Jungkook and Taehyung were fifteen when they realized girls existed. It’s not that they ignored the female half of their class, they simply didn’t think there was anything important that they would be missing during the talks of boybands and makeup. They just didn’t really take in the fact that girls existed like that.

That’s until Jungkook was confronted by a boy in the locker room.

“Yah, Jungkook, why don’t you have a girlfriend?” Jungkook’s head flew up as the question left his teammate's mouth. A girlfriend? That is something that Jungkook had never even thought about. Why in the world would he need a girlfriend?

To fit in with his teammates? He didn’t really need to fit in, he had Taehyung, everyone knew that.

To hang out with? If he had Taehyung he couldn’t imagine how he could ever get lonely, Taehyung was constantly clinging to Jungkook (or maybe it was the other way around).

To kiss?

He figured he just didn’t need that.

Realizing that he took a little bit too long to answer the question, Jungkook glanced at his teammate, Jimin, and shrugged. “I dunno, never really thought of it.”

“Never thought of it?” Jimin questioned, exasperated. “Jungkook, you get the most presents out of anyone during Valentine's day. How could you not even think about dating one of those girls?”

Jungkook started to get a bit irritated at Jimin’s questions. They were friends, but they weren’t that close. Especially when all of their other teammates were staring at him, waiting for answers. Jungkook looked over at Jimin and replied, “I guess I just never thought it was that important, Jimin.” Jimin and the rest of the team left it at that, sensing that it wasn’t a topic that Jungkook wanted to be questioned about.

But the conversation in the locker room got stuck in Jungkook’s mind.

-

“Kookie, have fun at practice?” As always, Taehyung came running around the corner to the entrance of the locker rooms, throwing an arm around Jungkook’s shoulders. “Sorry I wasn’t at practice, I was in the library, studying.”

“Sure Tae, it was fun.” Jungkook replied, leaning some of his weight onto Taehyung. Baseball practice always tired him out, he claimed it was because of all the running, Taehyung said it was because of all the junk food he ate. Like he was one to talk. “Studying - right.”

“What, you think I would lie to you Kook? We have a big math test coming up! I have to memorize the.. Quadratic triangle.” Taehyung snuck a look at Jungkook to see if he would call his bluff. Jungkook didn’t seem to take notice so he thought he was safe.

“Quadratic formula, Tae, how many times do I have to tell you?”

“But, Kook -”

“I don’t even want to know what you were up to this time. Just let me know when someone starts to catch on and I’ll talk to Mrs. Jang to get you out of it. You know how much she loves me. She’s always pinching at my cheeks. God, the things I do for you, Taehyung.” Jungkook sighed, handing his practice bag to Taehyung to hold so he could keep the weight off of his throwing arm.

“Are you okay?” Taehyung asked, voice laced with concern.

Jungkook looked over at him from his spot at Taehyung’s side, “Just sore. Coach told me to ice it.” Taehyung hummed and allowed Jungkook to lean into him as they walked to Taehyung’s house.

Exhausted from practice, Jungkook asked, “Tae, when are you going to learn to drive already?” They had been walking home from school everyday since they could be trusted to make it home safely. Taehyung’s dad, Seokjin, had a tough time dealing with Taehyung having responsibility (in his head Taehyung should never have to worry about a thing).

“I can, but not legally.” Taehyung shrugged, Yoongi taught him at the early age of 13 - without Jin knowing, of course.

“Right.”

-

When they got back to Taehyung’s house Jungkook drug himself to the bed and collapsed, exhausted from training all afternoon.

“Gosh Kook, if I didn’t know you I’d say you were extremely out of shape. You can’t even walk up the stairs without going out of breath.” Taehyung teased, and Jungkook shot him a glare.

“You don’t even practice for hours a day and you still go out of breath.” Jungkook retorted, smug because he was able to think of a good comeback when his brain felt like spaghetti. Jungkook felt Taehyung jump onto the bed next to him, and they both stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly Jungkook was reminded of the conversation he had with his teammates in the locker room after practice. “The guys were being weird today.” Jungkook confessed.

He heard Taehyung hum beside him, “How so?” Taehyung questioned. Jungkook looked over at him and saw his eyes closed, he looked like he was about to fall asleep.

“They asked me why I haven’t gotten a girlfriend.” At this, Taehyung’s eyes opened and his eyebrows furrowed. “They said I’m the most popular guy at school and I just told them I’d never really thought of having a girlfriend, should I?”

Taehyung looked over at him, “Do you like anyone? Do you want a girlfriend?” he questioned.

