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“Jungkook, hold still,” Namjoon chastises for the sixth time. Jungkook giggles, his button nose scrunching as Namjoon painstakingly attempts to draw whiskers on his cheek with their mother’s eyeliner.
“That tickles!” Jungkook squirms beneath Namjoon’s hand, nearly smearing his hard work, but with one final swoosh Namjoon finishes his amateur masterpiece. He steps back, eyeing the result. He uses his thumb to fix a tiny smudge – the product of Jungkook’s wriggling – before ruffling his little brother’s hair.
“Okay, all done!”
Jungkook grins and jumps down from the chair, rushing to the mirror in the hall. He giggles at his reflection: he’s dressed in a homemade bunny costume, a patchwork pink ensemble of scraps from thrift stores sewn together by their mother. He’s got pink gloves with the fingertips cut off, a puffy pink jacket above a fuzzy white sweater, and pink jeans their mother let him tie-dye himself, tucked into his favorite chunky black boots that make him an inch taller (a big deal for a six-year-old).
“How’s it look, bun?” Namjoon asks.
Jungkook tugs the final touch onto his head: a beanie with floppy pink bunny ears sewn to the top, stiffened with bent coat hangers.
“Perfect!” Jungkook says delightedly. The ears flop into his eyes, and Namjoon steps forward to bend them back into place, gently tucking the beanie more securely over Jungkook’s ears. Jungkook looks up at him, eyes so big for his little face. “Your turn, hyung! I get to paint your face, you promised!”
Namjoon bites back a grin, or a sigh (maybe both) and lets Jungkook drag him back to the kitchen table and plop him in a chair. Jungkook chooses from the assortment of makeup their mother leant them – a purple eyeliner crayon this time, Namjoon notes with chagrin – and gets to work. Namjoon resists the urge to coo at Jungkook’s concentrated expression, knowing he hates to be babied, and closes his eyes instead, the pencil ticklish against his skin. Jungkook had insisted that if Namjoon was to take him trick-or-treating, he had to dress up, too. Those were the rules.
His costume isn’t as thorough as Jungkook’s – just a headband with some bear ears and a light blue coat he found in the back of his closet – but Jungkook had been ecstatic nontheless, and Namjoon once again thanked his lucky stars for his sweet, adorable little brother who loved him with every fiber of his tiny being.
“Okay, hyung, all done, go look!” Jungkook says, clapping excitedly. Namjoon heads to the mirror, Jungkook skipping along behind him. Namjoon raises an eyebrow.
“What kind of bear am I?” he asks. His nose is colored purple, and there are two matching baby blue circles on the apples of his cheeks.
“A koala,” Jungkook says, as if it’s obvious. “Your ears are blue, so I had to make it match.”
“Thanks, bun,” Namjoon says. “My costume might be even cooler than yours now, huh?”
Jungkook bites his lip happily, a pleased blush lighting his cheeks. “No way,” he says matter-of-factly.
“No way, huh?” Namjoon retorts, reaching out to tickle Jungkook’s sides. He can’t reach much beneath the puffy pink jacket, but Jungkook still squeals and twists away, running back into the kitchen, his high-pitched laughter warming Namjoon’s chest.
He runs after him, scooping a giggling Jungkook into his arms and pretending to stagger under his weight. “Oof, when did you get so heavy? Suddenly all grown up?”
“Put me down, hyung. I’m too big for you,” Jungkook giggles, nose in the air, far too smug for such a tiny body. Namjoon sets him in a chair with a heavy grunt, then crouches down to adjust Jungkook’s shoelaces.
“Alright, what are the rules of Halloween?” he asks. Jungkook rolls his eyes.
“No talking to strangers, no running out of sight, and only one piece of candy allowed before bedtime,” he recites with boredom, kicking his feet absentmindedly as Namjoon struggles with his laces.
“And?” he prompts, reaching up to pinch Jungkook’s cheek.
“And have fun,” Jungkook finishes, sticking his tongue out. Namjoon returns the motion just as the doorbell rings. Jungkook’s face lights up and he jumps off the chair, flying towards the door in a whirl of pink.
“No running!” Namjoon calls uselessly. He follows at an adult pace and reaches the door just as Jungkook swings it open.
“Jimin!”
“Hi, Kookie,” says a little boy with a chubby, cherubic face. He’s dressed as some sort of puppy, a big yellow sweatshirt with floppy black ears sewn to the hood and bright face paint. Jungkook grins at the nickname, a touch shyly, and Namjoon’s brow raises when he sees the back of Jungkook’s neck flush. Interesting.
