The Hybrid Whisperer KTH+JJK

Five

"Is that a fucking star chart?" Jeongguk asked in disbelief earning a reproachful look from Taehyung.

"Jeongguk! Language!" He reprimanded sharply.

The boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Came the familiar reply.

"Not whatever." Taehyung disagreed. "No swearing."

"Or what? I won't get a gold star? Stop treating me like a kindergartener!"

"Stop acting like one." Taehyung retorted swiftly, ignoring the way Jeongguk stamped and seethed at the rebuke. "The rewards are simply incentives. You're free to refuse them if you find them offensive in some way. The rules, however, are nonnegotiable."

Taehyung was a little wounded at Jeongguk's scorn for the chart he had worked so carefully on. Yes, perhaps it was a little childish, decorated with stickers and silly doodles, but he liked bright, pretty things and he suspected under that rough and tumble exterior maybe Jeongguk did too.

"Have shower, make breakfast, brush teeth, make bed." Jeongguk read aloud. "I already do all this stuff."

"Then what's the harm in getting rewarded for it?" Tae reasoned with a raised eyebrow.

"Ice cream? Park trips? Aquarium? Seriously? I'm not five." The hybrid scoffed. Now he was just arguing for argument's sake. I mean, who didn't like ice cream or the aquarium?

"We can tailor the reward system to your individual interests. What would you prefer to do?" Taehyung negotiated smoothly.

"This whole thing is stupid." He said, instead of answering.

"Like I said, the rewards are optional, the tasks and behaviours outlined are not. It's really up to you how you want to do this, but you will do it." His tone brooked no argument but Jeongguk's mouth opened to protest anyway. "I won't be moved on this, Guk. Sulk about it if you want, but you will behave yourself. Don't make me use negative reinforcement. It's never as effective."

Jeongguk's ears flicked and his eyes narrowed. "Negative reinforcement? Isn't that just a fancy way of saying you'll punish me?"

"I suppose if you want to look at it that way." He sighed, already tired of the boy's arguments.

"What are you going to do, spank me?" He jeered.

"No, I don't enjoy physical chastisement. I can and will take your privileges though. Like your consoles, tv time, wifi, dessert, those treats you don't think I know about, stashed under your socks in your top drawer." Tae threatened casually.

"I hate you." He snapped.

"Oh I see what's going on. It's too difficult." He deliberately goaded Jeongguk's fierce competitive streak. He'd heard the boy shouting down his headset at his teammates, he knew how badly he needed to win. "Maybe I shouldn't have made it so hard for your first try. You kept telling me you weren't a baby so I just thought you'd be able to follow the chart." He made a show of pity, sighing in disappointment. "I tell you what. Show me which ones you can't do and I'll make an easier one."

"I didn't say I couldn't do it. I said it's stupid." He crossed his arms over his chest defensively.

"Guk, it's ok to admit when something's too hard. You don't have to be ashamed of being incapable of-"

"I'm not incapable." He snatched the chart from Taehyung's hands impatiently. Tae bit his cheeks to stop the smile threatening to curve his lips.

"Are you sure? Because I can rewrite it..."

"I already said I can do it!"

Taehyung beamed at him, patting his cheek softly. "That's my clever bun."