JK: Can we talk?
Sunshine: Okay.
JK: If you are still mad at me, I'll come in the front door so you can yell at me.
Sunshine: No, you can come through the window.
With a feeling of relief, Jungkook expertly climbed the tree then crawled through the window. Maddy's room was dark. He could just make out her form laying in bed from the light of the moon coming in through the window behind him. Her eyes were shining as she quietly watched him take off his shoes and leather coat. He was wearing pajamas, freshly showered and ready to sleep once he repaired the most important relationship in his life.
Jungkook glanced at her door to be sure it was closed and locked, then pulled back her covers and climbed in. He moved over top of her so he was looking down on her face. Which, after having pulled the shade down, he could barely see in the dark. He saw something glistening on her cheek and when he went to brush it away he found moisture. She had been crying and Jungkook felt a stab of pain in his chest for causing her to cry.
He wanted to say something to make her feel better but before he got the words out, he found himself overcome by fear and sadness for a second time that night. He thought he had gotten the crying out of his system in the car. But being face to face with her now brought back into his mind all the images of her aggressively walking toward the American holding a knife. In a book or a movie it might not seem like a big deal. But when you have an experience in real life where someone pulls a knife on a loved one, it can be extremely traumatizing.
Jungkook took several gulping breaths so that he could calm down but it didn't work and he lowered his head to Maddy's shoulder as sobs overtook him. Maddy was startled by Jungkook's breakdown. He had been so mad earlier and now he seemed crushed. She had seen him a little tearful here and there but she had no idea he was capable of crying this hard. Her arms came up around him in a hug. She stroked his upper back and neck as he sobbed into her shoulder. She kissed his temple and forehead like he usually did to her. "Shhhhh. It's okay. Kookie, tell me what's wrong."
When he didn't respond she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to pull it back off his face. "Jungkook, please talk to me. You are worrying me. What is the matter? It can't be this bad." But he cried for long minutes into her shoulder, feeling her hands comforting him. When he did look up she brushed back the last hairs off his face and wiped away his tears and stroked his cheeks.
Jungkook was finally able to reign in some of his emotions, enough of them to at least be able to talk. His speech was halting as he talked, he took lots of pauses between sentences. "Maddy. I was so scared tonight when I thought that guy would stab you. I don't think you understand that if you had died tonight, I don't think I could go on. You have become so important to me and the thought of life without you is like thinking about no life at all."
"I'm okay, nothing happened. I'm sorry you got scared." Maddy tried to console him, but all Jungkook could think was that she didn't understand yet what he was saying.
"Seeing you walk towards that guy, yelling at him when he had a knife, made me angry. It looked like you didn't care whether you lived or died. It was like the time you risked your life on the ladder. I was so mad at you for being reckless with your life, not protecting yourself. It is like it doesn't matter to you that my life would be shattered, or that your parents lives would be over if you were no longer here."
Maddy's fingers were still touching his cheeks. She took a sharp breath in at his words. He didn't think she cared that he and her parents would be crushed if she died? That wasn't true at all. "Oh no. I'm sorry, Kookie. I never thought it would seem like that."
"Sweetness, I need you to take better care of yourself. You can't take risks like that because if you die, then I think I would too." They could both hear the desperation in his voice as he tried to make her understand.
Maddy sighed. "Jungkook, I can be more careful. I'm sorry I made you feel like I don't care if I live or die, that isn't the case." She paused because she was pretty sure he wouldn't like what she was going to say next. "But, you can't say that if I die, your life is over. People die every day in a million ways. People get hit by a car or get ill or have random accidents. You know this, you've dealt with loss."
Maddy's thumb tried to rub away the frown that had formed between his eyebrows. "We can't control everything that happens. I promise you that I will try to be more cautious and I hope that makes you feel better. But my cancer could come back at any time, or I could slip in the shower and hit my head and be dead or something else. We can't live in constant fear that someone we love will die, because that isn't really living."
Jungkook's frown was back but Maddy continued, "I want you to tell me that if I die, you will be okay. Tell me that if some terrible thing happens to me, you will go on living. And you will find new friends. And you will continue to play soccer and will try out for the track team and you will go to college. You have to promise me that you will live on, Kookie."
Jungkook shook his head and his tears started to fall again, "I can't Maddy. I can't say that because it isn't true."
