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Silence, Jungkook muses as he adjusts his glasses. I wonder what that’s like.
He's aware of his reputation at his school even if he doesn’t care about it. He’s “the most lusted after nerd that ever walked the Earth” according to some particularly salty guys who kept their distance in order to avoid being savaged by the fans following Jungkook around. Throwing away sappy love letters and ignoring confessions is a daily occurrence for Jungkook.
Honestly, he doesn’t understand. He has made it perfectly clear that he loves books more than humans, but people still won’t leave him alone. They're all just noise, and Jungkook doesn’t pay any attention to them.
Except for the one guy who is louder than all the rest.
Granted, it’s hard not to notice someone whose entire existence seems to buzz with energy. Even the guy’s hair is loud. The fiery orange catches Jungkook’s eye when he is trying to focus on his book as he’s walking to class and the other is traveling in the opposite direction while cackling at his own joke.
That’s why Jungkook loves the library so much. Not only is it full of his papery friends, but the strict volume policy at least limits the amount of whispering and giggling Jungkook has to tune out. As an added bonus, he has never encountered that particularly loud individual in here.
Until now.
Jungkook is as secluded as he can manage and reading a book about logic gates (not for any class, just for fun) when Noisy Guy comes crashing into the library. Jungkook is clear on the other side of the vast room, and he immediately looks up to see the person who he had long ago identified as Kim Taehyung apologizing to the librarian and bending over to tie his errant shoelaces.
Oh god , Jungkook thinks as he sinks lower into his chair.
It’s incredible really. Somehow, Taehyung manages to bump into every single bookshelf on the way over to the computer science section. He must be part whirlwind. The man is even tiptoeing, and still he's making more noise than Jungkook could if he were to walk around with saucepans on his feet. Taehyung’s squeaky shoes grow closer and closer until Jungkook can hear the music blasting out of the earphones hanging forgotten around Taehyung’s neck.
Jungkook can’t take it anymore.
"Dude," he hisses and Taehyung halts, backpack charms still jangling. "Shut. The hell. Up."
The guy's face is blank for a couple of beats, and Jungkook is worried that he’s going to flip out and make even more noise.
Instead, Taehyung smiles.
Now, tons of people smile at Jungkook. He's used to it after enduring all the shy smiles the girls give him while blushing and hiding their faces behind their hands and the flirtatious smiles guys send his way over the tops of books Jungkook knows they're not actually reading. Even Jungkook is guilty of flashing his own dazzling smile to the librarian when she lets him have an extension on the occasional overdue book.
This ridiculous cacophony of a guy is smiles at him, and it's all Jungkook can do to not let his knees buckle.
"Sorry," Taehyung stage-whispers in what most people would barely consider an inside voice.
Jungkook just stares. Hopefully he's keeping his face looking annoyed, or at least blank. The noisy guy with the blinding, carefree, ever-so-slightly rectangular smile creeps forward and examines the bookshelf a meter to Jungkook's left. Jungkook raises his book again, and this time, he's the one sneaking glances at someone over the top of the pages. Taehyung pulls out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and studies the writing on it before looking back at the books. He scans the bindings, looking for the correct one. After going through the whole shelf, Taehyung takes a step back and pouts. Jungkook's stomach does a series of acrobatic tricks.
Evidently stumped, Taehyung looks around for someone to help him, and Jungkook dives back behind his book, silently cursing himself for acting like the foolish, smitten schoolgirls he finds so exasperating. He can already picture Taehyung thundering over to beg him for assistance. But then there’s soft rustling and clinking sounds coming from Taehyung’s direction that Jungkook can't quite place.
Then he feels someone tap his knee.
Jumping and dropping his book, Jungkook looks down to see the weird guy on his hands and knees next to Jungkook's chair with that stupidly beautiful smile on his face.
"Did you crawl over here?" is the only thing Jungkook can think to say.
"Yeah, I thought it would be quieter. Did it work?" Taehyung asks.
Jungkook ignores the butterflies raging in his guts and nods. How is it possible that Taehyung can smile even brighter? And he had been quiet indeed to be able to sneak up on him, even with Jungkook’s heart beating loudly in his ears. Vaguely, he wonders if Taehyung can hear it in the relative peace of the library.
"Good. I hate to bother you more than I already have, but I have no idea how these code things work, and it’s extremely important that I find this book so I can write my Intro to Programming paper that’s due in an hour."
It takes a moment for Jungkook to process all of the words that Taehyung had just spewed rapidfire and for Taehyung to catch his breath. Jungkook’s gaze drops to the scrap of paper Taehyung is holding out to him. Reaching over with a thankfully steady hand, he takes it and looks back up into Taehyung’s molten chocolate eyes. He has such an innocent, expectant look on his face. It reminds Jungkook a bit of a golden retriever. Or an orange retriever.
He reads the serial number and stands up, walking over to the shelf Taehyung had been inspecting. Taehyung crawls after him, and Jungkook forces himself not to crack a grin as he scans the books.
"Okay, well, you're in the right section at least." Jungkook says, and Taehyung does a small, jingly cheer behind him.
"It should be right..." He runs his fingers along the bindings until he comes to an empty space. "here..."
Taehyung lets out a whimper, and Jungkook looks around to see an exaggerated look of tragedy on his face.
“WHY?” Taehyung starts to wail dramatically, but Jungkook slaps a hand over his mouth.
Physics must be broken or something because the seconds after the sound dies in Taehyung’s throat are stretching unnaturally out into infinity. Jungkook's brain is firing furiously, taking in the information from panicked touch receptors, and telling Jungkook that he does, in fact, have his palm resting on Taehyung's lips. Over his hand, Taehyung's eyes are as round as saucers, and Jungkook wagers that his are the same. He feels Taehyung's lips twitch minutely, and the sensation sends an electric surge up Jungkook’s spine.
"H-hang...hang on," he whispers in a voice that sounds as if he had gargled rock salt for lunch.
Taehyung stays frozen, but his eyes follow Jungkook back to his table. Jungkook picks up the book he had been reading and returns to Taehyung, who has gotten to his feet. Jungkook looks sheepishly up at him while holding the book's binding and the scrap of paper next to each other. There's another one of those odd long seconds before Taehyung speaks.
"Oh," he grins again. "There it is."
Jungkook is speechless, staring at the adorably weird and strangely endearing guy in front of him. They are extremely close, Jungkook now realizes. Apparently, he had forgotten how space bubbles work, but if Taehyung minds, he isn't moving away.
"But I guess you're reading it," Taehyung says, smile dropping.
Jungkook's mind screams at him to make that smile reappear.
"Actually! Um- if you-," he starts but is cut off when someone a few bookcases away shushes him. He wasn't even aware of his increasing volume.
Taehyung's radiant smile is already back as Jungkook feels his face start to get warm.
"Actually, you can have it," he says while holding out the book.
"Really? Thank you so much! You're saving my ass," Taehyung says, grasping it in his hands, but Jungkook doesn't let go.
"Or," Jungkook says, and now he’s sure he's blushing. "If you want, I can help you with the paper. You know, since it's due in an hour and everything."
Taehyung had been smiling before, but the look of relieved joy that spreads across his features leaves Jungkook feeling like someone stole his lungs while he was too preoccupied with watching Taehyung.
"Are you serious?" Taehyung asks.
Jungkook's not sure where he gets the rush of confidence, but he's not going to question it.
"Yeah,” he answers, flashing his own winning grin. "You have a nice smile for someone who doesn't know the decimal classification system."
The expression on Taehyung’s face is worth the amount of quiet time Jungkook will give up in order to get caught up in Taehyung’s whirlwind.
