Work Text:
Jeon Jeongguk had annoyingly pretty eyes. Taehyung thought it was a bit sad that he had so much hate for those beautiful doe-eyes. But when Jeongguk looked at him like he did right now, nothing was even slightly pretty about him. A smug smirk tugging on his lips and mockery glinting in his eyes. Taehyung was furious.
The Lion cleared his throat again and Taehyung broke the stare-down with Jeongguk to look at his mentor. The Lion was older than his looks promised. With his nearly eight hundred years the wizard only looked freshly thirty.
In the years Taehyung had lived in this house he knew that even though he looked youthful and was always ready for the harmless pranks Jimin and him had played on the older guys or himself, The Lion was a fair but strict man. Taehyung had made a mistake. That’s why The Lion scolded him, standing in his office. Jeongguk stood on the other side of the room, still smiling mockingly. Taehyungs face was bright red, he was sure of it.
"Taehyung," The Lion said slowly, understanding and Taehyung hated it, because it wasn't his fault. "What do you mean you lost her?" He had asked the question before but got no answer from Taehyung as he was way too occupied by shooting hateful daggers at Jeongguks sneering expression with his eyes.
"I didn't really lose her, she just ran away and I wasn't fast enough to catch her. But that wouldn't have happened if this pea-brain over there hadn't scared her." Taehyung was once again glowering at Jeongguk who at least now had the mind to look a tad shameful.
"But why was she out of the cage anyway?" Taehyung once again felt his cheeks redden, this time from embarrassment. "I wanted to pet her" he said in a small voice. He heard Jeongguk snicker and the anger was back with full force.
Ever since The Lion brought Jeongguk back from one of his journeys, Taehyungs life has been miserable.
He and the other five guys had a nice time as students of one of the greatest wizards of their time. The Lion was known all over the world, especially because of the potions he developed. But being an apprentice of The Lion was not just a great honor but also a lot of fun. Or it was until Jeon Jeongguk became the new addition of the household.
The Hyungs all really adored the youngest, even Yoongi had a soft spot for this brat and Taehyung was just straight up pissed. Not only was Jeongguk better than Taehyung at everything he tried, he was also a showoff and just all in all nasty.
It all began not even a month after Jeongguk joined them. At first Taehyung thought that he was a cute shy kid but as soon as Jeongguk realized how he could manipulate his Hyungs, Taehyungs life became a living hell.
His first victim was no other than Park Jimin, sweet, kind Jimin, Taehyungs best friend. Obviously Jimin couldn't resist those big doe-eyes and Taehyung was a bit more than just a little butt-hurt, that his best friend chose to spend so much time with the newcomer.
Just after a few days Jeongguk had warmed up with all the other guys too, except with Taehyung. Whenever Taehyung entered a room, Jeongguk got silent, avoided his gaze and sometimes even left. It was annoying to say the least, but then everything changed for the worse.
Taehyung had been studying in the library when Jeongguk started his game. Everybody knew the allergies Taehyung had, but Jeongguk thought it was funny to hide a bunch of flowers in Taehyungs bag and books, so that Taehyung was sneezing for nearly an hour. Eyes red and anger boiling in his chest he returned to the living room where the other guys sat. When he entered Jimin laughed loudly at his swollen appearance and soon the others joint in. Jeongguk stood in the far corner looking at Taehyung with a smirk and Taehyung swore revenge.
Since then they began to play small pranks to each other. Taehyung put a floating curse on Jeongguks favorite socks, so whenever he tried to put them on, they would fly upwards, which mostly lead with Jeongguk falling over, his feet midair. Jeongguk put a memory loss curse on Taehyungs bag so it would lose the most important books and herbs on the way to class or the library. Jeongguk would mix a truth serum in Taehyungs morning cacao, leading to a few angry and shocked facial expressions at what Taehyung said during that day. Taehyung would exchange Jeongguks familiar, a falcon, with a same looking bird, so Jeongguk thought for five minutes straight that he lost his magical abilities when the bird wouldn’t talk to him. The others were soon rather annoyed by their bickering and every other week they were scolded by The Lion himself; just as they were right now.
Their newest assignment as the apprentices of the world-famous wizard was to make a cat invisible. Namjoon obviously was miles ahead of the others, having a cat as a familiar. Taehyung also nearly managed to do it, she was now in a state of constant changing. Tonight, after their last lesson Taehyung took the small cat out of its cage to play with it, when Jeongguk ran into the room letting little fireworks fly into the room, scaring the cat with the loud booming of the fires. She then ran away, hiding perfectly from the boys. It certainly didn’t help that she was invisible most of the time.
“I can’t believe you sometimes” The Lion sighed. “You obviously have to find her again, but I don’t think I can let you away that easily. You have been stressing me out for months now and I had enough to always clean up after you two.” The Lion sounded angry, but mostly tired and Taehyung and Jeongguk stood quietly in front of him, their heads lowered, waiting for their punishment.
The Lion sat down at the big oak wooden desk and looked through one of his notebooks. “The potion cabinet hasn’t been cleaned in ages and I’m afraid there are rats living in one of the walls. I want you two to clean it, organize it and even throw away some of the old, unusable potions in there.” Taehyung groaned silently. The potion cabinet was probably the messiest place in the whole mansion. They would need days, if not weeks to fully clean it.
“I don’t care how long it takes” The Lion said, as if he read their minds. “But you have to clean it together and without magic.” This time it was Jeongguk who groaned. This would be a gigantic pain in the ass.
When the both of them left The Lions office, Taehyung shoved Jeongguk against the wall next to the door. “Why the fuck did you have to scare the cat, Kook” He spit in his face and Jeongguk looked completely baffled for a second, mouth open, eyes big. Until he seemed to regain his posture and shook Taehyungs hand of his collar.
“It wasn’t my fucking fault” He hissed back even though his cheeks were slightly pink. “Whatever. Let’s just search for the cat.” Jeongguk left Taehyung standing as he walked back to the study room, where they lost the cat.
Taehyung ruffled his hair as he followed the younger. It would be so stressful to search for the cat, always hoping that it would get visible again.
Just when they opened the door, carefully, so the cat wouldn’t be able to run away, they heard laughter. Taehyung spotted Jimin sitting on the floor in front of one of the bigger armchairs. He was telling a story animatedly, with hands and feet. Hoseok sat on the chair, listening to Jimin, laughing loudly. But what Taehyung really stunned silent, was the small creature sitting on Hoseoks lap, steadily becoming visible and invisible again.