Maddy had a reprimanding tone now, "You have to, Jungkook. I can't be friends with you, knowing that if my cancer comes back, your life will be devastated. I know you would be sad, and you would go through mourning. But I need to know that you would be alright in the end. That you would go on living. Tell me that you would try or I don't think we can do this anymore. It is too much pressure on me. I can't feel like I can't love anyone because if I die, it will devastate them. Say the words Kookie. You have to, for the sake of our friendship."
Jungkook eyes were still leaking tears. If lying to her kept her as his friend, he would do it. He wished he believed the words he was about to say. "Alright I promise to try. I promise that if you die, I will go on living. I'm not sure I could be happy ever again, but I would really try to be."
Maddy cupped his cheek, "Thank you. I promise to be more careful. I will try not to be reckless."
"Thank you Maddy."
Maddy smiled then, "Kinda funny that I have to promise to not be reckless when you and your brothers are the ones who go out causing trouble. Don't you think you should also be making a promise to not be so risky?"
Jungkook got a little smile then, "I already told Jimin I'm not causing trouble with him anymore."
Maddy patted his head, "Good boy. So, no more fighting at all, right?"
Jungkook knew he still needed to deal with the guy with the knife, but after that, he had no intention of getting into random fights. He decided not to mention his plan to Maddy though. He'd already lied once, he didn't feel like he should again. He tried to word his answer in a way that was mostly truth. "Unless I'm protecting someone I love, I won't fight anymore."
Jungkook buried his face in Maddy's shoulder again and breathed in her scent. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled onto his back so she was fully on top of him. Maddy scooted down and rested her chin on Jungkook's chest. "I'm glad you came over."
He gave her a squeeze. "Me too." Jungkook started thinking. "Tell me what the American said and what you were yelling at him."
Maddy went through the night's events not leaving any details out. Jungkook understood that the American, Royce, did recognize them and was planning to attack them with knives once they were out of the tattoo parlor. He also understood that all of Maddy's risky behavior was to protect him and his brothers. His guilt returned.
Maddy brushed gentle fingers over Jungkook's eyebrow piercing. "Did it hurt?"
Jungkook shook his head, "No, it was the least painful piercing I've gotten. But I honestly am not sure I'm going to keep it because today was such a bad day and I really don't want to be reminded of it."
"Keep it for a week, then decide if you still want it or not." Maddy suggested. Jungkook nodded in agreement.
They were both getting tired and Maddy started to climb off Jungkook so they could sleep but he squeezed her tight so she couldn't move. "Can you sleep like this? Is it comfortable?"
"On top of you? I don't want to smash you. But, yeah, it's comfortable." Maddy yawned as she spoke.
His hands rubbed up and down her back. "Then stay here. I need to feel you tonight. I need to know you are alive and safe."
"Okay, Kookie." Maddy wrapped her arms around his middle and tucked her hands under his back, then laid her cheek on his chest and fell asleep quickly. Jungkook's hands burrowed under her pajama top to rub her back. He didn't fall asleep right away but just felt her breathing and assured himself that she was indeed alive and well tonight.
---
The next morning Jungkook woke up to wind and rain shaking the house. He had been too busy recently to follow the weather report so he was surprised by the fierceness of the storm outside. He hadn't even been aware that it was coming. Maddy was still sleeping comfortably on his chest. He chuckled a bit at how comfortable they were sleeping together now. It was nearly impossible to sleep without her and he knew she felt the same way. On days he wasn't able to sleep over, they both went to school tired from lack of sleep.
Jungkook rolled Maddy off of him, but snuggled her until she got comfortable in the new position. He had learned now how to leave without waking her. He pressed a few kisses to her forehead and she relaxed into the bed. He looked down on her sleeping form and just thought how beautiful she was. He had started having feelings for Maddy that were more than just for friends. He hadn't analyzed it all yet, but he thought their friendship might need to deepen soon to something more than just friends. He really didn't want to rush it though. She was too important to risk messing up with.
---
The storm brewed through the first few periods at at school. The PE classes had to play volleyball in the gym because it was not safe for the students to be outside. Maddy had been nervous all day long. Storms didn't make her nervous per se, but the flickering lights that went along with it certainly did. She sat extra close to Jungkook during lunch and he ate with his arm around her because he could tell how on edge she was.
After lunch was over, Jungkook walked Maddy to her Choir class before heading to Art himself. He gave her a nice long hug outside of choir and confirmed that she was doing alright before leaving her.
