When Jin had seen Jungkook's missed calls from earlier his heart had leapt into his stomach. After Jackson had left his room, he had entered another phase of physical and emotional torture in the bathroom, and had blamed himself for everything he was going through.

He hadn't had the time nor been in the right frame of mind to hear his phone ringing. It had been much later he had seen the missed calls, all 20 of them from Jungkook.

His head had gone crazy with wild thoughts and all his mind told him was something had happened to Jungkook. His heart had raced like crazy and he had immediately tried calling Jungkook but his number had been switched off.

Had he gotten bullied? Did he get in trouble? Was he raped by one of his hormonal exes? Was he having a panic attack? Did he need him so urgently? Was it an emergency!? Jin knew he would never forgive himself if anything happened to Jungkook.

Since the first day he had met Jungkook and had taken a special fondness to the boy, he had promised to protect him with everything he had, not minding if it was detrimental to himself, Jin. So, if Jungkook was put in danger and had needed help and Jin hadn't been able to answer, then Jin knew he had to face the consequences. He was to blame.

Jungkook meant almost everything to him, that Jin had just began to realise.

After trying to reach Jungkook, Jin had spammed him with text messages. His fingers had moved in a frenzy as he composed many panicked texts;

To Jungkook:
Kookie, I saw your missed calls. Is everything okay?

To Jungkook:
I can't reach your phone. Please call me when you get this.

To Jungkook:
Jungkook, where are you?

To Jungkook:
I'm sorry I didn't pick up. I was busy. Please call me.

To Jungkook:
Did Taehyung say anything to you?

To Jungkook:
I hope you're fine, Kookie ♡♡

He had panicked. He had only realised it after he had sent the last text. Should he be texting Jungkook like this? Wouldn't that be putting more pressure on boy? Jin had ran his fingers through his hair, biting his lip and thinking of how he could delete the texts. A simple 'Please call me when you get this,' would have suffixed. But instead he had texted like a mad man. But he couldn't help it.

Whenever it came to Jungkook, he just lost all his senses of reasoning and acted without a second thought. He was so protective of him, so worried for him and just wanted him to be okay, but Jungkook wasn't always okay. He was always going through a rough time, always unhappy. So, when Jin had seen the missed calls, he had only imagined something bad had happened. He had been scared.

When he had heard Jungkook's voice, he had been somewhat relieved but like he had suspected, Jungkook had been in a horrible state.

Jin had not cared for the repercussions of his actions when he had agreed to come out to meet Jungkook. All he had cared for was to take Jungkook away from whatever was hurting him and to be with him, to look at him, and to comfort him.

It was past 10pm, and Jin didn't bother for that. Even if the time had been 2 or 3 in the morning, he would have come out to meet Jungkook.

As the cab driver approached his destination announcing to Jin when they were a street away from Jungkook's own street like Jin had asked him to do, Jin fetched his phone and dialled Jungkook's number.

"Just stop here," Jin said to him, placing the phone to his ear as it rang.

"Yes, Sir," The cab driver nodded in understanding, pulling over by the side of the road at the junction and turning off the engine. The driver was young, about Jin's age or a little older and he looked really interesting. When Jin had told him that they were going to two or three destinations that night, he had agreed without any questioning saying he had nowhere to go and joked he had no curfews to fear.

Swiftly licking his lips to moisten them, Jin placed his left hand on his thighs, rubbing the length of his laps. His eyes skimmed the quiet area and the empty street. The light that came off the street lamps gave the street a beautiful, calm and natural look. Jin admired the place. Almost everyone had gone to bed as only a few rooms in a couple of houses had their lights on.

The phone rang and soon Jin was redirected to voicemail. He shifted on his seat. Had Jungkook slept off? It was almost an hour since he had called crying. Jin called again. The driver looked at him from the rare mirror and immediately took his eyes away.

Fireflies played in a nearby garden and crickets chirped in the distance.

"The person isn't picking?" The driver asked looking at Jin once again from the rear mirror.

Jin looked up at him, then shook his head with a sigh. "No. I'll just call him again."

Jin dialled his number again and this time Jungkook answered. He was breathing heavily into the phone. "Hyung, where are you? I can't see you."

"Uh, I'm at the street near the park. I didn't want to come to your street," Jin replied.

"Okay, okay. I'm coming now," Jungkook said and ended the call.

Jin opened the car door and climbed out, shutting the door behind him. He shoved his phone into his pocket and walked away from the car. They had parked at the junction, so he had to walk a little feet away from the car to be visible to Jungkook.

Jungkook was jogging, holding tightly to the strap of his backpack, when Jin saw him. He kept looking back at the street and when he got to Jin, he took him by the wrist and pulled him away from the junction.