“Lemme go grab my candy bag, and then we can go,” Jungkook says, turning to race back to the kitchen.
“No running,” Namjoon calls again half-heartedly. There’s a deep chuckle, and that’s when he notices that Jimin came with a chaperone.
A tall, honey-skinned, drop-dead gorgeous chaperone.
He’s dressed in what look like silk pajamas, entirely too thin for a chilly night in October, midnight blue with yellow polka dots, and his bright red hair is pinned down by a head band with two hearts attached to bouncy springs. When Namjoon looks closer, he sees tiny faces painted on the hearts. And glitter dusted on the man’s cheeks. Oh, lord.
“Hello,” the man says, offering a smile. Wow, that smile. Namjoon feels it all the way in his stomach. Is he still breathing? He can’t tell.
“Um, hi,” he manages to choke out. The man’s grin widens, and oh no, Namjoon’s ears are alarmingly warm.
“I’m Taehyung,” the man says, voice soft and deep. “And you are… a care bear?” he asks, tilting his head as he does a once-over of Namjoon’s costume.
“He’s a koala!” Jungkook interjects, scurrying back from the kitchen with an empty pillowcase in hand. “I did his face paint myself.”
“Well, it looks awesome, my dude,” Taehyung says, crouching down to offer Jungkook an enthusiastic high-five. “Your brother’s pretty lucky to have you around, huh?”
“Yeah, he’s the luckiest,” Jungkook says easily. Namjoon bites back a grin, then nearly chokes when Taehyung shoots him a secret wink.
“Well, shall we get going?” Taehyung asks with a clap of his hands. Jimin and Jungkook both cheer excitedly, Jungkook with his pillowcase, Jimin with his plastic pumpkin bucket, and Jimin doesn’t hesitate to grab Jungkook’s hand and tug him down the front steps, the two of them chattering happily as they skip towards the sidewalk.
Namjoon hastily locks the door and buttons his jacket, following Taehyung down the steps, studiously ignoring the way those silk pajamas cling to his thighs and leave very little to the imagination. They catch up to the kids down the sidewalk and settle in a couple paces behind them. The neighborhood is just starting to awaken, front yards glowing with light-up ghosts and flickering jack-o-lanterns, more costume-clad kids starting to flood towards the center of town where the candy spoils are notoriously high-caliber.
“You never told me your name,” Taehyung says as they fall into stride together.
“Oh, uh, it’s Namjoon.” It comes out like a question, and Namjoon curses his awkwardness, but Taehyung just smiles easily. It makes the sparkles on his cheekbones catch the light of the streetlamps. Namjoon clears his throat. “So, um, what… what are you, exactly?”
Taehyung grins, like he’s been waiting for the question. “I’m an alien prince on a journey to spread love across the galaxy.”
“Oh,” Namjoon says. “You’ve got a backstory and everything.”
Taehyung shrugs. “Halloween only comes once a year; you have to immerse yourself in the experience.”
Namjoon can’t help but find that answer ridiculously endearing.
They arrive at the first house of the night. Jimin reaches out to poke the doorbell, him and Jungkook shouting a ridiculously cute chorus of “trick-or-treat!” at the woman who opens the door. She coos at them and compliments their costumes, dropping mini chocolate bars into their respective collection devices. They thank her without even needing to be reminded, and she ushers them on their way with a smile. Jungkook’s nose wrinkles when the door closes.
“I hate it when they give chocolate. It tastes too bitter,” he frowns. Before Namjoon can chastise his attitude, Jimin slings an arm around Jungkook’s shoulders with a bright smile.
“It’s okay, Kookie! I’ll trade all of my gummies for your chocolates at the end of the night.”
“Okay!” Jungkook agrees, blushing to match his costume, and Jimin squeezes him closer, leaving his arm around Jungkook’s shoulders as they head to the next house. He tugs at Jungkook’s pink bunny ears as they walk, and Jungkook ducks his head shyly when Jimin smiles at him again.
The chaperones follow behind obediently. Taehyung steps closer to Namjoon as they walk, and he smells like cinnamon and lavender soap. It makes Namjoon’s head a little hazy.
“I think our brothers might be a tiny bit in love,” Taehyung whispers conspiratorially.
Namjoon turns, but Taeyhung is closer than he expected; his deep brown eyes are just a breath away, bright and warm and framed by thick, tangled lashes. Namjoon sucks in a breath, and then promptly trips on a crack on the sidewalk.
