jeon jeongguk isn't stupid.

kataang is NOT stupid (at least according to jeongguk)

They're at Jeongguk's, watching Avatar the Last Airbender.

For the fourth time.

A semi-corny show with a deeper meaning that goes beyond the limits of a kids brain, and Jeongguk finds he enjoys it more now than he ever did then. Analyzing the characters, the relationships. Taehyung agrees.

The lights are off so the TV shines bright, nearly giving Jeongguk a headache, but not quite. This show is fucking good.

They're lazily splayed out on either side of the couch, a fuzzy blanket draped over Jeongguk's form while Taehyung's just relaxing in khaki shorts. Jeongguk totally ignores his legs, the swell of his thigh as it presses against the cushion.

He definitely doesn't ignore them. His eyes are trained on the TV but he can see it in his peripheral, tanned skin poking out of tanned fabric, and part of Jeongguk wants to reach over and touch it, but he won't, because it's taboo to reach over and poke your best friend's thigh. Depending on context. Maybe.

God, what's wrong with him.

It wasn't always like this. He used to be able to hang out with Taehyung with a clear mind, just enjoying his presence, laughing at shitty jokes, watching shittier TV shows.

But now.

Now everything feels different.

He's not sure when it started feeling different. There's a vague memory in his mind, of their faces getting too close, and Jeongguk feeling this heat in his stomach that terrified him, but he only thought it was a one time thing.

That was a month ago. It was definitely not a one time thing.

Now, he feels it even in the simplest of things, of touches, of proximity, proximity that would never bother him before. Mildly sexual jokes that used to be funny now make him scramble to hide his blush, because he's not a fourteen year old girl, and he can't have a crisis every time his best friend jokes and calls him sexy. He just can't.

But, whenever he looks at Taehyung, he feels this magnetic pull thats practically begging him to move closer, begging Taehyung to put his hands in every place Jeongguk can think of, every place that matters-

He's so fucked.

That's all he can think about. How utterly fucked he is. How bad this situation is, how bad it is that whenever Taehyung shifts in his spot Jeongguk's stomach swoops, whenever Taehyung speaks a chill runs down his spine, this indescribable feeling drowning him in the form of Taehyung's smile.

"Fuck this."

The words come from Taehyung, out of nowhere, and they ring in Jeongguk's ears, snapping him out of his thoughts and making him jump. He fucking jumps.

"Jeongguk," Taehyung says, eyes wide, tearing them away from whatever made Taehyung so angry on the TV to stare at Jeongguk, questioning, "you good?"

Jeongguk nearly bursts out laughing, because he's virtually the furthest thing imaginable from good. He's fucking riding the struggle bus right now. Front row seats.

Still, he says, "yeah, I'm fine," trying to calm down his heartbeat, and why is his heart beating so fast, "what happened?"

Taehyung raises an eyebrow. "Hmmm?" he can probably see through Jeongguk's facade, but Jeongguk's determined. He forces a smile and gestures at the TV, "why'd you say what the fuck?"

Taehyung's still unconvinced, side eyeing Jeongguk, because he knows Jeongguk, but his mouth opens in an O and he goes back to looking at the TV as well. Jeongguk's safe for now, physically at least. Mentally, he's still staring at Taehyung's hands as he picks up the remote and lowers the volume a few notches, fingers wrapping around it's length, and fuck that remote kind of looks like a-