Archive of Our Own ^beta

The moment Taehyun enters the dorm with one of their managers, the other four boys whip their heads around towards the door. Hueningkai is the first one up, rushing towards Taehyun, his arms already outstretched. Their manager puts his arm out, a little apprehensively, because as he had explained to them earlier, they had to be gentle with Taehyun. He was going to be out of it. That’s what happened with wisdom teeth removal.

Soobin notices Taehyun looks completely tired out. And yet, the younger boy still breaks into a wide smile once he sees Hueningkai making his way towards him. Yeonjun greets their manager and takes Taehyun’s bag and jacket, making sure to hang them up properly.

Beomgyu, who was lying on Soobin while the four of them squished onto the couch to wait until Taehyun got back, takes a little longer getting up. But once they all make it over to Taehyun, Beomgyu is anxiously tugging at the back of Hueningkai’s hoodie to hurry up the two youngest boys’ hug.

Taehyun, even though he was acting like he wasn’t, had been nervous about the procedure. He had spent hours reading up about what exactly the dentist was going to do to his teeth, how it was going to feel, what going under anesthesia felt like, how long it would take him to recover and what was the quickest way to heal. But looking at him now, completely worn out, Soobin is glad he also read up on the recovery process; Taehyun doesn’t look like he’s in the right state of mind to monitor himself.

Yeonjun comes around and wraps his arms around Soobin’s right arm, resting his cheek on Soobin’s shoulder. Hueningkai and Taehyun are still hugging, much to Beomgyu’s annoyance.

“Do you think he’ll be alright?” Yeonjun whispers, his voice barely audible. Soobin smiles.

“Hyung, he’ll be fine. Just no straws. And lots of rest,” Soobin reassures him. Yeonjun squeezes his arm then steps forward to break the two boys up because Beomgyu has started threatening the youngest with some very choice words.

Their manager turns towards Soobin and pulls out some forms from the dentist. Soobin thanks him and scans them quickly. It’s just lots of tips and tricks on how to properly rest up, the dos and don’ts, blah blah blah, Soobin has practically seen it all already. He thanks their manager again, glad Taehyun had someone there for him once he was done the surgery and promises to text someone on their team if Taehyun needs anything specific the boys don’t have yet.

Their manager leaves quietly, waving at Yeonjun, who thanks him profusely and closes the door slowly. By now, Taehyun is done with both of his hugs from Hueningkai and Beomgyu. Before Soobin can make his move, Yeonjun is back-hugging him, hooking his chin over Taehyun’s shoulder. Taehyun looks up at Soobin, a small smile on the younger boy’s face.

Soobin steps forward, threading his fingers through Taehyun’s hair.

“How are you feeling, Taehyun-ah?” Soobin asks softly. Yeonjun tilts his head to look up at Taehyun.

“I’m really,” Taehyun swallows, “Tired,” he finishes off. Soobin smiles. Yeonjun lets go of the younger boy, and Taehyun practically crash lands into Soobin’s stomach. Soobin is careful not to touch Taehyun’s cheeks as he wraps him in a tight hug. Taehyun’s body is still cold for the walk back from the van.

They stay like this, just for a moment, Soobin’s chin resting on the side of Taehyun’s head.

“Hyung,” Taehyun says softly. Soobin hums in response. “I feel weird.”

Soobin lets out a little giggle. Truth be told, they were all sort of excited to see how Taehyun would react to the anesthesia. They had all yet to experience what un-sober Taehyun was like, but Soobin could tell exhaustion was also a huge factor in how Taehyun was acting right now. He gets really clingy when he's sleepy.

Soobin breaks apart their hug and leads Taehyun to the couch, making sure to prop up some pillows against the armrest. Taehyun slides onto the couch, resting his back against the armrest, his legs extended in front of him. Soobin nudges him with his knee and lifts up Taehyun’s legs for a moment as he plops down, sitting normally on the couch, Taehyun’s legs stretched out over his lap. Soobin grabs a blanket from the other end of the couch and throws it over the two of them.

He realizes Beomgyu and Hueningkai have hurriedly escaped to the kitchen, presumably trying to make a snack as quietly as possible so they won’t be rubbing it in Taehyun’s face that they’re allowed to eat whatever they wanted. And Yeonjun has completely disappeared. Soobin guesses he’s gone to prepare Taehyun’s bed for the night, something he promised this afternoon to do.

“Okay. Talk to me Taehyun. Do you feel bad?” Soobin questions. He takes one of Taehyun’s hands into his own, twisting their fingers together. Taehyun’s eyes flutter open. It takes him a second, like he doesn’t remember coming over to the couch in the first place.

“I just feel,” he pauses as if he’s searching for the right word, “Spacey.”

“Hmm. Is that bad?”

“No, I don’t think so. I feel okay now,” Taehyun reassures Soobin. Soobin smiles at him, squeezing his hand. Taehyun’s speech is a little affected by all the bandages and swelling. Soobin desperately wants to take a picture of Taehyun to a) remember this moment, b) potentially use it as blackmail later on, and c) keep it as documentation to see how quickly the swelling goes down. You know, for medical purposes.

“How does your face feel?” Soobin reaches over and ever so delicately runs his thumb over Taehyun’s cheeks and jaw. The younger boy winces before bringing his own hand up to feel his face. At the sensation of feeling the gauze pads in his mouth, he falters, his expression clouding.

“What’s that?” Taehyun asks dumbly, feeling the bump in his cheek.

“It’s the pads, silly, to help with the bleeding,” Soobin explains calmly.

