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Jungkook rolled his eyes at his older brother who was running around the living room, reminding him of a headless chicken. "Hyung the living room looks fine."
Seokjin fluffed a lone cushion on the couch, "I really want to impress this girl, Jungkook, it's kinda hard getting into her good books."
"If she's hard to get then why bother?" He asked and bit into his apple, "she's just a girl."
"A very nice girl and I want you on your best behavior, understand? I want a chance with her." Seokjin lifted and eyebrow at the boy. "Call her noona and brush your hair before she turns up."
The door bell decided to ring at that exact moment, "too late." Jungkook grinned and rushed to the door.
"Wait!" Seokjin tripped over his own feet as he ran after him, "no running in the house!"
Ignoring him, Jungkook opened the door wide to reveal a definitely pretty, cute girl. "Hello! Welcome to our home, I'm Jungkook!"
Nodding her head she smiled sweetly, "Hello, and oh yes Jinnie has mentioned you before."
He scoffed, "Jinnie?"
"Hi!" Seokjin scrambled to the door, "sorry I'm late. Did you manage to get here safely?"
"Of course I did, Jinnie, I was just saying hello to Jungkook here. What a cutie~." She cooed.
Making a face he opened his mouth before Seokjin quickly interrupted him, "please! Come inside!"
As he led her to the living room Seokjin grabbed his brother's arm, "be nice."
"Whatever you say, Jinnie~." Jungkook mocked, "d'you mind if I go up to my room?"
He sighed, "alright but remember to come down to say bye."
"Thanks, Hyung!"
Seokjin chuckled as his brother rushed up the stairs before entering the living room to see the girl sitting on the couch. "Would you like something to drink?" He asked politely.
"No, I'm okay." She smiled, looking slightly confused. "Can we talk about something first?"
Seokjin blinked, sitting down next to her. "Um, yeah sure, of course. What's wrong?
"Is that Jungkook?" She bluntly asked.
Startled at the rudeness he just stared at her, "um yeah?"
"You always make him out as if he was five, I thought he was a kid!"
"He is a kid." Seokjin suddenly felt defensive, "he's fourteen."
"Jinnie, I'm so sorry but have you actually been ditching me for the past two weeks to babysit a fourteen year old?" She asked in exasperation.
He frowned, "I do not babysit him, I take care of him. The first time was when he needed a ride, the second was when he was sick and that other time he had exams coming up."
"What about last Friday?"
"It was his birthday!"
She smiled sweetly, "look Jinnie-"
"Seokjin."
The girl blinked, "what?"
He shook his head, "call me Seokjin...please."
Biting her lip and rolling her eyes she continued, "alright. Seokjin. Jungkook is old enough now that he doesn't need you around all the time. You've got to make time for your girlfriend."
His eyes widened at the statement, "g- girlfriend?"
"If you want," she smiled sweetly. "I wouldn't mind being your girlfriend."
Seokjin swallowed at the offer, "um- I do have time, there are just priorities-"
"Hey, look, you're still young yourself and it's nice of you to take care of the kid but don't you think it's about time you stop letting Jungkook hold you back?"
Within less than a second, Seokjin's entire posture changed and the atmosphere thickened rapidly, "I think you should leave."
"Excuse me?" Her jaw dropped.
"I think you should leave," he repeated and stood up to lead her to the door.
"You're seriously choosing a kid over me who could be your girlfriend?" She stood as well and glared. Strangely, now that Seokjin looked at her again, she really wasn't as attractive as he remembered.
"No," he corrected softly yet firmly. "I'm choosing my little brother. If you can't understand the relationship Jungkook and I have then it's probably best we stop seeing each other. Thank you for the offer though."
"You... You're really choosing the kid over me." She just stood there.
Encouraging her to leave he motioned her to follow him to the door, "I'm sorry for wasting your time." He politely forced out through gritted teeth.
Huffing, she stormed out the door. Not bothering to even correct herself from what she previously said or apologizing for her words and behavior.
Seokjin closed the door gently and released a shaky breath, hoping and praying Jungkook heard none of that.
A door slammed shut upstairs.
Well, shit.
Memories of Jungkook's insecurities flew through Seokjin's mind, there were always there in the young boy, lingering around in the nooks of his imagination. However, never had someone other then Jungkook himself had ever said them out loud.
