backstage is usually crazy, so jungkook's brain can't fathom why everything around him is suddenly so quiet. it's as though someone has sucked the life out of each and every soul wandering the long hallways and rooms of backstage. the fans can't be heard from here, which is another thing to add onto jungkook's mental list of "what the hell is going on?".
he hears some muffled sounds against his ear and blinks once so that the dimly lit room isn't hindering his eyesight.
"jungkook-ah?" jimin smiles at him, fingers tangling with the hair at the nape of jungkook's neck.
jungkook hums casually, head still fuzzy around the edges. he's sitting on the floor of the training room, back resting against taehyung's chest, the older boy's legs firmly encasing his waist. it feels too intimate to move just yet.
jimin sighs and jungkook can tell that he's pretending to think of something to say as he shuffles closer towards the youngest, knees pressing into jungkook's bare feet.
during the time after the attack (what the police were calling it when they asked a few managers and jungkook to enter the training room for questioning) were full of confusion and hurt. jungkook remembers the shock of the 'attack' leaving him all wobbly on his feet, and jimin and taehyung helping lower him on a medical mat for a quick check-up. he understood that it was to ensure nothing serious had happened to him but it had been embarrassing nonetheless. it's a good thing jungkook did it, otherwise even he felt a little out of sorts with what had just happened. something could have gone wrong and it almost had if taehyung hadn't come in at the right moment. jungkook feels his eyes well up at the thought of his hyung knowing something was wrong and knowing exactly where he had been.
and now taehyung's sequenced jacket is digging into his back as jimin's hand ruffles through his inky, black hair every so often.
"how are you feeling?" the nurse asks him softly. she is stood beside sejin hyung, both watching the boys on the floor with matching looks of concern.
how does he feel?
jungkook doesn't know, so he gives a short shrug. the nurse shares a look with sejin hyung. jungkook feels his head pound a little. he would have just lied, saying he's better now but he knows that that's a horrible idea from previous experience.
he shuts his eyes, "i feel dizzy."
immediately he feels hands on his face. taehyung. then he's suddenly being pulled closer to his hyung's chest. "you're okay, jungkook," the words are a rumble of thunder against the shell of his ear. "you're going to be fine. we're going to get you to the car so i need you to do hyung a favour," he feels taehyung move him upwards. "hold onto hyung tightly okay? don't let go of me. it's going to be hard-" he wraps an arm around jungkook's waist once he's up and brings jungkook's arm over his shoulders, "-because there's still a crowd but you'll be fine."
jungkook can sense the seriousness of the situation in the way his hyung is trembling slightly with his added weight. he suddenly feels bad. very bad.
"i'm sorry, i can walk to the car. i'm not injured." taehyung sends him a disapproving frown, his almond eyes piercing into jungkook's own ones, full of unshed tears. "i'm fine hyung."
taehyung breaths sharply. "no, you're not fine. you're going to stop being difficult so we can get to the car safely. do you understand?"
"hyung-" he starts, trying to pull his arm back. taehyung's grip turns to steel.
"jungkook do you understand?" taehyung leaves no room for argument. jungkook nods sluggishly, the fight leaving him as he allows taehyung to pull him in closer.