“Bleeding?” Taehyun asks weekly, his mouth falling more open than it already is. His face suddenly crumples, and he bows his head, holding his cheeks in his hands.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay!” Soobin quickly reassures, slightly panicked at the thought of Taehyun freaking out about the fact that, yes, his gums are bleeding. And that eventually, he’ll have to change the gauze. Which will involve him seeing all the blood. Soobin tries not to think about that right now, and he brushes Taehyun’s hands away from his face and coaxes him to keep his head up.

“It’s going to be okay, here, let me go get you an ice pack,” Soobin says, set on distracting Taehyun from the fact that he’s bleeding from inside his mouth.

Taehyun looks up, and Soobin’s smile falls, only for a moment, though, at the sight of tears pooling in the corner of Taehyun’s eyes. Soobin’s expression instantly softens, and he wants nothing more than to wrap Taehyun up in a big hug. Taehyun lets out a small whine when Soobin goes to stand up, stopping the older boy.

“Make Kai do it. You’re too comfy here,” Taehyun says quietly, not bothering to wipe away the tears as they slide down his cheeks. Now Soobin wants to cry. He can’t believe Taehyun is just talking through his tears, pretending he’s okay.

“Mmm, okay, only because I don’t want to disturb you,” Soobin laughs, reaching over and thumbing away Taehyun’s tears. Soobin twists his body, looking at the kitchen from an angle, trying to see what Hueningkai and Beomgyu are up to. He hears their quiet voices but doesn’t see any movement.

Instead of yelling for them, he decides to call Hueningkai. The five of them decided after Taehyun left for the procedure, no loud noises in the dorm for the next couple of days. Instead of answering the call, Soobin hears his chair scraping backwards in the kitchen and then the soft padding of Hueningkai’s feet into the living room.

“Yes hyung?” Hueningkai asks quietly, coming around to the other side of the couch to face the two boys.

“I want an ice pack,” Taehyun orders, probably louder than he meant to. Soobin stifles a laugh, and Hueningkai looks momentarily shocked at the demand from Taehyun before his eyes narrow.

“And why couldn’t Soobin-hyung have gotten up and got it himself?” Hueningkai questions, placing his hands on his hips. Soobin looks towards Taehyun, whose eyes are closed again and opens his mouth to explain before Taehyun blurts out:

“No! Kai-ah, he’s stuck here with me. Stop being meannn,” Taehyun whines. He sounds hurt, but Hueningkai can see he’s clearly trying to hide a smile. Hueningkai just huffs and shakes his head before heading back into the kitchen. Soobin mouths a ‘Thank you’ to him before turning his attention back to Taehyun. His eyes are still closed, but he’s grabbed Soobin’s hand now and is stretching the older boy’s fingers apart.

They wait in silence before Hueningkai returns, with two ice packs wrapped in a thin dishtowel. He hands them to Soobin, who gives him a quick ruffle in his hair and smiles cheekily as Hueningkai rolls his eyes.

“You’re lucky I like you so much, Taehyun-ie,” Hueningkai says softly, patting Taehyun’s stomach. Even though there’s a blanket over top of him, Taehyun warms to his touch, a smile slowly appearing on his face as he opens his eyes.

“Thank you, Kai Kamal Huening,” Taehyun says quietly. Soobin slaps a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing, but Hueningkai doesn’t make it that far. He barks out a loud laugh before turning it into a cough. Taehyun’s eyes fly open, and he sits up, eyes narrowed.

“You shouldn’t laugh. I’m in pain,” Taehyun says like that’s the most profound thing he’s ever announced to the world. Soobin and Hueningkai are trying so hard to keep a straight face. They both fail miserably, and Taehyun crosses his arms, letting go of Soobin’s fingers.

“Hyunggg,” Taehyung whines, but he doesn’t say anything else. He just lays back down slowly, retaking Soobin’s hand in his own.

“I think Beomgyu-hyung and I are going off to bed soon. Text me if he needs anything else, okay?” Hueningkai asks, smiling at Soobin. Soobin nods, mushing himself into the back of the couch. He’s suddenly very tired.

“I can still hear you,” Taehyun notes, opening his eyes to side-eye Hueningkai. Taehyun holds out his hand, and Hueningkai takes it in an instant. Taehyun tugs the older boy closer, closing his eyes. Soobin turns his head to watch them, his heart about to burst from the admiration he feels for them. He loves his members so much.

“Thank you, Kai-ah. Sorry, if I’m…” Taehyun trails off, his eyes fluttering open. Hueningkai bends down, presumably to give Taehyun a hug, but Taehyun stops him, placing a hand right under Hueningkai’s neck.

“So pretty…” Taehyun mumbles to himself, staring at Hueningkai. Soobin puts his hand back over his mouth to stop any future giggles that may come about, but he watches Hueningkai’s expression closely. The youngest boy freezes, just for a moment, before he rolls his eyes and grabs Taehyun’s hand and places it back on the blanket. Hueningkai bends down and places a kiss on the top of Taehyun’s head before whispering good night to the both of them.

Once Hueningkai exits the room the two boys sit in silence for a bit. Then Taehyun starts humming a SHINee song, and Soobin finally breaks.

“You’re really out of it, aren’t you?” he says quietly, looking over at Taehyun. The other boy seems surprised by this comment, but he stops humming to stare back at Soobin.

“What do you mean, hyung?”

“Calling Hueningkai pretty?”

“It’s true, though,” Taehyung points out.

