#tw!fostercare

A/N: I usually save my author's notes for the end of the fic. But I got some interest in continuing this AU. And I thought it would be best to go back to origin story. If you're read the February 2nd fic, then you know that I was working on this AU for another fandom and decided to edit it to fit BTS. When I originally wrote it, it was set in south west USA and the family came from a different ethnic background than the Jungkook character. I think I removed any references that would allude to that previous AU, but let me know if I missed anything. Anyway, enjoy it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~June 27 (Monday)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He is determined. He will never need anyone again. He will never rely on anything, anyone, again. He’s fine. He can take care of himself. No more case workers. No more foster families. He’s had enough, he’s endured enough. He can make it on his own. He is sure of it. He will travel far far away, where no one will ever find him. No one will ever hurt him again.  

He’s dirty, hungry, tired, and alone. So excruciatingly alone. For five days, he’s been on his own, wandering the vast expanse of South Korea with no destination in mind. He would stop only when he was sure he’d be safe. He isn’t sure what city he’s in, or how far he’s traveled. But the journey is finally starting to catch up to him. His legs won’t be able to take him much further. His throat is drier in the scorching summer heat. The hungry ache of his stomach is becoming too much to ignore. And his skin stings from the sunburn he’d contracted the last few days.

He realizes at that point that he has to stop. If he has any hope of surviving, he has to give himself a break. He is far enough away, in the middle of nowhere. A short rest won’t compromise his freedom. As he scans his surroundings, he notices a large house nearly 500 meters away. It’s the only one for a while from the looks of it. Maybe he can ask for some water. Something to get him back on the move. He has a little bit of money in his bag, surely he can bargain for something. So he sets out, determined to cross those last few meters without killing over. 

It’s arduous. His knees shake and his legs feel like jelly, but he makes it. Standing at the front door, extending his wrist to knock, he realizes exactly what he was doing. He definitely looks like a runaway, with the ratty appearance and a bag of belongings over his shoulder. What if the person who answers the door called the police? Or worse, what if no one answers. The frightening possibilities flood his already clouded mind. 

But he is so damn thirsty. At this point, he will do anything just for a sip of something cold to drink. So he knocks. He knocks with as much force as he can muster. And he knocks until someone opens the door. When the door finally opens, he looks up at the grown man who answers. He looks to be in his prime with curly deep brown hair and broad shoulders. His big brown eyes look down at him with something he’s never seen before. He eyes him up and down, subtly glancing to the bag on his back. “Good afternoon? Can I help you?” He asked, a Seoul accent thick in his voice. He started in Busan. Had he really made it that far on foot? 

He never gets the chance to ask for a drink; instead, he collapses into the man's arms. 

Some time later, he wakes up on what he recognizes to be a sofa surrounded by unfamiliarity. He doesn’t recognize the ceiling, or the fireplace, or the family in the photos displayed on the wall. He does, however, vaguely recognize the man sitting down next to him, though. He is the man who answered the door. He’s pressing a cold cloth against his forehead. Jungkook coughs lightly to get his attention and he instantly turns to him. “Oh, good, you’re awake. You scared me quite a bit, sweetie, just falling into my arms like you did. I wasn’t sure what to do. But you looked like you needed rest, so I brought you inside.” Jungkook melts under the cloth. It feels so good against his skin, which is coated in something cold and undeniably sticky. “Where did you come from?”

He refuses to answer, keeping his lips pressed tight. If this man finds out, he may call the police. Or his case worker. Or his foster parents. He doesn’t want him to know and send him back into the system for another terrible placement. Or worse, send him back to where he came from. 

The man seems to understand the silence, his discomfort, because he stops waiting for an answer. Instead, he speaks again. “You don’t have to be afraid here. I want you to know that you’re safe. I won’t hurt you.” He hesitates, “I, uh, noticed some of the bruising on your arms when I put the aloe lotion on your sunburn. You don’t have to tell me what happened, but if you work with me, I can make sure it won’t happen again. I’ll make it so no one ever hurts you again.” He resists the urge to scoff. He’s heard that before. From his case worker, from his foster parents. What makes this guy any different?

“Jungkook. My name is Jungkook. I came from Busan.” He props himself up on his elbows, looking the man straight in the eyes. Something in his gut tells him to trust him. But he’s never listened to his gut before.  

“Well, you've wandered pretty far away from your home, Jungkook-ssi. Do you know where you are?” Jungkook just shakes his head, “Uiseong. A three hour train ride away.” 

Uiseong. Jungkook knows it as a rural town in the Gyeongsangbuk region. Had he really traveled that far from Busan?

“Is there someone I should call for you, Jungkook.” The man asks. 

“No. There’s no one to call.”

“Jungkook-ssi.” He carries a scolding tone to his voice, “You’re just a boy.” He continues. 

“Please, ajeossi-nim. Please don’t call anyone.” Jungkook immediately perks up. No, absolutely not. No phone calls. Not the police, not the child welfare system. No one who would ruin this peaceful moment for him.  He begs the older man not to call anyone. Other families always call and then people show up and take him away. He doesn’t want to go through that all again. He’ll be fine all by himself.  

The older man presses a hand against his head, “Aigoo, kiddo. Don’t get yourself worked up. I won’t call anyone for now, until I absolutely have to.” He promises. “Tell you what. You must be hungry. Can I make you something to eat?”

Jungkook sest a hand on his stomach, feeling it ache in his abdomen. He isn’t sure when his last meal was. He nods and is led toward the kitchen. Jungkook stands in the entrance as the other man wanders around the kitchen with practiced grace. The kitchen is large; Jungkook equates it to something out of a remodeling magazine. Glossy, tan quartz countertops and dark wooden cabinets. Elegant bar stools resting by the island in the center and a small round table for four on the other side.  

