Chapter Text
At first, Jimin wasn’t sure what had awoken him. The dorm was dark and still. Dawn was still a long way off. The bedroom, filled with more people than he was used to, was muggy and warm from the combined breath of seven individuals. Jimin flung his arm over his eyes and tried to block out the snores emanating from the boys around him.
He still couldn’t quite believe he was here, in Seoul, in an idol group with a guaranteed debut date, sleeping in a company dorm surrounded by some of the most talented kids he’d ever met. Hoseok and Taehyung were the first members he’d felt comfortable around. They were so happy and energetic, just the way Jimin strove the be. Seokjin was really nice, too. He was more reserved than Hoseok and Taehyung, but then nearly everyone was, really, but once he was out of his shell, the eldest member was funny and incredibly kind, always ready with a hug. Namjoon was nice, too, actually. Jimin was still a little intimidated by the leader, but Namjoon was surprisingly goofy and fun. He didn’t know Yoongi or Jungkook as much as he would like. They both kept largely to themselves. Yoongi seemed serious and constantly bordering on either frustration or a mental breakdown, but Jimin saw the way he tidied up after Namjoon and bought lunch or little treats for the younger ones. Jungkook didn’t seem nearly so stoic. He was nervous and incredibly shy, hardly ever initiating a conversation. Sometimes he joined in on Taehyung’s mischief, but mostly he watched their games more than he played them. It was a shame, really. Jungkook was too cute a kid to hide himself away so much.
Jimin was almost asleep again when he heard a rustling sound from the far corner of the room. He froze, suddenly wide awake. He strained his ears to listen over the sound of Namjoon’s and Taehyung’s loud snores. There was another rustling noise followed by a dull thud. There was someone in the room, someone going through their things. Someone had broken in. Jimin didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t fight off a robber, but he couldn’t do nothing either. He was still unsure of what to do when he heard it, a small voice in the dark. “Mom?”
Mom? Jimin sat up and fumbled for his glasses. There was someone in the room, opening and closing the drawers of the big shared dresser, but it wasn’t a thief. “Jungkook?”
The maknae didn’t respond. Instead, he opened another drawer and pulled out Hoseok’s tee shirts one by one and piled them on the floor. “Jungkook?” Jimin whispered, climbing out of his bunk as quietly as he could. “What on earth are you doing? It’s the middle of the night. Are those Hoseok-hyung’s clothes?”
Jungkook didn’t answer. As Jimin’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he recognized that something wasn’t right. Jungkook’s head hung down at an awkward angle. His usually deft hands were clumsy as he opened another drawer. Jimin pushed it closed again. Jungkook scratched at the cheap plywood, whining softly in the back of his throat. “Are you okay?” Jimin asked.
Jungkook didn’t acknowledge him, and realization struck the older boy. He’d heard stories about sleepwalkers before, but he’d never seen one. He’d laughed at the funny anecdotes. Taehyung had told him about Taehyung’s own childhood sleepwalking antics. Hearing stories was quite different from seeing it in person. Jungkook had never scared Jimin before, but he was creeping him out now.
Jimin watched the maknae scrabble for the next dresser drawer, unsure what to do. He kept his hand over the drawer to prevent Jungkook from making more of a mess. Hoseok would be upset enough to find his once neatly folded shirts in a heap on the floor without Jungkook adding someone else’s possessions to the mix. Jungkook sighed, apparently frustrated. “Mom.”
“I’m not your mom,” Jimin replied automatically. He really should get Jungkook to bed.
“Mom?” Jungkook called again, loud enough that Seokjin rolled over and grumbled something about “noisy children.”
“Jungkook, be quiet,” Jimin scolded in a whisper. “You don't want to wake everyone up. We have work in the morning.” He put his arm around Jungkook’s shoulders, hoping to guide him back to bed without startling him awake. Immediately, Jungkook melted into the touch. Jimin was so surprised he nearly dropped Jungkook’s added weight and let him fall. Jungkook put up with his hyungs’ hugs and backrubs, not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings, but it was obvious that skinship made him uncomfortable. In his sleep, however, no pride or embarrassment held him back. He curled around so his face was pressed against Jimin’s shoulder.
“Where’s Mom?” Jungkook mumbled in a sleep-slurred voice. “Can’t find… Where?”
Jimin’s chest tightened. He’d only been away from home for a few months, the shortest time of any of the members, and he was two years older than the maknae. Jungkook was still a kid. He was working harder and was under more stress than any kid his age should be. He missed his mom.
“Jungkook-ah, it’s okay.” Jimin’s Busan dialect was thick. “You’re okay.”
Jungkook slumped further into Jimin’s embrace, comforted by his hometown accent. “Home. Wanna.”
“I know, Kookie. I miss home, too, but you’re okay. You have six new hyungs to take care of you. We need to go to bed now, though.” Jimin took a hesitant step back towards his bed, waiting to see if Jungkook would follow him or go back to the dresser. To his relief, Jungkook followed Jimin’s guidance easily. Jungkook stumbled a little over his own feet, but Jimin managed to get him back to the bunk without incident. Instead of bringing the boy to the single bed pushed into the corner of the room Jungkook claimed as his own, Jimin led him to his own bottom bunk. Jungkook was obviously lonely, and Jimin had a strict policy that no one should be lonely in his presence. Jimin guided him down onto the bed, keeping his hand cupped around Jungkook’s head to prevent him from accidentally hitting it against the side of the bed frame.
Jungkook seemed to understand what he was meant to do because he laid down unprompted. Jimin hadn’t even pulled the blankets out from underneath the maknae and tucked them over him before Jungkook was puffing out soft snores into Jimin’s pillow.
Jimin carefully climbed into bed beside him. The mattress was meant to hold only one person at a time, but Jimin and Taehyung often shared a bed, so the dancer knew he could make it work. He tried to give Jungkook plenty of space, but the younger boy was having none of it. He rolled over, hitting Jimin in the face in the process, to rest his head on Jimin’s chest. Jimin had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. “I knew you were a cuddler. Don't worry. I won’t tell.”
When Jimin woke up the next morning, he was alone in the bed. Sitting up, he saw Jungkook back in his own bed, curled up tight and controlled even in sleep. Jungkook avoided making eye contact with Jimin all day. Jimin pretended not to notice. He never told anyone about Jungkook’s late night wandering. Jungkook was so shy already, the last thing Jimin wanted to do was embarrass him and push him further into his shell, not when Jimin knew first hand exactly how cute he was out of it.