tw: brief mentions of eating disorder

♡ ˎˊ˗ DESPITE HAVING THE worst possible company when working at J Entertainment, Taehyung still can't help but appreciate one thing about Jeongguk.

Yes, he may be completely uninterested in working on the project, only providing Taehyung with short, vague sentences written on sticky notes which he sticks to his desk, but refuses to discuss when they meet up during their time off. Still, when Taehyung's forced to meet up with Jung Hoseok, Jeongguk's always ready to help arrange it. He picks Taehyung up and drops him off, leads him to the office or any space Hoseok temporarily occupies for whatever reason.

He always keeps Taehyung company until Hoseok arrives, though always on his phone or laptop, mostly in his little studio with the door shut, quiet, glasses perched atop his nose, and leaves as soon as Hoseok walks in.

"Jeonggukie, have you been thinking about the main concept of your---?"

The main concept, because it's happening. They're actually starting. Taehyung's been dozing off at so many meetings with Hoseok in order to discuss their budget, their schedules and the PR side of it all --- they'll try to start promoting the project as soon as possible, because Namjoon says it'll be more practical, it'll pay off better if they announce it at the very start, create noise that will both excite Jeongguk's old fans and attract Taehyung's potential new ones. And Taehyung's been postponing the actual work because he's waiting.

What he's waiting for, he isn't sure. Motivation. Inspiration, perhaps. There's that little voice in his head telling him to do something bigger, to go further than he's gone before by blurring the lines between feminine and masculine clothing even further, but not only does the very thought of risking it more bring a certain uneasiness to his mind, but the decision is also not his to make.

"Not really, no." And Jeongguk will slip through the door, the way he always does. Until he doesn't.

Returning to J Entertainment after the rumours has been challenging to say the least. Taehyung's being looked at, pointed at, whispered about, but no one dares say anything bad to his face. He's still one of the main topics of all their conversations, he's still the one they all fall silent around or smile awkwardly at, but he's also the one working with their biggest star, so frankly, he doesn't give a fuck.

"You seem happy today," Jeongguk comments as he presses a button and the elevator doors close, Park Jimin waving goodbye from the other side and heading to Namjoon's office. Hoseok is running late because of an issue with his car tyre, apparently, and Taehyung is to wait for him in Jeongguk's office.

"I am happy," Taehyung responds and leans his shoulder against the cold metal wall. "I will be seeing my best friend again very soon. It's been terribly long."

"Thought he won't be back until, like, August."

Taehyung resists the urge to comment on Jeongguk's grammar and nods. "He won't. Still, I can't exactly travel all the way to Tokyo and leave without paying him a visit, now, can I?"

"Right. Fashion Week." The doors open and Jeongguk casually lets Taehyung walk out first, continuing the conversation smoothly. "Any other plans?"

"Not really. As much as I'd like to go sightseeing, I don't really know my way around Tokyo. Seokjin hyung's too busy to take me places and I don't feel like finding a guide, they can be... unreliable."

"Right, I guess Yoongi could--- could show you around, maybe."

"Maybe." Taehyung chuckles.

He can hear the wheels in Jeongguk's brain turning as Jeongguk walks behind him, attempting to catch up. He's oddly chatty today. "Or I could ask Jimin hyung or--- or Namjoon hyung."

"You could."

"I guess Hobi hyung isn't an option?"

"God, no." Taehyung stops by the door while Jeongguk unlocks it. Jeongguk's hands appear all weird and clammy as he struggles with the card, but once he swipes it, Taehyung walks through the door and drops onto the couch, bringing his legs up to sit on them. Jeongguk watches him before one raised eyebrow from Taehyung has him looking away, busying himself with opening his backpack and pulling out his laptop.

"That's too bad," he mumbles and goes to sit on the far end of the couch, before deciding on walking all the way over to his little studio. An unexpected twinge of disappointment shoots through Taehyung at the thought of Jeongguk closing the door behind himself and ending the conversation the way he usually does, but Jeongguk doesn't. He leaves it open, just enough for Taehyung to see him sit at his desk. "It'll be fun, though. Tokyo's always fun."

Jeongguk opens his laptop and puts on his glasses and Taehyung's yet again mesmerised by the slope of his nose and the curve of his top lip right underneath. Jeongguk tongues at it subconsciously, licks the lip ring circling his bottom lip and right. Taehyung is supposed to reply. "I agree."

