He could kill you, Yoongi remarks, and the thought echoes in Jungkook's mind as he subconsciously smooths his hands down Yoongi's sides. The thought doesn't bring about any immediate sense of panic, and Jungkook isn't sure whether that's because he doesn't actually believe his father would win the fight, or if being killed was never the worst imaginable outcome. There have been times before, he remembers, when the simple blow of fists seemed to sap much more than physical energy out of him — when his body slumped against the wall, and Jungkook wondered what the point was in pushing himself back up. He's reminded of Yoongi's previous words, of how sometimes it's not about wanting to end his life, but instead wishing that he'd never been.

There's nothing that makes the feeling more clear to Jungkook than his relationship with his stepfather.

But however numb he might feel in those moments, the look on Yoongi's face is quickly etched in Jungkook's memory. The carding of fingers through his hair is enough to pull Jungkook back to the moment; he echoes the movement with a palm to Yoongi's cheek, lets it drag down the side of his neck. If there's a reason now to protect himself, it's this. It's the hurt that's written in Yoongi's very expression, the fear that looks to have seeped down to the bone.

"He won't kill me. I won't let him," Jungkook reassures Yoongi, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'll fight back if he tries, and he won't beat me. I'll be careful. I'll be careful, Yoongi, I promise."