Soobin laughs. Taehyun does have a point, but it’s rare to see him ever actually verbalize those feelings.

“Yah, but you never really talk like that. It’s nice, though. You’re alright,” Soobin reassures him, giving his leg a squeeze. Taehyun smiles, to the best of his ability, before wincing.

“You’re pretty too,” Taehyun says softly. Soobin ducks his head, letting out a low laugh. Maybe Taehyun under anesthesia wouldn’t be as bad as the thought it would be. Taehyun seemed pretty nervous once he had confirmed the appointment and kept repeating that if he said embarrassing stuff, the other members weren’t allowed to a) film it and b) bring it up in a later conversation. Which is cute, because that’s exactly what the other four members planned on doing.

“Okay, that’s enough. Keep the ice pack on those cheeks, though,” Soobin suggests. Even throughout all the conversations, Taehyun has managed to keep the ice pack pressed to his cheeks, switching sides whenever he feels fit. His cheeks are turning red from the cold, and Soobin feels so bad, although he knows there’s nothing he can do. He just has to wait it out.

They wind up in the bathroom half an hour later, Soobin pressing a warm washcloth to Taehyun’s cheeks. Hueningkai and Beomgyu are both in their rooms, and Yeonjun popped in to announce he was making ramen and asked the two boys if they wanted anything. They both declined, but Soobin had a feeling Taehyun was just saying no because he didn’t want to be subjected to the minimal liquid foods he could consume. Although they had stocked up on soft snacks and meals, so Taehyun had nothing to worry about.

Taehyun is still loopy. He keeps laughing to himself and blurting out random words or thoughts that have absolutely no correlation to the conversation they’ve had. He’ll also have random bursts where he’ll talk for minutes straight. Soobin finds it endearing, but he just hopes that if his mouth starts hurting too much, Taehyun will properly communicate his feelings to Soobin.

He doesn’t mind being in charge of Taehyun for all of this. He volunteered to do it, as Beomgyu admitted he didn’t feel up for it, Hueningkai was scared he would somehow mess it up, and Yeonjun said it would take over day two, and so it was settled. For the first 24 hours, Soobin is in charge.

Taehyun agreed it was time to change his gauze pads, so now Soobin is trying to, as discreetly as possible, prepare the younger boy for the fact that he’s going to see a lot of blood, and it’s going to hurt, and be gross. Still, they have to get it over with eventually.

Taehyun is sitting on the toilet seat, with the lid closed. Soobin is on the little bathroom step stool they have (for whatever reason? All of them are clearly almost all six feet) sat a little lower down than Taehyun. The gauze and towels are resting on the edge of the tub beside the boys. Soobin has everything laid out and would be able to start if Taehyun wouldn’t keep falling forward into Soobin’s hands whenever he tries to push the other boy backwards.

“Taehyun-ah, please just sit back and open your mouth. This will only take a few moments.” Soobin isn’t sure about that last part, but he’s been hyping himself up for the previous ten minutes on how to instruct Taehyun on how to change his pads. He first thought he should make Taehyun stand by the sink and look in their bathroom mirror to change the pads, but after Taehyun had to be practically carried to the bathroom, Soobin prompted for a sitting down approach. He had brought a smaller mirror from his and Beomgyu’s room into the bathroom and explained to Taehyun he would hold it while Taehyun changed the gauze.

It seemed like as soon as Soobin had explained it, Taehyun had immediately forgotten the instructions.

“Mmm, too tired,” Taehyun mumbles, tucking his chin into his chest. Soobin rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything. He puts a new gauze pad into Taehyun’s hands and grabs the mirror. After figuring out how to balance it on his lap and angle it so Taehyun can properly see inside his mouth, he taps Taehyun’s cheek, coaxing him to look up.

“Take the gauze out of your mouth now, please,” Soobin says quietly. Taehyun’s eyes flutter open, and he studies himself in the mirror. It’s the first mirror he’s looked into since he got home, as he practically collapsed into the bathroom and hadn’t gotten a good look at himself in the mirror on the bathroom wall.

His hand empty hand flies up to his cheeks, touching them lightly. Soobin is scared he’s going to start crying again, but instead, Taehyun gives himself a small smile and opens his mouth wide.

The switch of the gauze is pretty simple. Taehyun only has two pads in his mouth, and it goes relatively smoothly, he only makes one gagging noise at the sight of the completely soaked gauze, which Soobin quickly takes from him and puts it in the garbage, happy Taehyun isn’t too squeamish at the sight of blood.

Once everything is cleared up and put away, Soobin puts the mirror back and announces it should be time for bed soon. Soobin stands to open the door before helping Taehyun up. Except when he turns back around Taehyun is leaned back against the back of the toilet, his eyes closed, and his hands curled into fists. Soobin stops dead, his expression softening. There’s absolutely no way he’ll let Taehyun fall asleep on the toilet, but at the same time, he really doesn’t want to be too much of a bother to him.

He could tell by Taehyun’s wincing throughout the whole gauze process how much pain he was in. And Soobin knows he’s hungry. But of course, he’s not saying anything.

Soobin stands in the middle of the door frame, debating what to do. He, himself, still needs to get ready for bed, so he could get ready and then come back and get Taehyun. But once again, sleeping on a toilet, not cool. Suddenly he hears the soft padding of someone walking towards him and pokes his head backwards into the hallway.

Yeonjun slides into Soobin’s space easily, draping an arm over Soobin’s frame and hooking his chin onto Soobin’s shoulder.

“How is he?” Yeonjun asks quietly.

