Work Text:
i.
“One, two, thr- for fuck sake! Jeongguk, what do you think you’re doing? Adagio!” Camille's high pitched scream echoed through the practice room, her french accent so much thicker by her anger. “You call that a pirouette, kid? Even a damn snail would be more elegant, more gracious than you. Straighten your back and repeat, I want more flow on those movements! Do it again kid, c’mon, from the beginning! One, two-”
Jeongguk gulped as he quickly fixed his position, legs shaking from exhaustion and mouth dry from the tired, heavy breathing that he had been fighting for the majority of the afternoon. His mind was running wild too, nearly overheating while he tried to follow the soft Mozart composition over the constant screaming of his ballet teacher.
Again. Again. Again. Do it again and do it better, Jeongguk!
Camille’s presence was surprisingly strong for such a young and tiny woman. Her steps were always as light as a feather as she moved around the practice room with her hair pulled back so tightly, that it physically hurts to watch. Her hands were never empty, always holding papers with the name and the face of every single one of her students - so she could shout with everyone personally and face to face, not leaving anyone out -, or a small, cold metal stick to correct the postures of those she thought were doing it all wrong .
In other words, she was intimidating as fuck.
Ruthless and severe, especially with first year students like Jeongguk was, Camille was someone who made her personal mission in life to constantly push everyone’s buttons and make sure to work everyone to both their physical and mental limit - sometimes, even beyond that.
The older students laughed when all the freshmen came to them whining about the pain in their muscles, asking them for advice on how the hell to survive the literal devil for so long.
‘There’s not much yall can do besides endure it’ , they admitted with a shrug, giving them a few painkillers that neither Camille or the Academia would approve under the tables - a small price to pay for survival, they supposed. Thankfully, they also said that, while she kept being obsessed over their postures and the perfection of every single one of their movements, Camille also tended to soften a lot with time.
It kind of makes sense, if Jeongguk thought about it; her idea was probably to scare off from the very start every student who wasn’t mentally able to fit in and endure the competitive world of dancing as an actual professional career. Jeongguk understood that, and was actually thankful that she trained and teach them on how to be the best since the beginning, and not just one more person with their dreams crushed by the weight of reality once they graduated. She was giving them all the weapons to fight for themselves without needing anyone else in the future. It was her own way to show she cared.
It didn’t mean it was easy, though. Jeongguk’s feet hurt and screamed for help, or a break, or anything that could stop the pain, from the inside of his ballet shoes, the cramps on his thighs were being blatantly ignored as Jeongguk pushed the limits of his body and kept dancing and dancing and dancing some more, letting his body morph into whatever positions the song called for.
Jeongguk wondered about what would give out first, his body or the strings of his old ballet shoes.
Still, he didn’t stop; he refused to even consider it. Instead, he thought about how much he had given away to run after a dream he always knew wouldn’t be easy to catch, thought about how much he loved the thrilling feeling that unfolds every time he dances, thought about how good he felt when he accidentally heard his dance teachers whisper compliments about him to each other.
With that in mind, Jeongguk smiled as he straightened his back and puffed his chest, clinging to the last shreds of motivation to take another step and keep dancing.
Because more than Camille was ruthless, Jeongguk was determined.
Soon, slowly but surely, his soul eventually bent and became one with the music, allowing Jeongguk to unleash all his emotions into the dance. The pain was not forgotten, too excruciating to possibly be, but it somehow stopped holding him back to become something that fuelled his dream even further.
Such a funny thing, isn’t it? Passions. Dreams . They are always too strong, too important, too violent, too overwhelming to allow reason to have a say in the matter.
But what would this world be without them? At the end of the day, aren’t they the only thing that keeps us breathing?
Jeongguk smiled to himself as a wild thought made its way to his mind, filling him up to the core;
Perhaps I am made of dreams.
ii.
Jeongguk lost count of how many times he heard the harmonic melody fill his ears and make, more than his body move, his mood sparkle or darken with each note.
The clock ticked by slowly, making the hours spent inside that practice room feel way longer than they were supposed to be. Thankfully, Camille decided to end the torture before Jeongguk blacked out from exhaustion right then and there on the floor.
“Alright everyone, this was all for today,” She sighed, taking the small remote out of her pocket and turning the classic music off. A loud, tired sigh was heard almost immediately as the students were allowed to undo their stiff positions, a few of them melting all the way to the ground, finally surrendering themselves to the tiredness.
Annoyed with himself and unhappy with his performance, Jeongguk made sure to be a little more discreet in displaying just how tired he was to Camille, avoiding her eyes while he fell down to the ground gracefully and into a sitting position instead of just giving in and lying down like the others did.