Taehyung grabs his arm, steadying him with one of those low, smooth chuckles. “Careful there.”
Namjoon feels himself flush red. He tugs his collar up and prays it’s dark enough for Taehyung not to notice.
“Sorry, I’m a bit, uh, clumsy,” Namjoon mutters, scratching the back of his head. When he chances a glance at Taehyung, his smile is soft. It makes Namjoon’s stomach feel all fluttery.
“That’s okay,” Taehyung says. “It’s cute.”
Namjoon nearly trips again.
“C’mon, can’t lose the kiddos,” Taehyung says. His arm is still latched to Namjoon’s, and he pulls him forward, catching up to Jimin and Jungkook where they approach a house with cardboard witches tacked to the front porch. He expects Taehyung to pull his arm away, but he doesn’t. His skin is warm through the silk of his pajamas.
“Anyway, don’t you agree?” he murmurs, the two of them watching as the boys compare their new spoils and grin at each other. “My Jiminie is smitten; it’s always ‘Jungkookie this’ and ‘Jungkookie that.’ I can’t get a word in edgewise.”
Namjoon clears his throat. Taehyung’s fingers are pressed into the crook of his elbow. He can’t tell if it’s steadying, or if it makes his knees feel like jelly.
“Yeah, Jungkook’s a pretty shy kid. I’ve never seen him get along with someone as well as Jimin.”
The boys skip past them, loudly singing a made-up song about pumpkins, and Taehyung sighs dreamily, dropping his head against Namjoon’s shoulder. “Ah, young love,” he says wistfully.
Namjoon’s heart is freaking out, erratic, not sure what to make of these casual touches. Is Taehyung… flirting with him? No, that can’t be right. Taehyung is tall and handsome and confident, like a model off the runway. He’s probably just… clinging to Namjoon for warmth. Because his pajamas are so thin.
“Aren’t you cold?” Namjoon asks as they approach the next house. He and Taehyung linger at the front gate, letting the kids run up to the door by themselves. “Do you want my coat?”
Taehyung looks down at his outfit, as if only just now realizing it’s unsuitable for an evening at the end of autumn. He looks back up at Namjoon, eyeing his blue jacket, his gaze lingering in a way that makes a strange tremor zing down Namjoon’s spine.
“Ask me again in twenty minutes,” Taehyung says, and winks again. Highly unnecessary. He really needs to stop doing that; it’s bad for Namjoon’s heart.
They continue down the sidewalk, their ragtag team of homemade costumes getting a lot of endeared looks from the parents they pass. Jungkook and Jimin are lost in their own world, giggling and chatting and poking at each other’s costumes, their collection of candy steadily growing as they progress out of their neighborhood and towards the businesses in the center of town.
Namjoon can’t help but keep glancing at Taehyung. His side profile is strong and sharp, perfect nose and a strong brow, his heart antennae bobbing with every step. The streetlamps bathe him in a glow that’s unfairly ethereal; Namjoon wonders how anyone can make polka dot pajamas and a Valentine’s Day headband look so effortlessly breathtaking.
“So, Namjoon, tell me: how do you spend your free time when you’re not chaperoning your adorable bunny of a brother?”
Namjoon blinks, trying to think of something impressive and interesting, but comes up short. “Ah, I’m a college student, so I mostly just study and consume energy drinks at an unhealthy rate.”
Taehyung snorts. “Relatable. What are you studying?”
“I’m an econ major at BigHit University, double minor in English and philosophy.”
“You go to BigHit?” Taehyung sounds excited.
“Er, yeah?”
“Me too!” Taehyung grins, sparkles flashing on his cheeks. “Well, I will be. I’m transferring in the spring.” He loops his arm through Namjoon’s happily. “This is great, I’ve already got a new friend! You’ll have to show me around campus sometime, Namjoon-ah. I have a tendency of getting lost in new places.”
Okay, Taehyung’s tone definitely sounds distinctly flirtatious. Namjoon can feel himself blushing furiously. “O-okay, yeah, that sounds good.”
“Hyung, why is your face all red?”
Jungkook has turned around, his bunny ears flopping into his eyes. Namjoon crouches down to adjust them, using it as an excuse to gather his composure as he re-tucks the beanie over the tips of Jungkook’s real ears. He kisses Jungkook on the nose, and as expected, it scrunches and Jungkook squirms, shy but pleased with the attention.
“Cute,” Taehyung says. But when Namjoon glances over his shoulder, Taehyung isn’t looking at Jungkook.
