Chapter Text
It’s almost midnight when the elevator doors finally open, leading Namjoon to the front of his seventh-floor apartment. He strides in the empty corridor while fishing for the key in his pocket, his mind absently chasing after the lyrics from a song Jungkook has recently worked on. The piece still needs some refinement here and there, but he trusts that Jungkook is more than capable of fixing it on his own. Namjoon doesn’t want to interfere with his creativity process, because it’s Jungkook’s work, after all.
The door to the apartment cracks open after Namjoon’s clumsy attempt with the key – he rarely uses them since he stays in the dorm most of the time – and the first thing that greets him is a pair of Gucci slippers Namjoon’s certain does not belong to him. Lately, another copy of his apartment key has been missing from its usual spot, but Namjoon has thought he’s just misplaced it somewhere. He smiles a little, places his own slippers on the rack and paddles to the bedroom.
Sure enough, there’s a big lump at the center of his king-size bed, curly black locks spreading across the white sheet. Soft snoring noises are partly muted by a string of melody blasting from the charged phone; the younger must have fallen asleep while listening to it. As Namjoon tiredly slips under the cover and turns on the bedside lamp, Taehyung squirms and scrunches his eyes at the sudden source of light. His frown melts entirely when he sees Namjoon however, and Namjoon wills his heart not to follow suit.
“Back from your trip?” Namjoon simply asks, opening his phone.
“Yes.” Taehyung offers him a sleepy smile, clutching the hem of Namjoon’s shirt. “Went to Jeju island with my high school friends. Took lots of pictures.”
Namjoon also stopped at Jeju island during his travel two weeks ago, though he doesn’t tell Taehyung that. but he knows some journalists there did recognize him, and would produce an outlet or two about Bangtan members paying a visit to their hometown.
“Cool.” Namjoon says.
“It’s getting harder and harder to meet them these days.” Taehyung explains. “Some of them are already married, so squeezing a get-together party into their hectic schedules is almost impossible. We have had to try so hard to find an appropriate timing for this trip.”
Namjoon’s fingers on the phone slightly stutter at the mention of marriage. He’s reaching 26, a normal age for a normal person to start pondering about settling with someone. But considering his career choices, marriage sounds like such a foreign, faraway concept.
While he was still solving math equations and writing pages of essays during his high school days, he occasionally envisioned what his wedding would look like. There would be a fancy ballroom, sure. There would be himself, his parents, his brothers and sisters and of course, the presence of a woman by his side on the altar. But ever since Bangtan happened – ever since Taehyung happened to him – Namjoon feels like things has been no longer the same.
Taehyung nudges his toes into Namjoon’s as if he knows what Namjoon’s thinking. He always does, actually.
“Big weddings are kinda overrated anyways,” Taehyung announces. “especially for people like us, because the media is going to ruin it all. I just want a small party near the beach. We can go crab-seeking together after it’s over.”
“Hm.”
“Your dad told me there are a lot of beautiful crabs near Haeundae, hyung.”
Taehyung being a natural flirt with everyone might make one overestimate his confidence. Namjoon used to, a long time ago. It turned out the younger was not as cocky as he usually seems, only dropping timid, subtle hints around Namjoon to test the water, to see if he was crossing any boundary. Seeing no actual rejection from him, Taehyung feels more and more encouraged as each day passes, even deems it safe enough to bring the topic of marriage and established relationship onto the table - like what’s he doing now.
Why did his dad talk to Taehyung about a beach wedding anyways, Namjoon’s mind supplies. Both of them haven’t even passed the first stage. Actually, Taehyung hasn’t even properly confessed to him yet, despite his painstaking and persistent effort of hinting at where he wants their relationship to go to during the past few months.
“It’s a nice idea, sure, but isn’t the beach a quite public place?” Namjoon says. “Journalists are insane. Hell, they will even bring helicopters if needed be.”
Taehyung giggles. “I will not let them. I will just buy the whole place.”
“Why spending so much on things you only need once in your life?”
“It’s exactly because they only happen once in my life, hyung.” Taehyung says, voice serious.
They just lazily and contentedly keep the conversation going on like that, and by the time the drowsiness drapes over them both, Taehyung is wrapping his limbs around Namjoon. In normal circumstances – on the stage, or in front of others - Namjoon would be panicked over the close proximity, but maybe the more rational side of his mind is also falling asleep as the night goes on. He lets it rest for once, and tightens his arm on Taehyung’s waist instead. The younger smells like honey and milk foam, it feels good.
“You would look super good in white.” Taehyung says, and yawns.
Namjoon kind of doubts it, but he nods anyways. “I know.”
“You and I would look good together.” Taehyung says nonsensically. Usually, this is where the line is drawn. Usually, in the presence of other members, Namjoon would shake his head and just laugh it off, albeit not unkindly. Tonight he allows himself to take a tiny step forward.
“I know.” He replies, and feels, rather than sees, the way Taehyung’s grin stretches widely and happily against his chest.
They fall asleep under the moonlight. A bunch of unanswered questions will be waiting for him in the morning just like always, but as long as Taehyung still smells like honey and milk and the best thing in the world in Namjoon’s arms, he feels like it’s going to be alright.