『••✎••』

warning: teenage substance abuse

『••✎••』

Jungkook frowned.

How did he always manage to end up at Hyuna's parties? He would admit that he was a little bit excited for this one. After all, it was his first true high school party.

He made his way through the crowd, in search of Yeri specifically. Jungkook smiled when he found her sitting in a group... with the football team. 

"Hey guys!" Jungkook beamed as he sat down beside Yeri. Everyone was seated in a circle and they waved at Jungkook. Taehyung didn't bother looking up from his phone. Suho, however, winked. Jungkook got shivers. And not the good kind. 

"Let's play a game!" Hyuna squeaked, holding a bottle of a really expensive looking alcohol. Jungkook had no idea what kind of alcohol it was. He just assumed that she had stolen it from wherever her parents hid their alcohol.

"What kind of game?" Tzuyu asked, putting aside her poorly rolled blunt to scoot in closer to the circle. Jungkook was honestly afraid to ask her where she got it from. But after looking around the room and seeing suspicious puffs of smoke, he easily found the culprit. 

"Hmmm," Hyuna began, feigning innocence as she put an expensive bottle of alcohol in the middle of the circle, "How about truth or dare?"

Yugyeom barked out a sharp laugh. "What are we, six?" he teased, his lips curling into a smirk when Hyuna sent him a glare. Jungkook could smell the sexual tension. It didn't smell very nice. 

"Well, to make it more fun," Hyuna began, plopping down beside Jungkook and across from Taehyung, "Every turn you have to take a shot, and if you refuse to do the dare or answer the truth, you have to take an extra shot."

"Damn, Hyuna!" Naylon squeaked, a puff of smoke forming a cloud in front of her face. She furrowed her eyebrows and waved it off. 

Hyuna giggled, "So who wants to go first?" Everyone glanced around before Suho spoke up. "I'll go," he said, taking the bottle of alcohol and shot glass from Hyuna.

"Okay..." he mumbled, scanning around the room. His eyes landed right on Jungkook. Great. 

"Kookie! Truth or dare," he asked, passing a glass full of alcohol to Jungkook. Jungkook took it shakily and glanced around the room with the glass in his hand. Yeri gave him a reassuring pat on his thigh and smiled. He downed it. 

Which he immediately regretted doing afterward. His entire face scrunched up as the poison made its way down his throat. Jungkook assumed that since the alcohol was expensive, it would at least taste good. He was wrong. 

"Truth," Jungkook mumbled, taking the water that Yeri handed to him. Suho pursed his lips together before smirking.

"Have you lost your virginity?"

A quiet "ooh" settled across the room. "Startin' off strong!" Yugyeom quacked. Jungkook felt a pale blush settle on his cheeks and he glanced around the room. Taehyung had put his phone down. 

"I'll pass," he mumbled, reaching for the liquid death. A bunch of snickers echoed across the room and Jungkook felt his face flush more. 

Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows together. A wave of relaxation washed over him. The music playing in the house seemed to lower in intensity, but the vibrations continued to buzz through Jungkook's body. It was definitely the alcohol, he thought, as he watched the bottle be passed around the room. 

"My turn!" he giggled, looking around the room. His eyes fell on Taehyung. "Hmmm, Hyuna-noona! Truth or dare?"

Hyuna raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Dare," she responded, staring at him with a strange fire in her eyes.

"I dare you to... go skinny dipping," he said, staring back at her with the same fire. He wasn't sure where it came from, and continued to blame it on the alcohol.

Hyuna smiled and got up, taking a shot before she walked outside to the pool. Jungkook glanced at Yeri, who was watching her intently for some reason, and glanced back at Taehyung. 

Everyone began to holler when they saw Hyuna jump into the pool. Jungkook glanced over and watched her resurface a moment later. She grabbed a towel and wrapped herself in it, picking up her clothes and walking back into her house. 

"Okay," Hyuna said, pulling her hair back into a messy bun. "Yeri, truth or dare," she asked. Jungkook turned to Yeri, watching her face turn a light pink.

"Uh, truth," she mumbled, downing the shot like it was water. Jungkook tried to pay attention but found it hard to as he continued to take shots. He wasn't really sure where exactly they were coming from either. 

"Okay, Kookie!" Yeri exclaimed, handing Jungkook another shot glass. Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows together but downed the shot down quickly. The room started to feel fuzzy and Jungkook wasn't really sure if Yeri was smirking or not. 

"Dare," he mumbled, leaning his head against her shoulder. It looked like the smirk on her face grew. 

"I dare you to spend seven minutes in heaven with Taehyung."

Jungkook felt his face flush but slowly pushed himself onto his feet. Taehyung looked up at him and stood up as well. Hyuna awkwardly led the two of them to an empty bedroom and closed the door behind them. 

"The timer starts now!" he heard Yeri squeak from the other side of the door. Jungkook stared up awkwardly at Taehyung. He wasn't sure if he should thank Yeri or scold her later. 

"W-Will you kiss me?" Jungkook asked timidly. The alcohol pushed him to let those words fall out of his mouth, but it immediately left as soon as he said them. The reality of the situation finally came crashing down on him. 

"O-Only if you want to," Jungkook added quickly. Taehyung quirked an eyebrow in his direction and took a couple steps toward him. 

"Do you want to?" Jungkook asked, feeling smaller when he realized how close Taehyung had gotten. Taehyung looked down at him and took another step. Jungkook took one back and stumbled back onto the bed.

"C-Can I?" Taehyung asked. Jungkook looked up to him, shocked by the stutter and the softness of his tone. He'd never seen this Taehyung before. Jungkook nodded.

Taehyung leaned forward and gently cupped Jungkook's face in his hands. "I-Is this weird?" he asked. Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows together.

"What do you mean?" Jungkook looked up at Taehyung. He saw anxiety spiraling in his eyes and felt a tinge of pity in his stomach. 

"W-Well, I'm acting like myself for once," Taehyung mumbled, glancing away from Jungkook. Jungkook grabbed his hands and looked him in his eyes.

"I-I like it when you're yourself around me," Jungkook mumbled. He could've sworn that Taehyung's face turned a little red. "You should do it more," he murmured, "Your secret's safe with me."

Taehyung looked down at him fondly before pressing his lips against Jungkook's. Jungkook's eyes went wide but he immediately closed them. He knew enough from reading his romance novels that having your eyes open during kisses was awkward. 

Taehyung's lips were soft. His hands caressed Jungkook's face gently, holding him as if he was fragile. As if he was glass that could break at any minute.

Taehyung pulled away slowly and opened his eyes, staring at Jungkook with something that he could only call fondness. Jungkook opened his mouth but jumped when someone knocked on the door. 

"Time to go, I guess," Taehyung mumbled, moving away from Jungkook. Jungkook frowned when he saw something in his eyes shift. From tenderness to something cold. 

Jungkook followed Taehyung out of the room and back to where everyone else was sitting. Yeri grinned at him and he rolled his eyes, the feeling of Taehyung's lips still lingering against his. 

"Sooo?" Yeri whispered, glancing between Taehyung and Jungkook. Jungkook giggled and leaned in to whisper to her.

"Taehyung is an asshole."

『••✎••』

a/n: the interlude

eye-