Jimin was having a terrible day at work. An exceptionally rude customer had walked in and ordered Jimin to recite the entire menu to him, only to demand for a venti hot chocolate and a to-go rainbow frappe to be served in two minutes. To top it all off Jinsoo hadn't turned up for work today either and Jimin was burdened with being the cash register as well. It was hard to balance everything and he was on the verge of snapping apart.

"It's already been twenty minutes can I just get my drink already?" The customer's voice reached Jimin and the boy looked at his watch incredulously. It had only been five minutes.

"Yes sir. Your drinks are ready." Jimin spoke as softly as he could while maintaining his composure as he walked up to the table with the drinks on a tray in his hand. He placed the tray gingerly on the table and was about to leave as the customer took a sip but a hand slamming on the table made him jump in surprise and turn around.

"This hot chocolate is the worst I've ever had in my life. And considering how long you took to make this shitty drink, you should be fired."

Jimin frowned as he chanced a glance at the barista who had made the drink. The latter shrugged and gestured to Jimin with her eyebrows to deal with the customer. Jimin sighed and bowed politely.

"I'm sorry sir. I'll ask for another one to be made if you don't like this-"

"And ask me to pay for that will you?" The customer was now standing and Jimin moved a step back instinctively at his height.

"It'll be on the house sir. We apologize for the inconvenience-"

"We? It's just you who's useless. Everyone else seems to be doing a better job here. You on the other hand, taking so long to get my drinks, and doing a shitty job at making them. Who even let you work here?"

"I am only taking orders sir," Jimin spoke in a hushed tone. His eyes were trained on the customer in front of him that he didn't notice Jungkook, Yoongi and Hoseok walk in. "I don't make the drinks." He bowed again. "I'll get you another hot chocolate."

Jimin had been deeply hurt by the words that the customer had so disrespectfully spat out of his mouth for no reason. But he decided to be an adult about it and just carry on with his job. He thought he had managed the situation quite well. Until he felt his skin tingle as it burned slightly and the smell of hot chocolate wafted from his clothes. His co-workers watched with wide eyes as the small boy flinched and tears pooled in his eyes. They moved forward automatically to defend Jimin and tell the customer to get out but before they could reach him a hand caught the customer's shirt and pushed him out of the café.

"How dare you?" The voice sounded so fierce that Jimin's co-workers decided to stay back and watch the scene unfold. "You've crossed your line here. Get out of my sight before I call the police on you for harassment."

The customer turned his back and sped out of there and the boy who had made him leave rushed over to Jimin. Yoongi and Hoseok had already pulled Jimin into the washroom to help him clean up but they backed off slightly when Jungkook entered. Hoseok had helped Jimin take off his apron and shirt and now the boy was sitting on the floor, leaning his back against the wall in only skinny jeans and his worn out sneakers. His head was on his knees as he silently cried into them.

"You fool," Hoseok whispered softly to Jungkook, nudging the boy towards Jimin and pointing at his jacket.

Jungkook stumbled as he shrugged off his jacket and gently placed it over Jimin's naked back. Jimin sniffed and looked up with teary eyes and Jungkook felt like someone had taken a hammer and shattered his heart into pieces. Yoongi handed Jungkook his bag and left the washroom with Hoseok to give them some privacy. Jungkook's eyes went over the redness of Jimin's skin before he realized the boy had just been drenched in hot chocolate. He quickly removed his hand towel from his bag and wet the cloth before placing it on the red patches of Jimin's skin.

"I always carry one around in my bag," he spoke as Jimin looked at him curiously. "To wipe paint off my hands. I'm an art major." He offered a gentle smile in Jimin's direction and the latter felt his worries lessen. "You know, my knuckles were itching to meet his face for what he did to you."

Jimin felt a stray teardrop betray his eyes and flow down his cheek but before it could reach his cheekbone, a fingertip caught it and black eyes stared at it as it glowed under the light.

"Human tears, they're precious." Jungkook whispered, ruffling Jimin's blond locks with something akin to affection. "Especially yours. Don't waste them on shitty people who don't deserve them."

Jungkook was shocked as Jimin held onto his t-shirt and hesitantly wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Jungkook sighed as he relaxed into the hug and wrapped his own arms around the smaller boy. They hadn't known each other very long but Jungkook found himself warming upto Jimin really fast and really quickly.

As Jungkook felt how small Jimin's form really was compared to his own, he felt the overwhelming urge to protect Jimin from any kind of harm. Maybe it was because of the way Jimin's body fit into his much broader one. Or maybe it was because Jimin had looked so vulnerable, almost as if he were breaking apart, and that did not sit well with Jungkook in any way.

"I'm so glad you came," Jimin mumbled softly into Jungkook's shoulder blade. "I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad you're always here Jungkook-ah. I-I'm so glad we met."

His words were followed by another fresh set of tears soaking into Jungkook's navy blue t-shirt and forming a dark patch on them. But Jungkook didn't seem to mind in the slightest bit. Instead, he pressed Jimin's head further into his shoulder so he could lean against him and cry against him as comfortably as he could.

"I know," Jungkook whispered so quiet that Jimin couldn't hear. "I know. I'm glad I met you too."

His fingers deftly stroked Jimin's head, fingertips messing with the incredibly soft blond strands under them. Jungkook was a very short-tempered person in general but staying with Jimin like this, it brought him so much peace. Somehow the presence of Jimin around him seemed to make his life seem a little better and brighter.

"I will always be here," another whisper that didn't reach Jimin's ears enough for him to decipher the words. But Jungkook had meant the words as a silent promise to himself.