*T*

When I wake up Monday morning, I feel content… But then I remember that it’s Monday, and I have to go to school for eight hours. I allow myself to groan as I roll out of bed, and hobble over to my bathroom. 

 

Today, when I look in the mirror, I see a sick boy, but I get the feeling that he’s on the road to recovery. His face is pale, and his features are sharp and calculating. His brown hair looks a little shinier, a little lighter. His chocolate eyes shine in a way that says that he’s content with life.

 

I turn away from the boy to take a hot shower before dressing myself in my school clothes and applying some concealer in record time. I walk down the stairs and plop into my seat at the kitchen island, smiling big at my mom. When I’m in a good mood, everyone knows.

 

Mom asks me if I would like a cup of coffee, and my smile grows even brighter, because I’m reminded of Saturday, and Yoongi. 

 

For some reason, Yoongi seemed a little frazzled after he burned his hand, but that feeling quickly dissipated. The rest of the time I spent at his house went well, mostly consisting of me babbling. I think that we work well together, because I like to talk, and he likes to listen.

 

Mom was waiting for an answer, but I was clearly spaced out in my own little world, smiling like an idiot. She cleared and asked me a second time, but I had to shake my head and walk to the door. 

I had to walk to the coffee shop, and get my car. Yoongi never asked me how I got to the coffee shop, and I never mentioned it. Probably because I was so happy he was driving me home, and walking me to the door. Anyway, I discovered that when some boy sweeps you away, your car does’t magically appear in your driveway like it does in the movies.

 

When I arrive at school, I have about thirty minutes until class starts. I hesitate when deciding what to do to pass the time. I don’t really have anyone to talk to. I only had, like, two friends. There’s Jimin, but obviously I can’t just walk up to him. Theres also my cousin, but he made a friend that’s in a gang, so he skips a lot of school. 

 

Wait.. speaking of friends.. are Jimin and I still friends?

 

The thought almost makes me stop walking. I mean, I didn’t really leave things with him on a good note, and I haven’t spoken to him since then.

 

I feel like I’ve been avoiding him.

 

I mean, I haven’t been. It was a pleasant surprise when I remembered that the whole ordeal happened on a Friday. If it hadn’t been Friday, I probably would have skipped school, which would have been avoiding him.. It still feels like avoiding though, because we normally hang out on weekends- the whole 48+ hours. If were not together, we’re texting.

 

I’m not avoiding him, though. 

 

Or at least not intentionally.

 

I should be avoiding him, though, because being around him right now makes me sick. Literally. Honestly thinking about him probably isn’t good for me right now either. I can’t really help it though- when you love someone, they’re always on your mind.

 

Sometimes, they take up so much of your mind, that you wouldn’t even  notice if they were standing right in front of you.

 

Coming towards you.

 

Not moving aside so you don’t walk into them.

 

When I collide with Jimin, I kind of curl over him. We don’t have a massive height difference, but it’s big enough that I often find myself tripping over him. This time, as my body curves onto his, her grabs hold of my hips to steady me. His hold is firm, as if he isn’t going to let go of me when I attempt to step away.

 

I do attempt, and I realize I’m correct.

 

He’s not letting go.

 

I try to pull away again, and I get far enough away that we make eye contact. I start to shake. All I can think is “ not good, not good, must walk away, not good, must hide, not good”. I start to struggle more to move away.

 

“Taehyungie, are you okay?” The hands around my waist get firmer, more possessive, as a concerned voice enters the scene.

 

Jungkook grabs my shoulders lightly and pulls me away from Jimin, whose hands have probably caused red-irritated marks on my fragile (still sick) skin. Jungkook turns me around and smiles at me reassuringly. He looks over my shoulder, most definitely at Jimin, and says:

 

“We have class now, but don’t worry about my Taehyungie, I can get him to class.” My eyes grow wide. 

 

My Taehyungie? His Taehyungie? Taehyungie?

 

Jungkook slides a had down one of my arms and envelops my hand in his, pulling me towards first hour just like he said he would. When we sit down at our table in the back of the classroom, he turns towards me.

 

I send him a chiding expression.

 

“Yah, Jungkook! I’m still your hyung!”

 

He scrunches up his nose and smiles.

 

“But Taehyungie, Taehyungie-hyung is just too many hyungs to in one persons name!”

 

“You don’t have to call me Taehyungie. You can just call me Taehyung, or Hyung.”

 

“But, Taehyungie fits you so much better!”

 

“And why is that?”

 

“Because it’s cute, just like you!”

