Single Father • Namjoon + BTS!Kids

lxvi.

Jungkook woke up alone in his bed.

He always woke up alone in his bed, but he needed to qualify  it because Jimin and Tae were still cuddling in Jimin's bed, a bed that had gone unused for 5 years and was now being overused with two bodies in it.

Jungkook's bed had plenty of space for himself so he could sleep comfortably, alone.

Just how he liked it.

Being alone.

Like the night before when Tae had snuck into Hobi's bed and Jungkook had had the entire room to himself.

Just how he liked it.

Being alone.

Always alone.

Jungkook went into the kitchen and got a bowl for himself. Then he poured the milk into his bowl and ate his cereal by himself. He was thinking that maybe, if he ate before everyone else, he could avoid seeing Jimin or Tae for breakfast.

Only the growing pattering of footsteps ruined that idea.

Everybody else settled in to their seats.

"Jungkook, why didn't you keep the milk out for us?" Jin complained as he went to get it and Hobi grabbed bowls for everyone. "Ah, Jimin, don't forget that today is your day with Jungkook, so sit next to him."

"He can sit wherever he wants," Jungkook said to Jin, ignoring the boy who slipped into the seat next to him. He didn't even spare him a glance. He needed to hang onto this feeling.

Because you couldn't be lonely if you didn't acknowledge it.

Jin gave Jungkook a concerned look before setting out milk and cereal and helping everyone get their breakfast.

"What are we going to do today, Kookie?" Jimin asked, smiling at his dongsaeng. It was a weird feeling, being a hyung, a feeling he hadn't experienced for 5 years. He'd missed his precious little brothers, his triplets.

Jungkook stilled at hearing his old nickname. He tried to ignore Jimin, but the name came again.

"Kookie?"

"Don't-" Jungkook exhaled slowly. "Don't call me that. Nobody calls me that."

"O-oh."

"Ignore him, Jimin. He's just cranky because he woke up. You can call him whatever you want to," Jin encouraged, and Jungkook glared at him, unnoticed.

Jimin sat in his seat, apprehensive, but when he noticed that Jungkook was finished with his breakfast, he stood up. "I can put your dishes in the sink, Kook- Jungkook," he offered, correcting his slip-up, but Jungkook ignored his outstretched hand, pushing his chair back roughly and getting up, putting his dishes away himself. Then he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Jimin hurried after him, grabbing his toothbrush and waiting for Jungkook to finish using the toothpaste, but instead of handing it to Jimin, he set it back down on the counter. Jimin frowned before picking it up and brushing his teeth, looking at Jungkook in the mirror.

Jungkook finished brushing his teeth, never having looked at Jimin throughout the entire encounter, and left the bathroom. Jimin rushed to finish, hurrying after Jungkook, trying to catch up with him, but he was always behind.

***

Namjoon came out of his room and found Jungkook. "So, what do you want to do with Jimin today? He can go to school with you, or you two can stay home."

Jungkook was silent while he was thinking. He couldn't refuse to spend time with Jimin because it would make Namjoon unhappy, and Jungkook didn't want that. His initial thought was to bring Jimin to school with him so he didn't have to be alone with him, but then he realized that Tae would just steal the opportunity to have Jimin for more time. That wasn't really a problem for Jungkook; he didn't want to be around Jimin anyway. But he didn't want to have to deal with Tae gloating, just another competition that Tae had beat him in because Tae was the good triplet, the smart triplet, the nice triplet.