CHANGE OF RULES

GAME MASTER

Taehyung has always liked to step through boundaries.
He has always thought it was more fun to be a bit on the wrong side of things, whether it be personal space, rules or whatever that constricted people.
So he did just that, crossed lines, played and had fun.
It was a game, acting was a game too and he could combine the two so well that sometimes he even fooled himself...
And because it was a game, did he found Hoseok's way of playing so compelling at first. It set no confinement, no obligations, no nothing, just a few rules that he himself made.
It fit into his definition of relationships too – no ties, nothing to mess up.
The Room was the perfect playground.
He also had dozens of acquaintances, because he could play with them too, test his acting and his tricks, but mostly because they were fun to be around. And being well acquainted in the food-chain always proved to be beneficial...
But there were only a few people that he could really call friends.
And they were the most important, because they were the ones for whom he was willing to give up his acts and just be himself.
Well, most of the times.
Because there was one boundary that he did not dare to cross, and to maintain it he had to act...
And he had to act well, because the sharpest guy he knew was heavily involved in it.
It was something entirely out of his control, the fluttering of his heart that began unexpectedly, the sheer nervousness whenever those sharp eyes cast a glance at him, everything.
Right out of his control.
It was that one-sided crush that he knew inside out and went through all and every phase of it, from realization to denial and to acceptance, being miserable and hopeful and utterly nonchalant...
Except one thing.
He never dared to say anything.
Because saying something would finally end it, because saying something would bring closure.
One way or another.
But he was absolutely sure how it would end - and he hated rejections more then anything.

So he acted, solved others' love problems instead of his own and played whatever cards he had in order to avoid ever coming close to the topic again.
It went exceptionally well.
He had exactly one overly honest episode because of it, one that only Yoongi knew about, and one that he didn't let happen ever since.
His façade was very nearly perfect.

Nearly.
Because Namjoon was really leaving for New Zealand and he was not sure about his silence anymore.
But the sure rejection was still keeping his mouth shut.
It would tore up too may wounds.

'You are an idiot.' Yoongi informed him as they once again found themselves in the precarious position of stumbling upon Taehyung's feelings.
'I am merely eccentric, cute even and bit of a daydreamer too. But not an idiot.' Taehyung answered as he fixed his gaze on his phone - safer then Yoongi's hard eyes. 'I would not have managed fixing you guys if I was.'
'Being a sneaky bastard and being an all around idiot can coexist – it's you after all.' Yoongi chuckled, plucking away Taehyung's phone much to his protest. 'But after everything you'd done for us, after everything you'd told us, I might have to call you a hypocrite in the end... That's not something I want to do.'
'You should go on ahead and call me that, hyung. I'm only good when I have to deal with someone else's problem.' Taehyung smiled, but even he knew that it was less then convincing.
'Tae...'
'No.'
Yoongi sighed.
'Hyung, because it worked for you and Hoseok-hyung does not mean that it will work for me too.' Taehyung told him, because he convinced himself with the same thing too. 'And I don't want to spend these remaining months awkwardly.'
And that was all the seriousness he allowed in his games and life, because he changed subject, brought up remarkably embarrassing incidents and laughed away problems. He was good at that, and Yoongi was willing to play along because his hyung knew how it felt.

'Were you kicked out again?' Namjoon asked and Taehyung jumped, nearly dropping his script as he was startled out of his character.
'Hyung...' he whined, because Namjoon would smile at these antics.
He loved his smiles.
'Sorry, sorry.' Namjoon grinned. 'But really why are you camped out here?'
Taehyung looked around and seeing how he was sitting in the middle of the dorm's common room on an army of pillows he could understand the question.
'Well, Yoongi-hyung very kindly informed me that he had plans so yeah...' Taehyung shrugged with a grin.
'We seem to be in the same boat.' Namjoon laughed, plopping down on the pillows too.
'No way. Jin-hyung, our mother and guardian, he threw you out?' Taehyung asked incredulously, shaking his head in disbelief. 'Just where is the world headed...'
'Probably to a place where I'm actually applauded for sleeping in the studios.' Namjoon laughed.
'Who knows, maybe kicking Jungkook out of his room and moving in there together might be a sound idea after all.' Taehyung suggested, glancing at Namjoon as his smile grew wilder.
'And make the kid share a room with someone?' Namjoon asked back, raising a brow. 'I don't think that would be healthy for us.'
'So you wouldn't mind sharing a room with me?' Taehyung smiled, because silly things like that made his heart flutter under the cheeky exterior. Stupidly one-sided crushing made him cheesy like that.
'Nah, as long as you wouldn't throw me out.' Namjoon grinned, nudging Taehyung's shoulder with his own.
'I have the keys to the Room, there is no need to worry about such things.'
'That's not really reassuring, but fine.' Namjoon chuckled, glancing down at Taehyung's papers. 'What will you be this time around? Tragic hero, evil mastermind or the neighborhood idiot?'
'That's what I'm trying to figure out, since it's the graduate writers' work.' Taehyung explained, leaning a bit into Namjoon as the older bent closer to inspect the pages.
He liked these games too, physical contact just a bit closer then necessary.
'Strip club? Just how explicit will this be?'
'For who?' Taehyung asked back, making Namjoon snort.
'For normal human beings, Tae-lien, those for.'
'Language wise? Very. wise? Not so much, because I wouldn't want to traumatize you too much.' he winked.
'Well I guess that's a good thing.' Namjoon shrugged. 'But what does not so much mean?'
'Curious aren't you?' Taehyung smiled coyly. 'Naughty.'
Namjoon threw his head back and laughed at him, and that was fine too, pretend flirting and his laughs were fun too.
And his acting was tested every time, because Namjoon's laughter was sometimes just too much.
'I do not plan to see you in any state of undress, thank you very much.' Namjoon said.
'Too bad.' was his honest answer, because no act was perfect without some truth in it.
'Isn't it always.' Namjoon chuckled, and they sat next to each other in comfortable silence for a while.
Taehyung was happy then, because talking with Namjoon became easy like that, because compared to before, Namjoon actually responded to his humor and personality instead of pegging him weird.
Good, it was good like that.
'Are you up to anything else in the near future?' Namjoon asked, glancing at Taehyung with sharp eyes – aware, seeing through more of him then he allowed.
'Whatever you are talking about.' Taehyung smiled, because he liked to humor him like that.
'Again with this?' Namjoon said, exasperatedly rolling his eyes. 'I know you planned everything from Yoongi to Jungkook.'
And only Namjoon knew from the very beginning.
'No.' Taehyung answered the first question, because agreeing to something they both knew was pointless anyway. 'I don't plan anything.'
'I was scared for a moment that you planned some silly last minute girlfriend for me.' Namjoon sighed in relief.
Girlfriend...
Low blow, a sure sign to keep quiet.
'Nah, you didn't even date since... yeah.'
'Yeah.' Namjoon agreed, because speaking about his ex still made him grimace.
Silence again, more turbulent on Taehyung's part, more bitter on Namjoon's part.
'Hey, hyung.'
'Hmm?'
'Since you so spectacularly interrupted my concentration, let's go out and eat something together.'
'Sounds good, and not like we can get our rooms back anytime soon...' Namjoon chuckled, standing up and offered a hand for Taehyung to hold onto.
He accepted, because Namjoon's hands were always warm against his cooler skin and because it made his heart flutter the most.
'Where to?'
'Wherever, hyung. Your choice.'
Because not-dates were a good consolation price.

