work of art - vkook

FIVE

>>TRIGGER WARNING abuse/violence<<

It is Tuesday and Taehyung has spent the better part of the day in the art room working on an assignment and he is finally leaving the studio. Paint is still on his hands and dried under his nails. Taehyung tends to get lost in the moment when he's painting and won't notice if he gets it all over himself. He is sure there is some in his hair or on his face, but he can't be bothered to check.

He is already exhausted despite it being early on in the week, weekends just don't leave enough room for rest and sleeping next to Sehun is harder than Taehyung would like to admit.

Pulling on his puffy tan jacket over his uncomfortably tight black long sleeve, Taehyung makes his way out of the art building heading to the library. It isn't a long walk and Taehyung makes it there just fifteen minutes later than the time he had set with the boy from his stats class. He still can't remember his name.

"All I'm saying is if they're gonna give you the grade and they're cute, isn't it worth it?"

Taehyung's attention is caught by a strikingly yellow-haired boy sitting on the top of one of the many desks scattered in the large library. His voice is loud and rather high as he talks to the boy Taehyung is there to meet.

"You're an actual whore, Yugyeom," the guy from stats says matter-of-factly, flipping through the textbook in front of him. "Unlike you, I'm here to actually learn something. I'd rather put in minimal effort and study than just suck off my professor for the grade. I believe grades are earned and if I got it that way it wouldn't mean anything."

"It means your suck is worth the grade."

"You hang out with Bamie too much."

"Kunpimook isn't a whore, he's a glorified manslut. His words."

As shy as Taehyung is he really needs to get this studying done as quickly as possible, he needs to get back to Sehun before it gets too late.

"Umm, excuse me?" Taehyung asks just loud enough for the bickering friends to hear him.

"Taehyung!" the guy from class exclaims excitedly when he sees Taehyung. "You made it."

Taehyung, resisting the urge to frown at his excitable energy, takes the seat next to him, nodding along.

"Well, I guess I should let you boys study," the yellow-haired boy says, getting up from the desks. "See you tonight, Jeongguk!"

Jeongguk. The name rang absolutely no bells in Taehyung's mind. He really is bad at names.

"Sorry about Yugyeom, he's a horrible human," Jeongguk laughs, obviously finding his joke funny.

"It's okay, he's not that bad." Taehyung tries to smile but it ended up looking pained.

"You an art major or something?" Jeongguk asked, gesturing towards Taehyung's general direction. As his arm moves Taehyung catches a glimpse of various small tattoo's decorating his hand and disappearing under his long sleeve.

"Yeah. Well, photography, technically, but I take other visual arts classes. I like painting," Taehyung finishs with a small smile, the first Jeongguk has seen. "How'd you know?"

"You've got paint all over you, dude," Jeongguk laughs but quickly notices the embarrassed expression taking over the smile on Taehyung's face. "Don't worry about it, it adds to your artistic aesthetic."

The two of them spend the next few hours working on the project with hushed whispers, and many failed jokes on Jeongguk's part in an attempt to make Taehyung laugh or at least loosen up. Taehyung's worry grows as he sees the time slipping away from him and night falling around them. He knows the consequences of getting home too late and he doesn't want to face them.