As the man dances around the kitchen, he sends Jungkook a small smile. “Jungkook, why don’t you go wash up. There’s a bathroom right behind you.” 

Jungkook looks behind him and sees the door he hadn’t noticed when he walked in. Silently, he dismisses himself and creeps into the small room. He takes his time washing his hands and his face, noticing how much dirt he’s wiping away and hoping he wouldn’t make too much of a mess in the nice, clean bathroom. 

He enjoys the peace of the bathroom. And the feeling of the warm water on his skin. It feels like centuries since he last washed himself. The soap smells of strawberries and lathers smoothly over his rough hands. Drying his hands on the towel, he looks at his reflection in the mirror. He looked pathetic- his normally tan skin glowing red with sunburn, his hair out of place. But for the first time, he feels safe. He has to give himself some credit.    

The smell of food draws him out of the bathroom and back to the kitchen. There’s a bowl with some food Jungkook doesn’t recognize set on the table. And for a bowl of white mush, it looks good. Hot steam rises off the contents, Jungkook’s first hot meal in a while. Taking a seat at the table, Jungkook looks at the man with a shy smile. “This looks very good,” He stutters when trying to address him. 

“Kim Seokjin, dear. But just Jin is fine." He smiles, “And it’s just some instant jook. If you finish that there’s some more warming on the stove. I figured you might eat more than just one bowl.” 

Jungkook nods, taking his first bite and burning his tongue. He winces at first, but actually found the feeling to be comfortable. He feels grateful that he actually had something to burn his tongue on. He ignores the burn and feeds himself another spoonful. 

“Jungkook, honey. I want to help you. Are you sure you can’t tell me anything about how you ended up on my doorstep?” Jungkook looks down into the bowl, trying to avoid his prying eyes. Seokjin continues to pry more into where he came from and how long he’d been missing, asking questions but not getting many answers from Jungkook. 

Jungkook finishes the first bowl of jook and asks politely for more. Seokjin smiles. Quickly, he scoops him another helping and sets it in front of him. “How old are you, Jungkook.” He asks, electing to drop the personal interrogation for more introductory questions.

“15” Jungkook replies with a mouthful of jook. 

He smiles. “I have a son your age - Taehyung.” Jungkook is grateful for the break from the personal questions, but he isn’t all that keen on learning Seokjin’s story either. He doesn’t really care about what he is saying. He just nods periodically and continues slurping down the meal.

When he meets the bottom of the bowl, he lets out a satisfied sigh and stands up to take the bowl to the sink. “Would you like anything to drink, Jungkook.” Seokjin offers and Jungkook nods, standing awkwardly beside the sink. Seokjin stands up and pulls a glass from one of the many cabinets. He gives Jungkook an option between at least four different kinds of juices. He asks for milk and Seokjin pours him a glass. He gulps the entire thing down in one large sip. 

Seokjin smiles, “Sweetie,” it took Jungkook a minute to realize that he was being addressed. “When was the last time you had a nice, hot shower?” He asks and Jungkook shrugs his shoulders. He doesn’t actually know the answer to that question. “Would you like to take one?” He offers and Jungkook nods with a small yet eager smile. “You look about the same size as my Taehyung. I’m sure you’ll fit into something of his.” He takes Jungkook into his room and lets him use the master shower. “I’ll grab something of his and set it out here for you. Okay. Towels are here, washcloths over there, and you can use my body wash.” Seokjin explains as he shows Jungkook everything he may need and how to operate the faucet. He even breaks open a brand new toothbrush and encourages him to brush his teeth. 

Once Seokjin leaves, Jungkook stands dumbfounded for a while. He appreciates Seokjin's kindness, his welcoming hospitality. He knows eventually he will have to tell him the truth. But maybe that can wait a little longer. Maybe he can bask in his hospitality for a while longer. He’s just about to step into the shower when he hears the bedroom door open. “Jungkook, honey, Taehyung's clothes are out here on my bed. Hopefully they work for you.” He shouts back a thank you as the bedroom door closes and finally steps in the shower and stands under the hot water for at least five minutes, just letting it run over his skin. He ignores the way it stings his sunburn. He doesn’t know when he may shower again. Once he’s comfortable in the water, he starts the washing process. 

It’s embarrassing how much dirt covers the bathtub after he finishes washing himself off. He tries to get it all to wash down the drain, but every time he thinks he’s finished, there’s another spot. 

Eventually he gives up and steps out of the tub and wraps a towel around his waist. The long wall mirror is fogged up by the steam, but he can still see some semblance of his own reflection. He takes a second to touch his abdomen, covered in fading purple bruises. They don’t hurt as much anymore. The more the fog fades, the more Jungkook can see. The scars on his chest and the bruising all over his arms. But before he starts crying in the bathroom, he runs out to find the clothes Seokjin left for him. A pair of black sweatpants with a flame pattern running down the side and a white T-shirt with roman block letters. He doesn’t recognize the word, but his English was never very strong. 

He puts on the clothes and towel dries his hair the best he could. Now covered, he walks back into the bathroom prepared to clean up any mess he may have made. There’s a knock on the bathroom door and Seokjin’s sweet voice from the other side. “Jungkook, honey, are you all cleaned up? Do the clothes fit okay, sweetie?” Jungkook opens the door, showing him how well Taehyung’s clothes looked on him. “Well, look at you. You’re rather handsome when you’re not all covered in dirt.” He hands him a comb for his still dripping hair.