'I still can't believe it.'
'It's been a month already, get over it.'
'But it's Jungkook. How could I ever get over him?'
'And in your old age you became a sap... What did I do to deserve this?' Taehyung grinned as Jimin hit his arm half-heartedly.
'You are Kim Taehyung, what else.' Yoongi answered his question as he placed their coffee on the table.
'And that's how I should be treated, hyung?' Taehyung asked back. 'Look at him.' he motioned at Jimin, who was gazing blankly ahead with a silly smile.
Yoongi shrugged, but hid a smirk behind his hand.
'See, you agree too.' Taehyung nodded, sipping on his coffee. 'Hmm, why is the coffee always so good here?' he asked with a wide smile.
'I spit in it.' Yoongi deadpanned and Taehyung glanced up at him with eyes wide and mouth hanging agape in astonishment, the statement even snapping Jimin out of his lovesick reverie.
'Hyung!' Taehyung spluttered, clutching his heart in a dramatic display of hurt. 'You are betraying our blossoming friendship, how could you?'
'Oh for the love of... You can't take a joke without overdramatizing it.' Yoongi grumbled with a fond smile, ruffling up Taehyung's hair. 'Now, do something about this idiot, he is dripping grease all over the place.'
'I can hear you both, just fine.' Jimin snorted as Yoongi moved back behind the counter with a wave thrown back over his shoulder.
'Then get a grip, you are dating Jungkook, awesome, let's move on.'
'I'm just so happy that I can't.' Jimin sighed. 'I'm so damn lucky.'
'Okay, then tell me. Ease your poor heart.' Taehyung smiled, leaning back so he could see his friend better.
'He is so precious you know. I fall for him every time... like that first time, when I heard him singing his heart out.' Jimin began, sighing and chuckling as he told Taehyung the smallest details that captivated him.
Jungkook's unique laugh, his inexhaustible energy, his craziness, his sniffling habit...
Taehyung continued to gaze at his friend, wondering just how much he'd changed since the beginning of their friendship.
He remembered Jimin angry, angry at himself, angry at the world, insecure and instable. Then Hoseok came along to break down the sharp edges, stabilizing him but still not completing him.
And Taehyung observed and helped, because Jimin was adorable and precious and Taehyung was allowed to see that early on – for which he was entirely thankful, because he could be himself by his side too.
Then Jimin found something in Jungkook, something he must have been missing in his life and through a long, long journey he was finally whole... And as Jimin turned to meet his gaze, he was absolutely sure that no matter how or why he changed it was for the best.
Because his eyes shined in absolute happiness.
'What Tae?' Jimin asked, stopping in his ramblings to really look at him.
'I'm just happy that you are happy.' Taehyung answered honestly.
'And you are calling me a sap...' Jimin chided, but his eyes were still fixed on Taehyung meaningfully. 'When will you be happy just because you are happy?' he asked, and Taehyung's smile widened a bit.
No surprise there, he saw right through him – nothing less from a friend he cherished.
Because even though he was happy for his friend he was not happy himself.
A pang of jealousy nagged him, poisoned his smile a bit and made him feel bad that he even allowed such feelings when his friends clearly deserved their happiness...
But he was only human too.
His grip tightened on his warm cup, some of its warmth seeping into his cool fingers as he shrugged in answer.
'I don't know Jimin. I really don't know.'
And he wanted to be happy too.
___________________________
It's beginning~ ;)

I hope you guys saw that amazing trailer, and if not then you are watching it right now :D
This November is out to kill me with all these glorious comebacks, I swear!