War of Hormone | JJK

Chapter 24

It's been about a week since Jungkook started working for Apple and things have been pretty good, for the most part. He trained for 3 days and started officially working right after so everything would be fresh in his mind. He says he likes the job and he's doing well so far, which I believe him.
The only thing that's been pissing me off is that for 3 out of his 5 shifts he's already had, I had to make sure he woke up for them. Technically I didn't have to, but it gets pretty annoying when his alarm goes off for what seems like an eternity and he doesn't even move a muscle.
He said he had an open availability and because of that they scheduled him for mostly morning and afternoon shifts as they needed morning people and most people wanted to work nights. He's not a morning person in the slightest and in the many years I've known him, he never was. However, that's no excuse. He has a job, a really good one, and shouldn't need someone else to get him up.
I wake up right away when my alarm goes off so I really don't understand why he can't get himself up. He's an adult and he needs to start acting like it.
The first few times I brush it off because my main focus is to just make sure he gets to work and gets there on time. I just kind of said whatever and dealt with it. But it of course annoyed me, nonetheless.
~
*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*
After a certain amount of times I know he won't wake up himself, so that's my cue to baby him and wake him up.
I groan and roll over. I was pissed, I still have a few hours before I have to get up for work and I'm not too fond of waking up before then just to go back to sleep and be woken up again.
"Jungkook." I say in a loud, stern tone, well, as loud and stern as possible due to the tiredness overpowering my tone of voice. "Jungkook!" I say again and tap his chest, with his alarm still blasting. Still nothing. "Jungkook! Get up you have to wake up!" I shake him even harder.
He stirs a little bit, signaling that he's starting to wake up.
Finally, success. Usually, it takes a little while longer so I was glad it didn't take as long this time.
"Seriously, Jungkook. You have to wake up. Please get up." I basically beg at this point because the alarm is irritating me.
"Mmmm, okay." He slowly opens his eyes and rolls over, shutting off his alarm. I sigh out of relief that the blaring noise is gone.
"Jungkook, you have to learn how to get yourself up." I roll back over and pull the covers up, more than ready to go back to sleep.
"I know, I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to waking up early." He yawns and sits up.
I was in no mood to continue this conversation nor was I awake enough to do so.
As I was drifting off to sleep, I feel him get out of bed and hear him in the distance starting to get ready. I then feel confident enough in him to go back to sleep.
~
After what felt about no more than 5 minutes, but a few hours in reality, I hear my alarm go off. I get right up to turn it off because at least I act like an adult and I'm able to do so.
I rub my eyes, still exhausted.
Still laying down, I check my phone to find messages from my mom, Dana, and one that surprised me, Jimin.
I open his message first because I haven't talk to him since he kicked Jungkook out and I was super curious as to what he said.
J: Hey, sorry you've had to deal with Jungkook for the last few weeks. I didn't know he started living with you at first, so I apologize. But I heard he got a job, which I'm really happy about. Kudos to you for finally getting through to him.
In no way shape or form did I want Jimin to feel bad for kicking him out. It was my choice to let him stay with me, I didn't have to. And I completely stand by Jimin's decision to kick him out.
M: Hey, don't apologize. You had every right to kick him out and I completely agree with you. But honestly, it was my decision to let him stay, I could've easily told him to go live with his parents. But yeah he finally got a job and my fingers are crossed in hopes that he can keep it.
It was nice of him to reach out, and truth be told, I miss him. Just because Jungkook isn't living there at the moment doesn't mean I can't still talk to him or see him, but it's harder to do so because I would mostly see him when I slept over their apartment. But Jimin is a great person to have in my life so I know if I went to see him it wouldn't be an issue.
After answering the message, I roll out of bed and do my morning routine of making a lazy breakfast, watching tv for a little while, getting ready, thinking about how much I hate my job, and then leaving for work.
~
I don't know what it was tonight, but my feet and ankles were hurting more than usual. It could be the combination of my physical and mental exhaustion because I've been working no less than 10-12 hour days 5-6 times a week and recently I've been getting up earlier because of Jungkook.
I try to power through it like usual, but the pain started early on during my shift and I tried as hard as I could to plaster a smile on my face and work through the pain.
~
I know I always say that my shifts feel like the longest shifts of my life, but tonight really felt like it. I couldn't wait for 10:00PM to come. Not even to get out of work, just so I could get off of my my feet and relax.
~
I basically sped home, but speeding as in fast as I legally can without getting a ticket.
When I walk in the door I don't even bother taking my shoes off, I go right for the couch and plop down, wincing in pain as I do so.
"Hey, wait are you okay?" Jungkook sits up from his spot on the couch and looks at me.
"Yeah, but my feet are killing me. More than usual and I don't know why."
"Do you want me to rub them? You know I give good massages." It was a nice offer, especially because it was genuine and he didn't mean it in a sexual way. I couldn't refuse his offer.
"Yes, please, that would be great." I go to bend down to take my shoes off, but he stops me.
"It's okay. Just lay back and relax, I got it." I sigh and lean back on the couch, my head resting on one of the pillows that's propped up against the arm of the couch.
He sits up with his back up against the couch and picks my legs up to rest on his thighs.
He takes my shoes off as carefully as he can and even though he tried to be gentle it still hurt and I breathed out in pain. But it felt so damn good to have my shoes off.
"I'm sorry if my feet smell." I giggle. I did feel a little bad and a tad bit self conscious because I wear those shoes every single time I work and I wear them for hours almost everyday, I know for a fact they smell. But I also know he wouldn't care or make me feel bad about it.
