SOHMIN

"Jungkook?"

He's near the fire, sitting on the carpet and playing with the hem of my blanket. He looks up at me with his sweet eyes, features drawn with sleep.

"I— made you a place to sleep." I say, leading him to the blanket bed I'd created. It was on the floor, but I'd piled so many sheets and blankets together it almost looked like a mattress.

He smiles, and it makes me feel all happy inside watching him carefully lie down.

"It's warm."

"Hold on— I have a pillow too." I look for the white fluffy pillow, turning around to give it to him when I pause.

His eyes are already closed.

Already asleep? Even being asleep is pretty for him, and I quietly get down on the floor. Then I carefully lift up his head, the pillow tucked under my right arm.

Once I adjust it, I let his head fall back down. His even breaths are calming, when my heartbeat is faster than it's ever been in my life.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'll find out who he is, where he's from. How he can't feel the cold, and why he doesn't have a home.

Unclasping my hands, I get to my feet and head back to my room in the darkness. It's cold as always— but it feels warmer somehow. Which doesn't make sense at all.

I slip into bed, pulling the blankets all the way up to my chin and closing my eyes. I try breathing the way I'd remembered him do it, calm— and even.

My heart was beating too fast for me right now.

I'm breathing better now when the door suddenly creaks open, and then all my work goes to nothing when I see Jungkook's familiar shadow in the doorway.

I know that shadow too well.

"Sohmin."

He talks quiet, but I still hear him as he comes closer. He comes, until I'm in his arms, both of my cheeks flushed with warmth I'm not familiar feeling.

"Did you, um, need something?" I mumble into his chest, voice breathy. He was the first, the first person I'd ever touched like this. I'd almost forgotten.

"Jungkook?"

"I— got cold." He whispers back, and I frown in confusion. His body shudders with a sigh. Then he notices my expression, while I'm thinking hard if I should've put more blankets.

He laughs quietly. "Sohmin, I just want to be with you."

"Please just let me stay like this."

__________________________

The next morning, he's gone. There's no one in the spot he'd been last night, only smooth sheets and unruffled blankets.

It scares me.

"Jungkook?!"

There's no reply, only the silence answering me back. Even when I call again, he's not there.

For a moment I think he's a dream, but then I see the blanket mattress I'd made for him last night. Even if it's empty, it tell me I hadn't imagined anything.

Then I see him.

"Jungkook!" I yell, rushing out of the house. He's at the edge again, turning around slowly to look at me when I get to him. "What are you doing out here? It's cold—"

"Sohmin, are you okay." He suddenly says, just out of the blue like that. He grazes a hand over my cheek while I'm stunned, eyes sad.

"What..? Of course I'm fine. What do you mean?" I say, but the sadness in his eyes just get deeper when I say that. He looks back out to the icy ocean, snow reflected in his doe eyes.

"I don't want you to be alone."

"I'm not alone. I have you." I whisper, smiling. But then a cold breeze ruffles my hair, and I shiver. "Jungkook, let's go inside. It's so cold."

There's no reply, and I look down again.

His eyes are fixed at his hand as he draws it, over the white snow. The flecks of white fall between his fingers, back down to the ground.

"Jungkook?"

"Yeah." He says heavily, taking the hand I offer for the second time.

__________________________

I'm dozing off on my favorite chair, in front of the fireplace with a book spread in my lap again. My mind's roaming somewhere between sleep and awareness, eyes closed.

Then I hear soft footsteps, and crinkle my eyes open a bit.

Jungkook.

He bends over me, hands carefully fixing the blanket slipping off of my legs. I blink softly, before closing my eyes again in sleepiness.

I feel my body being lifted from the chair, blanket tucked all the way up to my chin.

The side of my head touches his chest, and I instinctively press into the warmth. There's a soft heartbeat, and even softer words.

"I can't.....alone, Sohmin."

Then I'm let down onto something cool and smooth. Sleep brushes over my eyes again, and I'm almost gone when I feel the bed dip all of a sudden.

Arms wrap around my body, and I slowly push open my lids for the third time. Something dark in front of me smells nice— fresh, like snow.

I heavily sling my free arm over the curve of his figure, tugging myself closer to the soothing scent until I'm buried in it.

"Sohmin? Are you awake?"

His words come clear enough, and I nod slightly. It's warm— warmer than I've ever felt. This feels so nice I just want to stay like this forever.

I breathe out quietly, more awake now.

"Jungkook?"

"Yes?"

"I never got to ask you." I whisper, my fingers grasping the back of his shirt. "Where are you from? Don't you have somewhere to go back to?"

"I don't." He says back, before hesitating. A heavy breath runs through his body. "Do you want me away?"

I shake my head. Somehow hearing this makes me happy, even though I shouldn't be feeling like that. That was selfish.

"You can stay as long as you need to." I just say, looking up at him. My lips press in confusion when I see that expression again— the one from before. The sad one.

"Are you okay?"

He doesn't say anything for a long while, and I'm starting to think he didn't hear me when he presses his palm against my back.

"I'm not okay."

________________________

What did he mean?

"Sohmin, it's getting burnt." His voice suddenly comes, and I look up in surprise. I'd been so distracted, I'd almost fried the pancakes black.

"S-Sorry." I laugh awkwardly under his worried gaze, bending down to turn off the heat. I'm about to hand him a plate when I look around to find him gone.

"Jungkook?" I call out, eyes widening as I look around. He's nowhere to be seen.

How's that possible? I'd looked away for literally five seconds.

"Jungkook!" I yell again, voice louder now. He doesn't answer though, and I blink as I set the plate down and go searching. Was he playing with me or something? He'd been right there.

But when I check the bedroom and the bathroom— it's both empty.

Jungkook's not in the house.

My heart starts racing, and I rush to the window. He wasn't inside, so was he—

He is.

"Jungkook!" I shout in shock, throwing open the sliding door and running out barefoot into the frozen snow. His dark figure is there, collapsed to his side.

The exact place.

I quickly wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him desperately away from the edge of the cliff. His eyes are closed, face pale.

I'm scared. There was no explanation for this— how he'd gotten all the way here. He'd been behind me, sounding just fine a minute ago!

I call him again, and the blood roaring in my ears calm down a bit when his doe eyes open.

"Jungkook!" I yelp, hugging him tight to my chest as soon as he wakes. The panic's still like fire, having spread through my entire body.

"How did you— Did you know how scared that made me?!"

"Sohmin, you're fine. You're okay." He says, brushing his hand down my hair soothingly. And I break away in shock, mouth wide open.

"Are you serious? You're the one I just found like this! Why are you back here again, Jungkook? And all unconscious like that....I...."

My eyes are wet. But even as I rub furiously at my tears, I keep a firm arm wrapped around his shoulder.

I wouldn't let him disappear like that again.