“He survived his first gauze changing,” Soobin replies, laughing. Yeonjun hums in acknowledgment before patting Soobin’s chest and detaching himself.

“I’m going off to bed, let me know if you need anything.” He pauses. “I’ll be ready tomorrow to take over, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried,” Soobin replies quickly.

“Okay good,” Yeonjun smiles, pressing a quick kiss to the side of Soobin’s head. He waves goodnight before turning around and padding back the way he came, towards his bedroom.

Soobin sighs. Okay, it’s bedtime. He makes his way into his and Beomgyu’s room, careful not to wake the younger boy. Soobin quickly changes into his sleepwear, grabbing his blanket, water bottle, and portable charger on the way out. He doesn’t want to be making any more unnecessary trips back into his room before he puts Taehyun to bed.

Once he puts his things in the living room, he returns to the bathroom, where Taehyun has now sat up, bleary-eyed, looking very confused.

“Where did you go?” he asks Soobin quietly, rubbing his eyes. Soobin’s hand shoots out, his instincts kicking in, scared Taehyun is accidentally going to hit his cheek, but the younger boy is smarter than that, and Soobin’s arm retreats quickly.

“I got ready for bed,” Soobin explains, “And now it’s your turn,” he says brightly. He comes over to the toilet, extending both of his hands for Taehyun to grab. Soobin is nervous the journey back to the living room will be as lonely and precarious as the journey to the bathroom, but Taehyun manages to stand up with ease.

“Imagine if my finger was still fractured,” Taehyun says blankly. He’s standing against Soobin, holding both of the older boy’s hands, but is making no sign of moving any time soon.

“Yeah, imagine…” Soobin says sarcastically, pursing his lips. Taehyun giggles, pushing his palm into Soobin’s chest, which was meant to hurt, Soobin assumes, but he’s still drugged up, and it’s barely a jab. Neither of them moves. Soobin is curious to see how long Taehyun will wait, how long it’ll take him to realize he’s supposed to be the one leading Soobin around. He’s the one who needs taking care of. Soobin will do whatever he needs.

“Hyung,” Taehyun looks up at Soobin with wide eyes. Soobin hums in response, holding back a smile.

“Are we stuck here?” Taehyun asks seriously, looking down at both of their feet. His grip tightens on Soobin’s left hand. “Why aren’t we moving?” Taehyun demands earnestly.

Soobin lets out a fake gasp, causing Taehyun to flinch. The older boy instantly feels terrible, but he smiles and takes a step backwards, then motions for Taehyun to lead the way.

“I was waiting for you. Just wanted to go whenever you were ready to go,” Soobin explains.

“Oh,” is all Taehyun responds with, but he looks pleased with himself as he manages to exit the bathroom without needing to lean on Soobin for any additional support. They silently make their way into the living room before Taehyun turns around, eyeing Soobin.

“I want a snack,” Taehyun announces quietly. Soobin nods, waiting for the follow-up.

“So I’m going to go make myself a snack.”

Soobin stifles a laugh. He loves that Taehyun’s extremely foggy brain thinks it’s perfectly normal to narrate and verbalize every thought he’s thinking.

“Okay, you go get yourself a snack, I’ll go get your pyjamas. Deal?” Soobin sticks his hand out for a handshake, but Taehyun grabs it and pulls Soobin into a tight hug. Soobin lets out a low laugh and pats Taehyun on the back lightly.

“Okay, deal,” Taehyun whispers, but he doesn’t let go. Soobin almost rolls his eyes. They can’t repeat the scene in the bathroom that happened not one minute ago.

“Taehyun-ah, you gotta let me go,” Soobin muses. He’s rubbing the younger boy’s back now, hoping he’ll get the message. They don’t have all night.

“Mmm don’t feel like it hyung.” The response comes back almost immediately, and Soobin lets out a laugh.

Soobin allows himself to entertain this. This thing that’s been happening all night between the two of them, where Soobin will act like taking care of Taehyun is sooo difficult and sooo annoying when in reality, he would gladly do this ten times over. Because he really truly cares about Taehyun. A lot, a lot, a lot. But also, because he’s enjoying whatever this thing is, whatever is going on between the two of them. The glances that are lasting just a second too long, the touches that are just a little too fervent, the soft voices and patience, something Soobin hardly ever displays with the other members of the group.

It’s like Taehyun’s loopy-ness is rubbing off on him. Soobin knows Taehyun will be groggy in the morning. He’ll probably have forgotten all the funny things he said, and so Soobin feels brave. Like tonight will have no consequences. So, he just can be free. And that feels really nice. Being free with Taehyun sounds nice.

Taehyun finally releases him and shuffles off to the kitchen. Soobin reaches up and holds his own cheeks, realizing how hot they are. He shakes his head and makes his way over to Taehyun and Hueningkai’s room. The room the two boys share is such a concrete and clear space that reflects exactly who they are as people, and Soobin loves it. He’s glad they’re so happy together as roommates. He’s happy they can all comfortably enjoy themselves in the dorm.

Soobin slips silently into the room, smirking at the sleeping Hueningkai, his body curled up tightly under a big blanket. Soobin grabs some shorts and a t-shirt, along with Taehyun’s slippers, which he almost trips over, and exits quickly, wincing at the loud click the door makes.

When he returns to the living room, Taehyun has turned off all the lights, except for the big lamp hanging over the couch. It’s a soft yellow light, and under it, Taehyun is sitting cross-legged with what looks like some soup in hand. Soobin really should remind him he’s not supposed to be eating on the couch, but he also knows how comfortable Taehyun looks right now. So he doesn’t ruin the moment and sits beside the other boy wordlessly.

