The Gadget Boy (JJK x KTH)

Chapter 26

Jungkook woke up to his quiet radio alarm feeling even warmer than he had when he'd fallen asleep. His face was pressed up against what he assumed was his arm. He opened his eyes and, with a feeling of total surprise, saw that it wasn't his arm. It wasn't any part of him in fact. He was wrapped in two things he had been when he fell asleep. One was a duvet... and the other was arms. Taehyung's arms. And his head was against his chest. He gasped and tried to sit up, certain he'd climbed in by himself and that Taehyung was going to kill him. The elder stirred, slowly opening his eyes and squinting at the bright light.

"How did I get here?" Jungkook asked. "I was there when I fell asleep, I'm sure I was," he mumbled, staring at the chair which was still by the bed.

Taehyung, whose eyes were now wide, scrambled out of the bed as quickly as he could. "I don't know," he said, looking the other way. "Maybe you climbed in in your sleep," suddenly he clutched his head. "My God, my head kills! Mind if I use the bathroom?" He left without waiting for a reply, leaving a confused Jungkook trying to work it all out.

He looked around the room for clues and soon found what he was looking for. The tablets were no longer in the wrapper and the water bottle had been drunk from. Taehyung must have woken up in the night and taken them, also bringing Jungkook up into the bed with him. A grin spread across his face as he realised. It had been deliberate. He had a chance.

Taehyung returned with a wet face and fringe to see Jungkook smiling smugly at him. "Liar," the younger stated, opening his wardrobe and looking for some spare uniform for Taehyung.

"What?" The elder stood still, not looking as calm as usual. Actually, he looked like he was panicking inside.

"I'm not stupid. You woke up in the night, didn't you? You took the tablets and you moved me."

Taehyung stood there for a minute, looking like the cogs in his brain were hunting for excuses, water dripping off his fringe, but when he came up with none he grunted and lay down on the bed, covering his eyes.

Jungkook walked over with spare trousers and a blouse, dumping them on top of the lazy elder. "Want some more pills?"

"Yeah... thanks," Taehyung muttered. Honestly, it still surprised Jungkook every time the elder said something like 'please' or 'thank you'. Nevertheless, he left to grab some more pills and fill up the water bottle.

Whilst he was gone, there was a knock on the door.

Taehyung opened it and smiled as widely as he could without grimacing at the light in the hallway. Mrs Jeon was stood there with a basket of washing under her arm. "Ah, morning Taehyung. Are you feeling better this morning? You were certainly in a state last night!"

Taehyung rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yes, thank you for letting me stay, Mrs Jeon. Although I do have a pounding headache. That'll teach me not to drink I suppose."

Mrs Jeon smiled. "A lesson learned by every teenager. You can stay as long as you like. Friends of Jungkook's are always welcome here."

"Thank you, Eomeonim," he replied with a small bow of gratitude. He needed to keep Mrs Jeon on his side no matter what. Mainly because he was probably going to be staying at her house more in future, but also because after recklessly acting on last night's impulse, he knew that he couldn't try to deny or get rid of the feeling - no, the knowledge - that he loved her son.

He'd thought he was totally straight until he'd seen Jungkook for the first time in class. He'd wondered why it was that he felt butterflies whenever he saw him right up until their Sunday training session and their almost-kiss. That was why he'd gone inside. He couldn't handle the realisation that it was true. He liked a boy. He was falling in love with a boy. But it was when he'd seen the photographs in his pocket that he left. Watching a boy he'd just realised he was in love with kissing another man. His teacher, in fact. It was too much. If he'd stayed, he was sure he would have cried and he did not want anyone to see him cry. That was when he'd turned to drink again. He'd had problems before but the gang had helped him get through it.