JJK | 6:23 p.m. | staccato cafe

"that's your eighth cup of coffee today."

hoseok's eyes fluttered to the paper cup in jungkook's hand.

"i know."

"he's calling for his early death," seokjin smirked, adding sweetener to the tea he had gotten. "maybe it's our influence?"

"he's not doing the drugs yet," namjoon retorted. "no beer, no coke."

"yet."

hoseok's voice was low and joking, and his smile stretched from one cheek to the other.

"this is a great combination," jungkook said. "university, a vulnerable freshman, and some bad influences, huh?"

"yo, how's uni been treating you?"

the loud voice interrupted namjoon as he was about to say something, and two other boys made their way to the table.

"yoongi! jimin!"

jungkook's eyes went wide with excitement.

"hey kid, it's been a while, huh?"

yoongi ruffled his hair and smiled, as jimin made his way to hoseok.

"has jungkook been surviving?" he smirked, knowing full well how jungkook complained about the workload and lack of sleep. "heard he's overbooked himself and is regretting it."

"yeah, i hear about it every damn night in bed from the top bunk," hoseok said. "right, kook?"

"oh, shut up you old man."

"and he drinks approximately eight to fifteen cups of coffee a day." namjoon teased. "he's going to somehow die from a caffeine overdose, im telling you."

"that's not healthy." yoongi raised his eyebrows and punched jungkook lightly on the shoulder. "if you die, i'm not responsible."

"bad influences," jungkook smirked. "they're all bad influences."

his eyes flickered from person to person, taking in the warmth and baggy, thrifted clothing, and his nose taking in the soft smell of old cigarettes.

but they're also my family.

they're all i have, and i love them.

KTH | 12:53 a.m. | apartment 263

his side throbbed with every breath he took.

the apartment was dark; slowly filling up with the blackness because his dad had left the house and turned off all of the lights.

he hated the darkness and he wanted to turn the lights back on, but it hurt so much to move.

teasing sounds came from his stomach, begging for food, begging for water, and his starved lungs were begging for air. he was used to being hit, but it had been a particularly brutal night. the bruises were screaming at him and pushing thick needles into his skin to the extent that he couldn't move anymore.

so he stayed there, laying on the cold tiles of the kitchen floor with the water pitcher on the counter just inches from him, but too many inches away for him to be able to reach.

he wanted to die.

JJK | 4:12 a.m. | corner convenience store

"hoseok," jungkook whispered.

"yeah?"

"how much longer?"

hoseok laughed, the sound filling the silent store.

"20 more minutes. just 20 minutes, kook."

jungkook nodded and set his forehead on the counter, eyes closed and hair sticking to the glass surface.

"hoseok?"

"yeah?"

"i'm hungry."

and it was right then that the chimes rang, so abruptly that it startled jungkook enough for his head to shoot up from the counter. the sound that followed was a soft thump, as a boy in a giant sweatshirt and dark skinny jeans fell forwards onto the floor.

hoseok hurried to the boy, who was trembling and small and literally slumping into hoseok's arms. he coughed harshly, leaving a splatter of dark blood on the floor.

"shit," hoseok's eyes narrowed. "hey, hey, kid? you alright? hey, look at me, oh my god, please look at me..."

hoseok picked the boy up and took him to one of the small tables by the window, right by the booth where high school students would occasionally come by to eat cup noodles and candies. he sat the boy down, one arm supporting him to help him sit up, and the other arm desperately gesturing towards jungkook.

jungkook was still sitting at the counter, eyes darting back and forth between hoseok and the boy.

and then he caught hoseok's hand, the waving, blue sleeve that blurred out in his vision because he couldn't see straight. he finally stood up, stumbling a bit to the table hoseok was at.

"hey, are you alright?" hoseok tried to look at the boy, but he was turning his head as far to the side as he could, his hood pulled over and his bangs in his eyes. "do you need anything?"

the boy was still shaking a bit as jungkook took the seat across from him.

"how bad are you hurt? you're coughing up blood," hoseok set a hand on the table as he spoke and noticed how the boy flinched, as if he was scared of him.

"i... i'm not going to hurt you," hoseok whispered, softly and gently. "i promise."

and the boy let out a sob, his head turning so that he was finally facing hoseok. the sound came just as abrupt as his appearance into the store had been, and he fell forwards into hoseok, again, nearly knocking him off balance.

"hey, are you okay?"

there wasn't an answer and the sobs had stopped, and now hoseok was nervous.

he pulled the boy away from his shoulder and rested his head against his own arm, holding him like a child in his lap.

"he's out," jungkook said.

"what the hell happened?" hoseok's lungs deflated as his eyes caught the bruise on the boy's cheek that had been fading the other day. it had been replaced with another bruise, this one deep blue and purple and nearly black. blood was dried up on his lip, and there was a little bloody gash on his other cheek.

"who did this to him?" jungkook stayed rooted to the chair, almost too scared to get closer to the boy because he looked so fragile.

"someone terrible," hoseok muttered, standing up with the boy in his arms. "what do we do?"

"hoseok, we're taking him to the hospital. he's so hurt he can barely walk."

and at this, the boy stirred, shaking his head left and right, quite vigorously considering he was barely conscious.

"what do you mean, no?"

he didn't say anything. just shook his head a few more times, eyebrows furrowed close together.

jungkook looked to hoseok, their eyes meeting and locking into each other.

"we could take him home with us?"

jungkook's suggestion was merely a suggestion. his voice was unusually quiet, humming the seven words just loud enough for hoseok to hear.

but then, jungkook's eyes lit up when hoseok nodded 'yes,' and made his way to the counter to get his jacket.

"really?" jungkook's voice was bright, hitting the ceiling.

"yes, really," hoseok said. "we're taking him home, and we're gonna wrap him up in blankets and get him something warm to eat."