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Taeyang lays on his bed, staring at the ceiling as the warm summer air drifts through his window, the stillness of the night silencing the dorms. It was Thursday, the last night he'd have with the calming quiet before three nights of screaming, pounding music from every room around him at once. He rolls over, watching the wall tiredly.
He'd had plenty on his mind recently. Finals were coming up quickly, and he'd been working every night at the campus cafe for a week straight. His paycheck was fantastic, but fuck, was he tired. He hadn't expected to have a night rush, but he supposes it would make sense what with all of the tests students always complained about staying up late to study for.
And, well, Youngkyun and Juho were two other problems he faced, spending most of his free time thinking of one of the two (or, in some situations, both).
Juho, who he'd gone on a date with a month before, kissing him gently underneath the fluorescent lights of some outdoor mini golf course. His ebony hair was soft under Taeyang's fleeting touch, and, when he'd pulled away, he'd done so with flushed cheeks and a pair of wide eyes, almost shocked he'd initiated anything in the first place. Taeyang had laughed, resting his head sleepily on his shoulder as he had recounted the experience.
And, then there was Youngkyun, who had been introduced to Taeyang a week ago by their mutual friend Seokwoo. The two hadn't stopped talking since the moment they saw each other for the first time. Even now, Taeyang watched his phone's display light up with an incoming message, not doubting from a second it was from the shy brunette.
He'd wondered if he had feelings for the younger, but, his relationship with Juho obligated him to remain just friends with Youngkyun. Though, Juho hadn't spoken to Taeyang since their date, and Youngkyun was constantly asking if he could take him out to see a movie sometime... The situation stressed him out beyond belief, and every moment he spent worrying about the two was another year taken off of his lifespan, he was absolutely sure.
He hadn't been able to fall asleep anyway, so he reaches over to grab his phone, reading over the new text with a soft smile on his face.
KYUN:
Are you falling asleep? You always answer so fast but now you're being so slow...
If you're tired you should sleep ♡ !
And, hey, I know about a party tomorrow night... Sanghyuk's dorm, he's a senior; you should come!
You'd love him. He's so fun
Taeyang found it overwhelmingly easy to talk to Youngkyun, and is able to send a response instantly. With most of his other friends, he left them on read or didn't get back to them for hours. However, Youngkyun didn't receive that treatment, and Taeyang hoped he never would.
ME:
i'm sorry!! i'm not too tired, haha, just thinking
He notices the heart for the first time as he rereads over the message, eyes widening at it. The heart stage, already? Fuck, this friendship moved along quickly.
ME:
but if ur tired, u should sleep ♡
oh, that sounds kind of fun... maybe you'll see me there?
Youngkyun starts typing an instant later, and Taeyang leans back, sighing as he closes his eyes. "What am I going to do?" He whispers, contemplating on how to handle this situation. Did he want to wait for Juho, or go for it with Youngkyun? Obviously, Youngkyun was a much better choice, but... Juho was so cute.
The other stops typing, the little popup at the bottom of their chat slipping away. Taeyang pouts, setting his phone down. He should sleep, he had classes in the morning. He turns over to watch the wall once again, blinking tiredly until at one point his eyes drift shut and stay that way, slipping off into a dreamless sleep that leaves him tossing and turning during the night. He doesn't wake when his roommate comes home around two, laughing a bit too loudly as he speaks into his phone, not bothering to quiet down though he knows Taeyang is asleep in the next room over.
Sitting in class the next day, Taeyang twirls his pencil around his fingers tiredly, watching Youngkyun from across the room. He looks comfortable, with his hair tied back loosely and his puffy white hoodie, which hung down a bit past his thighs and had sleeves that dangled drastically past his fingertips.
Youngkyun looks up a moment later, meeting the other's gaze quickly. He blushes, turning to look in another direction before setting his elbow on his desk, cupping his cheek in his palm before taking another peek at Taeyang.
The brunette raises an eyebrow at Taeyang, and the older suddenly realizes how fucking weird it must be that he's just staring.
Either way, class is dismissed a moment later and Taeyang tries to pack his things up quickly, but, a hand comes down onto his notebook from behind him. Turning around, Youngkyun flashes him a grin, pulling his hand back. "Hey, T'yang."
"'Kyun," Taeyang smiles, feeling his heartbeat lurch into his throat, pulse thrumming loudly in his ears. It's cliche, but he's terrified that the other can hear it. "What's up?"
Shaking his head, Youngkyun shrugs. "Nothing, nothing..." He turns around, glancing at somebody leaving the room. Taeyang can't see them from under their hood, but he assumes it's one of the younger's friends. "Are you coming tonight?" He turns back around, grabbing one of Taeyang's hands. How he can do so with such a calm expression makes Taeyang want to faint. "It'll be so much more fun if you're there..." His fingers, wrapped around Taeyang's lazily, make the older suddenly really, really want to go to Sanghyuk's party.
Before he can respond, Youngkyun brings his free hand up to brush through Taeyang's hair, whistling quietly. "The blonde really suits you, have I said that before?" He laughs, pulling his hands away to shove them into his pockets. Taeyang tries to not sigh in relief, feeling himself slowly relax, his heart dropping back to where it belongs. "It's so nice..."