He starts pulling at the knots in his hair. “Thank you for letting me use your shower, and for the food, and the milk.” He realizes at that moment that he hadn’t thanked Seokjin for anything since he showed up and feels guilty. Seokjin had shown him kindness and he hasn’t expressed gratitude for any of it. 

“Don’t you worry about any of that, dear.” He waves him off, starting the process of cleaning the bathroom. He collects Jungkook’s old clothes and sets them in the laundry basket. “You’re safe here, Jungkook. Nothing bad will happen to you while you’re here. I promise.” Jungkook has a hard time believing that. “Now, what would you like to do? You look tired, do you want to go take a nap?” he offers. 

Jungkook shakes his head. Against his better judgment, he sighs and looks up at Seokjin. He might have a hard time trusting people, but he feels like Seokjin is a man he can trust. And he owes it to him. He knows he’ll feel terrible if he gets into trouble for helping him. “I ran away from my foster parents five days ago,” he admits. Seokjin remains reasonably calm as he ushers Jungkook into his room and sits him down on his bed. 

“Okay, sweetie. Tell me everything that happened. We’re going to make it alright.” 

Jungkook doesn’t know if he wants him to start at the beginning or if he just wants to know why he ran away. Why he ran away… He can’t tell him that. He decides to just go with the basics. “I’ve been with this foster family for three years. And they recently started hurting me. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I ran away and I just kept going. But then I ended up here.” Jungkook starts to cry, “And I really can’t go back there. They are going to hurt me again. They are going to do terrible things to me and I don’t want to hurt anymore. Seokjin-ssi, please don’t make me go back there.” Jungkook covers his eyes with his hands as he sobs. He feels Seokjin’s arms around him in a very gentle, very loose hug. 

“Don’t you worry, sweetheart. I promise no one will ever hurt you again, okay. I promise, and a Kim always keeps their promise.” He hushes him, “Now sweetie, I’m going to need you to tell me your last name, and the name of the family that hurt you. Okay, I’ll take care of everything for you.” 

Jungkook isn’t really sure what he can do for him, but he’s honored that he’ll at least make the effort. “My last name is Jeon. The foster family name is Bak. Kwan and Sunhi.” He even provides their address. 

“Thank you, Jungkook, for trusting me enough to tell me. I’ll take care of it from here. Now you go rest up and I’ll make a few phone calls, okay.” Jungkook nods and lets Seokjin lead him out of his room and up the stairs. “This is the guest bedroom, you can rest in here. Come downstairs whenever you’re ready, okay.” He smiles before leaving him alone in the room. Jungkook lays down on the bed and closes his eyes. He can hear Seokjin’s voice through the floor. 

“No, you listen to me. I’m not going to let you take that child back to that house.” he’s shouting. “He says they physically abuse him. And he has the marks to prove it.” “No. I didn’t take him. He showed up at my house exhausted, starving and filthy.” “He ran away because they were hurting him.” “I frankly don’t give a rat’s ass how this works. I promised him I would protect him and that’s what I’m going to do.” “He will not leave my house unless you can promise me he will be well taken care of. And I demand that the Bak family be punished for their crimes.” “No, I don’t care about his track record. I don’t care about his past. I can tell he’s a good kid that just needs a good family.” “Fine, I’ll do whatever it takes to become a legal foster parent. But the boy stays with me.” “Yes, I have five children of my own.” “We have more than enough room for him.” “Look, those are all technicalities. If you need to see my house, come see my house, come meet my family. Come do whatever it is you need to do. But I’m not letting Jungkook go.” “My mind's made up. I’m only doing what is best for Jungkook.”

Jungkook can hear the argument clearly. He feels like crying. He feels he doesn’t deserve to be treated so well by such a kind man. For as long as he can remember, he has only been treated badly. No one had ever shown him this level of genuine kindness. He wonders why Seokjin’s doing it. He isn’t in it for the paycheck, he isn’t in need of any kids. He wonders how such a sweet and caring person can actually exist. And why he was causing himself trouble for his sake. 

Despite the exhaustion coursing through his entire body, he can’t bring himself to sleep. All he can do is cry. He doesn’t deserve kindness. He doesn’t deserve to be laying on such a large, soft bed. He isn’t worth Seokjin’s trouble. And so he cries, curled up in a ball on the floor, he buries his face in his knees and weeps. Seokjin wanted to keep him. If only he knew about all the trouble he’s gotten himself into. If only he knew. 

Jungkook stays in that room for hours. Eventually, he runs out of tears to cry and settles with sitting on the floor, knees pulled up to his chest. Hours later, Seokjin knocks on the door and invites himself inside. He expects Jungkook to be sleeping.. But he finds Jungkook sitting on the floor and sits across from him. “Jungkook, sweetie, dinner is ready.” 

Jungkook makes a slight movement, “Why are you being so nice to me?” He asks, fresh wet tears piling up in the corners of his eyes. He thought he had run out. 

Seokjin sends him a soft smile, “Because, Jungkook, you’re a good kid who just got dealt a crappy hand. You deserve a few good cards, don’t you think?” He opens his arms invitingly. Jungkook thinks it’s wonderful how he presents comfort as an option, rather than just pulling him in. Jungkook does bring himself into Seokjin’s arms and rests his head against his shoulder. He’s never been held like that before. It feels nice. “I was on the phone with social services. I have to get an official license, but we are going to be your new foster family. Is that okay with you?” 

Jungkook knows it’s a difficult process. He’s heard previous foster families complain about it. Jungkook knows it was probably very illegal for him to stay during the interim. But Jungkook had also heard a lot of the conversation. And he can tell that Seokjin is the kind of person who doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. He’s thankful for that. “I don’t want to be a burden on you, or your family.” Jungkook replies, still pressed against his chest. 

