Chapter Text
Everything hurt.
As pain shot through his body, the young adolescent started to stir. A bright warm light pulsed beneath his eyelids.
He blacked out again.
Jungkook woke to find himself being peered down at by an unfamiliar face. Shocked and surprised, he quickly tried to sit up as he stared back at the man, who appeared to be older than him in age. He was pretty, with a handsome face and soft features. The man had big eyes and soft pouty lips. His eyebrows were covered by a soft mop of brown hair that curled slightly at the ends. As Jungkook looked around the room, he noticed that the man was keenly watching him. His dark brown eyes followed his every movement, catching every detail and taking them in.
The room was filled with all kinds of books. Some were colorful and fun children’s books. Others were a dull and boring brown color that seemed like something philosophical geezers would read in their freetime.
“Thank God you’re awake now, I almost thought you were never going to wake up. How are you feeling?”
He whipped his head around. The man who was watching him had finally spoken.
“I-I'm feeling fine, thank you.” Jungkook croaked.
Jungkook was surprised at the deep, low sound of the man's voice, which contrasted his flowery appearance. Even though he was still feeling weak and dizzy, he decided it was best not to trouble others with his problems and attempted to stand, only to end up collapsing forward into the other man's arms.
“A-ah I’m s-sorry, I really don’t want to trouble you. I guess I'm still a little weak. I-I’ll be able to stand by myself in a few minutes and then I’ll be out of your way.”
Jungkook fell back and propped himself up on the couch. The man pursed his lips.
“It’s fine, there’s no rush. Take your time, are you sure you’re okay. Should I bring you water, or do you need anything else?”
The man frantically looked around the room, searching for something that he could comfort him with. Finding nothing but books, he looked back at Jungkook apologetically.
“Sorry, I can go and get you a cup of water, just stay here and I’ll be right -”
“NO!” Jungkook shouted, louder than he intended. The other man looked surprised and shocked. Realizing his mistake, Jungkook tried to clarify what he meant.
“Uh, I meant...please stay. Thank you, though….um, if you don’t mind me asking, where am I?” Jungkook asked cautiously.
“You’re in a library - ah sorry, I should have introduced myself first. My name is Kim Taehyung. I run this place. I found you lying on the ground outside and I brought you here...because, um, well, so I could look after you until you woke up.”
That certainly explains all the books.
“I’m sorry for inconveniencing you so greatly, Taehyung-ssi. My name is Jeon Jungkook, thank you for caring for me.” He said politely while attempting to bow ninety degrees from his seated position on the couch. As he bowed over, he noticed that Taehyung was only wearing a pair of comfy slippers, a plain tee and a pair of sweatpants. He looked very much at home in the large library. That makes sense, he works here, but still... what the fuck? Isn’t this the public part of the library?
Taehyung must have noticed Jungkook’s curious glance. “Oh, I live here, in the loft above the library. You’re in my living room.”
Jungkook looked away awkwardly. “Oh...”
“Hmmmm... Jungkook how old are you?” Taehyung inquired, looking him up and down.
“I’m 20 years old, sir.”
“Don’t sir me, I’m your hyung! I was born in ‘95 so I'm your hyung by two years”
“Sorry….hyung.” Jungkook had guessed that Taehyung had been older than him, but he hadn’t been sure. At least he now knew what to call him.
“Yeah. Ah…let's stop standing around here, Kookie! Can I call you Kookie? Without waiting for his answer Taehyung just kept talking, not paying much attention to Jungkook’s response to the name.
“Ok, so anyways Kookie, let’s see if you can manage to stand,.” Taehyung’s eyes twinkled. “I’ll show you around.”
Taehyung had a strange way of speaking. Jungkook found the nickname that Taehyung had created for him was also interesting, considering that they had just met. It wasn’t that he didn't like it, it was rather cute, but he just wasn't used to people other than his parents calling him like that. His parents...what had happened to them? The last thing he could remember was a bright light. A jolt ran through his body, and he crumpled to the floor while Taehyung stared at him in shock, mid stride. As he blacked out, the image of Taehyung rushing to his side burned into his mind.
Jungkook woke up to a quiet night. It looked like Taehyung had managed to carry him to a bed, which Jungkook assumed was in the loft the librarian had mentioned earlier. He shivered as cool air poured in from a slightly opened window, and pulled the blankets further up to cover his mouth and nose. The sound of deep snoring drew his attention to Taehyung, who was seated in a chair by the bed. His head drooped off to the side and his baby pink lips slightly parted.
Jungkook slipped out of the bed. As he passed Taehyung, he paused, then grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around the sleeping librarian. Taehyung shifted, but didn’t wake up at this motion. Jungkook smiled to himself as he carefully opened the door and crept away back to the living room.
The young man reached into his pocket. His fingers closed around the phone and he pulled it out triumphantly. He wanted to call someone or read his messages or do anything as long as he could find out exactly what the fuck had happened. Settling down in the couch where he had woken up in just a few hours before, he unlocked the phone. He frowned as he saw that the wifi was password protected, and that there was no signal, which prevented him from using data.
