Summary: it's a running joke among army and bts that Jungkook had a crush on Namjoon, which is why he wanted to join bighit. But actually, Jungkook just admired Namjoon so much, for a reason he, at the time, didn't know. Now, one day when his leader was tickling him and playing with him on one of their days off, he accidentally called him appa instead of hyung.

(Note: I wrote this at 3 in the morning when I was about to fall asleep, so it's definitely not my best work, sorry not sorry)

Words: 1061

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The boys were all dispersed around the house. Hobi and Tae were having a sleepover in hobi's room, having a Harry Potter marathon. 

Jin and Yoongi were messing around with some new recording equipment in Jin's room.

Jimin was rearranging the furniture in his room.

And Jungkook and Namjoon were in the living room, having been playing.

At first, they'd been playing a game of uno. But then Namjoon lost, and declared Jungkook had been cheating.

Jungkook giggled and vehemently defended himself, stating that he would never cheat when he was playing with Namjoon.

Namjoon, having known this already and having been just joking around, pretended to not believe Jungkook, so the older takled the maknae, causing them to both topple over on the floor.

Jungkook began to incessantly giggle and yell playfully as Namjoon began attacking his stomach and sides with tickles, knowing the bunny boy was very sensitive when it came to being tickled.

"Admit you cheated!" Namjoon grinned, almost getting kneed in the side by the writhing boy.

"N-No, hyung, I didn't ch-cheat!" Jungkook giggled, finding it somewhat difficult to talk while being tickled.

"Yes you did!" Namjoon grinned.

"No I d-didn't!" Jungkook giggled, trying to shove Namjoon off.

Namjoon switched tactics, moving his hands up to jab at Jungkook's armpits, where he was the most sensitive.

"Hahahahah, Appa, stop!" Jungkook screamed.

But then Namjoon stopped tickling the boy, and Jungkook's eyes shot open, his body going icy cold from embarrassment.

Jungkook, before his leader could even fully process what he had been called, shoved Namjoon off of him and ran out of the living room. 

Namjoon picked himself up off the floor a second later, and dashed after Jungkook.

Did he call me Appa? Namjoon thought to himself, as he walked quickly down to Jungkook's room.

He knocked on the door when he got there, but there was no answer.

"Jungkook-ah?" Namjoon called though the door, knocking again, trying to get the younger to answer.

Namjoon tried knocking and calling out a few more times, before he stepped back a bit and took the key to the door down from above the door frame.

All of the boys had keys to their room above their doorframes, in case something happened to them when their door was locked, and they were unable to unlock the door, themselves.

Namjoon unlocked the door, returned the key, and then waited a few more seconds.

"I'm gonna come in, baby, okay?" Namjoon called, before he opened the door slowly.

He walked in, and shut the door behind himself.

Jungkook was curled up in bed, hiding under the covers, so only a trembling lump was visible to Namjoon.

Namjoon smiled fondly at the sight, but worry still filled his gut.

He walked slowly to the bed, and sat down beside the lump, placing his hand on top of it.

"Baby?" He called gently, using the kindest and most soothing voice he could muster, "can you please come out for me? I want to talk to you."

He heard a sniffle, and then Jungkook pulled himself out from under his covers.

He was crying, and the sight of his maknae in this state broke Namjoon's heart.

"What happened?" He asked, "why are you crying?"

Jungkook fisted at his eyes, trying to get the tears to stop, "cause 'm embarrassed."

"Why are you embarrassed, baby?" Namjoon cooed, taking Jungkook's hands in his.

"Cause, I...called you Appa, instead of hyung," the younger mumbled, his head down from shyness.

"You don't have to be embarrassed about that, baby," Namjoon consoled.

"B-But you're not my appa, you're my hyung," Jungkook pouted.

"Which would you rather call me? Hyung, or Appa?" Namjoon asked, but the boy only sniffled.

"Would you prefer to call me hyung?" Jungkook shook his head, "would you prefer to call me Appa?" Jungkook nodded hesitantly.

"Okay, baby. Can you look at Appa? I want to ask you something else, okay?"

Jungkook looked at Namjoon.

"Why do you want to call me Appa, baby?"

Jungkook shyed away again.

"Cause...I don't know," Jungkook shrugged, "you're just...you're Namjoon. I don't know how to explain, you're just...fatherly in my eyes."

"Baby," Namjoon grinned, feeling weirdly warm at being called Appa by the younger, and feeling very fond of the younger at the moment, "you can call me Appa instead of hyung if you want to, okay?"

Jungkook nodded.

"Come here, baby, give appa a hug."

Jungkook fell into Namjoon's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, a-appa," Jungkook whispered shyly, hiding his blazing face in the older's neck.

Namjoon squeezed him tighter, "you don't have to thank me, bun."

~

"Appa, can you tie this for me?" Jungkook asked, coming into the living room a week later and going to Namjoon, who was sitting on the couch with Jin and Hobi.

Jungkook was holding a box, and had put ribbon around it, but he had to use both hands to hold it in place so he was unable to tie it himself.

"Sure. C'mere, bun," Namjoon replied, easily.

Jin and Hobi looked between the two, sharing confused looks.

Jungkook left once Namjoon was done tying the ribbon, after he said "thank you, appa."

When he was gone, Jin and Hobi looked to an oblivious Namjoon.

"Was Kook-ah calling you Appa?" Hobi asked.

Namjoon's cheeks went pink, "oh, um, yeah. He stared calling me that a week ago."

"Why, Joon-ah? If anyone should be called Appa, wouldn't it be me?" Jin asked, just as confused as Hobi.

"Well..." Namjoon thought for a moment, "I think it's a personal matter to Jungkook. But he's more comfortable calling me Appa instead of hyung. Don't over think it, though."

The two others nodded, and left it at that.