✔ Fire And Flame // BTS Taekook 18+

7

The winter holidays are near, only one week left and they will finally be free. Everyone from the circle of friends will stay on campus. They decided to meet each other every day to have fun.

Five days sounds like a short period of time, but to try and avoid someone it's an awfully long time.

Jeongguk uses Jimin to get away from Taehyung if he crosses their path. His best friend has no clue what's going on. This is confirmed when Taehyung asks him directly on Wednesday. "Weren't you with Jeongguk just now?"

"Oh." He looks behind him. "Uh, yeah. I think he had to go somewhere else?"

"He's avoiding me and I don't know why. I thought it was fine between us now. Even the arguments have stopped and so have all the pranks. I'm not saying I miss it, but it feels like something is missing." Taehyung sighs, it was too good to be true. Now that he admits he has a crush on the younger Alpha, the boy suddenly disappears from his sight. Great.

"Give him time, Tae. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but Gguk only does so when he's confused." Jimin pats his shoulder, has to attend the next lecture, so he leaves after saying goodbye to the younger.

Taehyung goes to the room Jeongguk should be in by now and therefore misses his own class. In the last row he sees him lying with his head on the table, right in front of the window. Should he turn and leave or go up to him and ask what his problem is?

The answer comes with the lecturer telling him to take a seat. Fortunately for him, there is a vacant space near Jeongguk, right next to him to be precise. He smiles, sits down, and clears his throat.

Jeongguk doesn't respond, still staring out the window so he tries again, this time louder.

"Do you need a cough drop or are you ..." Jeongguk stops talking when he finally lifts his head to look at whoever is bothering him. "Taehyung?"

At least he didn't say Kim to him again. "That's me, how are you?"

Jeongguk just stares, not knowing what to do. He's not doing well, not at all. Since his last rut, the older one has not left his thoughts and dreams. It's like he's living in them just to remind him of what he can't have.

"Jeonggukie, are you sick? Your cheeks are red and your breathing suddenly got faster." Taehyung frowns, reaches out to stroke the soft skin. "I can bring you to the ..."

"No! No, I'm fine. Just go, it's not even your course." Jeongguk sits up straight and tries to concentrate on the lecture.

"We need to talk. I want to know why you are avoiding me." The older of them tries his luck to get an answer, but unfortunately Jeongguk has other plans.

He raises his arm to get the lecturer's attention. "Sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Jeon?" The man points to him and signals to him to speak.

"This person is in the wrong room, but too shy to ask if he can leave. Can he?" Jeongguk smiles and doesn't look at Taehyung.

"Of course this is not middle school. You can go or come whenever you want." The guy in front laughs and thinks it's amusing.

"To be honest," Taehyung points out, "I'm thinking about taking this course. If it's okay, I'll stay here."

"Sure, just don't bother me again. Time is too short to teach the entire curriculum that is needed for the final exam." For him, the subject is over, so he turns around and continues with the lesson.

"You're unbelievable." Says Jeongguk angrily. This was his only way to get rid of him.

"I wouldn't have to do that if you explained why you are like this. I thought we were all good now." Taehyung puts one hand on the other's thigh. It is an innocent gesture, but not for Jeongguk.

"What do you do?" He is about to get up from his chair, but Taehyung pushes him back down.

"Calm down, damn it. Why don't we go to the cafe and talk. I'm tired of waiting until you get your shit together and stop avoiding me  for fucks sake!" Taehyung takes his bag and pulls Jeongguk behind him out of the room.

Both have just learned that there is no need to inform the lecturer of their decision to leave. Therefore, both are on the way to the exit. One is forced to do it, the other does it voluntarily.

While Jeongguk had been upset about it while walking to their destination, they finally reached the café.

"Aren't you going to shut up for a moment? The waitress wants to know what you're getting." Taehyung looks at her apologetically.

With a deep sigh, Jeongguk orders: "Black coffee, with two pieces of sugar, please."

"Black tea for me, thank you." Taehyung smiles at her and they are left alone.

Jeongguk looks around the small café. He really doesn't want to be alone with Taehyung here.

"You're so childish. We should be able to communicate, you know. We're over twenty and Alphas." Communication is the key, at least that's what his brother always preaches.

"Fucking fine." With one eye roll, Jeongguk's gaze finally meets Taehyung's. "I avoided you because I think I have feelings for you." He rushes the last part so it is hardly understandable.

"You think what?" Taehyung really couldn't understand him.

"Don't let me say it again, Taehyung. It's too embarrassing." The younger one whines, it sounds too cute to the older.

"Okay. I didn't understand your mumbling, but maybe it will help if I come out and you can then repeat what you said. Deal?" It's now or never.

A nod lets him take a deep breath. "Jeongguk, I have a crush on you. I don't know since when, but I noticed the first time when we were walking around after you helped me with my rut. The way your hand touched mine made my heart beat faster and then you didn't leave my thoughts afterwards. I even wanted to cancel our rut appointment, but that would have been an asshole move. When you praised me, kissed me so gently and even made me breakfast in the morning, I was a hundred percent sure about my feelings. Unfortunately then you started avoiding me." He looks down with a sad expression and plays with the tablecloth.

Jeongguk's jaw dropped the moment Taehyung had admitted that he was one hundred percent sure of his feelings for him. He can't believe it. "Oh god, I'm such an idiot." Shaking his head underscores his disappointment in himself.

"Why?" Taehyung asks and takes the cup of tea from the waitress.

"Because I avoided you for the same reason. I was so confused how I should feel about my crush on you because I was afraid you would stop being nice to me and become mean again. I didn't want that to happen." Jeongguk finally admits, is no longer afraid.

Taehyung coos. "Gguk- can I call you that?"

The younger nods.

"Okay, thanks. Honey, we could have been together for a bloody week, but you played hard to get." He giggles because after asking permission to use a nickname, he used a petname instead.

Jeongguk nibbles on his lower lip, a slight blush adorns his cheeks. "I like honey better. My best friend calls me Gguk, everyone does. You're not just a friend to me now. Tae, let's date." Now that the cat is out of the bag, he suddenly becomes confident.

Taehyung giggles. "Sure, why not."