Pacifier •jjk.kth• [Discontinued]

Chapter 8: Little Red

yes Answer really breathed life back in me.
__________________________________

In a span of half an hour, that the Little had been inside his room, Jungkook armed himself with a casserole of sizzling Mac and cheese along with a newly bought pacifier that glowed a different color every time a small button in its side was pressed.

It was already dinner time. Had it not been, the Little would have still gobbled up his share of food, tummy full or not. Also, the caretaker couldn't go up empty handed expecting to be forgiven immediately.

By the time he stood in front of the Little's bedroom, the apprehension in him had grown the size of a hairball stuck in his throat. He had no idea at all about what to expect.

Would Taehyung lunge at him and demand cuddles? That seemed too far fetched. Would he not open the door at all and tell the older to pack his bags and up? That sure seemed most likely to happen. It had Jungkook retracting his hand from the door for a split second before he clenched his fist and knocked, the desperation barely constrained in his knuckles.

Some rustling was heard from the other side, a comforter pulled away. A soft sniffle. Padding of feet getting closer. And finally the click of the lock. Jungkook waited and it seemed that the other was too. Both still and near, just a closed door apart.

The door swung open but no blonde head peeked out. The Little had hidden himself behind the door. And even though it pinched Jungkook the slightest bit, he justified that something was better than nothing.

The soft tinkling sound that he hadn't noticed before was amplified as the door had opened. He let the familiar melody of the music box wash away any astray thoughts as he walked to the side table and put the items down, his back turned to the Little.

He wasn't sure of his boundaries anymore. What had happened barely an hour ago had now created a vast stretch of landmines when it came to Taehyung.

It reminded him of the kitten that he once found in the shed of his old orphanage amidst heavy rain, whimpering behind his bicycle with it's tail wrapped around the training wheel. He remembered how scared he was of being scratched in the face as a little child. Yet he had coaxed the kitten out, wanting to get the little creature somewhere safe and warm.

Now with a soft voice, he called out to the scared kitten, "Baby, the dinner is ready. I made you Mac'n cheese. You like it, don't you?"

He looked over his shoulder and flinched as he met two equally cautious eyes. The hazel irises surrounded by red, puffed cheeks streaked with tears and a lip bitten open.

They held the stare for a few seconds, none counting, until Taehyung casted his head down and hid further behind the door.

So he is scared of him.

Jungkook didn't want him to be. The apologies were on the tip of his tongue but he felt the Little would buy none of it. There was nothing he could do about that now except to wait.

He moved to leave, to let Taehyung be comfortable and get something in his system which he probably wouldn't do in Jungkook's presence.

The moment he took a step forward, the Little moved. No, not towards him. With a hand clamped over his mouth, he ran to the bathroom door and what followed were the sounds of the blond retching into the toilet.

Taehyung dry heaved, the cold linoleum floor biting into his knees as his hold on the seat slackened. His throat clenching into the width of a hair strand, not letting any air in his lungs. He barely registered the warm hand rubbing his back over the churning of his stomach and the painful hollowness in his chest. He felt that if he were to feel for his heart, he wouldn't be greeted by a steady thumping. Everything felt stale, so stale and stagnant, not even there. His mind was empty as if the onslaught of forgotten memories had crashed it into silence, like a static burst of an old television.