He sighed, breath still unheaven when he reached for a water bottle and shoved it down his throat.
Being as determined - and stubborn - as Jeongguk was, came with a price; while his body was warm, moved by the strength of his passion, there was nearly nothing Jeongguk couldn’t do. However, when he stopped, his body started to remind him that, in the end, he too was only human.
“Fuck me,” He winced, stretching his body to try and ease the pain on his muscles. His feet hurt like they were being stabbed over and over, and he didn’t know if he should reach to massage them, or if he should just bare with it and leave them alone, saving himself from the peaks of pain that would certainly run all up his leg every time he touched them.
This was the part that no one really bothered to talk about, the not-so-glamorous side of the oh so beautiful world of dancing. The hours and hours inside a room to make a perfect sequence of steps, to be able to perform in shiny clothes in front of thousands of curious eyes, show them the true size of a dream.
That's what made Jeongguk feel like this, like everything was truly worth it at the end of the day. He was born with the soul of an artist, as people used to say, a restless little thing that was never afraid to let itself explode one time after another just to be able to feel the spark and the euphoria that came with it; something very easily flammable until the point where it’s glow could easily compete with the one of an old star, but also so, so fragile, that there wasn’t any need of anything more than a little push for it to shatter into a million pieces that most likely would never found its way back.
And that was the point where all of Jeongguk’s passions met.
“Oh, before you all leave,” Camille spoke again, putting her fluffy coat on. “Remember to practice until the next lesson, I don’t want to see what happened today repeat itself, understood? And I want you all to give me a draft of your choreography for the presentation at the end of the semester next lesson, too. I sure hope you're already planning it,” A stressed, panicked murmur spreaded across the class. Camille ignored it, glancing one last time to her class. “Class dismissed.”
Then, she disappeared into the halls of the Academia.
Jeongguk sighed as he got up, noticing that almost everyone had already packed their stuff and were now leaving (running away) from the practice room. It was getting darker by the second both outside and inside the Academia walls, darker enough for Jeongguk to lose the sight of his own shadow.
Now, with the silence left by the lack of music, he could also hear the rain pouring outside, an old lullaby that was making Jeongguk’s eyelids threaten to close.
It was the motive he needed to wave a quick and tired goodbye to a few of his classmates, earning an equally tired wave back, and grab his water bottle, letting his feet lead him across the many classrooms and long hallways that stood between the practice room and his room. Faintly, Jeongguk could hear the laughs and soft murmurs about the universe and unimaginable theories from behind the classroom doors, coming from very different minds of very different people.
Jeongguk sighed, tired. So many people and not a single one I want to see.
When he finally got to the lockers to get the rest of his stuff - cursed be the one who built such a gigant Academia - he reached lazily to his, opening it with an even lazier punch. A muffled squeak escaped his throat when the door opened and a white letter fell from inside and floated all the way to the ground, resting at his feet.
Pretending he didn’t get scared by a piece of paper, Jeongguk scrunched down and picked it up, curious eyes analyzing the details. It had a wax red seal at the front, a beautiful crow with open wings, and the paper felt a little rusty to the touch, smelled almost old. An instant smile popped into Jeongguk’s face.
While the Academia sometimes made some invitations through letters and promoted the delivery of anonymous ones on some holidays, that letter was similar to the many others Jeongguk kept hidden under his pillow, treasuring them like they were some precious jewel. He smiled before he carefully tore the wax apart and unfolded the paper inside.
"My darling,
Bring light to my world once the dark embraces all of theirs.
I'll be waiting for you, like I always will be, at our usual place.
Don't get caught, and don’t keep me alone in the dark for too long, my love.
I miss you.
Come hold me."
“You never change, do you?” Jeongguk mumbled to himself, caressing over the ink with his thumb before carefully folding the paper again and putting it in his bag.
The letter had no signature, but that’s maybe what made it so obvious who wrote it. In fact, Jeongguk didn’t know anyone else who would send anonymous letters for no other reason than ‘I'm the only one sending you this kind of thing, anyways’, and because ‘It’s much more fun to send you those than to send you a random shitty text. Anyone can text you, but only I can enchant you with love letters. Right, baby? Baby, oi-’.
No other than Kim Taehyung, in fact.
Jeongguk giggled to himself at the memory, hoping no one was looking at him thinking he finally lost it.
Taehyung, the theater student he met many moons ago, the man who made Jeongguk feel what shared passion truly was for the first time - the feeling of being capable of anything to keep tasting its sweetness on his tongue, the restlessness of always wanting more and more and more .
