BROMANCE | VKOOK - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

As every morning, Taehyung stopped the car in front of Jungkook's house at 7:30am in the morning. The bright sunlight somehow made him happier than he was usually at this time of the day. While a upbeat song was playing from the radio, Taehyung hummed the lyrics along, drumming his fingers on the wheel along to the rhytmn.
It was a beautiful morning, even though he was for sure not a morning person. Not yet, maybe someday that would change.
His brother however sat in the back, phone in front of his face and a cap pulled all over his face, making it difficult for Taehyung to catch a glimpse of his younger brother. He hadn't talked at all this morning and refused to pick Jungkook up from his home but when Taehyung told him off, he got in the car against his will and had stopped replying to the older at all.
"Go get your friend", Taehyung grumbled because the younger didn't seem to move his ass out of the car, rather staying in here and waiting for Jungkook to come out himself.
"You want to pick him up, why don't you go?", Jimin asked sharply. "It's embarrassing to come to school with a guy who's wearing dresses."
"Pretty sure he's not wearing a dress right now", Taehyung groaned. "Now stop being an asshole, it's your best friend."
"You're the one feeling sorry for him, I couldn't care less about whether we take him to school or not today", Jimin shrugged and then went back on his phone where he was texting Hoseok the whole time. They got quite talkative with each other lately. While Jimin still hoped for more, Hoseok only saw him in a brotherly way, amused by him and thinking he was a fun person to have around. Nothing beyond that though.
Taehyung had enough from Jimin's behavior and got out of the car, slamming the door shut as he walked along the small path that lead to the front door. Jungkook's mother had planted flowers everywhere, it looked stunning and Taehyung immediately felt welcomed here, just by some colorful plants all over here.
Fuck, since when did he even pay attention to the little things.
The door got opened before he could even ring the bell, Jungkook standing there with an awkward smile on his face. His face looked a little pale and drained out, he was wearing a huge football jersey and had his hair thrown back, showing off his forehead. "Woah", Taehyung commented quietly, a little stunned by how much more attractive the boy looked with that look.
His father appeared behind his back and patted the boy's shoulders. "Good Morning, Taehyung"; he gave the boy a soft smile and then ruffled his son's hair. "Excuse him for the thing yesterday, he was just trying to win a bet with his sister."
"Yeah, no prob-, sir", Taehyung bowed politely, still glancing at Jungkook who looked so, so good in that clothes.
Kook nodded, "Won the bet though", he grinned sarcastically and his father laughed.
"Have a good day, son", Mr Jeon said and then smiled at Taehyung, "You too. Thanks for not being rude to him, unlike Jimin", he hummed and stared at Jimin who sat in the car and watched the whole situation. He felt Mr Jeon's glance and immediately pulled his cap more to his face, hiding behind it.
Taehyung smiled, Mr Jeon went back inside and Jungkook shut the door, looking down to the ground. "Sorry my Dad is embarrassing", he hummed.
"No, not at all!", Taehyung hurried to say, "You're parents are both amazing!"
"Thanks", Kook said in a small voice, eyes still glued to his feet while walking. He was still ashamed of basically everything that happened yesterday and he wished that Taehyung had never seen him like that. Usually he'd be bratty and cheesy about all of this, but being left hanging by Jimin somehow left a bitter taste.
"You look good today", Taehyung said shyly. All he wanted was to cheer the little one up, getting that adorable bunny smile back onto his lips. But Jungkook only sighed, "Yeah, it's because I dress like a boy again."
Taehyung bit his lips. "Well, I think you look good in whatever."
He ruffled Jungkook's hair and then even opened the car door for him, "And now cheer up, Koo."
Jungkook smiled sadly and hopped into the car, onto the backseat next to Jimin. His friend only turned away, not even bothering to say good morning.
"Hi?", Jungkook asked awkwardly.
Jimin looked away as Taehyung started the car, watching them through the car mirror while driving along the street, heading towards school.
"Why are you not talking to me?", Jungkook asked a bit angry now, "Did I do something wrong?"
