The Strongest Father: 5.1

As a little kid, bunny hybrid Jungkook tended to forget a lot of the horrible things that happened to him. He was barely two years old when the bad organization adopted him and Taehyung.

All he can remember was the hand that carried him away and Taehyung that got further and further away from his eyesight. The adults treated him poorly, he often puked on the corner because of the stinky smell around him. The little bunny shivered and prayed in silence.

He was locked inside a small room with several hybrid children, most of them were older than him but not as old as Taehyung yet. He cried a lot, his fur became dirty just like his clothes and body. He didn't want to eat at first but one of the hybrids there warned him that if he kept refusing, the adults would punish him.

So he ate, he felt his entire body became heavy. It made the adults' job easier, this way he would listen to them without any resistance just like the others acted. Jungkook hated the adults there, scared of the way they whispered behind him or when they eyed him with an unreadable expression, also when they grabbed his bunny's ears harshly to drag him to other room.

As a bunny hybrid, he had sharp ears. He heard a lot of noise every day, and it hurt his ears. Countless cries, wailing, whimpering, he wanted to make it stop but no matter how hard he pressed his palm to his ears, it never stopped. The collar on his neck bruised his soft skin, the chain on his ankle bit and left red marks.

The last day when the police came and cleaned the place was the day when the cries finally stopped. People shouting and cursing at the same time, they moved fast to escape; didn't care about the hybrids locked inside the small room at all.

The door opened widely, Jungkook sat on the corner behind the other children. Maybe because he was the youngest, the other tried to at least protect him. Fortunately, it was the police and they came to save them.

Like a lost child, he followed the older kids to the living room. They lined up while the police and people in black suits caught the bad guys. With his big eyes, he scanned the room, unconsciously inhaling the fresh air greedily after locked inside the small room of days, or maybe weeks.

His ears perked up when he heard Taehyung, his older brother dashing to him with ripped clothes. Taehyung rushed and hugged him immediately, Jungkook cried when he smelled blood from Taehyung.

After that he refused to let go of Taehyung, his small fist clenched to the older hybrid's clothes like a death grip. The tiger hybrid growled to anyone that tried to approach them, they lost each other once and they swore to never let go again.

In fact, he forgot most of the scene that day. He also forgot how they ended up with grandpa, his memories jumped to the time when they settled down and grandpa was their new guardian.

He loved grandpa, he adored Namjoon hyung like his idol because that man was so cool in his eyes, and he also loved uncle Dongwook.

But, the nightmares stayed without he really remembering the memories. He often heard the cries, the whimpering of his kind asking for mercy. How children get tortured, how the bad people took their blood and injected liquid with a weird smell. How his kind, like the kid that used to sit and share their bread with him, changed into monsters and lost their sanity.

Jungkook used to hate sleeping because of that until Seokjin came.

The man was weird at first for the little kid. The older hybrid seemed untouchable with a barrier surrounding him. Preventing anybody who tried to greet him, like a beautiful rose in the garden; decorated with sharp thorns, so ready to hurt you if you dare to come closer.

He saved Jungkook in their first encounter, saved his head from hitting the ground. Jungkook knew he was hard to open up, he was too shy and awkward with other people besides Taehyung, so when he clung to Seokjin after he fell, he was shocked too with himself.

It was different with Seokjin though, he felt secure with the man. The man that actually had a funny laugh, like windshield wiper noise, the hybrid that actually loves the pink and blue colour, the man with a pretty smile. The man that offered both Jungkook and Taehyung something called 'Home' after they lost their guardian.

Seokjin became their home.

Seokjin was far from perfect, except for his brilliant cooking: Seokjin was awkward with kids even though he was a kind older brother. Unlike the traditional older brother, he never orders or acts too strict with them. He did act mature, but most of the time it was filled with dad jokes and games for them.

He can suddenly laugh uncontrollably or groan because of a stupid event, Jungkook loves him so much.

He was beyond grateful when Seokjin brought them to the new apartment (after leaving them with Namjoon for several days, Seokjin came back and Jungkook swore with his pure mind he never felt that happy before), their new home. With his innocent and simple mind, that place was his sanctuary even though it was far way too small compared to the mansion they had before.

It was warm and comfortable, not huge and cold. It was full of his plushies, his blanket, his toys, his books, nobody scolds him for staring or simply observing his surroundings.

Imperfect, flawed, but the apartment; Seokjin , was his sanctuary.

"Please tell me more about kids," one night he woke up because of his sharp ears. Jungkook rubbed his eyes and looked at the balcony. Seokjin was standing there, leaning to the fence with his back facing the bunny hybrid.

Jungkook had light steps, but he still walked as slow as he could and listened to Seokjin's conversation. His little heart knew this wasn't a good thing but he was so curious so he left his comfortable bed (Seokjin's bed). He wrapped himself with his soft blanket, in case Seokjin turns back he could hide under the cover.

He can't hear the other side of the telephone, "come on, Hobi-ah," Seokjin sounded desperate, "you take care children every day, willingly, I need a lot of advice from you."