So, the power of love?, the poets would ask. Maybe a little dramatic, sure, but yeah. Close enough.
Eager as ever, Jeongguk caught himself smiling wide as he walked away, his heart picking up the pace in anticipation for what the night was reserving for him.
Nothing would ever be able to hold him back from dancing his way into his lover's arms;
Suddenly, the pain on his muscles wasn’t that unbearable anymore.
iii.
Rain pattered softly against the old wood windows of the Academia, lending some background noise to fill in the night silence. Jeongguk peaked through his room’s door to see if it was safe to leave already - the last thing he would want tonight was to be caught.
The Academia had, not many, but still a few rules that they were adamant that their students obliged. Not leaving the rooms after ten o’clock was one of them. Anyone who was caught out of doors at night was certain to get suspension, or to be fated to clean the bathroom’s for quite a few weeks after class, if the director felt merciful enough.
“Gonna leave?” A sudden voice made Jeongguk jump and quickly close the door, startled, only to huff in annoyance when he realised it was just Namjoon, his roommate, getting out of shower with nothing but a towel covering his hips. Shameless little fucker.
"Yeah," He answers. Then, pointing at his outfit, he adds: “What do you think? Too much?”
“I think you risk too much, that’s what I think. Didn’t you go meet that boyfriend of yours yesterday too?” Namjoon sighed deeply, probably preparing to start another of his friendly lectures about how unwise it was to go out every other night.
Luckily, he seems to let go of that idea when he stumbles on Jeongguk’s ballet shoes, the same ones he threw messily on the ground as soon as he arrived from practice. “Shit Jeon, your mess is gonna kill me one of these days. You really need to clean your part of the room once in a while.”
Jeongguk snorted. “Yeah, I’ll do that when you stop using my bed as some kind of bookshelf."
“It’s not like you use it that much anyways,” Namjoon argued back. Jeongguk cleared his throat, feeling the warmth painting his cheeks. “Why can’t you two meet during the day, like every other couple does?”
Jeongguk rolled his eyes and turned to the door again. “You’re so boring Namjoon. Where would the fun be in that?”
Jeongguk wasn’t stupid; he knew it was dangerous, but he just couldn’t help it. He just couldn't stay still. He was born with some kind of restlessness, a strong feeling that spread from his stomach into his veins and his heart. His body felt too small to hold him, because in a way, Jeongguk always wanted more.
More of something only Taehyung knew how to give.
“I'm just not a fan of you going around there at night alone," Namjoon sighs. Jeongguk knows it's his worried best friend's side talking, and while it is kind of sweet, it still annoys the shit out of him nonetheless. "Specifically when I know you’re gonna be with… him."
Ah, there it was.
"You can say his name, you know," Jeongguk teased, watching as Namjoon threw himself on the bed, lifting his middle finger up as an answer.
No one had ever dared to say it out loud, but somehow everyone seemed to know that it was better to keep the distance from the theater students. They were… intense , the odd result of many powerful, jealous, lovesick, betrayed personalities mixing together inside the person that once gave them life. They were a little weird too, expressing their bottled up emotions in a way that made shivers run up people's spines.
Taehyung was no exception. If anything, with him it was even worse.
It was something that escaped in the way he walked, or the way he spoke with his deep rough voice, or in that damned tilt of his lips when he smiled. And pathetic as it was, Jeongguk could see him between the gaps in the darkness when he wasn’t there, behind closed eyelids, could still feel the ghost of a bold squeeze burning the skin of his waist, lingering since many nights ago. If he tried hard enough, he could still smell the unmistakable smell of perfume impregnated into his own clothes.
There was something in the littlest things he did, and Jeongguk couldn’t help but be curious - the eagerness to be with him was always there.
It seemed to work differently with everyone else though.
Say his name and you're done.
"You say his name enough for the both of us," Namjoon says.
" Right," Jeongguk snorted. Namjoon rolled his eyes. "Not gonna lie, I didn’t take the big philosophy student for such a superstitious little pussy."
"Fuck you," Namjoon barks out. "You know what I mean. It's not like I don't like the guy, he’s just- he's just as reckless as you, and I worry, alright? I don't want you to be caught and be doomed to clean bathrooms for the rest of the semester. You'll stink up the whole room everytime you come back."
“Damn, you’re gonna get wrinkles with that much you worry for me,” Jeongguk jokes, playfully rolling his eyes. “I'll be fine, alright? I know how to take care of myself," Namjoon sits on the bed, ready to argue back, bit Jeongguk beats him to it. "I gotta go now Joon, it’s getting kinda late.”