"Ha!"
Taeyang blinks, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. The last word he said repeats over and over in his head, and Youngkyun cocks his head and smiles at him with a confused expression.
"You're weird," he giggles, eyes crinkling in the corners when he laughs, "but it's kind of cute." He starts to turn around, but pauses, saying a small "I'd better see you tonight."
"You... You will..." Taeyang nods, blonde hair flopping down into his face. "You definitely will."
"Great! I'll let Sanghyuk know you're coming, okay?" Youngkyun smiles, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Catching a quick glimpse of the case on it, Taeyang notices a puffy cat sticker and pink glitter. Why was he so fucking cute?
Taeyang watches him leave, frowning. He was ready to move on from Juho, right? He'd ghosted him, after all.
Determined to make a good impression on Youngkyun, Taeyang leaves to go back to his dorm. He deserved this, and he'd be damned if he didn't go for it.
The walk back is short, but eventful. Seokwoo finds him in the hall, quickly walking him back while expressing his excitement for the night ahead of them.
"So, I'm going," Seokwoo states as they go into Taeyang's dorm, setting their bags down against the wall. Taeyang's roommate, Jaeyoon, glances up from where he's sitting on the couch, waving at them.
"Hey."
"Shut up." Seokwoo cuts him off immediately, causing Jaeyoon to scoff. "Nobody wants to hear about your-"
"-Let's stop this here before it progresses." Taeyang stops them, glaring. The air sparks between the two with tension, but, at Taeyang's opposition to their fight, they back off of each other. The blonde nods, going into his bedroom. Seokwoo follows him, grabbing his bag from the floor.
Tossing it onto the bed, Seokwoo unzips the bag and pulls out a small box, opening it up excitedly. "Nobody ever lets me do their makeup..."
I'm target practice, Taeyang realizes a moment too late as he sits on the edge of his bed, as Seokwoo's already advancing on him with the box. "How heavy do you want it?"
"Very light." Taeyang says nervously, brushing his hair out of the way. The brunette crouches in front of him, grabbing a tube from the box before applying a bit of liquid to his fingertip. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Mm.."
He's not sure if he wants to ask out Youngkyun so quickly. They've only been talking for a week, and every time Youngkyun's invited Taeyang out it's been specifically as friends. "Should I ask out Youngkyun?"
Seokwoo shrieks, dropping the brush he was blending the makeup with. It bounces on Taeyang's lap, and he stares at him, stunned. "A-are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," he comes back to reality, grabbing his brush to continue applying the makeup to Taeyang's face. "I'm sorry," he repeats, "I got excited."
"So..?"
"Oh! Yes, I really think you should," Seokwoo nods, swapping out brushes for a smaller one. "Close your eyes, love."
Obliging, Taeyang lets his eyes drift shut. Seokwoo begins letting the soft brush drift along his eyelids, humming quietly. "The party starts in a few hours," he switches eyes, "do you want to watch a movie before we go?"
Shrugging, Taeyang hums out a quick "sure," opening his eyes at Seokwoo's request. He tears himself away when the taller comes at him with the mascara wand, gasping. "I can handle that!"
"But-"
"You'll fucking blind me." Taeyang hisses, snatching the utensil from Seokwoo before looking up to the ceiling, hesitantly applying it. "I trust you, but not this much."
Seokwoo huffs. "If you heard something cracking into pieces, that was my fucking heart."
Taeyang doesn't go to the party.
He opts to stay home when Youngkyun and Juho show up at his door ten minutes before he was supposed to leave, both greeting Seokwoo and Jaeyoon as they leave for Sanghyuk's.
Taeyang leads the two to his bedroom, frowning as he crosses his arms. "One of you, I get being here. The other? Not so much."
Juho flushes. "I'm the other, right?"
"Yes."
Youngkyun sits on the edge of Taeyang's bed, watching the exchange between the two with a bored look on his face.
"I came to apologize," Juho murmurs, turning to look at Taeyang, "and also to ask why you never answered my calls."
Jumping onto the defensive, Taeyang grabs his phone, opening up his call log. "I'm sorry, come again?" He shows it to the other, annoyance in every movement, until Juho mimics him and shows off his own call log, biting his lip. "Okay, now you... Hold on a minute."
He has at least four outgoing calls to 'Tae', all unanswered and none returned. Juho pouts, brushing back his dark hair with a hand. Taeyang gapes at the screen, taking a moment to process everything.
His annoyance gives way to confusion, then guilt. "Oh, my God, you really did call me."
"Uh, obviously, yeah." Juho raises an eyebrow. "You thought I would have kissed you and done nothing else? Just throw you to the dogs?"
"Well!" Taeyang tries to say he didn't think that, but he had, so he sighs. "I did think that." Juho shakes his head, pouting. "I'm sorry," Taeyang whispers, hanging his head. "I should have found you so we could have talked this out sooner."
As soon as Juho opens his mouth to respond, Youngkyun cuts him off. "Great, now that that's settled." He sits forward, cracking his knuckles.