“How is it?” Soobin prompts, watching Taehyun carefully.

“Fine.” Taehyun tilts his head to smile at him. His cheeks are still extremely puffy. Soobin smiles back.

“What did you do with your gauze?”

“I threw it out in the kitchen,” Taehyun explains, taking another sip. He goes quiet for a moment after. “There was a lot of blood,” he whispers, looking down at his bowl.

Soobin can’t help but reach over and give his shoulder a squeeze, unable to think of words that would comfort the younger boy. Instead, Soobin just hums in response, rubbing Taehyun’s shoulder again. Taehyun is really strong emotionally; Soobin knows he’ll eventually be fine. Although that doesn’t make him feel any less guilty about the fact that he can’t do anything to help him.

Taehyun finishes eating in silence, occasionally wincing. It takes him a while, but Soobin doesn’t mind. There are rare moments when he’s awake that the dorm is this quiet like this. He really likes it, though. Sitting in the silence of their home is comforting. Once Taehyun is finished, he passes the bowl to Soobin, looking at him with big eyes and his bottom lip out, silently asking for Soobin to put it away for him. The elder boy just rolls his eyes and laughs as he takes it from Taehyun.

After returning from the kitchen, Soobin helps Taehyun put new gauze pads in, and it goes a little better than the last time. The anesthesia is wearing off, but Taehyun is still sleepy. The two boys are cross-legged on the couch, facing each other. Taehyun is slowly falling forward, his eyes fluttering open and shut. Soobin knows he’s exaggerating, but again, he plays along, prodding Taehyun in the chest to put his upright again.

“Let’s get you changed, hmm?” Soobin asks, finally standing up and unfolding the sleep clothes he brought for Taehyun. The younger boy nods and slowly makes his way off the couch into a standing position. He’s looking at Soobin expectantly, ready for him to make the first move, but Soobin doesn’t know what to do.

“Hyung,” Taehyun practically whines, “You have to help me,” he laughs, flailing his arms from side to side. Soobin rolls his eyes, but he’s laughing too.

“You just got teeth removed, I’m pretty sure your arms and legs are working just fine, Taehyun-ah,” Soobin teases, cocking his head back and forth with a smile.

Taehyun makes a disgruntled noise and crosses his arms over his chest, shifting to the side, so his hip sticks out. Soobin laughs again. This pose is something he’s very familiar with. This is the stance Taehyun makes when he’s losing an argument but is 100% firm with his opinion.

“Fine, fine, put your arms up,” Soobin instructs, “I’ll try to avoid your cheeks, let me know if anything hurts, okay?”

Taehyun just nods and obediently puts his hands in the air, giggling. Soobin laughs too. This whole situation is weird, but it’s nice. This also isn’t the first time Soobin has helped Taehyun change. He’s done it mostly with the younger two boys when they’re too tired to even move, and Soobin has to beg them to sit up because he knows how uncomfortable they’ll be if they sleep in jeans or a dress shirt.

Soobin stretches the neck hole of Taehyun’s shirt extra wide, so it doesn’t touch his cheeks, even though both boys know that probably wouldn’t make a difference, but Soobin is trying his best to make sure Taehyun is in the least amount of pain as possible.

Once Taehyun is changed, he looks up at Soobin, once again, as if he’s expecting something else.

“What?” Soobin asks dumbly, looking around like he’s missing something.

Taehyun arm comes up, and he grasps the front of the sweater Soobin is wearing, his first tightly curled around the material.

“Hyung,” Taehyun says seriously, “I need this.”

Soobin bursts out laughing, slapping a hand over his mouth to quiet himself down. Taehyun begins to pout again, not looking pleased with Soobin’s reaction.

“Not funny hyung. I’m serious. I’m cold,” he explains. Soobin thought Taehyun was nearing the end of the drugs, but maybe not. His glassy eyes and tight grip on Soobin’s hoodie say otherwise.

“Do you just need a sweater? Or does it specifically have to be one of mine,” Soobin asks cheekily, bending down a little to get all up in Taehyun’s face. The younger boy blushes, ducking his face down, and Soobin laughs. He ruffles Taehyun’s hair, letting his hand stop at the back of Taehyun’s neck, holding him there for just a moment.

“It’s fine Taehyun. You can borrow this one for the night.”

It’s no secret all the other members love stealing Soobin’s clothes. He’s the tallest, and they all love wearing oversized comfy clothes. But Soobin can’t help but have a soft spot for Taehyun, as he’s the member who’s the smallest in height, but also in frame, and once he puts on one of Soobin’s hoodies, he really disappears into it.

Soobin peels off his hoodie and hands it to Taehyun before checking his phone. It’s late. They should both be asleep already. Taehyun lets out a gleeful murmur as he snuggles into the hoodie, pulling the hood over his head. A few blonde strands are falling into his eyes, which Soobin quickly brushes away, tucking them under the hood.

“Bedtime?” Soobin inquires. Taehyun nods.

“Bedtime.”

After washing up and brushing their teeth (well, ‘brushing’ is a bit of exaggeration on Taehyun’s part), they’re ready for bed. Taehyun spent a while staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, turning from side to side to look at his profile, and Soobin could tell the swelling was stressing him out. Obviously, it was going to go down, and they didn’t have any shoots lined up. However, he knew Taehyun still cared about his looks because he was Taehyun and cared a lot about everything.

