Hide & Seek ➤ Taekook/Vkook

Chapter 3

[A/N: Check out the new cover I created for Hide & Seek! 🥺 I was satisfied with the one before as well but I honestly love this one more. Let me know how it is. 😇]

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"Jungkook, finish your-...Hey hey hey!" Taehyung shot his left hand out in front of Jungkook's forehead just in time to stop his face from completing its slow descent into his plate of scrambled eggs, nearly untouched. 

Jungkook let out a drowsy groan of protest, his eyebrows deeply furrowed. "Mm..."

"Easy there." Suppressing a laugh, Taehyung gently nudged his head back upright, waiting until his spine reluctantly followed. The younger blinked several times, his eyes barely managing to stay open as he slumped against the backrest.

"You can go back to sleep in the car," Taehyung suggested with a small smile, guilt prickling at a tiny corner in his chest. It was mostly on him why Jungkook didn't look well-rested. Last night had unfolded in a far stranger note than either of them had anticipated; Jungkook evidently hadn't managed much sleep afterwards. 

Chugging down the remnant of his own apple juice, Taehyung slid Jungkook's glass of orange juice a little closer to the boy, speaking softly, "Now hurry up and finish your breakfast. Or, we'll be late."

Jungkook slowly lifted his head at that, blinking incredulously at Taehyung, "...Did you seriously just tell me to hurry?"

"I did." Taehyung's smile was, expectedly, smug as he got up from the chair.

Jungkook snorted, sluggishly forking his scrambled egg and forcing a piece into his mouth, "That's a funny thing to hear from you."

"I know, right?" Taehyung snickered. "The irony is astounding! It's past 8 AM, by the way, Mr. Punctual," he mocked, pointing at the kitchen clock. "What were you saying about 8 AM sharp yesterday?"

It elicited a disgruntled grunt from the younger, naturally not having any solid comeback. His half-lidded eyes only absentmindedly tracked Taehyung around the kitchen as the older rinsed his empty glass, washed his hands, dried them on the towel hanging by the sink...

Completely awake and functional.

"How the hell are you so awake?" Jungkook couldn't help but mutter in a raspy tone, sounding almost offended as he chewed onto the toast. "You barely slept either."

Taehyung let out a dry chuckle, "I'm built different."

Pfft, he wasn't.

It was just that over the last few years, his body had developed an irritating habit of jolting awake far too many times in the middle of the night. Sometimes at the faintest sound. Sometimes for no reason at all. At one. At three. An entire hour before his alarm. More often than not, he would end up lying awake in the dark, staring at the ceiling until either sleep mercifully returned or the first hints of dawn seeped through the curtains. It had become like a gamble—a routine he no longer questioned. 

The real problem wasn't waking up frequently; it was the sinking feeling that came with each awakening, knowing he'd have to fight for sleep all over again. It was an exhausting battle, one he dreaded, yet had fought so many times that he had eventually learned how to survive on far less sleep than most people without looking like a complete zombie. 

But of course he wasn't going to tell Jungkook that. Or anyone else. He didn't want people finding out that he had obtained such a chronic case of insomnia that the nights themselves had become something to fear. 

It was embarrassing.

He snapped out when his phone buzzed on the table.

"It's Jimin," he declared for Jungkook upon picking it up and skimming the notification. "They're just turning onto our street—which means you've got two minutes to finish breakfast, Dumbkook. Ding ding ding!"