Chapter Text
It's been just over a year since Soobin moved out to Seoul for college, getting a place that he and his friend, Taehyun, would share in just a few months now when the younger graduated High School. He already had his room set up and would stay there during breaks and weekends. Soobin would really only upkeep the house and make easy food here and there when he was sick of take out or Yeonjun, a physical education major -the ace of the campus, talented in everything he does-, he befriended when he was in his freshman year of college, would visit and insisted he taught the younger to cook things so he wouldn’t get ill due to the large amounts of grease and sugar in take out.
Soobin tended to stay with Yeonjun and his dorm mate, Changbin, as he didn’t like being alone too often, as much as he did like the serenity silence brought him. After the first few weeks of Soobin sleeping on the couch or floor, Yeonjun finally dragged him to his bed one night and forcefully cuddled him to sleep. Soobin hadn’t objected to it, he was much more flustered and confused then offended or uncomfortable. In fact he hadn’t felt uncomfortable at all. This sleeping arrangement has continued since then, Soobin no longer even questioning if he should sleep elsewhere, simply changing and climbing into the side of the bed he claimed to join Yeonjun or wait for the older to join him.
Due to this, the pair had become closer, more often than not confused for a couple rather than the close friends they actually are.
It was pretty exhausting though, those that had been told about them being simply friends would often make moves on both of them; while Yeonjun could handle himself well, his consistent exercise schedule ensuring he could do so, as well as his confidence, Soobin was, although decently strong, more incapable of defending himself due both lack in physical and mental strength. That's when Yeonjun, Changbin, or one of their friends would step in, throwing an arm around the tallers waist or shoulders and dragging him away from his bold admirers, explaining that Yeonjun needed the child development major for something.
Today Soobin had gotten home late, this time returning to his actual house since it was the weekend and Taehyun had arrived nearly four hours ago, at 2pm. It's now nearing-6 o’clock.
Soobin had been working at the daycare; Kim Jihyun, being picked up last as usual. His mom worked at a super busy idol company where she would stay late to fix coworkers mistakes in documents and help touch up edits on videos. As much as she cared for her son, it being obvious, the boy felt like a burden to his mom.
It hurt Soobin’s heart every time he had to explain to the woman why the kid's face was red and puffy. The young boy only opened up to him, according to the daycare directors. It hurt Soobin’s heart knowing that while the kid is still attending that daycare he’ll be moving on to teaching a preschool class or hopefully running his own daycare, leaving him with no one to talk to.
He really bonded with the kid and saw him as a little brother.
Entering the two story rented house he slips off his shoes and shoulders off his bag, sighing in exhausting as soon as his body hit the couch.
“You dead?”
Simply giving the younger brunette a groan in response, Soobin wraps his arms around a throw pillow on the couch.
“Kimchi and Japchae or sushi?”
The elder contemplates for a moment before showing Taehyun two fingers as a response.
“Sushi it is. Same as usual?”
A hum is all the younger needed to know what the older wanted, ordering the food from the usual take out place before flopping down on top of his older friend. A grunt leaving the college student on impact.
“What happened? Trouble in paradise?”
Soobin reaches back barely able to land a hit on the younger’s hip, “not dating, and no. Just a long day.”
“Usual flirts? Jihyun?”
With a nod Taehyun sighs, as much as he wants to yell at the elder for letting those guys get too close to him for comfort he knows it wouldn’t help, only deter his confidence more. Instead he sits up, straddling the tallers back massaging his tense shoulders.
“You really have to stop letting those guys get so close. Try to set some boundaries, yeah? Just build up to it, hyung. I don’t like hearing about how they treat you like an object, god knows you’ve been through enough shit in 20 years for the rest of your life.”
Soobin smiles slightly, the younger was always so supportive of him and understanding of his fear of confronting people, as well as his overall battle with mental illness and trauma. The younger was one of the only people, along with his dear baby cousin, Kai, to know why he was so timid and scared to speak up.
His father had been an abusive drunk; he sobered up a little over time, which Soobin had overestimated as his dad finally willing to be a father figure to him. He had gotten closer to him little by little after his dad was half a year clean of drinking and verbally and physically abusing him and his mom. Eventually he thought they became close enough to confess his sexuality to him, and immediately it went back to how it used to be, probably even worse, especially the verbal abuse towards Soobin. He always knew he shouldn’t have been so naive, but who could blame him, he just wanted his dad’s love for once and he thought he saw the chance to have it.
Since then he’s just kept everything to himself, it started with not wanting to burden his dear mother with his issues, which just grew into an unhealthy habit of just not talking to anyone about his issues. Taehyun, soon after befriending the quiet, taller boy, noticed and quickly made sure the older knew he would be free to talk with him whenever, despite being in different cities, that's when he was first informed of Soobin’s home life.
Taehyun was proud to say that he was the reason Soobin’s useless piece of shit father was arrested for domestic violence. He was also proud to say that he was also the reason Soobin was healing little by little, thanks to the help of Yeonjun and Kai.
“Okay. I’ll try, Taehyunnie.”
“And for Jihyun, just keep doing whatever you’re doing, because obviously he thinks you're like a saint or something. Not sure how he got that though.”
Soobin turns onto his back, holding the younger steady as he turns, despite him lifting himself onto his knees to give the elder room. With a stupid grin Soobin swats at the younger as soon as he settles back down on his stomach. Taehyun wears the biggest shit eating grin on his face.
“You never can stick to one theme, can you?”
“I'm a guy of wide variety, hyungie,” he says teasingly, “now, I demand cuddles before food gets here and you get too distracted to love me.”