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When you stepped out of the exam hall earlier, everything seemed much more colourful. The sun was shining seemingly brighter, birds chirping away happily, cool breeze blowing, balancing out the warmth of the afternoon. With a slight spring to your step, you head home with thoughts of crashing onto your lovely bed. Nothing screams freedom more than ending the last paper of the semester. Until the start of the new semester, you have all the time in the world to yourself.
A couple of party invitations came your way, which you decide to give a miss. The past month has been hell for you. You’ve been working hard, spending each day living and breathing between tons and tons of notes and readings. If anything, you really deserve this break. Nothing was going to get in your way. You were going to take a good long bath, catch up on your favourite dramas, then sink into your bed surrounded fluffy pillows till the next morning.
Yeah. Right.
You’re imagining it, you must be. Thinking the stress of the past few months have taken a toll on your brain, that in even in your dreams, you hear the alarm ringing. But it isn’t the alarm; it’s your ringtone. Slowly, fragments of the dream you’re in break away and you slip into a semi-conscious state. Nothing but the blackness behind your eyelids, and the sound of your phone, ringing still. Taehyung —the name that flashes on your screen.
A groan escapes you, having an idea what type of call this is. Taehyung confirms your guess when you swipe right and hear the blasting of music on the other end, not even on speaker mode. He’s drunk again and needs you to come get him.
After the call you lay in bed, hesitant to move. Temptation to roll over and go back to sleep is strong, but also a shitty move. Especially when you remember the last time he tried to go home by himself; ended up getting in so much trouble, he almost got sued. So you do the right thing and drag yourself out of bed.
It’s a little over midnight so the streets are bare, save for a few restaurants serving their last customers. The chilly air sets off goosebumps over your skin every time the wind picks up. You shove your hands into the pockets of your sweatshirt and pull the hoodie over your head. It's a size too big, perfect for hiding your pajamas you were too lazy to change out of underneath.
It didn't take long to find the place, following the directions on your phone, having asked Taehyung to send you his location This part of the area is slightly more occupied; a popular hangout within the school district. Your apartment is just outside the district, enough for you to get some peace. It’s the building that has lights illuminating from the windows that gets your attention. Seems like the whole block was celebrating.
The booming sound intensifies as you ride up the elevator to the top floor; the ding of the elevator almost negligible. It probably won’t be too long before the police show up. Just outside the door, a familiar figure lay face down on the floor.
“Tae?” You call out, bending down to poke him to make sure he’s still alive. When he stirs, you drop to your knees to help him.
“Baby? Is that you?” He’s practically screaming, speaking over the music. Clumsily, he sits up and cups your face in his hands.
“Nope. Just me, Y/N.”
There’s definitely more to it than the end of exams for him to get this wasted again. Must be something to do with his girlfriend when you see his expression falter, realising it’s you and not her. Hands drop from your face and back to his sides, supporting himself as he moves to lean against the wall. “Y/N, what are you doing here?” He asks, words slurred and eyes drooping.
“You called me, remember?” You sigh and give him a pat on the thigh, hard enough to stop him from dozing off. “Come on, let’s get you home buddy.”
Hooking his arm over your shoulder and with yours around his waist, you support his weight and lug him onto his feet. It takes a while for him to find his balance with the help of the wall. You try not to lose your own balance when he stumbles and leans his entire weight on you.
“One step at a time, Taehyung.” You mutter out of breath, gritting your teeth as he takes a step forward. The walk to the elevator seems much longer than before. Each step feels like lead and you feel your legs about to give in.
“I don’t think...this walking thing is working,” He says, swaying to the side, almost dragging you down with him.
“What d’you mean?” You huff, almost close enough to press the elevator button. Should’ve done that first, perhaps. Because now it’s at ground level and only making its way up, slowly, not even sure if it’s heading up this level. “You’re doing great.”
Stretching your hand out as far as possible, you almost reach the button and maybe rip your shoulder out its socket at the same time. Just...a little bit...more.
But Taehyung moves his hand away from the wall and wraps it around your neck, losing your only other support, to press his face against your hair, his entire weight leaning on you. “Uh oh,” is the only thing you manage to say before your knees buckle under the pressure and you both fall to the ground with a loud thump. Not that anyone could hear you anyway. Which means you’re probably stuck like this, with Taehyung on top of you like a dead weight. You wish you could melt away and become part of the concrete instead.
A dull ache forms at the back of your head and you groan, wondering if this is all just a nightmare. It could be. Maybe you’re at home right now, still in bed all comfy, probably fell asleep watching a scary movie which primed you to have this nightmare. Surely now that you’ve realised it, it’ll magically turn into a sweet dream, specifically the one you always have about—
“Taehyung? Y/N?”
You don’t notice when the elevator door slides open. And standing at the door with a perplexed look on his face is, “N-namjoon,” you stutter. “What are you doing here?”
“Taehyung called me,” He explains, eyes roaming over his body against yours.
Judging by his even breaths, you figure Taehyung is asleep on you. “Oh, he called me too. We’re trying to get home.”
