c σ m p α s s ¤ чσσnkσσk + small hiatus

Third

Surrounded and up against a wall
I'll shred 'em all and go with you
When choices end, you must defend
I'll grab my bat

And go with you, I'll go with you
I'll go with you, I'll go with you, yeah

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Getting to know Min Yoongi was like riding a ferris wheel.

One moment, Jungkook felt as though he could tackle anything. Yoongi and him were getting along wonderfully, they knew each other and they could rely on each other.

But the next moment Jungkook was suddenly at rock bottom. Yoongi turned away, grumpy and cold. And Jungkook had no idea what he did wrong.

The day Yoongi first walked Jungkook home was the first of many. The day after that, and the next, Yoongi trecked along with the younger, making sure no bullies would dare to hurt him again.

From this, Jungkook's mood skyrocketed. His once-empty heart was now full of something else. It didn't matter if Jimin and Taehyung didn't care, because now he had Yoongi.

Even if they didn't exchange many words, Yoongi was the closest person to Jungkook, though he never once stepped in Jungkook's home. He would always leave immediately.

It made sense though. Yoongi was a whole four years older than Jungkook. Well, four and a half if you wanted to be specific. Either way, when Jungkook was a seventh-grader, Yoongi was already a junior in highschool. The age gap felt like a brick wall, Yoongi was more of a brother figure than a friend.

Yet, Yoongi never really acted like an older brother. Not once did he pat Jungkook's head nor give him any hugs. And that disappointed Jungkook, he was fond of skinship especially if it was from Yoongi, his role model and idol in life.

Jungkook thought Yoongi was so damn cool. It was funny, looking back on it.

A cliche, lone wolf, bad boy vibe made Yoongi the person Jungkook wanted to be. Although he was never outright rude to Jungkook, the younger had seen the grumpy, ruthless side to Yoongi plenty of times. To normal people, Yoongi was a quiet demon that snapped when disturbed. To Jungkook, Yoongi was his savior and as far as he knew the only person Yoongi ever shared his gummy smile with. It made it all the more cherishable.

Yoongi was a cold beast around Taehyung and Jimin. But he was oh-so-sweet to Jungkook. He definitely had a soft spot for the youngest.

Once, the two had gone to get ice cream before walking home. This was during the beginning of Jungkook's eighth grade year, the sun still hot and blistering. Yoongi was just starting senior year.

They had grabbed a pair of ice cream cones, Yoongi paying of course, and settled down at the sidewalk bench to enjoy their cold deserts. Jungkook had unsurprisingly picked mint chocolate chip, and Yoongi was having simple plain vanilla.

Jungkook swung his legs back and forth, enjoying his cooling body temperature and the blue summer sky. Yoongi was humming comfortably next to him, lapping away at the cone with kitten licks.

Their relationship was so very odd, but Jungkook had gotten used to the age gap by now. He accepted Yoongi as a role model figure, and an older boy protector.

Jungkook guessed he must have gotten a little to lost in thoughts, because suddenly a plop sounded in his ears. He had dropped his ice cream, failing to eat it quick enough before it toppled over. Immediately he was so upset. It was a waste of food and money, he felt so bad.

Yoongi was staring at him with an unreadable expression when Jungkook began to sniffle "I-I'm so sorry, hyung. I'm so stupid for dropping it..."

Impassively, Yoongi mumbled an aish before getting up to leave. Jungkook remained seated on the bench, crying softly as the older disappeared.

Jungkook simply sat there all alone, feeling impossibly upset at himself. But then he felt a hand pressing something into his fingers. It was a brand new ice cream cone, and Yoongi's emotionless face gazing down upon him.

At first Jungkook didn't register what was happening. He was looking up at the older boy with puzzlement vivid in the arch of his brows. Then Yoongi smiled gently at him, a golden turn from his typical iciness, and said softly "Take it. I got you a new one."

Jungkook didn't want to take it, he felt too much like a burden for being spent so much money on. The guilt ebbed in his brain as he chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating how this never would have happened if he hadn't dropped the ice cream.

His hesitation didn't go unnoticed, and Yoongi nudged him encouragingly. "C'mon. It'll melt if you don't just take it."

Slowly, Jungkook nodded. He carefully took the new ice cream, scared of dropping it a second time.

Jungkook sighed in relief when he finally managed to eat the whole cone with no accidents. He glanced over at Yoongi, who was nibbling on the cone in order to make it last as long as possible.

Shyly looking back and forth between his shoes and Yoongi, Jungkook mustered up the courage to say a tiny "Thank you, hyung."

Jungkook's heart went into overdrive as he waited for Yoongi to reply, watching as the older boy sluggishly raised his head to glance at the other.

"You deserve it, kid," was that a smile Jungkook could see? Maybe. A small one, and barely there.

What was this feeling? The happy embarrassment Jungkook felt deep in the lowest part of his stomach, it embodied warmth and gold and butterflies.

And Jungkook was smiling. Grinning, in fact. Ear to ear. Bunny teeth 100% exposed.

Experiences like this became the norm all throughout Jungkook's eighth grade year. Eventually the soft smiles turned into uncontrollable grins which turned into chuckles which turned into full laughter. Jungkook had never had a friend like this, and it was so strange that he had found it in a boy years older than him.

But he would take what he could get, because, without Yoongi, Jungkook wouldn't have gotten very much farther.

The darkness that had been clouding his mind, it finally swept away with Yoongi's presence. The older boy gave Jungkook the nurturment and care he needed to feel safer.

Without Yoongi, Jungkook wouldn't be happy. He'd be a lonely, empty husk. So thank goodness he has an anchor in his life, a piece that gifts him with feelings other than insecurity and hopelessness.

He has Yoongi to thank.