Namjoon clears his throat and straightens, surprised he hasn’t melted into a confused, enamored puddle on the sidewalk. “Off you go, bun, don’t keep Jimin waiting.”
Jungkook scurries off, bunny ears flopping, and Namjoon keeps his eyes down as he follows, feeling Taehyung’s gaze lingering on his skin.
“Um, so what about you?” Namjoon asks, feeling flustered. Taehyung cocks his head in question. It makes the hearts on his headband spring back and forth, as flouncy as Namjoon’s pulse. “What do you do?”
“I’m an artist,” Taehyung says easily.
“Oh, that’s really cool,” Namjoon says. “What media are you studying?”
Taehyung looks at him blankly.
“You know, don’t art majors have to choose an emphasis?” Namjoon elaborates, feeling like an idiot. He knows nothing about art courses. “Like painting or sculpture or something?”
It clicks into place and Taehyung smiles, shaking his head, the hearts springing wildly. “I’m an artist, but I’m not an art major,” he explains. “I’m studying chemistry.”
Namjoon’s eyes widen. “Oh. Wow. That’s…”
Hot. But he can’t say that.
“Boring, right?” Taehyung says with a roll of his eyes.
“No, no!” Namjoon says, a bit overenthusiastically; Taehyung is a lot of things, but boring is certainly not one of them. “I think that’s really cool. And impressive. Chemistry is a hard subject.”
“Thanks,” Taehyung says, and his smile turns… bashful? He averts his eyes, smiling down at the ground, and Namjoon suddenly wants to reach out and hold his hand. “I’m planning to pursue art when I graduate, but my parents insisted I go to college, and if I’m paying thousands of dollars for a degree, I figure I might as well make a solid plan B for myself in case things go to shit.” He waggles his eyebrows. “Plus, all of this chemistry knowledge comes in handy when I use mixed mediums.”
“I’d love to see your art, sometime,” Namjoon blurts. Taehyung blinks at him, and beneath the glitter and glow of streetlamps, his cheeks are suddenly blooming. “I mean, um, if you’d ever feel comfortable with that. I bet it’s beautiful.”
You’re beautiful, he wants to add.
“Thank you, Namjoon,” Taehyung says quietly. When their gazes meet, there’s a new weight to it. “I’d really like that.”
Namjoon’s heart flips like a pancake. They walk in silence for a bit, a few feet behind the kids, whose enthusiasm only seems to be growing the heavier their candy piles get. The air between them has settled into something calm and comfortable, natural in the most unassuming way. Maybe it’s because Taehyung walks with his hands slung in his silk pajama pockets, his red hair bright even in the dark, his posture relaxed and impeccable. He’s so unabashedly himself, it leaves Namjoon in awe.
Namjoon is valiantly trying to keep his himself in check. He’s known Taehyung for all of thirty minutes, yet the butterflies in his stomach are having a field day without his consent, and he’s trying to will them into submission, but every time Taehyung smiles at him, or holds Jimin’s tiny hand, or crouches down to help Jungkook adjust his slightly-too-big gloves, Namjoon can’t help but feel their meeting is serendipitous. Maybe the butterflies aren’t such a bad thing.
By the time they reach the heart of downtown, Taehyung’s arm is brushing against his as they walk, and Namjoon’s trying not to overthink it, but he’s surrounded by cinnamon and lavender and he has an insane urge to lean over and kiss the sparkles off Taehyung’s cheeks.
He’s saved from his thoughts when a girl dressed as a fairy bumps into Jimin, knocking his pumpkin out of his hand and spilling his candy all over the sidewalk. Jimin barely has time to pout before Namjoon is kneeling on the cold concrete, scooping up candies and plunking them back into the plastic pumpkin. Another set of hands quickly joins him, and when their fingers brush, Taehyung shoots him a soft, secret smile. Namjoon really wants to believe he’s reading these signs correctly.
“Thank you, hyungs,” Jimin says, his face still a bit pouty, but Taehyung chucks his chin and ruffles his hair beneath the big yellow hood.
“No moping on Halloween, sweet pea. Let’s get you some more candy, yeah? I refuse to go home until that pumpkin is filled to the brim.”
“Okay,” Jimin says, cracking a happy little smile. He grabs Jungkook’s hand, but then, Namjoon feels his tiny fingers slip between his own. He blinks in surprise but holds them tight and lets Jimin drag him forward, and when he glances back at Taehyung, his cheeks are scrunched from the effort of biting back a smile.
