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Namjoon almost didn’t hear the soft knock on his door. It was nearly three in the morning and a thunder storm was raging outside, the howling wind and driving rain nearly drowned out the timid sound. It had started off quietly and Namjoon was about to ignore it but the persistent tapping continued and grew louder. With a groan Namjoon hauled himself off the couch where he had accidently fallen asleep on only a few hours before.
The TV, which he had left on, was showing the end of some crappy horror movie, a woman’s unconvincing screams filled the room. Fumbling for the remote Namjoon managed to silence the TV as he felt around for his phone.
The obnoxiously bright screen told him that it was almost a quarter past three and he wondered who the hell would want to see him at this hour. Standing up he stretched, rolling his neck, his stiff joints popping. The knocking continued and it was slowly becoming more frantic which set alarm bells shrieking in Namjoon’s head. He was too tried for this, if it was some kind of burglar he wouldn’t be able to stop him. Then again what kind of burglar knocked on the door at three in the morning? An Inconsiderate burglar, Namjoon thought blearily as he stumbled in the direction of the door, that’s who.
He had reached the door and the knocking still hadn’t stopped. At this rate the neighbours could probably hear it. A loud crash of thunder sounded suddenly accompanied by a blinding flash of lightening that illuminated his cluttered apartment for a second before plunging it into darkness once again.
The knocking faltered and was it his exhausted imagination or did he just he a startled squeak from the other side of the door? Now Namjoon’s curiosity began to outweigh his suspicion. If it was a burglar they didn’t sound very tough, even though he was still half asleep Namjoon reckoned he could take them.
The knocking had started up again, sounding even more desperate than before and it was starting to give Namjoon a headache, not helped by the storm outside. He opened the door after a couple of attempts to find the handle in the dark.
To his surprise and relief there was no burglar standing on his doorstep to rob him but rather a slim figure seemingly wrapped in a thick duvet. At the sight of some strange, blobby dark figure looming over him Namjoon almost let out a startled cry but he managed to contain himself.
He opened his mouth to demand and explanation when the blanketed figure began to speak. The words were rushed and Namjoon was having a difficult time deciphering what was being said. He was able to make out something about the thunder but the rest of it was lost in a stream of babble. The voice was deep but wavered with fear and it took a moment for Namjoon to place it.
‘Wait a second, Taehyung?’ Namjoon asked as his hand felt blindly for the light switch. He found it and flicked the lights on, yellow glow spilling out into the dark hallway. Namjoon squinted in the sudden light trying to peer under the hood created by the blanket that hid the figure, whom he was 99 per cent sure was his gorgeous neighbour Taehyung.
The endless stream of chatter ceased for the first time since Namjoon had opened the door. Taehyung removed the blanket from his head revealing his frightened face. His dark eyes were wide with fear and glistened with tears. His lower lip trembled and worry shot through Namjoon.
‘Taehyung what’s wrong?’ he asked, surprised and suddenly quite awake. He and Taehyung weren’t exactly close but in fairness they had only been neighbours for a couple months. Namjoon had moved in across the hall and had been so busy trying to settle into his life and hadn’t had time to pay any attention to his bright, bubbly, really cute neighbour, as much as he would have liked to. They were on friendly enough terms but it was definitely more of the ‘nod and smile as we happen to bump into each other and maybe even say hello’ close and not so much the ‘turning up on your doorstep at way-too-early o’clock practically in tears’ kind of close.
‘Well it’s really embarrassing-,’ Taehyung started letting out a nervous little chuckle, his voice still wobbly but thankfully he was speaking at a normal pace.
But before he could go on another deafening peel of thunder tore through the sound of the heavy rain and Taehyung flinched violently letting out a small squeal of terror and burrowing deeper into his blanket like a tortoise startled back into its shell. Something clicked in Namjoon’s head and he reached out tentatively to place a hand on Taehyung’s trembling shoulder.
‘Are you afraid of the storm?’ he asked in a gentle voice that was still slightly husky from sleep. From within the blanket Taehyung nodded sadly, his eyes screwed up tight, jaw clenched.
‘I’m sorry’ he began again, speaking quickly but this time Namjoon was able to take in what he was saying. ‘god, I know this is so embarrassing and childish and I don’t want to impose or anything but I can’t be alone in the storm and usually jimin’s there but he’s away tonight and the phone lines are down so I can’t even call my grandma and I’m sorry but I’m really scared can I please stay with you? Just for one night, I promise I just don’t want to be alone.’ He finished talking with another yelp as another roll of thunder crashed across the sky. Namjoon blinked down at Taehyung who was looking up at him with large, scared, pleading eyes.
It was a strange request, no doubt about it, they were practically strangers but something about the way Taehyung was staring at him and how clearly afraid he was of the storm outside that caused Namjoon to open his door fully and step aside gesturing for Taehyung to come in.
‘Thank you!’ Taehyung exclaimed as he rushed to shuffle inside, blanket trailing after him. ‘I really appreciate this, you don’t know how awful it was being alone over there,’ Taehyung gushed babbling again but this time he sounded much happier.
Not sure what to say Namjoon followed after him smiling to himself as Taehyung hopped on the old couch, blanket pooling around him.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Namjoon murmured sleepily as he too settled beside Taehyung on the couch, the worn cushions sinking beneath him. A silence settled over them, it wasn’t awkward silence exactly but it was one Namjoon found hard to fill. Taehyung was obviously distracted by the storm, sitting so tense next to him, jumping every time thunder sounded outside.
