Chasing Fire | VKOOK

20. 'Just Friends' Rule No. One : Kiss

│C H A P T E R 20│

"Ah fancy seeing you here." Taehyung remarked making his way towards the boy who was now standing at the bottom of the staircase, like a deer caught in the headlights. He wanted to run back to his room, but looking at the devil in his crimson attire with his dishevelled hair, he just wanted to stay.

"Yeah, I wanted a cinnamon roll." Jeongguk said, sending a menacing glance towards the item in Taehyung's hand. Taehyung stopped mid-chew as he muttered a soft oh. He walked closer to Jeongguk and handed the remaining piece over to him with a regretful look.

Jeongguk stared at it for a while and he resisted the urge to aww out loud.

He took it from his hands and took a bite as he walked over to the staircase where he sat down. Taehyung followed suit. He glanced over at the younger from time to time, solace blossoming in his heart as he watched the boy nibble on the cinnamon roll he had gifted.

I swear he's a descendant of a rabbit.

He brushed away the ridiculous thought and opened his mouth to speak. He didn't fail to notice how their knees brushed lightly together. Neither of them pulled away from the contact.

"Took you long enough to come out of your room." Taehyung said and Jeongguk chuckled to himself.

"It took me years to come out of the closet, my dudes, of course it's gonna take me some time to come out of my room."

The tension thick air dropped a little at Jeongguk's weak attempt of lightening the mood. But judging by the way Taehyung chuckled slightly as he shook his head, Jeongguk figured it worked. They sat for a while in silence, neither of them standing up to exit the room like they did a few days ago. Jeongguk felt himself not wanting to leave Taehyung. He wanted to sit on the staircase and talk about anything and everything ranging from their deepest darkest secrets to their hidden fetishes and Jeongguk's love for his goldfish, bob.

But the foreign awkward silence that had dawned upon them prevented them from doing so.

"Are we not going to address the elephant in the room?"

Jeongguk did a full one eighty to look at the devil with an open mouthed stare.

"Did you just call me fat?"

Taehyung chuckled but halted immediately when he noticed the younger had not joined in except he was still looking unflinchingly at the devil for a response.

"N-no?"

"Good."

Taehyung swallowed as he tilted his head in confusion but brushed it off nevertheless. Jeongguk had now finished his snack and the devil feared he would get up to leave but when Jeongguk looked at him with a sigh he could sense the conversation coming.

"Why did you lock yourself in your room, Jeongguk?" Taehyung questioned. He, himself, was surprised that his voice could hold such sadness but he cleared his throat hoping to wipe away the traces. "We could've talked it ou-"

"I was embarrassed okay? I said it once already didn't I?" Jeongguk responded, his eyes now averted from the devil's. Taehyung sighed internally. He liked looking at Jeongguk's eyes, they held a certain sparkle that he always admired silently. When Taehyung didn't answer Jeongguk carried on.

"I g-guess I just-" Jeongguk let out an exasperated sigh. "Jesus, this professing love thing is hard how the fuck do they do it in movies?"

Taehyung rolled his eyes, and was about to jump into the younger's rescue when he started to speak again. This time his voice held a bit more confidence as he looked directly into Taehyung's eyes.