Work Text:
At last, Taehyung could relax.
The sun had set, his work phone was muted, and it was finally time to decompress.
With a low hum, Taehyung dropped his keys onto the table in his entry way. He toed off his outdoor shoes and slid his feet into the comfortable slippers he could plod through his home in.
Taehyung made his way to the kitchen, fiddling with his wristwatch along the way. He slid it off of his wrist with care as he walked into the room. After laying the watch on the counter, he opened his fridge. The dim light illuminated his work-worn face. He pushed some jars and packages aside to make way for what he was going to pull out; a plate with plastic wrap stretched over top. Underneath lie a mass of saucy, dark noodles. Leftovers from last night’s dinner.
On his way to the microwave, Taehyung threw an unsatisfied glance towards two bowls sitting in the sink, empty remnants from this morning’s happenings.
He’d wash them later. But for now, he had some important business to attend to.
While waiting for the food to finish heating up, Taehyung slipped a carton of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. He tapped the box against his palm while humming to harmonize with the buzz of the microwave. When the telltale ding finally rang, Taehyung perched a single cigarette behind his ear. The other cigarettes returned to their home in his pocket, and a pair of chopsticks joined the noodles on the plate.
The man carried the plate down the hallway, towards a doorway tucked away at the very end. On a hook next to the door, a single, ominous key hung from a ring. Taehyung slid it off the hook and, with practiced ease, slid it into the doorknob with his free hand.
As he pulled open the door, a set of downward stairs was revealed. Only the top half were visible in the hallway’s light. He tucked the key into his shirt pocket next to his cigarettes and began his descent.
Taehyung balanced the warm plate on his palm as he trodded down the creaky stairs. About halfway from the bottom, he reached upwards to pull a string. An old lightbulb flickered above his head before finally giving all its strength into illuminating the basement.
The light also illuminated the small figure, curled in on itself at the bottom of the stairs.
Pale skin, knobby joints, a head full of mussed black hair, and two deep brown eyes peering over his forearms.
The man hugged his knees tighter as Taehyung descended the last few stairs. With each creak of a step, the smaller man picked at his cuticles with his fingernails.
“Have you used the day to think about what you did?” Taehyung made his voice gentle, the way he’d speak to a stray dog. He crouched down on the final stair. He was closer to the man’s eye level, but still looming over him. “Huh, Yoongi?”
Without hesitation, the other man nodded silently. As he watched, Taehyung could see his own reflection in those pretty cat-like eyes he adored so much.
Yoongi’s words came out just above a whisper, “Can I come upstairs now?” His voice was weak.
Taehyung tutted softly. “Let’s not move too quickly.” He tilted the plate of food so Yoongi could see what was on it. “You’ve got to right your wrong, first.” Yoongi’s teeth chewed at his bottom lip silently. “You know you have to eat all your food, baby.” Taehyung used the chopsticks to pluck up a small piece of zucchini. “You make me worry when you won’t eat.”
Yoongi slowly unfolded his legs as Taehyung aimed the vegetable for his lips. He continued to pick at his nails while opening himself up to Taehyung.
“I’m sorry… I wasn’t hungry,” Yoongi mumbled.
Taehyung hummed in acknowledgement, though he didn’t sound sympathetic. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You can’t go skipping it on me.”
Yoongi easily opened his mouth to welcome Taehyung’s food onto his tongue.
As he chewed, the other said, “This is why I take care of you. If I don’t, you’d wither away to nothing, poor thing.” Taehyung pouted while picking up a piece of pork. He made sure to drench it in the dark sauce before guiding it to Yoongi’s waiting mouth.
Just when Taehyung tenderly placed the meat past Yoongi’s lips, the sauce smeared onto the smaller man’s lips. Taehyung’s eyes darted down to Yoongi’s tongue as it licked away the offending mess.
Though Yoongi had cleaned himself fully, Taehyung reached his hand out. With a firm thumb, he swiped at the seam where Yoongi’s bottom lip melted into his chin.
Yoongi swallowed thickly and stared up at the other man’s eyes. Taehyung wasn’t looking back into Yoongi’s eyes, but instead focused on the way his pretty pink lip stretched under the pad of his thumb. Like a perfect pillow, Yoongi’s mouth was bouncy and comfortable.
