the new kid

.25.

seokjin rushes over to his house, namjoon choosing to go check on jungkook as well. he gets home and runs upstairs to taehyung's room. when he opens the door his heart falls to his feet. taehyung is wrapped up in one of jungkook's nike sweatshirts that the boy gave to taehyung to keep, and he's crying softly.

"tae." seokjin whispers, giving the boy a look of compassion. "i broke up with him, jin." the boy says in between cries. seokjin goes up to the boy and hugs him, taehyung immediately leaning into his brother. he begins sobbing, trying to explain what happened to seokjin. but seokjin's just shushes him and runs his hand through the boys hair.

"it's okay. i think i already know why." seokjin says. taehyung sobs more, it being so loud that taemi came upstairs and opened the door. she looks at her brothers and tilts her head confused. "why is taehyungie crying?" she asks, concerned. taehyung takes his face out of the crook of seokjin's neck and smiles sadly at the girl.

taemi goes up to the boy and hugs him. "i'm sorry you're sad, bubby." she says. "thank you, honey." taehyung says, squeezing the little girl. taemi pulls away and looks at her brother. "why're you sad?" she asks. taehyung smiles sadly, tears running down his face still. "me and jungkookie got into a fight." he tells her.

taemi's face saddens. "will he still come over?" she asks. taehyung looks at his brother and bites his lip. he looks back at his sister and shakes his head, still smiling sadly. "not for awhile." taehyung says while stroking the little girls hair. taemi sighs. "oh. will i still see him at your games?" she questions. taehyung nods. "yeah, at games." he says.

taemi and jungkook has grown super close as well. the girl would automatically run up to him after lacrosse games, jungkook embracing the girl in a bear hug and lifting her up. taehyung's lock screen was of jungkook holding taemi after a big victory they had just had. he remembers the memory as if it happened yesterday.

•••

"it's yours tae!" jungkook shouts as he passes the ball to taehyung who has taken over hoseok's spot for the remainder of the season considering his athletic ability and being able to learn a position fast. taehyung runs does the field before passing it to jimin.

jimin runs towards the goal, dodging two players from the opposite team and shooting the ball past the goalie. the crowd cheered loudly when the ball went into the goal. that had just won the game for the team. the team celebrates before shaking hands with the other team.

after both teams have their annual post-game talk, parents and students are allowed to go on the field after the teams get dressed in the locker room. jungkook walked out wearing his lacrosse hoodie with some white nike shorts and white nike crew socks with his tennis shoes.

taehyung walked out shortly after him wearing his lacrosse hoodie and grey nike sweatpants with his tennis shoes. when he gets to his and jungkook family, he sees taemi in jungkook's arm. "awe, that's absolutely precious! let me get a picture!" mrs. kim says, snapping a photo of the two.

taehyung smiles and leans over to his mom. "send me that." he whispers as she nods. she was aware that jungkook wasn't out yet and she respected that in front of his parents. jungkook let the girl down and she ran over to the other boys. he then goes to taehyung to start a conversation.

"you know, you're a pretty good midfielder." jungkook jokes around. taehyung pushes him playfully. "shut up, you barely pass me the ball." he says. jungkook shrugs. "can't have you outshining me, babe." he says lowly where only the two can hear. taehyung rolls his eyes and smiles.

life was good.

•••

namjoon texts jungkook, telling the boy he was outside of his house. he waits a second before seeing a sad boy walk out of his front door quietly and opens the car door. he gets in and sighs, his cheeks stained with tears. namjoon looks at the boy and pats his arm.

"it'll be okay, bro." he says. jungkook leans on the console and puts his head in his hand. "you told me. you told me to come out and i didn't listen. you told me that taehyung would be gone if i didn't come out, and you were right. you're always right, namjoon. you do nothing wrong. i screw everything up." jungkook says, tears falling from his eyes again.

namjoon stays quiet, knowing the boys rant wasn't over. he also knew not to take anything the boy said to heart since he was just heartbroken and saying nonsense. "i don't understand. you have seokjin, the perfect brother. you're you, the senior that everyone likes and everyone wants to be friends with. and i'm jungkook. i'm the boy who is cute and popular and athletic." jungkook says.

"i don't wanna be known for any of those things. i wanna be known for being jungkook. for being me." jungkook says. namjoon nods. "jungkook, you're like my little brother. you know i love you. but the longer you waited to come out, the quicker that boy was slipping away from you. and you didn't see it." namjoon says. he's giving the boy tough love, knowing that's how jungkook learns.

jungkook sighs and throws his head back. "we said i love you." jungkook informs namjoon. the senior nods. "did you mean it?" namjoon asks the junior. jungkook begins to cry even more. "of course i did." he says while looking at namjoon. "if you meant it, you wouldn't have waited so long to be yourself." he says.

jungkook thinks for a second. "i'm such a dumbass, joon." namjoon nods. "yeah you are. but you can fix this, you just have to come to terms that you are you, and nobody can change that." namjoon tells the boy. jungkook nods and wipes his tears.

"can i stay at your place?" jungkook asks. namjoon nods. "of course, buddy." namjoon replies as he drives off. they drive past taehyung's house on the way to namjoon's house and jungkook looks at it, knowing the boy he loves is in tears in his room because jungkook was too selfish.

'i'm gonna get you back, kim taehyung.'