before i could even remember

X

Taehyung fidgets nervously on his chair. He looks around and the surroundings do not calm him down at all. Everything is so... bland. White walls, simple table and chairs, light grey couch, one small window letting in just enough light. He wipes his forehead from sweat. It's irrational, he knows. But he hasn't seen his Jeongguk hyung in seven weeks and he is just a ball of nerves.

Finally the door opens and he gets up. When the man gets inside, a huge bunny smile on his face, Taehyung lets out a sob and runs to throw himself at him.

"Hi, baby. Missed me?"

"Shut up." he leans back to kiss him hard, Jeongguk's smile a bit in a way but it doesn't stop him.

They move away after a few minutes and Taehyung strokes his head, barely any hair there. "You still look handsome."

"Well, of course." hyung winks and Taehyung just rolls his eyes. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, as long as I don't receive your hair in a brown bag everything's okay."

"Taetae baby, don't be overdramatic. You know it's very unlikely to happen." Joengguk kisses his forehead and leads them to the couch.

They talk about Taehyung's last year of studies and hyung's service. Jeongguk takes his time in complaining particularly about speech training, claiming that his slight lisp stood in a way more than ever. Although Taehyung knows it is just compliments fishing, hyung knows all too well about his love for his lisp, he is more than happy to indulge him.

It's so nice seeing his boyfriend, being here with him. They keep messaging everyday but it feels so much different being finally together. Taehyung couldn't visit him while he underwent basic military training, and two more weeks after that for some reason but since now everything was going to get a bit easier. At least for the next few months before Taehyung starts his own service.

"You might get assigned to the same base as me." Jeongguk strokes his long, chestnut curls. "That would be amazing."

"But we don't know if that's gonna happen." he grumbles.

"Well, you made a request and at least you are going with Jiminie and Hoba. I really like that additional possibility of enlisting together with a few friends. Time flies much faster with Yugyeom and Yoongi. Who by the way is offended you are visiting me not him."

"He is now getting freaky with his girlfriend, I doubt he'd exchange that for meeting me." Taehyung snorts and hugs his boyfriend a bit closer. "I wouldn't exchange this for anything."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Gukkie."

They stay like this for hours, talking from time to time or making out. They ate homemade japchae and brownie Taehyung brought with him and Jeongguk is more than happy. When Taehyung's visit gets closer to an end, Jeongguk hyung clears his throat and straightens up in his seat, Taehyung peering up at him curiously.

"I am also in a unit with Park Jungwoo." Taehyung nods slowly, not sure how to react and waits for him to continue. "You know, he was going to the same middle and high school as us."

How could he not remember? The guy turned the last two years of Taehyung's (and Jimin's) middle school into torture. Well, one year, second being just the continuation of his and his friends' doing, the duty of bullying was gleefully taken over by almost all of their peers.

"I kinda got into trouble because of him. Well me and Yoongi." Jeongguk hyung massages his nape awkwardly. "I don't regret it but that is why our visiting rights were postponed."

"Hyung! What the hell? What did you do? Or more like what did that pig do?"

His boyfriend brings him closer, making Taekyung look at him cautiously.

"I caught him bullying one boy because he decided he looks gay." Taehyung scoffs at that. How typical of Jungwoo. "So I intervened and he confirmed something me and Yoongi were already suspecting but he told us to fuck off and go keep protecting..." he stops, clenching his teeth.

"My alien faggot's disgusting ass?"

"Why didn't you tell us that he bullied you, Tae? We would've done something!" he seems angry but mostly disappointed to Taehyung's discontent.

"You were already too cool for us then and all the bullying started only when you went to high school." the visible hurt in hyung's eyes make him instantly regret his blatant words. "I'm sorry. I just... I don't know. I was ashamed? Because I already knew I was gay and I didn't want to tell anyone. But he mostly bullied me for being... weird. And I made myself believe you two think the same, hell, Yoongi hyung kept calling me an alien all the time, so I assumed you would just brush me off, maybe after some laugh."

"Taetae..."

"I'm sorry, that's what I felt back then. We were thinking about it with Jimin but also we were scared that it would get worse after telling you and that was the final reason. You were already in high school, you couldn't control what was going on back there."

"Did he bully you in high school as well?"

Taehyung shakes his head.

"He once called me an alien and some other names before P.E. but nothing else happened after that. After that I thought he's grown up but guess that was not the case."

Jeongguk hyung caresses his back and thigh, nodding softly. "Good to know he took our words to heart." he takes a deep breath. "I heard him back then. In front of the gym. I got so pissed I broke his nose and I think severely bruised his ribs. Yoongi punched him in the face first but then he had to take me off of him. I had a feeling it was not the first time he called you names and I snapped."

"But I don't remember you getting into trouble? Yoongi hyung never got detention."

"He didn't report Yoongi, just me. Perks of being a golden boy of the volleyball team, they didn't punish me that much. And that asshole got a lesson, I promised to break more of his bones if he ever touched you again, so all in all it was worth it." he shrugs. "And now me and Yoongi punched him again."

"Hyung! Violence is not a solution." Taehyung swats his chest lightly. "Thank you for standing in my and that other guy's defence but you could've done it differently."

"As I said, I regret nothing." he kisses his boyfriend's forehead. "I'm sorry you had to go through it."

"What's past is past." Taehyung sniffs.

He doesn't approve of violence but he's truly grateful the bullying didn't continue in high school. It was still the time when hyungs were above spending time with him and Jiminie but the knowledge they always had their backs is reassuring, comforting.