Neighbor|Taekook - Chapter 22: Chapter 22

It was Saturday morning, Jungkook scrunched his face. It's too cold. His arms lazily reached over to the other side of the bed, to wrap around Taehyung. However, he only glided over empty cold sheets. He unwillingly opened his eyes, only to see that he was alone in the bed.
I've gotten used to him sleeping next to me very quickly, haven't I? Now I won't be able to fall asleep without him by my side anymore...Why do I do this to myself?!
He groaned and kicked his blanket off. Taehyung's room was cold, he shivered as he walked over to the windows to open the curtains. The windows were fogged up, little droplets of water glittering in the morning sun. Jungkook yawned and stretched his arms after a good night's sleep. He turned around and trying to tame his messy hair, he went looking for Taehyung.
Jungkook found Taehyung in the kitchen, he shivered again, when his bare feet touched the cold tiles.
"I was so cold without you,"his hands snaked around Taehyung's waist as he put his head on his shoulder and back hugged him.
"Good morning, Jungkookie,"Taehyung turned around and gave him a peck on the lips.
"What are you doing in the kitchen so early, hyung?"
"Making you breakfast, of course."
"Your fridge is completely empty, but if you want to serve me cup ramyun for breakfast, I won't complain."
"Shush, I went to the convenience store to buy stuff."
"That's why you left me in bed all alone?"
"Truth be told Jungkookie, you were snoring so much, I couldn't stand it anymore, so I had to get up."
"Seriously?!"he let go of Taehyung.
"No," Taehyung laughed.
Jungkook punched his arm annoyed and poured himself some orange juice he saw on the kitchen counter. "So did you sleep well, hyung?"
"Yes."
"Good, I..."
"Actually...I kept waking up through the night..."he sighed.
"There wasn't a storm, was it?"
"No...but, I couldn't stop thinking about something..."
"What was it?"Jungkook was curious.
"A memory...it sometimes comes back..."
"What memory?"
"I can't remember very well...you know, it's like with dreams...sometimes you really can't remember them..."
"But you said, that the memory keeps coming back, so you obviously must remember."
"I don't,"Taehyung replied and turned his back on him.
"It doesn't make sense, then."
"Do dreams make sense?" Taehyung turned back smiled at him and gestured towards the table. "Sit down Jungkookie, I hope you'll like what I've made."
"Hyung, you really shouldn't have bothered cooking breakfast for me,"he tucked into a vegetable omelette with some seasoned tofu and rice on the side.
"You were such a good boy last night...I can't help it...I have to treat you right,"Taehyung sat down to join him.
Jungkook almost forgot about what happened last night and now being reminded by Taehyung, he couldn't help but blush.
Did it really happen? It must've been the wine...there's no way in hell I would've agreed to any of that, if I wasn't drunk...
He took a large gulp of orange juice,"I'm not doing anything to please you hyung, just so you know...."
"Oh, so it's purely for your own enjoyment?"Taehyung teased him. "You contradict yourself, Jungkookie...I could swear that I'd heard you say something along the lines of 'doing anything for hyung', but I might've heard it wrong..."
"I'm just saying you don't have to feel like you need to reward me or something...it doesn't feel right..."
"And I just said, that I want to treat you well...and I mean it,"he reached over and gently stroked Jungkook's cheek with his knuckles.
Ugh, I hate him...
"You over salted the omelette."
"You're still eating it,"Taehyung giggled.
"I'm just impressed that you didn't burn your kitchen down, hyung,"Jungkook didn't even look at him as he was pecking at his plate.
Taehyung closed his eyes and took a deep breathe,"you are lucky that I have a great patience, otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?"the corners of Jungkook's mouth twitched, he was having too much fun picking at Taehyung.
"Otherwise hyung will spank your ass. If you don't want to be rewarded, you can certainly receive a punishment instead."
"Thank God hyung has a great patience,"Jungkook gave him the widest smile, "right?"
Taehyung run his hand through his hair frustrated,"what have I gotten myself into..."
"You love my company, don't you, hyung?"
"I do...that's why I question my sanity..."he furrowed his brow.
Jungkook leaned over the table and kissed him on the lips,"I don't like it when you frown, hyung," he said softly. "I'll be a good boy for you, I promise."