When he got to Art he set up his paints and continued working on the nighttime landscape piece he had started. It was the view at the lake the night he and Maddy had gone to the party early in their friendship. The assignment had been to draw a nighttime scene and this was the one that instantly came to mind.
A talented girl from his Art class named Jihu greeted him. He had taken Art with her almost every semester since their freshman year. Because they were both talented painters, they were now in Advanced Art which was the highest level. Jungkook liked the way they could discuss their paintings together but she didn't flirt with him. It was just nice to discuss their common interest. He never really saw her much outside of Art class.
The lights flickered and Jungkook wondered how Maddy was doing. They both currently had classes in the electives wing of the school. There were four classrooms together in the center of the building that had no windows except to the hallway. All the rooms had a skylight but it was such a dark day that it didn't provide much extra light. There was a choir room, an art room, a band room, and a wood shop. In the middle of the four rooms was a teacher prep room, so each classroom had a door to the hallway and also a door in the back to the teacher workroom.
Jungkook thought about going over to the prep room door to see if he could see Maddy across in the choir room. Her seat was right by the workroom door but before he could make a decision the power went out entirely.
Over the loud speaker, which must have been attached to the generator, the principal came on. "Alright everyone, looks like we have a bit of a power outage. Not a big deal. Let's have everyone stay calm. Teachers, please keep your students in class until the power is restored. We will not switch classes until we get the power back on. Also, teachers, if you could keep students in class unless they are going to the restroom. Only one student at a time. There are auxiliary lights in the halls and restrooms. Thank you for being calm everyone, I'm sure things will be back to normal soon."
Jungkook knew Maddy would be having a hard time and he needed to get to her. He turned to Jihu, "Hey, I need to go, will you cover for me?"
Jihu nodded then realized he probably couldn't even see her in the dark. "Sure, if she asks where you are I will remind her that she let you go to the restroom." They both knew that their art teacher had memory issues. She would believe it if Jihu told it to her.
Jungkook thanked Jihu and made his way to the prep room door. It was a very dark little room with four doors, one to each elective classroom. It had several desks around the room for teacher work stations. He felt his way diagonally across the prep room to the choir room and found the door already opened. He crouched down and moved over to where Maddy usually sat. She was not there.
He remembered that when the power went out at the party, Maddy had crouched against a chair on the floor. So he got down on his hands and knees and felt around for her. He didn't want to use his phone flashlight because he didn't want to get caught in the wrong classroom. He moved his way to the wall and quietly called out for Maddy. He heard a whimper behind the prep room door in the corner. When he pulled the door away from the wall there she was with her arms wrapped around her legs and her face buried in her knees.
"Oh Sweetness." Jungkook crawled over and sat against the wall behind the door, then pulled Maddy onto his lap.
Maddy hid her face in his chest and he heard her say, "Kookie, you came." She deep breathed in the lovely familiar scent of him, trying to let the smell calm her.
Jungkook was rubbing up and down her back, he gave her a squeezy hug, "Of course I came." He could hear her labored breathing and he knew she really needed to calm down. He continued to rub her back soothingly as he whispered words of encouragement to her but she still wasn't calming down. He kissed her head and cheeks and tried to coax her to breathe slower.
He brushed his thumb across her cheek, "Maddy, I think I need to distract you, is that okay?"
She nodded her head, her voice came out breathlessly, "Yes please, Kookie."
Jungkook lowered his lips to hers and kissed her gently. He felt her breath catch and also felt her start to relax in his arms. Like a good girl she opened her lips for him without him even asking and he dipped his tongue in to find the sweetest taste he ever had.
He felt her stiffen in his arms and he guessed that she had opened her eyes. His lips moved to her ear as he whispered, "Keep your eyes closed Maddy, focus on just me, okay?" He nibbled a bit on her ear then moved back to her mouth. Maddy nodded in response and relaxed into his kiss again. She imagined they were in her dark room at night and he was holding her on his lap on her bed. She always wished they could kiss on her bed before going to sleep so the image in her mind was already quite solid. She moaned and her arms came up around his neck.
Jungkook chuckled a bit. She was definitely doing better, the kisses were helping her calm down. And it was a bonus that he got to sit here and kiss on her during school time. He tried to keep the arousal level low, considering they were in school. But her kisses had a way of always awakening his whole body. He moaned a bit and deepened the kiss, it was like he couldn't get enough of her. "You're doing so good, Sweetness."