Namjoon snorted. “Late.”
“You know what I mean.”
“To be quite honest, I don’t understand half the shit you do, but sure,” Namjoon sighed, melting into the sheets of his bed. "You never know where to stop, do you Jeonggukie?" Jeongguk only smiled, shifting a little in place. It wasn’t a question, not really, so he didn't bother to answer it. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. Just- please be careful. And please call me if any weird shit happens. You have an obsession with danger that doesn't please me at all."
“Will do, hyung,” Jeongguk answered, opening the door again and peaking outside for a minute; all clear. “Sleep well. I’ll be back before you can even miss me.”
The soft sound of the door clicking shut was something Namjoon had grown used to over the months. Still, each time Jeongguk left, he shivered lightly with the deafening silence that followed that innocent click the younger always tried to shush, repressing the urge to get up and pull him back into the safety of the room.
Namjoon sighed, sitting on the bed and glancing at Jeongguk’s nightstand; he scoffed, not even surprised to find out that he had left his phone there.
Jeongguk had always been a reckless little shit.
iv.
The Academia library was maybe one of the most incredible spaces Jeongguk had ever stepped in in his life. It consisted on a big, open pentagonal room with walls big enough to make the ceiling look like it was part of the sky, walls decorated with bookshelves and filled with old and odd furniture - like that one statue of an angel without their head, or the two big crows that stood strongly at the doors, like some kind of guardians -, and kept silent and organized by an old lady that no one ever bothered to learn the name of.
If you asked Jeongguk, he would also say that it has way too many bookshelves; but, well, maybe that was just him.
However it was, the truth was that most of those shelves held ancient books, books that no one ever picked up or even asked for anymore, books that were filled with pages that hid secrets and memories and countless life stories that were now long forgotten.
Jeongguk quite enjoyed being there, surrounded by such a warm silence; it was a nice change from the constant loud and busy routine he had as a dance student. Besides, when compared to everywhere else in that school, which were always full of cool people with rainbow hair colors and ripped, self-made clothes, full of people painting and dancing to the sound of some underground artist or a melody that some other people were playing on the other side of the campus, the library gave off a really peaceful feeling that Jeongguk grew to love.
The place was ancient, for sure.
Haunted, probably.
Still, it was their secret hideout, a place only he and Taehyung knew the true potential of, exciting because of its difference;
And because of the rules it allowed them to break, too.
(but don’t tell that to anyone)
The library’s doors were always locked at night, so they kind of had to get creative to be able to get in at any time they felt like it; it didn’t take them long to discover a small window that was placed a little bit lower than the others, low enough to be at their reach.
And that was exactly where Jeongguk was right now.
With nothing but a small flashlight in his hands, Jeongguk jumped in through the window like he had done a thousand times before, as silently as he could, trained eyes always alert for any potential staff that could be waiting to catch him in a dark corner.
As soon as his feet landed gracefully on the pretty marble tiles, Jeongguk’s lungs were immediately filled with the very well known smell that always lingered in the library, that familiar, soft, old scent that welcomed him every single time without failing. Jeongguk smiled, breathing it in just a little more before he started walking towards the section where he knew Taehyung would be waiting for him, most likely with his glasses standing proudly on the tip of his nose and his lap full of some Shakespeare play that the school was planning to show at the end of the semester, in the anual show off of their young talents.
However, and to Jeongguk’s surprise, there was no sign of Taehyung being there yet. For a moment, he wondered if he had maybe run into some kind of trouble on the way there, but quickly shoved the thought away.
Instead, and to distract himself, Jeongguk wandered through the library, feet not used to being still for too long and eyes attentively analysing the covers of the dusty books as his fingers ran through them. Then, he stopped at one that looked specially used by now, and smiled, knowing the reason.
He reached for it, feeling the weight of the book he had seen so many times in Taehyung's hands, wondering if those words could make him company, as they did to the actor. Taehyung carried with him habits that he got by being constantly surrounded with different plays and books, his wrists always smudged by the black ink of his annotations; guides and tips to his plays, Jeongguk guessed. He didn’t really know. Whenever he asked, Taehyung would only smile and shake his head, refusing to reveal his secrets.
But Othello was a little more special for some reason; Jeongguk knew it to be Taehyung’s favourite Shakespeare one. It’s edges were a little torn and bent, the once countless white pages now aged up into an old and tired yellow. A single little marker stood out at one of those pages, one that he knew Taehyung had put there himself; it was on the very last page, marking the place of a quote he liked to go back and read again, and again, and again, whenever he had the chance.
