The members didn’t notice it at first. Who could blame them? Taehyung usually followed their youngest member like a puppy, always clutching his arm or hugging him during fansigns. Taehyung’s skinship with Jungkook was more than what he did with his hyungs, and the maknae didn’t seem too bothered by it now unlike when they first debuted. The members just assumed that Jungkook was a very patient person who tolerated everything Taehyung did to him.

It was Namjoon who first noticed it. Taehyung had been asking (pestering) him all day for a massage, and since the younger had been complaining about his shoulder since yesterday, he agreed. The orange-haired boy was already on his lap, making little groans as the knots unraveled with each knead on his back when Jungkook appeared out of nowhere and pulled Taehyung to his side. “You should always ask for a massage from only me, hyung.” There was almost something ominous in the way he eyed the other members as he said it.

All of them realized a pattern after that. Whenever Taehyung clings to one of the members, Jungkook will suddenly appear to take away an oblivious Taehyung with a glare directed to whichever unlucky member was present at the time. It was very subtle as Jungkook immediately followed it up with aegyo, but it was hard to deny their shudders after the two members leave. They quickly learned not to indulge their second youngest as often when Jungkook is present.

But there are certain occasions when one of them forgets about their maknae’s strange behavior.

Like that day.

-----

Taehyung was hanging from Hoseok’s shoulder, whining and begging cutely at the latter to watch a movie with him. “Hobi hyuuung~ you’ll like it! They have powers! They can fly! And the easter bunny looks like that drunk ajusshi across the street.”

Hoseok chuckles, turning around to face his adorable dongsaeng—then yelping when he saw their maknae standing just behind Taehyung, staring at him with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“Hyung, you suddenly look pale.” Taehyung tilted his head in confusion. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, Taehyungie, let’s—”

“Hobi hyung’s a little under the weather today, right, hyung?” Jungkook’s soundless appearance beside Hoseok startled the older so much he would have collapsed to the floor if not for the maknae’s tight grip on his arm. “See? I’ll watch it with you Taetae hyung~ We don’t want our hope suddenly bedridden because he didn’t rest to watch a movie, yes?”

Jungkook’s sweet words contrasted with the threatening tone of his voice. It would have been enough to make Hoseok leave, but Jungkook suddenly gave him a smile bordering sinister, and Hoseok actually whimpered before running to their bedroom and slamming the door shut.

“Hmm, it must be from the cheese and gochujang experiment I made earlier,” Taehyung mused, oblivious to what just occurred, hand his invisible beard.

“Ah, let’s not talk about the others, hyung,” Jungkook whined before tugging Taehyung to the couch and setting up the movie. Once settled, he wrapped his arms around the other’s waist, chin resting on top of Taehyung’s shoulder almost possessively. He grinned menacingly when he locked eyes with Jin who paled and quickly returned to the kitchen that he was coming out of seconds ago.

“But Kookie,” Taehyung gave a sad pout, and Jungkook wanted to squeal because really his hyung was too adorable and should be protected from ual predators (aka their other hyungs), “I’m just worried Hobi hyung got sick because of me.”

“I hope he does. He deserves it for touching what’s mine,” Jungkook darkly said under his breath.

“Eh? What did you say, Kookie?”

Jungkook blinked innocently, making sure to widen his eyes just a little bit for that extra effect. “I said Hobi hyung can eat grass and he won’t get sick ‘cause he’s a horse.”

“Oh, okay. I just don’t want Namjoon hyung to scold me if Hobi hyung got sick.”

Jungkook chuckled darkly and tightened his grip on Taehyung’s waist. “Let him try.”

-----

“Our maknae is so scary,” Hoseok sobbed pitifully as he clutched his blanket around him tighter. Yoongi, lying on the bed next to him, patted his shoulder sympathetically with his foot.

“I know,” Jimin sniffled. “I called out Taehyung’s name when I passed by them and Jungkookie actually hissed at me!”

Yoongi glanced at his phone for a second before chucking it away with a shudder. “Who wants to save Jin hyung?”

Jimin started crying.

A/N: I tried.