Madeline huffed. "I'm tryna make up a new acronym name for our group."
"Why?" Yoongi furrowed his eyebrows. "I thought you already stuck to MIGHTY."
"Because we have two new additions." She let out a whine, slapping Taehyung on the chest for no reason. "Why can't we be friends with people whose first names start with vowels?!"
Taehyung laughed, taking the marker from her. "Okay how about we do it this way?"
hoSeok jeongguK Yoongi madEline taEhyung
SKYEE
"I actually kinda like this." Jeongguk glanced at Taehyung. "Sky." He whispered softly, "Sky."
"Ew." Yoongi grimaced, "SKYEE is so corny. Why are we still doing this?"
Madeline ignored him. "Someone hand me that baseball bat." She ordered.
Taehyung did as told, taking it off the wall. Madeline tested the weight of the bat, nodding in approval before towering over Hoseok.
"Woah there." Hoseok cowered back, hands raised. "I thought we were having a very sentimental moment just a minute ago. Why do you look like you're about to bash my head in?"
"You really think I'd bash your head in as a welcoming ceremony?"
All the boys nodded.
"Well I'm not." Madeline said with a chuckle, "Sorry I can't check that one off your bucket list."
"We have a ceremony?" Yoongi questioned, pulling the blanket closer.
She gave a simple shrug, then turned to Taehyung. "What do monarchs say when they make people knights?"
"Don't look at me— I don't have the slightest idea." Taehyung answered, sitting back.
Just then, Seokjin's voice sounded from the room next to theirs. "I dub thee knight, Sir Taehyung."
"Ahh— I know who the brains of this household is." Madeline teased, earning a glower from Taehyung.
"He only knows because he reads too many medieval books." The brunette argued before sticking his tongue at the wall as if his brother could see him.
"No, Tae. You're just dumb." Seokjin replied, his voice muffled.
Yoongi pressed himself close to the door. "You can hear us?"
"These are very thin walls."
"And you're not gonna join us?"
"As I said before— you're not cool enough to be in the presence of someone like myself."
"Ha. Ha."
Seokjin laughed. "Okay, but on a serious note, I didn't want to intrude."
"Anyway!" Madeline interrupted, one finger raised in the air and shooting a glare at the innocent wall. "Sir Hoseok."
"Oh boy." Hoseok sat up as Madeline dipped the baseball bat down and tapped him on the shoulder.
"And Sir Jeongguk."
She did the same to the ravenette, whose tears were long done and grin was plastered on his face. They had cheered him up effortlessly.
"I dub thee— Is there a plural form of thee?" Madeline turned to the wall, expecting an answer from Seokjin.
"Does it matter?" Taehyung asked.
"Literally what is happening?" Yoongi's eyes darted between Madeline and the two 'knights'.
"Okay." Madeline straightened up her spine, attention back on the two boys. "I dub thees—"
"Is thees even a word?"
"Oh hush!" Yoongi told Taehyung, covering his eyes with a single hand, "The faster we get this over with the less embarrassed I'll be."
Jeongguk laughed.
"I dub thees... the newest members of our group."
Yoongi visibly cringed, half hidden behind Taehyung.
"Now." Madeline lowered the bat and placed her hands neatly on her lap. She swiveled her head around to face Jeongguk, whose eyes widened. "I know we can't replace your mom. And I don't know how your relationship with your dad to working out. But you're part of us now. We're your family." She nudged Hoseok's side. "You too."
Jeongguk's features instantly softened, eyes shining with gratitude. "You mean it?"
"Yeah. These two have been family to me since the beginning of time." Madeline gestured towards Taehyung and Yoongi. "They're one of the very few people I can tolerate in this world."
Taehyung faked a gasp, grabbing Yoongi's sleeve. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Yoongi kept up the act. "She's saying nice things about us?"
Madeline rolled her eyes, but the movement suggested fondness instead of annoyance. Jeongguk smiled— he could get used to this family.