 

I stare at him shocked. Why was everyone calling me cute? Because I don’t know how to respond, I just send him one last stern look before turning to my backpack and digging around for a pencil.

 

“Are you okay?” I give up my search and look at him again.

 

“Yes, I’m fine, how are you?” I say with a noncommittal shrug.

 

“No, Taehyung, I’m asking if you’re okay.” He looks at me with an almost expectant expression. I bite my bottom lip and shrug again. He’s asking about last Friday, I guess.

 

The thing is, I don’t really want to talk about it. It’s not because I don't wan’t to share how I am with him or because I’m upset, but because I’m embarrassed. I cried into him, and acted like a fool.

 

I asked him to stay with me, and I woke up in Jimin’s bed.

 

My lip quivers out of my teeth’s bite, and I look down. He probably thinks I’m stupid. Or hates me. I mean, why wouldn’t he hate me- I hate me. I’m sick, and I’m being a baby about it. Crying into whoever’s shoulder I can.

 

Jungkook grabs on to one of my hands, and rests the palm of his other hand on my cheek. He uses his thumb to kind of caress my face. His eyes travel my face, lingering on my eyes before traveling to my lips and setting up camp. I’m about to question him, embarrassed at the attention, but I’m stopped when he gently brushes his thumb over my bottom lip. I close my eyes and sigh at the foreign feeling. 

 

When he stops, I reopen them and see red. His thumb is covered with little spots of blood. My lip is bleeding from all the biting it’s taken. I pull away from him and raise my hand to my lips, pulling my long sleeve over my hand to start dabbing at it. Jungkook stops me.

 

“Don’t ruin your school clothes silly! I’ll take you to the bathroom.”

 

“But class is about to start…”

 

“That’s okay, your lip is bleeding, the teacher won’t mind.” He’s already pulling me to the door.

 

“But, Jungkook I-” m fine. I didn’t get to finish the sentence, as we run into Jimin in the doorway. 

 

“Tae, class is about to start, where are you going?” He sounds accusing.

 

For some reason I’m angry. And sad, and confused. I was hoping I could make it through this day without any problems, but I’ve ran into quite a few so far. So instead of responding civilly like I normally would, my response comes out of my mouth through clenched teeth.

 

“It’s none of your concern Jimin-hyung.”

 

His eyes go wide. I haven’t called him that in years, since I accepted him, probably since the day he saved me, and my book.

 

***

Pulling back from the hug, eight year old Taehyung smiled timidly.

 

“Thank you, Jimin-hyung, for helping me.”

 

“My name is Jimin.”

 

“Yeah, obviously I know that, Jimin-hyung.” Taehyung gives an adorable look of cluelessness that almost resembles a pout.

 

“Obviously not.” His nose crinkles. “I have no idea who this ‘Jimin-hyung’ is. He sounds really old and boring.” 

 

“Jimin-hyung~ Why are you acting like this?”  Now, Taehyung is pouting. He was genuinely confused by his elder’s behavior. Taehyung hadn’t had many friends before. He learned the most about friendship from his books. One of these books said that if you were friends with an older boy, you could use ‘hyung’ instead of ‘ssi’…  does that mean that they aren’t friends?

 

Taehyung’s lower lip juts out in confusion and sadness.

 

“Taehyungie, were friends now. Friends don’t talk with formal terms like ‘hyung’, so call me Jimin!” He takes a moment to think. “Oh! Even better! You can call me Jiminie~”

 

“…”

 

“Tae-Tae! What are you giving me that look for!”

 

“Hyung isn’t formal. It’s for friends. My book said so.”

 

“Who are you going to trust? Your book, or your actual friend?”

 

“Um. I guess I’ll trust you.. Jiminie.”

 

Jimin’s whole face turns into a smile, and Taehyung’s follows soon after.

 

“Awe, Tae! Your so cute when you smile, you should never stop!”

 

“Yah~ Jiminie~” Jimin hugs the pouting boy, tickling him and making him smile. 

 

He never hears another ‘hyung’ out of him again.

 

At least, until now.

 

*T*

 

I look him in the eyes pointedly one last time before grabbing Jungkook’s hand and walking out of the room, already feeling a slight ache in my throat.

 

Instead of leading him to the bathroom, I take him to the practice room. 

 

Upon entry, I slide down the mirror, sitting in the same spot I did on Friday, and give Jungkook an expectant look. He smiles and plops down in front of me. We both sit with our legs crossed, but he has his elbows propped up on his knees, face resting in his palms. It’s kind of cute, he looks like a little kid that wants me to tell him a story.

