SHOOT YOUR SHOT ;; TAEKOOK

11

Taehyung broke his left arm when he was six years old. And he remembered everything so well.

It had been his father's year to have him in his life. His parents had a yearly 'pass the Tae' arrangement rather than a 'switch for the holidays' rotation.

His mother had made the long trip to Jooan's house in Atlanta for his twelve-month term, just a few weeks before school started, and just before he turned six. And, in retrospect, he recalls believing that it had been the best year of his life. That was the year he met Mrs. Lin, the head librarian.

Mrs. Lin compared Taehyung to Matilda, a Roald Dahl character, within weeks. Oh, how he had adored that analogy. It was the nicest remark he'd ever received, because Matilda had been one of his favourite books since he was four years old.

Of course, it wasn't until Taehyung grew up that he realised that her comparing him to Matilda wasn't exactly a complement. If you're familiar with the plot, you'll probably understand what I'm saying.

The library was Taehyung's fairground. He spent every waking moment he could there, just like Matilda, consuming pages upon pages of printed text.

Taehyung's father knew exactly where to search for him whenever he ran away.

Jooan would drop his son off at the door with a packed lunch and a gruff 'bye' every morning on the weekends before heading away on another one of his epic fishing adventures.

It had been an enchanted epoch. Taehyung liked to spend hours reading on an antique wingback chair. It had been pure bliss. Mrs. Lin was always there, keeping an eye on him and assisting him when he became stuck reading large words he didn't comprehend.

But the highlight of that year had been Mrs. Lin's introduction to Peter Pan. My God, he was completely enamoured with that tale.

Of course, he quickly learned that love is a highly hazardous emotion that frequently leads to completely irrational behaviour, and he has kept a safe distance from it ever since.

He had determined that Neverland was the place for him that summer, exactly one month before his seventh birthday and two weeks before his mother was to retrieve him for the 'Tae switch over.'

He was on his way out. He desired to live among the lost boys because that was how he had felt; lost and unclaimed.

Taehyung just knew he would feel he'd be more at ease with them... At school, the students made fun of him all the time.

Naturally, he knew – he simply knew – that the lost boys in the misfit gang would accept him wholeheartedly.

So, on August 12th, Taehyung packed a tiny bag with the basic essentials – four books, his teddy bear, a change of underwear, and his toothbrush – and got to work planning, for he didn't have any fairy dust to take him 'second to the right, then straight on until morning.'

He had assumed it was just a little hiccup that could be quickly fixed.

Taehyung eventually came up with a strategy. He was going to build himself some wings!

However, he wasn't supposed to be playing with scissors, and he needed assistance cutting out the shapes in the cardboard boxes he had discovered in the garage.

Taehyung informed Jooan of his ambitions and requested assistance, but he was quickly rejected. His statements had enraged him at the time. 'Taehyung, stop bugging me with your crap. Go outdoors and play.'

Oh, he was furious, so furious that he wanted to spit. Neverland was not a make-believe world. It was perfect. And he was on his way.

He cut those damn wings out himself with a new found determination, only suffering minor bruises to his hands — no fingers were lost.

He was clever and stole the shoelaces from all of Jooan's boots, knotting them together and putting them around his magnificent wings so he could slip his arms into them safely.

And then he was all set.

He leapt from his bedroom window, backpack firmly attached to his shoulders, wings ready to take flight, and soared... straight to the ground.

Taehyung had awoken in the hospital with a hefty cast on and a pair of furious parents. He didn't get the Neverland happy ever after he had initially hoped for.

But it was his mother's remarks to him when he awoke that he remembered most about the event.

He was not comforted, nor was he offered protestations of affection or concern. He had broken her final two weeks of 'quiet,' so she had labelled him stubborn and given him a severe reprimand.

Stubborn.

Taehyung certainly knew a thing or two about being stubborn.

He was well aware by now that Jeon Jungkook — was as stubborn as a mule. He had previously concluded that this arrangement would not always work as planned.

Jungkook doesn't appear to like to change his mind once he's reached a decision.

And the thing that irritated Taehyung the most about it was that he had no choice but accept it, because he wanted to go to college, he had to.

Jungkook was his meal ticket. Jungkook was his straw.

Taehyung was dissatisfied with his Terms and Agreements stipulations. And he'd expressed it as diplomatically as he could, explaining that he could support himself, get a job and an apartment, save for his own car, and eventually repay him.

Everything... had been met with a resounding 'no.' They're not talking about the kind of 'no' that leaves room for manoeuvring.

Oh, no, no, Jungkook's 'no' was firm, definitive, and unequivocal.

This was going to be a problem.

Jungkook, on the other hand, was not the only obstinate individual in the room.

If Taehyung's subtle nudges for self-sufficiency were to be dismissed, he'd have little choice but to compromise.

He was implying that anyone entering into any kind of agreement must be prepared to engage in some back-and-forth before settling on a final position, right?

For the past 45 minutes, they had been at it.

It was safe to say that they – he – hadn't progressed at all. Even cherry cobbler couldn't sway Jungkook into saying 'yes.'

In actuality, all that dreadful pudding had done was divert Taehyung's attention away from rational thought. Because hot damn, Jeon Jungkook had some sinfully distracting lips...

Again with the focus, Kim!