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yeonjun’s fingers are light on taehyun’s skin, dancing over the tendons in his knuckles and smoothing over the curve of his wrist. the pressure sets taehyun’s nerves alight, sparks shooting down his spine.
the car engine gives off a gentle hum, slight vibrations that pulse through taehyun’s seat as they coast down the road. the combination of sensations is searing, like there are flames licking at his joints, unbridled adrenaline oozing out of his veins. it’s almost explosive.
when yeonjun speaks up, taehyun unconsciously grips the steering wheel a little tighter. it’s an action of pure instinct.
still, taehyun makes sure to keep his eyes locked on the road, unwilling to lose control and— god forbid— crash. yeonjun and his infectious enthusiasm and blinding smile be damned.
“pull over,” yeonjun requests, and his voice is soft enough around the edges that it risks disappearing underneath the electric guitar chords blasting through the car’s speakers— huening kai had been given the aux cord that day, meaning that their car ride would be filled with loud band music and little else— but taehyun manages to hear him anyway.
taehyun doesn’t even have to glance in yeonjun’s direction for the older boy to sense his confusion. it’s thick in the air, palpable and demanding, and kai giggles in his seat.
the road that they’re on is largely empty. there are patches of woods on the left and meadows on the right, long grass obscuring much of their view for the next few miles.
“there are horses in that field,” yeonjun says next, like that explains everything. “we should go take a look.”
the sound of shuffling rings out from the backseat, likely from kai clambering a little closer to the window. taehyun can visualize the sight— kai peering through the glass, his bright eyed curiosity and the upward curve to his lips.
it’s a picture that taehyun thinks he can paint with his eyes closed. one of glowing, honey skin and red lips and enough warmth to last them the year’s coldest seasons and then some.
kai’s laugh is loud, musical, and contagious. he nudges taehyun’s seat with the back of his knee and the sound of his laughter expands to fill the space. taehyun allows himself a moment to let its joy wash over him.
“remember when we went to the farm together in the second grade, hyun?” kai asks. his voice is dripping with excitement and just short of wistful as he launches into a story, cradling one of yeonjun’s hands in his.
taehyun remembers that field trip— he remembers it quite well, his memories full of vivid enthusiasm. they had ridden to the farm on a cramped school bus with peeling yellow paint and benches that were just a tad too hard to be considered comfortable.
taehyun had spent much of his time there running through the gardens and only half-listening to their tour guide drone on about the property. at the end of the day, their teachers brought all of them over to the stables.
horse riding went fairly smooth until soobin’s turn had come up, and taehyun looked on from the picnic tables near the back of the line as soobin flat-out refused to go.
even ten years ago, it had been beomgyu to the rescue, who always managed to be a step ahead of everyone else when it came to soobin. taehyun had watched the two of them run off, beomgyu sneaking soobin away from the rest of the group with little stealth but enough fire and determination to get the job done.
soobin’s tiny, shaky fists were stilled by beomgyu’s firm grasp on his hands, and beomgyu planted a kiss on soobin’s cheek before boarding their bus that finally got the taller boy smiling. it was a win for them both.
taehyun thinks that soobin and beomgyu are arguably the most annoying people that he knows, especially when together and especially when motivated— beomgyu surely finds some sort of sick thrill in grinding taehyun’s gears. taehyun only has half a mind to throttle him for it.
still, taehyun admires the two of them a lot. soobin and beomgyu had always been so steadfast in their belief in one another and their relationship, even when there was little else to be certain about in their world.
what taehyun has always known, and without a doubt, is that he’s lucky to have such lovely people in his life. ones that he grew up playing in the sandbox with, whose floors he camps out on for their weekly sleepovers, and who he frequently borrows heaps of chemistry notes from. taehyun doesn’t dare to take any of it for granted.
his love for them is unshakeable. so when taehyun switches on his turn signal, pulling off of the street and into a clear spot on the side of the road, the glance that he exchanges with yeonjun in the passenger seat is full of affection. taehyun feels its warmth in the marrow of his bones.
whatever yeonjun and kai would ask, taehyun would do, and unapologetically so. it’s how he ends up perched on the trunk of his silver toyota, ignoring the incessant buzz of his cell phone in his shorts pocket.
