teacher's pet | taekook

TwENTY EiGHT { don't think }

Taehyung pressed his cheek against the cool window, but even then he couldn't get a good look at the sky — the lighting inside reflected onto the glass, making it too bright to see the stars through, but it was the only thing he could think about, so he kept trying anyway.

"What are you doing?"

The question came along with laughter. Taehyung whipped his head around, finding Jungkook amused. He moved to sit properly on the couch cushions and rubbed the chill from his cheek.

"Oh. I-I'm trying to see the sky."

Jungkook cocked a brow. "What for? Are you looking for aliens?"

For some reason, Taehyung felt an inkling of a sense of guilt sneak up his spine. But as far as he knew, looking out the window wasn't a mortal sin, so why feel bad about it?

"No, I... I wanted to see the stars."

"Really?" Jungkook appeared more playful than skeptical now, as he came to join Taehyung on the couch. He leaned over the back of it and pressed his cheek against the window as Taehyung had done moments before.

"Um, yeah." Taehyung watched as Jungkook peered out the window.

"Why?"

"Because it's pretty. I haven't seen the stars in a while—" As expected, Jungkook has barred Taehyung from taking a step outside all over again. "—and I just realized that out here, we actually can see them, you know?"

Jungkook chuckled and turned his head so his hair was pressed against the window, not his face, and he could admire Taehyung properly.

"That sounds like something a hopeless romantic would say," he replied.

Taehyung smiled. "You think so?"

Romance. That sounded good. When was the last time he did something romantic? God, what does romance even feel like? He was beginning to forget.

"Well, I'm sure it's fun to fantasize about," Jungkook said as he adjusted to sit correctly on the couch, close enough to let his thigh press against Taehyung's.

Taehyung forced a little smile out, knowing it was hopeless to fantasize about seeing the stars. Because that's all it would ever be; a fantasy. Jungkook won't trust him to go out, probably ever again. There's no use in dreaming about it unless he's wishing for heartache and disappointment.

"Be honest with me, darling." He brushed a lock of hair out of Taehyung's eyes. "Tell me what's on your mind. You look troubled."

Taehyung grimaced on the inside. His expression was a little obvious about his thoughts — a "leaky face" as his dad would've called it. He looked at Jungkook to find him genuinely concerned, so there's no getting out of it.

"I miss..." He sighed, wishing he could derail the conversation, but he wished for a lot lately and none of it ever seemed to work out. "I miss the way I felt when we started... this."

That constant warm feeling in the pit of his stomach during the honeymoon phase of a relationship; that's what he misses. It's the rush of getting to know someone and the butterflies that tickle him whenever Jungkook does anything. And the giggles and the tickle fights or movie nights — of course, he didn't get to do much of that with Jungkook, but he would've liked to. And he still gets butterflies in his stomach when Jungkook does certain things, but it's not the same.

"I miss the excitement—"

"Our life isn't exciting anymore?" Jungkook interjected.

"Uh—" Taehyung chuckled nervously, though there was no humor in it. "—no, I wouldn't say that. It's just... different now."