teacher's pet | taekook

NiNE { how things work }

The past six days in this cabin since Taehyung's first escape attempt have been hell.

Six days, right? Or has it been seven already? Taehyung had lost count so quickly. How long was he tied up in Jungkook's house for? Two days? Three?

If that's right, then he has been with Jungkook for just over two weeks. Maybe sixteen days—definitely more—and he has made absolutely zero progress in escaping, and no one has come to his rescue. As far as Taehyung knew, there was no savior coming for him at all.

Taehyung had tried thrice more to escape after his first attempt, each time failing faster than the last. Jungkook was quick to learn every one of Taehyung's tricks, all of his ideas. He was always three steps ahead. And after every miserable failure, Jungkook had the bath ready for him; freezing and menacing.

Those punishments were never as bad as the first, but Taehyung wasn't ever grateful for the "mercy." Sometimes he thought that drowning—really, dying—might've been better.

So... what now? Taehyung queried every night. What now; what now?

The only card he had left in his deck was playing nice. He would wait it out and gain Jungkook's trust until he allowed him outside, then he would bolt. But could Taehyung make it until the time that came?—if ever.

Those questions he didn't ask himself as often. He let himself rely on that last card and decided to play nice. It wasn't an easy conclusion to come to, but what other options did he have? Unrelenting resistance? Jungkook would certainly end up killing him then.

Jungkook's humdrum schedule had been easy to adjust to. The rules... not so much. It turns out Taehyung swears a lot more often than he originally thought. Most of his vulgar language serves as filler words, but every single time he said anything as merely offensive as "dammit," Jungkook would scold him. It never turned into a real punishment because Taehyung never swore at Jungkook and never called him any names, but Taehyung didn't like to be yelled at or talked down to for saying "shit" when he stubbed his toe.

Other than that, things were easy. Things were too easy, and it was beginning to get more than a little boring. Jungkook was predictable. Ever since Taehyung started properly behaving, Jungkook had no reason to get mad in the same way he did before. He wasn't intimidating when he whispered empty threats, because Taehyung always expected what he would say. Very few things came as surprises anymore.

So Taehyung was left to monotony and tedium, but he wasn't comfortable with it. How could he be?

He was used to things, but he wasn't okay with any of it. Taehyung was given the space he asked for; he was given the food he wanted; and he still, much to Jungkook's puzzlement, resented him.

He was especially upset by how Jungkook pretended to care. By how he pretended to hold concern for Taehyung and consider his words and his feelings and his opinions and his wants and needs. Clearly, Jungkook didn't truly care about any of that, because everything at the cabin was solely Jungkook.

Jungkook got to say no; Taehyung wasn't allowed to deny most things. Jungkook was allowed to roam free and go throughout the house as he pleased; Taehyung had restrictions and rules and, like, 30 percent of the house available to him. Jungkook got to leave and go into public; Taehyung wasn't even allowed to venture into the front yard—but the reason behind that is understandable. Jungkook had the advantage in every situation, in every room, in every moment, as expected.

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