“Can you come in with me?” Taehyun asks quietly, motioning to his and Hueningkai’s room. Soobin nods, biting his lip. They’re going to have to be really quiet. Really, really, quiet.

The hallway light files into the room, creating a thin sliver of light on the floor and cutting across Taehyun’s bed. Hueningkai has now rolled over, his body practically pressed up against the wall, and Soobin is glad he’s in the farthest corner possible away from Taehyun’s bed. Their two beds are pressed up against opposite sides of the room, so there’s space between the two of them, which is taken up with a large carpet. Soobin plants himself on the rug and watches Taehyun climb into bed.

Another thing about getting your wisdom teeth removed, you shouldn’t lie down flat. So, after some great crafting on Yeonjun’s part, Taehyun now lies, it’s more of a lean, against a mountain of pillows. Soobin can just make out the other boy’s facial expression through the dark. He’s frowning.

“What’s wrong?” Soobin whispers, leaning a little bit forwards but still not taking a step forward.

“I’m not comfy,” Taehyun mumbles, trying to pull his blankets up further. Soobin blinks, not knowing what to say or do. Until Taehyun gives him a look and motions for Soobin to come over. Taehyun wiggles up and crosses his legs under the blankets, so Soobin does the same. He crosses his legs and sits on top of Taehyun’s covers, only a hand width of space between the two of them.

“I’m sorry, it’s just for a few nights, though. It won’t be that bad once you fall asleep,” Soobin tries, taking hold of both of Taehyun’s hands.

When Soobin looks up, Taehyun has a big smile on his face. “I know,” he smiles, “I just wanted you to come sit with me.”

Soobin breathes out a laugh, trying to keep quiet. They’ve been whispering pretty quietly so far, and he knows Hueningkai is a deep sleeper, but still, he’ll feel awful if the youngest member wakes up.

“Okay, I’m here. What do you want now?” Soobin teases.

Taehyun purses his lips, like he’s deciding what to say next. Soobin thought his own voice sounded kind and playful, but now he’s not so sure by the looks of Taehyun’s face.

Taehyun detaches his hands from Soobin’s grasp and looks up at him sorrowfully. “I just wanted to thank you for today, hyung. You really helped me a lot. And…and I just wanted to say thank you.”

Taehyun throws his hands around Soobin’s neck and pulls the older boy forward into a hug. It’s awkward because Soobin’s legs are crossed, but he quickly moves onto his knees before falling softly into Taehyun’s chest, letting out a small laugh. His arms enclose around Taehyun’s back, smiling to himself.

“You’re welcome, Taehyun. You weren’t that much trouble, so it was no big deal. Don’t worry,” Soobin reassures him. He can feel Taehyun nod against the side of his head. The two boys stay motionless before Taehyun lets go and Soobin sits back, a warm glow on his cheeks.

“I think…” Taehyun pauses, lightly sliding his fingertips over his cheeks, “I think most of the anesthesia is worn off now, hyung,” he explains. Soobin nods, happy for him.

“Good.”

“Yeah. Good.”

The room is quiet. Taehyun leans back down into his pillows, and Soobin is about to say a final goodnight when he realizes Taehyun doesn’t have the ice pack with him. And that it was Soobin’s job to make sure he was using it all night.

“Your ice pack!” Soobin whisper yells. “I’ll go get it from the living room.” Taehyun nods, and Soobin disappears for a moment. When he returns, Taehyun is plugging in his phone and checking through his notifications. His face is illuminated by his screen, and a fond smile appears on Soobin’s face. He knows he shouldn’t say anything but Taehyun looks really cute with his puffy cheeks. He sits on the edge of Taehyun’s bed, his legs hanging off the edge, and gently pushes Taehyun’s phone to the side so he can press the ice pack against one of Taehyun’s cheeks.

The younger boy winces for only a moment before settling into the pressure and giving Soobin a small smile.

“Thank you,” Taehyun manages to get out before Soobin shushes him and switches it to Taehyun’s other cheek. They stay like this for a while, Taehyun scrolling through his phone and Soobin watching him through his bangs, changing the ice pack every so often. He doesn’t mind it, but after a while Taehyun grows restless and puts his phone down. Soobin places the pack down on Taehyun’s bedside table and, without really thinking about it, reaches over and brushes back Taehyun’s bangs and fixes the way his hair is parted.

“Hyung,” Taehyun’s voice comes out like a plea, almost like he’s trying to swallow the word. Soobin’s eyes flick to his, and they stare at each other for a moment. Soobin isn’t sure, but at the same time, he’s certain what Taehyun wants.

Soobin’s observant; he watches his four other members all the time. He knows it’s one of the things that makes him fit to be the leader, but he’s also very wary. Of the action of looking, doing a double-take, peeking over shoulders, blinking to avoid eye contact, he’s aware of it all. And he’s aware of it, especially with Taehyun tonight.

They’ve been tiptoeing around each other all night, Taehyun much lazier at it than Soobin because of the drugs, but it’s still there. The unsaid space between them. The awkwardness they’ve managed to push down and ignore. And Soobin is eager to find out exactly why they’re like this with each other.

With their lingering gazes, the gentle touches that last just a second too long, observing the other person when they think the other one isn’t looking. Soobin’s not stupid, he knows what it means, or at least he thinks he does, but he doesn’t want to admit it to himself. Not yet. Not until Taehyun makes a move.

Neither of them has ever talked about it, and maybe all five of them are just like this with each other. The love that they all share really is that strong. But at the same time, Soobin isn’t sure. Because Taehyun is just so Taehyun, and sometimes no one else can compare to him.