“I see it’s going quite well,” He chuckles, crouching down to peel the dead weight off you.
Taehyung opens his eyes slightly at the sudden movement, squinting and moving his face closer to the older boy. A large smile makes his way to his face when he recognises Namjoon, “Oh my god! You’re here too! I’m so happy to see you.” He leans in to hug Namjoon but a hand on his chest stops him. “Easy there.” He says, pushing the younger boy back to lean against the wall.
When you finally lift yourself off the ground, you wince at the pain on the back of your head, rubbing the spot gently. Looking up just then, you realise Namjoon is staring at you with an expression you can’t read. “Thank you.” You say when the silence is too much.
He smiles, showcasing his adorable dimples, but doesn’t keep eye contact for long. “Let’s go. We’ll walk him back together.”
You nod and help him pull Taehyung up on his feet. He turns his back to Taehyung and crouches down, letting the younger boy climb on his back, which he does so happily, nuzzling his face into Namjoon’s neck.
The entire walk home is quiet, save for Taehyung muttering under his breath. There’s this awkward air between the two of you, some unspoken thing that exists. You don’t know him personally or well enough, only having Taehyung as a mutual friend. He’s never shown any regard for you other than that either. But that doesn’t stop you from staring at the back of his head during English Literature or indulging in his deep voice when he’s made to recite poems and joining the student council knowing he’s the president.
“Y/N…” Taehyung mumbles, turning his head on Namjoon’s shoulder to face you.
“Hm?” You fix the mess of his hair and pat his cheek. He reaches for your hand and hold it in his.
“You’re so pretty,” He says. “Right Namjoon?”
Unpredictability and Taehyung go hand in hand. There’s never a dull moment when he’s around, not once where you’re not caught off guard despite being his best friend. This moment places quite high on the list; first being the time he dragged you out of bed for a night drive but you wake up the next morning in a tent, next to a lake because he wanted to go camping.
The cool air does nothing to counter the heat creeping over your face. When Namjoon turns, you avoid his eyes and distract yourself with the movements of your feet. “Yeah, she does.” It’s almost embarrassing how you can’t stop a smile forming. Though, he finds it endearing. Not that he want you to know that he does.
You clear your throat, suddenly feeling really thirsty. Thankfully, Taehyung’s place is just up ahead. The rest of the way there is silent again and you’re dying to put an end to this torture. Once Taehyung is safe in his bed, you’re making a run for it. You dig into his jacket pocket, searching for his keys, unlocking the door and holding it open for Namjoon.
His steps are much slower now, tired. Even so, he patiently carries Taehyung into the room instead of dumping him on the couch. He sits at the edge of the bed, sighing in relief once Taehyung lets go and falls back onto his pillows, mumbling about how comfy it feels.
Taehyung gestures for you to come over and you do so hesitantly. But he pulls you into a hug once you’re close enough, which you try to push your way out of, “I’m really glad you’re here.” He says. His other arm calls for Namjoon who gives in when Taehyung shows no sign of giving up or letting you out of the hug anytime soon.
Now he has Namjoon and you on either side of him, comfy. You chuckle at the pleased look on his face; like a child. “You know,” he spaces out before continuing. “When Yunhee and I broke up,”
“You broke up with Yunhee?” You ask, surprised.
“Yeah...I don’t know she said something about me not caring or someth-”
“Taehyung forgot her birthday.” Namjoon interrupts.
“You what ?” You hiss. “Wow, you suck.”
“Okay well at least!” His spit gets on to your arm when he talks and you wipe it on his jacket. He’s waving an unsteady finger in your face. “At least I’m not scared to tell my crush I like them!”
“Okay. That’s irrelevant.”
“Unlike you .” He continues, ignoring you.
“Taehyung, be quiet. Go to sleep.”
“You know, you should just tell Namjoon you like him,”
“TAEHYUNG.”
You shoot up from your spot, ready to strangle him. But then your eyes catch Namjoon’s, and even in the darkness of Taehyung’s room, only lit up by the light from the living room, you think he’s the most attractive man you’ve ever met and you want to crawl under the covers and cry about it. But your heart is racing, too embarrassed and angry, that you can’t even process anything right now, especially not at how he’s looking at you fondly.
“God,” You whisper, swinging your legs off the bed to take off.
Taehyung grabs your wrist as you do, pulling you back into him. You groan but his arms are long and they wrap around you so nicely that you’re stuck, “Don’t worry! I won’t tell Namjoon your secret.”
You send him a look. What a gem drunk Taehyung is.
He sighs and loosens his hold on you when you stop squirming, already giving up on life as it is. What could be more embarrassing than this.
“And Namjoon,” he turns to his next victim, who’s already gulping uneasily. You vaguely make out the way his hair moves as he shakes his head, signalling Taehyung to stop. “You should tell Y/N how you feel about her.”