That thought lingered as everyone started getting comfy, settling into sleeping spots. Everyone offered the ravenette hugs, especially Hoseok. And Taehyung once again tried and failed to persuade Jeongguk to take his bed.
"I can sleep in one of these." The brunette insisted, pointing at one of the sleeping bags.
Jeongguk shook his head in disagreement. "You've done enough for me. Even just inviting me over... You didn't have to."
When the chatter died down to peaceful hums and snores, and moonlight flooded the room, slipping past curtains, Jeongguk was the only one left awake.
He shifted around in his sleeping bag, stealing glances at everyone around him, feeling his heart swell with this emotion he couldn't describe. It was like he walked through a labyrinth and met them on the other side, or rather— they are walking through the labyrinth with him.
Suddenly his eyes wandered out the window, where he could see a little bit of his own bedroom from his angle. His cabin.
He wondered what his dad was up to.
His dad had always been the quiet type, the kind who locked everything inside and threw away the key. Jeongguk was, quiet frankly, a lot like him.
He wondered if his mother's death ever tormented him the same it tormented the ravenette. It must have.
Brows drawn together, Jeongguk tried recalling a time where his father would have friends to comfort him. Nothing.
Was he ever lonely? The same way Jeongguk was?
The ravenette reached for his pendant, looking for comfort, a chill raking through his body when he realized it wasn't there anymore.
Taehyung groaned when he felt someone poking his shoulder. "Ten more minutes..." He pleaded groggily.
Then he heard a sniffle.
His eyes shot open, suddenly wide awake. "Jeongguk?" He whispered, propping himself up on an elbow when he saw the shy boy kneeling by his bedside with misty eyes. "Hey, you're crying."
"Is it—" Jeongguk blinked rapidly, grateful for the dark that covered his pink tinted cheeks. "Is it okay if I... join you?"
It took Taehyung a second to understand his request. "Of course." He moved back, creating space for the ravenette.
Jeongguk climbed onto the mattress, letting the brunette drape the blanket over him and tuck him in properly.
Taehyung's lips were pressed into a pout, concern written all over his face. "What's wrong, Bambi? Nightmare?"
Oh wait no. If he had a nightmare, I would've known.
Jeongguk shook his head, his hair tousled against the large pillow. "Couldn't sleep. I guess I started thinking too much about... everything." He murmured.
"Everything?" Taehyung echoed. His hand found Jeongguk's waist and he pulled the ravenette snug against him. "Tell me."
"My dad, mostly." Jeongguk's breath fanned over the brunette's face. "He's difficult sometimes. But I still love him. I still wonder what's on his mind."
Taehyung let out a low, uneasy chuckle. "Your dad is complicated." He decided to say, running his long fingers through Jeongguk's hair.
The ravenette stifled a yawn, the touch seeming to put him in a heady trance. "Hmm..."
"Rest, Jeongguk." Taehyung continued stroking his hair, even gently massaging his scalp. "Don't worry. I'll be here in the morning." He wore a crooked smile.
Sleep weighed heavy on Jeongguk's eyelids, the outcome of Taehyung's warm embrace. His heart thumped in accordance with slow, shallow breaths.
"I'm sorry."
Taehyung arched a brow at him. "For what?"
"For crying like... ten times a day."
"Don't ever apologize for feeling what you feel and having the need to express it."
"Thank you." Jeongguk breathed, hoping those two words could somehow convey enough.
Taehyung smiled. "Go to sleep." He sneaked an arm around the boy, cuddling him the way his brother cuddled him when they were little.
Taehyung smelled like cinnamon and freshly laundered clothes, a scent Jeongguk basked in as sleep took over and he fell into a void of sweet, sweet dreams...
Or so he hoped.
___________
i don't think anyone smells like cinnamon in real life but hey it's a fanfic—
the painnn i went through trying to come up with an acronym with M Y H T J
i almost stuck with MIGHTY J but i cringed myself out from that idea 💀
please vote and comment :,)