Jimin only lets go of Namjoon’s hand to put candy in his bucket. It’s cute enough to have Namjoon internally combusting. The yellow sweatshirt is falling open, and when Namjoon reaches down to zip it back up to Jimin’s chin, the boy looks up at him with a very polite “thank you, hyung,” and Namjoon swears he hears Taehyung give another dreamy sigh from behind them.
The kids eventually run ahead again, and Taehyung easily falls into step next to Namjoon.
“Here, you’ve been walking around in those thin pajamas for long enough,” Namjoon suddenly says, slipping out of his coat and draping it over Taehyung’s shoulders. Taehyung bites his lip and smiles down at the ground.
“Ah, such a gentleman,” he teases, but he slips his arms into the sleeves and gleefully snuggles into the fabric. He glances at Namjoon, his eyes lingering as they drag down his torso. Namjoon’s wearing a rather tight-fitting sweater; when he’d planned his outfit, he hadn’t expected to take off his jacket. He’s been utilizing the university’s free student gym membership, and he’s aware that his chest and shoulders have bulked up enough to fill out a lot of his old clothes, something he’s a bit shy about. But Taehyung can’t seem to stop staring, so Namjoon gives his past self a hearty pat on the back.
And Namjoon feels so inexplicably happy to be here, on this chilly October night, with Taehyung and their giggling brothers and the tiny ghosts and goblins and princesses waddling around in sheer Halloween delight. The shops downtown are decorated to the nines with pumpkins and strobe lights and fake cobwebs, many of them staying open late to hand out candy (or toothbrushes, to the kids' dismay). It's sweet and fun and carefree, and Namjoon feels so lucky to be in this moment. It's a welcome distraction from the usual stresses of school and life, if only for an evening.
"My pumpkin is getting heavy," Jimin eventually sighs. Jungkook's pillowcase is dangerously close to dragging on the sidewalk.
"Time to head back?" Taehyung asks. Namjoon tries to hide the way his stomach falls at the idea of this night coming to an end. Of this perfect little bubble shattering... and Taehyung going home.
Jimin holds up a finger and turns to Jungkook. They confer in a series of serious whispers, then turn back with identical looks of determination.
"Can Jimin come to our house to sort his candy with me? Pretty please?" Jungkook asks, and damn if his eyes aren't bigger and brighter than the moon, impossible to refuse. Not that Namjoon wants to. He glances at Taehyung, who shrugs with a "I'm cool with it if you are" kind of smile, and Namjoon mentally thanks the universe for giving him an excuse to linger in Taehyung's company a bit longer.
"Alright," Namjoon agrees. "Let's head home."
Jungkook cheers and Jimin gives an excited little jump, nearly spilling the contents of his pumpkin again. Jungkook lifts his hands, and Namjoon hefts him up onto his back without a second thought, Jungkook's tiny arms wrapping around his neck and knees bracketing his waist. As he adjusts his grip, Namjoon notices Taehyung's eyes unabashedly lingering on his chest. He tightens his hold on Jungkook, simply because he's a good brother, not because the action makes his pecs flex and biceps bulge the tiniest bit. Not at all.
"I want a piggyback ride too!" Jimin says. Taehyung pats his head.
"I'm not as strong as Namjoonie," he says, shooting Namjoon another wink, and okay, that's not fair.
"Hyung is the strongest," Jungkook says proudly from his perch on Namjoon's back. "He can lift the heaviest boxes in the attic. And he can reach the cereal on the top shelf."
"Your brother is very impressive," Taehyung agrees with a grin, but his voice is dead serious. Namjoon's brain isn't sure how to process that. There's no way Taehyung is impressed by him, awkward and bumbling Kim Namjoon, when Taehyung is a whole artist and model and freaking chemistry major with the prettiest smile in a thousand-mile radius. Namjoon isn't the self-deprecatory type; he's simply a realist.
"It's okay, hyung, I still love you even if you're weak," Jimin says sweetly as he slips his hand into Taehyung's. Namjoon's mouth drops with a snort, but Taehyung just rolls his eyes and flicks Jimin between the eyebrows.
"Brat," he chides good-naturedly. Jimin seems to take it as a compliment, giggling cheekily and tucking himself into Taehyung's side. Maybe Namjoon isn't the only weirdo in this motley crew.
"Go, go!" Jungkook says, jabbing his heels into Namjoon's waist, and they're off, heading down the sidewalk, a koala and a bunny and a puppy and a polka-dot alien under the light of the moon. Namjoon can't remember the last time he's felt this free. Even with Jungkook on his back, his chest is the lightest it's been in months.
