Title: Could Have Been Better
Group: BTS
Pairing: OT7 x JungKook (JiKook / YoonKook)
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,651

Summary: Sometimes being the golden maknae is just hard.
Warning: BTS picking on Jungkook. Upset Jungkook. Slight angst.
Note to Requester: Thank you for your kind words~ And thank you for this prompt~ I made this one mostly fluffy because it seems like a cute prompt. I haven’t written a lot of hurt/comfort type prompts, so I hope you like this! ^^

“Where the hell have you been? Practice started an hour ago?”

That’s what it started with. A simple scolding from Leader Joon when Jungkook showed up late to dance practice.

He slept in. That’s where he was. In bed, sleeping, like any human being deserves to do. When those human beings are part of a world famous K-pop group, apparently they lose their right to sleep as much as they want. Jungkook doesn’t really mind that, but he’d like to sleep a healthy amount.

He could have snapped back at the leader saying he wouldn’t be so tired if Namjoon hadn’t kept him up all night with his loud snoring and such, but he doesn’t. Starting off the day with an argument between him and his roommate isn’t exactly ideal either, which is why Jungkook doesn’t say anything then.

Since practice started an hour ago, that means that Jungkook didn’t really miss anything. They still have a few hours to go. The thing is, he seems to be out of it today. He keeps missing the beats or forgetting the steps, and the dance teacher stops the music to scold him.

That’s when Hoseok jumps in as well.

“Jungkook, if you’re going to come to practice at all, can you at least be prepared?” He snaps. “You’re making it harder on everyone.”

If Namjoon or Seokjin were the ones making the mistakes, it wouldn’t be so bad. The other members would understand because they’re not really the best at dancing. Hell, the teacher probably wouldn’t even stop the music and make them start again.

But because it’s the golden maknae Jungkook making all these mistakes, all hell breaks loose. Sometimes he feels like his title puts too much pressure on him. Likes his hyungs expect him to be perfect or something. He’s not allowed to make mistakes.

Pushing that aside, Jungkook just tries his best to get through practice. If he can at least do that, maybe his hyungs will lighten up. They won’t feel so stressed out.

Then the break comes. After three hours of practice, they’re given a break to eat lunch. Jungkook is thankful for that, at least, otherwise he and s might shrivel up and die from malnutrition. Like always, he waits until everyone—but Yoongi—get their food before he takes his fair share—Yoongi always insists on going last and eating whatever’s left over.

“Hey, Jungkook, do you have to eat so much?” Yoongi’s the one to snap at him.

He probably didn’t mean anything by it, but it hurts Jungkook. Yoongi usually doesn’t complain much about the other members. In fact, he complains the least—at least to or about Jungkook, so it always hurts Jungkook a little more when Yoongi’s the one to complain at him.

It upsets Jungkook enough that he doesn’t even finish his lunch.

“Seriously?” Seokjin asks when Jungkook has a little less than half of what he started with. “You could have saved that for other people.”

Jungkook doesn’t really understand what is up with his hyungs today. Are they really acting like this because Jungkook came late to practice? They don’t usually all gang up on him like this.

The rest of practice goes by fairly smoothly. Hoseok bickers a little about Jungkook’s footwork, and Taehyung complains when Jungkook takes too long to move out of his way, but that’s all kind of basic. It could happen on any day. Since Jungkook’s already upset, it has a little more effect on him today, but he doesn’t let it bother him too much.

It’s not until they return to the dorm that things pick up again.

Namjoon es at Jungkook because Jungkook is using his iPhone charger. Well, maybe Jungkook wouldn’t have to be using Namjoon’s if Namjoon hadn’t misplaced Jungkook’s for the umpteenth time. But this maknae isn’t about to argue with his leader.

Seokjin complains because there’s some leftover soup from last night sitting on the counter. Jungkook was the one in charge of cleaning up after supper and putting the leftovers away, but he forgot and now the soup is ruined. Jungkook gets ed at for that, too.

In the evening, he and Jimin, his favorite hyung, are sitting on the couch together. They don’t talk—Jungkook too afraid to say anything, worried that he’ll upset Jimin, the only one who hasn’t yelled at him today. As long as he doesn’t say anything, he can’t get on Jimin’s bad side.

The other hyungs are out somewhere doing something, probably more fun than this. Jungkook stayed behind because he was feeling upset. He’s not really sure why Jimin stayed behind.