“Deserves you right” Jimin grinned over his breakfast eggs “You two were annoying all of us, so I think it’s just fair that you have to do the most hated job.” Taehyung groaned. “I remember how Yoongi and I had to clean the cabinet like two years ago, but at least we were allowed to use magic.” Jimin heartlessly continued. Taehyung lay his head on the table. His familiar, a younger tiger he had found when he had the opportunity to go on a journey to India with The Lion, sneaked around his legs. “It’s so unfair, Jiminie” he sighed into the sleeve of his sweater. “No, it’s actually not” Seokjin sat next to Jimin on the long wooden table. A maid placed a coffee in front of the eldest and Seokjin thanked her with a nod of his head.
“The cat may have been a rather small mishap but your bickering has been going on for too long. You need to be punished to learn that you have to stop.” Seokjin looked up when a snicker was met by his words. “As if those idiots would learn” Yoongi sat down next to Jimins other side, his raven already landing on the back of his chair. “They probably end up destroying the whole cabinet when they start fighting again or worse they try out the potions.”
“We are not that stupid” Taehyung tried to defend himself. “Well Jeongguk might not, but you are a toddler with only bad ideas” Yoongi deadpanned and Taehyung looked at him with betrayal in his eyes. Hoseok, having his lynx walking next to his feet, and Namjoon entered, both of them still looking rather tired. As they sat down at the end of the table to eat their breakfast, the only free place available was right next to Taehyung. When Jeongguk walked into the room, hair slightly tousled, and saw where he had to sit his face got red and he promptly walked out of the room again, his fox following him with hushed steps.
Taehyung lifted his head from the table and looked at Jimin irritated. “What is his problem?” But Jimin only sighed and gave his breakfast eggs once again his full attention, while his iguana nibbled on a toast.
After their last lesson of the day they had two hours of free time before dinner. Taehyung usually spent this time with playing games, going for a walk in the park of the big mansion he called his home or swimming in the pond that was in the middle of the park. On other days he would be planning new pranks for Jeongguk. Today he did nothing of this sort.
Taehyung made his way to the cellar where the potion cabinet was. He hummed quietly to distract himself from the anger that boiled in his chest. He dreaded the hours that he would spent in the sticky, cold room together with none other than his nemesis Jeon Jeongguk. Hopefully they would be able to finish their task soon.
Taehyung wasn’t surprised that Jeongguk was already there and cleaning when he opened the room. In the months he knew the younger he realized that he was nothing but hardworking and maybe a bit stubborn. But Jeongguk probably already started, so that he could leave earlier and letting Taehyung do all the work.
Jeongguk didn’t turn around when Taehyung entered, but Taehyung thought he saw him freeze where the dusted off some of the bottles. “A maid brought us rugs and cleaning stuff so we can get started right away. I took this side.” Taehyung nodded and took one of the colorful rugs to dust of a counter that was filled with small bowls full of what looked like dried frogs. He was a bit surprised that Jeongguk sounded so calm, nonchalant even, when Taehyung was already waiting for a snarky remark, something evil.
They worked in silence for nearly an hour until Taehyung found a glass full of dried snakes. He turned around, lifting the glass into the light and dryly said: “I think Seokjin-hyung would cry if he saw that” Seokjin already had weak moments, cursing over the usage of snakes in witchcraft, while clutching to his familiar, a red snake, mostly laying on his (very broad) shoulders, whispering secrets in his ears.
Jeongguk had turned around at Taehyungs statement and looked at the glass interested. And then, to Taehyungs surprise, Jeongguk laughed. Taehyung didn’t think he ever heard him laugh like that and up close. Whenever Taehyung was around, Jeongguk used to shut himself off, quiet down. And he would only hear snarky remarks and scornful laughter. When Jeongguk had turned around, still chuckling to himself, Taehyung stood still, glass in the air and eyes wide. His thoughts seemed to betray him, as he could only think about how pretty the sound of Jeongguks laughter was.
The days went by like this, studying though the day (Taehyung managed to make the cat fully invisible) and cleaning the cabinet afterwards. Jeongguk and Taehyung still didn’t talk to each other more, than informing the other what they would be doing today and how far they came when the two hours were up. Sometimes Jimin or one of the others would come visit them, to either bring them a snack (Seokjin and Hoseok) or laugh at them (Jimin and sometimes Yoongi). The Lion had only visited once on the first day to see if they already destroyed the cabinet or each other. When he realized that thankfully none of the latter happened, he returned to his office.
On the fifth day Taehyung had enough of the silence. He had never spent so much time without talking and he didn’t care anymore that the only other person in the room was his sworn nemesis.
“If Months had genders, what do you think are they?” The question was asked in one of the earlier moments of their daily cleaning, muffled by the rug Taehyung had pressed to his mouth and nose to not inhale too much of the steam that escaped out of one of the glasses that was slightly cracked. Jeongguk didn’t answer and just when Taehyung thought he either didn’t hear him or didn’t want to talk to him Jeongguk hummed. “I think they all would be female, because they don’t seem male.”
Taehyung thought about the answer. “Why not?”
“Most of them are too soft and fleeting to be male.”
“Aren’t you just using gender stereotypes?”
“Well how should I answer your question if not by stereotypes?”
Taehyung was quiet after that. After thinking about the matter a bit more he just shrugged and once again began cleaning. They worked in relative silence, Taehyungs curses being the only thing to hear, when he sometimes nearly let one of the glasses fall to the floor. But after about twenty minutes Taehyung halted in his movements. He needed a moment until he realized that the sounds he was hearing were coming from Jeongguk. The younger boy was humming an unknown tune. Taehyung listened closely and soon felt himself swaying softly along to the melody.
From now on they at least talked a bit while working. Jeongguk asked Taehyung about how he got in to this house. (I ran away from my grandmother after a fight when I was nine years old and hid myself in the backseat of The Lions car. The wizard thought I had the heart to become a wizard so he took me in as an apprentice. Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok were already in the mansion when I arrived.) He wanted to know how his relationship with his grandmother was now. (Very great, actually. Since I’ve ran away I visit her every couple weeks and we play games together.) He wondered about the journey to India, where Taehyung had found his familiar. (I’ve never saw something like it before. The country was beautiful, wild and terrifying. When I met my familiar I was so happy to be able to take a part of this country home with me.) Taehyung asked if Jeongguk sang. (Sometimes, but not very good) He wanted to know where he came from. (Originally from Busan, but I nearly lived all my live in Japan. That’s also where the fox-fire comes from.) He wondered if the fox spoke Japanese. (Well yeah mostly. But as my familiar he doesn’t really has to speak for me to understand him. I mean you would know that.)
