Hide & Seek ➤ Taekook/Vkook

Chapter 8

𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒚𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎
𝑴𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔
𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔𝒆
𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑰, 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉

*****

After his father and mother, individually and collectively, there was only one person Taehyung was scared of, and it was his brother when he would be all serious and tough.

"First tell me one thing, Taehyung-ah, did you really joke about-...about being bisexual to Jungkookie? Please be honest."

That's how the conversation started apparently.

"You think I couldn't read you, my own brother? I've always had my suspicions all these years, and now I'm pretty sure I wasn’t wrong, but I still want to hear it from you." 

And that's how it went on.

Maybe coming to visit Seokjin's apartment to convince him to perform with the boys was not a very good decision after all. Taehyung knew his brother could be very stubborn at times, a quality he presumed they both inherited from their father, and so, sitting on the couch in Seokjin's studio apartment with his brother's eager eyes fixated on him, Taehyung had no other option but to confess that his attractions indeed extended to both men and women.

"Since when?"

Taehyung would tell the truth if he could, if he wouldn’t sound absolutely ludicrous saying that all those years ago, he had suddenly discerned that he had kind of developed a crush on Jeon Jungkook. It was egregious to even think of, since the boy he fancied had always liked girls. Admitting it, especially now when Jungkook was in a relationship with a girl would simply make it awkward between the two brothers. Taehyung wouldn’t be surprised if his brother would even feel disgusted with him. So, he lied.

"For about a- uh, a year now? Met a guy in a club. We hooked up and I-...didn't hate it even after sobering up, so...I figured genders don't really matter to me."

That much lying was allowed, right? Taehyung knew that he probably didn't sound much convincing, but Seokjin couldn’t see through that, could he?

Taehyung felt relieved when his brother leaned closer, eyes sympathetic as he took his hands into his warmer ones, thumbs brushing over his knuckles as if to comfort him, "...Did you-...do you feel ashamed of it?"

"No." The answer was short but firm, coming out in a steady voice.

"Then why did you lie to us that night?" Seokjin was confused, but he still spoke gently, "Why did you say that you just told Jungkookie you were bisexual only to mess with him?"

"Hyung, it's not about being ashamed of who I am!" Taehyung's shoulders bunched up as he tried to explain, tone going up an octave, “He- he caught me off guard when he dropped the bombshell at the table! I- It felt like I lost control of the whole situation! So, I-...” He sighed, shoulders slouching, as though the sudden spike in his desperation died down as quick as it had risen, leaving him kind of debilitated. Eyes downcast on his lap, he mumbled, “I wanted to come out on my own terms, hyung, not in the heat of the moment.”

“But you hurt Jungkookie in the process.” Seokjin shook his head, “He trusted you.”

“He is aware that it was damage control.” Taehyung said, a bit indignant to think of how his brother's main focus landed on Jungkook first. “We talked.”