Taehyung would usually classify himself as smart specimen.

However, with the current situation he is completely overwhelmed. 'The situation' being Jeongguk snapping at him for being attractive.

A phone call with his best friend has brought some enlightenment but to an end. The question floating around in Taehyung's head resurfaces every now and so often, and at the worst timing. Like when he's measuring sugar for his pajeon, when he rushes down the stairs and almost breaks his neck or when he's in the middle of peeing and just halts, thinking 'Was that a love declaration though or what'.

It's incredibly distracting. Not because the thought is omnipresent but because he pops up at random, just casually messing with Taehyung's sanity. So he is always unconsciously on guard. He knows the next attack of 'what ifs' and 'what the hells' will come.

Which finds him where he is now, stuck trying to rearrange his CD collection and doing terribly, Jeongguk's angry words circling his head in a merry-go-round. 'Can you stop looking so damn attractive' or something along the lines. Taehyung wishes he could remember the exact wording like it's always described in romance novels but sadly his short-term memory is pretty . He wants to be able to say 'I remember every single word' but. Tough luck.

And Jimin's best-friend-sense must have been tingling because just as Taehyung wants to face-palm himself for putting Bach next to Twice, his phone rings, Orlando Bloom chanting 'They're taking the hobbit to Isengard' from his device.

Taehyung puts away the albums and lays flat on the floor, stretching his leg to fetch the phone from where he dropped it earlier. Three failed attempts to unlock it with his finger print and two 'TO ISENGARD, TO ISENGARD's later, he can finally answer the call. Orlando goes silent.

"Mnmh?"

"Whassup, my favorite marshmallow, I had a feeling you're in trouble", Jimin greets with a way too cheery voice for a Saturday morning.

"Huh. Well, you're right, you know. Which by the way is creepy. But. Chim-champs, I'm dumb and I don't know how to un-dumb." Taehyung sounds as pathetic as he feels.

There is a sigh at the other end of the line.

"So I take it you still don't know how to act around the boi and avert him like he got six types of STD?"

"You didn't have to word it so harsh!"

"Yes I did, I'm your best bro and using my best bro credits to full capacities.", Jimin states like a fact. Then crunches loudly.

Taehyung wrinkles his nose. "Uh, Jimin? You are not in the middle of a popping-all-your-bones spree, right? Because then I'd like to call a rain check."

"Dude I'm literally eating my cereals what the ."

"Okay that's acceptable. Wait-" Taehyung narrows his eyes- "which subgenre are we speaking? Healthy, fake healthy, fruity, choco shock or weird af?"

"Take a wild guess."

"Healthy? Ew, you pig."

Jimin sniffs. "Excuse you, unless other people - not saying you but that's totally what I'm saying - I have to work hard for my hot bod. Don't be an and judge me just 'cause you have the metabolism of a wildcat. Never been fair."

"Okay okay, don't mind me while you enjoy your ikky breakfast then," Taehyung singsongs.

"Yah!"

Needless to say the rest of the morning is spent with Taehyung whining about his miserable life and Jimin piping in with a jolly 'Vegas baby, Vegas!' every now and then.

At some point Taehyung remembers he was in the middle of rearranging his CDs and records - does he have a bunch of old records? Yes. A device to play them? No but it's all about the aesthetic and just looking at them already feels great - so he gets back to that. Making only slow progress as talking with Jimin takes like 79% of his attention.

He does get done eventually, moving on to the left side drawer of his tv lowboard. And wow. Right, that's where he also keeps his box with Nintendo games. He rummages through them, nostalgia hitting hard as he holds the little chips for Animal Crossing, Professor Layton and the curious village, Super Mario Bros., Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training and holy , is that his Pokémon game collection in the back corner?

He gets up, Animal Crossing chip in one pocket and dashes to his bedroom where in one of the drawers he keeps his old coral pink DS Lite. There behind his first electric shaver, a ball of various charging cables and two stacks of Yu-Gi-Oh cards is the little bag with his DS inside. He fishes it out, together with the cards. As he opens the bag it takes a few minutes for his confusion to vanish because wasn't it pink? But after blinking in empty space for a bit it clicks and Taehyung remembers how he bought the glitter blue cover all these years ago. 