"Yeah! You were wearing a fucking dress. Do you know how embarrassing that was?!", Jimin snapped at his best friend, "I feel so ashamed of you, honestly."
"I didn't know you were coming over", Jungkook tried to justify it but Jimin only cut him off, groaning, "Why would you even put that shit on? You're such a faggot."
"Jimin!", Taehyung growled from the front but Jimin wouldn't shut up.
Jungkook lifted his eyebrows, "Excuse me? What did you just call me?"
"I didn't mean that", Jimin quickly said, blushing a little bit.
"Yeah", Jungkook said sharply, "If I can remind you of one thing, you're the one who likes boys. I never mentioned anything about my sexuality. So pay attention to your words, Jimin", he reminded the older of how inappropriate his words were.
"Sorry", Jimin hummed. "I really didn't mean that."
"It's fine, I don't care", Jungkook lied and then looked away.
Taehyung now decided to say something as well, "Look Jimin. I get it, you're trying to be cool in front of the boys and especially Hoseok. I'm not stupid I've seen you having a crush on him a long time ago already. But let me tell you one thing, bringing others down just ain't it. Doesn't make you cool and doesn't make people want to stick around you."
Jimin only rolled his eyes after being lectured by his brother, not even answering as he went back on his phone.
Jungkook however just thought one thing; Taehyung just became ten times hotter just by having a proper personality and not just a pretty face. For a second his anger on Jimin faded away and all he could think of was how beautiful Taehyung looked there, behind the wheel with the sun shining to his face, his skin shimmering softly in the morning sun.
Oh, what a view.
"I'm having lunch with Hoseok today", Jimin suddenly announced, "Just saying."
"Oh, can I come?", Jungkook asked curiously. Sitting alone wasn't one of his favorite activities because once you sat alone, the cool kids always looked at you and made fun of your every action. Kook didn't like that at all because he had to bare with it on days when Jimin was ill or simply not around, and the older knew that.
"No", Jimin replied quietly, "Sorry. It'd be cool if you'd just keep your distance from me for a few days."
"Jimin!", Jungkook whined, "No one knows I wore a dress. It's not like the whole school knows-"
Silence.
Until Jimin scratched his neck and bit his lip awkwardly, "Well, about that, Hoseok and I might have told some people-"
"Why the fuck would you do that!?", Jungkook yelled out.
"I didn't mean to, it just came up", Jimin tried to excuse himself but got stopped by Taehyung who pressed the stop pedal in the middle of the road and then turned around in his seat, "Get out."
"What?!", Jimin exclaimed.
"Get out of my fucking car", Taehyung growled. "It's not far to school. Now go."
"What the hell? Why?!"
"I don't like being seen with bullies, now get the fuck out of my car", Taehyung yelled out, Jimin not moving an inch. "You can't just let me walk", he said helplessly.
"Oh sure I can, it's my car."
"I'll tell Mom!"
"I don't give a fuck. They're on business trips all the time, the worst they can do is give me a thousand dollar less a month. Now get out", Taehyung said again, this time his tone so sharp that even Jungkook had shivers down his spine.
Jimin rolled his eyes and then got out of the car, slamming the door shut loudly and walked along the road on his own now.
"Come to the front", Taehyung now said to Jungkook, voice softened immediately.
Kook behaved and quickly climbed to the front, sitting down next to Taehyung.
"You okay?", the older asked worriedly. "I can't stand my brother when he's behaving like that, sorry. This had nothing to do with you, I'm just trying to teach him some manners."
Jungkook gulped at that, feeling a bit dumped because he seriously thought Taehyung did all that because he cared for the younger. But no, it was just some dumb rule teaching he tried to do on his younger sibling. Kook was still thankful though so he gave him a smile, "Yeah, I'm fine."
Taehyung nodded and then drove the rest of the way to the school, parking in one of the front parking lots where everyone could see them.
Jungkook couldn't help but get flustered at when Taehyung turned to him once again, "Jimin has a habit of always trying to impress everyone. Sometimes he doesn't realize that what he's doing is the wrong thing."