Taehyung also told Jeongguk stories about the other guys, happenings that took place long before he became part of their group. He told him how Jimin and he used to wander around the house, trying to find a secret room. Counted the times Namjoon broke one of the statues in the great hall. Told him about the time Yoongi tried to give the fog a soul so he could have a mysterious friend and about how Hoseok had already screamed only thinking about this ghostly presence, Yoongi tried to create. The stories about how Seokjin studied multiple books full of dad-jokes just to impress a girl. “It didn’t work, obviously but he still stuck with them.” Taehyung finished and looked at Jeongguk a bit stunned. He still wasn’t accustomed seeing the younger laugh so freely.
But of course they weren’t able to become best friends in that time. Jimin still opened the door to their bickering more often than not, but at least they were talking now.
On the tenth day Taehyung finally had the idea. The absolute bad idea. The worst of them all.
They were nearly finished. They had cleaned and dusted off all the bottles, bowls and shelves. Now the only thing left was to organize the cabinet and throw away the broken and too old potions.
Taehyung looked at the bottle in his hand. With nearly unreadable letters it said “bubble” on it. He remembered this. Jimin, Hoseok and him used to put this in their morning cocoa or tea and looked at the beautiful bubbles it would give, flying under the ceiling and landing on their tongues where they popped, until they realized that the drink afterwards tasted like old socks and gave really bad wind.
“How about we try out some of those potions?” the question was asked into a rather quiet room, as they haven’t been talking for the last half an hour and Jeongguk also wasn’t singing like he now usually did to fill the silence. “What?” When Taehyung turned around Jeongguk was looking at him like he grew a second head. “Are you stupid? We are throwing them away for a reason.”
“Yeah, I know” Taehyung recoiled “but I think that would be the fun, actually, not knowing exactly what happens when we take them. And if something really bad would happen” he continues as Jeongguks face only looked more scandalized “We can always heal each other, we are good enough magicians, right?”
Taehyung waited as Jeongguk seemed to contemplate the matter. “All right” he then agreed “but only if we choose potions where we at least know what was supposed to happen.”
Taehyung nodded excited and already grabbed for one of the bottles to his right when Jeongguk stopped him. “No, you first” he said and stretched out a small bottle with a brown content. In Jeongguks eyes Taehyung saw mischief and challenge glinting. Taehyung grinned, took the bottle out of Jeongguks hand, opened it and took a big gulp. Let the fun begin.
Taehyung didn’t know how late it was. Jimin once held his head inside the room to ask why they won’t come down to dinner and Taehyung didn’t tell the entire truth but also did not really lie, as he said that they were so close to finishing that they wanted to do it today, while Jeongguk was sneezing out big rainbow-colored bubbles from his nose at the back of the room, far away from Jimins questioning gaze. The aftermath of the probably sixth potion he had swallowed.
Now they sat on the floor, face-to-face and were searching for their twelfth or thirteenth potion. The first four or so didn’t do anything at all, so Taehyung declared that they had to be a bit more daring and they chose potions that looked stronger, weirder, more dangerous.
Jeongguk began to sing with every sentence he started until he nearly coughed out his guts. Taehyung saw the world in only blue colors. Jeongguk could fly for maybe five minutes and Taehyung started laughing uncontrollably for maybe ten.
After Taehyung had swallowed a purple potion that was nearly a pudding (it made him see crocodiles everywhere and he thought it was hilarious), he punched a pink bottle with nothing more than a big #12 on it in Jeongguks hand.
Jeongguk looked at this skeptically, shrugged then and drank it in one big gulp. Taehyung put his attention from one of the imaginary crocodiles that danced salsa in the far end of the room back to Jeongguk and saw how the younger open his eyes to directly look at him.
Jeongguk didn’t move and neither did Taehyung. Something seemed to change in the air and Taehyung began to shiver. “Hey Jeongguk, is everything alright?” he tentatively started, lifting a hand to place it on Jeongguks shoulder. Right before Taehyung could touch him however, Jeongguk startled heavily and looked away, cheeks turning pink. “Yeah, yeah sure. Everything’s alright.” Taehyung scrunched up his nose. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah I was just thinking” Jeongguk trailed off, opened his mouth to start again, stopped himself, took a deep breath, looked at the ground and finally at Taehyung again. In his eyes was an urgency that Taehyung never saw before. “I am in love with you, Hyung.” He then breathed out and Taehyung looked at him, eyes and mouth similarly wide open.
“What the fuck?” Taehyung nearly screamed. “Is this potion for telling bullshit? Is it a bullshit potion?” Jeongguk looked devastated. “No please, Hyung. I mean it. I am in love with you” He wanted to say more it seemed but Taehyung interrupted him again as he seemed to understand the reason for Jeongguks behavior. “Oh my god” he placed a hand in front of his mouth, then drove it though his hair, stood up, walked to the door, turned around again. “It was a love potion” he nearly whispered and Jeongguk didn’t answer but something like understanding drew itself on his features.
Taehyung knew he was right. The Lion had told them of the love potions he had developed in his earlier days (read: when he was around three hundred years old), but he never showed them one and how could Taehyung know that the bottle with the big #12 on it would be a love potion.
“What the fuck are we going to do now? I forced you to love me.” Taehyung stared at his hands in his lap, where he had slid down the door of the cabinet.
Jeongguk on his part had stood up and made small steps in the direction of Taehyung as if not to scare him. “No, Hyung you really didn’t. I fell in love with you it wasn’t the potions doing.”
“Yes, it was Jeongguk! It might feel real to you now. But it really isn’t.” Taehyung buried his head in his hands. “I gave you the fucking love potion.”
After a long moment of silence Taehyung finally jumped up. A certain look in his eyes, as if he figured out everything. “We need help. We need someone who understands potions better than we do.” And with that he grabbed Jeongguks hand and pulled him out of the cabinet, but not before the grabbed the devilish bottle #12 of the floor.
“You did what?” Hoseok looked at the both boys in front of him with big eyes. He already wore his pajamas, toothbrush in hand. He had just wanted to head into bed, but know he was completely awake again.
“I gave Jeongguk a love potion and now he thinks he is in love with me.” Taehyung said again, tiredly. Hoseok let himself fall back on the chair by his table. Taehyung sat down on his bed and Jeongguk still stood by the door, a slight blush tinting his cheeks. “We know you know a lot more about potions than we do so can you perhaps help us.” Taehyung looked hopefully at his Hyung.