While setting up the device, remembering all the functions of the buttons and forcing Jimin to find his own DS to play AC together he starts leafing through one of the Yu-Gi-Oh stacks. Stopping at his Blue-eyes chaos max dragon card. It's always been his favourite. He sighs. They used to have so many cool hobbies. And look now. What happened? 

Jimin is cursing like a sailor while searching for his DS which will never not be funny. Tiny cinnamon roll Jimin and his foul mouth are the oddest combination in the universe. Taehyung loves it.

"For s sake Tae don't come near Chimmington anytime soon, I haven't weeded in like twenty years and there are bugs everywhere in my house. Stay far far away until I tell you otherwise!"

"You idiot, you fool do really think it's any different for me or what? Let me come help you. I already trampled all my bugs."

"No!"

"Jim, I didn't ask."

" you!"

"Certainly not, thank."

The next hour has the two of them pulling up weeds in each others' towns and trading fruits because somehow Jimin's peach trees managed to die alltogether. They also go to the tropical island and Jimin makes the two of them participating in all mini games there are, his competitive not taking 'no' as an answer.

At the end of their call/gaming session Taehyung still doesn't know more than before about The Jeongguk Dilemma but at least he feels a bit better. 

Later he gets out to buy some packs of Matdongsan after remembering it used to be his favourite snack back in Ye Olde days. Once home he gets comfy on the big couch and starts playing through the whole Layton game while snacking away. 

It's past 4am that he finishes and plummets into bed. He laughs softly into his pillow. Nostalgia rushes are always weird.

But. Still. What about Jeongguk?

Sunday finds him with a massive headache and he only leaves the bed for going to the toilet and refilling his glass of water. He throws in a pill, empties the glass in one go and crawls back under the toasty blanket. A few seconds after hitting the pillow he is already out like a light.

Taehyung wakes up twice in the middle of the night. By the second time his headache is gone completely. Which, bless. Also he feels pretty well-rested. But there is nothing worth doing at 4.39 am so he just grumbles something, puts his phone away and turns onto the other side. He's got still a faint grasp on his previous dream. Maybe if he falls right back asleep he can continue where he left off...

The alarm goes off two hour later and Taehyung doesn't recall a single thing.

The following Monday less than is usual for Mondays because Taehyung remembers to bring a yankee candle for his office. So many people have been bragging about these candles, so a while ago he ordered some to try out the experience, see if his sensitive nose could handle the scents. And always forgot (on purpose but he will never admit it) to bring them along and actually try them out.

But. Today is the day. He lights up 'Sun & Sand' and sure enough a light fresh scent starts filling his office. It's actually... pretty nice. And makes him forget his co-worker next door completely.

Taehyung is in the middle of compressing the server side HTTP of his current project as a a vibration of his phone reminds him it's lunch time. Baekhyun voted for a seafood bar so that's where they will go today.

He shoots both Baekhyun and Minjae a quick text that he will be ready in a second. Finishes up the compressioning, foregoes any kind of jacket and just blows out his candle before leaving.

There is no Jeongguk in sight. Phew.

Taehyung watches in a mix of fascination and mild horror how Baekhyun starts digging into his serving of ganjang gejang as soon as the waiter lets go of his plate. The spidery legs of all the crabs stick obscenely into the air. Taehyung could never. But the way Baekhyun handles the dish, no awkward fumbling with the crabs makes it seem like he's done it quite a few times. Just, ew.

The web developer can't take his eyes off the way Baekhyun cracks the first crab open, grabs the legs and stuffes half of the crab in his mouth, holding it like a big popsicle and crunching away. Then pulls out the remnants and does the same with the other half. 

While some people (his mum) would already give Taehyung a weird look for eating mussels no problem he thinks crabs are on a whole other level of absurdity. Every few steamed mussels he fishes out of its shells, his eyes flicker back to Baekhyun and he follows his friend's movements in morbid interest. He can't help it.

Luckily it doesn't spoil his appetite all too much and he finds it in himself to enjoy his pot of mussels in white wine anyway. Last time he had that dish must've been on his vacation in the Tuscany. Hah, good times.

At an overly loud crunch from Baekhyun he looks to the side, gauging Minjae's reaction. The youngster who's chosen the by far most normal dish out of the three of them - you can't go wrong with salted makerel and rice - doesn't even flinch. In fact he looks completely nonplussed and makes a point paying attention to his dish, and his dish only.