Jungkook nodded, "Yeah, I've known him for a while", he chuckled and then got out of the car.
Taehyung did so too and they stood there for a bit, awkwardly looking at each other.
"Look", Jungkook said, "Thanks and all that for being nice and shit. But I'm good. I can handle things on my own and I don't need to be protected like a kid. I'm glad you did none of this for me and I'd like to keep it that way, yeah?"
Taehyung looked at him dumbfounded but then nodded, throat going a little dry.
If he talked like that, while looking like that, fuck Taehyung couldn't even think of him as a little kid. He'd much rather think of him as a whole damn meal he'd like to eat out for breakfast.
But once he realized how nasty his thoughts got once again, he rushed away from the younger and left him standing. Math class would for sure calm him down-, and his lower body that got unusually annoying these past days.
*
Sometimes Taehyung really questioned himself why he didn't drop out of school yet. During math class, he constantly got reminded of why he would never get into college with those non-existent skills he had. Second period was biology and when Johnny and Mark kept screaming every time the teacher taught things about the human body-, Taehyung even asked himself why he was friends with literal children.
The first break didn't get any better. While he stood outside with his friends, Hoseok having a cigarette in between his lips and so had Jimin, Taehyung couldn't stop zoning out, thinking of how pretty Jungkook looked this morning. Was it just the forehead or was something magical about him recently?
Taehyung felt as if with every time he saw the younger, he got even more beautiful and attractive.
That was such a weird feeling, he even forgot to kiss back when Lia jumped in between their group, pressing a kiss to her boyfriend's lips. Jackson and Yoongi were focused on the other girls that had just arrived, joining the boys.
Taehyung however was glad when the break ended and they could go back to class.
Another two periods of lame ass chemistry and then it was finally time for lunch. He felt as if he was starving, seriously.
The group of friends made their way to the cafeteria where they met up with Jimin who was still some class beneath them so he couldn't be in their classes logically.
Jungkook wasn't with him.
Hoseok highfived the boy and then they walked into the cafeteria and got their food.
Unconsciously Taehyung started glancing around, searching for the boy with the raven black hair and the puppy eyes. But once he found him, he wished he didn't. Jungkook sat next to the rubbish at a small table with his food in front of him. He had stained tears on his cheeks and bit onto his sandwich anxiously.
Taehyung looked away, trying to push the urge down to go and talk to him. He couldn't always be like that. In the end it would come off as weird if he constantly looked after him. Thing is, Taehyung had no problem protecting the boy in front of others but he for sure as hell didn't want anyone to think that there was more to it.
Jungkook was still one of the weird kids and Taehyung had done a lot to get a good reputation at this school. Even though he was not a bully after all, he still paid attention to who he called his friend in front of others.
They sat down not too far away from Jungkook, so Taehyung could easily look at him a few times. The boy was leaning over his phone, focused on a game he was playing with his sandwich still between his lips.
Well, until he got interrupted by Hoseok screaming through the whole cafeteria, "Yo, fag! Why you're not wearing a skirt for us today?!", he mocked the younger.
Jungkook didn't reply, he didn't even bother to look up from his phone.
"Jungcock, I'm talking to you", Hoseok laughed and now Jimin joined him, "Bet he's deaf now. Maybe his father punched some sense into him."
Jungkook flinched a little, hating the fact that Jimin would portray his father as someone like that. Yeah, his father sucked in a lot of things but he was never, not once in Jungkook's life, a violent person.
Kook balled his fists and put the phone down, looking up at the two who now stood up and walked over.
"Dude", Hoseok laughed, "Honestly, you should sit with the girls. You're not worth being called a man, how about you put those clothes off and get back into your dresses?"
He grabbed the milk Jungkook had bought from the cafeteria lady and simply emptied it over Jungkook's head, "Here. Bet you like white liquid all across your face. Fucking girl", Hoseok blurted out and Jimin broke into laughter.
While Jungkook felt the tears coming up, not sure if they came out of anger, frustration or by being hurt by Jimin once again.
He couldn't care less over Hoseok's words.
But Jimin standing besides him, god it hurt.
