"Are you sleepy? You look sleepy. You should sleep more." Tae gave Jungkook some good advice, wondering why he was so sleepy, because he definitely seemed it. "Were you up too long? Were you talking to your girlfriend?"
Subtle. Well, Jimin and him had discussed ways to find out whether someone was single and Tae was tired of waiting around for the right opportunity.
"I work two jobs so... it's more that than anything." He lived alone these days after flunking out of university, not that he'd ever dare tell his parents that. His plan was to get enough money and go back, not to see them until he sorted his shit out but it was tricky. He worked here nine to five and then went to the gas station and worked the night shift. He got about three-four hours sleep. If that.
With a small, amused smile, he turned his head and looked at Tae. "Why does it matter if I have a girlfriend?"
"Because I'd like it better if you didn't have one." Simple enough. Not subtle at all. Tae smiled brightly at Jungkook and leaned against him, since he had to walk with him anyway. Might as well act as if they were walking together. "I don't have one either."
There, he would say 'either', so hopefully Jungkook would admit to not having one. "I had a boyfriend, but he turned out to not be very nice." Namjoon was right, most people ended up being... not good at all. But Jungkook was different, he knew it.
"I'm sure you'll get someone when you get out of here and you're better, then you'll have a good foundation for a relationship." He made distance between them, trying to be subtle because he knew what Tae was doing and he really needed this job. He didn't want to get fired. He knew that he probably wouldn't be but it didn't make him feel any better - so many of the guards gave him tips on how to get the most out of the patients. It grossed him out.
"You need to work on yourself, first, Taehyung. I bet once you take your pills, get better and talk to Doctor Kim, you'll find love in no time." Hopefully. Then he'd stop looking at him like that.
"Nuh-uh. The pills are doing stuff, because of the calcium." Something like that, anyway. "They're not that good for me, they're making me like a robot. I don't think a lot of people would love a robot..." Maybe they would? Tae frowned, figuring that would make for a good story. Maybe he'd be loved if he was a robot.
"I think they're good pills. Doctor Kim wants to help, why would he give you bad pills? Then he wouldn't be helping. Besides, calcium is good for you. Good for the skin and bones." Or so he heard. He wasn't sure what Tae was on but he doubted Jin was going to give him anything bad. He was a respectable man, Jungkook enjoyed his company a lot when he had it. Plus he sometimes fed him.
"What am I looking for?" A noona. Ideally. If he could learn to ever speak to women. "Someone with good skin and bones." Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say but whatever.
"...I'm taking the pills." All right, all right. He didn't have to tell Namjoon and soon things would change anyway, wouldn't they? So it didn't matter so much, he could have good skin and bones until then. "But if they make me docile and like a doll, you have to watch over me, so they don't use me again. Yeah?"
He looked at Jungkook imploringly. "You wouldn't let them, right?" Just like Namjoon, he'd keep him safe. "I'd never let anyone hurt you either, you know? I'll keep you safe later and you can keep me safe now."
The hell was he even talking about? These crazies were so weird sometimes. Then again, it was pretty much expected. "Of course I'll keep you safe, it's my job. I take care of every patient on this floor. It's a lot easier to do that when the patients are good and they take their meds." Maybe he shouldn't exploit these obvious vibes but if it helped him get better, that was good? He'd ask Doctor Kim later. Maybe he knew.
He was taking the pills so that had to be good. "Thank you for offering to keep me safe too. You're a good hyung." He felt it was important to remind Tae of his age, to remind him that he was older and an adult, in charge of his own life.
"I want to be. I'm old enough, but I don't get to do much here." And, yes, sometimes he regressed. Sometimes he got scared. He was trying to forget about that right now though, instead smiling at Jungkook and hoping he'd think of him as a grown up. "I want to take good care of you. I'm not stupid, I just think a bit differently."
That was what Namjoon told him. Although Jin actually said the same. "I wish the world had less of a problem with me being different. Then we could go out together. I'd treat you."
"I don't think you're stupid. You're sick, hyung. You need help. And once you listen to Doctor Kim and get better, you'll be outside in no time." He felt like it was important to smile at him and encourage his want to go outside, he was probably a little scared of it. "They do day trips out if you're good, I might be the one driving the mini bus if I can get my license in time for the next one. Keep being good and you can come on the trip next month."
