Chapter Text
“Taehyung-ie!” his mum calls him again. “Dinner’s getting cold.”
Taehyung finally gets out of his cozy bed with Yeontan padding around his feet, nails clattering on the tiles. His eyes are on his phone though.
“Taehyung-ah,” his mum chides him. “Stop playing all the time. You are not a kid anymore.”
The not-a-kid hums as he sits at the table. He loves playing games, not that he always did that. Seokjin got him into it and Jungkook too. He now uses his free time (thanks to the pandemic no one wants) to play games with the ARMY.
He replies to one user into the game’s chat – ‘@VoosEyes – his eyes are so weird’
There’s a rush of comments asking him to leave the game or get glasses. However, there are people agreeing with him and it makes him laugh.
‘@MapleStoryLove He doesn’t even know you. Why do you care?’ he replies to a particular user, who is adamantly calling them pretty.
‘Because they are the prettiest eyes ever’ the @MapleStoryLove one replies. Taehyung giggles and clicks on the username. It takes him to their profile – pretty much has no details.
A 23 year old with a profile picture of the pig from Maple Story.
He hears his mum tut in disappointment. He grins adorably and gets away with her anger. He remembers to tell this story later to Jimin.
…
Later meant 24 hours later when they had to meet at the dorm.
“You love your eyes too,” Jimin says as he runs his fingers up and down the keyboard keys. “Everyone does.”
Taehyung rolls over on his back, his tee riding up and delicately displaying his waist. He stretches loudly, cracking his bones and flexing his muscles. He asks, “Everyone?”
“Everyone,” Jimin says confidently. “You can ask them. They should be here soon.”
On cue, Jungkook pops in, his hands cradling a few packets of snacks and one soda.
“Jungkook-ah,” Taehyung sits up, crossing his legs. “Do you like my eyes?”
Jungkook looks up from his chips to Taehyung, and then to Jimin. Confused, he mutters, “Huh?”
“My eyes,” Taehyung bats his lashes and points to his eyes. “Do you like them?”
“Uh,” Jungkook nods as if he isn’t sure if this is some kind of a trick question. “Sure do.”
“Jungkook-ah.” Taehyung frowns. “You don’t mean it.”
The maknae looks at Jimin for support, who is just hitting random keys and still managing to produce a tune worthy of a BB100 hit.
“I do,” Jungkook insists half-heartedly as he sits next to Jimin. Then, “Jimin-ssi, what’s that you are playing?”
Jimin straightens, and playfully hits more keys. Jungkook is thoroughly impressed. “It sounds so good.”
“Jin-hyung can play better with his toes,” Taehyung grunts.
Jimin agrees, “Jin-hyung’s toes are special – Jungkook-ie! Don’t touch the keyboard with your oily fingers!”
Taehyung falls back on the bed, rolls in the sheets and asks, “Where are the others?”
Jungkook swallows quickly and says, “Almost here – Hobi-hyung is in the gym. So is Namjoon-hyung.”
“Dangerous,” Taehyung and Jimin say at the same time. The three of them exchange a look and burst into giggles. Ever since Namjoon has been hitting the gym, all of Bangtan has agreed that he is getting dangerous. It was a stupid joke, stupidly said in the middle of the night, amidst their group of tired eyes, and tired brains and it just stuck with them.
“I wish Suga-hyung can join us soon,” Jimin wistfully says, playing a melancholic tune. “I miss him.”
“You talk to him all the time,” Jungkook snaps. His immediate sheepish look tells that he didn’t mean to sound harsh so Jimin doesn’t mind.
Taehyung pulls his phone and texts Yoongi. He waits for a couple of minutes before a reply comes.
It has him smiling widely. He announces, “Suga-hyung also thinks my eyes are pretty.”
Jungkook raises his eyebrows at Jimin, who finally answers. He says, “Taehyung-ie wants to know if all of us find his eyes pretty.”
“Ohhhhhhh,” Jungkook sings. “Of course, V-hyung. We do.”
“He wants us to say it to him,” Jimin sings louder, making up a tune. “Pretty eyed, Taehyung-ie!”