“Then must you speak
Of one that loved, not wisely, but too well”
Jeongguk smiled in a quiet agreement;
Love wasn’t meant to be lived wisely anyway.
Suddenly, as if on command, the thunder storm seemed to get worse. The howling wind crawled from outside and right through the subtle cracks of the old wooden windows, reaching Jeongguk’s skin at the same moment that a loud, crashing thunder shook the shelves and lit up the dark library. Then, another furious thunder, followed by a single set of sharp footsteps cutting the silence.
A shiver ran down Jeongguk’s spine as he slowly put the book on the shelf again, aware of his own shadow. His heart raced, beating desperately inside his rib cage as he looked around, suddenly feeling watched. He swallowed hard, uneasy, trying to push down the fear that began to spread through his veins like some kind of poison, numbing his muscles and deceiving his eyes.
“Hello?” His voice came out shaky as it echoed through the dark, empty library like a lost soul. The rain kept pouring down from outside, aggressively beating against the windows; there’s no answer.
Jeongguk lets out a breath he didn't realize he’d been holding. Maybe he didn’t hear anything, after all. Maybe it was just the shadows and the storm doing their tricks, fooling everyone with their dance under the moonlight. The dark could tell lies too, sometimes. Besides, if it was some of the night staff doing their night patrol, they would have already said something by now.
It was okay. He was okay.
The dancer makes a move to go back to what he was doing, now even more desperately wanting something to distract his mind, and maybe even go and find a chair for him to sit and give some peace to his sore body, when the hoarse sound of a blown laugh catches his attention and makes his body freeze on the spot; he swears he almost feels it on his neck. It’s loud and scarily familiar, but Jeongguk can’t bring himself to point it out with his heartbeat rising to the point it’s almost deafening;
The only thing he knows, the only thing his mind is shouting is that thunder storms don’t just… laugh .
His eyes are wide open as he looks to where he thinks the sound came from, not sure of who - or what - he was expecting to cross eyes with. Jeongguk’s eyes kept flickering down at the phantom touch he thought he felt, breath held quietly as he tried to listen.
And that’s when he saw him - and Jeongguk swears to whatever Gods out there, he nearly cried, feeling his whole body relax, soothed to his very soul when he saw the man standing there with an amused smile on his face, chin raised proudly as he leaned against one of the shelves.
He was playing with the numerous rings that adorned his long fingers, watching the scene unroll in front of his eyes. Just like a fucking king - because years of playing kings and conquerors had taught him to stand that way, onstage or off; it was something that clinged to him, like a second skin that became a little too much of his own.
Taehyung .
Tall, striking, and intimidatingly beautiful in every sense of the word, it was almost like Taehyung was carefully crafted by the hands of an artist or, at the very least, the most talented of the Gods - from the shock of blue hair, to the baggy dark blouses and really baggy pants, and round glasses - Kim Taehyung was nothing short of ethereal, and Jeongguk felt utterly speechless every single time he laid his eyes on the actor’s figure.
“Hey beautiful,” He eventually says, walking towards Jeongguk now that he realised he’s already been seen. “Lovely night, isn’t it?”
“Fuck Taehyung,” Jeongguk sighs as a hand makes his way towards his heart, relief taking over him and almost making him stumble on his feet. “You scared the shit out of me!”
Taehyung’s giggle filled the library, a soft and yet deep sound that reminded Jeongguk of the forest. A sudden thunder joined him, making electricity run up Jeongguk’s skin, making him shiver. “Didn’t mean to scare you, love. I’m sorry.”
“You better be sorry! I think I’m emotionally scarred for life,” he sighs dramatically, pouting because he knows how ridiculously weak Taehyung is for those.
“My poor baby,” Taehyung gets closer, making no effort to hide the half amused glimpse in his expression as his arms sneak their way to embrace Jeongguk and bring him closer to his chest. “Should I kiss it better?”
Jeongguk is a simple man, alright. And a very weak one for Taehyung’s kisses.
He can't really help the way his pout breaks into a gorgeous smile when Taehyung doesn’t wait for an answer to go ahead and wrap his arms around his waist and pull him closer, engulfing Jeongguk in his warm embrace. The faint smell of smoke from the cigarettes he hid in his pocket - and, for how much he smoked, Jeongguk was surprised he hadn't been caught yet - clinged to him like a second shadow and, just like that, Jeongguk was home.
Taehyung smiles, eyes shining as he takes in the vision Jeongguk is before leaning down to kiss him like he’s been dying to do since they said goodbye to each other a few hours ago.