"So," Taehyung says, slurping down another mussel, "let's say there is that guy - who is totally not me - and he got told to 'stop looking so damn attractive, I don't wanna catch feelings for you'. And the guy - who is not me - cannot avoid the person who said it. What would you do?"

Baekhyun cackles around his crab until he chokes.

With an eyeroll Taehyung leans over to slap his back. Maybe a bit more firm than necessary but that's what friends are there for.

Some more spluttering later Baekhyun is ready to give an answer.

"Depends if you wanna make her catch feelings for you or not. Like, you like? Or nah?"

Taehyung tilts his head. Doesn't correct Baekhyun saying 'her' because as nice as the other is, he's not sure how Minjae and Baekhyun feel about homouality - and they are his two best friends at work so far. He doesn't want to lose them already.

"I'm not sure," he finally admits.

"Well that's not a definite 'no' so I'd say you give it at least a try. Which means: make her catch feelings. Dress up nice so she has no chance. You already are a catch but you defo could polish the visual with not wearing pajamas to work for a change ya know? Just for the occassion."

Minjae slaps the back of the older's head. "Everything 'make someone do something' is a move, cut it."

"Ow, okay okay!"

Taehyung sighs. "Alright, other ideas?"

Seing the youngest acting as the most reasonable out of their trio is always wholesome content. So as Minjae opens his mouth to reply this time, Taehyung's hopes for a valid advice skyrocket. Together with some kind of big brother affection.

"Act like always around them. Gauge their reaction and then decide what to do next from there on. Stay friendly, polite, you know." Minjae shrugs. "We don't know the circumstances of that - was that a confession? - but maybe it was something said in the heat of the moment thing. Maybe they regret saying it and want to ignore the whole thing-"

They. Minjae said 'they'. Bless that boy. Maybe Taehyung was not as subtle as he thought with his reaction.

Taehyung's thought gets cut off by a very enthusiastic Baekhyun.

"That's right, that's right! Was it a confession? It sounds like one, right? Right?!"

"I don't even know you idiot, I've been trying to make sense of it all weekend!"

"So it is about you!"

"Of course it is, wasn't that obvious?!"

Minjae says nothing, just chuckles and goes back to finishing his meal.

At least Taehyung got some actually helpful advice now. Nothing like Jimin chanting "Buy him honey, Rachmaninoff baby, Rachmaninoff!", Taehyung sighing "Wasn't it 'Vegas baby Vegas' just a minute ago?". 

They wrap up lunch soon after and get back to the office building.

Where Taehyung is promptly tested as he sees Jeongguk making his way to the break room. 

Okay, act normal, just like always. You can do this.

But here is the problem: Taehyung may be a smooth specimen when he feels confident but when he doesn't  - well, then he sometimes turns completely useless. Which he is well aware off, thank you very much. That doesn't change the problem at hand though.

So upon seeing Jeongguk he just starts to malfunction, mouth falling slightly open, posture going stiff and steps slowing down as he frantically tries to recall how he usually acts around the other. What the does normal mean again?

Jeongguk - because of course he does - notices him immediately and stops midway, waiting for Taehyung to catch up on him.

"So I see you're still alive," he states dryly.

A jab to how Taehyung has avoided him the better part of the past week. Taehyung winces.

"Uh, yeah, thanks I guess."

Jeongguk grunts and continues his way to the break room.

Taehyung stays rooted to the spot for several precious seconds and blinks after him, flabbergasted. 

Only once Minjae gives him a little jab with the ellbow and mutters a quiet "Eveything okay" does he get out of his stupor and moves again.

"Oh yeah, sure, yeah I'm... I'm good."

His friend gives an odd look yet says nothing. In that moment Taehyung is immensely thankful that Baekhyun branched off earlier to his spot behind the reception counter. He surely would have drawn attention. Taehyung loves him, but sometimes he appreciates Minjae's calm vibes a teenie tiny bit more. Just sometimes. They are both great dudes of course.

Taehyung scurries to his office, firmly closes the door and slumps down in his chair. Lights his yankee candle and tries very hard not to think about how super awkward this just was.

The citrus lavender scent wafts off the candle, slowly filling the room once more - scent from earlier almost gone by now, courtesy to his tilted windows. Taehyung takes some deep breaths, squares his shoulders, unlocks his computer. And gets back to work. Starts optimizing image size and resolution while summer advents in his office, candle burning steady.

