warning: slight language

Weeks passed and Jungkook got along just fine with the rest of his team mates.  As he had promised General Byun, he quickly learned simple cures and other practical things from Jin, who was very patient with him.  He was thankful for that, because he felt as though he was a burden.  Jin would constantly tell him that it was his pleasure teaching him, but for some reason, Jungkook couldn’t help but think he was making him feel guilty.

“You remind me of my brother,” Jin had explained.  “I miss him so much.  He’s about your age, maybe a bit younger than you…”

They prepared diligently for whatever was to come.  The more time that passed, the more the team became anxious.  The previous members were used to going out weekly, and they had been denied of all missions for weeks now.  Only a few teams went out patrolling the heavily guarded perimeter into Busan.  Each day of waiting seemed to make the situation darker.

It was yet another reason for Jungkook to feel guilty.  

“Don’t worry about it,” Namjoon had told him reassuringly.  “We need the rest anyways.”

Jungkook sat, thinking about these things while taking in the cool air of that summer night.  The crickets chirped, competing with the silence.  He sighed, slouching his shoulders tiredly.  They were sore from lifting weights.  Even though he was a field medic, he still had to go through basic training, and it hurt.

He looked up at the stars and sighed, wondering how his mother and little Jung were doing.  His heart felt heavy as he leaned his sore shoulder against the wooden pole that stood outside the tent.  He rubbed it a bit, wincing from the dull pain.

Hands came down on his shoulders, and he yelped before standing abruptly.  He turned, his eyes wide, and stared at Taehyung, who looked equally as shocked.

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?” Jungkook stammered.

Taehyung shrugged.  “There’s no way you’ll be able to keep up with us if your shoulders are sore.”

Jungkook blinked as Taehyung sat down.  The other motioned for him to sit down next to him, and Jungkook reluctantly and slowly sat back down again.  He looked away awkwardly, puffing out his cheeks.  The last thing he wanted was to sit next to Taehyung, but he didn’t want to look rude.

“So what’s with the heavy sighs, farm boy?” Taehyung asked.

“Ah,” Jungkook breathed.  “I just miss my family.  That’s all.”

Taehyung hummed, nodding.  “Is that so?” he murmured.  He stared up at the stars.  “That’s nice…to have a family.  To have someone you’re fighting for.”

“You…” Jungkook started.  “You don’t --?”

“It’s fine.  You can say it,” Taehyung laughed a bit.  “I don’t have a family.”

Jungkook looked down at his hands, neatly folded in his lap.  He felt sorrow for the other as he tried to imagine what life would be like without his mother or Jung.  He closed his eyes.  “Oh…”

“It’s alright, I guess,” Taehyung said.  “I don’t really have anyone to fight for, so even if I was captured and people threatened to kill me and my family, I wouldn’t care.  They have nothing to use against me.”  He chuckled a bit.  “I guess that makes me unstoppable.”

“But what about the team?” Jungkook asked curiously.  “Aren’t they like family?”

Taehyung thought for a moment.  “They see me as a comrade,” he explained.  “They see me as a brother, I suppose.”

Jungkook nodded.  He looked over at the other, who gazed back at him with his mysterious eyes.  They seemed glossy in the starlight, more readable than before.  Jungkook figured that family was a vulnerable topic, even though the man tried not to act phased at all, as if he didn’t care.  It was a nice, believable lie, but to Jungkook, he knew he hit a soft spot.

The other man leaned over and massaged Jungkook’s shoulders gently.  He tensed, and Taehyung clucked his tongue.  

“Relax, farm boy, I’m just trying to help,” he said.

He reluctantly relaxed and let out a huge sigh.  The pain subsided tremendously, making Jungkook wonder if Taehyung had a magic touch to his fingers.  

“Feel better?” Taehyung asked, taking Jungkook out of his trance.

Jungkook nodded wordlessly.  

Even though he barely knew Taehyung, Jungkook felt as though they’ve known each other forever, knowing each other inside out.  Jungkook thought that he would get closer to his team through fighting with them, but he realized he didn’t need that.  He naturally grew closer to them.  They were human beings after all.

“Taehyung…?” Jungkook said softly.

“Yeah?” the man replied.

Jungkook looked up at the stars again.  “Thank you.”

He could almost feel Taehyung smile as he squeezed Jungkook’s shoulders gently.  “No problem, farm boy.”

Though lovely, its thorns are deadly

Painfully drawing blood

The cut will scar and be seen from afar

A drop as red as the flower’s bud

There was commotion when Jungkook opened his eyes the next day.  Soldiers were rushing around outside, panicked and shouting orders.  Jungkook peeked out, his eyes wide with fear and surprise.  His team did the same until Namjoon came running over.

“They’re sending a team out to spy,” he said breathlessly.

“Us?” Yoongi asked.

Namjoon shook his head with a frown.  “No,” he replied.  “They’re sending one of the more experienced groups.  SHINee, to be exact.”

“All the hyungs get to do the fun work,” Jimin whined as he pulled a t-shirt over his head.

The captain shot a warning look at Jimin.  “Better them than us.  We’ll probably mess up the mission,” he said.  “And besides, the general wanted the younger groups to take charge and create a distraction.”  His eyes flashed.  “We’ll be serving either way, so don’t worry.”

Jungkook stuck close to Taehyung.  “I wonder what they’ll have us do,” he whispered.  Taehyung’s hand touched his slightly, reassuringly.

Namjoon eyed the poor boy.  “They’re sending us to the front lines,” he explained.  “They’re going to make us charge.”

Taehyung gasped a bit beside Jungkook.  “That’s suicide!  Don’t they know what kind of artillery the North has?” he half shouted.  “Is the general drunk or seriously stupid?”

“Last time I checked, I was completely sober,” Baekhyun said as he walked into the tent.  “I’ll also have you know that I’m one of the most intelligent idiots you’ll find around here, soldier.”

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