Jungkook did recognize the name, he tilted his head to one side, "I want to know how," Seokjin sounded so serious, "I want to take care of them correctly."

"They … Taehyung once asked me, you will never believe me," he saw Seokjin slid down and ended up sitting on the balcony, hugging his own knees. Jungkook wanted to approach him so bad but he also wanted to know more, his small hands touched the glass; as if he can transfer some energy to Seokjin who leaned back against the glass door.

"Even Jungkook asked me," the bunny hybrid jumped a little when the older man said his name, "they- they asked me if I will die before them or not," the little boy recalled the day he asked Seokjin. It was purely because both of the boys were scared, they just lost grandpa and now they had Seokjin, but would he remain with them?

("Taehyung, Jungkook?" Seokjin woke up from his deep slumber when he heard a rustling noise. He saw both of the kids had changed their pyjamas' pant to the new one. Both of them flinched, Taehyung didn't dare look back while Jungkook pinned his gaze to the floor.

Seokjin flipped the blanket from his bed and saw two wet spots on his bed, he eyed the pants on the floor. He frowned, "you can just wake me up," he got up and walked toward the boys.

He knelt before them, "I told you, didn't I?" Seokjin asked Taehyung, "it's fine, we can clean it together and I won't get angry at you, or Jungkook."

Taehyung nodded hesitantly, "was it a bad dream again?" Seokjin stroked the boys' cheek, he can clearly see the tears' tracks on their chubby cheeks.

Jungkook covered his ears, his habit to stop loud shouting directed at him when he did something wrong and now became a habit every time he felt uncomfortable. Seokjin moved his hands away, replacing Jungkook's little hands with his big palms. It was warm and comforting, Jungkook purred to the older man.

Jungkook tugged at Seokjin's hand, the little boy's bunny ears trembled slightly just like how Taehyung's tail trembled and curled between his feet, "why do people die?" the little kid asked, Seokjin's heart ached suddenly.

The bunny hybrid raised his head, "what it's like to die? Why people leave their loved one?" he asked with a shaking voice, he didn't understand why grandpa left them. Was it because of him? Because he was a bad kid?

"Did he hate us-"

"No! Dear lord- Hell no, Jungkook," Seokjin pulled Jungkook to an embrace, "Grandpa loved both of you so much," the older man tightened his embrace, "don't even think like that, he loved you," he assured both of them.

"Appa," Taehyung stepped in, eyes were swollen and brimmed with tears, "are you gonna die before us too?" he sobbed, Seokjin opened his arms and pulled Taehyung in too. One hand hugging Jungkook and another hugged Taehyung, he kissed the tiger's forehead softly.

It was stupid of Seokjin to think the kids would forget the anxiety, stupid of him to think Taehyung and Jungkook won't be worried about the possibility, the idea stating Seokjin would leave them too at the end. Anxiety over what would happen if the older hybrid died. Their pure minds were too young to process the meaning of 'death', everything went tangled and messed with their little heads.

He couldn't give them false hope, so instead of assuring them or lying, Seokjin cupped their cheeks, smiling tenderly, "Taehyung-ah, Jungkook-ah," he whispered, eyes soft like cotton candy, "everything will be fine 'till both of you become a fine man."

Taehyung hiccupped, "when will I become a fine man?" he pouted, "I will never be a fine young man then if that's mean you will leave us too."

Seokjin chuckled, "No, I mean, everything will be fine until both of you can take care each other without me, until both of you become middle-agede, have faith with me!" he laughed softly, imagining they boys turn to be handsome men in the future.

"Promise?" Jungkook offered his pinky finger, catching Seokjin's crooked finger forcefully. The older hybrid nodded, three of them promised to each other. )

Seokjin leaned fully to the glass, gazing up to the night sky with several stars sparkling above his head, "I don't want them to be afraid," the older hybrid looked so fragile and small, unlike the man Jungkook saw this morning. Seokjin worried about them, he thought about them a lot; Jungkook's heart floated because of this when he realized he was 'important' to the man for real.

"I also need them to stop being scared of the bathroom though," Seokjin chuckled fondly, Jungkook's face heating up, "I will teach them to not be afraid of the toilet first, yes! They keep talking about a ghost inside the bathroom. No! Hobi! I'm afraid like you!"

"I will assure them if they still wet the bed; they just need to change the pyjama without worrying I will get mad," Seokjin fisted his hand and raised it to the sky, mentally writing down his next target to the memo dedicated to the kids' needs.

That night, Jungkook didn't approach Seokjin since he wanted to be the only one who knew the moment of vulnerability Seokjin had behind of his and Taehyung's back. He felt proud because he secretly knew about Seokjin's worries. The little bunny went back to his bed (Seokjin's bed) with a big smile plastered on his chubby face.

Sadly, Jungkook didn't wait long enough to see Seokjin's blushing face illuminated by the moonlight after Hoseok replied.

"Hyung, you really love and got so attached to them, don't you?" Seokjin blushed but he nodded as if Hoseok could see him through the mobile phone.

"I'm glad you smile and sound more cheerful, it seems like you became the old Seokjin-Hyung Yoongi and I adored."