L

Of course.

It's one in the morning, and it's cold when I walk out of the room to check on Jungkook. He's asleep on the couch, blanket in a pile on the floor next to him.

The temperature meter reads the same since evening, and I purse my lips together as I turn it up. Had Yoongi forgotten to tell him that it got cold at night?

He's trembling, pressing into the back of the couch for warmth. Somehow he's still asleep, arms wrapped tightly around himself.

I sigh at how cold his skin is.

"Jungkook, wake up." I say softly, wrapping the fallen blanket around his shoulders. He groans, one eye blinking sleepily open.

A quiet laugh escapes my lips when he stares at me for a long second, delicate features scrunched together. Then he mumbles and closes his eyes again.

"Jungkook."

When my voice gets firmer, his eyes open halfway again.

"Min?"

"Don't sleep here." I mutter, tugging his sluggish body up from the couch. He looks too dazed, and I have to direct him towards my room.

His body presses into mine, and he shivers with a satisfied sigh when we enter my room, where it's much warmer. A smile tugs on my lips when he shifts off of me and crashes into my bed.

Eyes already closed, he burrows deep into the covers and starts breathing evenly.

After making sure he's asleep and settled in, I search for my lighter. I promised myself never to smoke in front of Jungkook, and to do it less— but it was hard.

When I don't see it anywhere, I whisper a curse.

Did I lose it?

But I never lost anything. My annoyed gaze turns to Yoongi's closed door, and I quietly slip into his room.

My lighter's on the table, like I'd expected. Then my eyes graze over to the bed, and I see Yoongi asleep. The dark figure next to him is also breathing softly, blanket tucked all the way up to his chin.

Jimin.

Yoongi cared for him especially, because I knew the innocent, brown-haired boy reminded him of his deceased younger brother.

Tucking the lighter into my pocket, I leave the apartment. The night air is cold against my bare forearms, and I wonder if I should've brought a jacket after all.

"Still smoking, hm?"

My eyes flash to the voice, but I don't move when something covers my shoulders. I see a sparkling glint, and the tilt of a smile.

"Jin."

"That's me." He says with a laugh, and holds his hands together. "Do you have another one, Princess?"

I hand him the lighter and a cigarette with a poisonous glare, and his smile grows wider. "I told you I'd kill you if you called me that ever again."

"You wouldn't." He laughs, shaking out his dark hair. "My little cute sister."

"That was just at the orphanage." I reply, chewing on my lip. "I'm not really your sister, Jin. Where have you been?"

"You actually care about me?" He says, pretending to look shocked. "I'm so— touched, Princess. Before you didn't even blink an eye, and now— what changed you, hm?"

Then he raises an eyebrow.

"A boy?"

I don't say anything, but he somehow notices. He was always so good at these things— just like Yoongi. Maybe even better.

"It is a boy!" He says too loudly, and I shush his excited expression. "Are you actual? Oh my goodness— Min finally found a man?"

My eyes flicker towards the apartment, thinking of Jungkook peacefully sleeping on my bed. A man— he was more close to a boy. Maybe even a child.

"He's in there." His stunned voice shakes me awake from my thoughts, and then before I can do anything at all, he rushes inside the apartment.

"Kim Seokjin!"

________________________

JUNGKOOK

"He's cute."

My eyes fly open at the unfamiliar voice, and I hurriedly pull the covers up to my chin as I stumble back to the corner of the bed. There's a dark, tall figure in front of me, and I gasp when he laughs.

"Who would've expected?"

Then the door flings open, and my entire body goes slack with relief when Min rushes in. She seems flustered for the first time I've seen her, eyes flickering quickly to the stranger.

The stranger turns to her with a blinding smile, finger pointing at me.

"He's a cute one. Where'd you find him?"

"You're scaring him." She says, sighing as she pulls him back. My tensed up body relaxes a bit when he gets back a little, but is still stiff as a stick against the wall.

