at the airport

-

It took place in the airport.

They were reaching, grabbing, pulling, screaming words over words over words. All around them were a sea of screaming people they never asked for. Even though they had hired multiple body guards, they barely seemed to protect them from any physical contact. So everyone was tense. Waiting. 

When they finally decided nothing was going to happen, despite the roaring crowd, each of them concentrated on getting to the other side of the airport, which meant out. 

Jungkook wanted wanted out.

And nobody noticed Jungkook getting pulled at. Pulled, until he was literally leaning backwards, trying to pull away, trying to free himself. "Trash," someone suddenly whispered in his ear, sounding angry to the point where it was dangerous.

Jungkook whimpered. "S-Stop, please," he choked out.

"Quit the band. You'll feel even worse when they kick you out, so quit."

But he didn't want to quit. He was sure his hyungs loved him. 

So why did he feel doubtful now? Doubtful, that they ever cared about him? 

"They never loved you, and never will. Leave."

"Stop!" Jungkook pleaded in English, accent heavy but words still distinguishable.

"You dare speak back?" the man shouted, and suddenly, suddenly, Jungkook felt like he was sinking.

Falling.

His head hit the ground, and a sharp pain overwhelmed him. He cried out in pain, and felt a kick.

And another kick.

And his head was grabbed up, face scrunched up and ready for the worst, and the worst came.

A fist came flying toward him. Met with his flesh. 

It hurt, god damn it.

He wanted to leave.

The maknae heard sound again. Sound, which was hundreds of people screaming, "stop!" or "Jungkookie oppa!"

He wanted quiet. He wanted out.

So he got out, kicking the figure, struggling to stand up, being the muscle pig his hyungs endlessly about.

And he attempted to sprint. He ran, for all he was worth, to what he thought was an empty cafe. He slowed, and gradually slowed, when he couldn't hear any more screaming and all was left were some elders and Jungkook and his bruised, limping body.

Jungkook pushed open the door, leaned heavily on it, and collapsed on a chair. He set his head, oh how it hurt, on the cool, marble surface of the table. I need hyungs, he suddenly thought, and groaned at the soreness and pain coming from his arm when he tried to move it. He needed his phone, to call them.

Where was his phone?

Where was it?

And suddenly, he was wide awake, fully alert, reaching for his phone where was it where was it I don't speak English -

Yep, he had lost it. 

So now what?

Jungkook-ah, go use a staff member's phone, he heard Jin's voice say in his mind.

Staff member's phone. Yes! Why didn't he think of it sooner?

He got up, stumbled toward the counter, where the woman had previously been eyeing him in concern, and mumbled, "Phone?" in English.

"Phone?" she repeated.

The singer nodded, brought his hands up and stuck his thumb and pinky out. "Borrow phone? Call..."

How, again, do you say "hyungs"?

"Call hyungs." he said weakly.

She nodded, once, eyes laced with understanding and sympathy, and looked around for her cell. When she found it, she handed it over to the exhaused boy.

Jungkook sat down in another chair, and did the thing he had been yearning to do ever since he had gotten lost. He dialed Namjoon's number. Namjoon-hyung surely has his phone, Jungkook thought. He always does.

When he was sure he typed in correctly, he waited.

"Jungkookie?!" a panicked voice said on the other line, finally.

"I'm-I'm at the cafe. Got lost... please-please help please come." he murmured, suddenly sleepy, content that he finally heard his hyung's voice, whichever it was. He heard multiply now, but they were fading.

Gotta return this phone. 

And Jungkook didn't know why he did it. He just hung up, and stood up, and the world tilted.

"Here - your phone." he managed before shoving the phone at the woman, who was now looking at him with wide eyes. 

Wanna-wanna go to sleep. So tired.

He sluggishly walked over to the table he sat at previously, and Jungkook sighed in defeat, in pain.

He closed his eyes again, burying his head in his arms, and fell asleep.

thirty minutes later

-

"Kookie! Jungkook, keep talking! Where are you?" Namjoon shouted. Everyone else was crowded around him, the youngers crying already. They had gotten to the other side, alright, to find out that the maknae was gone.

"I'm-I'm at the cafe. Got lost... please-please help please come," Jungkook had softly said, quiet enough to be a whisper. More tears leaked out of Jimin's eyes, and Hoseok squeezed him tighter. All was frozen, waiting for more words.

"Cafe. Okay. Which one?" Namjoon asked after a pause, voice controlled and soothing at the same time.

And then Jungkook hung up.

"Don't just hang up!" Seokjin had sighed, in panic. 

"You guys stay here. I'll go get him." Yoongi said. He had been quiet the whole time.

"No. Let us come." the others had replied.

Yoongi knew there was no point in arguing, and nodded his head once. "Then I'll have my cell. I'll call you if I find him."

And before anyone could say another word, he disappeared into the corridors.

"Okay. Let's go together. Yoongi will be fine." Jin said when Taehyung stressed even more.

And so they went to find Jeon Jungkook, walking the opposite direction Yoongi had went.

-

Meanwhile, Yoongi was walking down another hallway after finding that there was nobody there. "Jungkook, where are you?" he mumbled, miffed but concerned.

He walked around for ten more minutes. Ten full minutes, which counted as a lot, until Yoongi spotted the familiar brown tuft of hair sticking out from its maroon beanie.

He ran to the entrance of the cafe.

"Jungkook!" 

The lady at the counter smiled ever so slightly. "He's been calling for you."

Yoongi nodded, and turned back to the limp, sleeping figure. He cradled the youngest's head in his arms, and dialed Seokjin's cell. Yoongi did some examining, and discovered the large bruises on Jungkook's shins and arms and chest. Oh god, he thought later, he is hurt.

"Did you find him?" the voice asked sharply after picking up instantly.

"Yeah, he's at the [insert Korean cafe name]. Come quickly," he said softly, not wanting to wake Jungkook up. "and quietly." he added.

Jin hung up, and a few moments later, they were there.

"Aigoo, Jungkookie is safe!" they had cried, rushing toward the injured maknae. They squeezed him with love, and stopped when Jungkook groaned in pain. The members exchanged worried glances and rolled up his sleeves to examine his body for any injuries.

"He's injured!" Taehyung whimpered. Jimin hugged him, burying his face in his chest. He could't stand seeing Jungkook like this.

"Who would do this?" Hoseok wondered out loud, voice thick with hurt, as if whoever had hurt the youngest had hurt him, too. 

Yoongi let them comfort him, worry for him. He stood up, and said, "Let's go to our hotel, now."

So after they thanked the cashier, they carried Jungkook, who stirred from time to time, to the car, where they took him to the hotel, where he would be safe in their arms.