Little Things ~ Taekook

1

Jeongguk, being a year younger than Taehyung, was an academic year behind as well. Henceforth, their classes never clashed with each other's, and so Jeongguk didn't get to see his boyfriend around in school either, except for lunch breaks (in which they made out 4 out of 5 school days).

They had this setting of sorts - since they had first learnt to read, where whenever their parents bought a book, they would read it first and then would give it to the other to repeat the process. It happened on both sides, both took active part in this, looking forward to having more and more books to read.

After both of them would have effectuated this, they would spend quality time discussing the details of the books.

It started from pictures, little ones and big ones, all and every. From 'look hyung, this bunny is so cute' and 'it looks just like you too' to 'Mr. Darcy was a bum' and 'But he improved himself for love' and to each and every colloquy they could read.

Imaginations running wild in front of each other, free in each other's company without the fear of judgement, it was a setting of comfort. And both of the boys basked in it.

It was a setting of fellow feelings, both of them choosing the same languages as additional subjects besides their majors, just to spend the tender evenings they have together wrapped in giggles and half-hearted arguments.

It was a setting of unity, until that one crack.

Because Jeongguk was younger than Taehyung, Taehyung took the liberty of being a 'hyung' way too seriously in a sense. It comes natural to some people - the feeling of superiority, the feeling of being a know-it-all, until it doesn't.

It started with little remarks, sprouted from extra time spent on books and the internet, trying to find out better and better, trying to be better and better.

It started with time.

The delusion of being there before, wanting to be there faster had Taehyung starting to spend more time on the books Jeongguk brought over than the younger boy did.

Because of their busy schedules, both of them had decided to share books over weekends. Deeming their relationship and trying to find more opportunities to spend time with each other, they tried not to let their setting come between the time they got out of their timetables for each other.

But Taehyung could not, as much as he tried, surpass the knowledge and indulgence Jeongguk seemed to possess for everything that they read. Always always seeming so bright to speak up about books.

But with the academic pressure side by side, there came a week where when Jeongguk came over on the weekend to discuss their perspectives on the books, alongside the morals as usual, Taehyung hadn't read anything. Taehyung had kept thinking about just telling Jeongguk the truth, but the thought of him showing weakness in front of someone younger than himself had him feeling mortified and chagrined.

And so, effectively chickening out, Taehyung had just hummed along with what Jeongguk said.

Moving along his head with a flow one that was like Jeongguk's, throwing remarks here and there that he thought suitable as to whatever it was that Jeongguk was speaking about, Taehyung aces all in that evening, acting out smoothly enough so not even Jeongguk catches him in his drama.

When Taehyung was small, he had this plant he over-watered. It happened to quite a few of us, a somewhat normal occuring, but a sad one nonetheless. The flowers that don't look like flowers anymore were heart-wrenching as a nine year old Taehyung cried in front of his grandma. With the little pot in his muddy hands and tear streaked chubby cheeks, he had told his grandma about it, he was just giving the purple flowers some more water because he thought they would be thirsty. It was a particularly hot day.