Can't Be Without You | Jungkook

Part 13

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It takes a whole lot of effort from everybody to ease into an arrangement of caring for Jungkook.

You've only been able to bargain physically going to work thrice a week, so on those days, Yoongi is tasked to stay with Jungkook. Since Hoseok owns the club, he doesn't mind Jungkook missing work. The manager of the supermarket where he works has been very understanding, too, and allowed him to be off for a few weeks, with some of his co-workers taking turns covering his shifts.

A part of Jungkook hates this, that so many people have to adjust to him, making him regret that he didn't fight back. But you're there, as always, to remind him that people are going out of their way because they care about him; he'd gone out of his way for his friends and colleagues so many times before, too; they wouldn't have done it if they didn't think Jungkook deserves the help.

He sleeps on the bed while you sleep on the couch, which you don't mind because you fall asleep there anyway. Jin comes over every few days with food and you three, oddly enough, all eat together when he does. You're just glad that both men get along with each other; you just wish you weren't so torn about them, too.

Because try as you might, you just can't shake off the feeling for your best friend that's resurfacing, no thanks to the fact that he's been living under your roof the past few weeks. You've gotten back into your old groove of things, just that you're seeing each other everyday now.

There are movie nights, simple home cooked meals - care of you - talking and staying in silence like old times, and laying in bed just looking at the ceiling like before.

Jin has been understanding, like always, not minding at all that your weekly dates are now resigned to your living room, with your best friend lying on your bed on the other side of the wall. You're preoccupied, like always - Jungkook is stubborn and wants to do things on his own so you're always on high alert for any shifting or ruffling sounds.

But Jin agreed to this arrangement; he's said sometimes he even feels like he's intruding. But like you always do, you assure him that it's okay. You're thankful that you get to be with him while also being available for your best friend.

Jungkook goes through his own agony as well, wishing that he convinced Yoongi to take him in instead. Because everyday, you're the first person he sees.

You check on him for any signs of pain, give him his medication, tend to his wounds, and serve him his food. You stay with him in the room when you work on reports and let him hum to you after your online counseling sessions with the kids. You talk to him about random things, reminisce with him, and cover for him to his parents, who have been so happy at how much time you're spending together.

He sees just how close you've become with his mother, seeing as you're the one who assures her that he's okay when she's unable to reach him; the one who listens to her talk about updates on the restaurant, the one who entertains her with your own stories so she won't think much about how much she misses her son.

The only reason Jungkook doesn't respond to her calls is because other than you, his mother is his weakness. When he's down and missing home so much, all she has to do is say, "come on honey, tell me what's bothering you," and he's sure he'll break down and tell her everything. And he can't. Too many secrets, too many failures. This whole thing is probably the biggest secret of all. The fact that you could be there for him and get the phone at the sign of a confession makes Jungkook think that this arrangement is okay.

But still, every night he knows you're lying on your couch, and he wants nothing more than to have you next to him instead so he can listen to your breathing, feel your presence, and hopefully, hold you close.