“Oh, oh, oh,” Jungkook smiles evilly. “I doubt you could get Namjoon-hyung to say that out loud.”
Taehyung lifts himself up on his elbow and rests his head on his hand. He pouts, “Why is that? Why not the others?”
“Wellllllll,” Jungkook adlibs. He stops when Jimin smacks him on his arm and says, “Well, Hobi-hyung loves us all. He’d say anything to make us happy – “
“ – oh yeah,” Taehyung nods with a contented smile.
“ – Jin-hyung would say ‘yes’ to everything you want so that leaves us – “
“ – why?” Taehyung asks slowly sitting up. His ears buzzing. “Why would Jin-hyung say yes?”
Jungkook’s eyes become bigger. He shrugs. “Because.”
“Because?” Taehyung prods.
“Because,” Jimin continues to sing, a modified tune of an OST. “You are his Voooooooooooooo!”
“Because you are practically his baby,” Jungkook smacks Jimin this time, as a lame payback for not letting him hit his adlibs. “Voo gets want Voo wants just because.”
Taehyung looks at Jimin incredulously. “Do you believe that?”
Jimin merely shrugs as he eats off a chip from Jungkook’s hand.
“That’s not true! He babies you all too. Especially you, Jungkook-ah!” Taehyung complains. His heart thuds harder and he doesn’t entirely know why he thinks he has to argue about this. He doesn’t even know what he is trying to prove.
Jungkook pretends to consider the statement for less than a second and shakes his head, “Nah.”
“Don’t you ‘nah’ me!” Taehyung retorts, now on his feet. “He isn’t partial to me or something.”
“Something,” Jungkook and Jimin say in unison and start giggling.
Taehyung audibly huffs and stomps his foot for their attention.
Jimin swings his legs over to Taehyung’s side. He says with a solemn face though his glinting crescent eyes give away the squirming mischievousness of his intentions, “Taehyung, wanna bet?”
Jungkook puts his snacks away, curious about the developments. “Bet what?” he asks.
Taehyung waits for the answer too. He feels nervous, jittery and has a pressing need to prove that he isn’t special to Seokjin.
Jimin adorably tilts his head as if trying to veil any evil purposes his bet is about to present.
The youngest two crowd closer.
“Make Jin-hyung angry,” Jimin says with a little smile.
“And?” Taehyung asks. Jungkook waits.
“No. That is all,” Jimin smiles. “Make him angry, TaeTae.”
There’s a moment of silence and they laugh but Jimin smiles like he is waiting for them to come to their senses.
“That’s so easy,” Jungkook says, going back to his snacks, losing interest in this seemingly boring bet. “Honestly, I am sure I must’ve pissed him off today even without meeting him.”
Taehyung titters. “You did, Jungkook-ah. You kicked him out of our group chat this morning.”
“See,” Jungkook says proudly.
“Not Taehyung though,” Jimin says as he gets up. “Taehyung didn’t make him angry.”
“It is not that difficult,” Taehyung rolls his eyes. “He’s always breathing down my neck. Asking me to do dishes or you know, asking me to wake up – go to school – study – blah blah.”
“That’s around 7 years ago, V-hyung,” Jungkook pokes at his arm. “And, that’s not how I remember it.”
“Oh, you don’t?” Taehyung sneers. “Baby Jungkook-ie being his favorite. How would you? He’d drive you around, take you out – you went and met his parents too.”
“Are you jealous?” Jimin coos.
“N – no,” Taehyung crosses his hands indignantly. “We used to go out too. In fact, we used to eat out together almost every day – “
“ – but you didn’t meet his parents first,” Jungkook pipes with a shit-eating grin. “I did. I went to his house and – “
“ – whatever. That was 7 years ago!” Taehyung cuts him off. He turns to Jimin, “What do I get if I win?”
“You can ask for anything,” Jimin says pleased that the bet is on.
Jungkook lifts his ringing phone to show them. It’s his manager. He says before answering, “We should go, I think.”
Taehyung starts to head out of the room first. He says, “By the end of today?”
“I’ll give you a whole damn week, Taetae,” Jimin kisses his cheek. “Good luck.”
Taehyung scowls. As if he needs 7 days to win this useless bet.
….