peace | taekook

chapter eighteen

the scent of fried pork wafted through the air making tae's stomach grumble. he imagined how much sweeter it would taste without jimin nagging him.

"i'm still so mad that you just let bogum back into your life with no regard. what were you thinking?" he poked at the chicken breast on his plate, tearing it apart and dipping it into a mound of sauce which left a red residue around his mouth-

jimin was such a messy eater.

"it was a mistake." tae tried to limit the subject, "how many times do i have to tell you that?"

"but what if jungkook hadn't been there? like what if that would have happened at our home? then what!"

tae corrected him, "my home, not my fault you've moved into the guest room, and it didn't. so we don't need to think about it!"

"but how can i trust that it won't take a third time to realize that bogum sucks?" jimin huffed, "i mean what, he said he changed and you just believed him. who is to say you won't do that again?"

"i swear on my mother's grave that i won't ever go back to him again, okay?"

the blonde gasped, "you're that serious?"

both knew that whenever he brought up his mom, he meant business.

"i'm dead serious, okay? now can we change the subject?"

jimin smirked, a playful aura encasing the booth they were sat in, "yes we can. did you have a topic in mind or can i go?"

tae didn't like where this was going, "what do you have in mind?"

"jungkook's birthday party."

"what about it? why would i care?" the brunette was oddly defensive.

"well i'm telling you to pack a bag because yoongi booked a cabin for it upstate!"

"i'm not going." tae was adamant, determined, his almond orbs twisted to a glare.

"don't be like that." jimin matched his gaze, "you're going. it's this weekend and we're going to have a good time, damn it."

"what if i don't want to have a good time?" his bottom lip jutted to a pout as he thought about being around jungkook and his friends and his girlfriend all weekend, being the most uncomfortable uncoupled third wheel.

"be ready to go friday afternoon and pack warm clothes cause it gets chilly." his eyes sparkled, "and jin is going to cook all the things and oh- you know who you should bring?"

"who?" tae had gone from inhaling his food to poking it dejectedly.

"you should invite your brother!"

"he doesn't know anyone."

"but they're your friends, he's your brother. and he needs more friends!" jimin poked his hand, "invite him, okay. it'll be fun! the more the merrier!"

"this feels more like a party for you than a birthday party for jungkook." tae rolled his eyes thinking about the whole ordeal.

"it's a chance for everyone to connect and sit in nature and just be one with each other. don't you want to be one with jungkook?" jimin moved his eyebrows up and down playfully.

tae tried to muster up the best way to say that him and jungkook were not a thing. not now, not back then, maybe not ever. the chemistry was undeniable even to the untrained eye but the brunette refused, refused, refused to catch feelings that could never and would never be reciprocated.

he'd had a weak moment, caught himself falling, but was quick to pick it back up and put himself in his place, "i don't think his girlfriend wants him and i to be one with one another." he took a deep breath in, "and that's fine. we have nothing in common! like bottom line, i don't even know him really. we just found each other attractive which like, welcome to the club. a lot of people find both me and him attractive!"

jimin could tell that his best friend was deflecting, "i can promise that jungkook thinks far more highly of you than you apparently do of him."

"i doubt that." he whispered, barely audible to his lunch partner.

"are you kidding? tae!" jimin sucked a breath in to hold him over through his rant, "every time i'm around kook he asks about you so genuinely. like full on ask, not just to be polite! and if we bring you up in conversation he always finds a way to turn it into a full blown compliment session about you."

tae raised an eyebrow.

"like the other day, i said, tae literally is the loudest snorer on the planet. i can hear him through the walls and jungkook looked me dead in the eyes and was like it doesn't matter, i'm sure he's still the most beautiful person on the planet even while sleeping. do you and i say that kind of sweet nothings nonsense to one another? absolutely not! but you know who does say it to me?" he paused for dramatic effect, "yoongi, who is obligated to say it because he's obsessed with me and finds every piece of me endearing."

"if you're implying that jungkook is obsessed with me you're mistaken and also, you don't even live at my apartment. you have your own apartment. if i snore too loud, you can literally leave and go home." he flicked his best friends forehead who just chuckled in response.

"all i'm saying is that whatever weird barrier you've built up now that you aren't hell bent on proving me wrong needs to come down. and you two need to have an actual conversation about your feelings."

"he knows my feelings."

"he's dense. he probably doesn't know your true feelings." he felt his smaller hand grip his best friend, "trust me; this could be really good for you."

tae hummed at those words, at the idea of anything beyond friendship with jungkook. he wasn't sure it could ever work but jimin was right-

maybe he could at least try.