Hoseok tried to collect his thoughts. “I might” he then started “but I need to know what sort of potion he drank.” Taehyung than gave him the bottle of #12. “I’ve never saw it before.” Taehyung still sounded tired but also a bit embarrassed. “Me neither” Hoseok said apolitically. “I will look into it as soon as I can, but for now, Jeongguk” he looked at the youngest in the room. “don’t try to fight anything, do whatever feels comfortable and don’t try to hold back in your urges. And Taehyung too, don’t push him away. He will need you right now.” Jeongguk blushed further and Taehyung groaned at that. Hoseok ignored their reactions “For all I know about love potions, it will hurt you to try to fight it. Maybe it will work itself off by time and if not I will find a way.” Hoseok smiled encouragingly at the two.
Once they left Hoseoks room and they stood in the dark hallway, Taehyung turned around and looked at Jeongguk. For the first time he had something like worry in his mind for the younger.
“How are you feeling?” Taehyung asked cautiously making a step closer to Jeongguk, but when the younger turned around looking like a deer in the headlights he retreated immediately. Jeongguk was still blushing and he couldn’t look Taehyung in the eye for longer than five seconds. Taehyung sighed, this was a hell of an evening.
“Let’s just go to bed,” he suggested eventually and had already turned into the direction of his bedroom when Jeongguk spoke again.
His voice was soft and so not Jeongguk-like. He always spoke so sure of himself, like a brat, not like now.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?”
Taehyung turned around to stare at the younger but Jeongguk was already looking at the ground as if the floorboard was the most thrilling thing he ever saw in his life. “What?” Taehyung croaked. Jeongguk didn’t repeat himself, his ears were on fire to this point. The air suddenly seemed a million degrees hotter and Taehyung felt himself blushing too.
Never in his wildest dream would he have imagined that Jeongguk could act this way, unsure and scared. Hell, he seemed even cute to Taehyung.
Taehyung shook himself and was ready to laugh at Jeongguk and scold him for this ridiculous suggestion, but then Hoseoks word came back to mind. Don’t push him away. He will need you right now.
Taehyung must have said nothing for too long because Jeongguk now looked like he might would start to cry while he back treated. “I’m sorry” he nearly whispered and Taehyung was so shocked that he almost let him run away. Grabbing Jeongguks wrist, Taehyung finally got over his shock. “Let’s just go” he rumbled and pulled the younger after him for the second time this evening.
As they passed Jeongguks room the younger stopped and mumbled something about getting his pajamas and slipped into the room, leaving Taehyung alone in the dark hallway. He was still too shocked to actually comprehend what had happened. All he knew was that he made a very big mistake. In all ways he despised Jeongguk, he never wanted to do something as dreadful as a love potion to him. He could only imagine what was going on in Jeongguk, how awful it would feel for him. Wanting to be with the person you hate the most. Wanting to hold, always be near the person you should despise. How his inner turmoil would tear him apart. Wanting to sleep with Taehyung, wanting to kiss him.
Taehyung chocked on his own salvia, blushing again, just when Jeongguk finally came out of his room, now dressed in an oversized white shirt and baggy basketball shorts. “Are you alright?” Jeongguk asked, worry showing on his face and Taehyung could only nod his head, trying to breath normal again, shoving his thoughts in the back of his mind. Now was not the time to think about kissing his nemesis.
Taehyung doesn’t really remember how they got into bed, he was way too focused to not think about anything. But he was sure that Jeongguk wasn’t that curled around him when he fell asleep as he is now when Taehyung wakes up again.
Jeongguks head was on Taehyungs left shoulder, lips pressed to his neck and legs entangled. His soft breathing tickled on Taehyungs skin.
Taehyung is also very sure that there shouldn’t be a Jimin standing in his room, staring down at them as if he never saw them before. As soon as he looked in Taehyungs now open eyes, Jimins paralysis seemed to end and he screamed, “What the actual fuck is this?” Taehyung sat up and Jeongguk stirred. Screaming and movement both have woken him up. He blinked up at Taehyung, at Jimin at his hand on Taehyungs stomach and after a second he startled, jumping away from Taehyung, face soon colored in the same bright red as it was the evening before.
Jimin was once again stunned silent, having never saw Jeongguk blush that heavily before. None of them spoke again. Taehyung stood up and got dressed. When he came out of the bathroom that was next to his room Jeongguk had left, but Jimin still stood in the middle of the room, staring at Taehyungs bed as if he saw a ghost. Which was rather funny considering Jimin often communicated with the dead through sessions.
Now he looked at Taehyung again. “Explain” he said, voice hard. Taehyung blushed and tried to busy himself with making the bad, so that he didn’t need to look at his best friend. But Jimin didn’t let up, arms crossing his arms. “Jeongguk drank a love potion” Taehyung finally confessed, voice small. Jimin made a noise as if he choked on his own spit.
After the initial shock was over Jimin finally managed to get the full story out of Taehyung. Afterwards they both sat on the now freshly made bed, crumbling the sheets a bit under their shared weight. “What are you going to do now?” Jimin eventually asked and Taehyung shrugged.
“Hoseok is trying to find a solution and in the meantime I’m trying to be as nice to Jeongguk as I can.” Jimin snorted at that and Taehyung couldn’t help but laugh a bit too. Who would have thought that after all their bickering they would worry their Hyungs with a matter so completely different than before?
When they finally made it to breakfast Jeongguk wasn’t there. They sat next to Seokjin and Yoongi and dug into their toasts and eggs. Jimin promised to not tell the others. “They will find out eventually” he had warned and Taehyung knew he was right. He won’t be able to keep it a secret for long.
Jeongguk entered maybe ten minutes later, hair still damp from the shower he must have took. He looked around the room, saw Taehyung, blushed slightly and sat down next to him. This already made Seokjin look at them weirdly. “What are you planning?” he asked around a mouth full of bacon, not bothering to swallow.
Taehyung could nearly feel Jeongguk blush next to him.
They were saved from giving an answer by Namjoon. His familiar, a black cat, strolled next to his legs, as he walked into the breakfast room. “Where is Hoseok?” he asked as he sat down next to a still suspicious Seokjin. “He was awake the whole night, poring over his books and mumbling to himself, doing god knows what, so he may be still sleeping” Yoongi answered not looking up from his coffee. Namjoon sat down, looking a bit confused as he came face to face with Taehyung and Jeongguk who now softly whispered to each other.
“What is this?” he asked and now the attention of the whole table was on them, Seokjin hadn’t stopped staring to begin with. “Why are you both so close?” Yoongi too interfered. Jimin stared at them with worry.
Taehyung cleared his throat. He hadn’t thought about a good excuse yet and he was never good in impromptu lies, especially not under Seokjins glare. This was an all or nothing scenario and he was hell bend on getting his Hyungs (even if only for a while longer) off his back.