Now the older stood outside his brother's room, feeling strangely guilty. After all, he had been the one to invite the rude girl. At the same time he was aware that it was not his fault and tried to gain the courage to just knock on a fourteen year old's door.
"Go away," he heard after he had finally found the courage to knock.
Ignoring the command Seokjin opened the door between them and peeked inside, calling softly. "Jungkook?"
The child was lying in his bed, back facing his brother and the lights were all off save the faint glow of a bedside lamp. Walking over to Jungkook when he refused to acknowledge Seokjin, the older sat on the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kookie?"
A muffled response came when he decided to speak but his face was buried in the pillow. "What was that?"
Rolling over so that he faced Seokjin he repeated, "I'm sorry."
Taken aback slightly even though he had expected it Seokjin ran a hand through the boy's dark hair. "You did nothing wrong."
"I lost you a girlfriend." Jungkook reminded solemnly and gazed down.
Shaking his head Seokjin bit his lip when he saw tear streaks on the plump cheeks and also noticed the redness in his eyes from the faint glow of the lamp. "She wasn't worth a potential girlfriend."
"Still," he insisted. "I still cost you one." The boy hesitated before continuing, "I cost you freedom, money, friends-"
"Woah, woah, woah- stop it. You don't cost me any of that. We've been through this, Kookie."
"But I do," Jungkook murmured softly that it was hard for Seokjin to understand. "It would have probably been better if I didn't survive that crash."
Suddenly Jungkook found himself being yanked up by the arm and he gasped when he came face to face with a harsh glare from his brother who still held a tight grip onto his bicep. "Say that again. I dare you...how could you? How could you even think that? If... If you hadn't survived...if you all had left me then...then..."
Seokjin couldn't imagine, his whole life his purpose was found within his family. Yes, he has friends but such a loss caused irrational fears and emotions, at the time of the crash... What would have been the point of existing? Seokjin was sure that had nobody else survived then the trauma of losing his family would have driven him over the edge.
"Don't you ever... Don't ever say th-at." His voice cracked at the end and tears pricked at his eyes.
"Hyung." Jungkook gasped at the sight of his strong willed brother tearing up.
"Sorry," Seokjin took deep calming breaths and blinked away the tears, "sorry Kookie, just... Don't say that again."
"I won't," Jungkook shook his head in panic, wanting to do anything to stop his brother from feeling this way. He had never seen the elder tear up and this scared him. "I promise, I'm sorry Jin Hyung. I'll never say it again, promise."
He sighed and rested his hand on Jungkook's head as the younger stared up at him wide eyed. "Sorry about that, Kookie. It's just that, well, you matter to me so much. You made me move on when times got rough at the start and I'm not too sure what would have happened had you also... You know." Seokjin didn't expand on his statement, not wanting to scare the child away more than he already had.
"Hyung," Jungkook looked down and blushed lightly. "Come on..."
"No, I mean it Jungkook. You don't hold me back in any way whatsoever. You make me move forward. And whatever you supposedly 'hold me back' from are generally things which will lead to bad decisions and results, it's because of you I'm responsible and think things through." Seokjin smiled fondly at the boy and played with his dark hair, a familiar action he did since the beginning. "For example, that girl was rude and disrespectful. Anyone who doesn't understand our relationship or speaks badly of others like she did would be a horrible potential girlfriend, you 'held me back' from a wrong decision."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
Jungkook shifted to sit on his knees and looked anywhere but at the elder's eyes, he felt awkward for his next few words. "You matter a lot to me too, Hyung. I won't purposefully leave you, like, ever. So you won't be alone if I can help it." His words were muttered and rushed, heat rushing up his neck and spreading to his ears. He felt a cool hand cup the back of his flushed neck and play fondly with the ends of his hair.
"Thank you, Kookie. I appreciate everything you said." Seokjin leaned forward so their foreheads met and the younger was forced to stare into his brother's eyes. "I love you too."
Chuckling nervously, Jungkook repeated the little words. He saw Seokjin's calm brown eyes twinkle in joy and Jungkook smiled back, enjoying how uncommon and close their brotherly bond was.
"Wanna bunk in my bed tonight?"
"Kay, Hyung."