“What?” Soobin finally says, so quietly his voice is barely audible in the still room. It seems as if the whole city has taken a pause, like the entire world is holding its breath.

Taehyun delicately traces Soobin’s jaw with his pointer finger, ever so gently stopping at his chin and holding it there, with his thumb.

“C’mere.”

Soobin blinks in surprise, and his brain sort of fogs over because so many thoughts are racing through his mind, and he doesn’t know what to do or say and what his actions will mean now or later or ten years in the future, but he does follow his instincts and leans forward. Although it’s a second too late because Taehyun is already tugging at his chin and pulling him in, and it’s the moment that their lips touch that Soobin realizes what he’s doing and what’s going on and everything is happening so quickly and and and…

Soobin deepens the kiss, only for a moment, and Taehyun’s first has enclosed on Soobin’s collar, and he’s tugging him forward, but Soobin finally snaps out of it and leans back with a shuddery breath.

Soobin can feel how hot his cheeks are, and Taehyun lets go of his shirt and sort of just stares at Soobin, a stunned look on his face. Neither of them speaks. And it’s not until Soobin remembers the reason why he pulled away that he says, ever so quietly, “You’re not supposed to kiss someone until 24 hours after the procedure.”

Soobin’s trying to sound stern, but his voice comes out weird, and it sounds more teasing than serious. Taehyun doesn’t say anything for a moment, he still hasn’t really moved, until he bends forward, burying his face in his hands, letting out some sort of exasperated noise.

Soobin can’t help but laugh. He pulls his legs up onto the bed and crosses his legs, putting his hands in his lap and fiddling with Taehyun’s blanket for something to do.

“Hyung,” Taehyun’s voice is muffled. He sounds so embarrassed, and Soobin is so endeared by it, he just hums in response, desperately wanting Taehyun to lift up his head and look at him.

“I don’t think the anesthesia has worn off yet,” Taehyun says, but there’s a smile in his voice. He slowly sits back up and looks at Soobin, and he’s so flustered, yet so happy, and his cheeks are still so puffy Soobin just doesn’t know what to do with himself.

The older boy crosses his arms and furrows his brow, feigning disappointment. “Yah, you’re saying you wouldn’t kiss me sober? Teahyun-ah, I’m upset.” But he’s just teasing, and Taehyun’s still so obviously embarrassed that he just puts his head back into his hands, leaning down to burrow himself into his blanket.

Except for this time, Soobin doesn’t stop himself and gently places his hand at the base and back of Taehyun’s neck, scratching gently at the ends of his hair.

“Taehyun, it’s okay. You’re okay,” Soobin says quietly but seriously. He doesn’t want Taehyun to be embarrassed, they shouldn’t be avoiding this. It’s clear both of them wanted to do it. And Soobin doesn’t think it’s the drugs that are making Taehyun act this way. He’s scared. And Soobin just wants to reassure him that everything is alright.

Taehyun lifts his head and makes eye contact with Soobin, “I just, uh, I just wanted to say thank you,” Taehyun explains. Soobin nods, understanding. He gets it, he thinks. They get each other.

Soobin pulls Taehyun into another hug. It’s uncomfortable because they’re just far apart for the two of them to have to lean awkwardly forward, but Taehyun slots himself against Soobin’s chest and rests his chin on Soobin’s shoulder so easily Soobin doesn’t mind the awkwardness.

“Okay, no more kissing until tomorrow night,” Taehyun giggles, his hands running up and down Soobin’s spine.

“Oh!” Soobin blurts out, surprised, “There’s more to come?”

“Mmm, yes.” Taehyun turns his head and presses a quick kiss to Soobin’s cheek. “If I’m allowed.”

Soobin laughs quietly and pats Taehyun back. He feels like his chest is about to burst and that the rushing in his ears will get so loud he won’t be able to hear anything other than his pounding heartbeat.

They break apart, and Taehyun lays back down, pulling the blankets all the way up to his chin as if he’s finally surrendering for the night. Soobin swings his legs back over the edge of the bed and stands up, smoothing down the blanket. He looks over at Hueningkai, who hasn’t moved a centimetre since Soobin entered the room and the eldest boy is glad he didn’t wake up during any of that. He’s glad they shared that moment just between the two of them. He wouldn’t’ve wanted it any other way.

“Okay, goodnight, come get me if you need anything. Okay?” Soobin says softly but sternly, pointing a finger at the other boy. Taehyun nods, understanding.

“Good. And we’ll let you sleep in in the morning, okay? We all know how tiring it was, so don’t worry. We’ll be here for you when you wake up,” Soobin explains.

“Hopefully Yeonjun-hyung will do just a good a job as you did,” Taehyun whispers, smiling. Soobin smiles back. He bends down and plants a kiss between Taehyun’s eyebrows.

“Okay. See you tomorrow. Or tonight. Whenever. Just have a good sleep,” Soobin reassures. He waves goodnight and shuffles backwards until he reaches the door. He slips into the dark hallway quietly, making his way into the living room. He collects the rest of his things, makes sure all of Taehyun’s things are ready for the morning and makes his way over to his room.

Beomgyu is fast asleep in the top bunk when Soobin comes in, careful not to make too much noise. It seems like he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow, completely content with how the night has gone.

Soobin wakes up with a start. He checks the time, it’s a little after ten. They all have the day off because of the procedure; their management thought it would be best to let everyone rest up for one day. But after today, they’re going to be whisked off from schedule to schedule.