Wait. You hear him sigh and he throws his head back on the bed, eyes closed as if contemplating on killing Taehyung himself. It takes a while for you to register that it was you Taehyung asked Namjoon to confess to. There were butterflies in your tummy. Kim Namjoon, has a crush on you .
“And don’t worry,” Taehyung adds. “I won’t tell her either. Your secrets are safe with me.”
“Oh my god,” Namjoons deep voice echoes through the room. You hear the frustration in it, similar to how he sounds during student council meetings when the vice president and secretary get into a dispute.
Taehyung wouldn’t let him leave either so you both accept your fate, laying next to Taehyung as he starts to fall asleep. Might as well get some sleep of your own, you think. Otherwise, you’d be up all night planning for Taehyung’s murder.
It shouldn’t be a problem considering how often you sleep over at his place. But you end up tossing and turning in what limited space you have. It’s half past three when you give up, sighing as you stare blankly at the ceiling, listening to the soft snores coming from Taehyung. A small part of you wants to sneak a peek on the other side of Taehyung where things seem to be quiet and still. But you don’t dare to.
“Can’t sleep either?” You jump slightly when Namjoon speaks out of the blue.
“Yeah.” You say timidly.
“Shall we talk about...it?” His question lingers in the air, longer than he liked. When you don't reply, he doesn't push you. He knows you're not good at dealing with confrontations. He sees it from the way you cower when members of the council criticise and question your ideas. “We don't have to. But since Taehyung has so graciously granted me this opportunity, I won't waste it. I think it was that time you read that poem in front of class. The one about your pet cat.”
You cringe, flashbacks to that awful time. The theme was love or something. Everyone else wrote beautiful poems about moments or people in their life, describing the feeling in flowery language, the usual pretentious stuff but you—
“You were the only one who wrote about a cat,” he chuckles. “You looked adorable standing up there, hands shaking, blinking excessively.”
“Okay I don't need a play-by-play, I remember it clearly.” You sigh. “I was so embarrassed.”
“I liked it the best.”
You’re thankful for Taehyung, blocking you from his view. It seems almost unreal, Namjoon having a crush on you just as you do for him. What more, for him to remember that stupid poem you wrote. You could’ve sworn no one was even paying attention, then again you were too nervous to look at anything other than the paper in your hand.
“Well then I like it too.” You mumble, more to yourself but Namjoon catches it.
Taehyung moves in his sleep, before this on his side with his back facing you but now he’s shifting to lie on his back, facing the ceiling, removing much of the visual barrier between Namjoon and you. You meet his tired eyes.
“I don’t want things to get weird between us,” You confess, and he smiles.
“Things already are weird between us.”
“I know, sorry.” You sigh. He opens his mouth to speak but pauses.
There’s nothing in this world that gives you more anxiety than not knowing what the other person is thinking. Especially when that other person is Namjoon. He’s unpredictable in his own way.
“You don’t have to say sorry,” He lets out a sigh. “I guess we’re both just bad at this.”
“We can try to not be bad at it?” You suggest and he chuckles, holding in his laugh. But you’re serious.
“Okay sorry,” he clears his throat. “You’re just really cute.”
You heat up at the compliment, turning back to the ceiling. “Shut up. I’m trying my best.”
“I know, I know.”
You smile and giggle softly, biting your bottom lip. Namjoon watches you silently from his side and smiles to himself.
Taehyung’s in a deep sleep now, arms and legs limp on the bed. The bed stirs a little when Namjoon take this chance to get up, careful not to disturb the sleeping baby. “I should go.” He says, nodding to the door and you hold your tongue back from telling him you don’t want him to.
You nod instead, lifting Taehyung’s arm off you and getting up from the bed yourself, walking after Namjoon. “I’ll stay and make sure he’s okay tomorrow.”
“Sure you’re not gonna try and kill him?”
“No promises.” You shrug.
The both of you laugh and it fades off into shy smiles. He collects himself and fixes his hair in the mirror by the door while you wait, resting your back on the couch and saying nothing. You only move forward when he opens the door.
He turns to face you before leaving, standing by the open door, “Are you free this weekend?” He asks quietly, like he isn’t sure if he wants you to hear it. You do though, but it catches you off-guard that you forget to reply.
He will never admit to this but if there’s one thing that makes him nervous, it’s you. Talking was much easier back there when it was dark. But now he can see you clearly, watching him. The long pause makes him clear his throat and attempt to explain, “There’s this poetry club I’m part of and we’re having a-”
“I’ll say yes but on one condition.” You blink up at him. He raises his brows and waits for you to continue. “No more poems. You know I’m bad with words. You’re just trying to embarrass me aren’t you?”
“I guess I was hoping you’d get called on stage and I’d get to hear that cat poem again.” You both laugh and he shakes his head, “I’m just kidding. How about a movie then?”
“With ice-cream after?” You propose and he nods. “Sounds good.”
He smiles, adjusting his glasses and stuffs his hands in his pockets, not knowing what to do with them. You rest your head against the door and smile giddily at him. He wishes he could take a picture of you just then.
“Sounds good.”