Jeongguk feels the hold on his waist ease up a little when Taehyung slides one of his hands up from where it was resting to curl it around the back of the dancer’s neck, pulling him closer. They stand there in silence, the wind howling outside as they stare at each other.
Taehyung's mouth parts on a breath and Jeongguk takes the opportunity to brush his tongue over his bottom lip, eager to kiss the breath out of Taehyung's lungs, taste his mouth properly, lips between his teeth.
Taehyung doesn't make Jeongguk wait much longer before he gives in and finally fits their lips together.
Soft and hot, their kiss, although shallow, has Jeongguk melting into Taehyung’s embrace. The tension within him had already been building all day and he was literally at a breaking point. When Taehyung breaks the kiss, he bites Jeongguk's lower lip, exhaling deeply and leaning back to tug on it.
They pull away, and Jeongguk's forehead drops against Taehyung's shoulder and his hand slips further up his back, warm and damp under his palm. “Missed you.”
Jeongguk smiles as he feels Taehyung lean in further to kiss him again, just a teasing kiss over his bottom lip, but it takes his breath away nonetheless.
"Me too, darling," Taehyung whispers, just a tone higher than the rain. “I’m glad you came.”
“You know I always do,” Jeongguk answers, and it’s true. Both of them know it is. Hell, even Namjoon knows it.
Once upon a time, Jeongguk thought that there had to be something wrong with the way he felt, the way he would gladly throw away his discipline into flames just to see Taehyung smile. Now though… Now he really couldn’t care less; not when he was happy and safe in Taehyung’s arms. “How many times will you make me break the rules for you, Taehyung?"
"Depends. How many times will you indulge me?" Jeongguk chuckles, stealing one last kiss before he pulls away. He doesn't answer though - doesn't really need to, he supposes .
With Taehyung, it's always easy to fall into conversation, the sound of the storm outside keeping them company as their (not so) quiet laughs fill the library. They shuffle around and push some books off the shelfs to get the soft pillows they dragged and hid in there so they could be more comfortable at night.
“My feet hurt from today’s practice. Camille was especially bitchy today,” Jeongguk complains at some point, back pressed against the warmth of Taehyung’s chest as his hands remained secured around his waist, keeping him close as he lets the dancer feel the soft weight of Taehyung’s cheek resting on his shoulder. Taehyung huffs.
"You shouldn't overwork yourself like this, baby," He says. “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve told you this already. Do I need to trap you here with me so you stop being this stubborn and rest? Hm?”
Jeongguk is quite tempted to say yes, yes you should .
"S'fine. I'm complaining because I'm in pain now, but she did what she had to do. The choreography is due in five months and I need to be perfect. Gotta impress the public and the scouts that’ll most likely be there too. The bar is quite high, you know."
"Not for you. You're already perfect, and you know that,” Taehyung argues and Jeongguk smiles, tilting his head back just enough to be able to steal a kiss from Taehyung’s plump lips. “You’re the pride of the dance department for a reason, darling.”
“You’re so good for my ego,” Jeongguk says, head now nestled in Taehyung’s neck. “But there’s still a lot I need to do. I gotta train more, gotta study and learn all the moves there are to learn if I want to keep on top of the shit. Camille’s is helping me with that.”
Taehyung snorts. “Because being the best in this school isn’t enough?”
Jeongguk’s smile grows wider. “Exactly.”
Taehyung sighs, dramatically as only he could ever be. He drops the topic - not because he wants to, no, but because he knows better than to argue with the boy in his arms. “You’re so stubborn.”
Jeongguk hums, giggling. Petulant and proud of it. “You love it.”
“You’re lucky I do,” Taehyung says, voice deep but playful. “I bet I can prove to you that I’m a much better teacher than that Camille person is," he adds, grinning with mischief. He squeezes Jeongguk’s waist to help him balance himself as he pushes his body back, breaking their hug.
Jeongguk whines for having his warm throne destroyed with absolutely no mercy. “ Tae. Where are you going?”
Taehyung smiles, eyes shining with what Jeongguk has come to learn that it means nothing but trouble. He loves it. “I just got an idea. C’mon darling, let’s go.”
Jeongguk whines louder, squeezing Taehyung’s arm to prevent him from getting up from their comfortable spot. "Tae. No. "
" Darling," Taehyung smiles when he gets up and Jeongguk allows his body to fall back against the cold marble tiles. He lets a soft cry slip as he raises his arms over head, arching his back as he stretches. Taehyng’s dramatic side is rubbing off on him, it seems. “You know I'll carry you if I need to.”