Soobin changes into comfy clothes and shuffles into the living room, curious to see what everyone’s up to. He sees from across the dorm, Beomgyu eating in the kitchen while simultaneously playing some game on his phone. But sitting on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him is Taehyun, getting spoon-fed breakfast by Yeonjun. Both boys turn and greet Soobin good morning as he comes around the couch and slots himself beside Yeonjun.

Yeonjun is turned, so his back is facing Soobin’s side, so Soobin rotates himself, wrapping his arms around Yeonjun’s stomach and resting his head on Yeonjun’s shoulder, so he’s staring at Taehyun.

The younger boy seems to be doing much better than yesterday. For one thing, he seems much less drugged up, which Soobin is glad about. And he’s eating a lot, which is great. Soobin gives him a small smile, and Taehyun ducks his head down, chewing.

“Yah, he woke me up at 5:00 A.M. this morning,” Yeonjun complains, turning his head ever so slightly to the side to talk to Soobin.

“Hyunggg,” Taehyun complains, pouting, “You said you wouldn’t tell him!”

Soobin sits up, his mouth open in surprise. “But Taehyun-ah, you said you would call me if you needed help during the night!”

Yeonjun points the spoon he’s holding at Soobin as if he’s made the most fantastic argument. “Yah! Exactly! What did I say?”

“It was too early in the morning,” Taehyun grumbles, “I assumed that Yeonjun’s shift had started by then.”

Yeonjun rolls his eyes and feeds another spoonful to Taehyun while Soobin eyes the younger boy, his eyes narrowed. He’s trying to telepathically ask Taehyun why he didn’t go to him for help, but Taehyun seems to be conveniently avoiding any eye contact from Soobin. Soobin returns to Yeonjun’s shoulder and watches as Yeonjun finishes up feeding Taehyun in silence.

Soobin is still waking up and lets out a big yawn as Yeonjun puts the bowl down on their coffee table and turns to ruffle Soobin’s hair.

“How was your sleep?” he asks Soobin softly.

“Good. Thank you for letting me sleep in,” Soobin says, smiling.

“You should be thanking Taehyun. He was the one who told me you needed some more rest.”

Soobin hopes Yeonjun can’t make the pink tinting his ears and sits up, pulling his arms away from Yeonjun. The three of them sit in silence for a moment, all debating on what to do. Suddenly Yeonjun claps his hands together and jumps off the couch, standing alert.

“Okay! It’s time to put new gauze in, so I’ll go get everything ready, okay?” Yeonjun says, looking expectantly at Taehyun. The younger boy nods, pulling the blanket around his head. Yeonjun spins on his heels and marches off to the bathroom. Soobin doesn’t know if Yeonjun has done that on purpose – leaving the two of them alone like that, but judging by how perceptive the eldest member is, Soobin is entirely convinced he did. He reminds himself to interrogate Yeonjun about what he knows later in the day.

But for now, he looks over at Taehyun, a tight smile on his face.

“How did you sleep?” Soobin asks earnestly.

“Hmm, it was difficult to fall asleep because it was so weird not lying flat, but, once I got used to it, it was okay,” Taehyun says.

“Good.”

“Yeah,” Taehyun smiles, “Good.” He gets up off the couch and lets the blanket fall off of him onto a heap. Soobin realizes he’s changed clothes, and yet he’s still wearing Soobin’s hoodie. Soobin grins.

“Nice hoodie,” he comments, with a lilt in his voice. Taehyun looks down, then bites his lip, embarrassed.

“Don’t worry, you can keep it for a bit,” Soobin reassures him.

“I’ll give it back to you tonight. I promise,” Taehyun says, shoving his hands into the pockets.

Soobin nods. “Okay,” he pauses, studying Taehyun’s face, “See you tonight then.”

Taehyun sticks his tongue out before wincing. His hand flies up, and he feels his jaw before his expression hardens at the smile Soobin is trying to suppress.

“Not funny hyung. I’m still in a lot of pain,” Taehyun says seriously, pouting.

“Aww, aww, poor Taehyun, poor little baby,” Soobin cries, jumping up and trying to pull Taehyun into a hug. But the younger boy is too quick and makes a dash towards the bathroom. Except Soobin manages to catch the back of his hoodie in his grasp and pulls Taehyun into a back-hug as the younger boy squeals in surprise at getting pulled backwards.

Soobin buries his face into Taehyun’s neck, grabbing at Taehyun’s sides. Taehyun yells in protest, trying to push Soobin’s hands away before he gives up and succumbs to the hug, falling backwards into Soobin’s embrace.

“I wish I could kiss your cheek right now,” Soobin mumbles, giving Taehyun a squeeze.

Taehyun drops his voice, making it uncharacteristically low, “You’re not supposed to kiss someone until 24 hours after the procedure,” he says, imitating Soobin.

He gets the reaction he wanted from Soobin, resulting in the older member letting out a cry of embarrassment and picking Taehyun up and spinning him around the room a few times.

“Yah! I don’t sound that like at all!” Soobin lets go of Taehyun to cross his arms. “Don’t be mean,” he whines, turning away from Taehyun.

“Aww, hyung, who’s the baby now?” Taehyun teases, running around Soobin to look him in the eyes. Soobin pushes him away, but they’re both laughing.

“Okay! Go find Yeonjun, you need to put your gauze in Taehyun-ah. This is serious,” Soobin says, still giggling.

Taehyun nods, and right before leaving to go to the bathroom, he punches Soobin lightly in the chest.

“See you tonight, hyung.”