Trust Issues //Vkook\\

Chapter Five

Sound Of Something Breaking

Taehyung has never been one to hold a grudge. Or at least, not consciously. He has always tried to let go. Let go, let live, let people think he is perfectly happy and content.

Hoseok takes one look at him when he and Jeongguk join their table at lunch the day after their confrontation. He bursts into a large, natural grin. He laughs at nothing. Reaches a hand out, ruffles Taehyung’s hair.

Says, “No hard feelings?”

Taehyung smiles and says, “Of course not,” because that’s what Taehyung does. They're not in the dance studio anymore and Hoseok is his friend. Never mind that he has singled him out in front of the other dance members multiple times this year. Never mind that he has told him that he shouldn't come back to the club. Taehyung can forget these kinds of things. Taehyung can smile just like he always does and pretend that nothing happened. Pretend that he doesn't feel that same embarrassment every time Hoseok looks at him. Right now, all of his friends are laughing and happy and that’s all that matters. That is all that has ever mattered.

He breathes in, deep, lets everything go, and looks.

In front of him, Yoongi and Namjoon. They’re both eating their lunch. Occasionally offering smiles and a few words when the conversation allows for it. To his left, Seokjin, who is ranting on about a professor who didn’t take kindly to his disturbing the class to make a pun. Next to him, Hoseok, who was there and affirms that it was actually a pretty good pun for Seokjin's standard. To Taehyung’s left, Jimin, who is folded in half, laughing, rice flecks flying from his mouth as he revels in the drama.

To his right, Jeongguk. A hand breadth between them, but his warm still thigh subtly presses against his own. Taehyung occasionally feels his gaze on him, occasionally catches him staring out of the corner of his eye. Sometimes he turns, just to see him quickly look away with a pink flush high on his cheeks. Sometimes he pretends like he hasn’t noticed, contains a small smile and locks the feelings away. Happy thoughts for when he’ll need them in the future.

It’s so natural. Them. He feels so immensely comfortable with his boyfriend (his boyfriend - holy shit, his boyfriend) that he has to remind himself that he’s one of the only people who knows his secrets.

While he listens to Seokjin ranting, his hand moves. He trails his fingers over the nape of his neck. An absent-minded gesture, proof that he can’t keep his hands off of Jeongguk even when he’s not controlling them.

It doesn’t cause any issues. Not until his fingers slowly work their way over to the top of his beanie. No one notices or cares. Taehyung only becomes conscious of his actions when Jeongguk tilts his head towards him. That’s when he realises that the firmness under his fingers is the shape of Jeongguk’s ears under the beanie. He has been stroking them through the fabric, pressing the tips of his fingers to the base of them, moving them back and forth slowly like he likes to do at home while they’re watching movies together.

It’s a comforting action above anything else. Jeongguk says that it’s like getting your shoulders massaged, only much more concentrated. Now that they’re constrained by the beanie, it is apparent that it is even more relieving for him. Taehyung looks up around the table and sees that no one is giving them any questioning looks (except Jimin, of course, but Taehyung always ignores Jimin) so he continues, movements more deliberate.

He splays his fingers out. Digs his nails through the fabric, presses his fingers into the rivets in the wool where the material thins out. This way he can scratch along the base of his ears, press right on the corner where it connects to his scalp. Jeongguk’s foot twitches where it is pressed against Taehyung’s own. He smirks to himself, pleased when Jeongguk leans his head so far that he ends up falling against him. This close he can hear the little purrs in the back of his throat.