Speeding Into Trouble || Taekook

24

Taehyung was sitting at his desk, red pen in hand, diligently checking his students' homework. The classroom was peaceful, the only sounds being the occasional rustle of papers and the soft scratch of his pen.

Everything was perfectly normal—until his phone vibrated against the wooden surface.

He glanced at the screen.

Unknown Number.

Taehyung frowned. A scam call? Delivery service? Some poor telemarketer about to be rejected?

Still, curiosity won.

"Hello?" he answered hesitantly.

A brief pause. Then—

"Guess who?"

Taehyung nearly dropped his pen.

His heart skipped a beat, then another. His stomach did an embarrassing little flip.

No. No way.

"...Jeongguk?" he whispered, half-expecting the universe to be playing a cruel joke on him. His mind raced. Why was he calling? Like calling wtf?

"Who else would it be, Tae?" Jeongguk's voice came through, smooth as ever, like honey with a dangerous edge. "Were you waiting for someone else to call?"

Taehyung's brain stalled. His ears burned.

"N-No! I just—uh, I wasn't expecting—" He stopped himself before he could sound any more like a malfunctioning robot.

Jeongguk chuckled, low and amused. Taehyung gripped the phone tighter, as if it could physically keep his emotions in check.

"Relax, Tae. I'm just messing with you," Jeongguk said, voice dripping with mischief. "You're too easy to fluster, you know that?"

Taehyung huffed dramatically, crossing his arms—even though Jeongguk obviously couldn't see him. "I am not flustered."

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"I'm not!"

"You sound flustered."

"I do not!"

Jeongguk hummed thoughtfully, like he was analyzing a great mystery. "So, what are you doing right now? Thinking about me?"

Taehyung choked on air.

His face, already warm, practically burst into flames.

"I—what—no!" He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the ground to open up and swallow him. "I'm checking homework, you idiot."

Jeongguk laughed outright this time, and God help him, it was the kind of laugh that did things to Taehyung.

"Homework, huh?" Jeongguk teased. "You sound so serious. Bet you'd rather be doing something else. Like, I don't know... spending time with me?"

Taehyung flailed internally. He absolutely did not need Jeongguk hearing how hard his heart was hammering.

"I'm busy," he said, attempting to regain some dignity. "But... maybe later?"

Oh. That sounded way too hopeful. He wanted to yeet himself into the sun.

Jeongguk, obviously catching on, let out a thoughtful hum. "Later, huh?" A smirk was practically dripping from his voice. "How about I surprise you sometime soon? I know you love surprises."

Taehyung's stomach did another dramatic somersault.

"I—You don't have to do that..."

"Oh, but I want to," Jeongguk purred. PURRED. "Can't wait to see that cute little flustered face of yours again."