Chapter Text

1

The wind was blowing and it felt like icy needles pricked the skin of his cheeks. He knew they were red, but it was only a few more minutes until the bus had to arrive. He would manage. And anyhow, his eyes and cheeks were the only exposed skin. He was muffled up in a puffy jacket, hat and scarf, and despite wearing gloves, he hid his hands deep in the pockets of his coat. His duffle bag hung heavy over his shoulder, but Jungkook told himself that it was only two more minutes.

Two more minutes and his well deserved Christmas break would begin.
He stood in line when the bus arrived that would take him home to his parents and he climbed on board, showing his ticket.

Jungkook scanned for a seat, while other passengers pushed onto the bus to escape the cold wind, and he quickly hurried to a row in the back. A guy sat there, leaning against the window. He had a beanie pulled low onto his face, with headphones on top, probably shielding him from the noise.
Jungkook took the duffle bag off his shoulder and stowed it in the overhead compartment. He slowly peeled himself out of his layers of clothing and sat down. The guy didn’t show any reaction to someone sitting down next to him and it was fine with Jungkook. It meant no talking and wonderful silence for the four hour ride from Seoul to Busan.

Jungkook sat down, his own headphones on, and his tablet in hand. He opened the drawing app and took the pen to continue the picture he had been working on.
The bus started moving and Jungkook lost himself in his work.

Jungkook must have fallen asleep, because he slowly registered the music in his ears and realized his head leaned to the side. His eyes fluttered open and he focused on a pair of narrowed eyes staring at him. Jungkook could see a mole close to the waterline of one eye, and the eyes blinked slowly once, somehow cat-like and measured.

The pen for his tablet suddenly appeared in front of his face causing him to jerk back in surprise and pull his headphones off. Jungkook opened his eyes fully and gaped at the guy whose beanie was still pulled low. But since he wasn’t staring out the window anymore, but directly at Jungkook… this could not be happening. Hell no! He had avoided that person like the devil holy water for the last five years. It hadn’t been easy. Once in a while they would pass on campus, but they ignored each other, and before that… it was almost impossible.

“You dropped this pen while you drooled on my shoulder,” Kim Taehyung answered snidely and held it out to Jungkook, who snatched it quickly out of his fingers. He suppressed the urge to wipe the corner of his mouth, in case he really had drooled. You never know, but Jungkook didn’t want to give Taehyung the satisfaction of seeing him embarrassed and insecure.
“I don’t drool,” Jungkook replied just as snidely.

Taehyung pointed to a tiny dark spot on his shoulder, that could be lint as well and Jungkook scoffed. “You are delusional.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” Taehyung shot back. “And by the way, you snore like a baby seal.”

Jungkook sat up straighter in his seat. “I do not snore like a baby seal,” he hissed indignantly.
Taehyung mimicked him. "Oh, you do,” he assured him. “There is this YouTube video. You will find it very similar to your snoring, we can compare it. I recorded you for scientific reasons.”
Jungkook felt how his anger rose with every word that tumbled out of Taehyung’s mouth. Was he gaping at him? He realized that his mouth was standing open, ready to spew curses at him. But… he suddenly reflected… he was five years older, since their last big argument, and more mature now, wasn’t he? And he wouldn’t give Taehyung the satisfaction of riling him up.

Jungkook leaned back in his seat and feigned nonchalance. “You haven’t changed one bit since I saw you last. You are still rude and childish.”
“I beg to differ,” Taehyung answered instantly. “I did pick up your pen. I’m a nice guy.”
“You want me to thank you now and give you a present?” Jungkook shot back.
“It’s close to Christmas, so that would be appropriate,” he replied nonchalantly and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Despite the cold, Taehyung was wearing a t-shirt and Jungkook realized he had goosebumps along the skin of his arms. On the back of one hand, which was half-hidden, some veins stood out against his golden skin and Jungkook scolded himself for noticing such details.

“I wouldn’t even give you a paperclip if I had one,” Jungkook responded. “Oh wait, I got a better idea,” he said playfully and bumped Taehyung’s shoulder, remembering something Taehyung had always been embarrassed about. “How about some floaties to help you swim?”

Taehyung rolled his eyes, but Jungkook knew he had made a point. “Funny,” he replied sarcastically. “That was so lame.”
Jungkook winked at him cheekily, and Taehyung stopped short of what he was about to say.
“Nah,” Jungkook drawled and waved him off. “It wasn’t and you know it,” he glowered and brandished the pen in front of his nose.
Taehyung’s hand shot forward and grabbed the other side, holding on.
“Let go,” Jungkook growled dangerously.

Taehyung raised his eyebrows quickly, like he wanted to say ‘try and make me’, his face showing determination as he tugged on the pen.
Jungkook felt the material slide slightly through his fingers and he instantly clutched the pen with both hands.
In the next second, Taehyung did the same and they were suddenly fighting a tug or war over his tablet pen.
“Let go,” Jungkook growled once more and the muscles in his arms strained with the effort to wrench the pen out of Taehyung’s strong hands.
“No,” Taehyung hissed back, trying to pull harder.
“This is my pen,” Jungkook replied and turned in his seat, almost half standing up, with one leg kneeling on the seat.
“I don’t care,” Taehyung answered, sounding strained with effort as he leaned back further in his seat.

“WHAT are you two doing?” came a hiss from the row in front of them and an Ahjumma rose from her seat like the goddess of war. She glared at them, as if she was close to slapping some manners into both of them.

Jungkook turned to face her, feeling caught, while at the same time another tug followed and he lost his balance. He fell forward onto Taehyung, whose hands pushed painfully into his chest. Despite this, Jungkook felt soft lips close to his ear, brushing over the skin of his cheek.
Jungkook froze, like he had done something absolutely forbidden and had been caught. He stared with fearful eyes at the woman, who narrowed her eyes at them.

“Stop this bickering. Where are your manners?” She scolded them. “You are two young men and you are disturbing a bus full of people. Be quiet,” she hissed and inhaled before continuing. “And he didn’t pick up your pen! That was me, and he promised to give it to you when you woke up. And you didn’t drool, but you do snore. And now,” she shot at them at rapid speed, “be quiet, or I will ask the driver to kick you off the bus in the middle of nowhere!”

Jungkook blinked at her, expecting the other passengers to erupt into applause, but it was dead silent.
“I’m sorry,” Jungkook answered. His apology was repeated by Taehyung, and with his words, he felt Taehyung’s chest vibrate under his touch. But what Jungkook also sensed was Taehyung’s exhale against his ear and he shivered involuntarily at the sensation.

“You should get up now, don’t you think?” the Ahjumma prompted with burning eyes, and Jungkook scrambled up, causing Taehyung to groan because he had pushed off his chest on purpose.

Taehyung rubbed his sternum.

“Give him the pen,” she demanded sternly.

Taehyung held the pen out and Jungkook snatched it out of his hand.
“And now, I don’t want to hear another word!”

Jungkook and Taehyung bowed in their seats.
“I'm sorry,” they both replied once more.

She narrowed her eyes at them one last time before she sank back into her seat.

Instantly, Jungkook and Taehyung turned their heads to each other and glared, forming silent words and cursing.

A throat clearing sounded from the row in front of them and both froze once more for a second. They leaned back in their seats and moved far away from each other. Taehyung gave him another distasteful look, before he picked his headphones back up and covered his ears. He then turned his head to the window and stared conclusively outside at the passing landscape.

That was fine with Jungkook, so damn fine. He picked up his own headphones and ignored Taehyung. That was what he could do best. Ignoring him.
Jungkook couldn’t wait for this journey to be over and to escape Kim Taehyung’s proximity for good.