After a beat too long to be natural, Taehyung allowed the flesh to spring back into place. He finally returned Yoongi’s gaze. With his large, warm hand, he patted the other man’s cheek.
Yoongi leaned into Taehyung’s touch and his eyelashes fluttered.
“Eat.” It was a simple command from Taehyung. “All of it.”
Yoongi didn’t dare protest receiving the plate and chopsticks. While yes, he was hungry after being in the darkness at the bottom of those stairs since the morning’s argument, he was much more concerned with how Taehyung would react.
He really didn’t like making Taehyung upset. When Taehyung was happy, he made Yoongi happy.
So, Yoongi began to feed himself. He didn’t move from his spot on the concrete floor. He obediently followed directions like the good boy both he and Taehyung knew he could be.
Taehyung rose up to stand up tall above Yoongi, continuing to stare down at him with a mixed expression of sterness and affection. Just as much as Yoongi wanted to be upstairs, Taehyung wanted him there. Being mean to his baby hurt Taehyung’s heart so much.
But, if he had to do it to teach a lesson, he would.
Taehyung pulled the lonely cigarette from behind his ear. He slid a lighter from his slacks’ pocket and held the flame to the end of the cigarette.
Yoongi watched smoke rise from between Taehyung’s lips. It danced around the taller man’s head in haphazard shapes, like a coiling snake on the loose.
In return, Taehyung watched Yoongi back. As the menthol chilled his chest, he let his eyes dragged over the details of Yoongi’s precious face; his cute cheeks puffed with every slurp of the noodles. Every time he blinked, Taehyung was reminded of the pet cat he used to keep as a child. Yoongi’s knee bounced against the concrete floor. Taehyung didn’t think he knew that he did that.
But he knew all of Yoongi’s small quirks. There was the way he picked his cuticles when he was nervous. Of course there was the leg bouncing. Taehyung happened to really love it when Yoongi chewed on his pouty, pretty, pink lips.
Enamored didn’t even begin to describe their relationship, and that was why it pained Taehyung to lock Yoongi away like this.
After the final drag on his cigarette, Taehyung threw it on the floor in front of Yoongi. The smaller man watched as he crushed it with his toe, and the embers died underfoot. Yoongi forced himself to swallow the last mouthful of thick noodles. His stomach was heavy, almost uncomfortably so.
Taehyung let his eyes drop from Yoongi’s face to his empty, sauce-covered plate.
“That’s my good boy,” Taehyung murmured with a growing smile.
Yoongi shifted to stand on his knees and shuffled towards Taehyung. He ducked his head against the other man’s thigh and leaned into it gently. The warmth of Taehyung’s skin radiated against his cheek through the cotton of his pants.
The taller man smiled fondly and carded his fingers through Yoongi’s hair. “See? All better now?”
Yoongi nodded with a tiny “mhm”. He wrapped his arms around Taehyung’s leg to nuzzle it once more. The other cooed.
“I don’t like the basement, Taehyung…” Yoongi mumbled into the fabric. The dejected voice made Taehyung’s heart ache under his ribs.
“I know, baby,” he responded. “That’s why we have to follow the rules. Understand?” Taehyung placed his hand on Yoongi’s soft cheek and directed his face upwards.
Their eyes locked and Taehyung could die on the spot. He adored the way Yoongi’s brow was furrowed with adorable worry, the way his bottom lip jutted out with regret. He nodded once again into Taehyung’s thigh, sniffling once.
Taehyung tutted softly. “I think you’ve learned your lesson, hmm?”
“Yes,” Yoongi answered. He stared up at Taehyung so longingly, so hungry to get back in his good graces.
Yoongi could already feel the warm comfort of their bedsheets and a pair of warm arms cuddling him tight. After the cold, hard floor of the cellar, Yoongi was practically vibrating to go back to his rightful spot by Taehyung's side.
Taehyung smiled while running his thumb over Yoongi’s bottom lip, just once.
Then, he pulled Yoongi up to cradle him against his chest.
Taehyung led Yoongi out of the basement, and once the door was securely locked behind them, Yoongi melted into his lover’s arms again. Taehyung hushed him quietly and rocked him side to side. The smaller man buried his face into Taehyung’s chest and closed his eyes peacefully.
All worries from the morning forgotten, the two returned to what they did best: dedicating themselves to each other.