Stay and hold me tight, hug me like you'll never be hugged again. See me, touch me, love me like I'm the only person you've ever known, the only anchor grounding you down to the earth. You, in all your glory, are the best thing to ever happen to me. Yet, you are simultaneously the worst. Ironic, isn't it?

You glow so bright that you diminish every other light in the room. And then when you're gone you shroud my world in darkness. You make me smile so wide like I've never smiled before so when you leave I will never smile again. Sheathe me with your warmth so that I will freeze when you walk away. Make my heart whole so that when you're gone I will know it is broken.

Show me life is worth living.

And leave me wanting to die.

❈❈❈

Jungkook:

Hey

This is jungkook

Jimin gave me your number

When do you wanna meet up

Taehyung:

oh hii.

the deadline for the contest is soon so let's meet up today.

i have a lecture in the morning but then im free.

at your dorm?

Jungkook:

Ofc ofc

I don't have any lectures today so come round whenever you're done

See you later

Taehyung:

see you!

-

Taehyung's feet move on their own, like it's his second nature to prepare breakfast in the morning without a second thought. Like his body is hardwired to complete the needed tasks one after the other whilst his brain runs elsewhere. He thinks about Jungkook and his offer. He thinks about how quickly he excepted it. He thinks if maybe he made the wrong choice. What if working with Jungkook is difficult? he doesn't really know the guy and he doesn't really know a lot about him either. Despite all the gossip swimming through the school, mouths poisoned with chlorine, Taehyung has never heard Jimin's blue-haired roommate ever be mentioned. He can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"Tae~ How long!?"

"Chan~ patience is key!"

"Ugh, I'm hungry!"

Taehyung chuckles at his little brother's antics, he can imagine the small pout on his face even if he's got his back toward him. "Chanyeol, instead of just sitting there complaining, how about you actually help? Maybe then breakfast would be ready faster." Taehyung's sister only half teases as she reaches up to pull the plates out of the cabinet. "Now, now, Haewon. Be nice." Taehyung scolds, taking the plates from her thin arms and laying them out on the countertop. He can hear Haewon and Chanyeol continue to bicker behind him but chooses to ignore it. This is what he loves about weekday mornings. The chaos of making food for five sleepy people. The leadership of telling his siblings what to do and how to help. And the content he feels watching them gobble up the simple eggs and toast he'd whipped up like it's the most delicious, complex meal to ever bless their taste buds.

"Chanie, Hae's right, you should help out." Taehyung finally turns to give his brother a stern but gentle look. "Go give this plate to mum and then you can eat. Oh and if she's still asleep wake her up gently, okay?" He hands the white porcelain plate to Chanyeol who only rolls his eyes with a slight nod. "Yes, Tae, I know how to wake mum up." And then he's off. Taehyung turns to his sister. "Can you wake Nari up for me quickly? Tell her she has to change into her uniform before she can have food." Haewon nods, ponytail swishing behind her. "Yes sir." She says before she's off, too. Taehyung leans against the counter as a sigh racks throughout his entire body. All of his family members rely on him so heavily and whilst it is always rewarding, it's also very exhausting.

-

Taehyung doesn't know anything about Jungkook. But that's a lie because, from their brief interaction with each other, he knows that, one: Jungkook is an art student. And, two: Jungkook is very attractive. Obvious, in hindsight. He had seen him from afar - hanging out with Jimin and such - but up close and personal was a very different story. Faded blue hair that, despite the fact that it definitely needs to be freshened up, suits him nicely. Dark, doe eyes that seem to stare into your very soul, mediums through which he is able to read your every secret, nothing is safe from that piercing gaze. And speaking of piercings, the ones that adorn his face are alluring and enchanting and stunning all at the same time. Silver studs by well-shaped eyebrows. Black, hard rings against pink, soft lips. Earrings and rings that glisten gold underneath the sunlight. All these endearing traits make Taehyung want to know more of Jungkook. He wants to know how dark and deep Jungkook's eyes can get. He wants to see him under the light of all seasons. He wants to find other piercing the man may have scattered across his body.

The fact that Taehyung had captured the attention of someone who looks as if carved by Michaelangelo himself has his face growing red, high on his cheekbones.

He only has to knock once for the door to swing open. Like a jack in the box springing out from its hiding place, Jimin tackles Taehyung into a hug as soon as he sees him. "Hello, person I literally saw yesterday." Taehyung's comment on Jimin's eagerness doesn't stop him from hugging back even tighter. "Too long." Is all the blonde responds with.

"Well, I'd hate to break the lovebirds up. But need I remind you that Taehyung is here for a reason?"

Ah, there he is. The intimidatingly handsome man who has found his inspiration in Taehyung, of all people. "Um, hey.." Taehyung smiles softly as soon as he manages to pull Jimin off of him. "Hi.." Jungkook replies, leaning against the doorframe that Taehyung can partially see leads into a small hallway. Silence engulfs them whole, but something crackles in the air. A pop and a sizzle. Like bubbling oil atop a roaring fire; get too close and get burnt - inevitable.