Her blouse was tucked into her skirt so he didn't have a way to access her stomach or back, which were his usual spots to caress. So he dropped his hand to her thigh and rubbed her leg up and down, going a little farther under her skirt each time. Once he got his whole hand on her outer thigh under her skirt he started rubbing gentle circles and figure eights with his fingertips, with his thumb carefully brushing over the top of her thigh. Every once in a while giving a little squeeze with his whole hand. Her skin felt amazing on his hand, he hadn't really touched her legs much. His fingers were so close to her underwear and he fleetingly wondered which Pokemon he was almost touching. As the kissing progressed his hand came around to squeeze the back of her thigh brushing ever so lightly over the slight crease that separated her leg from her sweet rear end.
Maddy didn't know what to do with the feelings his fingers were evoking. Her whole body was warming up as his fingers gently explored her leg under her skirt. She briefly considered that she needed to get some pajamas that included shorts. Jungkook really needed better access to her legs in the future if this is what it felt like. She couldn't help but be happy about how this day had turned out. One thing was certain, she probably would be much less afraid of power outages after this.
It ended up being their longest make-out session to date. Almost forty five minutes later the power came back on and students were finally dismissed to go to their last class of the day which had less than a half hour left.
With the excitement of packing up and going to their next class, no one noticed Maddy and Jungkook coming out behind the door in the back of the classroom. "See you in Chem." He dropped a kiss on her forehead. Their eyes were bright and they both smiled knowingly at each other, with what they had just done.
"Goodness, I can't wait for the next power outage." Maddy teased. Jungkook smiled genuinely at her apparent approval of how he handled the situation.
Jungkook snuck through the prep room to find that Jihu had packed up all his paints for him. She also assure him that the art teacher didn't ask about him or notice he was missing. He gave her his devastating smile and touched her arm as he thanked her. He didn't even notice the admiration shining in her eyes as he quickly headed to Chemistry to get back to Maddy.
Much to Maddy's relief, that night the storm blew out over the sea and clear skies moved in.
--
It was finally Friday and they were leaving for camping after school. They had all packed the night before and there were no after school activities because of the three-day weekend. Many families would use the Monday off for a mini vacation. The plan was after school they would all go home and change, grab their bags and head off to the campground, which was a couple hours away.
The whole school was filled with the excitement that only a day off of school could bring. Especially since it was their first free day of the school year. It was also a beautiful October day. After the previous day's storm, the cloudless sky was appreciated by all. The weather report said the whole region would enjoy an unseasonably warm and dry weekend, even though the evenings would get a bit chilly.
Kai had been trying to get Maddy's attention all day. He had walked by before school but Jungkook had gotten there early and was hanging on her, so Kai couldn't pull her off down the hall like he had twice before. Kai had texted her a couple times asking her to meet. He had also motioned to her at lunch to come talk to him. But Maddy had ignored him all day.
Maddy knew she was supposed to tell Jungkook when Kai was bothering her, but she really didn't want him to get into a fight. And she had no doubt that is what would happen if Jungkook found out Kai was still bothering her. But Maddy thought it would be fine because she was doing a good job of ignoring him.
Part way though Chemistry, the last period of the day, Juwon came into class with a note that he handed to the teacher. Mr. Kim called for Maddy and told her to bring all of her stuff, she was needed at the office. Maddy frowned to Jungkook, who gave her a questioning look, but she packed up her things and followed Juwon out of the room and down the hall.
Before they made it to the office, a hand shot out and grabbed Maddy and pulled her into the alcove under the stairs. She hated being anywhere near this spot since the last time Kai had hurt her cheeks, which still had slight yellow bruises that had not been easy to explain away. Maddy called out for Juwon's help but she didn't see him again. He either didn't notice she was grabbed or he was in on it.
Maddy looked up into Kai's arrogant expression, "You are not supposed to be talking to me!" Maddy's anger showing on her face as she rebuked him. She hated the way he used his strength to press her to the wall.
Kai closed his eyes in annoyance. He was SO going to enjoy making her be respectful to him. He had never met a sassier girl who needed to be put in her place more than this little bitch. "I'm going to talk, you are going to listen. And when I'm done, if you want to tell your little boyfriend about this, be my guest."