"Jungkook, this is Jin." She says, seeming apologetic. Her eyes freeze over coldly when she glares over at the smiling man. "I'm sorry— he's not exactly cultured."

"Hello."

I wave my hand shakily at his smirking form, sinking deeper into the blanket. Min thankfully notices, and nearly drags Jin? back out the door.

"Jungkook, go back to sleep— I didn't mean to wake you."

"Yes, Jungkook." He says sweetly, but his voice is cut off as Min shuts the door on him. "Sleep well—"

And I'm left there, stunned.

______________________

L

"Leaving again?"

"You know how I always am." He shrugs with a smile, pulling his jacket over his shoulders. "I'll be around though— I came by to see you, Princess."

I breathe out a soft sigh. "You should just stay."

"Not my style." He replies back, and ruffles my hair. "You actually have no idea how happy I am, Min-ah. But keep him safe, yeah? Lots of bad people around here."

"Always."

Grinning widely, I watch as he leaves the apartment. He never did stay for long— although he made sure to come back every few weeks.

And he always left so quickly.

"Was that Jin?" Yoongi's sleepy voice echoes behind me, and I nod without turning back. "Dammit— and I missed him?"

"He only stayed for a few hours." I say, glancing towards his closed door. "You're awake early. Why?"

"Namjoon texted me back." He says heavily, sitting down. "He said it would be best if he went home right now. The library apparently closes at five and opens back again at eight. Said parents might ask questions."

Then he swipes his hand over his eyes, tired and sleepy.

"And to tell that kid goodbye for him. He had to leave last night."

My lips purse in distaste— I'd wanted to let him sleep longer.

"His parents..." My voice is filled with disgust and hate, and he looks up at me with one eye slit. "Yeah— okay. I'll wake him up and get him home."

Yoongi nods, yawning loudly before disappearing back into his room. With my chest heavy, I wake up a dozing Jungkook again.

"I'm sorry, baby. You've got to get home." I say into his ear, wrapping his jacket around his shoulders. He nods softly, sliding off the bed with one of his eyes still closed.

"Min."

He sleepily tucks his head into the crook of my neck and shoulder, and his lips accidentally brush against the side of my throat when he lifts his head back up. My body instantly tenses at the soft touch, but I force myself to brush the feeling away.

He's barely awake.

"Let's get you home, Jungkook."

________________________

JUNGKOOK

The morning air wakes me up enough. I feel more better than I've felt the last few days, finally feeling refreshed. And having Min next to me feels warm.

"Your brother had to leave last night." She says, and my eyes go wide.

"Namjoon hyung? But I didn't get to say goodbye—"

"He told Yoongi to say it to you for him, and he told me to tell you." She says, and I get a confused expression on my face before I finally understand.

"Oh."

But my face still goes a bit downcast. I'd thought he'd stay longer this time, but of course he had to leave. And now I wasn't going to be able to see him for another three months.

Then I turn to her, my voice genuine.

"Min, I know you're trying to quit smoking." My words tremble for a bit when her steady gaze fixes on me, but I needed to tell her how happy that made me. "And I know how hard it can be, so I—"

"It's for you."

My eyes widen. "What?"

"It's for you, Jungkook." She says lightly, features amused. There's a soft smile on her lips. "I'm glad that makes you happy."

"I—" I look down at the ground, my heart beating wildly. I can feel warmth blushing my cheeks again, no matter how hard I try to keep it down.

For me?

"We're here." She says, and I look up in disappointment to see the familiar buildings of my home.

It's home I should go back to, but I don't want to leave her side.

"I'll see you at school." She says, and I helplessly watch her walk away. I want to ask her to stay with me, but even I know that's impossible.

When she finally disappears, I turn to slip in the doorway.

But the door opens before I can get to it.

"Come in, Jungkook."

My world freezes into ice. My feet goes still, the disappointment from her leaving turning into pure terror as I look up, shaking violently.

"F-Father."