He opened his mouth, “I-“
“I’m in love with Tae-hyung”
Normally Taehyung would be laughing tears by the scene that developed itself in front of him, if he didn’t have the urge to run away as fast as possible. Seokjin had chocked on his mouth full of bacon, now nearly dying while Namjoon patted his back with so much force that Seokjin nearly hit his head on the table. Namjoons mouth was open and except for his hand that landed on Seokjins back repeatedly, he was shock still. Yoongi looked at the two youngest with a suspicious expression, while he tried to clean himself off the bacon bits Seokjin had spat into his direction. Jimin had his gaze fixed on his plate and looked as if he wanted to disappear as much as Taehyung.
Jeongguk, however sat proudly, face burning red, not backing down by what he said and looked Yoongi squarely in the face. As if he wanted to show him the importance of those words. Taehyung wanted to cry.
When Hoseok came into the room, looking disheveled and with dark rings under his eyes, showing that he clearly didn’t sleep enough, Seokjin had finally swallowed all the bits that were still in his mouth and not on Yoongi and found his voice again. “What?” he croaked.
Hoseoks face fell and he looked at them in shock. “What happened?” he asked as he made a step forward, standing next to Jeongguk and Taehyung. “Idiot number two just told us he’s in love with idiot number one” Yoongi deadpanned and Jeongguk sputtered.
Hoseoks face smoothed out too something sadder. “Yeah, I know, this poor boy.” At this the shocked expression turned from the youngest to Hoseok. “You knew?” Namjoon asked. “Yes, they told me yesterday.” Hoseok continued. “But I haven’t found a cure to the love potion yet.” He once again looked at Taehyung and Jeongguk sadly. Now even Yoongi chocked on his spit and Taehyung was now seriously worried that soon someone would die out of suffocation.
“Love potion?” Namjoon repeated and understanding drew itself on his features. “That’s why. I thought it was weird that he would admit to it so easily-“ Namjoon stopped himself as Seokjin slapped him on the shoulder with a warning look. Jeongguk blushed further and now Taehyung was confused, but not for long as Hoseok sat down on Namjoons other side and turned to him and Jeongguk again.
“I haven’t found a cure yet, but I found a description in one of The Lions old books. It seems he developed it quite some time ago but because of a ‘defect’ it never went for sale.” Hoseok grabbed a toast and spread butter on it. “A defect? What defect?” Taehyung asked worriedly. “I don’t know yet. It’s never explained.” Hoseok spoke with a full mouth, swallowed and added “But it’s nothing bad, just not good enough for a love potion”
Taehyung felt sick. If this potion could seriously hurt Jeongguk it would be his fault.
Jeongguk had turned his head in to Taehyungs direction and softly putted a hand on his shoulder. Taehyung turned to look at the hand and then at Jeongguk. He didn’t recall that Jeongguk and him ever touched so much as they did in the last past hours. Jeongguks face was still a bit pink. He said, “It’s not your fault, Hyung. Whatever happens, I want you to know, that I don’t blame you for anything.” He now looks at the ground and Taehyung found himself at a loss of words.
“Well technically it was. He gave you the love potion.” Hoseok deadpanned.
Everyone was silent for a moment, all lost in their own thoughts. Until Seokjin began to laugh. His typical windscreen wiper laugh. When Hoseok and Jimin gave him a shocked expression he tried to speak though his never-ending laughter. “I- I’m so-sorry” he hiccupped “but it is just so ironical.”
Taehyung understood him on so many levels. If it had to get someone to fall in love with Taehyung it obviously had to be his nemesis Jeon Jeongguk himself. Taehyung chuckled. He looked across the table and when he saw Hoseoks still shocked expression he couldn’t hold it in any longer. His shoulders shook as he laughed and when he turned his head to the side he saw Jeongguk laughing too, face red with amusement now.
Soon Hoseok, Jimin and Namjoon joined in, finding the nearly cynical situation as funny as Seokjin.
“This is so fucked up” Yoongi sighed and stood up, leaving the room full of laughter with his familiar, a black raven, flying over his head.
If Taehyung would say that his days weren’t that much different as they were before, he wouldn’t be lying per se. He still got up at a reasonable time, brushed his teeth and played a bit with his familiar, ate breakfast with Jimin and wore his too-big sweaters. His lessons still considered of trying to get himself invisible and discussing different herbs with The Lion. The only two changes were for one that he finally finished his imposition, having cleaned the cabinet completely and second Jeongguk didn’t seem to leave him alone.
Even though the used to play a lot of (rather stupid) pranks on the other they never spent a lot of time in each other’s company. Whenever they did Jeongguk used to be taciturn and mean, so the transition of bratty thundered to love-sick puppy was in Jimins words “really fucking distressing”.
Jeongguk still doesn’t talk that much more than he did before but now he is always around, sitting close to Taehyung and helping him wherever he can. Taehyung finds himself so annoyed by the end of the first week that he promptly runs away after he sees Jeongguk walk towards him after his last lesson, screaming something about, having forgotten a book in his room, and came bursting into Hoseoks room.
“When will you finally have an answer for Jeongguks ‘little problem’, it’s getting fucking annoying.” Taehyung lets himself fall on Hoseoks be with an exaggerated sigh. Hoseok looked up from the book he was just studying on his table.
“I’m trying” he said, clearly being annoyed himself. “You know it would be much easier if we could just ask The Lion himself. Maybe he would remember the solution for the potion.”
Taehyung sat up abruptly. “No, please don’t tell him. I would never be able to look him in the eye again.” Hoseok seemed to take pity on him. “I won’t tell him.” He promised and Taehyung once again let himself fall on the bed.
The door opened and a black shock of hair poke into the room. “Hyung have you seen-“ Jeongguk stopped himself when he saw Taehyung. “So this is where you were.” A brilliant but still somewhat shy smile overtook Jeongguks facial features and Taehyung was tongue-tied, like he has been so many times in the last couple days. Whenever Jeongguk did something that was so unlike him (and if Taehyung would be honest with himself, really cute) Taehyungs brain just seemed to shut down. It was as if he (his brain) could not comprehend the situation.
Taehyung knew he never had the opportunity to really get to know Jeongguk before this shit show happened, so it wasn’t like he behaved like a completely different person. If he could count on Jimins reports Jeongguk was a cute and selfless person. For Taehyung however, who had manifested a particular picture of Jeongguk in his mind, the younger was like a new person. He would have never pictured him to be so attentive when Taehyung talked over small things that mattered to him, like how if penguins were jealous of the birds that flew in the sky, or bring him a snack when he was studying, well knowing that Taehyung tended to forget to eat when he was too concentrated on something.
