love me (me) [vkook/taegguk]

[part six] chapter twenty four - this just in

It's funny to think about how much he was dreading having to speak to Jeongguk over the phone on behalf of his brother earlier and how that's exactly what he ended up doing, over video chat no less.

But it's nice. Jeongguk has a kind of comforting way about him that makes Taehyung feel like he's known him for years. And maybe that has more to do with the fact that Jeongguk currently believes that he's talking to Vantae, whom he actually has known for years, but it's nice, nonetheless.

"Enough about my boring day," his twin's best friend's voice cuts into his thoughts. "What about you?"

Taehyung tilts his head a bit at that. "What about me?"

Jeongguk gives him a meaningful stare in response. "Well, what's it like over there? In America? Do you like it?"

"Oh," Taehyung mumbles in realisation.

Right, this is V's first time in the States, and he should probably be making a bigger deal about that, but he doesn't really know what to say.

"I... I mean, I haven't really had a chance to go sightseeing or anything like that yet, if that's what you mean, so I don't– I don't really have anything interesting to say right now," he stumbles out in an awkward way that is very un-Vantae-like. He hurriedly tries to amend it. "But I'm sure that I will by the next time that we talk, so I'll tell you everything then, bun, I promise."

That's a plausible enough excuse, right?

Jeongguk kind of pouts at him, seeming thoughtful. "And you promise to show me everything when I get there too?"

Taehyung's heart slightly quickens. He wasn't aware that he was also visiting Los Angeles. Then again, it's not like that information would have been very beneficial to him in the first place since he doesn't even know Jeongguk and probably won't properly be meeting him for a very long time.

"Of course, my Kookie," he answers with a soft smile before he can think anymore about that.

He immediately receives one in return. "You better."

Then, Vantae's best friend is suddenly leaning forward, his face quite close to the camera.

The abrupt movement catches Taehyung off guard, and his eyes widen a little before he backs away as if that'll help anything.

"What– What are you doing?"

"Trying to find a way for my phone to stay standing up so that we can still see each other while I work out, obviously," Jeongguk replies nonchalantly before straightening and slowly retreating until Taehyung is able to get a full body view of him, and wow. What a view it is.

He's wearing an oversized shirt and sweats, but his sleeves are currently being pulled up to reveal large golden biceps that Taehyung kind of, sort of, definitely has the urge to sink his teeth into.

Due to this, the words register in his mind belatedly as he is more than a little distracted, but when they finally do, he just about sputters. "Wait, while you what now?"

Jeongguk definitely doesn't miss his strangled reaction. His eyebrows pinch together. "Unless you wanted to go back to sleep?" He asks unsurely before shaking his head. "Shit, I'm sorry, hyung. I didn't even think about that, but you must still be so tired, and I'm being selfish, aren't I?"

Needless to say, Taehyung is surprised. How did he reach that conclusion? "What? No, of course not," he quickly assures him. "You're good. I'm good. I'm up, I swear, and I wouldn't miss this for the world, Jungkookie."

Desperate much?

Shut the fuck up, he mentally curses himself. Don't ruin this for me.

"Are you sure?"

Taehyung can only nod, no longer trusting his own mouth.

Jeongguk grins for the nth time since they started talking, which is really starting to affect Taehyung, before he begins to exercise right in front of him.

And this must be something that Vantae and his best friend do a lot, because Jeongguk is so unfazed by the attention that he's getting as he asks Taehyung to at least tell him about the weather and food and people in L.A.

And the answers should be coming to him easily, seeing as he's literally lived here for two years now, but Taehyung finds himself barely being able to give much coherent responses with the way that he's focusing on the way that Jeongguk stretches, and the ways all his different muscles flex, and how he can just barely make out a line of sweat trailing down his neck, and it's suddenly very very hot, and Taehyung thinks that he might be drooling, and when the fuck did his chain get in his mouth–