euphoria ⊰ taekook

20 ❁ do i?

The very next morning, Taehyung woke up feeling energised and refreshed, he can't remember the last time he felt like that in his house. Usually he'd feel his nerves intensify throughout the night, waking up sticky from night sweats. Yet, this morning he was okay, his clothes were completely dry.

And so he made his best, for showered and ready and quickly made his way to school.

He used to despise school, it gave him crippling anxiety and most days he'd just feel miserable.

Miserable because of how his father made him feel, that no one could relate to the childhood trauma he faces and how much it truly affected him.

And although there was a time where Jeongguk had ruined Taehyung. Everything had changed. And because of Jeongguk, he didn't feel that misery anymore. He was actually looking forward to school.

And never in a million years, would he think school would ever become his happy place but it really was right now.

It was a nice day, the winds were ever so subtle that it allowed the sun to soak his skin. He decided to walk to school instead, and cherish the delightful change in the weather.

When it was lunchtime, Taehyung noticed Yoongi and Jimin sitting at their usual lunch spot— outside beneath a pink blossom tree.

He was surprised to notice Jeongguk was sat with them, the three laughing happily amongst each other. Jeongguk tilted his head up and realised Taehyung was walking towards them from the distance. Jeongguk couldn't take it any longer, he excitedly decided to jog over to him. "Tae." Jeongguk smiled gleefully. Taehyung watched the younger go up to him.

Taehyung was wearing a grey sweatshirt which showed a glimpse of his white collar. He was also wearing creme pants, with a dark brown belt and some leather loafers that had a gold buckle attached to it. And damn, he looked so sophisticated and so handsome, Jeongguk thought to himself.

Jeongguk suddenly ran into the slightly shorter boys arms.

They both giggled with each other, Taehyung happily wrapped his arms around Jeongguk's soft slim waist. "I'm alive." The older smirked as he gently moved his arms off Jeongguk, his heartbeat pounding from his presence.

"You are, thank God, I was worrying so much last night." Jeongguk admitted to him, planting his eyes on him gently. Taehyung couldn't help but feel so touched that the younger worried about him last night, even though he assured him he'd be okay.

"Thank you for FaceTiming me last night, I actually slept the whole night. It's been a really, really long time since I've properly slept in that house." Taehyung confessed as Jeongguk smiled happily, looking in the older's eyes.

"M'happy I could help." Jeongguk admitted.

They chuckled amongst each other and walked to the bench. Jimin and Yoongi were now battling each other with a game of ping pong at a ping pong table very close by.

"Hey Taehyung." they said as Taehyung greeted them back before sitting down with Jeongguk at the bench, under the baby pink tree.

Jeongguk had noticed that Taehyung was not putting his notebook on the table, drawing a sketch of another model, with a HB pencil on the bench table. "What are you planning to design?" Jeongguk wondered with interest, he watched the boy pick up his pencil and meet the pencil tip with the paper.

"Hmm a dress, I had this thought in my head... I'm gonna sketch it out, and design the fit later with some materials at home." Taehyung beamed. Jeongguk gazed in the older's eyes with pure adoration. "Ooh, okay."

<3

After five minutes, Taehyung placed his pencil down, realising the older was watching him sketch the whole time with his chin in the palm of his hand. "Hey, does my hair look messy?" Taehyung then wondered, ruffling his bangs that covered a lot of his forehead.

"Mhm, kinda, why would you steal my signature messy hair look?" Jeongguk bushed his eyebrows before relaxing them again and creasing a smile.

"Shut up, I've always been having the messy hair look you can ask Jimin and Yoongi." The older pouted as Jeongguk giggled at him adoringly.

"But I won't lie, the messy hair look does look cute on you too Gguk. But, girls usually call me the cute one. Hopefully you haven't dethroned me." Taehyung tutted looking elsewhere, before gazing back into Jeongguk's chocolate irises.

"Girls call you cute? Hmm..." Jeongguk said scratching the side of his head.

"But, I'm pretty sure they have cooties anyways." Taehyung shrugged. "Yeah, I think so too." They both chuckled at their pointless conversation as the older's smile widened at him. "Y'know, you seem real giddy today Tae, I like this giddy side of yours." Jeongguk admitted.

"So true." Jimin added, easedropping their conversation.

"I said this yesterday, but I've truly never seen Taehyung look so happy, not sure what me and Yoongi are doing wrong. You're really rubbing off on him Jeongguk." Jimin acknowledged. Yoongi also nodded in agreement with Jimin.

Taehyung felt his cheeks warm up as he looked elsewhere shyly. However, the older knew that Jimin was right.

Antidepressants did help, but it wasn't them anymore, this wasn't a pill controlling his happiness. This was a happiness he hadn't felt in a long time, genuine happiness.

The younger was definitely making him happier, and it was clearly showing. Taehyung then started check the time on his phone.

"We better leave for the memorial service Gguk. We'll be back at school in half an hour guys." The older insisted, eyes planting on Jimin and Yoongi.

They packed up their things and Jeongguk followed the older up from the bench.

"We'll be thinking of you Tae." Yoongi said sweetly as the boy's paused their game to watch them go.

"Thank you guys." Taehyung said shyly, he gave a sweet smile to them.

Jeongguk and Taehyung then made their way into the school hallway, to exit the school. Along the way, they noticed Namjoon, his girlfriend Rose and some of Jeongguk's other friends. Namjoon gave them a hug as Taehyung politely waved at them.

"Where have you been Jeon? Seems like nowadays your only with Taehyung." Namjoon said giving smile, Taehyung looked at him shyly as he shuffled his feet.

"Come on, you know I speak to you guys like twenty four seven." Jeongguk said like what they were saying was unreasonable. "Hmm." Namjoon said as he looked in Jeongguk's eyes. "Look we're in a rush Joon, but group call tonight! Make sure you guys pick up, alright?"

They nodded their heads as they did their sweet handshake with Jeongguk as Taehyung smiled at him, walking beside with his hands buried in his pockets.

"Hey, Namjoon and the others aren't really mad that we spend time together are they?" Taehyung wondered worriedly. Jeongguk bushed his brows. "Hey of course not, they're fine with it I promise you. They really like you now that I told them were okay. They think you make me happy." Jeongguk said giving a soft smile.

"Do I?" Taehyung thought his twinkly brown eyes widening at the younger. "Possibly." Jeongguk smirked at they walked out of the building.

"Hmm, I'll take that."

[next chapter: 2432 words]