 

I don’t humor him, though, I just sit there and try not to cough.

 

“So, is this like ‘our spot’ now?” Jungkook teases with a bunny toothed smile.

 

“What does that mean?” I say, confused. 

 

“This is the only place we ever talk alone, so this must be ‘our place’, right?” Jungkook seems hopeful.

 

“I don’t know, Jimin and I always met here at lunch time.. or we used to.” I don’t miss how Jungkook’s face seems to droop at this revelation. His reaction seems to stir something in me. “But.. If you really want to, we can find somewhere different to be ‘our place’?”

 

Jungkook immediately smiles and nods. The bell rings right after, and I sigh.

 

“We should probably head back to class, I can’t keep skipping.”

 

“Um, sure, yeah, your lip seems to have stopped bleeding, but your lips are kind red, and a little swollen.

 

I glance in the mirror behind me and see that he’s right. I had almost forgotten about my lip. I start to wonder what Jimin thought of it, but stop when I see Jungkook giggling behind me.

 

“Yah, what’s so funny?”

 

“Your lips are tinted. When we get back, people are going to think that we were late because we were kissing.” 

 

“No they won’t! Your lips don’t look anything like mine do!” I counter, although, I’m not nearly as intimidating with a light pink face.

 

“We could change that.” He replies with a y smirk.

 

My eyes go wide.

 

“Yah, Taehyungie, I’m just kidding!”

 

I breathe a sigh of relief and disappointment, but it’s short lived when I hear him mumbling:

 

“For now.”

 

Jungkook runs away giggling, with me chasing after him.

 

***

 

Class goes on smoothly for the next three hours, mostly consisting of note taking, and note receiving. Taking notes from the board, and receiving notes from Jungkook.

 

He doesn’t bombard me the whole time, mostly in between class changes and during idle time. It turns out we have four-out-of-five of our classes together. 

 

All of his notes make me smile, or laugh.

 

Taehyungie you look so serious when you take notes from the board.

 

Um, Taehyungie, I was staring at you all last hour, so I didn’t get to take notes from the board- can I copy yours?

 

All of his notes make me feel better. Less alone. Normally Jimin would be talking to me the whole day. Jungkook doesn’t really replace Jimin, but having him with me makes me feel less cold inside. 

 

I think the most recent note warms me up the most.

 

So, we didn’t get to eat lunch together on Friday :’( Can we do it today?

 

It makes me smile and glance at him, excitedly nodding my head just thirty seconds before the bell rang. Jungkook grabs my hand and starts to drag me towards the cafeteria.

 

I honestly hate the cafeteria, but I do want to have lunch with him.

 

When we walk in, I feel overwhelmed. 

 

Where am I going to sit? Jimin normally picked our spot. Jimin knows that I don’t like the cafeteria. He knows where to sit so that we wont be stared at the whole lunch period.

 

Normally, were in the practice room.

 

Jungkook doesn’t seem to have the same social anxiety that I do, because he just tugs on our laced fingers and drags me to the table right in the center of the room. He sits me down and leaves, saying that he’ll grab both of our lunches and come right back. I nod with widened eyes.

 

I don’t think Jungkook realized that I was uncomfortable in the cafeteria, because he placed me down right in the middle of the room, where everyone would be able to stare at me.

 

And oh, stare they did.

 

They were’t being mean or anything, staring is just something that I’ve had to put up with since Jimin became so popular. Because he was popular, and I was his best-friend, I was popular. I was also handsome, probably not as much as normal, with how sick I’ve gotten- but handsome still. 

 

I stare at my lap until I hear a clattering of a tray on my table. I look up and get a sweet surprise. 

 

“Yoongi-hyung! Hi!”

 

“Someones excited to see me.” He’s smiling, so I know he’s just teasing.

 

“How’s your hand? Is it better?”

 

“Um, yeah. It doesn’t hurt at all anymore, really.” For some reason, his face looks a little pink, but I decide not to pursue the reason for it.

 

“Well, that’s good to hear! I was really worried!”

 

“Thank you, so I was wondering, do you wanna hang out again this—”

 

“Taehyungie, whose this?” Jungkook interrupts Yoongi, and receives a glare from the senior. He looks back with an expression full of defiance, and hangs himself on my shoulders comfortably.

 

“Jungkook, this is Yoongi- and he’s your sunbae. You shouldn’t interrupt him. Be more respectful to your elders.” 

 

Jungkook looks at me like he wants to protest, but sighs instead. He pushes a tray in front of me and smiles. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes, but it’s still filled with his usual sweetness. I’m about to thank him, but I choke on my words as I glance at the tray.