He thought for a moment before getting up once again. He tried to find another network. The library might have free wifi...hyung said his loft was above the library? He wandered through the halls until he found a spiral staircase that led to the the library. Holding up his phone, he tried to find signal. Damn you, stupid service. Where are you when I need you?
Near the west wing of the library, Jungkook was finally able to get some signal. It was weak, but hopefully he would be able to find a better connection farther in that direction. Jungkook grinned, and kept walking in an attempt to find stronger reception. As he hurried deeper into the west wing, he realized just how big the library was. Thin beams of moonlight streamed through the glass windows of the west wing and illuminated the room with a cold sterile light. The bookshelves towered over Jungkook, casting long, dark shadows onto the floor. The library was dead silent, as if someone had come and slaughtered every fucking living thing, though he knew that somewhere upstairs, Taehyung was snoring loud enough to wake Hades himself.
He found himself shivering, and he walked a bit faster so he could get out of the west wing quickly. It reminded him of a cemetery. Jungkook thought of the friendly, sleeping man upstairs and wondered how Taehyung could live by himself in a place like this. Doesn't he get lonely without any company? Who knows who long he’s been in here alone… Jungkook continued down the rows and rows of books; there must have been hundreds of them in this one section of the library. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimmer of light. As he peered into the darkness, he saw where the light was coming from.
The light was coming from a thickly bound leather book with a metal lock, which was laying on the floor. The shine had been created by the pale moonlight reflecting of the polished surface of the lock, much like a mirror. Jungkook slowly shuffled over to the book. Everything else in the library was so neat and organized, it was strange to find a book out of place, much less strewn on the floor. He slowly bent over and gently picked the book up, cradling it in his arms. He examined the book under the dim moonlight. The cover was made out of high grade leather with some words printed on the side, but he couldn’t quite make them out in the dim light. The lock was big and heavy, but as Jungkook scrutinized it more closely, he found that it was unlocked.
Suddenly, he was struck with a wave of nausea. He slapped his hand over his mouth as his stomach lurched. Jungkook remembered seeing a public library bathroom earlier, and he ran over. He burst into a stall, and, leaning over the toilet bowl, he retched. He watched as his last meal reappeared in the basin, and he stayed hunched over the bowl until there was nothing left but bile. He coughed and dry heaved as the nauseous feeling in his gut finally faded. He groaned, his face flushed. Jungkook cleaned himself up as much as he could and went back to where he had left the book, a strange aura coming off from its cover. He hurriedly shoved it onto a shelf near where he had found it on the floor and went back up the stairs.
He was greeted with the sight of Taehyung, who hadn’t moved from the position he was in earlier. As he stepped towards the older man, the floorboards creaked. Taehyung stirred a little in his sleep but didn’t wake up. Jungkook slowly crept towards the empty bed, trying to ignore the anxious feeling in his gut. Just then, Taehyung’s eyes blinked open blearily.
“Hmmm? Kookie is that you…? What are you doing?” Taehyung mumbled groggily, his eyes half-lidded with sleep.
“A-ah, I-I had a nightmare, hyung. Sorry for waking you up.” Jungkook lied through his teeth.
“Oh,” Taehyung rubbed his eyes sleepily. “Was it bad?”
Jungkook’s head felt like it was about to implode. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to cry.
“Yeah,” He said softly. “It was bad.”
“Do you want me to put you to bed?” Taehyung asked gently. He could clearly see that the younger man was shaken. He hadn't looked good since he had woken up on the couch , but now he was an ghostly shade of pale white, save for the pink flush on his cheeks. Sweat was beaded on his brow
“I-I’m fine, I'm not a fucking baby!”
Jungkook froze, shocked at his own outburst. “A-ah, I’m so sorry hyung I don’t know where that came from…”
Taehyung stood up and walked over to Jungkook. He put his hand on the younger man’s forehead. It was hot and clammy. He wiped the sweat from Jungkook’s brow and studied his face a little closer.
“H-Hyung I’m fine... I don't need someone to put me to bed.”
Taehyung didn't care. Just as the words left Jungkook’s mouth, the young boy felt himself being carried bridal style over to the bed. Taehyung laid him down on the bed, before collecting the blankets from the armchair and tucking Jungkook into the bed. Jungkook mumbled something about calling his parents, but then fell silent again. Taehyung crawled into bed beside Jungkook and pulled the covers over the both of them. He tossed an arm over the warm boy and felt the younger slowly relax. Jungkook leaned back into Taehyung’s touch.
“Goodnight, Kookie.”
“...Goodnight hyung.”
A few moments later, they were both fast asleep.