I agree? I agree? To what? What kind of response is that? He feels like a flustered fanboy again.

It's been so long since then. Not that long, objectively, but long enough for him to have forgotten the familiar buzzing of his nerves when his brain doesn't work properly and he says something weird or wrong. He sort of misses it, that excitement that Jeongguk brought out in him, back when he didn't know him personally, didn't feel the way he does now. Back then, Jeongguk didn't feel human. He was perfect, flawless.

He's flawed. He's imperfect. Yet, he carries it all, all his flaws and imperfections, all his responsibilities and duties, in a way that makes what Taehyung feels about him way more complex.

"You talked to Chae lately?"

Jeongguk's tone is oddly muffled and Taehyung's chest does this odd sinking thing at the sight of Jeongguk's tired eyes. He always carries himself with this life to him, with this spunk, and yet, at times like this, he's oddly small. Oddly vulnerable when he lets it show how much is on his mind.

Taehyung blinks himself out of it, whatever the fuck that was, and sighs. "We spoke on the phone a few days ago. Why?"

"Nothing, I just... She's weird with me. Ever since the breakup thing, she... Got a feeling she's still mad."

Jeongguk rubs his face and a stray strand of hair falls out of his ponytail, wavy and soft looking and gosh, Taehyung's going to die.

"She needs time. You should give her time. Don't make the same mistake you've made with me and go out of your way to apologise way too much."

Jeongguk's lips stretch into a smirk, eyes dancing with amusement as they meet Taehyung's. "Right, because we're so not okay right now, you and me."

"I."

"What?"

"You and I." Taehyung supresses a grin of his own as Jeongguk clicks his tongue in annoyance.

"My point is, I'm glad you don't hate me... or whatever, you know." He sighs. "Forget it."

And then he's back to looking at his screen and Taehyung regrets interrupting him and ruining everything.

There's that wall that Jeongguk builds whenever he's afraid he's said too much. Right now, it's Taehyung's fault because Jeongguk's been trying. He'd been trying to talk and Taehyung has shut him down for no reason whatsoever, other than to be petty. And now Jeongguk's doing the same thing.

He hears Jeongguk curse to himself and stands up. "What are you working on?"

"A song."

"And here I thought it was a cake recipe," he says. He walks over to the door and rests a shoulder against the frame. "Is it going well?"

"Not really, it's, uh... not coming together like I want it to." Sighing, Jeongguk lets his hair down and runs a hand through it. Taehyung's drawn to him, naturally, stepping into the room to lean against the wall. He is having way more fun over here, thanks to the view of Jeongguk's impressive side profile. "Thought it would be different, but now that it's finished, it sounds wrong. Messy. I'm fucking tired of it, but it still feels like something's missing."

Then he does that thing again, the thing he does when he's angry. He pushes his tongue past his lips and plays with the lip ring, tongues at the inside of his cheek and Taehyung assumes this is why he particularly enjoys being a fucking brat and annoying the hell out of Jeon Jeongguk. The way his jaw works shouldn't be so hard to look away from, the rhythm of his tattooed fingers drumming against the desk shouldn't be so disturbingly hypnotising, but he turns his head and fixates his gaze on Taehyung and Taehyung realises that fuck, he's forgotten to reply again.

"The fact that it's messy and that it's not the way you wanted it to be," he says and licks his suddenly dry lips, "it doesn't make it wrong. Just because it's not what you intended for it to be, it's not necessarily bad." He shuffles over and sits at the edge of the desk, arms crossed so he wouldn't fumble with his hands because oh. His knee brushes against Jeongguk's. "Would you like to play it for me?"

At some point, Jeongguk's eyes must have dropped to where their knees are knocking against each other, because he's not looking at Taehyung. Heart in his throat, Taehyung shifts, moving his leg away from Jeongguk's, and watches his expression. Jeongguk looks up, meets his eyes and lifts and eyebrow, almost in challenge, tongue still at the corner of his mouth, before he looks at the computer screen and abruptly pulls his chair in, bringing his leg to Taehyung's again.

Taehyung presses his lips together and clears his throat, but Jeongguk isn't as easy to distract as he himself seems to be today. He simply fights through his tiredness, clicks something and then something else and then clicks some more and the song begins with a high pitched guitar riff and Taehyung can't believe he's sitting in his favourite artist's studio, listening to an unreleased track as they're playing fucking footsies.

