✔ || Distract Me

Chapter 9

"Where were you?" Taehyung snapped as soon as Jeongguk opened his eyes.

The maknae squirmed, "Sorry. It took me awhile to fall asleep."

"Is it because of me?" Taehyung demanded, lurching forward. "Did I go to far?"

Jeongguk raised his eyebrows, "Do you mean you you or real you?" Taehyung glowered at him and Jeongguk shook his head, "So is this going to be the dream where I finally work through my feelings for you?"

"Which me?" Taehyung asked, his voice cold.

The maknae hesitated. He was used to dream-Taehyung being grumpy - anyone with two holes in their back would be, after all - but this was new. There was something sinister in Taehyung's words, as if he were a wild animal and Jeongguk was cornering him. Jeongguk stepped closer hesitantly, "Hyung? What's wrong?"

Taehyung gripped at his hair, pacing away from Jeongguk. The wounds in his back were red and angry. "I shouldn't be getting this close to you, Kookie," he said. "I should be living out my days the way my punishment intended: sad and alone and dying that way. That's the only way they'll be happy and leave you alone."

"Hyung?" Jeongguk walked forward, reaching out his hand. Taehyung jerked away and the maknae froze. "Please don't talk like that."

"What?" Taehyung snarled.

"I don't understand what you're saying, but I don't like it." Jeongguk stepped forward again and didn't stop when Taehyung stumbled backwards. He kept moving until Taehyung was enveloped in his arms. Fingers twined in the older boy's hair, Jeongguk whispered, "Please, Taehyung-ssi. I know you won't tell me who you're scared of and I know I can't touch or mention your wounds, but please let me help you. Don't talk about being sad and alone and dying. You deserve everything this world has to offer and more."

Taehyung shuddered and Jeongguk realized he was crying. "But Kookie - they'll come after us."

"I don't know who they are, hyung," Jeongguk responded, "but if they're the ones who hurt you, they're the ones who should be afraid."

Taehyung laughed a genuine laugh - the type of laugh that the real Taehyung rewarded the maknae with on a daily basis - and pulled away from Jeongguk's embrace. "You know what, Kookie?"

"Yes, hyung?" Jeongguk breathed, unable to look away from his dark eyes.

"I think I like you too," the older boy said sheepishly. The world disappeared out from under Jeongguk's feet as Taehyung nodded to himself, "Yes, I definitely like you too."

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Jeongguk woke up before Taehyung and groaned, trying to understand where he was. The dream had been so lifelike that he'd forgotten that that's all it was. A stab of disappointment went through him. Of course Taehyung didn't actually like him back.

It wasn't until Taehyung started stirring that Jeongguk realized their positions had changed. He was now facing the older boy with one arm pillowing his head and the other laced in his hair, pressing the boy's forehead into his shoulder. That might have been fine if Taehyung hadn't had his own arm slung over Jeongguk's torso and his thigh hooked around Jeongguk's. The maknae blushed at how his own leg had somehow slipped between Taehyung's during the night, but it was too late to try and untangle their limbs. He dropped the hand that was in Taehyung's hair to the boy's shoulder, and Taehyung blinked blearily up at him, innocence dripping from every inch of his body. "Kookie?"

"Yeah?" breathed Jeongguk.

The older boy squirmed and Jeongguk immediately pulled his arms and legs away, terrified that he'd made his hyung uncomfortable. But Taehyung shook his head fiercely, gripping the front of Jeongguk's shirt. "Please don't."

Jeongguk hesitantly returned to his previous position. Taehyung hadn't even removed his leg from around Jeongguk's hip, and its weight (or lack thereof) was making Jeongguk's heart burst out of his chest. Taehyung nuzzled deeper against Jeongguk, his breath coming out in warm puffs against Jeongguk's throat. He hummed, "Can we just stay like this for a moment? I'm still sleepy."

Fuck, that voice. Jeongguk nodded and settled against Taehyung. The older boy giggled after a moment, "Are you nervous, Kookie?"

"What?" Jeongguk asked.

"Your heart is beating really quickly. Are you okay?"

"Oh," Jeongguk pulled away so that his chest was no longer touching Taehyung. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good," Taehyung pulled Jeongguk closer again. After a long moment - after Jeongguk thought he had fallen back asleep - Taehyung asked, "Do I make you nervous, Kookie?"

Jeongguk stiffened, "Please don't ask me that."

"Because it's okay if I do, I just -"

"Hyung," Jeongguk snapped, "don't."

He pulled himself from Taehyung's embrace, brushing off the older boy's thigh, and pushed himself out of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair and Taehyung sat up, watching with an unreadable expression as Jeongguk grabbed some clothes and beelined out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Someone was already in the shower, so Jeongguk asked to come in and, when given permission, brushed his teeth. When finished, he stepped into the shower and immediately hissed, "Jimin, for fuck's sake, why must you always have the water at melting temperatures?"

Jimin rubbed water out of his eyes and raised an eyebrow at Jeongguk. "Why are you so grumpy?"

Jeongguk frowned and snatched the bottle of shampoo his hyung offered him. "I'm not. I just don't like getting third-degree burns first thing in the morning."

Jimin snorted and turned away. "Well, I'm done anyway, so you can turn it into an icebox for all I care."

With that, he exited the shower and Jeongguk sighed. He didn't need to take out his hormonal problems on the other members. "Hyung?" he peeked out of the shower.

Jimin turned his head, wrapping a towel over himself. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"No problem, Kookie, it's okay to be grumpy sometimes," Jimin offered a bright smile, his cheeks pushing up until his eyes were mere slits. "Just make sure you get it all out before you see Seokjin-hyung."

Jeongguk nodded and ducked back into the shower. A few minutes later, he heard Jimin open the bathroom door to leave. The mochi let out a surprised gasp and then an apology and Jeongguk frowned. "Jimin-ssi?"

"It's me, Kookie," Taehyung's low voice rumbled from outside the shower.

Shit.

"Is that alright?" Taehyung asked, his voice trembling.

"Y-yeah, hyung, I'm almost done," Jeongguk stuttered, sending out a silent prayer that the boy wouldn't come into the shower with him.

Thankfully, Jeongguk was able to quickly finish and grab a towel before Taehyung could get in behind him. The poor maknae's nerves wouldn't be able to handle having a naked Taehyung that close to him. His heart was already threatening to come out through his throat at the mere thought of it. Jeongguk reached out from around the shower curtain and blindly felt around for the cupboard. Suddenly, Taehyung's dry hand met Jeongguk's wet one, handing him a towel. Jeongguk squeaked a "thank you" and hurried to dry himself off. Taehyung slid into the shower just as Jeongguk stepped out, timing it so Jeongguk only received a flash of honeyed skin before he disappeared. Jeongguk swallowed and quickly dressed, thanking the universe for small miracles.