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He had always been different, that was something Jungkook could not deny; the other boy, he noticed, would not make an effort to seem, normal, at least, not the normal most people would consider acceptable. The other always seemed to be in his own world, rarely did the boy ever interact with others and when he did, it left most people baffled.
Rumors, of course, had been spread quickly and without restraint; many of the hushed whispers were that of demonic possession and alien abduction; neither seemed to bother the strange boy who always seemed to grin at the most strangest of times. His sudden and abrupt actions only seemed to add more fuel to the fire, not that Jungkook could ever see the boy ever stopping; to him, it would seem almost, strange if he did ever stop.
Jungkook was never one to believe rumors nor spread them around, not that they ever needed any kind of help, but he would often hate it when those who had yet to even meet the boy properly would keep their distance as if the boy had an incurable disease that would spread at any form of contact; Jungkook believed it was not fair for either parties, not that he ever spoke a word against the segregation.
He kept his mouth shut and watched from a distance, he avoided conflict and people as much as he possibly and physically could. That never seemed to deter his self-appointed best friend, Jimin, from ever saying hello or inviting himself over to sit down at the table he often sat at during lunch and that had caused such an uproar, he wanted to avoid it from happening again.
With Jimin’s sudden and constant presence in his life, Jimin’s group of friends weren’t long to follow. Seokjin or Jin, as he insisted, was very and overly protective of Jungkook the moment they met. He cooed at the boy and pinched his cheeks and the young boy was constantly reminded that he had a second mother hen pestering after him even after he left the school.
Yoongi, was the one friend Jungkook did not mind having or being around with. He was calm and often managed to get both Jimin and the constantly twitching jumping bean, Hoseok, to stop their antics with either a single glare or a dark promise. Yoongi was the one person he would go to always when he wanted an escape from the hyperactive twins that always seemed to tail him every single day of his life.
Namjoon, well Namjoon was a living, breathing, and moving hazard, at least Jungkook believed wholeheartedly he was. The older boy often tripped or injured himself in some way which would often lead to injuries on the rest of them as well. Jin was on his ass the chance there would be an injury, he always had a first-aid kit at hand.
Somehow, Jungkook had yet to understand how, he had been adopted into the group that he had wanted no part of and was, according to Jimin, a member for life. He was not sure if he would come to regret this, though there were moments where he already was.
“Stop pouting!”
“I am not pouting.”
“Yes you are!”
“Shut up, both of you,” Yoongi muttered, head on top of the table.
There was sudden silence at the table, Jin and Namjoon both eating as if nothing had happened. But of course, it could not last for long.
“You were seriously pouting!”
Jungkook sighed, rubbing his forehead with a few of his fingers as Jimin scooted even closer with his chair besides him. He leaned forward, almost standing from his seat as Jimin studied his youngest friend’s facial expressions.
“What has you all worked up?”
“Nothing, you are delusional.”
“No I am not!” Jimin had puffed out his cheeks after he retorted, which caused Hoseok to turn and coo at how adorable he was.
That set the two off in a verbal and somewhat physical battle over personal space and how being adorable was not something Jimin would consider cool or manly. Jungkook pinched the bridge of his nose and thank the heavens when the bell rang to signify the end of the lunch period. The young male practically flew out of his chair, not wanting to be harassed or around his annoying friends, he was still not sure what to call them.
It was not until school was over, that he had any more thoughts of the strange boy, Taehyung. Jungkook had often caught him staring out into space, mouth slightly open and eyes void of any kind of spark or emotion that he could decipher; he could only wonder what exactly went through that head of his and was left to his own curiosity for months since the boy had transfered into their school. He had time to indulge himself within his own thoughts and silence after school, when most of the students had run off towards their so called freedom or club activities.
He often stayed behind near the forest grove that surrounded the grounds of the school, away from all the chaos that he often found annoying and a hassle to deal with constantly; Jungkook was an introvert and he had no shame in indulging in solemn activities.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“SHIT!!”