Jeongguk was, in Taehyungs shocking surprise, really nice to be around. He listened well, was funny and kind and also had interesting views on the world, that he was open to discuss about. Taehyung thought in the beginning that all those features came from the love potion, developing Jeongguk into someone so full of love. However, Taehyung soon realized that he was like that all the time.
Despite of the love-sick looks he shot into Taehyungs direction and the blushing, whenever he accidentally touched the elder, Jeongguk behaved the same way around the other guys as he did with Taehyung. And by the normal way the Hyungs interacted with Jeongguk, it seemed as if Jeongguk behaved that way all along.
There was more than one occasion when Taehyung felt kind of left out when he saw Jeongguk act so freely around the others. He asked himself why the younger never acted that way with him. It saddened him that a love potion needed to be swallowed by Jeongguk for them to become somewhat like friends.
But were they really friends? In other circumstances Taehyung would have called Jeongguk his best friend already, but it was fake. Jeongguk couldn’t help but be nice and lovable to Taehyung. The potion in his blood didn’t let him act normal. And Taehyung knew a normal Jeongguk wouldn’t go stargazing with him, just because Taehyung said he doesn’t remember how the sky looked after spending too much time in the library. A normal Jeongguk wouldn’t go out in a pouring rain just to buy cocoa powder because he saw that they had no more left for Taehyungs morning drink. A normal Jeongguk wouldn’t run to him to tell him first that he saw that the ducklings in the gardens pond have finally hatched out of their eggs.
Sure, in the first few days he was more than annoyed by Jeongguks constant presence and the love filled gazed distressed him, making him feel uncomfortable. But soon Taehyung learned to appreciate all of Jeongguks characteristics and his kind nature, not being able to think back how it was when he still called the younger his nemesis.
Taehyung found himself after a few weeks of Jeongguks ‘love-sickness’ awake in the late hours of the night, thinking that he wished Hoseok would never find a cure for the potion.
When he awakes the morning after, groggy from the lack of sleep, he doesn’t remember having those thoughts.
It happened on a rainy Tuesday. A completely normal day it seemed. Taehyung spilled orange juice on his pants, his familiar learned how to shapeshift into a small cat and Jimin nearly fell down the stairs.
Taehyung felt restless in the last days, not being able to go outside, due the heavy rain that lasted for days already. When in the afternoon the sun seemed to push through the clouds, drying the earth, Taehyung had the urge to go outside. He planned on doing one of his usual, smaller walks around the mansion’s garden. He mentioned his plans to Namjoon when he walked by the living room on his way out, only getting a muffed reply of okay through Namjoons mouth full off chips.
Taehyung felt alive again, as he breathed in the fresh air. He never was a person that liked to be inside all the time. So if there was a period of time like this, filled with heavy rain, making it unable to go outside and not come back with a fever, Taehyung often felt caged in.
Now on his walk, that he had been on so many times before, he could probably skitter on the path with his eyes closed, he had time to think.
Hoseok hadn’t been successful, searching through The Lions old books, so his new tactic was experiments. He had scraped out the bottle of #12 for its last droplets, using them on different objects to see their reaction. Taehyung didn’t understand what it meant when sunflowers got a dark shade of purple when they came in contact with the potion or what Hoseoks familiar, his lynx, told him when he smelled the potion. He got tired of watching Hoseok trying out different things, eventually and settled for the promise that Hoseok would tell him immediately when he found out something important and left him alone.
Taehyung did his part by staying with Jeongguk as much as the younger asked him to. So it came easily that the spent nearly all day together. Taehyung was rather shocked how normal it felt to have Jeongguk near him. There were even moments when Taehyung reached out to grab Jeongguks arm, to maybe show him something and then realized the younger wasn’t next to him. Taehyung was accustomed to Jeongguks presence.
They spend so many hours playing and talking to each other it was actually rather weird that Taehyung was out alone walking in the gardens. He had just reached the pond, which was at the back end, verging on a small forest and the path Taehyung was walking on.
Taehyung climbed over a small hill, which ended in a slope in the pond. Due to the rain the ground was wet and soft. Taehyung stood on a particular muddy part of the slope and the world slit away under his feet. It happened too fast for Taehyung to understand what actually occurred, but before he could even realize that he now lay on the floor, one foot in the cold water of the pond, clothes completely drenched in mud, and head throbbing with pain, strong hands where already around his shoulders, neck, face and Taehyung was faced with a concerned looking Jeongguk.
“Hyung, are you okay? Shit, that was a heavy fall.” Jeongguk was still patting Taehyung all over, as if to search for injuries. “Are you hurt anywhere?” Jeongguk asked, worry showing on his face and Taehyung couldn’t help but think that he wore it so much better than the mocking smirks he usually had on his face before all of this happened.
Taehyung blinked blearily. His foot was now completely drenched with the pond water and he felt the cold wetness soaking through his clothes. His head still hurt and he slowly sat up with Jeongguks help, pulling his foot out of the water. “Yeah, I’m fine” Taehyung croaked, lifting a hand to touch his head. “I just really hid my head.”
Jeongguk turned Taehyungs face abruptly, making Taehyung wince at the dull ache that spread itself through his brain. “Oh sorry” Jeongguk whispered and Taehyung could feel Jeongguks breath on his cheekbone. Taehyung felt dizzy and having Jeongguk this close only seemed to worsen it. When Taehyung closed his eyes all he could feel were Jeongguks hands on his jaw as he was surrounded by the scent of the younger.
He nearly didn’t hear Jeongguk talk. “It’s bleeding a bit and I think there is already a bruise forming. Wait a second, I’ll call my familiar. He can help.” With practiced movements he called his familiar. Jeongguk formed a small blue flame of fox fire that he held against Taehyungs temple, while the fox liked at the inside of Taehyungs wrist.
Taehyung felt how the magic helped and the haziness disappeared. It felt like sparks flew through your whole body, as Jeongguk and his familiar healed him with their fox fire.
Taehyung couldn’t help but stare at Jeongguks face while the younger helped him. The sun now finally made its way from behind the clouds, shining on Jeongguks features. His eyes were focused and still full of worry, hair dancing a bit in the wind and Taehyung just felt as if with the blow to his head, he also figured out a couple of things.
First of all, it was nice Jeongguk was here, but Taehyung had to ask him later how he knew he was here in the gardens.
Second, fox fire was extremely nice to feel against your temple.
Third, Jeongguk had very beautiful eyes and Taehyung was maybe just slightly falling in love with him.