Taehyung looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown, then he blinked few times and without a word took Jungkook's empty plate to wash it. "So, what do you want to do today?"his attempt to sound casual failed.
"Hmm...can we go to the cinema?"
"Sure, I'll check if any of them are open."
Why does this all seem so natural? Just two of us having fun together, going to places, enjoying each other's company and enjoying...other things too...Nope, I'm not going to think about that...
"Hyung, there's something I've been thinking about..."Jungkook hesitated.
"What exactly?"Taehyung was done washing the dishes and sat down back at the able.
"I...I don't know if...if I should be asking...but, I'm just curious..."he started to fidget.
"If you don't know, whether you should be asking, then you probably shouldn't."
I shouldn't, but I want to know...
"How...how was your first time kissing a boy?"
Taehyung raised one eyebrow and smirked,"why do you ask?"
"I mean...did you know by then, that...you're...you know...or was it only after?"
I can't believe I'm having this conversation with him...
"Funnily enough, my first time kissing a guy, was my first kiss ever."
"No way! So you have always been..."
"Not at all. Basically, I lost in a game and as a punishment, I had to kiss a guy."
"That was your first kiss? Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"Weren't you mad?"
"Actually...I didn't hate it...But, I pretended I did, because I didn't want to make Hoseok-hyung feel weird."
"Hoseok-hyung?"
"Yes, we are still friends...but...I've distanced myself from him afterwards...I was confused."
"So you weren't sure?"
"Oh, I think I was, but I didn't want to admit it...I thought to myself, that a first kiss is always special for everyone, so it didn't mean anything, that I liked it. However, when I kissed a girl for the first time...it wasn't the same."
"You really must've liked your hyung,"Jungkook couldn't fight the twinge of jealousy he was feeling.
"As a friend, yes. But, that was it, I had no feelings for him. I was trying to figure myself out, it wasn't an easy thing to do... I tried kissing another girl thinking, I'm a guy, I have to like kissing girls...As it turned out...it wasn't the case for me."
"So...did you try to kiss another guy, then?"
"No way, I was in denial...I was dating girls, but it would always end up with me feeling bad for them, because I really wasn't emotionally involved...it felt like I was lying to them...And lying to myself."
"But you managed to figure everything out..."
"Yeah...it wasn't that easy though...I really think it was thanks to some of my friends back then...They...especially one of my friends...they have opened my horizons."
He keeps talking about this...widening the horizons...Wait, is he...does it mean he...
"Do you...do you like girls as well?"
Taehyung's face got all serious,"human sexuality is very fluid, it can change throughout the life...nothing is set in stone, you don't have to have a clear preference...But for me, I'm pretty sure that at this point I have a very clear preference."
"And that is?"
"I don't know...you tell me, what you are Jungkookie,"he poked him jokingly.
I'm his preference?!
"I'm a man, of course,"Jungkook scoffed.
"So, hyung likes men."
"I think I...I used to think I like girls only..."
"Nothing wrong with that."
"Now, I like hyung."
"There's definitely nothing wrong with that...quite the opposite..."Taehyung grinned satisfied.
"You make everything sound like it's the most normal thing ever."
"And isn't it? It's not your decision...you can't just wake up one day and tell yourself that you will like something, because that's what's right. You like what you like, it's natural. What makes it all seem abnormal is society, it makes you think that you are some kind of freak...that you need to change...Oh, trust me I've tried it, I've tried resisting...but you can't go against something, that is given."
Haven't I been resisting it all this time? Those sleepless nights...that fear...How would things be now, if I had succeeded? If I pushed all of it away, ignored it, locked it away like that monster I've drawn? Would things be easier, would I feel more free? Probably not...and I would be missing out on so many things...I wouldn't be able to experience any of this...none of the strange excitement it gives me...
"It...it could be normal, but...let's say, if you had a chance to be really 'normal' and fit into the standards of society, would you accept it?"
Taehyung's face got even more serious,"I wouldn't hesitate one second."
That wasn't an answer Jungkook was expecting,"huh? Didn't you just say that it's all okay and what not?"
"For me...the story is a little bit different..."
"And here comes that part where you won't tell me anything..."
"Does that annoy you?"Taehyung chuckled.
"Isn't it obvious?!"
"What's obvious is, how cute you get when you're annoyed."
He thinks he's slick...I'll figure it out...I'll figure everything out, by myself...