Jungkook was suddenly thrown onto the ground by a sudden weight on his body, his knees collapsing underneath his body and met the cool grass with a thud. His features scrunched up in a wince, a stinging pain coursing through his entire being as his mind caught up to the present, slowly registering what had actually occurred and deciphering how he ended up on the ground on his back. Slowly, he recognized that there was something heavy on top of him, another body.
“It’s not good to swear.”
He blinked at the new voice, his head tilting to see who it had belonged to and it took a moment for his eyes to focus on the familiar yet new face of Taehyung, the so called abnormality of the school. The slightly taller male, not that Jungkook could tell from their positions, had his signature box like grin on his face, his hands secure on Jungkook’s shoulders. There was only a moment of silence before he managed to speak.
“What the hell was that for?”
Taehyung could only pout at the others words; he had just said cursing was not something considered to be good and his words, not surprisingly, had been ignored.
“What was what for?”
“The tackle?”
“What tackle?”
“You tackled me!”
“No I didn’t”
“Then what do you call this?!” Jungkook emphasized their positions.
“You coming to my rescue!”
“Rescue?”
Jungkook was at a loss, he had not, by any means, come to rescue the other. He did not even know what the other needed rescuing from and the fact that there was another human being, the very person that he still denies intrigues him, on top of his own body seemed to cause his stomach to twist into knots. He began to squirm underneath as Taehyung answered his question.
“Mhmm! You rescued me from the tree!”
Taehyung pointed out the tree and apparent criminal of the situation. Before he could even ask for further explanation, the other continued on with his tale without missing a beat.
“I was climbing it and slipped. You were at the right place and cushioned my fall!”
Jungkook had lied to himself; he never believed Taehyung’s box like grin could be any brighter than he had seen when the boy received a passing grade during the last math exam, apparently it could and it only seemed to radiate joy when soft spewls of laughter came from very pink lips. The youngest blinked, when did he begun to think of Taehyung’s lip color?
“You’re Jungkook right? I’ve seen you around school and I have to say thanks for the save! I would have been in real trouble without your help.”
Jungkook had no time to reply as Taehyung quickly stood up from their laying position and offered him his hand, which he did take. He only yelped when he was suddenly tugged forward by the other, colliding face first into the other’s shoulder. He felt an arm around his waist and his cheeks flared a near engine red when he felt Taehyung’s hot breath against his skin and ear.
“You are quite cute up close.”
He felt his mouth become dry at the words, throat constricting and breathing stopping the moment they actually registered in his head.
“You should lift your head up more,” Taehyung continued with that obnoxious smile of his, “but then others will take notice too right?”
Notice of what?! His thoughts were quickly answered and he, for a second, believed the so called abnormality of school could read minds.
“Notice how cute you really are and I can’t have that. Then they will really take you away.”
It made no sense and he was at a complete loss; Taehyung had completely stumped Jungkook and only seemed to baffle him more with every word he spoke. His eyes were staring at the other, mind and heart racing as the abnormal boy continued to grin without a care in the world.
“I want your eyes on me like they’ve always been and only on me! You hear? You can’t look at anyone else, not even that cheery and clingy friend of yours, Jimin.”
“W-what?”
“Mhmm, I know you won’t be able to stop his clinginess, but you better not start looking at him the way you look at me okay? Only me, Kookie,” Taehyung’s voice had slowly lowered in volume and the last three had been a soft whisper against his lips.
Jungkook was not sure how he hadn’t notice Taehyung’s face slowly closing the gap or the nickname he had been given by the other, he only remembered how soft Taehyun’s lips felt against his for that short, far too short, kiss and how warm his hand was against his cheek. He did not remember how easily his eyes closed shut or how he easily pressed back against the kiss; Jungkook only remembered how he wanted more when the other pulled away.
“I’ll see you tomorrow Kookie,” and with that, Taehyung quickly disappeared from his sight.
The flabbergasted teen, whose entire face was red, pressed fingers against his lips and whimpered. Perhaps, Jungkook thought, an abnormality in a life was not so entirely bad. As long as that abnormality went by the name Kim Taehyung.