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Yoongi hated the in between. Stuck somewhere between the freedom of graduation and the looming responsibilities of life climbing the ladder to independent success. The final summer. He lay in bed, listening to the night sounds, dreading each passing minute that slipped past, paralyzed with indecision on how to make the most of this precious time. The night was calm, barely a breeze to stir his indecision.
As they always did, his thoughts turned to Taehyung. He was stuck there, too. Something more than a friend. Late night kisses, lingering touches, friendly games that devolved into tickle fights and wrestling matches, limbs tangled, hearts pounding, breathless. But no more than that.
While studying together, the difference in their ages had seemed to settle around them like a constant reminder that Yoongi would be moving on soon. So they remained not quite lovers, though the potential was there. It screamed in the silence and filled each pause. He didn’t want to push. He was afraid to startle Taehyung, his wide eyes full of innocence in painful contrast to his sweet mouth, darting tongue, bottom lip full and pink trapped between white teeth.
That was a between Yoongi didn’t mind. He wanted to slide his tongue between those soft lips, settle his hips between Taehyung’s long legs, erase maybe and what if. Replace daydreams with memories. Check off a long list of firsts.
He drifted between sleep and waking. His thoughts tangled, twisted, wove memory and dreams together.
Taehyung was a lion playing basketball with him. Yoongi cracked a joke about the obvious choice between shirts and skins. Taehyung roared fiercely and Yoongi shivered, tears falling from his eyes.
Taehyung was a mermaid, catching Yoongi’s tears and throwing them back to the sea as pearls.
Taehyung was dancing, a long stand of pearls draped around his neck, swinging deliciously against his bare skin, pale and glowing in contrast to the golden contours of his chest.
Yoongi woke with reluctance, shreds of dreams clinging tenaciously as he scrunched his face and rubbed his eyes. The light was still soft, lilac and gray, somewhere between night and dawn. He pressed his elbows into the bed, arching his back and flopping back with a satisfied grunt.
“You’re adorable.” Yoongi sat up and blinked. Taehyung was at the window, head resting in his hands, face framed between the curtains.
“You’re early,” he grumbled. “Like, seriously early. What time is it?” Taehyung shrugged.
“I was bored so I went for a walk. Ended up here. I’m coming in.” He pushed the curtains aside and pulled himself through the window with practiced ease.
“No. No, Tae. It’s too early to get up. Please.” He shook his head, willing this to be a dream, wishing himself back to sleep.
“So don’t get up.” Yoongi lifted his eyebrows as Taehyung crossed the room and lifted the covers. “Scoot over.” This must be a dream. A vivid, desperately realistic dream. Taehyung crawled in, fitting himself between Yoongi and the wall, tangling their legs together, closing the space between them.
Yoongi closed his eyes and willed his heart to slow down, struggling to keep his breathing even. He felt light headed, drunk on the heat crowding the room, the press of Taehyung’s hands against his back, foreheads touching as they shared a pillow.
They’d been here before. Not quite chastely intertwined, tense and uncertain. The light crept from purple to gold, casting pale shadows on Taehyung’s face. Yoongi leaned back and reached out to trace them across his eyebrows, down the long line of his nose, resting his fingers against those perfect lips. Taehyung’s nervous habit of licking his lips kicked in, but when his tongue met Yoongi’s fingers, they both gasped.
Neither pulled away, eyes locked. Taehyung’s lips stayed parted, his breathing shallow. Yoongi leaned forward, sliding his hand across to cup Taehyung’s cheek, leaving his thumb to caress the full bottom lip he’d dreamt about so often. He felt Taehyung swallow sharply before opening his mouth with careful precision, his tongue stroking Yoongi’s thumb before his soft lips closed around it, sucking gently. His eyes never left Yoongi’s and they were hardly innocent now, thick lashes on heavy lids blinking lazily. Yoongi slowly pulled his thumb out, drawing a ragged breath. There was just too much between them. Too much heat, uncertainty, need… clothing.
Before he could over think things or talk himself out of it, he sat up and pulled his shirt over his head. Sitting back on his heels, trying not to be embarrassed, he stared down at Taehyung, waiting. This was new. Not that he’d never gone shirtless in front of him before, but not like this. Not when he felt every inch of exposed skin like a banner declaring himself halfway between clothed and naked, the intent bringing color to his cheeks.
Taehyung sat up slowly, reaching out a slender hand to trace the curve of Yoongi’s clavicle. His eyes were lowered now, fixed on the expanse of skin, paler than his, and Yoongi delighted in the contrast between Taehyung’s golden hands and the lighter curve of his own shoulder. Taehyung leaned forward to place a kiss there, just where his shoulder joined the smooth column of his throat.
It was a not quite chaste kiss, somewhere between just pressing his lips to the tender skin and letting his tongue and teeth leave the mark Yoongi was dying for him to press into that smooth, pale skin. Taehyung pulled back to look into his eyes. The sun was still sliding up, not enough light to create a full halo behind him, not enough shadows to hide the desperate look on his face. Taehyung smiled, encouraged, and let his hands drop to his lap. He held the hem of his shirt in his fingers, keeping his eyes on Yoongi as he tilted his head to the side and bit his lip, hoping the question was clear.
Yoongi moved faster than he would have thought possible for his sleepy state, but Taehyung barely had time to draw a breath before Yoongi was drawing his shirt up over his head and pressing him back to the pillows. Yoongi’s hands moved up his ribs, then back down as he traced the soft places between his hips and his belly button. He leaned forward to press their chests together, to kiss the underside of Taehyung’s jaw, and when Taehyung arched his back, leaning his head back to give Yoongi better access, Yoongi growled and brought a hand up to tangle in Taehyung’s hair.
“Tell me,” he whispered against his throat, unwilling to let even a millimeter of space between his lips and Taehyung’s sweet skin. “Was this what we planned to do today?” His voice was still rough from sleep, but the deep rasp was perfect, sending shivers along Taehyung’s spine. They were tipping the scales, the careful balance between friends and lovers about to come crashing down.
Taehyung placed his hands on Yoongi’s hips, long fingers curving around his hip bones, exerting gentle pressure. His voice wasn’t much more than a whisper in response, rumbling so low it was more felt than heard, but it was enough. “Of course.”