"That friend you were talking about, who has helped you...Are you still friends? I thought you said you don't really have friends..."
"Oh, we are still friends...I'm just...not as close with him anymore."
So it's a guy...well, that's not surprising...
"Am I...your closest friend now?"
"More that that...my best friend...actually more than that."
Those words meant so much to Jungkook, he himself was surprised by their impact. He finally had someone here...Someone far better, than he could've ever hoped to have...A beautiful person, inside out, who liked him...really liked him as he is.
"It's only been a month!"
"How the time flows here on Earth...it holds no importance...I could've known you for five years and barely say a word to you. I've known you for one month and I've already opened up my heart to you...because you're special Jungkookie...and I'm lucky."
"But I make you question your sanity..."
"That's right, because you're a brat and I still like you a lot,"Taehyung laughed.
"Actually it is me who's lucky, hyung...For the first time in my life I feel..."
What the hell do I feel?! It can't be...
"I feel...uh...like someone..pletes me..."
"What about your ex-girlfriend?"
"She was...she was perfect, but looking back...I don't know...it didn't mean much. I think I've matured in this month alone more, than I'd managed in the past year...But, I have a feeling, that I still have a lot of growing up to do. I want to have deeper relationships with people, not just for the sake of having friends, I want something more."
Taehyung just smiled at him fondly. Then, he stood up and without saying a word went somewhere. He returned right back, with a notebook and a pen in his hands. "Don't move Jungkookie, I'm going to draw you."
He took the pencil and started sketching, making sure that Jungkook couldn't see the process. His eyes were flicking quickly between the paper and Jungkook's face, closely observed all the details.
"You know hyung," Jungkook broke the silence,"if you're a beginner, you shouldn't be focusing on tiny details, just look at your drawing at a bigger scale, just with few focal points. As you get better, then you can start with the detail work." In reality, Jungkook just go too shy seeing Taehyung staring at his face so intensely.
The older one was ignoring him, his face was showing a full concentration. "I think I'm done..."he was scanning the paper proud.
"Can I see?"
"No, you will laugh..."
"I promise I won't."
"Okay,"Taehyung flipped the notebook drawing side down and pushed it towards Jungkook,"I'm really a beginner, so don't judge too harsh..."
Jungkook grabbed the notebook and flipped it to look at the drawing. He breathed in, blinked few times and then burst out laughing,"what the hell is this?!"
"You promised, you wouldn't laugh! Why are you so mean?"Taehyung was obviously hurt.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry,"Jungkook's face was all read,"sorry I was expecting...you were sketching it for so long..."he was trying his best to contain his laughter.
"You don't like it?"
"Of course I like it, hyung..."
"No you don't, I can tell."
"I guess I still look sleepy, don't I? At least my hair isn't messy anymore..."Jungkook turned the page,"I'm going to draw you now." His copied Taehyung's style and quickly drew him. He pushed flipped the notebook on the table and pushed it back.
Taehyung looked at the drawing and smiled,"is this really me?"
Jungkook nodded.
"You copied me..."
"Because hyung's drawing style is cute."
Taehyung bit his bottom lip, drew another picture of Jungkook and showed it to him.
"Yah! I did say, that I had some growing up to do, but not that much!"
"To me, you're just a baby..."
"You are not even that much older, and you see me like this..."Jungkook was trying to sound offended, but he felt the giggles coming up.
"I may not be much older...but I'm definitely more experienced...Experienced in ways I know for sure, you aren't," Taehyung said in low seductive tone.
Oh shit!
Jungkook slammed the notebook shut, he felt the heat descending upon him. He thinks he's more experienced?! Well...he might be right...But, he doesn't need to know that...Yesterday, I surprised him...actually I surprised myself. But that feeling of having an upper hand for once...that was amazing. Maybe I can surprise him again...He felt his cheeks getting red. It's probably a really bad idea...what am I even thinking?! I have to prove him wrong though...I hate when he teases me like that.
Jungkook pushed his chair back, stood up, walked over to Taehyung and grabbed his hand. "Come, oppa."
He lead Taehyung to the living room and pushed him onto the couch. Instead of sitting down next to him, Jungkook kneeled down on the floor. He placed his hands on Taehyung's knees and positioned himself right between his thighs.
"Let's see, if oppa thinks differently after this."