“I’m kind of hungry.”

Are the first words spoken that evening. Jungkook looks up from his gameboy, and he eyes his hyung.

“Are you hungry?” Jimin asks.

Jungkook things for a moment, and he nods. “I could go for something to eat.” Jungkook agrees. His plan to go without saying anything to Jimin might not work out too well if Jimin is looking for a response.

“Chicken?” Jimin suggests.

“We had chicken for lunch.”

Jungkook doesn’t want to argue with Jimin, but he’s really not in the mood for chicken a second time during the day. Especially since they’re having chicken almost every single night.

“I want chicken.” Jimin pulls out his phone.

“What about pizza?”

It’s just a suggestion, but Jungkook tries to get Jimin’s phone from him to stop him from making the order of chicken. After a few minutes of the two fumbling, Jungkook has Jimin’s phone.

“Jungkook!”

Jungkook freezes like hell froze over when his hyung shouts at him.

“Give me my phone!”

Jimin’s phone is dropped on the couch before Jungkook gets off the couch and rushes off to one of their rooms. He doesn’t think too much about whose room he runs to. He doesn’t care.

Jungkook was just playing. Jimin never has a problem with Jungkook playing around. In fact, he deals with Jungkook’s hyper better than any of the other members—it’s why he turned out to be Jungkook’s favorite hyung. He’s the only one with the energy for Jungkook.

Jungkook cries.

The members yelling at him is something that he can handle.

Jimin yelling at him is something he can handle.

Jimin picking on him after the other members had their turn? It’s not fair.

Jimin should comfort him. He should make Jungkook smile and feel better. He always does, so why not today?

“Jungkook.”

It’s Yoongi’s voice that Jungkook wakes up to. When he opens his eyes, he sees the eldest two hyungs standing in front of him. Seokjin looks mildly annoyed, but Yoongi just looks tired.

It takes Jungkook a moment to gather his sense and realize that he’s lying in Seokjin’s bed.

“Were you crying?”

Seokjin’s expression becomes soft as the words leave his mouth.

“More than a little.”

Jungkook’s wouldn’t readily admit that on camera or to anyone that’s not a member of Bangtan, but s know how much of a cry baby he really is, so there’s no point in lying about it.

Yoongi pulls Jungkook up off of Seokjin’s bed, and he drags the maknae to his. Seokjin takes the opportunity to claim his bed back, laying face first on the mattress.

“Why are you crying?” Yoongi asks.

Probably no one sees Yoongi as the most sensitive hyung, but he cares a lot more than he lets on. Jungkook knows that.

“Because…”

He does’t know if he really wants to talk about this. They’ll probably just bring up the excuse of ‘you’re the maknae, you have to deal with that stuff sometimes.’

“You guys kept picking on me all day.”

He settles for telling Yoongi what’s really bothering him.

“We pick on you a lot, but you don’t usually cry about it.”

Yoongi’s right, and it’s not because of them that Jungkook was crying.

“When you guys left, Jimin hyung yelled at me, too.”

Once those words leave Jungkook’s lips, Yoongi stands from his bed and leaves from the room only to return with Jimin moments later.

Jungkook hates Min Yoongi right now.

“I saved you some pizza.”

Is the first thing Jimin says.

“You’re a jerk.” Jungkook says.

“I’m sorry.”

Jimin sits next to him. “I didn’t really realize you were having a bad day.”

“Why did you stay behind?” Jungkook asks.

Jimin shrugs.

“Because I thought you could use the company.” Jimin tells him. “Why were you crying?”

“Because you guys were picking on me.”

“We always pick on each other.”

“Yeah but sometimes—”

Jungkook stops himself.

“Sometimes?” Jimin questions him.

Jungkook won’t continue that statement.

“Sometimes you just need a hug?” Jimin assumes.

“No, hyung, please—”

But it’s to late.

Jimin is off of the mattress and walking to the door.

“Hey! Everyone! Our Jeon Jungkookie has had a bad day, and he needs a hug!”

It doesn’t take long for the other three members to pile into the room. Jungkook is pulls off the bed by one of them, probably Seokjin judging by the strong hold, and he’s pulled into a massive group hug with s.

Jungkook whines and complains and begs for them to get off of him—let him breath, but—

“We love you, Kookie.” Jimin says.

—he’d be lying if he said he didn’t love them. Every single one of them.