 

“Y-yah! Jungkook! Are you trying to give me diabetes?”

 

The plate is filled with sweet treats. He probably took all of the cake that the  cafeteria had to offer.

 

“Of course not, Taehyungie! Sweet boys get sweet treats!”

 

Instead of protesting, I start eating. Despite my outburst, I actually love cake. Or anything sweet really. Although about a third of the way through my tray I have to scrunch my nose up at how sweet my mouth is. There is no escaping the too-sweet taste.

 

“Here.” 

 

Suddenly, there’s a coffee on my tray. I look up at Yoongi, and he just shrugs.

“But, isn’t this your coffee?”

 

“I decided that I would rather give you my coffee than watch you die of sweetness.” I smile to myself,  happy and a little frazzled. I think you giving me the coffee will kill me of sweetness faster than the cakes, Suga. 

 

Yoongi’s eyes seem to widen a little, before his lips set into a smirk. 

 

“Suga?”

 

I blush, when I realize that I’ve spoken my thoughts aloud. Then I start to beat myself internally. Oh my god that’s only supposed to happen in dramas and fan fiction! Yoongi’s smirk grows bigger.

 

“You watch dramas and read fan fiction?”

 

“I, um… yeah?” He looks like his about to respond, so I blurt out: “You know, I normally don’t do that. It’s just Jungkook gave me sweets, and you gave me coffee and I’m on a little bit of a gift overload.” I’m practically hyperventilating at the end of my explanation. You’d have thought I was wrapping up the Princes monologue in Romeo and Juliet.

 

“It’s okay, I think it’s adorable.”

 

I’m about to respond, but a clearing of a throat stops me. I glance at Jungkook, and he looks angry. Not at me, but at Jungkook. I glance back at Yoongi and he seems to be giving the same expression back to the younger boy.

 

“ My Taehyungie is adorable, but you don’t need to say anything about it.”

 

“Your Taehyung? And who cares if I do?”

 

“My Taehyungie, and that would be me.”

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

Blah, blah, etc. I honestly don’t understand what’s happening, but it’s making me feel as if I’m the only one at the lunch table again, which in turn makes me feel uncomfortable, and paranoid. I look around to see that people are staring at our table and the little bickering scene of Jungkook and Yoongi, but what catches the most attention of mine is an opaque Jimin walking in the direction of our table.

 

“Tae, why are you sitting in the middle of the room? Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

 

I keep quite and try my best not to look at him- or anyone at the table really.

 

Of course Jimin is right, I am uncomfortable sitting in the middle of the room being stared at. But I’m more uncomfortable talking with him.

 

“Tae, please talk to me.”

 

Suddenly, Jungkook and Yoongi are both talking at Jimin at the same time.

 

“Taehyungie doesn’t want to talk to you.”

 

“Don’t talk to him.”

 

They glance at each other, nodding in some sort of unspoken agreement before turning back to Jimin and seemingly teaming up on him. I honestly have no idea what it’s about, but all three of them are now arguing loudly in the middle of the room.

 

I’m just sitting here trying to breathe correctly- everyone is tearing, they must be thinking that I’m a joke, oh my gosh I need to get out of here.

 

Out of nowhere, a hand grabs my wrist and covers my mouth. The kidnapper drags me out of the room— which isn't noticed by the three bickering males— and brings me to the practice room. 

 

I’m almost calmed by the room. 

 

I would have been totally calm, had I not been dragged here by a mysterious abductor.

 

The mystery is solved quickly, when we turn around towards the fully mirrored wall.

 

“Hey, cos.”

 

 

 

 

 

A/N

Hello!

So like, It's been a month and some days since I've updated... Sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I've had some other writing stuff in my system that I've needed to get out- it's been distracting me from this story.. So yeah, sorry if  it's rough.

I will be posting it on aff, probably today or tomorrow, and It will be rated M for triggering topics. It's Taehyung-centric, but it does have A LOT of Taegi, so if you like Taegi, or my writing style, please check it out!! It's called Blank. I'm also wrapping up a Huhan one-shot that will be called Graduation, so if you ship those dorks together, please check that out as well!

 

Oh and I would also like to say THANKYOU FOR 100+ SUBSCRIBERS! I love each and every one of you! 

 

My name is Sidney, you can call me that or whatever you're comfortable with. TBH I love when you guys comment, and it makes me write faster so please do it as much as you want :) 

So

So yeah, again, I'm sorry for being slow. I wanna tell you I'll speed up, but I'm not sure if I will...

 

사랑해 <3