paper hearts (jeon jungkook)

Autumn Leaves

"You should be careful, Koo."

With you and Jungkook sitting under one of the orphanage's trees at the said compound's lawn, you scowled at your best friend. He flashed you one of his obnoxious grins as he carefully propped his leg on your lap. You rolled your eyes at him, grabbing the first-aid kit you borrowed.

"If I didn't trip and wound myself back then, then I wouldn't have found the sofa to cry because of how embarrassed I was." he said, lowering his head to meet your sharp eyes, "If I didn't find the sofa, then I wouldn't have met you."

You scoffed and rolled your eyes once more. Getting some cotton and betadine, you started to clean his wound.

"Whatever you say, Koo. I just want you to be careful so that you wouldn't have to get hurt anymore." you thoughtfully said, looking at him in the eye.

"Aw, you're so concerned. Next thing I know, you'll start kissing my wounds for them to heal faster." he teased with his eyes glinting mischievously.

Recoiling and pulling up an expression of pure disgust, you grabbed some bandages to patch his wound up.

"Don't act disgusted! You stole my first kiss when we first met!" he exclaimed, pretending to look offended.

You glared at him intensely, pushing his leg off your lap. Laughing boisterously, you shoved him with all the strength that you could muster. After a couple of years, you had an idea on why you should not kiss random people just because they were shedding off tears.

"You're so... mean." you muttered under your breath, blushing lightly.

Now eight-years old, you and Jungkook grew closer ever since you first saw him crying. Both of you became best of friends and were often seen together and only parted when it was time to go back to your respective dormitories at night. Spending about four years with each other, you had Jungkook act so comfortably around you but shyly around others. He stayed quiet with elders and other children; but was utterly obnoxious and bratty when it came to you, his best friend. Even so, Jungkook was actually sweet and caring; sticking by your side because he knew you would stick by his.

"It's television watching time. You know what that means?" he asked, leaning on the tree.

"We have this whole place to ourselves." you said, smiling triumphantly while gesturing to the grass around you and the playground to the side.

Jungkook giggled, nodding his head excitedly.

"Do you want to grab food from the kitchen?" you asked.

"[Y/N], you just patched my wound; I can't run that fast from whoever is there in the kitchen." he stated.

Nodding in agreement, you puckered your bottom lip at the thought of having to wait for dinner to eat again with the other children. You heaved a sigh, leaning on the tree beside Jungkook. Just like always, both of you relaxed while staring at the sky above.

"Hey, if you ever get adopted, do you think you can have food anytime?" you asked Jungkook.

He glanced at you, staring intently before returning his gaze to the sky. Furrowing his eyebrows with you, he began to space-off while you waited for his answer.

"I guess? Yes? I think so." he answered.

You hummed in agreement, nodding your head. After a while, your facial features relaxed into a small smile as your gaze at the sky grew longer and seemed farther away.

"I bet there will be a lot of food. We wouldn't have to steal from the kitchen anymore. Our parents will feed us!" you dreamily said.

Jungkook stifled a laugh as his lips stretched to a smile, glancing at you and confirming his presumptions of your growing desire to get adopted. He knew this for so long; but he also knew that you were beginning to desire of such even more.

"You really want to get adopted, huh?" he chuckled, placing his gaze at the falling leaves.

Eyes softening, smile emanating and sigh escaping, you closed your eyes momentarily and pictured what it would feel like to be loved dearly and cared for thoroughly in a motherly and fatherly way.

"Yeah. I mean, you do too, right?" you said knowingly, opening your eyes only to meet his.

He hummed in agreement, noticing the dried leaves starting to fall on the floor. Your eyes twinkled in delight, standing up on your feet to eye the leaves falling on top of the both of you from the tree you were getting shade from.

"But if I get adopted, and you get adopted, then we'll get separated." Jungkook said, standing up slowly as well and pouting subtly.

Facing him, the look of desire of getting adopted slowly vanished from your gaze as your eyes reflected Jungkook before you. He looked at you with such melancholy that you were surprised to see. You sighed, averting your gaze away from him as it drifted to the autumn leaves gliding down the air and peppering the soft surface of the grass.

"Jungkook, either of us getting adopted can happen anytime and I..." you trailed off, glancing at him then looking away quickly.

He sighed heavily, shaking his head a little to get a grip of everything in your lives as orphans. It was clear that he struggled with the thought of having to be separated from you due to the obvious reason that both of you considered each other as family already. There was not a day that you two were not spotted together, so it would be rather disheartening to be separated. Both of you were attached to the hip; however, with the circumstances provided, such adoptions could occur.

"Look, I know it's not impossible that there will be a time where we will not be seeing each other everyday anymore; but if this happens, don't forget me, please." Jungkook said in a small voice, clearly insecure of what he was saying.

He was uttering one of his biggest fears—getting abandoned and forgotten. The past was heavy on the both of you and if it were to repeat, it would only bring a dementing feeling of moroseness.

Staring at you with his eyes big and doe-like, Jungkook's lips quivered slightly. Your eyes were glassy with your lips parted in awe, nodding your head sternly at his words. Losing whatever power that was holding you back, you engulfed your best friend in a hug and exhaled a deep breath.

"I would never forget you." you breathed.

Jungkook heaved a deep sigh, wrapping his arms around you as well. He gingerly closed his eyes, blinking rather rapidly to stop his eyes from emancipating his tears. The chilly breeze kissed both of your skins lightly, yet both of you were unfazed.

Both of you were stuck in thought and in time.

With arms around each other, you mimicked the autumn leaves, clinging to the branches of the tree even though when time gets them, they will soon get separated from the tree too.