It's highly unprofessional. Taehyung loves it.

Jeongguk's voice is gentle as ever as it hums, quietly, softly, through the speaker, and real-life Jeongguk hums along next to Taehyung and he's trying to tell if this is real, if this moment isn't simply one of the products of his delusional imagination.

The second the beat drops, Jeongguk stops the song. Taehyung scoffs, but he only says, "I'll play it for you when I fix it."

Taehyung wants to tell him that there's no need to fix it, that it's good the way it is, but Jeongguk moves closer, knocks his knee against Taehyung's again and Taehyung clamps his mouth shut.

There's no way it's unintentional. There's absolutely no way Jeongguk isn't trying to tease him, to play with him the way Taehyung usually does when he's feeling daring enough. With the way he's looking up at Taehyung through his thick eyelashes, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose, lips threatening to lift into a satisfied smirk, he definitely has something to prove.

"Stubborn," Taehyung mutters. "Why would you even play the start in the first place? Why would you show me how it begins if you planned to stop it before the most interesting part?"

"Maybe I want you to think about it," Jeongguk replies smoothly. "Maybe I wanna make you curious."

Are they still talking about the song? "Well, I must say I'm officially curious."

Jeongguk tilts his head. "Good."

Manspreading --- that's how Seokjin would call what Jeongguk's doing right now, leaning back into his chair with his legs apart, all smug and daunting with his eyebrows raised and his eyes dancing over the way Taehyung clutches at the edges of the desk. The warm, dark denim of Jeongguk's ripped jeans presses to Taehyung's beige linen. There's an odd feeling that he's being underestimated, because Jeongguk's obviously so confident about what he's doing, doing to Taehyung, and Taehyung never gives up.

"I assure you, hearing your song is by no means of vital importance to me, but you should know that I see what you're trying to do."

"And what am I trying to do?" Jeongguk asks, the epitome of innocence.

"You're trying to tease. To play with me." Taehyung hums. "I recommend playing video games, Seokjin hyung does it sometimes, when he needs to de-stress. However, what he doesn't do, is play with me."

Jeongguk simply chuckles. "He's missing out."

It's getting out of hand. This unnecessary tension between two people who have nothing to offer to each other, who should keep their distance because anything else would be just wrong. This courage that Jeongguk has to suddenly try and make the situation weird for Taehyung. Taehyung's the one who teases. It's his thing, not Jeongguk's.

And he needs to regain his advantage somehow.

He clicks his tongue and bends forward barely, leaning closer so he's only slightly above Jeongguk, their faces almost levelled. Jeongguk's still looking at him with that smugness. And then, Taehyung allows his tongue to wet the seam of his mouth and finally, Jeongguk's eyes drop to the movement, then lower and lower because the two top buttons of Taehyung's shirt are undone.

"What is it that you want me to do? Would you like me to say please?" His voice is low and Jeongguk seems to notice, breath hitching. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, darling, but these are by no means the circumstances under which I enjoy having to beg."

Jeongguk's laugh is soft, breath warm against Taehyung's mouth. He seems almost flustered. "What are you doing?"

"What you're doing," Taehyung states simply, blinking down at him with big eyes. "You seem to be in the mood to tease and I never back down from a challenge. You should know that by now."

There's a glow of a phone screen somewhere on the desk next to him and the notification seems to break the spell.

With a sharp inhale of air, Jeongguk pulls back, clears his throat and grabs the phone and holy fuck, where is Jung Hoseok when you need him?

"Is everything alright?" Taehyung asks. Jeongguk's eyebrows are drawn together as he thinks and thinks and thinks, before he finally offers an absentminded nod.

"All good," he says.

Taehyung nods. "Fine. What time is it? Hoseok should be here already."

"It's exactly six."

"Right. He's never this late."

"You almost sound worried. You really love him that much now?" Jeongguk laughs. "Or is it just boring being here with me?"

"Neither. It's just unusual."

Jeongguk nods his head and glances back at the phone, before standing up. He's way too close again and Taehyung leans back, away, just so he doesn't fucking lose his mind, but Jeongguk just walks past him and takes off his glasses, placing them on the desk. Taehyung watches him walk out the studio, and there's that feeling that he shouldn't be inside without Jeongguk because it's not his place to be.

And then Jeongguk turns back around with a grin. "You coming or what?"