Jeongguk keeps popping up in his head every now and then. He tries to wav him away like a persistent fly.

Spoiler alert: It's not working.

All in all it could have been a relatively good day. Hours ticking by and Taehyung being at peace with the world and himself after a while as he goes through all the steps of developing a responsive design for the website and making it smartphone-able. 

Could have.

Yet as so often Jeongguk gets on the scene to ruin everything. Or well okay, not everything. But at least Taehyung's flow and good feeling about everything.

As usual there is no knocking to announce his arrival, he just bursts into the room with the energy of a herd of buffalo. Almost throwing the door out of its hinges.

Taehyung shrieks. He gets the minute thought that if he were a cartoon character he'd just jumped up to the ceiling and banged his head. Hard.

"Hey did you get that latest mail of Baek- oh, ew, what the hell."

Taehyung is still clutching his head and processing that Jeongguk is in his room.

"Wha-wha-what is going on," he gasps, voice embarassingly shrill.

"You got one of those stink candles huh."

And. That does the trick. Upon hearing his precious candle being insulted Taehyung switches from startled to offended in the blink of an eye.

"Yah, just 'cause you don't have taste as good as me doesn't mean you have to be that mean! Also this is a summer scent, fitting for the season approaching. Go deal."

"What do you mean I don't have taste? Have you ever looked at yours-"

"Jeon Jeongguk I ing dare you to end that sentence!"

The younger's mouth hangs open for a moment at which he clearly contemplates whether continuing would be worth the headache. He then closes it, swallows down the words and instead says,

"What kind of scent is that supposed to be anyway?"

Taehyung looks up at him through narrowed eyes.

"It's 'citrus scent with orange and lemon, alongside some floral notes of lavender', thank you very much," he reads off the candle.

"Gross."

"Yah, Jeon Jeongguk!"

"What? It's true. Besides, having any kind of fire so close to technical devices is always a bad idea."

"You're a bad idea."

Jeongguk pauses. Gives him a disbelieving look. He then seems to remember the still open door and closes it with some kind of unnerving calmness. Then gives Taehyung a very long judging look.

"You did not really quote that kids show on me just now."

Taehyung blinks. "What."

"What."

Slowly, the older begins to grin.

"Nooo, don't tell me little Jeonggukkie is an ATLA fan," he cooes.

Jeongguk splutters, red spots appearing on his cheeks. Taehyung almost thinks it cute.

"I'm not, what the ? I'm an exclusive TLOK proponent is all."

"Dude you can't like Korra and not like the whole Aang arc."

"ing watch me, yes I can."

Jeongguk looks kind of like a little kid. Taehyung wouldn't be surprised to see him stomping his foot any moment now. He grins even wider.

"No you can't, without the GAang there wouldn't even be an Avatar Korra series." Taehyung crosses his arms. "Besides, the whole 'there is no war in Ba Sing Se' thing was just genius. And the relationship between Zuko and Iroh. And Iroh in general. And all the wholesome character developments. And Toph being played by a buff dude in the theatre because nobody who got defeated by her had the balls to admit they were defeated by a little girl. And turtle ducks ohmygod, turtle ducks. And Sokka's genius moments. And Sokka's questionable moments. And Mai doing the Naruto run. And the Avatar day that's celebrated by slurping raw dough and-"

"Okay okay will you just stop talking."

"No, you," Taehyung spits and continues right where he left off. "Sokka being high on cactus juice. Aang being convinced the best distraction in the world is to spin tiny pebbles between his hands-"

"You got plenty of that in the grown-up version of him in the Korraverse too so stop dreaming. Also Naga is clearly superior to Appa."

Taehyung gasps and slaps a hand at his chest, right above his heart. The betrayal is real. "How ing dare you insult my poor baby who has been through so much! Also! Who would be chaotic good dumb enough in the Korraverse to bump heads while bowing at each other the way Aang and Sokka did, huh?"

"Bolin and Korra, that's who. Also Korrasami is canon which is the first openly gay couple in kids tv or something, and awesome so just get over yourself."

" you!"

Jeongguk's jaw ticks - something Taehyung has never seen in real life before - and his hands curl to fists at his sides.

"Will you stop saying that already. yourself!"