Jeongguk snorts at the confidence; he’s bigger than Taehyung is, muscles perfectly developed from the hours of dancing contrasting with the ones Taehyung only works out when he’s gotta do some action scene on a stage; other than that, he prefers to spend his time reading, exercising his mind over his body. Still, Jeongguk accepts Taehyung’s helping hand to get up. “ Right.”
Taehyung dramatically gasps as he pushes him up, making Jeongguk crash against his chest in the process. “Are you perhaps skeptical of my formidable physical abilities, Jeon Jeongguk?”
Jeongguk bites his bottom lip softly, trying to hide his smile as he plays along. “I would never do such an atrocious thing, sir Kim.”
Taehyung shakes his head. “Lies, my lord, lies are all and everything I hear."
Taehyung's gaze meets Jeongguk’s and the dancer would recognize that glint in the other's eyes anywhere. He smiles wider as he accepts the silent challenge, taking a step back when Taehyung takes one forward and squeaks as he starts running away when Taehyung dashes after him.
Jeongguk runs between the shelves without thinking too much about it, the pain on his feet long forgotten. He doesn’t go far though, not more than a mere few seconds of running, when he feels a warm, compact body crash against him and strong arms enveloping his body. For a moment, the only thing Jeongguk sees are dark maroon eyes staring straight back at him.
It's beautiful. He feels like he could live there forever.
Before he can process his defeat or even say anything, Taehyung is already scooping him up into his arms bridal style and cradling him close.
Since when is he this fast?
“Tae! We’re gonna fall!” The dancer squeaks, arms tightening around Taehyung’s neck to balance himself.
And, well, truthfully, he was right; they barely made ten steps without Taehyung wobbling a little, his muscles already giving up. "Taehyung, careful with the-"
Jeongguk tries to warn, but it’s too late. A loud crash echoes through the library when a few books fell from the shelf as they knocked against the furniture and shook things loose from the way Taehyung just kicked them.
Both boys gasp and fall, not as gracefully as they would have hoped, landing with Jeongguk on top of Taehyung, groaning because he hitted his elbow. Then, there's a pause, a beat of silence filled only by the storm and their heavy breaths. “I meant to do that," Taehyung says.
They both break into a loud laugh, surpassing the sounds from outside and making way too much noise for two people who were supposed to be hiding.
"How we've never been caught is beyond me," Jeongguk says, eyes now checking for any possible injury on Taehyung’s body. He seems to be perfectly fine though, if the laugh he lets out when he tickles him is anything to go by. Still, he asks: “You alright, baby?”
A nod. “I’m good. I think my pride might need a second to recover, though,” He jokes. Jeongguk snorts, sliding off from his lap.
“Better make sure we get you all healed up then, uh?”
Taehyung opens his mouth to reply, but there’s soft lips shushing him and strong arms pinning him down.
And even though he was the one on top now, Jeongguk still felt himself melting in Taehyung’s arms. His hands roamed over and squeezed every bit of skin they found along the way, while Taehyung moved his lips down to kiss the curve of his neck, licking and biting and leaving marks that he knew would stay there for a long time.
He surely hoped they did, too.
Suddenly, there's a change that Jeongguk can't quite understand; however, the next thing he knows is that Taehyung is pushing him softly, making his back hit the floor. There's a blinding kiss followed right after, distracting, and Jeongguk instinctively moves his hand up so that he could bring Kim even closer, wanting him to sink into him in every way possible.
Taehyung smells so good... Jeongguk just couldn't help himself.
“Wait, darling,” Taehyung breaks their kiss, looking in the direction of something. Jeongguk blinks. “Did you hear that?” He asks. Jeongguk shook his head no, - to be quite honest, he hadn't focused on anything but Taehyung since the moment he saw him - but they made sure to at least remain silent for a moment, trying to listen to anything beyond the sound of the storm.
Taehyung remains frozen, his sharp eyes focused in the direction of the door like he wants to see through it.
“Maybe it was just the win-”
A loud thud, one that they learned to associate with the careless closing of the library’s door, shuts Jeongguk up immediately. Then, a flashlight. Setps.
Jeongguk felt his pulse quicken - a flutter, like little bird wings trapped inside his lungs -, felt the adrenaline rush through his veins, as if he was ready for the whole room to explode at any moment.
“Shit! Fuck-” Taehyung’s wide eyes met Jeongguk, getting up and capturing his hand in his. Intertwining the warm fingers in his in a welcome squeeze, he tells him. “ Run!”