Opening his mouth, then choosing to close it again, Taehyung hops off the table and follows as Jeongguk grabs a water bottle from the mini fridge and offers a cola, which Taehyung accepts. They're out of the room and walking down the hallway, but not for long, because Jeongguk opens the next door and slips into the practice room, leaving Taehyung to follow.

________ wattpad graphics are a bitch rn. pretty blue flower transition thingy, you'll be missed __________

♡ ˎˊ˗ HERE'S ANOTHER USELESS, already established fact, but Jeongguk is fascinating to look at in the practice room, too.

The way he embodies the music entirely is something Taehyung will never get used to. He moves with the music, as one single being, practising routine after routine with the smoothness and fluidity of an expert. He's been doing this all his life and it shows, it really does, as his hair gets gradually sweatier and his breathing grows louder and heavier. The water bottle he's brought along was emptied a while ago.

He's wearing one of those oversized grey t-shirts that still somehow leaves very little to the imagination, shifting and moving around him to prove that he does, indeed, have a perfect waist. Sometimes he'll jump or lift his arms and the t-shirt would rise, exposing his stomach or the hipbones hugged by the low waistband of the sweatpants he changed into before practice.

Taehyung promises he isn't gawking.

And then, at one point, Jeongguk collapses, back pressed to the floor and head tilted back, mouth hanging open with deep, heavy breaths. He grimaces, eyes screwed shut and presses a hand flat against his stomach.

"Are you in pain?" Taehyung asks quietly as the music ends. He's melted into a neon green beanbag chair by one of the speakers, but he stands up, walking over hesitantly.

Jeongguk licks his lips and shakes his head, but Taehyung doubts that it means no. "Gotta get this one right for once."

"It won't do you any good if you get hurt," Taehyung retorts and sits down on the floor by Jeongguk's head. "You're overworked, Jeongguk. You're exhausted."

"Tour's coming up. It's gotta be perfect."

"It won't be perfect if you give your all now and pass out mid-performance from exhaustion. You have fans who love you, your health matters to them more than this." He pauses. "Plus, it's already flawless, if my opinion is of any value to you."

Jeongguk chuckles softly, but clutches at his stomach and turns to lie on his side, knees bent. He's curled up, basically, trying to make the pain stop. He looks like Hyejin when she has period cramps. Taehyung wonders if chocolate helps in Jeongguk's case, too, but Jeongguk manages to reach out blindly, patting Taehyung's thigh. "Thanks, Kim. Appreciate it."

"I mean it."

When Taehyung looks at him, really looks at him, there are dark bags beneath his eyes. He wonders how he could have swooned over him earlier, completely oblivious to how tired he looked then and still does.

A few strands of sweaty hair have curled over Jeongguk's face, matted over his forehead, and Taehyung reaches out, slowly, and pushes them back. "How can I help you feel better?"

"Water, just water."

Taehyung wonders how impractical it is not to have a fridge in the practice room for dancers to use when they work. Jeongguk's lucky to have his office right next door, with all his things right there, but the others must have it rough, especially with how slow those damn vending machines are.

When Taehyung's back with another bottle of ice cold water, Jeongguk's eyes are closed. He kneels down beside him and taps him on the shoulder lightly, but Jeongguk doesn't open his eyes. Heartbeat spiking up at the lack of response, Taehyung squeezes his shoulder and shakes. "Jeongguk."

Jeongguk merely hums. Sighing, Taehyung uncaps the bottle and pours some water into his own palm, reaching out to wet Jeongguk's forehead.

"Water?"

"Yes, it's water, darling, come on." Taehyung's got an arm around his shoulders, and Jeongguk manages to sit up and grab a bottle with shaky hands. For a second, Taehyung considers holding it for him, but he settles for watching carefully, in case Jeongguk needs him.

"Thank you," Jeongguk mumbles when he sets the bottle back on the floor and runs his hands through his hair. It's slicked back now, dangly curls all sticking to one another, and Taehyung sees how much sweat is dripping down his neck.

"You should call it a day," Taehyung says. "You've done well."

Jeongguk's eyes are on his and they look all round and shiny and almost soft, if the purse of his lips is anything to go by. But then he blinks it away, all of it, and shakes his head. "I know, but--- you don't get it. The second I screw up, people will start saying shit."

Taehyung frowns.