Jimin laughed loudly.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he wheezed in between laughter. Taehyungs ears felt hot as he stared at the blanket of Jimins bed. It was once again raining in sheets. Taehyung had a big bruise blooming on his temple and cheekbone. Jimin was still laughing.
Taehyung lifted his head and glared at his best friend. “it’s not even this funny” he grumbled. “Yes, it fucking is.” Jimin wiped away a tear as he finally calmed down. “After what felt like years of having your best friends annoying the shit out of you, because the behave like little children, I have the right to laugh.” Jimin stated and Taehyung once again looked at the blanket.
Jimin now heaved a sigh, pushing his fingers through his hair. “How dare you, after all this shit I have been through because of you, you come in here and tell me you actually fell in love with Jeon your-fucking-nemesis Jeongguk?” Taehyung only blushed further.
“I know, it’s a pretty shitty situation” Taehyung murmured, wringing his hands. “I mean, right now he is in love with me because of a fucking potion and I just actually fell in love with him and when Hoseok-hyung finally finds a cure, it’s all over. I’m getting my heart broken and it’s all my fault. All of it.”
“Oh Taehyung” Jimin had sobered up, looking at his best friend worriedly. The bed dipped when Jimin sat next to Taehyung, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “You don’t know that. Maybe he will fall in love with you too, for real this time.” Taehyung only looked at him unbelieving. “What?” Jimin exclaimed. “I for once think you too would match very well actually, always had. I don’t even understand why you had to play those stupid pranks anyway. You could have been really good friends, not stupid nemesis.” Jimin was rambling and Taehyung still didn’t look even a bit better. “But maybe Hoseok-hyung won’t find a cure anyway.”
Taehyung looked up, his gaze shocked and a bit sad. “That would be even worse. It would be a fake love and Jeongguk would be trapped in it forever. I don’t want him to experience something like that.”
“So what will you do?” Jimin looked at him, mirroring the sadness in Taehyungs face.
“I guess I’ll just wait and see. I guess I have to live with the fact that I can’t have Jeongguk and that my heart will be broken eventually. I would just prefer it would be in the fact that Jeongguk would never love me back for real, than seeing him loving me in this fake way for the long run.”
Hoseok found the cure a couple of days later. Taehyung had been inside all day. With The Lion on one of his journeys the boys didn’t have a lot to do all day. When Hoseok timidly knocked on Taehyungs door, he was in the middle of reading a book, Jeongguk had recommended to him.
Taehyung knew immediately that something was wrong. Hoseok, the literal impersonation of the sun, always a smile on his face, looked at Taehyung worriedly. There was a scared sadness on his face as if he already knew he would hurt Taehyung but didn’t know how the younger would react.
“What’s up?” he timidly asked, sitting down on a chair face-to-face to Taehyung who lay on the bed. He just shrugged as an answer. Hoseok was quiet for a moment, considering his words and then he looked up at Taehyung, expression unnaturally hard, serious.
“I found the cure, Taehyung.”
Taehyung sat up. There was an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He pressed his lips together in a smile and looked up at Hoseok. This was it. This was the end.
“I’m so grateful Hyung. Really this are such good news.” Taehyung wasn’t lying. He was so endlessly grateful for Jeongguk finally stopping to have to live in this fake love story. This way Taehyung could let him go. Heartbreak just came earlier than he anticipated.
“Taehyung” Hoseok said, looking pained. “There is a problem, it’s not as easy.”
Taehyungs head snapped up. “What? W-Why?” he unintelligently stammered.
Hoseok looked around the room, gaze grazing everything but Taehyungs big eyes. “For Jeongguk to stop loving you,” he started and Taehyung clenched his teeth. “For him to stop loving you, you need to fall in love with him.”
Taehyung just stared.
“You need to fall in love with Jeongguk to cure him.” Hoseok finished.
Taehyung started to cry.
Jeongguk was cooking when Taehyung found him. The younger had recently found great fun in this, picking it up as a hobby.
Taehyung cleared his throat as he leaned against the doorframe. Jeongguk turned around humming to himself (in his honey voice, if Taehyung might add). His face brightened up in a wide smile, all toothy, when he saw the elder.
“Hyung where have you been? I missed you all day.” Jeongguk stretched out his hand to touch Taehyungs fingers, a soft touch he had taken a habit of doing, because in the beginning it was too weird for Taehyung to get touched as much from Jeongguk as the younger preferred. Now, tough Taehyung yearend for Jeongguk to touch him, hug him, stop the tears that once again threatened to fall from his eyes.
Before he would chicken out, Taehyung opened his mouth. “I know the cure to your love potion.” Taehyungs voice was raspy and quiet
Jeongguks mouth fell open and the bright smile changed, to what Taehyung could not decipher, too distracted in not starting to cry. “What?” Jeongguk whispered nearly inaudible. There was silent for a second until Taehyung could feel the first tear roll down his cheeks.
Jeongguk took a hasty step forwards and took Taehyungs hand, firmly now. “What is wrong? Hyung talk to me” Jeongguk pleaded, worry painting his face. Taehyung couldn’t help but burying his head in Jeongguks chest. For once and the last time he would give in in his cravings.
Jeongguk had been good to him, making it surprisingly easy for Taehyung to fall for him. He couldn’t even remember how it felt before, didn’t know why the seemed to hate each other in the first place.
All Taehyung could remember was Jeongguks soft features when he woke up next to him, the younger having sneaked into his bed late at night. He remembered the way Jeongguks eyes would soften when he looked at his familiar. How serious he was about improving his magical abilities. The time he walked into Jeongguk trying to fix something Namjoon broke to save the elder from getting scolded.
Jeongguk was a beautiful human being, inside and out. Taehyung began to appreciate him so much over the expanse of only a couple weeks and he was terrified how it would be once again after Jeongguk got healed. Jeongguk and him were never friends, would probably never be. It hurt Taehyung so much knowing that he probably experienced the one true love, for it to be fake. At least for one of them.
Jeongguk now started to shake Taehyung a bit, worry in his face making way for fear. “Please, Hyung talk to me” he begged again. Taehyung took a deep shaky breath and looked up at Jeongguk, meeting his gaze.
“I’m sorry” he started, willing his voice not to break. Jeongguk looked as if he wanted to interrupt but Taehyung just talked further.
“I know this weeks were probably really annoying for you and when you get cured you will probably resent me again, but for once I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed our time together.”
“I won’t resent you.” Jeongguk looked at Taehyung with soft eyes and Taehyung choked up a sob.
