Growing Pains

22

Jin saw Jungkook approach Namjoon again.

Alarmed, he pushed his friend behind him and placed a hand on Jungkook's chest.

His hand heated up when he felt the developing muscles underneath.

He was sure his face and ears were equally hot.

And he could feel something waking up inside of him and perking its ears as he curled his fingers on Jungkook's shirt.

Kim Seokjin! Stop it! Get a grip! He's your dongsaeng, he scolded himself.

"Back up, Jungkook. What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"He hurt you, hyung!"

Jin frowned in confusion as he lowered his hand to his side.

The flash of disappointment on Jungkook's face gave him pause but it disappeared so quickly that he wondered if he imagined it.

"He didn't hurt me, Jungkook."

"He made you cry!"

Jin scrunched up his eyebrows, thoroughly puzzled.

"No, he didn't, Jungkook-ah."

"I heard you! You cried!"

Jungkook's face was flushed as he stared at Jin.

He was clearly incensed.

A hoverfly flew past just then, behind Jungkook, and it made Jin flinch.

Jin remembered now.

He and Namjoon had been talking when a hoverfly flew into his hair.

Jin has always hated flying insects ever since a wasp stung him when he was a young child.

The memory of that day, and the pain he'd suffered made him despise all of them.

Nasty buggers should be annihilated, he thought to himself as he thought of the kamikaze one that had decided to commit suicide in his hair just now.

"Oh that!" Jin laughed. "No, Jungkook, you misunderstood. There was a bug, and it flew into me. I freaked out."

"What? A bug?!" Jungkook was incredulous as he stared at his Jin-hyung.

"Uh hi! A little help?" Someone called out.

All three turned to look over at the fence separating Jin's backyard from Jungkook's.

Taehyung swayed on Jin's lawn, the back of his shirt caught on the fence.

Namjoon rolled his eyes at his younger brother.

"Typical Taehyung to be caught in such ridiculous positions," he mumbled.

"Jungkook-ah, take Namjoon inside and put ice on his bruise. I'm going to help that daft kid," Jin said with a soft smile.

"What?! No!" Two voices shouted in unison.

One was filled with terror while the other was filled with annoyance.

"Just go!" Jin huffed in exasperation.

He could feel the tension coming off the two in front of him and it baffled him, but he had no time to deal with it now because he still had Taehyung dangling from his fence, and judging from his red face, the poor boy needed rescuing.

"Just go!"

He pushed both Jungkook and Namjoon together and stalked off to Taehyung.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Namjoon look at Jungkook warily.

"Let's go," Jungkook said curtly and pulled Namjoon impatiently into Jin's house.