"Hah, you wish."

" yes I do." 

Jeongguk freezes. Taehyung gapes back at him. Watches the younger swallow thickly.

"Wait, I mean-" The blush on Jeongguk cheeks deepens even more, eyes going comically wide as he opens and closes his mouth a couple times before he spins on his heel and flees.

Taehyung is not off that much better.

"What... what the hell?"

Well. So much to acting normal around each other.

For the past hour Taehyung has been very much dying after suffering through the whole incident anew but Jimin doesn't. Get it. Instead he is cackling so loud there is static noise cracking in Taehyung's speaker.

"Bro, oh bro you two are hopeless," Jimin cries between fits of laughter. "You are hopeless and dumb, a match made in heaven ohmygosh..."

"Jimiiiin," Taehyung whines but gets ignored.

" ' yourself'  - 'you wish' - 'yes I do' ohmygod. This is gold. This is just utterly pure gold. You are so oblivious and adorable, I love you."

Jimin's imitation is off, especially the Jeongguk part but. No hate. Dude has never met Jeongguk in his life and doesn't know how his voice sounds. Taehyung catches himself before he can think something gross like 'he doesn't know how beautiful his voice sounds' because it's not true and stupid and false and irrelevant and. Yeah.

"I so wish I could've been there," Jimin continues, still giggling his off and probably laying on the floor since a while now. He always falls off his chair when he laughs that much. Which is adorable but not helpful for Taehyung's heart. "I would actually pay good money to see this. like that is just too good to come up with. Oh dear... 'you wish', oh wow... genius, just genius..."

"Jimin! You are not helping."

"And I never said I would now did I? Leave me be."

"What, you are my soulmate, you are supposed to help me out here."

"No, I'm supposed to laugh my off about you," Jimin declares. And proceeds doing just that.

After five more minutes of Jimin doing nothing but giggling, Taehyung ends the call. This is hopeless. He is hopeless. And doomed.

How the am I supposed to survive this?

He throws himself on his bed and aimlessly scrolls down and down on different sites on his phone until eventually getting stuck on some Gordon Ramsay compilations.

"Pathetic, absolutely pathetic," tiny Youtube-Gordon sneers.

Taehyung couldn't agree more.

His rescue from The Big Uncomfy Awkwardness surprisingly comes in form of another spat between Jeongguk and him.

Taehyung may or may not have made a comment about how the position of Jeongguk's desk is bad for the flow of Chi in his room, the younger refusing to give two s and somehow this escalated real quick.

"Stop ordering me around, you don't get it."

"No you don't get it," Taehyung bites back. "But what's new? This is so stupid, I'm so done with you, honestly. If I was trapped inside a room filled with explosives together with you and the only way to get out was for me to eat a whole tomato I would not eat it and let us die."

Jeongguk groans. "How the hell would you even get in that situation?"

"That's not the point, the point is I don't like you and I don't like tomatoes and it would be a lose-lose scenario in every case."

"What even, what?"

And on and on it goes, Taehyung huffing and puffing, Jeongguk shooting right back until at some point he suddenly turns meek.

"So you don't like tomatoes?"

"Yes that's what I said, congrats for having ears."

Jeongguk shuffles around a bit. View cast downwards. It's a 180° turn of behaviour and Taehyung cannot deal with that. With Jeongguk not shooting venom back at him in the blink of an eye.

"How about... how about apples though?"

And the younger sounds so small in a way he never does, so timid yet hopeful that Taehyung falters. Cannot even begin to reply anything mean.

"I, yeah they are okay I guess...?"

Jeongguk digs into his pocket and retreives a red shiny apple, silently holding it out for the older.

At this point Taehyung is properly confused. Luckily his grandma's lessons about proper behaviour strike so he reaches out by default, takes the apple and mumbles an awkward 'Uhh, thanks'.

" 'S nothing." 

Jeongguk is still not looking up.

So Taehyung takes it as his cue to leave. Back in his office he takes a tentative bite. Then another. And another. The apple is delicious.

But keeping up with Jeongguk's antics is getting more challenging with each day. What was that supposed to be just now? A peace offering? Him just being nice? Something else entirely?

Taehyung has not the slightest clue. What makes it worse is that distinct feeling, that itch in the back of his head telling him he better hurry up and try to understand everything soon.

Whatever 'everything' is.