darker by the west with the promise of rain and the sound of rushing water only chilled him to the bone. He frowned where he stood and tried again to push through. But he squeezed the brakes hard when the bridge looked suddenly too brittle to hold his weight. When he let go of the handles to punch himself in the chest as a form of gaining valor, he felt, faintly, the ghosts of stitches in his right hand.

The cemetery was just on the other side of what suddenly felt like a longer bridge than the one he rode through that same morning. A bridge that was constructed the same year he was born. Yet a bridge he couldn't cross on his own. But he was lonely, with a heart beating a choir of protests against his ears when he dared touch the handles of his bike. Yes, he felt lonely, just like that night.

But he was not alone.

Jungkook felt him before he even appeared by his side, wearing white and walking barefoot. Focused, he didn't look at him. He held his bike tighter and bit down hard enough to bear his teeth. Angry tears made themselves present and he ignored them as easily as he ignored the sickness rising in his throat. His angel's presence gave him the courage he couldn't find within himself. He had someone to do it for and to do it with and it was the same person who saved him in the first place. Logic, as well, was on his side.

There was nothing he should be afraid about, nothing could hurt him now as nothing did when he came to school only that morning.

His parents, too, would be waiting for him with a hug ready to give him back the warmth taken by fear.

- Get on. - He muttered.

Silent and light, Jungkook only saw him leaving his side to go behind him. His bike had a grill where he could tie his bag if he wanted, but, as he was carrying it, it could also be used to seat another person.

Now, he had a goal: Getting his angel home.

He was trembling and sweating, crying and frightened. He grabbed his bike hard, pedaled once so he could use both feet, felt his angel grabbing his sweater in a fist over his heart, and shouted.

- AAAAAAAA!!!! -

With tremendous force, he charged on as if in battle. His heart was galloping as would his horse and he didn't know whether he felt more like he was going to the attack or running from the enemy, all he knew was that it didn't feel new to him even when he'd never envisioned himself as part of an army.

So many different things went around his mind as he passed over the dangerous waters that, when he got to the other side, the relief was so great that his mind disconnected from his body. His legs stopped moving, his hands lost their strength, and, instead of riding a horse that could stay up with or without the alertness of its rider, his bike didn't make the turn it was supposed to. His bike went on, crossing the limit between pavement and grass, rolled inside the cemetery, crashed against the stone of a past soldier and Jungkook went flying forward.

His angel, moving swiftly, moved around him to place himself in front of him even as they went flying down. Jungkook felt him, his arms surrounding him, his chest pressing against his own, and they went crashing down against another stone. His angel received most of the pain, protecting him from cracking his skull. But he still hit his legs and arms against the grassy floor.