EAT/JIKOOK.

twenty fourth.

sadness.

anxiety.

breakdown.

humiliation.

it was a vicious cycle that jimin was trapped in.

he'd go a few days of being sad. why? he doesn't know. it was an utter sadness and distance that he couldn't name, but was constant. he'd play it off as a headache because what should he say? he didn't know why he was sad. so he had no excuse.

his sadness and disappointment would give him anxiety. what if he looks sad around his friends? what would they think? what if they ask if he's unhappy? if he says he doesn't know why, won't they think he's lying? will they think he doesn't trust them? will they begin to distrust him?

all these thoughts of maybes and what ifs fill jimin's mind, for days on end until he can't handle it and he completely breaks down. usually in tears.

then the cycle is complete. jimin breaks down in public, and he is humiliated. not only has he began crying in front of people, but he doesn't know why. that thought makes him cry harder. the judging eyes staring at him make him cry harder. everything just makes him cry harder.

until he can finally, finally calm down. humiliation causes sadness and anxiety– and so the cycle continues.

but, as jimin sat in jungkook's lap, crying his eyes out with no specific reason, he couldn't help but feel safe. with seokjin, he felt loved, but the elder can't help but be disappointed when he tries so hard to make jimin happy and he fails.

but jungkook? all he does is try to make jimin feel safe, and he never shows any sign of disappointment or annoyance. jimin is always so safe, and protected and loved around the younger, even in tears.

these thoughts gave jimin security as his sobs reduced to sniffles in jungkook's arms. the younger didn't make him speak or move– he let him lay there, being extremely patient and jimin was so grateful for that.

it took over twenty minutes, but jimin laid in jungkook's arms, not speaking but not crying. the younger was running his hands through his hair soothingly, and it was silent-- but still perfect.

jimin didn't want to be thrown into the cycle he had been stuck in for days, so he didn't speak. instead, he lifted his head up, and looked into jungkook's soft doe eyes.

the younger smiled at him, and he smiled back-- not a grin, but a smile nonetheless. jungkook waited a moment before quietly saying one word.

"sleepy?"

jimin nodded and rested his head again. he wasn't focusing on the fact that he was in jungkook's lap as he usually would. instead, he was focusing on the aura of pure love and assurance that jungkook was giving, and let it surround him while he slowly drifted to sleep.