The Raven Hotel | Jikook |

Chapter 23: Comforting

"I know you have a drinking problem Jungkook, but I didn't expect you to escape just to find it. If you need my help, let me know or else you'll continue ruining yourself like this over and over again! I don't want to see you standing in the hallway, what don't you understand? When I say, you can't leave the room, do you want me to write it all over the walls so you can stay? How many times do I have to tell you! If you're itching to leave because of your drinking habits I will stay here longer and help you out of it! I want you to stay, what else do you want me to tell you other than that? Do I need to give you more rules?" Jimin rambled on, not realizing that a tear began to race down Jungkook's beady eyes.

"I tried...." Jungkook interrupted the man and let out an exhale. "Why can't you see that I tried, Namjoon?"

"Namjoon?"

"It's not like I don't want help, I'm afraid of it!" Jungkook cried and finally sat up to see Jimin standing there, holding onto the bottle of water he longed to hand over to the boy but hesitated. "I'm too far into drinking to find help! Everyone around me offered but I don't want to face my own self getting over it. How can you get rid of something you've grown to love?" Jungkook cried out and covered himself. "My head hurts... my head hurts... it hurts so much but the only thing I'd take to numb the pain is to drink... what do YOU not understand about a drinking problem?!" Jungkook cried and looked Jimin in the eyes with tears racing down his pale face. "I'm tired... I'm tired of being told how disappointed I make others feel.... I'm sorry..."

Jimin watched the broken boy pick at his wounds through his drunk and emotional state and slowly approached him over the bed, sitting and hugging his own knees while he comforted himself without having a bottle of alcohol by his side. The cowardice side of Jungkook was finally face to face with his own problems he used to avoid so much before.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay in... if you're going to punish me... do it, I don't care anymore... I deserve it... I would be disappointed in someone like me after you began to trust me too..." Jungkook whispered.

When Jimin rambled on about how much trust he lost in Jungkook when he escaped for what he believed was to just go out and find something to drink, managed to slip past Jungkook's drunk thoughts and hit him right where he realized Jimin wasn't teasing around or bluffing at this point. So Jungkook replied, finding a way to grasp onto the conversation and say what needed to be said. He didn't want Jimin to believe he escaped the room just to drink, but yet again, he couldn't tell Jimin the actual truth as to why he left in the first place.

Silence followed as Jungkook felt the tip of the water bottle press against his body and lay over him while he kept his head hidden within his arms, planted over his knees.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, I'm sorry you lost trust in me, I didn't know you had any towards me to begin with. I guess I just believed that no one would ever trust me... I wouldn't even trust myself!" Jungkook spoke out, switching from a bubbly and crazy drunk boy, to a sad and revealing statue that was cracked all along.

"Jungkook, you are no different to me. I would never think any less of you and I'm sure the people around only wanted the best for you. The worst part was the fact that you just kept running away when they wanted to save you. But you didn't want to be saved, I know how that feels... and I understand you..." Jimin spoke into a softer tone, slowly bringing up his hands and looking at the boy with worry filling his plain, crimson gaze. "Can I... comfort you?"

With no response, Jungkook only pulled his face away from his arms and looked into Jimin's eyes before he threw himself into the arms of the older man. In those gentle and motionless arms, Jungkook felt comforted, safe, yet, somehow still holding onto the last bit of fear inside him that began to deteriorate now. At one point, he didn't want to focus on how Jimin lacked a heartbeat within his chest or breathing as well. He was well aware that Jimin wasn't alive like him or others within the hotel, but didn't long to bring it up. He held it in the back of his mind until it ceased to exist just for that moment he was in his arms.

It was as if Jimin held onto a precious bundle of light in his arms. The man that only felt cold and darkness all around him, was finally holding onto something other than what he was used to. Carefully, Jungkook slid his head down against Jimin's chest and rested over his lower torso, hugging onto the older while Jimin's black dress shirt dried the endless tears Jungkook shed while his mind was still intoxicated. The feeling was warm to the point where Jungkook didn't feel the need for a blanket to keep him from freezing. Of course, he only responded to his warmth when suddenly, he noticed how Jimin's body down the center leading on, was the only warmest point compared to his cold hands.

Jungkook didn't think much of it now. He wanted to feel comforted, he wanted to be heard and listened to; and of course, he wanted to feel as if an issue wasn't his fault. No matter who the blame fell on, for once, he didn't want to feel horrible over something he couldn't help. For once, it felt great to be comforted for the first time in such a long day. During the comforting moment that extended to an eternity, Jimin's gloved hands softly caressed the boy's hair, combing his fingers through Jungkook's soft and silk strands to the black silk hair.

"Master..." Jungkook whispered and closed his eyes, burying his face into Jimin's motionless body as if it felt like a pillow to him.

"I thought you didn't like calling me that..."

"....Jimin..." Jungkook whispered softly and exhaled against the man's torso once more. "My... my head hurts... it hurts..."

"I know it does, but I'll be here to make you feel better. I've always been here to make you feel better, you may not remember anything before, but just know you're safe here," Jimin assured and slowly massaged the temples to the boy's head. "Are you... feeling any better?"

"No..." Jungkook replied and began to laugh, hugging Jimin by his waist and smiling to himself. Not really being able to grasp onto reality once Jimin lost his fingers in the boy's soft hair. "I'm feeling better already..."

"You... will still escape again even if I punish you, right?" Jimin asked into a soft whisper and watched Jungkook nod his head slowly. "At least you're honest with me... but that won't save you from anything..." Jimin concluded and slowly looked towards an empty wine glass sitting over the table. His words fell off his mouth and voices no longer surrounded the room right after. Jimin only latched his gaze onto the red stains over the wine glass; crimson stained hues were as dark as the color of blood and the sight of it left Jimin to look back at the boy in his arms.

"You won't punish me... anymore?" Jungkook asked as he let out another tired laugh. Not really paying attention to the bloody stains in the wine glass by the table. "Please don't harm me anymore... Jimin... I've been broken enough..."