Ever so hesitant, Jeongguk watches him, chewing on the inside of his cheek, wiping his sweaty palms on his sweatpants, before sighing and lying back down. Slowly, Taehyung follows.

"Remember how you asked me about my dreams?"

Taehyung frowns, trying to remember the exact moment. He thinks back to the evening on the rooftop. "Yes. You told me you'd tell me some other time."

"Well, when I was a kid, I wanted to be an idol." He grins. "To sing, to dance, to write songs, to perform in front of people. It was literally all I thought about, all I talked about." Taehyung opens his mouth to respond, but something about Jeongguk's smile prevents him from speaking up. "And time passed and I was all about it, you know, still. But then, at one point, I was terrified I would change my mind. I was scared I would, like, suddenly decide to stop working, to stop trying, so I picked the easy way."

Taehyung nods. "Joining your dad's company."

"My mum's, actually, at the time." Jeongguk chuckles. "It was all hers before the divorce and the whole mess." Taehyung supresses the urge to ask him to elaborate, for that's a conversation for another time. He's heard things, of course, but Jeongguk is probably the most reliable source. "But yes, instead of doing this on my own terms, I joined J Entertainment." He lifts his head and leans back on one elbow to take a sip of his water, before he throws the bottle to the side. "That sort of fucked it all up, I guess. All the trainees here, they thought I was the judges' favourite, they assumed I'd pass the audition just because." He shakes his head. "And I fucking did."

"Jeongguk---"

"No, I did, because I worked my ass off when they weren't watching and I practiced and practiced until I was good enough, but they all saw it as favouritism. I was mummy's and daddy's boy, you know. The only reason I am what I am now, according to them."

Taehyung thinks back to Eunchae, to the way he saw her once, to all the assumptions about her talent and skills that he had, simply because of her family. The fact that he thought she, and people like her, didn't deserve what they had because their families had made it possible.

"That's a fucked up thing to assume about someone," Taehyung confesses.

"It is. And that's why this," Jeongguk says as he waves a hand around vaguely, "my performance, my music, it needs to be perfect. 'Cause it's the only proof that I'm here because of me and not because of my fucking dad. And it's 'cause it's all I have, it's all that can be."

All that can be. All that can be perfect. Because Jeongguk isn't. His work has to be because he isn't.

"And I fucking love my job," Jeongguk admits with a small groan. "I really do, still. But it's hard. So hard that it makes me wanna leave it all behind and do something completely different sometimes. Makes me wanna fucking scream."

Taehyung lets himself chuckle at that. The second he assumes it's too much, Jeongguk follows, laughing softly at his own words. It's not genuinely happy, it can't be, with a topic such as this one, but it's light-hearted, meant to soothe.

"I understand what you're saying," Taehyung settles on saying. "Sometimes, we just can't help but try and prove ourselves, even if it gets difficult to bear, but, Jeongguk, listen to me for a second, okay?" He rests a hand on Jeongguk's arm. "You're good at what you do. You're exceptional."

"Right." Jeongguk snorts.

"You are. And despite what I might've thought about you at first, despite what I still think at times, you take your work very seriously."

"Except when I don't."

"Except for when you don't." Taehyung smiles. "But people see it now, just as they saw it then. They saw it and they felt threatened. Calling you the judges' favourite was their excuse. It's how they made themselves feel better about their own failure. If it motivates you, that's fine, but if you don't drink water and don't sit down from time to time and don't sleep, it'll cause more harm to you than not working in the first place would have."

Jeongguk blinks up at him, completely quiet for a few seconds, before he glances down at where Taehyung's hand is still on his arm --- Taehyung moves his hand back immediately --- and chuckles. "You're good at this."

Taehyung blinks. "What are you referring to, exactly?"

"Making me feel better." Jeongguk averts his gaze. "Must be nice, having a best friend who's a therapist."

"Not always, I must admit. Seokjin hyung can sometimes forget he's not at work. Then he'll start analysing me and asking questions he asks his patients, and it can feel odd." He winces. "As if everything I say can be connected to a disorder."

"Exactly how I feel, except my therapist's this old lady that Namjoon hyung hired," Jeongguk says. "She's traditional and, like, super isolated --- don't get me wrong, it was a good call 'cause she doesn't know who I am and she won't, like, expose me or whatever, but I feel like she was around when people like me had their brains drilled or fried, so that's probably not a good thing."

