Hungry ➵ Taekook -DISCONTINUED-

9

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"Aren't you going to eat?"

Taehyung squirms uncomfortably under Jungkook's piercing gaze, avoiding his eyes as he mumbles,

"I ate before I came."

The dark-haired boy raises an eyebrow. "So did I," he states bluntly. "I ate breakfast and now I'm eating lunch. Aren't you hungry?"

Hoseok looks at the pair sitting across the table with worry in his eyes. But, having learned the hard way that he shouldn't interfere with Tae's odd eating behaviors -- the blonde once broke down in the middle of Starbucks because his skinny peppermint hot chocolate had semi-skimmed milk instead on non-fat -- he keeps his mouth shut.

It isn't that the older isn't worried enough to try and help his friend. He just doesn't know what to do. Heck, the first time they ate together in the cafeteria, Tae suddenly started to say random numbers out loud. Hoseok, being the oblivious person he was, had joined him.

It wasn't until much later he'd realized that Tae had listed up the number of calories in every food on his plate.

These days, he settles with making sure that Tae knows he can come talk to him about anything. He makes sure the younger boy knows he at least has one true friend. Hoseok knows it might not be the best for Tae, but considering the younger throws a tantrum like a four-year-old every time he as much as hints at telling someone about his problems, it's the only thing he can do right now. If he tries something else, he's afraid he's gonna make bad worse.

"I don't have time to eat. I have to study," Taehyung says and abruptly stands up, his head spinning at the movement. "I'm gonna study in the library." Where there's no food allowed.

"For what?" Jungkook asks.

Taehyung's eyes still won't meet his. "Well, erhm--"

"Oh! That reminds me," Hoseok chimes in and leans across the table as he talks. "How did the physics test go? Have you gotten the grade yet?"

"What test?" The blonde blurts out, to which the older furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"The test you told me about when you said we couldn't meet up."

Oh. "I haven't had it yet. It's gonna be next week. That's why I have to study." He tries to sound genuine, fumbling with the hem of his oversized sweater that he wants nothing more than dive into and disappear. He can feel Jungkook's eyes burning into his neck as he turns around.

Did it work? Did I fool them? Just when he is about to leave, Jungkook stands up too,

"Wait, Taehyung."

Uh-oh. "W-what?"

"We're in the same class. I should study too. We can do it together."

The cocky smirk Jungkook sends him when he passes by tells Taehyung two things.

Number one is that Taehyung didn't manage to fool him one bit.

Number two is that by 'do it together', the black-haired boy sure as hell wasn't referring to studying.

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"Why the fuck are you so persistent on studying when I know for a fact that there is no goddamn test?" Jungkook groans dramatically and bangs his head against the table in all his profound extraness.

Taehyung rolls his eyes and focuses on the sentence in front of him, one word at a time while concentrating all his willpower in trying to ignore the big baby beside him who makes the whole table shake and his blood boil with anger.

Dunk.

Dunk.

Dunk.

"Will you please stop?" He snaps a little too loudly, earning a hard glare from the librarian. Oh, so that she heard.

Jungkook smiles sheepishly. "Sorry."

The blonde sends him a cold stare and proceeds to read the same paragraph for the nth time, but no matter how many times his eyes glide over the page, the words just won't stick. Suddenly, he hears the sound of plastic being unwrapped and turns his head to face the dark-haired boy,

"You can't eat here."

"Aren't you just glad I covered up for you?" Jungkook counters immediately.

Taehyung quickly looks down and bites his bottom lip, so hard that he faintly feels the metallic taste of blood on the tip of his tongue. He tries to ignore the feeling in his gut, the feeling of guilt that is a heavy stone, a knot that tightens around his chest, a hand that clutches his heart and brings him physical pain. He starts to fidget with his hands; a nervous habit he has, Jungkook notices.

Lowering his voice, he leans closer to the skinny boy. "Why did you lie in the first place?"

Why did I lie in the first place? Taehyung echoes in his head. Why am I such a liar? Why don't I care about the feelings of the people around me? So egotistical, I lie to my teachers, my friends, my parents.

Worst of all, he lies to himself. Every time he looks in the mirror, his fucked up mind has tricked him into believing that he is just not thin enough.

And that's exactly why he lied in the first place. Because for every meal he skips, every pound he sheds, he's one step closer to the unattainable.

Perfection.

But he can't tell Jungkook that.

So he settles with the usual shrug and a short "It's complicated" in hopes of the other letting it go.

However, he's learned by now that the Busan boy rarely does what he wants him to.

"I understand that," Jungkook answer slowly, carefully, and he can almost hear the other thinking no, you don't. Taking a deep breath, he continues in a soft tone,

"I'll just let you know that you can talk to me. About anything." I might be able to help you more than you realize.

Taehyung stays silent for a bit before he nods. Finally looking up to meet the other's gaze, he is startled by how close their faces are. So close that he can feel the warmth of Jungkook's breath tickling his skin.

Jungkook's eyes drift down to Tae's lips for a second, and the blonde's breath hitches in his throat. For a moment, it seems like Jungkook is going to connect their lips, but then the dark-haired boy pulls away.

With a smirk -- always with that damn smirk -- he says,

"Now, let me show you what type of music real men listen to."

To both of their surprises, Taehyung laughs. It's a foreign noise, and it might be more because he's sleepless and starving and nervous and irritated than actually finding anything funny, but Jungkook likes the sound of it nonetheless.