Namjoon picked up the remote from where he had left it on the armrest. Flicking through the channels he settled on an old kid’s movie he had loved when he was younger. He was about to move passed it when Taehyung told him to stop.
‘I love that movie,’ he said, his eyes lighting up as he beamed over at Namjoon, his smile so wide and bright Namjoon actually had to blink, ‘I haven’t seen it in years.’ He sighed wistfully, ‘I wouldn’t mind watching it, if that’s okay with you, that is.’
‘Fine by me,’ Namjoon said, putting the remote down and leaning back. He jumped slightly when Taehyung placed his head on his shoulder before relaxing again, enjoying the solid warmth of Taehyung by his side.
The movie, it turned out, was more background noise than anything else, allowing Taehyung to distract himself from the thunder outside. It became clear that he wasn’t really paying attention to the TV as about five minutes into the movie he began to chat to Namjoon.
To Namjoon’s delight the conversation flowed easily between the two and he found that he and Taehyung had quite a bit in common, they both loved music and before Namjoon realised it was nearly four in the morning and they were still discussing who was better kayne or jay-z.
When Taehyung let out a big yawn half way through his sentence Namjoon decided it was time for bed. Taehyung sleepily agreed and followed him back to his bedroom.
‘Sorry for the mess,’ he said as he flicked on the light and Taehyung just waved his hand tiredly.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ he muttered as he shuffled towards the bed before collapsing on his in a puffy blanket heap, one of his legs poking out from beneath the duvet. ‘Mine’s worse anyways.’
Namjoon hovered in the doorway for a second, unsure of what to do with himself. Eventually he switched off the light and was about to leave with a final good night when Taehyung looked up from his blanket.
‘You’re not going to stay?’ he asked surprise and some of the fear creeping back into his voice and Namjoon realised the storm was still raging outside.
‘Do you want me stay?’ he asked, heart pounding. He had always found Taehyung attractive, ever since he had first moved in but the past hour or so of talking to him showed Namjoon that he really liked Taehyung beyond his looks. They hadn’t spoken for a very long time but Namjoon already felt as though he had known him for years. And now Taehyung was looking at him again with pleading eyes, his hair adorably rumpled asking him to stay.
Taehyung nodded and Namjoon wondered if that was a blush he saw in the dim light from the hallway. He climbed into bed behind Taehyung wrapping his arms comfortably around the younger boy’s middle pulling him closer, resting his head in his hair, which smelled of strawberries.
After a few minutes of lying quietly, Taehyung’s breath evened out and Namjoon was sure he had fallen asleep when his deep voice spoke up.
‘Thank you,’ he said, sounding sleepy but sincere, ‘I’m really grateful you’re doing this. Usually I can just cuddle with jiminie but he’s out of town this week, so thanks.’ Namjoon was pretty sleepy himself so he blamed his next words on fatigue.
‘Jimin?’ he murmured against Taehyung’s hair, ‘is he your boyfriend or something?’
Taehyung snorted, ‘try best friend,’ he said then sighed before continuing. ‘No, I’m afraid I am horribly single.’
‘Oh? Namjoon hummed, ‘why’s that?’
‘I’m in love,’ Taehyung said sighing again, this time more dramatically. ‘It’s a really sad story actually, I fell in love with this guy at first sight, head over heels you know. I wanted to talk to him but never got the chance. I see him around but we’ve just never had the opportunity to talk. He’s never really noticed me’
‘That is sad,’ Namjoon agreed, tightening his arms around Taehyung’s waist pulling his even closer, for comfort and support of course, ‘how long have you known this guy?’ he asked ignoring the jealousy that burned at the back of his throat.
‘I don’t know,’ Taehyung replied casually, running his long fingers absentmindedly over Namjoon’s knuckles, ‘I’d say a couple months now. I can’t be sure though, ever since he moved into the apartment across from mine the days have just been a blur.’
It took Namjoon’s tired brain way longer than it should have to catch up with what Taehyung had just said. The guy he’d had a crush on for the past few months had moved next door to him? That sounded awfully familiar.
‘Wait a minute,’ he said, sitting bolt upright, jolted out of his tired stupor, ‘are you saying you have a crush on me?!’
‘No,’ Taehyung said sarcastically, a smile playing on his lips as he rolled over to look at Namjoon, ‘I’m talking about that seventy year old man who lives in 203.’
Namjoon blinked, ‘wait what?’
Taehyung let out a little laugh as he sat up so that he was face to face with him and before Namjoon could fully register what was happening Taehyung had moved in and was kissing him. It as a soft chaste kiss and Namjoon wanted nothing more than to lean back into it once Taehyung pulled away.
‘Of course it’s you, dummy, ’Taehyung said and laughed as Namjoon gently smacked the side of his head. They lay back down, Namjoon once again wrapping his arms around Taehyung who was facing him. He took a moment to marvel at how cosily Taehyung fit in his arms, like he belonged there.
‘I’ve liked you too, you know,’ Namjoon said quietly and Taehyung, whose eyes were already closed, just smiled and hummed happily burying his face into Namjoon’s chest, hearing his steady heartbeat.
‘I’m glad,’ he mumbled as they both drifted off, falling slowly into a fitful slumber, completely oblivious to the storm that roared outside their own little world.