Although he only nods, Taehyung can't help but fixate on that one part of Jeongguk's sentence. People like me. "I'll talk to Seokjin hyung."

"See? Like I said, must be nice." Jeongguk's lips purse. "He's always around to guide you and stuff, but he knows you, for real, so he can tell."

Taehyung nods carefully. "It's true." He sighs. "You see, he needs to remind me to eat sometimes. I work from home, too, so I'm usually just drowning in paperwork even during my time off. It's easy to forget to have a proper meal." Taehyung's throat is dry when he swallows. He's come this far, he might as well finish his damn thought. Jeongguk's shared so much already, too. "It's come to the point where I sometimes... don't even feel hungry." Or full. Or have any idea when to start and when to stop. Maybe he's said too much.

But there's so much more to say. About his father, his lack of control, about all the nights he's spent with his own fingers down his throat, about everything else that's shaped him into this. So much that Jeongguk needs to know in order to understand him.

But no. Jeongguk doesn't clear his throat awkwardly. He doesn't tell Taehyung to just eat. Doesn't ask Taehyung to elaborate just yet. He smiles and the smile is weak, but its warmth appears oddly genuine with how his eyes crinkle. "I'm glad you have him, then."

Taehyung returns the smile. "So am I."

After what feels like an hour of awkward eye contact, Jeongguk grabs his water bottle and stands up with a grunt, before offering a hand to Taehyung to help him up, as well. The second they're back within the privacy Jeongguk's office, Jeongguk peels off his sweaty shirt and mumbles a, "Be back in a few."

Taehyung totally doesn't stare, and he makes sure everything's safe, in the right place, aligning all the pens and straightening out papers, wiping that one random crumb off the desk because that's a priority right now. Looking at the desk.

The door shuts behind Jeongguk and Taehyung finally actually exhales.

Work has always been just work for him. There have been... distractions, of sorts. A look that lingers a little too long, a touch that promises a fun time made possible by a drink or two, Taehyung's not unfamiliar with feeling that warm sort of tension between himself and a co-worker.

Still, it somehow appears different with Jeongguk, probably because he's the Jeongguk, he's Jungkook, not just another familiar face from the office that he can fuck and forget about. It's not his status that makes him good, but it's what makes him expensive. The price Taehyung would have to pay should he indulge, it's something he can't afford.

He's known Jeongguk for a couple of months now, known of him for years, and he's not just someone Taehyung will forget within a few weeks. Simply hooking up without a single care in the world is impossible. Would be. Hypothetically. Not that Taehyung's thinking about it.

There's also the fact that Jeongguk was being a creep that night at Rêveuse and that Taehyung decided then and there that he would have absolutely nothing to do with the guy.

Jeongguk did what he did. He admitted his mistake. He is changing, not necessarily drastically, but slowly, adjusting to their routines and habits and everything they share, and most importantly, he's good. Taehyung knows that despite those outbursts of inexplicable rage or boldness, Jeongguk's kind. He wouldn't hurt him.

Taehyung hears another notification ping from Jeongguk's phone and the device is right in front of him and the screen lights up and shit, he has to check. For scientific purposes.

It's Jeongguk's personal phone, the same one he used to get Taehyung's number, and Bam's familiar eyes greet him the moment he takes a look. The notifications are unsurprisingly visible, they don't need facial recognition to appear, and Taehyung chuckles to himself at all the YouTube notifications about the latest ASMR video from the channel Jeongguk follows or that cute puppy compilation, but the notification at the very top is what seizes his attention at last.

It's a text. Two texts, actually, both from the same number so they're displayed together, and, seeing the contact name, Taehyung swipes to unlock the screen.

The first one was sent at six. It's the notification that made Jeongguk pull away.

HOBI HYUNG
heyyy tae the car's gone to shit. i gotta fix this crap, just go home. we'll do this another time sorryyyy

And literally ten seconds ago.

HOBI HYUNG
shit you're jeonggukie

Taehyung's phone buzzes then and he receives what is probably a message identical to the first one Jeongguk's got, but he doesn't bother to reply because the doorknob twists and the door opens and Jeongguk's back in his shirtless glory and fuck.