Jeongguk didn’t need to be told twice. With cold fingers intertwined as they ran along the big corridors of the library, their bodies bumped into each other without permission because of the short distance between them, sharing a delicious energy that could not be explained not even by any fancy words that all those books hid inside of them.
Reckless beyond thought, Jeongguk had no idea how they hadn’t been caught yet.
He supposed they were lucky. Maybe the universe had a special liking for them. Who knows?
Jeongguk looked up briefly at all those books and smiled, wondering if maybe those poets, if all those famous musicians ever had the chance to feel something as intense as this.
v.
They didn't stop running until the very moment that they reached the big side doors of the Academia - the same ones that they never really locked for “protocol reasons” .
(or something like that.)
They pushed it open together, hearing it crack way too loud to be safe as it moved to reveal the campus under the pouring cold rain.
It was dark outside, the kind of dark that didn't allow anything but itself to be noticed. The sky was void of stars and the scent of the rain, of the withered leaves and the electric buzz of the thunderstorm that didn’t show any signs to stop anytime soon, greeted them as soon as they stepped out of the university.
Taehyung looked even more beautiful that way. His lips parted slightly while he tried to catch his breath, eyes closed and chest going up and down; his hand was still holding Jeongguk tight, never one to let go.
"Things never get boring with you, do they darling?" Taehyung asked and Jeongguk found himself giggling quietly, a little shy. He looked up at the sky intently, trying to figure out what kind of magic Taehyung had cast on him.
Then, his gaze fell again on the boy by his side; the wild glint in Kim's gaze was totally directed at him, and he was so close that Jeongguk could feel his warm breath reaching his face. “I think it’s all you, you know. Maybe people are right and you really are an ancient creature, always hungry to get in some trouble," Jeongguk jokes.
“Is that what they say about me?” Taehyung asks, amusement painted all over his features. “Do you believe them?”
Jeongguk doesn’t, of course, but it’s funny to pretend nonetheless. “Why? Should I not?”
Taehyung smiles, shaking his head and appearing satisfied by Jeongguk's words.
He doesn’t answer, though.
Instead, Jeongguk watches as his expression lights up, lips morphing into a unique, mischievous smile - one that only Taehyung could ever do -, and sends a quick glance into Jeongguk’s way.
In the next second, he's sprinting out into the rain.
“Taehyung!” Jeongguk calls after him, still hidden under the safety of the doorway, laughing.
"C'mon darling!" Taehyung calls for him, loud, without a care in the world.
And Jeongguk, like a hopeless romantic on an eternal search for the happy ending of his fairytail, doesn't even hesitate before running straight into Taehyung’s arms, feeling him catching him in a both cold and warm, drenching hug that somehow turns into a dance.
Taehyung grabs Jeongguk’s hands and twists and turn, spinning around as the rain continues to fall and the thunders keeps rumbling in the dark sky.
“I love you,” Taehyung whispers among the chaos, and Jeongguk feels his chest grow to accommodate the feeling, the words running through his veins like electricity.
It wasn’t something Taehyung said very often, always a man to show instead of say, so Jeongguk always felt the butterflies in his stomach like it was the very first time.
Their breaths met and collided when they moved impossibly closer to each other, and their noses accidently touched. Jeongguk giggled a little when he saw the other one close his eyes, gracefully even with his wet hair sticking to his forehead.
He and Taehyung were connected in a way no one else would understand; through something soft, but still wild and intense. Something that was like a flap of a bird's wings to them, but seemed like a whole hurricane to others.
When Jeongguk looks up, he finds Taehyung already looking at him, smiling in a way that always wakes all the butterflies in Jeongguk’s stomach. Then, Taehyung is kissing him, cold palm pressing against Jeongguk’s cheek as he leans in. Jeongguk kisses him back, melting into the touch of Taehyung’s lips against him.
The intimacy nearly overwhelms him - because Jeongguk thinks- no, he's pretty fucking sure - that he has never been loved as hard as this.
Kim Taehyung does nothing halfway, after all.
“See?” Taehyung whispered, still holding Jeongguk close, so close that he could feel his lips move against his own as he talked. “Told you I was much better than that teacher of yours.”
Jeongguk buries his head in Taehyung’s shoulder, his heart beating strongly inside his chest. He hears another thunder. “To me, you're better than everyone else.”
On the horizon, the sun was starting to rise, but Jeongguk didn’t bother to look at it; he didn't need to, not when he had the most beautiful view in the world right in front of him.
Besides, it felt too good to see himself reflected in those eyes and Jeongguk would make sure to never look away, for as long as he could, for as long as Taehyung was there to hold him.