"Jungkookie and I got so much candy," Jimin chatters, skipping along and swinging Taehyung's hand. "We got chocolates, and lollipops, and taffy, and licorice, and—"
"And granola bars," Jungkook adds. The two of them groan, and Taehyung glances at Namjoon with an amused smirk. It's entirely too gorgeous. Namjoon is simultaneously endeared yet distinctly and inappropriately horny. He'll blame it on the full moon, he’s probably been cursed by some vindictive Halloween witch.
They arrive back at the house, and Namjoon crouches down to let Jungkook slide off his back as he grabs the house keys from his front pocket. Of course, Jungkook loves to unintentionally sabotage him; his disembarkment jostles Namjoon into dropping the keys onto the front stoop with an embarrassing clatter. Namjoon sighs to himself – forever cursed by the universe – but Taehyung simply leans down and hooks the keyring on an elegant finger, holding it out to Namjoon with a patient smile. Gorgeous, and the heart of an angel. Namjoon sighs for an entirely different reason as he unlocks the door with imperceptibly shaking fingers.
Jungkook and Jimin rush ahead the second the door opens, Taehyung chuckling as Namjoon doesn't even bother to stop them. He toes off his shoes in the doorway, Taehyung following suit, but he keeps Namjoon's blue jacket draped around his shoulders as they make their way to the kitchen. Namjoon's heart preens against his will.
The kids have already settled on the floor in the adjoined living room, their candy dumped into formidable piles as they begin to barter and trade like wolves on Wall Street.
"Tea?" Namjoon asks. Taehyung hums in assent and settles in at the kitchen table. Namjoon can feel him watching as he fires up the electric kettle and pulls out two tea bags of a citrusy chamomile blend his mother favors. Namjoon's proud of himself for not breaking out into a nervous sweat. He doesn't even spill any of the water as he pours it into their mugs. Take that, universe!
When he turns around, mugs in hand, Taehyung is quietly eyeing the kitchen, a simple collection of worn appliances, floral tea towels, and hand-embroidered curtains. His gaze lingers on the fridge, where Jungkook's drawings cover every inch of space, their magnets barely holding on, and his appreciative smile nearly knocks the wind out of Namjoon’s lungs.
He sits down across from Taehyung, sliding him a mug (the one with cartoon polar bears on the side, because he hopes their chubby cheeks will make Taehyung smile). The air is soft and hazy with the comforting smell of chamomile. Taehyung glances down at the mug and giggles, and Namjoon hides a pleased grin; mission accomplished.
Aside from the kids haggling in the living room, it's quiet as they sit at the table. Taehyung blows on his tea and takes a sip, effortlessly elegant, and Namjoon has a panicked mental argument with his heart, which is threatening to beat out of control in a highly dramatic and unreasonable display.
"I'm glad you and Jimin could join us tonight," Namjoon says to distract himself. It comes out sounding weirdly formal, but Taehyung doesn't seem put off, sipping his tea with his eyes trained on Namjoon. "Jungkook had a lot of fun."
"And what about you?" Taehyung says, voice soft and smooth. He cocks an eyebrow over the rim of his mug. "Did you have fun?"
Namjoon clears his throat. "Yes, uh, yes I did." He resolutely avoids Taehyung's eyes, knowing his gaze will make heat rush to his cheeks. He still catches Taehyung's smirk in his peripheral vision.
"I'm glad," Taehyung says. "I had a lot of fun, too."
Namjoon chances a glance, and Taehyung's smile is gentle, his eyes welcoming. Namjoon lets himself relax a bit, taking a long gulp of tea, letting it scald his tongue in an attempt to recover at least a semblance of sanity. Taehyung may love to tease, but he's kind, and Namjoon feels out of his comfort zone in a pleasant way, like he's floating in a pool shallow enough that his feet can touch the bottom if he needs to.
Taehyung eyes him for a moment, thoughtful. "Did you come home from college just to take Jungkook trick-or-treating?"
Namjoon blinks in surprise. He scratches the back of his head. "Er, yeah, I did. Our mom works nights, and I know Kook's been looking forward to Halloween, so I booked a train home for the weekend." Taehyung stares at him with something new in his eyes, and Namjoon shrugs his shoulders dismissively. "Campus is only a couple of hours away, it wasn't a big deal."
"I bet it means the world to Jungkook," Taehyung says. His fervency makes Namjoon want to blush, so he shrugs again, hiding his face in his mug. "You two seem close. I bet he misses you like crazy while you're away."