"It's not-" Juho's spoken over by the other, and he draws his lips together in a tight line, every movement showing clear annoyance.
"I have a bad idea!"
Taeyang turns to look at him, Juho following the blonde's gaze.
Youngkyun grins, hair still tied up loosely while the white hoodie's been replaced by a black t-shirt. "So, Taeyang, you had a thing with Juho."
"Right."
"And Juho and I had a thing a while ago," he waits for Juho to nod before continuing. "And, I like you, Taeyang. A lot." Taeyang blushes, Youngkyun smiles at the two. "What if the three of us...?"
"Sorry," Taeyang jumps in, "but where did this idea come from?" He's not against it, but it's so out of the realm of what the three were discussing among themselves that Taeyang can't help but find it odd.
"I was coming here to ask you out in the first place but then I saw Juho in the hall and thought, 'fuck it'."
Juho sighs. "You're so..." About to throw an insult, he holds himself back. "So... Infuriating to be around sometimes."
"Hey," Taeyang defends the youngest, frowning, "he's just a boy!"
The music from a few rooms down blares all the way to Taeyang's room, and in the silence that follows his words they can hear it faintly through the walls. Taeyang knows it would be louder if he didn't have his window open. Slowly, Youngkyun stands, shrugging. "Look, I just know that I like you, Taeyang, and," he looks to Juho for a moment before shrugging, "eh. I guess."
"Should," Juho blinks, looking at the brunette incredulously, "should I be offended or feel complimented by that?"
Taeyang wonders why this is all happening, and if maybe it was fate that brought the three of them together. But, that was crazy, right? This was just a stupid idea that wouldn't be acted upon, and the three would just go on their ways like nothing happened. He felt embarrassed, for some odd reason. Poly relationships were difficult to maintain, anyway. There was no way the three of them would fall through with the youngest's plan.
"Once my mom left me at Walmart for four hours because she didn't realize I wasn't in the car with her until she was home," Juho starts, fingers trailing through Taeyang's hair. Youngkyun snorts from where he's laying, head resting on the blonde's lap. The brunette clicks idly through the TV channels, finally settling on a horror movie rerun on some comedy channel.
"She probably thought 'holy shit, good riddance to that one'." Taeyang hums, smirking at the other. The light on above them gives him an unnatural glow, and Juho finds himself ensnared by the other. In an odd way, he reminds Juho of a sunflower. But, since he was mocking him, there would be no affection in his answer.
"Literally, fuck you."
Smiling, Youngkyun grabs the two's attentions for a brief moment. "Do you guys want to watch this one?" He hums, gaze directed to the screen across the room from them. Breaking his gaze away from it, though, he looks up to Taeyang and Juho with eyes full of affection and admiration for the two.
"Oh, yeah." Taeyang nods, carding a hand through the brunette's hair. "You're good with horror?"
"Youngkyun's good with nothing," Juho answers jokingly, glancing to the brunette.
Offended, Youngkyun scoffs. "I'm sorry."
"For?"
"The drive your mom must have taken to get you back from Walmart."
They stay silent as the movie starts.
However, Juho can't go three minutes quiet, and begins on another one of his anecdotes from his childhood. He brings a hand down to loop around Taeyang's while the other still continues to play with his hair, murmuring softly when he speaks. "My middle school thought I was bald for a month."
Taeyang laughs, shaking his head. Youngkyun scrunches up his face distastefully, looking up to them. "How does that happen?"
"I don't know," Juho focuses on the TV, reaching down to pull his phone out of his pocket.
The dorms were loud tonight, as were most weekends at the college. "Huh," Juho hums, scrolling down through his notifications. "Do you guys want food? I'll order."
"What a gentleman," Youngkyun swoons mockingly, giggling to himself. Taeyang leans down, forehead resting against Youngkyun's as he laughs. He tries to silence himself, shoulders bouncing. "What a hunk!"
Taeyang feels Juho pull him back, huffing tiredly. "You guys are so mean," he pulls Taeyang against himself, then reaches over and nudges Youngkyun's head with his foot. "Hey."
Looking back at them, Youngkyun pouts as he sits up, hair messy from where he'd been laying for most of the day. "What, am I out of the band now or something?"
Taeyang spreads his arms, looking back towards the TV when somebody screams from the movie. He feels Youngkyun fall against him, sighing happily. The blonde wraps his arms around him, not tearing his eyes away from the film for a second. Juho idly types away on his phone, resting his head against Taeyang's.
They stay like that until Jaeyoon comes home, taking one look at them before raising an eyebrow. Youngkyun is fast asleep between Taeyang and Juho, the younger of the two awake slowly drifting off beside him. Juho's watching the movie still through half closed eyes, trying to stay awake longer than the other two. Though, he ultimately fails and closes his eyes, as well.
Walking into his room, Jaeyoon sighs, smiling. He hadn't seen Taeyang looking so at ease since their first year, and he's grateful the other two were able to bring it out of him.
"Goodnight," Taeyang whispers quietly, glancing to Juho, who raises an eyebrow in acknowledgement.
He doesn't expect an answer but he gets one a few moments later, after he's closed his eyes as well.
"Love you..."
"I love you, too."