Face warm, Taehyung slams the phone back down and locks eyes with Jeongguk. Every braincell is telling him to be rational and turn away, but that tiny bit of him that wants to tease, it wins, and he rakes his eyes over Jeongguk's wet torso, drags them over every inch of the skin slowly, lazily, just to be thorough. Taehyung can't help relishing in the sight of the shiny, wet skin, the firm muscle, the place where the tattoo sleeve ends, that one single tattoo right where Jeongguk's heart is, small, a little pale, impossible to get a good look at from this far away. Oddly enough, Jeongguk's neck was far less red before the examination.

"What's that?"

Taehyung blinks. "Excuse me?"

"You're humming."

The song, the fucking song Jeongguk played, it's been stuck in his head for hours.

"I think I'll just take some of these," Taehyung says to change the subject and nods towards the pile of Hoseok's notebooks Jeongguk keeps on his desk, "and go through them when I get home. The more I do on my own, the less I have to do with Hoseok. He obviously won't be joining us, right?"

"Right, sure, help yourself." Jeongguk waves him off before busying himself with his clean t-shirt. He can't seem to tell where the front is. Taehyung supresses a laugh, averting his attention to the pile in front of him, eyes landing on a notebook sitting right next to it.

"Is this his new one?"

Jeongguk blinks, hands freezing in place. "What?"

"Hoseok. He's completed the other notebook, I remember that. I assume he's got a new one, right?"

He opens it and there's no Hoseok's signature on the first page. Hoseok loves his own signature, puts it on anything and everything, but there isn't one here. There are no words, whatsoever, only sketches. They're no ordinary sketches by any means.

Taehyung admires the neat, confident lines, both soft and sharp, the carefully thought-out shading that expresses perfectly the amount of saturation each piece needs. Piece. Not notes or parts of a clothing item, but actual pieces. Taehyung is looking at dresses and skirts and pretty tops and suit jackets and oh.

These aren't just random scribbles, rushed and temporary, to be fixed later once the meeting's over. There's no harshness or sloppiness that Hoseok always leaves in the wake of his mechanical pencil, there's only this pure and simple perfection. There's no other word for it. Taehyung's never seen sketches so flawless.

So he looks up at Jeongguk and corrects himself. "These are yours, aren't they?"

"Right, I..." Jeongguk looks away, swallowing, and puts the t-shirt over his head, takes his sweet time pushing his arms through the sleeves because they're in no rush, really. "It's just--- yeah, I was thinking and I got some ideas--- they're pretty lame, I know, just---"

"Jeongguk, these are perfect."

And holy shit, Jeongguk's mouth falls open and he laughs a little awkwardly, sheepish and oh, so beautifully flustered as he shakes his head and waves Taehyung off once more. "No, no, they're just- I was just scribbling whatever-"

"I mean it," Taehyung states. "This is quite literally the cleanest work I have seen."

Jeongguk chuckles once more, standing still in his spot by the door. "Really?"

"The most honest I have been, Jeongguk."

There's that smile again. That soft, fragile expression of gratitude, of fondness, all bright teeth and crinkled eyes, red blush dusting his cheekbones and the tips of his ears. And when he looks at Taehyung, Taehyung's breath hitches. "Thank you, Kim."

His eyes, those pretty, shiny eyes, there's something about them. There's something about the depth of their golden glow, of Jeongguk's glow, that makes Taehyung's chest a little tight under their gaze.

Clearing his throat, Taehyung blinks away from Jeongguk and down at the sketches, as Jeongguk seemingly shifts with that same awkward abruptness to his movements and coughs.

"These sketches," Taehyung mutters, "are they for this project? You've been working on it this entire time, have you not? Jeongguk, you could have told me."

Jeongguk visibly panics. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just wanted to spend as little time here with you as possible when this started, I just--- I should have been here."

"You're correct, you should have." Taehyung nods. "Hoseok, he's... tolerable, surprisingly, but I've been..." How should he say this? "When I wanted you to work with me, it wasn't only to put myself out there. I was genuinely interested in what you'd have to offer in this field, you---" He sighs. It's getting too personal, he's getting to that little part of him that still sees this man as someone unreachable, the part that fumbles and rambles and fucking blushes. "I've seen your art. I've seen what you can do. I knew back then that you'd be great, so I wanted to see it for myself."

He's glaring down at his own palms, at the rounded corners of the page he's paused at, at the glittery denim blue ink outlining a long, flowy skirt with a subtle slit and pretty chains around the waist, soft, minimal design on the right thigh, almost resembling a tattoo sleeve.