Namjoon glances at Jungkook in the living room, his bunny-eared beanie discarded on the floor and his hair a rumpled mess. He smiles at the sight, missing the way Taehyung's eyes soften like melted chocolate in response.
"We skype every Sunday," Namjoon says, "and he mails me some of the pictures he draws in school. I hang them in my dorm room."
Taehyung makes a soft noise. When Namjoon turns to look, he's got a dreamy sort of sheen to his eyes. He taps a slim finger against the rim of his mug, lips hinting at a smile.
"You're a cool guy, Namjoon," he says softly. "And a great brother."
Funny how such a simple statement can make Namjoon's soul have an out-of-body experience. He doesn't even try to hide his embarrassed pleasure; his ears have already caught fire, the heat spreading to his cheeks before he can stop it. But Taehyung is looking at him with those chocolate chip eyes, and Namjoon gladly basks in their sweetness.
"Ah, well, you seem like a great brother, too," he manages to say around the giddiness stuck in his throat. "Jimin clearly adores you."
And so do I, his brain adds.
Shut up, Namjoon fires back. Nobody asked for your opinion.
Taehyung flashes that cute, boxy smile and ducks his head. "I like to think so. Part of the reason I'm transferring to BigHit is to be closer to home. And closer to Jimin."
Namjoon leans back in his chair with a grin. "Crazy how these little demons get us wrapped around their fingers."
Taehyung snorts. "Tell me about it."
By the time they finish their tea, the wolves have finished their intense bout of trading, Jungkook's bounty consisting of nothing but gummies and pure sugar, while Jimin's is 90% chocolate, 10% toothbrush.
"Hyung, hyung! Can I have some candy now?" Jungkook asks, practically bouncing on the floor.
"One piece," Namjoon says sternly. Jungkook nods, eyes wide and serious, as he carefully selects a pack of gummies. He tears it open and promptly pours half of the packet into Jimin's palm, and Jimin giggles happily. Namjoon almost melts out of his chair; his little bro truly is the sweetest kid on the planet.
"Ah, such angels," Taehyung murmurs, chin propped on his hand, his heart antennae nodding in agreement. The kids giggle and squirm on the floor, the sugar already giving them a second wave of energy, and Namjoon represses a tired sigh; he'd hopped on the train immediately after his philosophy midterm that afternoon, and exhaustion is finally tugging at his mind.
He tiredly scrubs his hands over his face. When he pulls back, Taehyung snickers.
"What?" Namjoon asks. Taehyung points to his cheek, and Namjoon is hopelessly confused until he looks down at his hands and sees blue smeared across his fingers. He groans, and Jungkook looks over.
"Hyung, your cheeks are all smudged!" he giggles. Jimin takes one look and emits a laugh akin to sunshine, and Namjoon decides his disastrous appearance is worth it just for that.
Taehyung grins and stands up to wet a washcloth in the sink. Namjoon expects him to simply hand it over; he wasn't mentally or spiritually prepared for Taehyung to bend down and gently wipe at Namjoon's cheeks himself, his breath smelling like citrus and chamomile, his body close enough for Namjoon to feel its warmth and get a heady whiff of cinnamon. He can see every distinct sparkle dusted on Taehyung's cheeks, the tiny mole on his lip and on the tip of his nose, the rich hot chocolate of his eyes that feels like a physical warmth on Namjoon's skin.
Namjoon feels like a popsicle in summer, frozen stiff even as he melts into a sugary puddle under the sun. Or maybe he's the moon being pulled into Taehyung's irresistible orbit. Dammit, normally his brain doesn't delve into such melodramatic poetics unless he's drunk. Maybe he is drunk. Can you be drunk off a person?
"There we go, little koala," Taehyung whispers with a final swipe against Namjoon's cheek. He grins, and even boops Namjoon's nose. "All cleaned up."
Namjoon The Popsicle is now completely melted.
Before Namjoon can stop him, Taehyung grabs their empty mugs and carries them to the sink, washing them out and leaving them on the dish rack to dry. He carefully rinses the blue makeup from the towel before pristinely folding it and draping it back over the handle of the oven. Namjoon did not realize domesticity could be so ridiculously attractive. He likes the way Taehyung makes himself at home wherever he goes with that easy, kind aura of confidence.
"Alright, kiddo, time to head home," Taehyung announces. Jimin whines, but he and Jungkook scoop his pile of chocolates back into the plastic pumpkin without a fuss. They head to the door, Namjoon and Taehyung following close behind.
"Thanks for having us over," Taehyung says with a smile. He rests his hands on Jimin's shoulders, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "What do we say?"
