Swings and Stars (BoyxBoy: BTS Fanfiction) [Completed]

The New Kid

Step, step, step.

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. I'm so late.

Step, step, step.

Taehyung panted, feeling the cold wind fly through his hair, refreshing yet affronting as the warmth from his head was dispersed. His bag was slung over his shoulder, bouncing as he ran. He quickly swept his gaze around the around the area, finding his class building in the far distance. Taehyung cursed, flipping out his phone to look at the time.

Shit.

"So for this next assignment, we are going to be studying a new topic. And for the first project, you will need to get into groups of two. I'll give you all a moment to let you decide for yourself." The lecturer stated, watching over the class as they split into pairs and chatted, two collecting on each table. She pushed up her glasses, as the class finally settled. "Okay, now that I take that you have all been paired-"

She quickly paused as he eyes scanned the room noticing a slight change in numbers towards the left side of the room. "Don't worry, we can just work as a three." She heard a voice mutter. The lecturer readjusted her glasses, staring at the table with two seated behind and another at the side.

"Ah, you there." She spoke, towards the odd member of the group. The boy snapped his head up.

"U-ah, er, yes?" He stammered.

"Hmm," she hummed staring down at the list of names of students. "Hoseok, is it? Are you new?"

"Yes." He answered shyly. The lecturer pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Well, I'm afraid that this task cannot be done in a three, you are going to have to find some other student to pair up with-"

The entire room flinched as the door slammed open, the noise dragging everyone's attention. Leaning over the doorframe stood Taehyung, wheezing and babbling out a jumble of 'sorry's that were almost unintelligible. The lecturer looked towards the door with a hard expression, her mouth opening to make a hostile comment, but after noticing it was Taehyung, she softened.

"Ah, just who I was looking for." She hummed. "Taehyung, please take a seat next to Hoseok, you will be pairing up together for our next assignment, I'm sure you two will get along well."

Taehyung gaped, his breath hitching as his body was still desperately gasping for air having ran. Hoseok. Taehyung peered his gaze towards the desk to his side, to be greeted with Hoseok's wide eyes staring straight back, flickering around the room nervously. Taehyung gulped taking a few slow steps towards the desk on wobbly legs before cautiously taking a seat beside Hoseok, the muffled words of the lecturer blocked out of focus.

Okay. Relax. Everything's going to be fine, just fine. Taehyung reiterated.

"...and now that you have collected notes of this coming topic. I'm going to leave you to discuss ideas with your group." She finished, taking a seat leaving people to burst into chittering and chatting.

Although the room was surrounded by voices, the dull silence between the two was numbing. Taehyung's eyes were glued to his lap, refusing to look up, as his hands grew clammy. Hoseok sighed, biting the inside of his cheek, and fumbling with his fingers, uselessly picking at his own nails.

"U-U..umm..." Taehyung finally spoke up, breaking the deafening stillness. "I guess I should say, umm, thank you, for before when you j-jumped..." He murmured almost inaudibly. "...and...yeah."

"...Taehyung," Hoseok crooned, his gaze faltering. "I..." He stammered, his eyes wondering over Taehyung's frozen body, every muscle tensed and eyes fixed solidly. "Please, just relax. You're gonna hurt yourself..." He sighed, not wanting to make Taehyung fear him any more than he already does. He doesn't want that anymore.

"I...I'm relaxed, haha." Taehyung stammered, his voice lilted with a false laugh, voice breaking.

"You're legs are frozen solid, and you haven't stared at me since you sat down." Hoseok observed, his voice filled with guilt and pity. "Look, I don't deserve your apology, I... I'm sorry. Everything I've done... I'm so sorry." He babbled. Taehyung paused looking up. What? Why was Hoseok apologising? Shouldn't he be getting mad like before? Maybe it's just a trick to get him to be his friend again like when they were kids. Well, Taehyung's not falling for that trick. He didn't want to end up getting hurt all over again. But, it's still strange. Why is he sorry now? What changed so that he's back to being nice? Maybe he has changed? Maybe he really is the caring, lovely child that Taehyung desperately clings to as a memory.

Taehyung breathed out, his trembling lips parting to speak, to say something, but the lecturer began to talk once more.

"Right, now that you have discussed ideas for the coming topic, out of class hours, you as a group must work together in your free time to complete the piece."

Taehyung flickered his eyes up to Hoseok briefly, catching Hoseok's, who smiled at him sadly before he quickly averted his eyes instinctively. Hoseok's smile turned into a frown seeing Taehyung acting so different to the happy child he was before. And all he has to blame for that, is himself. And he hates himself for that. He is the dent in Taehyung's smile.

"S-So, for the project..." Taehyung stammered. "W-What, I mean, umm... I-I...how should w-we..."

"I can come to yours? If you would be comfortable with that of course." Hoseok suggested. Taehyung gulped, every worst-case scenario playing in his head.

"W-what day?"

"Umm, tomorrow? The next day? Whenever suits you." Hoseok smiled shyly, scratching his arm.

"Tomorrow is fine." Taehyung said solidly, relief flooding over him as the horrible images in his head being quickly put to rest as he remembered that Seokjin would be there, and wouldn't let Hoseok lay a finger on him. "My place is in the third block... E-erm..." Would it be a good idea to tell Hoseok where he lived? "... A-Apartment 322."

Hoseok nodded in response to Taehyung, scrawling down the location on his hand quickly with a pen, before picking up his bag and leaving with a wave. Taehyung cowered, leaving Hoseok to simply let his hand fall. As he left the room, his walking pace grew faster and faster, rushing to the toilets. He locked himself in the cubicle, leaning against the wall, taking deep unsteady breaths, trying to calm down.

He hated himself. He hated that he'd made Taehyung so nervous, so scared, that he couldn't even make a clear sentence. He hated that he was the one who made him too terrified to make the wrong move, worried that he'd be punished or hurt. He hated how he felt himself become upset, crying in the cubicle when he's the one who caused this. He was the one who hurt Taehyung; the one who had left a scar in his life.