25 – JK focus
Jungkook felt bad about ditching his friends at the first opportunity to hang out with Taehyung for another minute, but he had reasons. Taehyung looked lonely, he wanted to know about Jimin, etc. Jungkook didn't quite know who he was making these excuses to.
He walked around at lunch, trying to find someone to talk to when he saw Jimin walking by himself in the corridor. Before Jungkook could greet him, Jimin ran up to him and hugged him.
"U-um…hi, Jimin," Jungkook managed, awkwardly hugging Jimin. Jimin pulled away and smiled.
"Sorry, I'm in a good mood today. Taehyung and I went to the music block and he wanted to be alone for a bit. I did need to talk to you anyway," Jimin spoke quickly and Jungkook was still a little bit confused.
"Okay…about what?" Jimin grinned and looked off into space.
"Yoongi," he replied and Jungkook perked up again, anxious to hear the details. He felt a part of this, somehow, and really wanted to know how it went. "Come on, let's sit down," Jimin said and pulled him into the locker rooms to sit on the floor. Jungkook had gotten used to there not being enough space for everyone and the floor was probably the only place left. "So, where to start?" Jungkook grinned,
"Yesterday, obviously!" Jimin was clearly just as excited and said,
"Okay, also, we're not allowed to say his name," Jungkook nodded, impatient for the story to begin. "So, I'm in the bathroom waiting for him and he comes in in a right mood, saying I pulled him out of lessons and to make it quick. So I basically said 'I love you,' and we're both just standing there, and then he kissed me," Jungkook gasped dramatically, "It was my first kiss, mind you, and it was so nice. Until he just ups and leaves halfway through, that is." Jungkook gasped again in sympathy and wondered how Yoongi could do something like that. "I was really out of it for the whole rest of the day and didn't really think about anything,"
"Understandable," Jungkook commented and wondered what it would be like to understand. Jimin smiled,
"Right? Then I got on the bus and I told Taehyung and that's when it really hit me and I just cried for a bit. Then Taehyung left and he came up to me and told me he loved me," Jungkook squealed. It was a really cute story. "He literally dragged me off the bus and to his house and we just stayed in his room until it got dark. You left it in quite a state, might I add," Jimin said, eyeing Jungkook up and down. What?
"H-he told you I went over?" Jungkook asked and Jimin smirked,
"Yes, and I will get to that in a minute." Jungkook cursed internally and listened to the rest of the story. "Then this morning, I overslept and missed the bus, so I started walking to school and he saw me on the street and made his dad stop to pick me up. It was really awkward and we didn't talk at all for the whole way. He was back in his school persona, I guess," Jimin looked at his hands, seemingly contemplating his existence and then suddenly snapped his head up and smiled, "Now! About you," Jungkook buried his face in his hands and mumbled,
"Can we not?" Jimin laughed. "How much did you even hear?" he looked up at the older boy.
"Well, I heard you went over to his house and you talked about love, but that can't have been his idea. Ergo, you have a crush." Jungkook stared at him.
"He didn't say who?" Jimin shook his head. Thank. Fuck. For. That. Jungkook let out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding and leaned back. Jimin started poking his arm,
"Who is it?" he whined and Jungkook laughed. There was no way in hell he was telling Jimin that. "Is it Taehyung?" Jungkook flushed deeply before he had a chance to realise that it was a joke. "Wait, what?" Jungkook looked over, trying to act normal and said,
"What?" Jimin rolled his eyes,
"Jungkook, you just went bright red and holy shit I just realised how much you've been fawning over Taehyung. You've been into him since you met him, haven't you?" Jungkook knew he could lie, but it would take a lot of effort to convince Jimin he was wrong. As much as it made Jungkook want to cry, he stayed silent and nodded. He didn't know what Jimin would do: slap him, leave him, tell on him. He certainly wasn't expecting the reaction he got. "Jungkook-ah that's soooo adorable! Oh, that's definitely the best thing I've heard today! Go tell him now!" Jungkook scoffed,
"What? No! Why the hell would I do that? That's the stupidest thing I've heard all day and one of my friends told me to drink a bottle of baked beans earlier," Not even a joke. Jungkook's friends were weird. Jimin punched him in the arm and whispered in his ear,
"He likes you too, idiot."
Mmkay.
No, sorry. What?
