Jungkook accidentally spills coffee on Namjoon's papers.

~~~~

The practice room buzzed with energy as the members went about their business. Namjoon was seated at the long table near the corner, poring over a stack of handwritten lyric sheets. His brow was furrowed in concentration as his pen moved swiftly across the paper, scribbling corrections and notes. 

Jungkook sat nearby, sipping on an iced coffee and scrolling through his phone. The air was casual, filled with Taehyung and Jimin’s playful banter on the other side of the room. Everything felt... normal. 

Until it didn’t. 

As Jungkook leaned over to grab a file from the edge of the table, his elbow nudged his coffee cup. Time seemed to slow as the cup tipped, and dark liquid cascaded onto Namjoon’s carefully arranged lyric sheets. 

“No!” Jungkook gasped, scrambling to grab some tissues. His heart immediately sank as the coffee soaked into the papers, smudging the ink and obscuring the words. 

Namjoon looked up sharply, his eyes wide before they narrowed in frustration. “Jungkook!” he snapped, his tone sharper than he likely intended. “Do you even realize how important these are? I’ve been working on these for weeks!” 

“I—I’m sorry, hyung,” Jungkook stammered, frantically trying to blot the papers with tissues. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to—” 

“Accident or not, you should’ve been more careful!” Namjoon interrupted, standing up and running a hand through his hair. His frustration was palpable, and though he didn’t raise his voice further, the weight of his words hit Jungkook like a ton of bricks. 

Jungkook froze, his hands trembling slightly as he stared at the ruined papers. The room felt too quiet now, the other members watching the exchange with worried expressions. 

Namjoon sighed, rubbing his temples. “I’ll figure it out,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, before walking out of the room with the papers in hand. 

Jungkook sat back down, his chest tightening as a lump formed in his throat. The room seemed to close in around him, the air thick and suffocating. His breathing grew shallow, and his hands fisted his jeans as he tried to ground himself. 

Jimin was the first to notice. “Kookie?” he called softly, crouching down beside Jungkook. “Are you okay?” 

Jungkook shook his head, his lips quivering. “I—I didn’t mean to mess up,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. 

Jimin’s eyes widened in concern. “Hey, it’s okay. It was just an accident. Namjoon-hyung will calm down.” 

But Jungkook couldn’t hear him over the pounding in his ears. The anxiety that had been simmering inside him burst to the surface, and he buried his face in his hands, his shoulders trembling. 

Taehyung quickly joined them, his hand rubbing soothing circles on Jungkook’s back. “Breathe, Jungkook. You’re okay,” he said gently. “We’re here. You’re safe.” 

Jin appeared with a glass of water, crouching down to Jungkook’s level. “Drink this, Kook. It’ll help,” he said, his voice steady and calm. 

Jungkook took the glass with shaky hands, sipping it slowly as he tried to steady his breathing. The warmth of his hyungs surrounding him grounded him just enough to pull him out of his spiral. 

After a few minutes, Namjoon returned, his expression no longer angry. He froze when he saw Jungkook huddled on the couch, his face pale and his eyes glassy. 

“What happened?” Namjoon asked, his voice soft now. 

Jimin sighed. “He's better now. Should have seen him when you left. You know how he gets when he feels like he's messed up and disappointed us.” 

Namjoon’s heart sank. He walked over and knelt in front of Jungkook, guilt evident in his eyes. “Jungkook,” he began, his tone full of remorse. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. It was just coffee, and I overreacted. I didn’t mean to make you feel this way.” 

Jungkook looked up, his eyes red-rimmed. “I didn’t mean to ruin your work,” he said quietly. 

“I know you didn’t,” Namjoon assured him, placing a hand on Jungkook’s knee.

The other members watched as Namjoon pulled Jungkook into a hug, his large hands rubbing soothingly over the younger’s back. 

“You’re more important to me than any lyric sheet ever could be," said Namjoon, sincerely.

Jungkook nodded against Namjoon’s shoulder, the warmth of his hyung’s embrace easing the last of his anxiety.