“Nonsense, dear. You need a place to stay. I’ve already talked to them all about it. We all want to help you out. Come now, dinner is probably getting cold. And everyone is down there waiting to meet you.” he helps Jungkook to his feet, then presses himself up off the floor and guides him down to the dinner table. “Everyone, this is Jungkook-ssi. He’s going to be staying with us from now on.” Seokjin’s hands were hovering around his shoulders, not touching. “Come on, introduce yourselves.” 

So many unfamiliar faces. To his left sits a petite man, probably in his late teens. He has long dark hair and a flat expression on his lips. “Yoongi.” He introduces himself plainly. Next to him, another child. This one looked much younger. He has a wide smile and a mop of thick brown hair on his head. “I’m Jimin!” Next to him was one of two identical faces. Both very young with clean cut black hair and such prominent dimples. “I’m Hoseok. And he’s Namjoon.” Hoseok points to his twin sitting across the table. Jungkook knows he would have trouble telling them apart. For now, he’ll just have to rely on which side of the table they were on. Thank god they sat on different sides. The last face he saw was one of a boy similar to him. This must be Taehyung. “The name’s Taehyung,” He smirks. Jungkook notices an empty seat between Taehyung and Seokjin. He assumes it is for him and cautiously takes a seat. The glass at that setting is filled with milk. Jungkook smiles fondly. 

Members of the family exchanges glances at him through the whole meal. With the exception of Jimin, who just stares at Jungkook a lot and made him feel as though he was under intense scrutiny from a nine year old. No one has ever paid that much attention to him before. Jimin keeps his smile wide until he finally breaks the silence of the table. “Your hair is really cool. It swooshes up in the back and it’s all black.” Jungkook isn’t sure what to say, so he twinges his lip into what might have been a smile. 

“Mini,” Jungkook assumes it’s a nickname for Jimin, “Don’t be rude. You’re making Jungkook feel uncomfortable.” Seokjin scolds. 

Jungkook is just about to defend himself when he bites his tongue. It isn’t his place to intervene. Jimin’s voice fills the room again. “I wasn’t trying to be rude, appa. I was complimenting his hair. If he’s gonna be my hyung, I want him to like me.” 

A piece of chicken lodges itself in his throat when he takes a sharp breath. Hyung? He thinks as he coughs. No one has ever called him a brother before. He’s been called a lot of things. But hyung was never one of them. Seokjin gently pats his back to help him catch his breath. When he can finally breathe again, he takes a sip of milk and tries to regain his composure. The whole table is staring at him. “Uh, Oh, Excuse me. I’m sorry.” He shrinks back in his seat.

“Don’t worry about it, honey. Are you okay?” Seokjin comforts him, sending his family eyes that screamed ‘stop staring.’ 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just, bit off a little more than I could chew, I guess.” He lies. But maybe it isn’t a lie. Maybe he really did bite off more than he could chew by absentmindedly stumbling upon the Kim household in his time of need. 

Seokjin sits back down and the meal continues in silence again. It’s only silent for a few minutes until Seokjin addresses the table. “So how was everyone’s day today?” 

They went around the table sharing the events of their day. The twins talk about their play date with the family friend. Jimin talks about his piano lessons. Yoongi tries to downplay the conversation, but ends up confessing that he went to see a movie. Taehyung talks about the project he was working on in school. 

Wait, school? It’s the end of June. School should be out by now for summer break. Was Taehyung taking summer classes? 

Thankfully, no one expects an answer from Jungkook. He’s glad because he wasn’t sure what he would have said. He hasn’t done anything to report. Seokjin knows what he did all day. He knows what he’d been through. 

Regular conversation continues until all the plates are clear, with the exception of the twins who refused to eat their vegetables. Once Jungkook finishes, he sits and waits for any signals of what to do. Being in so many foster homes showed him that many families do things differently. He has yet to learn the customs of the Kim family. Seokjin stands up and collects everyone’s empty dishes. Jungkook offers to help him, but he hushes him and insists he stay seated. 

“Who wants hotteok?” he calls from the kitchen. The entire table erupts in cheers. 

Jungkook’s never heard of it before. He sees everyone cheering and wonders what everyone was so excited about. He leans over to Taehyung and taps his shoulder. Taehyung looks back at him. “What’s everyone cheering about?” He asks quietly, so not to be heard over the cheers of the twins. 

“Oh,” He chuckles, “Aren’t you Korean? Appa made hotteok. It’s like a pancake, but my Appa has his own secret recipe, so it’s like 100 times better than anything you can buy on the streets. He learned to modify the recipe when he lived abroad. It’s super super sweet! He only makes it on special occasions. He must have made it for you.” Taehyung admits so casually, sending Jungkook a friendly smile. Jungkook just stares back. He’s never even heard of a pancake before. Everything he’s ever eaten came prepackaged or from a microwave. And come to think of it, he’s never had anything made especially for him before, either. “You’ve gotta try it. It’s amazing.” He emphasizes. 

Seokjin comes back from the kitchen with a dish stacked high with flat pastries. “Appa, Jungkook’s never had hotteok before.” Taehyung announces over everyone’s excitement. Jungkook feels only slightly betrayed. 

“Well, we’ll change that. Won’t we?” he passes the first round out, starting with Jungkook. Once everyone is served, Seokjin sits back down and all eyes are glued to Jungkook as he stares down at the pastry. It looks like bread. He doesn’t see the big deal. “Go ahead, sweetie. Give it a taste. It’s a modified family recipe.” 

