The Boy From The Bridge - Jakehoon

Chapter 72: Everybody Lost Somebody 1/7

"Well could we at least try reconciliation?" Taehyung suggested softly as he and Jake stared at the uplit sight of Buckingham Palace across the small lake.

Jake sighed, "I guess..." he was rational enough to listen to his older brother in this instance, as much as creating chaos and havoc was his method of choice when he came to London achieving his goal through other means wasn't off the table. Quietly, Jake drummed his fingers on the railing he held.

"Look Jake, I will make them listen, I'll vouch for you okay?"

"Okay?" Jake said, sheepishly looking down to watch his fingers play.

"And hey, if that fails - I'll let you ruin what's supposed to be the happiest day of my life" Taehyung said in jest. Jake smiled at his brother's support but he felt slightly despondent. Staring at his fingers he instinctively begun flexing his pinkie as if it was yurning for something. Taehyung obviously noticed Jake's mind was elsewhere by his next question, "What are you thinking about?"

"It's just kind of lonely you know? And, bizarrely, I'm setting myself up to be more lonely aren't I?"

"I mean yes, but it's what you want isn't it?"

"It's what I need, that's not the same thing" Jake said, slamming his wayward pinking down in the manner it had when he had comforted Sunghoon. Now however it found no hand there to fall upon, only a worn and cold metal railing.

_______

Sound was lost for a moment, so too was sight. As all of his senses ceased Sunghoon felt calm. He smelt nothing, he tasted nothing he... that was odd, he felt something. By the time he realised he could still feel Sunghoon realised he hadn't fallen. Indeed he knew this because there was a vice like grip throttling his body.

Becoming reticent to his present vitality Sunghoon allowed his functions to reawaken. His ears immediately yielded a loud ringing sound and his head was spinning. "Argh" Sunghoon cried at the irritations besieging him.

Realising he was still able to use his mouth Sunghoon tried opening his eyes. It was hard at first. They had slammed shut with such ferocity when he was falling that the lids were remarkably heavy. Opening them he saw he was lying down, facing the sky. As he looked up he felt the arms wrapping around him loosen.

Blinking in a daze, Sunghoon felt the arms slither from beneath him. He heard panting, heavy panting. Sunghoon found, as he came to think of it, that he was also breathing deeply. Using his arms he propped himself up so he was in a position to look at his rescuer.

Leaning against the parapet sat Jungkook - his knees raised, his whole body moving with each intake of breath. Sunghoon hadn't seen Jungkook since Sunday when he had run after Jake. A lot had happened since then. Jungkook was wearing an oversized dark green sweater and only a pair of boxer shorts on his lower half. He hadn't shaved in several days and a light shadow of hair dappled his jaw and chin.

"Jesus Christ Sunghoon..." Jungkook said between breaths. He was looking down at the ground, arms wrapped now around his legs for warmth.

Sunghoon didn't know what do say, he felt ashamed, he felt embarrassed. "I'm... I'm sorry" Sunghoon began, without even thinking about it the tears returned. The anger and resolve from earlier was gone. In its place was a sad and lonely boy who felt a shell of himself.

Jungkook sighed and shuffled alongside Sunghoon, wrapping his right arm around him. "We're all hurting. We're all hurting" he repeated gently.

Sunghoon closed his eyes in response to the warmth and allowed himself to rest his head on Jungkook's shoulder. "J... Jake asked me to check up on you - see how you're doing?"