He turned around and ran out of the cafeteria, rushing to the toilets where he just started crying out loudly, wiping away the milk from his face as he washed it with water. The boy sobbed so hardly that he didn't notice how the door got opened and Taehyung walked in, worry all across his face as he saw Jungkook like that.
"Oh, god no", Taehyung let out, voice shaking a little. "Fuck, Koo. I'm so sorry, I-"
"You didn't do anything wrong", Jungkook said out loud, forcing himself to sound strong through his tears as he turned to Taehyung and smiled weakly at him. "And I'm fine, don't worry."
Taehyung didn't believe him shit and his heart sunk a little when he saw Jungkook's wet hair now falling above his forehead again, eyes sparkling in tears and his cheeks in a light blush.
For fuck's sake, how could he still look beautiful when he was nothing but a mess?
Taehyung couldn't stop himself, he just got closer and hugged the boy tightly, holding him until Jungkook finally stopped sobbing.
"I hate seeing you cry, it hurts me too", Taehyung hummed silently as he pulled back again ten minutes later, giving Jungkook an assuring smile.
"It's because you love me", Jungkook said, his bratty attitude slowly coming back after he had calmed down from what just happened. Taehyung's eyes went big and he gasped, not sure how to respond. "Jungkook, I-"
"I'm kidding", Jungkook laughed out, "God, it's so easy to tease you, Taehyung-"
The older's cheeks went red and he looked down to the floor, "So that's your way of thanking me? I come looking for you and you're being a brat?", he sounded a little teasing himself as he stepped a little closer, holding eye contact with the younger.
"Well, yeah-", Jungkook said, his breath hitching a little once he realized that Taehyung kept stepping closer. "Sometimes I really think you have a thing for me~"
"I clearly don't have a thing for you", Taehyung hummed calmly, brushing through Jungkook's wet hair once. It was meant to seem as if he was just patting his head, but it went way beyond that when his hand moved slower and the hair fell slowly back in place, making Jungkook even prettier. Taehyung had never felt this weak in his life, weak for a person and all about him.
"Yeah, obviously not", Jungkook played along, smirking to himself when he noticed Taehyung's eyes glancing down at the younger's lips. "I'm not gay at all, so how would I have a thing for a little boy like you~"
Jungkook giggled, sounding like heaven to Taehyung's ears. "Clearly", he agreed amused, "You're so straight, it hurts."
"Mhm", Taehyung was about to shut his eyes, lips only an inch apart when the door got pushed open and they jumped away from each other within seconds.
It was Lia who stood there, a little confused but then she rushed in between them and looked at Jungkook, "Oh dear god, are you okay?", she asked worriedly. "I've seen what Hoseok and Jimin did to you-"
"I'm good", Jungkook said quickly, still frozen after what had just almost happened between Taehyung and him. "I'm really okay", he repeated, more to assure himself of it than Lia.
The girl nodded and ruffled his hair, "God, I didn't knew they could be so rude. Anyways, you can sit with me and Taehyung during lunch from now on. We don't need to sit with the others if they're being like this towards you."
"It's fine", Jungkook cut her off, "I like being by myself."
Lia nodded. "Yeah but just in case-"
"No, really", Jungkook said. "I don't need you to pity me, I much rather sit by myself than with Jimin if he judges me for what I do in my private bedroom. It's not like I came to school wearing a fucking dress, I put it on in my private free time, no one was forced to see it. And if he bullies me for that, then that's stupid and I really am glad I can be myself instead of with him."
"But-"
"Nah, Lia. You and me aren't friends and neither are Taehyung and I. You guys sit where you always sit and that's it."
With that Jungkook walked towards the door, "I can handle a little bullying, trust me. I have enough respect for myself to not let it get to me."
He left the bathroom and Taehyung let out a huge sigh.
"Fuck, that was hot."
"What?!", Lia blurted out all confused.
"Nothing", Taehyung quickly corrected himself, "I was just saying he became pretty mature, don't you think?"
Lia shrugged her shoulders, still looking at her boyfriend a little oddly.
"Sure-"