Jungkook notices them all staring at him. He nods curtly as he takes a small bite. It’s sweet and chewy. It reminded him of candy. He chews it up carefully before swallowing. Everyone waits for some kind of reaction. 

“Well, what did you think?” Taehyung asks with wide eyes. 

Jungkook smiled, immediately scooping up more, “It’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.” He looked at Seokjin, “Thank you.” Seokjin sent him a warm smile in response. 

Jimin laughs, “Just wait until Appa makes you his bungeoppang. That’s my favorite.” The young boy digs into his own hotteok greedily. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~June 28 (Tuesday)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jungkook once again finds himself holed up in the guest bedroom. But this time, he is actually expected to spend the night there. He sits idly at the edge of the bed, staring at the pastel blue walls adorned with abstract art. This seems to be the only room in the house that isn’t plastered with family portraits, which makes sense. Any company they may host might not want to fall asleep staring at the perfect Kim family all wearing matching sweaters and sporting wide, genuine smiles. 

Jungkook likes the abstract art. Collections of complimenting color gradients or photographs of random objects. He is particularly fond of the black-and-white photograph of a golf-ball up close, pennant flag intersecting a clear sky. Jungkook wonders where they got all of this wall art. Perhaps Seokjin is a photographer, or Yoongi is a painter. And the walls of the guest room are their canvas. It’s all fascinating to Jungkook. Maybe that’s what families do. Maybe they displayed their talents, their masterpieces, on the walls of their often empty guest bedrooms. It is a charming sentiment. 

Eventually, the wall art stops being interesting. And neither the chotskies strewn across the shelves nor the complex pattern of the beige bedding can capture his attention. With nothing to focus on, he’s reminded of the emptiness of the room. He’s reminded that he’s supposed to sleep there, all night, by himself. That in itself is an intimidating thought. Jungkook had never had anything to himself before. He’d always have to share, with foster brothers and sisters, with other orphans. Having something that belongs to him was just an outlandish thought. He struggles to grasp it, he doesn’t believe it.

He struggles even more to cope with it. This entire space belongs to him. Jungkook thinks for a moment how many cots would be able to fit in the room. He estimates about three; six if they were bunked. In any other foster home, he would be sharing a room this size with at least two other kids. But now, the space was all his. And he really doesn’t know what to do with it. 

He falls back onto the bed and wills his eyes shut. Maybe if he tries hard enough, he could just close his eyes and fall asleep. And he will wake up and it will be morning and he won’t have to spend any more time alone in this room. Lord knows he’s still extremely exhausted, the few hours he’d spent passed out on the Kim’s couch wasn’t enough to make up for the past five days of restlessness and fitful existence. He could probably sleep for three days and still be tired. But he’d settle for just a few hours. Just enough to get him to sunrise. 

The digital clock on the night table reminds him it was well after midnight. Everyone in the house is already sound asleep, and has been for at least two hours now. He is the only soul awake. That thought unsettles him even more. He is the only one awake in a house that isn’t his own. He is the only one awake in a house he doesn’t understand, a brand new location. He’s always had trouble adjusting to new foster homes. It always takes him a few days to get the hang of things. But usually it wasn’t that much of an adjustment. Usually, things tend to follow the same pattern. 

But the Kim household is a completely different entity. Seokjin doesn’t know how to be a foster parent. He only knows how to be a parent. And Jungkook knows he is a damn good one. But he’s the worst foster parent Jungkook has ever had. He doesn’t follow any of the expected foster parent procedures for introductions or tours or rules. Jungkook isn’t bothered by that. Not at all, he rather enjoys the dynamics of this new house. He just knows it will take him longer to adjust than ever before. 

His first adjustment is to learn to sleep in his own room. And he can say with confidence that it is impossible. Springing up from the bed, he paces around the room trying to collect his thoughts, trying to tire himself out to the point where he just passes out again. At least then, he’d be resting. Somewhat. The pacing is getting him nowhere. And he is still anxious about the size and emptiness of the room. 

In a spur of the moment decision, he quietly opens the bedroom door. Maybe a few laps pacing the hallway will tire him out. As he starts his trek, he notices one other light still shining through an open doorway. It’s Taehyung’s room. Taehyung must still be awake. Well, either he’s awake, or he sleeps with the lights on. Taehyung’s room is the farthest from the guest room, having to make his way quietly past everyone else’s room before he finally finds himself standing in Taehyung’s doorway. 

Taehyung is awake and sitting at his desk, back turned to the door. Jungkook notices a pencil gripped in his left hand, moving vigorously across a page. He taps lightly against the doorframe. Just loud enough to get Taehyung’s attention and still quiet enough that none of the sleeping siblings will hear it. 

Taehyung turns around with a jolt, clearly thrown from some deep level of concentration. He looks at Jungkook, then to the clock on his night table, then back to Jungkook. “Jungkook, do you know how late it is? What are you still doing up?” Taehyung inquires, a quizzical look in his eyes.

Jungkook shrugs his shoulders, rubbing one roughly against the doorframe. “I guess I could ask you the same thing.” He replies. 

“I’m finishing up my homework for school tomorrow. Or, I guess, today.” He gestures to his notebook with a casual smirk. “I have to be awake right now. But you don’t. You should go to sleep.” Taehyung’s voice gets quieter as he speaks.

Jungkook’s head drops and a small pout forms on his lips. “I- uh, I tried to fall asleep. But it just wasn’t happening.” He explains.

Taehyung’s facial expression softens from a look of confusion to a look of sympathy. “Do you, maybe, want to come in?” Jungkook is still lingering in the doorway. He gingerly accepts Taehyung’s offer, stepping further into the room. “You can lay down on my bed if you want. I probably won’t be going to sleep for a while.” 