Once they were out of the view of his street, Jungkook swivelled and wrapped his arms around Jin's neck. He breathed out, relaxing against Jin's hold as Jin snaked his arms around his waist.

For a moment, none of them said a word. Jin occasionally ran his hand along Jungkook's back, inhaling the younger's soft scent. Jin felt his heart jab against his chest at their closeness but he made no move to leave the position. He felt at home just like that, and Jungkook seemed to be relaxed in his embrace too.

"Hyung," Jungkook breathed out. "Where are we going?"

Finally, they pulled apart and Jungkook stared up at him with bloodshot red eyes. Jin's heart hurt at the sight of Jungkook's distressed face and he had to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat before he spoke.

"Are you sure?"

Jungkook nodded and took Jin's hand. His eyes glimmered in the moonlight. "Anywhere with you. Please."

"Okay," Jin nodded, holding onto Jungkook's hand firmly. He opened the door to the cab. Jungkook climbed in and he followed. "Come on. Let's go," He said to the cab driver.

"Okay!" The cab driver hit the wheel enthusiastically and reeved the engine back to life. In no time, they were driving out of Jungkook's neighborhood.

Not once did Jungkook let go of Jin's hand. He had placed his bag on the floor, between his legs and leaned back against the headrest as the car silently made it's way to where Jin had earlier told the driver. Jungkook's were shut and his adam's apple would occasionally bob up and down. Jin was very well familiar with that feeling.

Jin leaned closer after watching Jungkook for the longest period. He clenched his other fist, blinking. "Kookie," He called silently.

Jungkook didn't move. The only movements were in his throat, and his eyes which would show he wasn't sleeping.

He squeezed Jungkook's hand. "Kookie."

Jungkook's eyes fluttered open and he sat up, turning to look at Jin with big, curious eyes.

For a split second Jin was lost in the browness of his eyes. He had seen many brown eyes in his life but Jungkook's were by far the most captivating he had ever seen. He felt himself drown in their loveliness. How could such beauty hide so much pain? He couldn't understand.

Jungkook blinked then looked down. He began to fiddle with his jeans. Scratching his knees. Jin realised he was embarrassed. "Hyung."

"Kookie."

"Were you busy?"

Jin blinked. "Busy?"

"When I asked you to come get me, were you busy?" He explained.

"No, I wasn't," Jin answered sincerely.

Jungkook looked away. "I'm sorry if you were busy," He said apologetically, then immediately added after a loud exhale. "Hyung, you were the only one I could think of. My mum and my brother-" His voice rose, hitched and he blinked frantically. "They just... They m-make me feel-" Jungkook shook his head as tears formed in his eyes and he had to blink as lightly as ever so they wouldn't fall. "Sometimes I wonder if they're truly my family."

Jungkook shut his eyes, placing the back of his hand over his mouth to hide his quivering lips.

"Don't say that, Kookie," Jin whispered, rubbing his hand. "Please don't say that. Whatever it is, I'm sure-"

"I told them that I'm gay," Jungkook blurted.

Jin got lost in Jungkook's words and stared at the boy for a moment.

"I would have preferred if Namjoon hyung had stabbed me with a real knife than said all those things to me tonight. Hyung, you don't know how I feel. I want to die." He sobbed loudly. "I don't want to-"

Jin pulled him into his embrace and wrapped his arms around Jungkook's body as the boy stopped talking and cried.

"Jin hyung," He said inaudibly in Jin's chest, sobbing.

Jungkook's crying hit Jin in his heart and soul, and he felt his heart tear in two. His eyes watered. His throat went dry. His heart jabbed furiously against his chest, so loudly he could hear it in his ears. He could feel Jungkook's pain like they were his.

Jin swallowed his hurt. "It's okay. Stop talking," He said.

''I don't know what to do.''

Jin nodded. "Just listen to me."

Jungkook stopped talking, but he didn't stop crying neither was Jin asking him to do that. Jin knew it was necessary for him to cry.

"You're beautiful, you're wonderful, you're amazing just the way you are. And whomever makes you feel otherwise is horrible person. I don't care who it is," Jin said directly. "Your mother and brother don't have a choice. You're theirs. They have no option but to accept you as wonderful as you are. Do you hear me?"

Jungkook nodded against his chest.

"No one deserves your life, Kookie. Especially not people that don't appreciate you. You shouldn't talk about death when you haven't even started living. We still have a lot of years ahead of us. Plenty beautiful years. Aren't you curious as to how those years would look like? I know I'm curious. When that happily ever after eventually comes, I know I want to see that," Jin managed a small shrug.

