teacher's pet | taekook

TwENTY FoUR { mine }

Taehyung jumped awake when the door creaked open.

He couldn't sleep on that old cot last night, so in the darkness he had crawled to sit beside the door frame. Somehow, he had fallen asleep there, sitting with his knees pulled up to his chin and his head resting against the wall.

He hopped up to stand on his knees, refusing to wince at the aching crick in his neck. He grabbed onto Jungkook's pant leg in an effort to ground himself as his mind was still foggy from sleep. The light of the hallway burned his eyes, but he pushed past the instinct to squint, too eager to finally see Jungkook again.

The first thing he saw on Jungkook's face was a scowl.

Jungkook nudged him away by pushing out his knee. Taehyung didn't lose his smile as he sat back on his heels, looking up at Jungkook like a separation-anxious puppy. Then he noticed the bowl Jungkook held.

"What's that?" Taehyung asked, sounding too chipper for the mood Jungkook brought with him.

Jungkook let the bowl drop to the ground. It didn't crack, but it tipped over as it landed. Dry cereal scattered across the floor. Taehyung stared at it, confusion set in his brow.

"Eat."

Taehyung looked back up at Jungkook, a silent question in his expression. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"You heard me," Jungkook said, his tone indifferent. "That's your breakfast. Eat."

Taehyung stared at the dish again. He hesitantly picked up a piece from what was left in the bowl and put it in his mouth. It was dry, flavorless bran; if anything, it tasted like cardboard. But it's something Jungkook brought for him, so Taehyung couldn't help but be thankful — it's Jungkook's food anyway, he had to be grateful.

"What time is it?" he asked reluctantly as he popped another bland piece of cereal into his mouth.

"Around ten."

Jungkook stood in place while Taehyung ate the cereal. There was only so much left in the bowl, most of it spilled out when Jungkook had carelessly let it drop. He didn't touch the bits that were scattered on the hardwood.

"Are you going to leave that mess there?" Jungkook asked him, motioning to the cereal he had spilled.

Taehyung glanced up at him again, taking a second too long to answer. Jungkook's tone had him confused. He sounded just as nonchalant as he did angry, and it was chilling.

"Um... no."

Taehyung picked up the stray cereal bits and placed them back in the bowl one by one. He gazed at Jungkook when he finished his task, waiting for praise, again, like a dog. But no praise came, as Jungkook neither moved nor spoke.

"Um," Taehyung began, his body tensing as he broke the silence. Taehyung got the feeling from Jungkook's stoic manner that he wasn't supposed to talk, that he was only supposed to listen. Still, he asked, "Can I come out now?"

"No. We still need to talk about yesterday."

"Okay."

Jungkook crouched down on the floor, and even though he was at Taehyung's level now, something about his demeanor still felt patronizing. Taehyung said nothing of it, he barely let himself have that thought. He gave Jungkook a hopeful smile, purposefully ignoring Jungkook's negative attitude. It was easier that way.

"Yoongi told you to run." Taehyung's eyes widened at the accusation.

"No!" he said quickly. If Jungkook believed that any of this was Yoongi's doing... Taehyung didn't want to think about what he would do to him. "No, it — it's all my fault. He had nothing to do with it."