Taehyung woke to the sound of passing cars on the street. The city was starting to come alive with people commuting to work and school as the morning broke. He rolled over onto his right side and saw Jungkook sleeping peacefully beside him. He hadn’t been able to get a clear look at the younger man's face before, but in the daylight, he saw all the small details. Jungkook had dark brown hair, almost black, that fanned out across his tanned unblemished skin. His eyebrows, dark and defined, lay right below where his soft hair ended and lead down onto his high nose. As Taehyung’s eyes trailed down his face, he stopped at his lips. They were rather on the small side with a very defined cupid's bow and a feminine shape to them. Taehyung dragged his gaze away from the sleeping boy and stood up from his bed.
Taehyung looked at the clock. It was already 7:30, and the library opened at 9:00. He had to get ready and start preparing for the daily rush of visitors soon. He rushed over to his closet, and looked for a decent outfit. Something simple was fine, but it had to look fresh and neat. He reached in and grabbed a black and white color blocked short sleeve shirt and a pair of black jeans. The librarian looked smart and handsome, as well as friendly. Taehyung ran into the kitchen and made a quick breakfast for himself and Jungkook. The librarian gulped down his food and left a plate on the table for Jungkook when he woke up. He bustled back into his room, careful not to wake up Jungkook he washed his face, rearranged his hair, and ran downstairs to clean up and organize the library before it opened.
After about thirty minutes of cleaning and general library-keeping, Taehyung looked around again at all the books. It seemed like they were mostly in place, so he walked over to a couch and sat down to take a break. Everything was in order, all the returned books had been re-shelved to their proper places and all the chairs and cushions had been neatly arranged in preparation for the day. There was still about 10 minutes until opening time so he decided to check on Jungkook again.
The library was one of the larger buildings in the vicinity. It had three floors: a basement, a ground floor, and a second floor. The basement was an archive, used to store old books and papers. People could only enter with special permission from the librarian. Taehyung had also set up a repair station there for damaged and tattered books. The main floor, or ground floor, was open and airy. Large glass windows filtered in sunlight, and there were cozy areas set up for visitors to sit and read. High ceilings allowed for towering bookshelves, and ladders were connected to a few bookshelves to help people reach books on higher shelves. This floor consisted of three sections: the center hall, the east wing, and the west wing. The hall housed the primary collection of books. Taehyung was especially proud of the children’s section; he had picked out all the books and colorful furniture himself. In the east wing, there was a study center, full of desks for students to work at. It was a good environment, as it was free of noise and distraction, and many students frequented the library to make use of the east wing. However, the west wing was a mystery. Ever since Taehyung had become the librarian, the section had been closed off. There were many rumors about it’s purpose. Some people said it was closed off because of the structure was unstable, others speculated that it was where Taehyung stored all his library records. But it didn’t matter to the people, who had always knows Taehyung as the bright and happy librarian who was always willing to help.
The second floor of the library was Taehyung’s private residence. His office and living quarters were located there. It was a spacious home, more than Taehyung could ever ask for. His large bedroom contained a large TV in front of the bed. Along the walls of the room, several large windows provided a beautiful view.. Besides the bedroom and a bathroom, the upper floor of the library also had a living room, a kitchen, and Taehyung’s office. The office he worked in was connected to the living room, but unlike the rest of the place, his office was cluttered with piles of papers and files upon files of documents. On his desk sat a desktop computer, and mounted on the walls were several screens connected to security cameras that were placed throughout the library.
By the time Taehyung had finished reorganizing the library and went to check on Jungkook, the young man had already woken up. Taehyung reached his bedroom to find that Jungkook had found the TV remote and was flipping through the channels. He looked a lot better than the previous night. The color had returned to his cheeks and a rosy sheen lit up his face. As Taehyung walked into the room Jungkook glanced up.
“Hyung, a plasma TV?! Do you make a lot of money as a librarian?”
“Uh…”
“Hey, hyung, what’s your wifi password??”
“If you’re already awake, why don't you do something productive with your life instead of bothering your hyung?” Taehyung ignored Jungkook’s questions, noticing the smug look on the younger man’s face.
“Ah, but hyung I can't do anything without wifi. I think my phone picked one up this morning, but it’s a private network.” Jungkook looked up at Taehyung through his eyelashes, his big brown eyes pleading. “So, hyung, what’s the password?”
This kid really knows how to get his way. But what does he even need the wifi for? Taehyung didn't see any reason not to give him the password for the wifi but he didn't see why it was so important to Jungkook. “Why do you need it?”
“I wanted to find out what happened to me. I have no idea what happened before I woke up downstairs in the library, and I need to know.”
“You little shit, it’s yougotnojams001, no spaces, no capitals.”
Jungkook eagerly pulled out his phone and tried the password.
“Hyung, you lied! It doesn’t work!”
Taehyung cackled gleefully. “If you want something, you’re gonna have to work for it.”
Jungkook ended up working in the library for the whole day, scowling at Taehyung the whole time. Taehyung, on the other hand, had pranced around, happier than usual. Nothing could knock his signature box grin off his face. And when the day finally ended, and the library closed for the night, Taehyung leaned in and whispered to Jungkook.
“I lied. The J in Jams is actually capitalized.”