"I want to see my Choco kookie when he becomes a career man, whichever one; a doctor, a lawyer, a singer, maybe an actor. And he'll be in his big car and awesome mansion. And you'll invite me over, right?" Jin pinched his side lightly.

"You'll say, 'Jin hyung, do you want to hang out?' 'Jin hyung, I emailed you a VVIP ticket to my next concert in London, make sure you're there', 'Jin hyung, I just sent Italian meal over. Enjoy yourself.' I'll point at my Kookie in his lab coat or Armani suit or his cool performing outfit and I'll proudly say, that's my Kookie. Don't you want that? To send me home delivered Italian meals and KFC Pizza."

A small smile formed on Jungkook's lips.

"And when I eat, I'll be selfish with them and not share because my Kookie sent them to me." Jin's fingers combed through his hair. "And then we'll go on vacations. Sit on the beach in Hawaii, sipping Mai Tie and staring off into the ocean, watching the sunset. And no one would bother us. Then you'll be happy, showing off your sweet smile. And I can't wait for that time. You know why?"

Jungkook shook his head.

"Because you're my perfect Kookie with a chocolate twist and you deserve the whole happiness in the world. And I'll do anything for you to have it. So, please, for my sake and my dreams for you, don't give up. You're my strong Kookie and I can't wait to see you grow up into a happy, fulfilled and loved man. Please."

Jin opened his eyes, snapping from his daydream and the world he had just created in his head, when he felt Jungkook pull away. But Jungkook wasn't pulling away, he was only leaning away so he could look up at Jin.

Jungkook's piercing watered eyes burned into Jin's eyes.

"You're going to be there with me, right?" Jungkook asked.

Jin nodded. "Hells yeah," He joked causing Jungkook giggle, his tears falling. "You don't think I'm going to pass on being hyung to the next Ben Carson, or Michael Jackson or Jackie Chan."

"Hyung, Ben Carson is a brain surgeon," Jin laughed sniffling and wiping his tears.

"Who says my Kookie can't be a brain surgeon?" Jin asked, raising a brow.

Jungkook laughed.

"What do you want to be?" Jin asked more seriously, but kept his smile.

Jungkook's eyes narrowed, darting left and right in thought and his lip was pulled in between his teeth. "I want to be.. happy. I don't care if I'm a doctor or a lawyer or a food vendor. I just want to be happy."

Jin smiled admirably at him. "You will be. I believe that."

"With you," Jungkook said, hopefully.

"With me," Jin assured.

Jungkook went back in for a hug, wrapping his arm more tightly. "Thank you for tonight."

"Anything for you," Jin said, sincerely.

Jin turned to the driver's seat when he heard the cab driver ear his throat.

"We're here," The cab driver said.

He had totally forgotten there had been someone else there; that they were in a moving taxi. He shut his eyes in embarrassment, scolding and laughing at himself at the same time.

He nodded. "Thank you."

Jungkook looked out of the window, and the massive building came to view. His mouth fell in an 'o'. "Hyung... T-the Royal Hotel?!"

"It's the only place I could get a reservation on short notice," Jin explained.

"Reservation!? This place is gigantic!! The president of Russia lodged here last month! This is the coolest thing ever!"

Jin hissed, scratching his head and smiling nervously. "Oh, he did? I didn't know that. Come on, let's go."

Jin climbed down and Jungkook followed him, picking his bag.

"You're away from everyone now. Your mum, your brother, your worries and fears. They're all far away now," Jin said to him.

Jungkook nodded. "They've been away since the moment I got into that cab." Jungkook eyed Jin seriously for a moment then abruptly broke into a grin. "Let's go."

"Hold on," Jin said then went to the passenger side and leaned over through the window. "Thank you so much, man. You helped me a lot tonight and I appreciate massively."

The driver shook his head. "No problem. Glad I could be of help."

Jin got out his wallet and grabbed a couple of notes. Without counting, he gave the cash to the driver. "Keep the change. Don't just bother."

The driver took the money. "Thank you. This is a lot."

"Don't mention. Thanks again." Jin started to lean away but the driver called him and fetched into the pigeonhole for a card.

"That's my card. Whenever you need to make movements, call me."

Jin nodded, pocketing the card. "What's your name?"

"Lee Shin."

"Nice to meet you, Lee Shin. I'm Jin."

"You're a kind person, Jin."

Jin waved him. "Don't mention. Bye." He walked to Jungkook who was standing away, kicking his right leg back and forth. "Let's go in."

Jungkook took his hand once more and they walked into the building.

-

How many times did Jin say 'Kookie' in this chapter? 😁

Also, merry Christmas and happy new year in advance 🖤🖤