Three

Chapter Seven

After a little while Namjoon comes outside. He settles onto a pool chair and waves at Jin, who immediately gets out of the water to sit on his lap.

Jungkook sighs, but turns his attention to Taehyung, who he had been ignoring for a while.

"You don't talk a lot, do you?" He asks the boy.

Taehyung shrugs and looks away.
Jungkook nods and grabs Taehyung around the waist, making him scream.
Hoseok and Namjoon jump, Hoseok getting up and scrambling to the edge of the pool.

"What is it?!" He asks, ready to get in and save the boys.

Taehyung clings to Jungkook's shoulders.
"I only scared him a little, Hobi. Sorry, Taehyung." Jungkook apologizes, but doesn't let the boy go.
He slowly floats across the pool with Taehyung, who looks around at the changing scenery.

"Jungkook, his master said he's not allowed in the deep end." Hoseok reminds.

"Just for a minute, Hobi. I've got him."

"No, Jungkook, I really don't think... bring him back."

"In a second."

"No, Jungkook, now. Now. Namjoon?" Hoseok turns to the man for help, hoping he will use his authority to get Jungkook to listen.

Namjoon pulls his lips away from Jin's shoulder. "Jungkook, bring him back right now. Are you going to be held responsible when you drop him and he drowns?"
Jungkook frowns and heads back to the shallow side of the pool.

Hoseok sighs in relief when Taehyung is safe again.

"I wasn't going to drop him." Jungkook grumbles.

"That doesn't matter, Jungkook. Whatever his master said is what goes. If you want to swim in the deep end then you can put Taehyung on the concrete and Seok will watch him." Namjoon adds.

"But I was going to teach him how to swim." Jungkook argues.

"Jungkook. It's up to Jimin if he learns to swim. I'm done talking about it." Namjoon cuts Jungkook off.

Jungkook grumbles something under his breath, still holding Taehyung in his arms.

Taehyung is handed off to Hoseok so Jungkook can swim properly, and he watches Jungkook shyly. Jungkook looks nice, moving quickly under the water like a snake and then popping back up for air, his biceps flexing unnecessarily when he pushes his hair out of his face.
Taehyung quietly clears his throat, pressing his thighs together. He looks away when Jungkook glances at him.
Jungkook swims up to where Taehyung sits on the side of the pool, Taehyung turning his head away so he can't see Jungkook.

"What's wrong?" Jungkook asks Taehyung. "Do you want to swim too?" Without waiting for the answer, Jungkook pulls Taehyung right back into his arms.
Taehyung lets out a strangled sound, attempting to push away from the boy. His cheeks are red, and he doesn't want to feel Jungkook pressed against all of his skin.
He pushes himself back so far Jungkook is scared he'll drop him into the water, so he tries to get the boy back to Hoseok as fast as he can.

When Taehyung's back touches the concrete he climbs onto it.

"What's wrong?" Hoseok echoes Jungkook.
Taehyung shies away from Jungkook, not sure if Jimin will be mad he feels this way about him.

"Jimin." Taehyung mumbles.
"You want Jimin?" Hoseok asks.
Taehyung nods.

Taehyung sits there uncomfortably as Hoseok goes inside, trying to pretend he can't see Jungkook staring at him.

After a moment Jimin comes out, bringing Taehyung into his arms and holding him, like the man doesn't weigh one hundred and fifteen pounds.
"What's wrong, baby?" Jimin asks, nuzzling into Taehyung's hair.