“Hoseok had found the cure five days ago.” Jeongguk looked shocked at that. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I couldn’t. I’m sorry. It was selfish and unfair, but I just needed a bit to prepare myself for the end.” Taehyungs smile was sad as he now grabbed Jeongguks hand with his, interlacing their fingers. The younger looked down at them and then into Taehyungs eyes, question lingering in his.
Taehyung drove through his hair with his free hand and blinked away the tears. “The Lion apparently developed this potion as some sort of revenge tactic for wronged lovers, but since it didn’t found on a lot of attention, he never really sold it. People normally don’t want to drink a love potion themselves and this was what you had to do. Also it was rather risky”
Jeongguk looked confused, wrinkling his nose in this way that made him look like a bunny. “I don’t get it.” He deadpanned.
“Well,” Taehyung tried to explain, “if you, for example were wronged by your partner, you would have needed a friend to drink the love potion and look at the partner. Your friend would then fall in love with the partner and would do everything to have the other person fall in love with them too. If this then would happen the love potion would end and your partner would essentially relive what they did to you. Meaning, they would get a massive rejection of the person, who was moments before really in love with them. But if the partner would not fall in love with your friend, your friend would be stuck with the effects of the potion forever.”
Jeongguk still looked a bit confused but some sort of understanding, but also curiosity emerged on his face. “But what is the cure now? You said you could cure me. Does that mean-“ Jeongguk spoke slowly, eyes searching for an answer in Taehyungs eyes.
“Returned love is the cure.” Taehyung closed his eyes, tears once again burning at the brim of his lids. “For you to stop loving me I need to fall in love with you.”
Taehyung opened his eyes again. Jeongguk was beautiful. He was like the sun, brightening Taehyungs world and soon this light would disappear out of Taehyungs world forever.
“But-“ Jeongguks mouth was open like one of a fish.
“Thankfully for you, I do.” Jeongguks fingers were hot in Taehyungs hand. Something smelled burned.
“I love you, Jeongguk.” Taehyung finished and could practically hear his own heart breaking.
Something in Jeongguks expression had changed, but the younger was still not saying anything, opening and closing his mouth uselessly. Taehyung let go of his fingers, looking at the floor.
“Welcome back” he whispered, “I’m sorry” and then he turned around, leaving a still stunned silent Jeongguk and his burning food behind.
Taehyung never realized how loud birds actually could be, until he sat in the gardens of the mansion under his favorite tree that evening. He had spent most of the afternoon crying, not letting him see anybody. But now in the early evening he had finally calmed down. The moss was soft and maybe a bit wet when he lay down, looking up and seeing the branches softly swaying in the wind.
Sleep came and went away again for hours now and the sun began to descend in earnest, leaving the whole world in orange-golden glow. Taehyung felt as if he was in a trance. He was so out of himself that he didn’t even really notice when someone lay right beside him on the ground.
Taehyung blinked lazily and turned his head to see Jeongguks profile. He had his eyes closed and one arm bind his head. His face was a bit red and his breathing heavy, as if had been running.
“I searched all over the place for you” Jeongguk stated. Taehyung couldn’t answer, he just stared at Jeongguk. “What are you doing here?” he whispered eventually, voice raspy.
Jeongguk cleared his throat, eyes still closed. “I had something to say, but you just ran away.” Now finally he turned his head, lids fluttering as he looked at Taehyung. Taehyungs breath hitched at how close they were, noses nearly touching.
“First of all, thank you for curing me.” He said very seriously and Taehyung felt as if he could start to cry all over again. “And also you are an idiot.”
Taehyung sighed “I’m not in the mood to already start with this shit. Leave me alone Jeongguk.” He wanted to sit up, but strong hands stopped him. When Taehyung turned back to Jeongguk, the younger looked at him so seriously and desperately it nearly punched the air out of Taehyungs lungs.
“It’s important. I need to say this, because I was an idiot too.” Now Taehyung was confused.
“Through the last few weeks I realized what it meant to be friends with you and seriously I was never happier. Even if you now say that it was because of the potion, I know it wasn’t only because of this.” Jeongguk now sat up sitting across Taehyung, who slowly sat upright.
He played with a small leaf, as if to occupy his fingers. He looked as if he was searching for words.
“The easiest way to tell you this is by just saying it, isn’t it?” Jeongguk laughed nervously. And after another tense moment he took a breath and looked straight into Taehyungs eyes.
“I actually am and have been for a very long time, that means before I drank the love potion, in love with you. I love you, Hyung.”
Taehyung wanted to laugh. But this was not funny and his heart ached and his fingers ached and his lips ached and everything ached for Jeongguk. Taehyung could feel the tears return and chocked, “Don’t fucking lie.”
Jeongguk scrambled to his feet. “I’m not.” He exclaimed, sounding nearly sulky. “I would never,” he softly added.
“When I met you for the first time I was a shy teenager and you were just so beautiful. I didn’t know how to talk to you, so I did the stupidest thing to get you attention. I was like this love-sick kid that bullies his crush just to be seen.
“When I drank this potion, I was already in love with you, but the potion just made me braver. Sure, there were things the potion did and wanted, like all the touching and the smiles, but everything I did and said were true. I was never confident enough to tell you those things myself, so the potion did it for me.”
Taehyungs heart beat wildly in his chest and he couldn’t breathe anymore. Jeongguk grabbed him by the hands. “I never,” he said with so much conviction in his eyes and voice “in my life, meant something this much as when I say that I am in love with you.”
Jeongguk breathed heavily, eyes wide as if they wanted to persuade Taehyung that he indeed was saying the truth.
Taehyung looked at everything. Jeongguks hands, eyes, lips. He could see his soul, his spirit and the love and Taehyung could not help but believe in everything Jeongguk had just stammered out.
A wide smile spread itself on Taehyungs face, Jeongguk mirroring it when he saw it. “This is so fucked up.” Taehyung whispered, already getting closer to Jeongguk.
His fingers were hungry when they explored Jeongguks arms, shoulders, chest. They wandered over whatever they could and Jeongguks did the same. But soon it seemed as if fingers weren’t enough.
Jeongguk pressed his forehead on Taehyungs, looking at him with nothing but adoration and Taehyung felt his breath hitch. Jeongguks lips were soft when he pressed the lightest touch to Taehyungs mouth, tongue peeking out to open Taehyungs lips, deepening the kiss as Jeongguk drew stars on Taehyungs soul and Taehyung fireworks onto Jeongguks.
Somewhere in the undergrowth of the nearby small wood, a fox and a tiger ran around, playing, until they landed on the floor, tiredly and slept, curled around each other.