iris

[22] boredom

"Kookie, please don't cry," Hoseok whispered, pressing lightly on the younger boy's neck with a small brush. coated in a very pale concealer.

"I don't understand, why is it always me?" He whined, biting on his lip as his brother pressed just a bit too hard, immediately apologising. He put the equipment down and brought his arms gently around the boys shoulders, nestling into the crook of the clear side of his neck. He didn't answer the question, as he didn't know. It was unfair, it was cruel, it was everything wrong with the world. "Why am I the one people want to hurt?" Hoseok still would not open his mouth to speak. Instead he began to gently caress his siblings soft skin as a way to rebuild the boy's memories of physical affection. He brought his fingertips over the boy's gentle facial features, feathery touch smoothing around his ears as he smiled softly.

Jungkook would never let anyone else touch him like this. He was never fond of physical contact for several reasons. But he tended to cling to those he deeply trusted. He trusted his brother more than he ever would anyone else. Hoseok had a very calming aura, he had a way of making Jungkook feel safe.

"I love you Jungkook... I love you so much. It hurts me to see you cry. To see what people have done to you, and that I was so helpless towards you in the times you needed me most. I am so sorry I can't be the brother you need. Please... just bear with me." Hoseok's words bled with despair and guilt, feeling like a failure for letting this happen again and having no control over the aftermath. To know that his brother would never be able to forget what he had experienced, and that he had felt alone more than ever.

"Hoseokie," Jungkook whispered, lifting his head to face eachother, wiping his brother's distraught eyes with his sweater covered palms. "You're the brother I've always dreamed of having, and then I wake to find you've already cooked me breakfast and have made sure I've gotten the right amount of sleep. I think I am the luckiest person in the entire human race, because you are my brother." He leaned forward, brushing his nose against Hoseok's as he showed a bunny tooth smile, earning a weak but genuine smile from his brother.

"You really know how to bring a smile to my face little Kookie." Jungkook hummed, snuggling his head under his safe space's chin and resting comfortably in his lap. He stared over at his desk that was still littered with unfinished assignments for the next few weeks. Yet, he didn't mind that they were not completed. It was an odd sensation, knowing he used to freak if he found something incomplete. Yet now, he felt a sense of calm being held in a safe embrace.

"Do you think Taehyung will come to the party?" Hoseok shrugged, brushing his fingers through the younger's light brunette strands of fluffy hair.

"I don't know... we'll see. From what you said, it sounds like something happened for him too." Jungkook nodded, mind unable to unwind from this flurry of concern for his friend who had a tendency to show up with his own array of injuries. Jungkook hadn't thought to look for any when Taehyung had pushed him away. He wondered, was he safe? Was he alive? Mind spiralling to the worst. He hoped to see him at Jimin's party, desperately needing to understand what had caused such immense distress.

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Jungkook had been in too much discomfort to attend school the two days following his incident, but after rest and time to think, he brought himself together and managed to drag his extremely fatigued body to school on the Friday. Weeks were flying by, he couldn't believe it was almost the end of the school year. He'd been so caught up in school work that he failed to notice that he'd been attending the new school for six months.

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"Jimin," Jungkook spoke up softly, catching the bright orange of his hair in the crowd of black and brunette hair. He pushed his way to the strange boy, resting his hand lightly on his arm to catch his attention. Jimin didn't respond at first, continue to chat to the group of friends he'd collected outside their lockers. Jungkook continue to shake his arm, growing restless as he stamped his foot and cried louder, "Jimin!" The orange haired student spun around and grumbled a,

"Hang on!" Only to stammer his words and mutter a 'shit' when he realised who was pestering him from behind. "Shit, Jungkook." He looked down to see the boy had sprawled onto the floor, books laying in his lap as he curled and shuddered. He stayed silent on the floor, waiting awhile for the crowd around them to die down as people started to flow in whichever direction their class was. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you. Are you alright?" Jimin pulled delicately on the boy's hands. After being scolded by Jin for leaving the boy alone he knew just how fragile the younger would be.

He'd heard what happened, and had bsshed his head into a wall for even thinking the boy would be okay alone. All because he had gotten himself caught up in a fight with his best friend, Jungkook was now carrying a weight no fifteen year old should even think of.

"Where did you go the other day?" He mumbled through his palms, body shaking as he sneezed twice in a row. The sneeze making Jimin's heart melt. He understood why Taehyung had fallen for him so easily. "What's wrong?" Jungkook panicked, looking up yo see the other's face scrunch up in response to a thought, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth forming a single line of irritation.

"Oh nothing, it's not you. Just something I thought of." Jimin held out his hand to help the boy up from the floor, and though the action was hesitant, he took his hand and was lifted back up. "Are you okay now since ...." Jimin scratched the back of his neck, unsure of if he should bring up the topic. Jungkook inferred what he was going to say, shrugging slightly as he subconsciously pulled his sweater up over his neck. where jimin could faintly see the markings, now covered with large amounts of makeup.

"I'd rather not talk about it..." he murmured, shifting his gaze to the floor as they began to make their way to their shared class. "Have you seen Taehyung?" He spoke up just as they reached their classroom. "I thought he would be with -"

"He's not here," Jimin responded, suddenly anger fuelling his words as he crossed his arms over and buried a hand into his bicep. Jungkook frowned, slightly annoyed by being cut off, but more important than his displeasure was the curious feelings he had towards the tone of bitterness Jimin had used. "He left early, won't speak to anyone." Jimin explained further, fingers curling in on what Jungkoook recognised as a bandage that covered his left bicep. Had Taehyung hurt Jimin?

The door to the classroom was pushed open as a student brushed past them, leaving Jungkook to snap back to the environment as he scuffled nervously into the almost full classroom. All eyes felt like they had darted to him. He felt his body begin to shake with nerves that crawled all over his skin.

Did they know?

But no one seemed to question him, and before he could become even more nauseated he was shoved across the class until they found a vacant table. He turned, seeing Jimin smile as he settled into the seat beside him on the two person desk. Jungkook sighed, sinking into his chair as he stared down at his feet, not even opening up his book as he stared into oblivion.

What was he feeling?

He felt sick, unenthusiastic, inattentive, dull. It felt like there was nothing that could rise his spirits to anything higher than a simple smile. The logical part of his brain did not have capacity to focus on the mathematic theories their teacher began to discuss. Because his logical brain was preoccupied over-thinking every single scenario of what Taehyung had done to go into a complete mental breakdown. Surely that's what the array of colours in his eyes had meant.

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