And here it is. That inspiration, that motivation, that final push he's been looking for. It's not the sparkly ink or the piece itself, it's not the neat handwriting giving more details about it, it's the man standing in front of him with a creativity he's never witnessed before.

Holy shit. Jeon Jeongguk.

"I was right about you." Taehyung looks up finally. "It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that there's yet another thing you're brilliant at, but you truly are. And I'm glad I finally get to see it."

The look in Jeongguk's eyes is back when he meets them again, but Jeongguk brushes it off by scoffing, that gentle gaze shifting into something cocky, something more familiar. "Don't get all sappy with me now, Kim. I'll work with you if you want me so bad."

"You're insufferable."

"I get that a lot."

With nothing left to do, Taehyung shakes his head and looks back down at the notes, flips a few pages until he settles on one with some writing in the corner. A sentence, a translation, some words scratched, some circled, only to settle on one single word as a conclusion, circled three times, quite anxiously, then underlined twice. "Is this what you wanted it to be called? The collection?"

"Oh, sure, I mean," Jeongguk starts out with a shrug, "if you're down, but maybe we should try and work through it first, see how it's gonna look and see if the name fits, but for now, it's---"

"I like it," Taehyung says. "I think we should stick with it."

Jeongguk's smile doesn't quite fade even as he walks Taehyung over to the car. The ride is quiet, oddly comfortable, and Taehyung does his best to ignore the curious eyes of the bystanders as he pushes the car door open in front of his apartment building. "Oh, and Taehyung?"

Taehyung.

Taehyung turns back around, rests his elbows on the windowsill. "Yes?"

"Ever seen a Ghibli movie? They've got an entire museum dedicated to them."

They? Who are they?

Taehyung frowns. "I can't say I have, no."

"Ah, nevermind, it's--- yeah, regardless, museums." Jeongguk raises his eyebrows. "Tokyo's full of those, of all sorts of stuff. I might be going on a tour myself, think I need company." He smirks. "You in?"

"What happened to your telling me you'd sit in the front row and I'd be all the way in the back? And how we'd take a few pictures and not interact whatsoever?"

"Fine," Jeongguk drawls with a roll of his eyes. "You can sit next to me if you really want. "Besides, things are changing, we're besties now, apparently, and they'll all be focused on how we behave around each other. We should stick together." He cocks his head. "Driving around Tokyo and looking at fun stuff. You in or not?"

Taehyung gapes at him, at those blinking eyes, at the excitement in them that was by no means there before, when they first had to spend time together. Without that ridiculous comment at the end, it sounded genuine. As if Jeongguk had really wanted to take Taehyung there, to show him places, to be around him. He wonders about the progress they've made.

So he hums, pretending to think, and offers a simple wink before he heads inside.

JAYKAYY
u r so lame lmfao

not telling me

smh

menace

u r dying to spend time w me admit it

TAEHYUNG
You're being quite confident calling me lame when you ignored Hoseok's text just to go to dance practice with me. I don't think I'm the one dying to spend time with you

He then goes to his chat with Seokjin.

TAEHYUNG
Hyung, have you seen a Ghibli movie before? What are those?

SEOKJIN HYUNG
WTF TAE

UNEDUCATED

TSK TSK

After an entire sleepless night, Taehyung goes back to his chat with Jeongguk during breakfast.

TAEHYUNG
I think Spirited Away is my favourite

JAYKAYY
:D

u r gonna love tokyo i lromise

promise*

Taehyung smiles at his screen.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
!!STREAM SEVEN!!

man i LOVE naming these chapters, it's so much fun

i'm scared that the story is moving too slow.. but i kinda think anything else would be a little too quick

speaking of, the scene at the studio was supposed to be WAY more intense. i toned it down because it's a slowburn!! even the fwb thing!! they're gonna fuck soon, yeah. but i'm gonna build up to it because i can. ha.

i hope you guys enjoyed!! i hope things are making sense. i'm enjoying this story so much! jk is literally my favourite character i've written!!

i wanna point out that i'm well aware that tae's creations are nothing THAT revolutionary. it's fashion, fashion's been breaking those norms for a while now. however, korea is known for being pretty homophobic despite how feminine they want their male celebrities to be, so to have them still dislike this sort of fashion and have tae do it in some outstanding way, it's how i want it to be! it's a fic after all!!

take care of yourselves!! we're going to tokyoooo

p.s. fixing the graphics as soon as wattpad gets its shit together