Jungkook accepts that invitation as well. He finds that Taehyung’s bed feels well slept in. There’s a body mold that nearly matches up with his own, give or take a few inches in Jungkook’s favor. He curls in on himself. 

The scratching of Taehyung’s pencil keeps him awake. He wonders if he should be talking. Is Taehyung waiting for some kind of explanation? Is he waiting for a conversation? “I’ve never had my own room before. And the size of your guest room is just kinda overwhelming.” He tests the waters. It isn’t exactly the most inviting conversation starter. But Jungkook figures Taehyung can run with it if he wants to talk. 

Taehyung’s pencil stops for a brief second. “Yeah, we’ve never really had anyone stay over. It’s never really been used before.” 

Jungkook wonders if he should say anything else. Taehyung is busy with his homework, after all. “Your family is really nice.” 

He thinks he hears Taehyung laugh, “Yeah. Well, we have our good days.” 

“Really, does that mean you also have your bad days?” 

“Every family has their bad days, Jungkook-ah.” 

“I wouldn’t know.” 

“Oh. Right, Uh, sorry. Appa mentioned that you’re a foster kid.” 

That stings a little. “Don’t worry about it.” He plays it off, fiddling with the corner of the sheets, “Did he tell you anything else about me?” 

“Nothing else; just that you’re a foster kid who will be staying with us for a while. Why? Should he have told us something else.”

“No.” Jungkook’s eyes slip closed and he hopes the conversation can end there. 

“If you ever need to talk about anything, I’ll listen.” 

Jungkook wants to respond, but sleep calls for him. He sleeps soundly knowing that he can confide in Taehyung, if he wants to, that is. 

He doesn’t know when Taehyung finally goes to sleep. But when Jungkook wakes up, the clock on Taehyung’s night table tells him it was almost 5:30 am and Taehyung is in a sleeping bag on the floor. Quietly, Jungkook sneaks back to the guest room to wait out the rest of the night. As Jungkook sits impatiently on the guest room bed, he ponders his feelings of guilt about Taehyung having to sleep on the floor in his own room, in his own house. He resolves to not bother Taehyung at night again. He will just  have to make the guest room work. 

The Kim family finally starts to stir around 7:00. Well, just Seokjin and Taehyung. When he hears them moving around, he decides it would be safe to emerge from the guest room. He can just write it off and say he’s a light sleeper. 

As soon as he opens the bedroom door, he locks eyes with Taehyung. 

“Morning Jungkook-ah,” The slightly older male greets with a smile. 

Jungkook has been awake for nearly an hour and a half, there’s no trace of sleep in his voice. “Morning.” 

“What happened to you last night? I woke up and you were gone.” 

“Yeah. I woke up early and went back to the guest room. I’m sorry you had to sleep on the floor, by the way. I really didn’t want to inconvenience you like that. It’s just…” Jungkook thinks back to their conversation from last night. 

“You don’t have to be sorry about anything, Jungkook. I don’t mind sleeping on the floor. And I get it, you know. Jimin and I used to share a room until I turned 12. It took me a long time to adjust to having my own room. So you can come to my room whenever you need to.” Taehyung is so kind and understanding. Jungkook can’t help but smile. “And I’m not sure if you heard me or not, but I told you that if you ever need to talk about anything, I’ll listen.” He rubs at the nape of his neck, “I- uh, I said that last night, but you kinda passed out on me. I just thought you could use a friend. I mean, you don’t have to talk to me. But if you ever need to.” 

Jungkook stops his awkward ramblings, “Thanks, Taehyung. I appreciate it.” 

Jungkook and Taehyung sit together at the island in the kitchen. A platter of egg dumplings await them on the counter, and there’s an untouched glass of milk set out. Taehyung points out that it must have been for Jungkook, because Taehyung doesn’t like drinking white milk. He only likes chocolate milk or strawberry milk. Jungkook smiles at how well Seokjin already seems to know him and accepts the milk with a smile. The boys can hear Seokjin getting ready in his room, but the house is otherwise silent. 

Taehyung fixes himself a heaping portion of rice and two dumplings on the side. He starts eating while Jungkook eyes him suspiciously. “Let me guess, you’ve never had dumplings either?” He chuckles.

“Never that looked like that? What’s in them?” 

“Eggs, mostly. And some vegetables.” Taehyung answers. He picks up a piece with his chopsticks and holds them out to Jungkook. 

Jungkook accepts the food into his mouth and chews. His eyes grow wide, savoring the flavor. “It’s good.” 

“Everything appa makes is good.” Taehyung smiles while he serves Jungkook some dumplings and rice. 

“So, you have to go to school.” Taehyung nods. “Oh.”  Although Taehyung doesn’t seem too upset about having to attend school over the summer break, Jungkook decides to leave it at that. He doesn’t want to insinuate that Taehyung might just not be a bright student. But he also doesn’t want to ask about any circumstances that may have caused him to get stuck in summer school. 

The rest of the breakfast remains silent.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:This is a snippet of a much larger AU that I wrote out for a different fandom (and then sadly abandoned) but I thought I could rework this chapter to fit the theme of this blog. So I wanted to post it. The basic premise of the AU was that Jungkook is a foster child who ran away from a previously abusive foster family and wound up living with Jin and his five biological children (remaining BTS members). Just a super domestic AU about Jungkook learning to warm up to a family. That's probably enough exposition.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Jungkook laid on a cot in the nurse’s office, he recollected every terrible decision that got him to that point. He should have known something was wrong when he begged Taehyung for ten more minutes after their alarm went off. He probably should have mentioned he was seeing double as he headed for the stairs. He probably should have said something when he couldn’t swallow his breakfast because it felt like swallowing rusty jagged nails on fire. He definitely should have mentioned to someone that he really did not feel well.