Jungkook thought it over for a few minutes, and he came to the same conclusion as he did earlier in the day. “No, I don’t see why I would want one.”

“Then don’t listen to them, they’re just stupid jocks. You don’t need a girlfriend.” As Taehyung said this he rolled over to face the wall. His clear intention was to take a nap before dinner.

“Ah, okay Hyung, thanks.” Taehyung made a noise halfway between a grunt and the word ‘yes’, and Jungkook got up from the bed to move to Taehyung’s desk to begin studying. But he still couldn’t get it out of his mind, what was so important about being in a relationship? He was already basically Taehyung’s guardian, that was a big enough handful for a lifetime.

-

 

The sun only got hotter as spring turned into summer and Jungkook’s days of practice only got more exhausting. The days Taehyung stayed back to wait for him were a blessing because he had another body to lean on while they drug their feet on the never ending sidewalk to Taehyung’s house, even if it was too hot. The days Taehyung went home early because he could no longer stand the heat consisted of Jungkook tripping over sidewalk crack in his desperate attempt to get to the cold, hardwood floor of Taehyung’s bedroom as fast as his body could carry him.

    Everytime, without fail, Jungkook arrived at Taehyung’s house and Seokjin would be standing there waiting with a cold glass of lemonade. Jungkook would sit at their marble kitchen counter and chug the lemonade until he was chasing the droplets, and then he would proceed to drop his head on the cold surface. Seokjin would always inquire about his day, because apparently Jungkook was the only one who would endure it (Taehyung weaved through the house like a ghost and Yoongi napped too much for conversation). He would ask about his day, Taehyung’s day, Taehyung’s behavior at school, the boys at school, Seokjin would always ask about the boys. This would go on until Yoongi came home and suggested Jungkook go and find Taehyung before they all passed out from the heat (“We all know you’re already halfway there, Yoongi.” Seokjin would grumble).

Jungkook would always look at the stairs a bit pained and drag himself up to Taehyung’s room, despite Seokjin’s disappointment and Yoongi’s looks that screamed ‘flee’, and throw himself onto the cool floor. After he got as comfortable as he could on a hardwood floor, he would say, “Hey, Tae.” and glance up at Taehyung who would always be peeking down over the edge of his bed.

    Taehyung would question, “Practice?”
   
    And Jungkook would reply, “I’m exhausted.” and they would leave it at that.

    It went this way, every time, without fail.

    But one day, one particularly hot day, Jungkook threw himself onto Taehyung’s floor and they went through their normal, mindless, conversation. Taehyung asked about practice and Jungkook said, “I’m exhausted.”

    This time, as Jungkook’s eyes closed, Taehyung replied “Hey exhausted, I’m gay.”

Jungkook’s eyes opened up and he started coughing as if the lemonade from earlier all of a sudden decided to go down the wrong pipe.

    “Are you okay?” Taehyung asked, worried, “It doesn’t bother you, does it?”

    Jungkook sputtered, finally finding air, “Yes - I mean - No? Yes to the first question and no to the second, I think.”

    “Okay, well my parents already know. They actually think I told you before they found out. I didn’t really bother correcting them.” Taehyung explained this in a way that told he was still nervous about Jungkook’s reaction.

    “Found out? How did they find out?” Jungkook asked, imagination going wild and not looking forward to all of the answers he could possibly receive.

    It was Taehyung’s turn to be surprised as his eyes widened and he said, “Ha. That’s ahh- that’s a story for another day, Kook,” as he turned around and pulled the comforter over his head, Jungkook saw the hint of a blush on Taehyung’s cheeks, “Let’s just nap, like we always do.”

    “Fine then.” Jungkook said, knowing that this time, Taehyung’s stubbornness was unshakable (even if it’s Jungkook).

    And as he laid there on the floor of Taehyung’s bedroom - all worries of boys and girls, girls and girls, boys and boys, forgotten - all he could see was Taehyung turned around, comforter wrapped around his face and hair stuck in every direction over his forehead, with his eyes staring into his own and slowly closing. And all he could think is that it was kind of beautiful.

    “Hey Tae?” Jungkook called out, knowing the other was already half asleep. He only got a mumble in reply. “I wouldn’t leave you for anything, so don’t think stupid things, and tell me everything, you know that you can do that right?” At that Taehyung opened his eyes, and looked back at Jungkook, “Yeah, I know,” he replied before closing his eyes again, “Kook, I love you.”

    “I love you too, Tae.” And it was true, he did, he really, really did.

    And Jungkook knew that every word he had said to Taehyung was true. Because here on Taehyung’s floor, staring up at what he could still see of his moppy head of hair, is where he belonged.