"Thank you, Namjoon-hyung," Jimin says with one of those squishy-cheeked smiles that always seem to make Jungkook blush. Heck, Namjoon might blush too, this kid is so darn cute.
"You're welcome, bud," Namjoon says, leaning down and extending his hand for a fist bump, which Jimin returns with his tiny fist and an adorable giggle.
Namjoon opens the door for them, and they step out onto the porch.
"Oh, your jacket!" Taehyung says, beginning to shrug out of the fabric. Namjoon holds out a hand to stop him.
"Keep it," he says. "It's still cold out."
Taehyung bites his lip, eyes sparkling as he slowly tucks his arms back into the jacket. "Thanks," he says, staring Namjoon right in the eye, and Namjoon wants to say something crazy like "date me" or "marry me" or "can I have your number?" But his mouth is frozen, so with a final wide smile and a wave to Jungkook, Taehyung heads down the steps with Jimin in tow, his headband bouncing as his polka dot pajamas disappear down the street.
¯¯¯
Namjoon sits at the kitchen table, practicing some growth model calculation problems while Jungkook focuses on a coloring book across the table. It's Sunday morning, and Namjoon is letting their mother get some much-needed rest. He'd scrapped together a pancake breakfast for him and Jungkook, and even though the food had been just shy of burned, Jungkook had wolfed it down with a pleased grin and a hefty pool of syrup. Namjoon's train leaves that evening, so he's immensely content to spend a relaxing day at home with his brother before heading back to the reality of his impending school workload.
The doorbell rings.
"I'll get it!" Jungkook chirps, scampering away. Namjoon lets him go; Jungkook loves it when Namjoon lets him do grown-up things all by himself.
He hears the front door open and Jungkook's voice excitedly greet the visitor, who answers in a low voice smoother than honey. Namjoon's pen halts. His pulse suddenly flutters. He must be imagining things.
Jungkook comes skipping back into the kitchen. "Hyung, there's someone at the door for youuu!" he sing-songs.
Namjoon allows a brief moment of sheer panic before he takes a deep breath and composes himself, running his hands through his bed-tousled hair and thanking his lucky stars that he's wearing a clean shirt. He braces himself and heads to the door.
Taehyung is leaning against the door jamb with a hand in his pocket. He's just as stunning as Namjoon remembers, dressed in flowy shirt with a quirky pattern tucked into wide-legged pants, a jaunty beret on his head and big, round-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He's got Namjoon's jacket neatly folded over his shoulder and a wry smile on his lips.
"Hi," he says.
"Um, yes, hello," Namjoon replies eloquently. Taehyung scans his face, searching for something, and he evidently finds it, because his grin widens as he unfurls from his casual pose in the doorway.
"Figured you might need this back," he says, handing Namjoon the jacket.
"O-oh, right, thanks," Namjoon says, and wow, his heart-to-brain-to-mouth couriers are clearly on a wholly undeserved vacation. He scrambles for something to say, anything to keep this gorgeous human on his doorstep for a few moments longer, but his Sunday-morning brain is still a little stunned by the image of Taehyung in his high-fashion casual wear and those quirky glasses that make his eyes even sparklier and his cheeks extra cute. Namjoon, in other words, is hopelessly screwed.
"Anyway, I'd better get going," Taehyung says.
Namjoon opens his mouth, determined to at least invite him in for another cup of tea (or some leftover burnt pancakes), but Taehyung beats him to it.
"I left something in the front pocket for you," Taehyung says with another one of those highly illegal, heart-stopping winks, and then he's strolling away. "See you next semester!" he calls over his shoulder. Namjoon blinks, and then Taehyung is gone.
He stands in the doorway for a moment, bewildered and utterly enamored, then slowly closes the front door with a heavy sigh. His jacket smells like lavender and cinnamon and the faintest hint of chamomile. He's horribly tempted to shove his nose into the fabric and inhale like a lovesick maniac, but he's stopped by a crinkling sound from the front pocket.
Reaching inside, his fingers brush a folded scrap of paper. He pulls it out, unfurling it to reveal a message scrawled in messy, loopy handwriting:
Trick or treat ;)
And there's a phone number written beneath it.
Namjoon stares at the note for a long, infinite moment, then carefully re-folds it and presses it to his chest. There's something giddy running through his veins, like he's binged on too much of Jungkook's Halloween candy, and it's the best, most exhilarating feeling he's ever experienced. Kim Namjoon, the melted popsicle, has finally ascended.