"It's fine, I don't care." He chuckles softly. He rolls up my jeans a little bit so he has access to my ankles. "Are you sure you're okay? Your feet are like really swollen." He expresses concerningly.
I prop myself up on my elbows so I can glance at my feet, which in fact, do look seemingly abnormally swollen.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just probably over doing it. But I'll be fine." I assure him and lay back down.
"Okay." He starts to work his magical hands on my feet and it feels absolutely amazing. It almost makes up for the fact that he's the reason why I've been having to get up so early. Key word: almost.
~
For Jungkook's next 3 shifts after that night, he hasn't been able to get up himself. And quite frankly, I'm pissed. Regardless if I have to go to work or not, I should not have to be responsible for waking up a 20 year old man.
I've had it. 6 times in 2 weeks I've been woken up by his alarm and am forced him to get out of bed. I shouldn't have to. I've been busting my ass with minimal complaints with work and now it's like I have a child that I have to wake up for school. It's not fair. The 6th time is finally the time I really say something. I should've said something sooner but I had faith in him that he would've been able to do it by now. Clearly I put way too much faith in him.
~
That night I get home with my extremely aching feet, in which have not gotten any better, and sit down on the couch next to him telling him we need to talk and we need to talk now.
"What's up?" He says in a neutral tone as if what I'm about to say is gonna be a shock.
"I'm really proud of you for getting a job and I 100% mean that. But you have got to learn how to get yourself up, Jungkook."
"Oh." Was all he managed to say.
"Yeah. I can't keep making sure you're waking up every morning for your shift. I let it go the first few times because I wanted to make sure you got there on time, but I'm starting to get a little frustrated." I might have sounded a little meaner than I intended, but I had to be stern to get through to him.
"I'm sorry. It's just hard, you know I'm not a morning person." He tries to defend himself, but it was just a shitty excuse.
"I get that. And I don't like waking up early and working 12 hour days but I have to. And you have to too. You're an adult and I'm not trying to sound like a bitch, but you have to learn. Getting yourself up is something really simple and I know you can do it."
"I know, I'm sorry." I can tell he feels bad but I still have my doubts that he'll end up doing it again.
"I know you're sorry, but you have to start doing it. I can't keep waking up early to get you up only to go back to sleep and get woken up again. It's not fair to me." I started to feel a little more emotional than I intended. My intention was to stand my ground and tell him sternly, not to get emotional and be on the brink of tears. "I'm really stressed out and I know this isn't that big of a deal but it's starting to get to me." Then the tears start well up on the brim of my eyes. The last thing I wanted to do was cry. This wasn't even worth crying over but I just couldn't help it.
I put my hand in my face to shield it from Jungkook as if he hasn't already seen me cry.
"Hey, Maddy, it's okay." I hear him say as I feel him scoot closer to me on the couch. He put his arms around me and held me. "I'm really sorry. I don't have a valid reason, but I didn't know it made you this upset."
I lean into his shoulder and lightly cry.
"I don't know why I'm getting so emotional. It's not a big deal, but I'm just so tired physically and mentally and I'm really stressed about school starting and I'm afraid I'm not being a good friend to Dana..." Everything is just coming out at once. I realize that what I thought was the problem, isn't actually the problem. This is pent up emotions I've been hiding for a while that are just spilling out now.
"Hey, shhh. It's okay. I know you're stressed and I'm not making things any easier for you. I promised I would do better and I let you down again. I'm so sorry." He strokes my hair.
"I know you're trying." I lift myself off of his shoulder and wipe my eyes. "This isn't just about you. It's just everything coming out at once." He starts to rub my back and it soothes me a lot.
"I see how hard you're working and you do so much for me, but you never ever complain. I'm sitting here complaining about having to get up early and you're doing a hell of a lot more than I am."
"Usually I'm fine. I think that this was just the final thing that set it off." I admit.
"And I get that completely. I promise I can get myself up. You don't have to worry about that anymore. Well, you never should have. I should be doing that myself with no excuses. And I'm sorry for waking you up, you don't deserve that." He really was sorry and felt bad. I'm glad he was finally understanding how much something that simple was affecting me.
"Thank you. I know you're sorry. And I forgive you. But getting yourself up will help me out a lot."
"If it's something as simple as that, then I can do it. I promise. I'm gonna get up right away. I signed up for this job and really wanted it in the first place. I have to do my part."
"That's all I ask." I smile and wipe any residue of tears off of my face as I finally calmed down from my mini break down. "Oh, and one more thing."
"Anything." He puts his hand under my chin and lifts my face up a little and looks at me, signaling that he's paying attention.
"Can I have another massage, please?" I say and give him little puppy dog eyes.
"Of course you can. Let's get in bed first so that we're comfortable, okay?" He strokes my hair in an endearing way. I nod and we head off to the bedroom. I'm hoping I can get a good night's sleep tonight.
~
I wake up to the sound of Jungkook's alarm and to my surprise, it only goes off a few times until he shoots up and turns it off. I stay half awake, but I don't open my eyes. Within seconds I hear him breathe loudly, but not really a groan, and feel him get out of bed. I was happy to say in the least. If he can do this everyday, then we're set.
Now I was able to fall back asleep right away, not worrying about taking care of him like a child.
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Hey y'all! Kind of boring, but important chapter. Just wait for the next few chapters, there's gonna be a pretty big plot twist. Maybe you can guess what it's gonna be?!