#70/71 - “I’m not afraid of thunder that’s silly.”/”I can’t sleep, so can you sing me to sleep?”

TaeKook

Word Count: 617

Stealing Hoseok’s bed for the night had been the best idea that Jungkook had almost every other night. There unfortunately was an exception to this. Tonight was that exception. The rustling of covers as one of his hyungs tossed and turned and was that a whimper he just heard? Uh… Jungkook just couldn’t sleep. He was all snuggled up in the covers but somebody just had to continue making noise. It was noisy enough with the pounding of the rain against the glass windowpane and the cracking of the thunder that sounded like a whip every few minutes or so.

Staring with a vengeance at the ceiling above, Jungkook sighed heavily. He didn’t mind the rain it was nice but maybe it really was true that his hyung didn’t like it. There had been mutterings about this but the younger had always just thought it was a fun way to tease Taehyung and that the man wasn’t actually scared of thunderstorms. Now, though he was thinking that might not be the case. Maybe he had been wrong this entire time.

Shoving the blanket and sheet aside, Jungkook sat up and let his feet drop to the chilly wood floor below. Standing up he padded his way carefully in the dark room over to Taehyung’s bed.

“Hyung?” He called softly,

“TaeTae, you awake?”

The lump of an outline that he could see wasn’t actually moving at the moment and now he was doubting himself once again. Jungkook peered at the lump, scrutinizing it for any sign but got nothing. Just as he turned around to go back to his own bed a rather close crack of thunder sounded and lightning lit up the room. Whipping back around, he saw the lump pull into a fetal position and a sharp whimper escape.

Frowning, Jungkook kneeled down beside the bed and pulled the covers back. It was a tug of war for a moment but he finally succeeded. Taehyung was curled into himself and refused to meet his dongsaengs gaze.

“It’s okay to be afraid, hyung.”

Jungkook whispered softly, with care and understanding. He wasn’t personally afraid of thunder but it wasn’t as if he didn’t have an irrational fear before. Luckily, he managed to grow out of it when he was younger. Taehyung, clearly had not.

“I’m not afraid of thunder, that’s silly.”

The elder squeaked almost immediately and very petulantly. Jungkook couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Reaching for the other man, he threaded his fingers through Taehyung’s hair and repeated the motion over and over. It took a few times before Jungkook could see the tension starting to be released from the others shoulders.

“I just- I can’t sleep… So, can you uh sing to me?” Taehyung’s deep booming voice came out soft and weak it was truly endearing. Nodding as if the other man could see him with his head still tucked towards his knees, Jungkook began to sing. He sang an english song that he happened to learn, namely due to how many times Taehyung would play it on repeat. Continuing to rung his fingers through his hyung’s hair, Taehyung slowly began to relax. The storm raging could still be hard but the distraction was enough to keep it at bay.

Neither boy noticed that they weren’t the only two away. Another man peeked into the room with a somber expression and a heaviness in his heart that wouldn’t go away.

“That used to be me…” he muttered under his breath, broken, not audible above the smooth voice of Jungkook’s. He watched them for a few moments longer letting the heaviness close around his heart until it was trapped, not willing to let go anytime soon.