Incentives seemed like a good way to get Tae to behave. Reaching out, he gently took his arm to coax him towards the right hallway, knowing the other was too absorbed in talking. "There's always a passenger seat on the mini bus, I'll save it for you so don't let me down, yeah? Keep working hard and getting better." With a bright smile, he looked over at Tae. "Then you can treat me like a good hyung."
"Okay. I'll do what I can!" Tae make a heart sign with one hand, smiling at him and perhaps bouncing a little. Jungkook was holding his arm and he wanted to spend time with him, even sit next to him in the car! That had to mean something, that had to be a sign of love. He smiled and leaned against him, happy as he walked along. "You know my brother, right? Don't tell him all that, he'll think you want to use me, like the last guard that was nice to me. I know you're different, but he always worries."
"I don't talk to your brother if I can help it." He scared the shit out of him and once he threatened to kill him so no, he wasn't really in the habit of making small talk. Usually he just ignored him until he could drop him off at his cell. "What we talk about is just for us, yeah? I won't share what you tell me." Confidentiality and all that. He had a contract, after all. "So tonight, do you promise to take your pills? Even if you don't like the calcium?"
Maybe he was making some kind of headway with Tae. "I'm excited for our trip now, hyung. I hope you do."
"It's okay. You needn't worry. I wouldn't let him hurt you." Not that he could keep Namjoon from hurting people when he really meant to, but he was sure he wouldn't have to in Jungkook's case. Jungkook was good, he was so very good. "But I like that this is just for us." It made him happy.
He nodded his head. "I'll take the pills. And one day, we'll game together." That was a dream he harboured.
"If you keep taking your pills and getting better, when you get out, I promise we'll game." He could do that. It was professional and Tae would probably just be in a halfway house anyway. It'd be a nice way to say goodbye to him and show him that getting better was a positive thing. As they stopped by Tae's cell, he smiled at him and made distance, bowing a little.
"Keep being a good hyung for me. Take care of yourself first, then you can take care of me."
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Subtle. Well, Jimin and him had discussed ways to find out whether someone was single and Tae was tired of waiting around for the right opportunity.
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With a small, amused smile, he turned his head and looked at Tae. "Why does it matter if I have a girlfriend?"
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There, he would say 'either', so hopefully Jungkook would admit to not having one. "I had a boyfriend, but he turned out to not be very nice." Namjoon was right, most people ended up being... not good at all. But Jungkook was different, he knew it.
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"You need to work on yourself, first, Taehyung. I bet once you take your pills, get better and talk to Doctor Kim, you'll find love in no time." Hopefully. Then he'd stop looking at him like that.
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"What are you looking for with love, Jungkookie?"
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"What am I looking for?" A noona. Ideally. If he could learn to ever speak to women. "Someone with good skin and bones." Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say but whatever.
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He looked at Jungkook imploringly. "You wouldn't let them, right?" Just like Namjoon, he'd keep him safe. "I'd never let anyone hurt you either, you know? I'll keep you safe later and you can keep me safe now."
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He was taking the pills so that had to be good. "Thank you for offering to keep me safe too. You're a good hyung." He felt it was important to remind Tae of his age, to remind him that he was older and an adult, in charge of his own life.
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That was what Namjoon told him. Although Jin actually said the same. "I wish the world had less of a problem with me being different. Then we could go out together. I'd treat you."
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Incentives seemed like a good way to get Tae to behave. Reaching out, he gently took his arm to coax him towards the right hallway, knowing the other was too absorbed in talking. "There's always a passenger seat on the mini bus, I'll save it for you so don't let me down, yeah? Keep working hard and getting better." With a bright smile, he looked over at Tae. "Then you can treat me like a good hyung."
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Maybe he was making some kind of headway with Tae. "I'm excited for our trip now, hyung. I hope you do."
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He nodded his head. "I'll take the pills. And one day, we'll game together." That was a dream he harboured.
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"Keep being a good hyung for me. Take care of yourself first, then you can take care of me."