the autumn breeze is cool against taehyun’s bare legs, just chilly enough that a layer of goosebumps prickle up on his skin. he shivers and immediately ends up with a lapful of kai’s teal hoodie, curling his fingers over the cotton fabric and tucking it around his legs.
the grassy lot is just starting to show its first signs of fading, with patches of yellow turf scattered across the surface. yeonjun effortlessly hops the fence and kai leans up against the wooden structure, snapping photos of everything he takes even a hint of interest in— a few horses, bunches of flowers, and yeonjun.
taehyun is content to sit back and watch the two of them, with their arms slung around one another and hips pressed flush together. the smiles etched across their faces are matching and lovesick. they look free, happy beyond belief, and that’s more than enough for taehyun.
truthfully, taehyun couldn’t ever imagine putting anyone else first. priorities were a wonderful thing.
he had been leaving his calculus class when kai tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, the cashmere still gripped in between kai’s fingers when yeonjun had sidled up to the pair, his eyes bright.
yeonjun’s hands are laden with cups of bubble tea and taehyun knows that something is up even before he is whisked around the corner, their arms looped through his.
“come with us!” kai exclaims to taehyun, taking small sips of his drink. his order had not changed since freshman year: taro tea with 70% sugar and 50% ice. the smile kai shoots yeonjun is wide and grateful.
a few of their classmates stare longingly at their cups of tea as they file through the hallways. yeonjun had opted out of taking an extra senior elective and would often leave school grounds during his free eighth period. he always makes sure to bring back snacks from the nearest strip mall for taehyun and huening kai.
it’s a privilege that taehyun enjoys a little too much, one that he and kai are sure to indulge in. yeonjun lets them because it’s in his nature, ever gracious and thoughtful in all that he does.
the unabashed way in which yeonjun expresses his love is something that taehyun and kai easily grow to adore. they both wear it proudly, like a badge of honor.
kai, on his part, never quite grows out of blushing bright pink at the attempted wink that yeonjun sends his way in return for the unspoken thank you that passes between them. luckily for him, his earnestness just goes to further endear yeonjun.
taehyun earns a squeeze to his left hand while accepting his drink. somewhere deep down, he recognizes that he should start heading over to band practice. still, from the way that yeonjun and kai’s eyes are shining down at him, he doubts he’ll ever make it to the right classroom.
for the past year, the three of them have had a routine down pat: on thursdays, yeonjun and kai would usually go ahead and take the bus home, unless they chose to wait around campus for an extra hour until taehyun could drive them.
the latter only occurred on rare occasions, when kai had to stay back at the library to work on a project or when yeonjun’s dance team scheduled an extra practice session. the three of them would then meet up at four-thirty and all head home together.
taehyun glances at his phone as kai wordlessly steps sideways and begins to fumble around in taehyun’s backpack, searching for a charging cable. his home screen reads two forty-five.
taehyun turns to yeonjun with an inquiring look. the taller boy’s hip is cocked and the straw sticking out of his bubble tea cup is bitten, as are his lips. it’s a terrible habit of his, and yeonjun had developed it right at fourteen. no amount of scolding from taehyun or kai could get him to quit doing it though.
if anything, yeonjun’s dented straw just goes to clearly mark which drink is his, which becomes a thing of necessity when his and kai’s tastes are so similar. slightly bruised lips wouldn’t be the thing to deter taehyun either— he’s done similar damage to yeonjun’s lips before, to put it mildly.
the grin on yeonjun’s face only grows when taehyun asks where they’re going, exposing his two front teeth, which are slightly protruding and impossibly adorable.