But like the kid he’d always been, he decided to tough it out. He could get through the school day, suffer through the evening, endure a restless sleep for a few nights and then he would be perfectly fine. That’s the way it had always been. That’s how he’d handled illness his entire life thus far. Why would this time be any different?

This time was definitely different. And even though none of the Kim’s caught onto his sickness (though he suspected a few of them had suspicions), he wasn’t in the clear when he went to school. He was in a school where the teachers genuinely cared about the students. They took an interest in daily life. They got to know the students as people, not just test grades and homework assignments. Jungkook had to admit he liked the personal relationships he’d formed with many of his teachers. However, on this particular day, those relationships worked against him.

Nearly all of his teacher’s pulled him aside and asked if he felt okay. They strongly encouraged him to see the school nurse. His tech-ed teacher went as far as to give Jungkook an excused absence for the pop quiz he would give the rest of the class. And for three school periods, he managed to tame his teachers. He thanked them for their concern, but insisted it was just a minor cold and that he could push through it.

He was not so lucky in the fourth period. He tried to refuse the nurse’s office. But his teacher insisted. He demanded that Jungkook go see the nurse, at least for some Tylenol, before he was even allowed to enter the classroom. Refusing to fight a losing battle any longer, he complied. And he walked his sick, sorry ass down to the nurse’s office.

As soon as he walked in, he had her full and undivided attention. Apparently, he looked like an absolute disaster; because the nurse’s mouth dropped open in shock. A hand signaled him to lie down on one of the five empty cots in the office. “Can you tell me your name?”

As Jungkook kicked his shoes off and adjusted himself on the cot, he registered her question. It felt good to be lying down. He could focus and the world stopped spinning for the first time since he’d opened his eyes. “Jeon Jungkook,” he croaked.

“Alright, Jungkook. I don’t believe we’ve met before,” She spoke as she gathered some equipment from around the office. She moved quickly, with purpose. “I’m Nurse Cho.” Jungkook found the introduction to be non essential. He really just wanted to load up on fever reducers and get back to class. But lying in the cot was becoming an increasingly comfortable option. “What’s bothering you?”

Jungkook wasn’t sure if she was being serious or not. Because she was already collecting supplies; surely she must have already had a pretty good idea of the symptoms. But this wasn’t the time to be difficult. He let out a low groan as he answered. “My throat hurts, and I’m kinda cold. And I think I have a headache, but I’m not sure. I can’t really think.”

Nurse Cho appeared by his side like magic. She rubbed something cold against his forehead, and he heard a few monotonous beeps immediately follow. “You’ve definitely got a fever.” She stated, pressing her fingers against his neck, “swollen lymph nodes.” Sticking the tongue depressor in his mouth, she nodded, “inflammation in the throat. Any congestion?” Jungkook nodded. Her hum proved that she had suspected that answer and pressed her fingers into his abdomen. “Anything in the stomach? Nausea, anything like that?” Jungkook shook his head, but that only proved to worsen his pulsing headache. “Okay Jungkook. It looks like your run-of-the-mill standard flu. Nothing to be worried about.” Her smile was warm and comforting.

“Can I go back to class, then?” Jungkook asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

The nurse nearly laughed, “Absolutely not! You don’t want to get all your classmates sick, do you? I’m going to call your parents to come pick you up.” She kept talking. Something about how he needed rest and fluids and on and on and on. But Jungkook had since stopped listening. Who was she going to call? Certainly not his parents. Seokjin? He was listed as his legal guardian on all the school registration paperwork. Would he have to explain that to her? Or did she have access to that information?

“Okay, Jungkook. What’s your mom’s phone number?”

“Guardian.” Jungkook corrected.

It took nurse Cho a second to process his answer. She looked back at him with a cocked tilt to her head. When she finally realized what he meant, she corrected herself. “Oh. Sorry. My mistake. What’s your guardian’s phone number.” Jungkook rattled off Jin’s work number with practiced ease. He knew Jin had work today. Another key reason why he wanted to keep his illness to himself. He felt guilty that he would have to leave work for him. Or maybe he wouldn’t and he could just rest in the nurse’s office all day.

“Good morning. This is Nurse Cho from Seoseok High School. Yes, could I speak to the primary guardian of Jeon Jungkook, please.” Jungkook could hear the conversation going on beyond the closed curtain. “Oh. Kim-ssi.” She let out a puff of awkward laughter. “Yes, it has been a while. I haven’t seen Taehyung in my office recently. Though I can’t say that’s a bad thing.” There was another pause in the conversation. “Well, actually I’m calling about Jeon Jungkook. He’s here in my office.” Pause. “No, nothing too serious. Just seems he’s caught the flu. It is still the season, you know.” She laughed again. “Alright, I’ll keep him here.” Pause. “Alright, see you soon.”

“Kim-ssi will be here shortly to pick you up.” She informed him with that calming and reassuring smile she wore so well. Jungkook just nodded. And thus he laid in the cot and tried to figure out where it all went wrong. When did his usual sick stint had stopped working for him. Was it because he was just sicker than he’d ever been before? Or was it because of the Kim’s and their warmth. Did their familial warmth cause him to soften up? Jungkook dismissed the idea; but, he couldn’t say he hated the idea of softening up. Especially if it meant being on the receiving end of their warmth.

