i. partner in crime | vkook

14. purple skies

"what the literal fuck are you doing to your pizza," jeongguk said disgustedly as he watched taehyung delicately pull the pepperonis out from under the cheese on his slice of greasy pizza.

"what does it look like i'm doing to you," taehyung muttered as he sat crosslegged on the floor, placing another sizzling pepperoni on top of his pepperoni-pile in the corner of the delivery box. "i don't like them."

jeongguk rolled his eyes and ignored it, grabbing another slice. "you don't like anything."

"i like some things," taehyung said matter of factly while nodding his head sarcastically with bright eyes at jeongguk. "just not you."

"i can live with that," jeongguk mumbled staring at taehyung playing with his food, much to his frustration considering he was hardly eating at all and he was not about to put up with his grumpy attitude for the whole night. "you need to eat something."

"i am," taehyung grouched as he nibbled at the crust which tasted like flour, dust, and cheap small town restaurants but his tummy grumbled again so he forced himself to take bigger and bigger bites.

"listen," jeongguk said trying to bring the conversation down to earth again for a minute. "we're gonna leave in a few days but in the meantime we can relax — get clean clothes n stuff, whatever."

"why would i relax with you," taehyung snapped, slumping over and glaring at jeongguk while shoving pizza in his mouth, not even bothering to have manners right now.

"because you have no choice???" jeongguk rested back into the couch while looking at the empty pizzas boxes scattered on the table in front of his legs and the boy demanding answers from him. "why do you have to be so fucking mad at me???"

"why do you have to act like you're not scary????" taehyung raised his voice at the feeling of warm tears pooling up in his eyes from frustration, practically throwing his pizza at jeongguk. "i want to go homeeee."

"do you know what it's like being me??? it's not easy," jeongguk said bitterly.

"aww poor stupid-head says killing people and owning a yacht and living in a million dollar mansion with the dead people's money is harddd," taehyung fake pouted and wiped imaginary tears while his cheeks burned up with frustration.

"ohMygosh," jeongguk crossed his arms, slightly offended. "have you ever had to leave everything you ever loved and be dead to the world for the rest of your life???"

"yes, actually, because you took me away," taehyung remarked, squinting at his abductor with tears running down his hot cheeks. "i hate you."

"literally what the fuck," jeongguk said with his straight eyebrows furrowed and a frown on his face. "shut up about this 'it's for the rest of my life, poor princess in distress, oh sAve mE,' you act like you'd rather be with some other hitman shoving you in the back of car and killing your entire family."

"oh, so being stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with a hitman is better than having a hitman after me who i could easily call the police on???" taehyung laughed literally losing his mind at this argument.

"are you dumb???" jeongguk shouted at the moody taehyung. "you call the police on a hitman another one's gonna come, that's just how it works."

taehyung dramatically flopped back onto the floor wanting to get as far away as possible from this crazy person screaming at him. "stop pretending like it's my fault that you put a gun to my head or dragged me into your room or are a criminal running away."

jeongguk pitifully stared at taehyung who was staring up at the ceiling.

"i saved you because i like you."

taehyung stopped frantically crying while jeongguk stared at him wanting some sort of response. his teary eyes shut delicately sending soft tears down his face and an ache started in his tummy. "well i don't like you."

"good," jeongguk mumbled, fixing his focus and thoughts on the kitchen window at the feathery parting rain clouds revealing purple skies, glowing before night time hit. "you don't have to."

"i don't." taehyung suddenly fluttered his brown eyes open, staring right at jeongguk to make sure he knew he meant it. they both sat in silence for a few moments, taehyung's panicky muffled breaths and the low hum of the heater awkwardly filling the warm room.

"your loss," jeongguk finally said, signalling that this conversation was over and picking up the delivery boxes, stepping over taehyung's lethargic body as he kept pouting on the floor heading to the kitchen.

taehyung sat up with his hair all messy, wanting to protest but ultimately getting too tired to come up with anything to say back.

wordlessly, jeongguk flicked the ceiling light off leaving them in the dark again and annoyed padded over to the bedroom door wanting sleep. "you coming to bed or not?"

taehyung mouthed a small "couch" while pointing to it, offended that he expected he'd sleep in the same bed as him as he tucked his knees up to his chin.

"i'm sleeping on the floor, so uh, do what you want," jeongguk mumbled awkwardly while scratching the back of his neck in the bedroom doorway. "good night."