"What did you just say?" said Jungkook quietly, not bothering to look up at Jimin. The older boy smiled and replied,
"You heard. Go tell him! Please?" Jungkook smiled faintly.
"No." He had an idea. Taehyung liked him back. After all this time, all this pining and wanting and dreaming, Taehyung actually liked him back. He could hear Jimin begin to protest, so he said, "Hear me out, okay? I know Tae's your best friend and you're more than welcome to say no to this but…would you mind if I fucked with him a little bit?" Jimin looked confused. "Not anything major, but I'll just be like, overly touchy and alluring. You can say no…" But Jimin smiled,
"That sounds like a lot of fun, but you've got to promise you'll only do it when I'm around. I don't want him majorly freaking out or anything and this has been hard on him too, you know." Jungkook nodded furiously and hi-fived Jimin. They were laughing when they heard a familiar voice.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Let the games begin.
"Hi, Tae, I was just telling Jungkook about yesterday. Do you wanna go somewhere else a little less crowded?" asked Jimin and Taehyung had barely said okay before Jungkook was on his feet.
"Cool! Where?" Jungkook asked. He walked to the other side of Taehyung and ran his fingers across the back of the older boy's neck before settling his arm around his shoulder. He swore he could feel Taehyung shiver. Jungkook instantly knew that this was going to be a lot of fun. He wanted more than anything to be able to kiss Taehyung, to be able to actually be with him, but he wanted to drag it out. He wanted to know for certain that Taehyung needed him as much as he was needed in return. So he carried on playing games.
"I-I don't know. Jimin?" Jungkook watched them have a silent conversation with their eyes. Probably about him.
"We could try under the stairs," Jimin shrugged and Jungkook didn't know where he was talking about. Taehyung sighed,
"Jimin, it's like 1000 degrees under the stairs," Jimin rolled his eyes and smiled,
"So? This school is freezing; we could do with a little heat, don't you think, Jungkook?" he winked at Jungkook before leading the way. Jungkook slid his hand down Taehyung's arm and took his hand to pull him after Jimin. Taehyung let go of Jungkook pretty quickly but was still just a little bit shaken.
'Under the stairs' was literally under the stairs. They took a sharp right turn just before the library stairs and into a gap with walls coated in crude graffiti and the uncarpeted floor coated in blankets and cushions from when some students (long gone) decided to do everyone else a favour. Thankfully, the place was empty. The three sat down and Taehyung and Jimin got out their phones to use the torches, shedding some light on the ink-stained walls.
"Wow," said Jungkook, "You were not kidding when you said 1000 degrees," It was sweltering and humid and Jungkook took off his blazer, making sure Taehyung noticed. Jimin laughed,
"Yeah, the heating pipes run straight through here and there's barely any ventilation. Comfy, though. So Taehyung, where have you been all lunch?" Taehyung leaned back against the wall and Jungkook thought he looked so ethereal in the lights shining out from the floor
"I was just in the music block working on…something." Jimin nodded and Jungkook didn't ask. "Also Namjoon asked me if I wanted to join this project that Hoseok started. I think it's like songwriting or something." Jungkook looked at him with eyes full of longing as he flapped his shirt away from his body, cooling his body and exposing his stomach at the same time. He watched as Taehyung struggled to maintain eye contact and said,
"You can write songs? Hyung, that's so cool!" Jimin raised an eyebrow at 'hyung' but said nothing. "Can I hear one?" Taehyung looked back at him, his dark eyes turning a sparkling hazel in the light.
"No, it's too hot to sing properly. Hell, I can barely breathe," he said and Jungkook pouted. "You can have the lyrics, though, I-I don't mind." He reached into his blazer and pulled out a battered piece of paper covered in scribbles. He handed it to Jungkook, who took it and rested his head on Taehyung's shoulder to read it. Despite the heat, Taehyung let him and Jungkook smiled inwardly.
One day/ I wrote a long, long letter to the moon/ It would not be brighter than you/ But I lit a small candle/ At a dusky park/ A nameless bird that sings/ Where are you, oh you/ Why are you crying/ You and I are the only ones here/ Me and you, oh you. Jungkook looked up at Taehyung and swore he could have cried. It was beautiful and Jungkook saw how sensitive Taehyung really was. He wanted to stop playing games.