“no idea,” yeonjun admits, brushing a lock of hair behind his ear. he had chosen to grow his hair out this year, dying it a bubblegum pink that summer. taehyun still doesn’t fully understand how he manages to make such a bold color look so natural, but he guesses that it’s just another piece to choi yeonjun’s unfaltering charm— everything suits him perfectly. it would be a little infuriating if taehyun didn’t find it so attractive.
kai pulls taehyun’s portable charger out of his bag with a triumphant little a-ha! at the same time that yeonjun tries to further convince taehyun. “we’ll figure it out on the way. and we’ll get food.”
it’s obvious that the plan was initially kai’s idea— it has his specific brand of enthusiasm written all over it. yeonjun has never been able to deny kai much of anything, and taehyun looks at the small package of wafer cookies that kai is already holding with a pointed glance. yeonjun has the grace to look sheepish but presses on, largely undeterred.
taehyun sighs, half out of exasperation and half for dramatics, and kai seems to recognize this as he envelopes taehyun’s hand with his own. kai tugs experimentally, bringing their palms closer together, and taehyun complies easily.
taehyun and kai’s hands had always fit well together, a snug and pleasant hold. while kai had long outgrown taehyun height-wise, their hands remained a similar size. taehyun likes the reminder of how compatible they are.
kai still has that same smile, strawberry licorice sweet, and soft brunette curls that bounce as he walks. he is unmistakably pretty, especially from up-close. it still makes taehyun’s knees want to buckle, fluid like jelly.
taehyun, for his part, has never quite grown out of being absolutely enamoured with the two of them. it’s another thing that had always fit, a part of his life that remains unquestionable.
so, it’s thursday and taehyun has band practice scheduled after school, but he lets himself be led to the opposite end of the school anyway, kai’s fingers still laced through his own. it’s an easy decision.
the three of them pass yeonjun and beomgyu’s english classroom, dropping off soobin and beomgyu’s bubble tea orders at beomgyu’s locker. taehyun all but begs beomgyu to cover for him, and beomgyu looks far too smug with their current predicament but agrees to make up an excuse to help taehyun get out of skipping practice.
beomgyu wolf whistles when taehyun jogs down the hall to go catch up with his boyfriends, and taehyun flips him off, but lets kai giggle into his neck at beomgyu’s teasing. it’s near impossible to resist smiling in kai’s presence, especially with the way his happiness radiates off of him.
they’re rounding the soccer fields when taehyun feels yeonjun’s hand slip around his waist. with yeonjun’s attention firmly on him, taehyun grumbles halfheartedly about the consequences of missing practice as the three of them head in the direction of taehyun’s parking spot in the senior lot.
there’s no true malice or fear in taehyun’s words. yeonjun knows as much, and lets out an amused laugh at taehyun’s antics as they all pile into his car. the pink-haired boy passes kai the aux from his seat up front and only half threatens him to play decent songs.
yeonjun’s fingers move to thread through taehyun’s hair in an attempt to placate the blonde. he promises taehyun sushi with a glint in his eyes, like he knows that his offer will work even before taehyun gives him a satisfied smile.
it's a testament to just how well they’ve grown to understand taehyun. yeonjun and kai are more than familiar with all of taehyun’s preferences and desires, from the many changes in his favorite foods to his lengthy list of dream jobs over the years.
learning how to get taehyun humming into their mouths and preening into their touch is more recent knowledge, but they still soak it up with the same eager fervor, the same diligence. the two of them keep this knowledge close, always having it ready and on-hand.
taehyun does much of the same— being able to understand yeonjun and kai is the skill that he’s proudest of. the one that has taken the longest to perfect, and the most knowledge and practice to complete.
taehyun would not consider himself to be weak by any means, but he allows himself a spot of weakness for the two of them. he caves under the light in their smiles and the joy woven through their voices and the weight of their words, their pleas of come with us, taehyun-ah.
he’s so lucky. what the three of them have come to share is simple, achingly easy and sweet. he embraces it, just as they do to him— holding hands and linking pinkies, pressing a little too close just for comfort’s sake.
their consistency is what largely defines taehyun’s youth, and taehyun hopes to hold onto them— to all of this— for just a little longer. for as long as he possibly can, and selfishly, even past the eight month threshold that their graduation sits on the edge of.
“are your seatbelts on?” taehyun asks when he’s turning his keys in the ignition, waiting as the car thrums to life and kai puts one of his playlists on shuffle.
he shifts around in his seat to check if they’re buckled in, and when yeonjun and kai look back up at him— fond and sharp with intent— it makes taehyun breathless. he quickly swallows down the lump in his throat, his cheeks warm.
he wants to have this forever. something in their gazes makes taehyun think that maybe they’ll let him.