Home Run | Taekook

Practice

There were three distinct reasons why Jungkook loved baseball practice. Number one: he absolutely adored the sport, and he always had. His passion for it had blossomed at the age of five when his father first taught him how to play. His talent had earned him the position of captain throughout middle school and high school, and now, a scholarship to play for the university he had always dreamed of. He still held his position as captain with the utmost pride.

Reason number two: he could spend time with his closest friends. The term 'social butterfly' was in a completely different universe from Jungkook. Introverted and far too shy to venture beyond his small social circle, being surrounded by the people he had always known and found comfort in was the best way for him to enjoy his time on the field.

Last, but by no means least in Jungkook's mind and heart: the view from the other field. Adjacent to them was the football field, where the cheerleaders practiced. Now, Jungkook was not a pervert; watching the girls in tiny skirts jumping around was not the view he enjoyed in the slightest. It was one cheerleader in particular who always caught his eye, Kim Taehyung. Taehyung was beautiful, with soft purple hair bouncing with every movement, long tanned legs always adorned with pristine white knee-high socks, and a radiant, boxy smile that caught everyone's eye as he shouted out cheers. That was the view that Jungkook loved.

Being socially awkward was the bane of Jungkook's life. He hated the fact that he could never find the confidence to walk over to Taehyung and strike up a conversation, make himself known to the other boy. It was especially hard for him every time he saw the football captain, Hoseok, doing just that. The pair of them always flirted during breaks, with Taehyung giggling in a way that Jungkook wished he could make him. It truly was torture.

"Kook! Do you actually plan on practicing today, or are you just going to waste your time standing there and drooling?" Yoongi teased, smirking as he twisted the baseball bat between his hands.

"Leave him alone; his little crush is adorable," Jin cooed as he pinched Jungkook's cheeks. "You really should just go and speak to him. There's no need to be scared; he's a great person."

Yoongi scoffed, "Kook can barely speak to regular strangers, and you expect him to just go up to the person he's interested in and speak freely?"

"I'm not in love with him," Jungkook protested. "I just happen to think he's really nice to look at."

Jin picked up a baseball and tossed it over to Jungkook, determined to get at least some practice in today. "Look, if you don't do something soon, then you'll miss your shot. Mr. football king will take him instead."

With a sigh, Jungkook averted his gaze back to the other pitch, his heart sinking a little more when he saw Taehyung giggling at something Hoseok said, with his hand placed subtly on his arm. "Maybe he deserves him more; I don't exactly have much to offer."

"You're kidding me, right? Tae deserves a million times more than that one-brain-cell jock. I'd much rather he date a little sweetheart like you." Jimin skipped over, joining the conversation without missing a beat.

"They clearly have feelings for each other, and Taehyung doesn't even know I exist."

"Tae's single for the first time in a while; he's just being a flirt. If anything, Hoseok is just a rebound," Jimin replied with a giggle as Yoongi hugged him from behind.

With a scoff, Jungkook tossed the ball up in the air and caught it, repeating the act in an attempt to distract himself from his own personal torture. "I'm only hearing more reasons why I shouldn't talk to him. I don't want to be a rebound; I like my relationships to actually mean something."

"That's not what I'm saying. Tae won't use everyone as a rebound; he's not like that. But Hoseok clearly only wants him for sex since he's already been with half the cheer squad. Chances are, he's just looking to bag the head cheerleader as some sort of sick prize. Tae knows that already, so he's the perfect rebound material for some fun. You, however, are a shy guy who clearly hasn't had a one-night stand in his life; there's no way he'll use you for anything that's not serious. Plus, I like you, and my opinion as your best friend matters a lot."

Jimin's speech injected a slight confidence boost into Jungkook, making him feel less useless. Maybe it was worth pushing his fears aside. "I'll think about it, okay? Now it's practice time, and we shouldn't be wasting it by just standing around."

With everyone in agreement, Yoongi gave Jimin a final kiss before sending him back to the rest of the cheerleaders. Jimin skipped back over with a wide smile, one that didn't even drop when he saw his best friend scowling at him.

"Why the grumpy face?"

"You left practice to hang out with the baseball team again. For the last time, we cheer for the football team, not them," Taehyung scolded.

"I'd rather cheer for them. My boyfriend and the majority of my friends are on that team; I'd cheer harder for them," Jimin shrugged.

"We can't just switch teams; that's not how this works."

Jimin smirked, a cunning plan forming in his head. Now was the perfect time to put his excellent matchmaking skills into practice. "But they've got a cuter captain; maybe you'd like him."

"You know I'm not looking to be set up with anyone right now." Taehyung rolled his eyes before taking a sip from his water bottle, trying his best to move on from the subject.

"Yet you flirt with Hoseok every single practice?"

"That's different. We're being friendly; it's not exactly flirting."

"Come on, at least look at the baseball captain. For me?" Jimin pleaded.

Taehyung reluctantly agreed, though he wasn't entirely sure why Jimin was so desperate for him to take an interest in some random guy. "Fine. Which one is he?"

"The one pitching."

"Bitching? I didn't know baseball was such a sassy game."

"Pitching, you moron! He's the guy throwing the ball at the other guy with the bat."

Finally, Taehyung found the boy Jimin was referring to and admired him with a slight cock of his head. "He's kind of cute, in an innocent little bunny sort of way."

Then the boy turned, locking eyes with Taehyung for the first time ever. Taehyung smiled, raising his hand to give him a slight wave, to which the other instantly turned away, as if he'd been caught doing something illegal. "I waved, and he didn't wave back. Rude, much?"

"He's really shy; give him a break. But I promise you he's really funny and nice once you get to know him," Jimin assured.

"Why do you seem so eager for me to like this boy?"

"I just think you two would be a good match. Plus, I don't want you jumping into bed with Hoseok because you think a rebound would be fun. There are much better options out there, and he is definitely one of them."

Taehyung hummed, not entirely convinced but willing to drop the conversation there for the sake of practice time. He shouted to the others to bring the squad back together, ordering them to get back into the routine they were practicing. However, his mind was now preoccupied, occasionally glancing over at the other pitch to steal glances at the cute brunette boy. Not completely understanding why he couldn't keep his focus off of him.

One particular pitch that Jungkook delivered caused his shirt to rise up, exposing his defined abs, which stole Taehyung's breath. Perhaps keeping his options open wasn't the worst idea that Jimin had ever had.