teach [yoonkook]

[chapter 7]

The picture that Jungkook had taken of Yoongi became the cover for the single that the latter released under Agust D. Jungkook couldn't help but feel a little proud and flattered when he saw the picture that Yoongi had chosen for the cover - that is, if he wasn't flattered enough by the fact that Yoongi wanted to release the song in the first place.

"You're so cute for doing this," he'd said, watching as Yoongi made some small adjustments to the song.

Yoongi feigned offence. "I'm not cute! I'm manly and swag!"

Jungkook plucked the Kumamon figure from Yoongi's desk and dangled it in front of his face. "Okay. I believe you. One hundred percent," he said.

Yoongi snatched the toy from his hands, pouting. "What am I going to do about you?"

Jungkook pulled him up by his hands and lead him out of the room. "You are going to help me make sugar cookies."

It was during a radio interview that the question came up.

"This question is for Suga. What - or who - is 'Teach' about?"

Yoongi smiled. He'd been expecting this question and he was wonderful at warping the truth. "It's about a friend and lover of mine. I thought that perhaps the relationship wouldn't work because there were several boundaries separating myself and them. However," and he paused dramatically, "it seems that love prevailed."

"Wonderful."

-

The lights in the lounge were dimmed all the way down, coating the entire room in a warm glow fit for talking about nothing in particular with a significant other. Yoongi and Jungkook held large mugs of tea and shared a heated blanket that was draped over their legs. While talking, Jungkook would often get flustered, hair would fall in his face and almost comically, Yoongi would brush it away, smile at Jungkook and kiss his forehead. Jungkook thought it was downright hilarious that Yoongi had positioned himself on the couch in such a way that he was tall enough to kiss his forehead.

"There is one thing that we haven't covered," Yoongi started, becoming wary.

Jungkook tilted his head like a confused puppy and then his eyes widened in realisation. "Oh... that."

Yoongi laughed. "You say that as if it's a curse to talk about."

"Well..."

Yoongi smacked him lightly with a pillow. "So, what did it feel like?"

"Oh, wait- crap-" Jungkook burst into laughter. "Oh, sorry, hyung, I just thought- ah, nevermind. It's just-" He started laughing again.

"I was talking about our first kiss..." Then it struck Yoongi what Jungkook assumed he was talking about and in his typical fashion, he blushed. "Aish, who raised you like this, Jeon Jungkook?"

Recovering from his laughing fit, Jungkook replied, "Jin-hyung."

"I need to have a talk with him. Anyway, what was it like?"

Jungkook hummed in thought. "Well, it was unexpected, definitely. I just remember having the sudden urge to kiss you and then when it happened, I was just really happy. But as usual, I didn't think about how you would feel. I felt so stupid for doing it."

"But you know I kissed back, idiot," Yoongi said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Jungkook sighed. "Lots of things happen in the heat of the moment, hyung. I just didn't know. I was worried you'd just gone along with it because it was New Year's as well."

Yoongi contemplated his words for a brief moment. Ever since he'd eavesdropped on Jungkook and Jimin's conversation in the kitchen, he'd been worried about the way Jungkook thought of himself. It felt weird to have the 'golden maknae' excoriate himself so much; he was supposed to be the optimistic one. 

"You have to stop thinking that I don't love you. I always have, even since that day in the studio. Will you stop underestimating yourself now?"

Jungkook took Yoongi's free hand. "I'll try."

"Also," Yoongi said with a smile, "there's no such thing as 'maknae instinct'."

"You heard all that?" Jungkook asked, turning red. "Ah, I should've known."

Yoongi hummed, burying himself into Jungkook's chest.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

-

It was during a regular visit to Busan that Jungkook finally started thinking.

He was in a train carriage with his overnight bag on his lap, looking out of the window. Children ran in and out of the aisles, laughing and yelling although most of it was deafened by the sound of the train engine. The train bumped and jostled quite a lot as the journey carried on. All of the carriages also smelt weirdly of fruit candy and mint which made Jungkook wonder about what the previous passengers were doing.

He wasn't alone in his carriage - Yoongi sat across from him, a thin novel in his hands. His eyelids looked heavy. Both men were exhausted after having to wake up early to catch the train and missing out on a proper breakfast. They'd managed to get coffee but it always seemed like that was never enough, especially for hours-long train trips.

In this silence and in Yoongi's company, Jungkook thought.

He thought of what he considered 'the first day' - the day in the studio, the day the offer was put forth. Where would he be if he hadn't said anything? Perhaps they'd still be in that awkward friend phase where neither of them were confident enough to initiate a proper conversation.

Would all of this still have happened? Probably not.

Would they still have kissed on New Year's? Again, likely no.

Would Yoongi still have been as smooth about his confession? To the moon and back, never.

It was with great fondness that Jungkook thought of Yoongi, a fondness that was worth more than love. It was the fondness that existed when a relationship blossomed from clumsy small talk and being weirded out by the prospect of taking care of one another; the fondness fashioned from a few dozen common interests and slowly helping one another out until that fondness became all they thought about.

It was wonderful in one way or another.

After the silence had drawn out too long, Yoongi closed his book and adjusted his glasses, sighing softly. "Your wrinkles are worsening. Stop making those faces."

Jungkook smiled at Yoongi. "Sorry. But I've been thinking, hyung."

Yoongi smirked. "Is your brain okay?"

"You've taught me a lot of things, hyung. I'm glad to have taught you something as well."