He laid in the cot another twenty minutes or so, relentlessly fighting the urge to doze off. Jin rushed into the office and immediately found his way to his side. Jungkook had to admit, he was happy to see him. He pushed back his bangs and pressed his hand to his forehead, nodding and biting his bottom lip. “Oh, Jungkook, sweetie. Why didn’t you say you weren’t feeling good this morning.”

Jungkook found himself leaning into the cool touch of his hand. He shuddered from chills. “I thought I could make it through the day. I didn’t want to inconvenience you.”

Jin clicked his tongue, cupping Jungkook’s face in his hands. “You could never inconvenience me. These things happen; it’s important that you tell me when you don’t feel well.” He pressed a quick kiss on the top of his hair before looking back down at him. “I probably should have noticed something was wrong when you didn’t finish your breakfast. That’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

Jungkook couldn’t stand the idea of Jin taking the blame for his negligence. He was wonderful. And with five other kids to keep track of, it was completely understandable that he didn’t notice. Jungkook wouldn’t have it; he bolted upright and waited for the world to stop spinning before continuing: “It’s not your fault. You’re right. I should have said something. I’m sorry.”

Jin hugged him tightly and pressed another kiss to his head. “Alright, Jungkook. Let’s get you home.” As Jungkook put his shoes on, he heard Jin stop and talk to the school nurse. They talked mostly about remedies and precautionary measures to keep the other kids in the house healthy. Jungkook walked out when he was ready and stood by Jin’s side.

“It was nice to meet you, Jungkook.” Nurse Cho smiled at him again, “hopefully we’ll meet again on better terms. Feel better.” Jungkook nodded and thanked her before coughing harshly into his elbow. Jin’s hand was on his back in an instant.

He walked with Jin out of the building and into the car. Once buckled, he rested his head against the window and continued to fight the call for sleep. It was only a fifteen minute drive back to the Kim’s house. He was sure he could make it. And he did, but only because Jin kept him engaged. He asked about his symptoms and what he usually did when he was sick with other families. And he answered, low and quiet and tired. But he answered.

In the house, he made a move to go upstairs but Jin stopped him. “Jungkook, honey, where are you going?”

Jungkook coughed hard, bent at the waist. “To bed?” He asked more than answered.

“I’d prefer you rest on the couch. That way I can keep a better eye on you. And I’ll be close by if you need anything.” He smiled sympathetically. “You can watch some TV until you fall asleep. I’ll cook up some jook for you.”

Jungkook knew he wouldn’t have to kill time before falling asleep. As soon as his head hit a pillow, he would be out like a light. And he honestly wasn’t hungry. But he did find some unfamiliar comfort in the thought of Jin being close. So he agreed and started trudging towards the living room. Jin rushed into his room and grabbed some spare pillows and blankets, arranging them into a makeshift bed on the couch. Jungkook thought it was comfortable enough. But comfort was really the least of his concerns. He just needed a place to close his eyes.

Just as he’d predicted, he fell asleep within minutes. He remembered Jin throwing a blanket over his shivering frame, then nothing. And when he woke, he only felt marginally better. He peered around the room. Jin sat on the recliner beside him reading a magazine. He coughed to get his attention. “Jungkook, are you awake?” He whispered as he knelt before him.

“Yeah,” Jungkook’s reply was raspy and clouded. But he could see Jin in front of him, his hand pressed against his forehead.

“Feeling any better?” He asked gently. Jungkook felt a little less tired. How long had he been asleep? Was he sitting there the whole time? It didn’t matter. Those were things he could figure out at a later time. For now, Jin was waiting on an answer. He shrugged his shoulders and coughed into the blanket, hoping that was enough of an answer for him. “I want to give you some medicine. Something to make you feel better. But you can’t take it on an empty stomach.” He tightened the blanket around him. “Do you feel like eating? I made samgyetang.” He offered, “Or would you rather something lighter, like jook and tea?”

Admittedly, Jungkook didn’t want to eat anything. He’d be satisfied with taking another nap and praying he’d wake up cured. But that would never be the case. He knew Jin put time into the soup. He hand chopped the vegetables and deboned the chicken himself. He knew this because he’d helped him make it before. It was at least two hours of full effort to get all the ingredients prepared; which brought him back to the question - how long was he asleep? It had to be at least a few hours.

Not wanting Jin’s efforts to go to waste, he agreed to a bowl of the samgyetang. Jungkook made a move to get up and head to the kitchen. Jin’s hands were on his shoulders in a second, pushing him back down onto the sofa. “I’ll bring it here. You just rest.” Jungkook knew better than to fight it. Jin wasted no time rushing to the kitchen to serve the sickly teen. When he returned with the tray, Jungkook was not at all surprised by the small cup of medicine or the bottle of juice that accompanied the soup. Jungkook polished off the contents of the tray, forgetting his earlier qualm of not being hungry.

“I was going to give you this a little later, but I think you’ll appreciate it now.” Jin reached into a shopping bag and pulled out a brand new jacket. It’s black, white stripes going down the sleeves and a dark purple stripe wrapped around the torso. It’s obviously better than the one he’d been wearing, which he took with him when he ran away from the foster home. That one was filthy, but running it through the wash would have probably torn more holes in it. So he didn’t dare wash it. It didn’t really keep him warm or do anything a jacket should do. “You probably got sick because of your old jacket. With this new one, you’ll be much more comfortable, and the cold temperatures won’t be as much of a problem.”

“It’s really nice,” He accepts the gift while turning his head away to cough. “Thanks, hyung.” He’d never called Jin “hyung” before. He blushed and quickly blamed it on the fever and begged his forgiveness.

“Jungkook, sweetie,” Jin kissed his too-warm forehead, “If you want to start calling me hyung, that’s fine with me.”