"Um.. So... You wanna go to my room..?" Jungkook asks, face only slightly dusted in chalky pink. Taehyung can only nod his head dumbly. "Sure..." He mutters as an afterthought. They stare at each other awkwardly, both too scared to take the initiative. Walking to a room has never seemed so difficult, has never seemed so nerve-wracking, never seemed so exciting, never so terrifying. It's a simple task, so simple it's laughable. Yet they're both frozen in place, praying silently for the summer sun to melt them back to normal. Jimin; sun. "Go on then! What are you two waiting for!?" His exasperated voice is what they both need to snap them back to reality. "Right. This way." Jungkook says stiffly, spinning on the heel of his shoe and practically sprinting down the hallway. Taehyung hurries to keep up.

Jungkook's room is nice and cozy. His bed is a mess of white pillows and black blankets and shoved in the corner farthest from the door. On the other side of the room is a dark desk with a wheeled chair only half tucked in. Upon the desk is a large canvas with a couple pencils and paintbrushes scattered around. The floor is the same plush carpet that covers the living room and a grey beanbag is plopped into the corner closest to the entrance. Parallel to the door is a medium-sized window that let's light filter through the opened blinds and wash the entire room in hues of bright yellow and deep orange. The sun hangs low in the sky outside but is nowhere close to setting anytime soon. The room is oddly narrow rather than wide and a couple of stray articles of clothing are strewn messily across the floor and bed. It feels very homey and real, and Taehyung feels less intimidated. Jungkook's real personality seeps out into the state of his bedroom. He's human. That's comforting. (Taehyung doesn't know what he'd do if it was revealed that Jungkook is somehow not human.)

"Sorry, it's kind of a mess... I was gonna clean up but you came earlier than I expected, so..." The rest of his sentence falls away like sand, under the presumption that the elder can infer what he was going to say, he can. "It's... It's fine. Uh.." Jungkook pulls out his chair and sits upon it, he leans back to make himself comfortable. Taehyung is left standing and suddenly feels out of place. "Um..." Is the sound that falls out of his mouth involuntarily. Jungkook perks with the acknowledgment that he feels awkward and Taehyung is surprised by how observant the younger so easily is. "Sorry! Do you wanna... Sit... Down..?"

The elder laughs, reveling in the stark contrast between Jungkook's meticulous eye and his less meticulous way of communicating it. Taehyung decides to be himself. Just because Jungkook's stupidly, and unfairly, attractive doesn't mean he's safe from being teased. Although, with a roommate like Jimin, Taehyung doesn't think Jungkook is really lacking in that department. "Sure, I can sit. Where..? On your lap?" Jungkook's face flushes beetroot red and he jumps from his chair. "Uh... D-don't worry! you can sit here..!" He pushes the chair slightly over but it doesn't move much, wheels frictioned to the carpet.

Yep. Taehyung smirks. Definitely human.

-

They both end up sitting on the floor. Taehyung grips the fibers between his fingers and tugs upon them lightly. "Cherry tree park? That's a bit far out.. Don't you think?" Jungkook's eyebrows furrow slightly, he looks at the elder with pretty doe eyes. "Yeah.. It is. But.. The scenery there is beautiful! And the lighting is, like, always perfect! I think it's worth it." Taehyung explains. "Plus, I'll need a great background to stand out and it's not like I can just paint one in like you."

"I mean... Technically, you can edit in any background of your choosing-"

"The lighting, Jungkook, think about the lighting!"

Jungkook chuckles into the back of his palm, Taehyung can't help but admire. "Alright, fine. We can meet there next week, Tuesday?"
"Sounds great!"

Then, Jungkook stands up abruptly and rushes to his desk. Before Taehyung has any time to be confused by his sudden movements, he's back, sitting in his previous position. Jungkook holds a sketchbook and a brand-new pencil in his hands. "So... Can I sketch you? Y'know... For practice." He asks, eyes wide, intense saucers of hope and wonder. All Taehyung can do is nod slowly. And that's all Jungkook needs. The pages flip open and Jungkook's dark eyes flick between them and Taehyung. He's like a hawk, taking in every detail of the elder's face, making sure nothing goes undrawn. The way his fluffy brown hair falls over his eyes. The way his shirt is slightly wrinkled at the collar. The small moles dotted around his lips, nose and eyes. All of it gets put down onto paper. Taehyung blushes under the attention. That gets sketched, too. 

"So, you going to that all-student party the third-years are throwing later this month?" Taehyung asks, finally breaking the silence. He tries not to think about how much he likes being under Jungkook's gaze. How much he likes being stared and inspected at. Those are thoughts and feelings to explore later. Since the third years are entering their last term, they want to throw a massive party in the university hall where all students are invited, just to feel like part of the school one last time before their finals begin. They'll most definitely have a much smaller, third-year-only party after finishing their exams. None of the previous third years have ever done anything like this before so it's kind of the talk of the town. "Yeah," Jungkook replies, not stopping his intensive drawing. "I'm pretty sure I would be going whether I liked it or not, considering our beloved Park Jimin needs someone to hold all his stuff all the time."

"Oh my god, yes! Jimin is always making me hold his shit for him! That boy needs to invest in a bag already."

"Or some bigger pockets."

"Or some bigger pockets, yeah."

They both laugh at their shared friend's antics.

Taehyung suddenly breaks out into a massive smile which he is sure he will see in the sketches later on. Spending time with Jungkook is nerve-wracking but also exhilarating and just a lot of fun. He could get used to this. And he better, considering this is how it'll be for the next few weeks.

That last thought makes his heart pound against his chest hard and fast and he doesn't know why. He pushes the thought aside. Later.

❈❈❈

Published: 02/02/23

Word count: 2155