Work Text:
one.
The clatter of pots and pans reverberated through their stuffy dorm, loud chatter filling the room as seven boys rushed to set the table in celebration of their first anniversary. Hoseok cheered in excitement when he saw Seokjin emerge from the kitchen, while other members scrambled to help carry the homemade dishes to the table. It was a rare sight to see everyone relaxed and contented. They had been through so much in the past year together, their year long journey filled with blood, sweat and tears, and it was sure as hell worth a good celebration. After breaking into a celebratory tune, the boys enthusiastically wolfed down the food, compliments being thrown back and forth between the members.
Basking in the warm atmosphere, Taehyung nudged the youngest member, insistently shoving a huge serving of bulgogi onto Jeongguk’s overflowing bowl of food. Surprised, Jeongguk turned to his favourite hyung, a fond smile tugging on his lips when he was greeted by a blinding grin.
“Thanks, Tae.” Jeongguk returned the favour out of respect, engaging in a chopstick battle with Jimin for a serving of jajangmyeon — Taehyung’s favourite. Emerging victorious, Jeongguk shyly piled the noodles onto Taehyung’s bowl. Ever the drama queen, Taehyung made a big show of gripping the fabric lying above his heart, emitting a heart wrenching sob. Closing his eyes, Taehyung dramatically threw himself into Jeongguk’s lap, the latter instinctively wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s waist.
“Jeongguk, my love, what would I do without you? My knight in shining armour, the moon to my sun, the Jack to my Rose.” Taehyung exclaimed, throwing his head back to rest on Jeongguk’s shoulder. Someone (Jeongguk suspected it was Namjoon) choked, and he heard some muttering and something that sounded like a tissue box landing on the ground. But he only had eyes for one person now, and said person was comfortably seated on his lap.
Placing a hand under Taehyung’s chin and tilting his head upwards, Jeongguk ran the other hand through Taehyung’s hair (fuck, so fucking soft). “Taetae, my darling, I would scale mountains and sail across the seven seas for you. Anything for you, my one and only.” Staring into glistening brown orbs, Jeongguk refused to break eye contact as Taehyung batted his eyelashes and cooed at the younger.
The moment was unfortunately broken as a cough pierced through the silence and Yoongi cleared his throat. “Cut it out guys. Both of you are doing this so often, it’s starting to become believable.” Another choke. Seokjin.
Taehyung blinked innocently, detaching himself from his partner in crime and picking up his chopsticks. He shrugged, glancing pointedly at Yoongi. “Hyung, we’re just acting and it makes Jeongguk happy. I don’t see a problem with it.”
Yoongi said nothing, shaking his head and sighing. Jeongguk watched the exchange with bated breath.
Jimin, ever the saviour and tension breaker, piped up excitedly, “Uh, let’s eat the cake guys! Tae, help me with the plates will you?” And with that, the chatter resumed.
Smiling at his hyungs, Jeongguk delighted himself in a slice of cake while trying to ignore the flutter of butterflies in his stomach and the tight feeling constricting in his chest.
two.
“Kookie!”
A flurry of limbs and Jeongguk was forcefully tackled to the ground, giggling and writhing underneath Taehyung as both of them engaged in a tickle fight. Ever the stronger one, Jeongguk flipped their positions, pinning the lighter male to the wooden floor of the dance studio. Letting out a bark of surprise, Taehyung’s hoodie fell from his head and he gave a toothy grin, sheepishly admitting defeat to the younger.
Unrelenting, Jeongguk gripped Taehyung’s thighs using the remaining strength present in his legs, preventing the older male from moving. Taehyung squirmed, hitting Jeongguk’s butt in protest.
“Guk, get off of me! You’re so heavy.” Taehyung pouted as Jeongguk shook his head, scrunching his nose and grinning happily as he flopped on Taehyung, resting his head on his hyung’s chest.
Sighing in resignation, Taehyung petted Jeongguk’s head and similarly crumpled from fatigue on the studio floor. Jeongguk propped his head on his forearms, staring up at Taehyung through sweat-matted hair.
“Since when have you been so pretty? Last year?” Jeongguk cocked his head to the side, mischief gleaming in his eyes.
Taehyung cackled, a throaty laugh escaping his mouth. Secret Garden? Really, this kid.
“It’s now that I realise it, how beautiful a person he is.” Taehyung recited, caressing Jeongguk’s cheek which grew warmer by the second. Jeongguk gulped, unconsciously leaning into Taehyung’s touch. This was unacceptable. He had to kick it up a notch.
“Trust me. I can make a miracle happen for you.” Jeongguk whispered sensually, cupping the back of Taehyung’s neck and fuck it, giving a small body roll for the heck of it because what the fuck, they were best friends. Personal space had ceased to exist, zilch, nada.
At that moment, Taehyung’s face turned a deep shade of crimson and Jeongguk swore that he saw a glint of something else in the eyes he grew to love. But Taehyung, being Taehyung, started screaming at the top of his lungs, frantically reenacting the infamous sit up scene at a speed of ten sit ups per second.
“Jeongguk oppa! I love you so much, sign my tits!” Taehyung scrambled to sit upright, pulling off his hoodie in the speed of light and pressing his sweat drenched denim button down to Jeongguk’s face.
“Hyung, gross!” Jeongguk laughed and tried to escape from Taehyung’s clutches of death. Just like that, the moment was broken again.
As the two best friends chased each other around the dance studio, Jeongguk recognised a familiar feeling bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He reminded himself that it was just a skit, but the image of Taehyung underneath him, the expression he made, remain etched in his head.
three.
Jeongguk tossed and turned with much difficulty as he remained sandwiched between Hoseok and Seokjin on the bed in the cramped caravan. He was unable to fall asleep.
Grumbling in annoyance, Jeongguk tried to come up with a Plan B. Hypothetically, he was able to step over Hoseok without much of a problem and join Taehyung in the lower bunk. In reality, he realised with dread that Hoseok was sleeping in one of those positions, looking like a petrified puppy with his limbs suspended in the air. Hoisting his body up to a crouch, Jeongguk skilfully manoeuvred himself onto the ladder using the sheer strength of his core muscles. Balancing precariously on the edge of the bed frame, he swung off the top bunk and landed unceremoniously on top of Taehyung.
Fuck parallax error.
Praying that Taehyung was still sound asleep, Jeongguk rolled off the lump that was Taehyung and onto his back, carefully pulling a portion of the blanket over his body by slowly wrestling it out of Taehyung’s grip. He heard a soft groan and he froze, eyes widening in shock. He conveniently forgot that Taehyung was unreasonably possessive over his blanket. Fuck.
“Mm, Guk?” Taehyung’s voice was laden with sleep, deep and hoarse, like the crunch of gravel under his Timberland boots. Taehyung clumsily searched for Jeongguk’s face with an outstretched hand, making a noise of confirmation when his hand came into contact with the familiar curve of a nose and plump lips.
“Shh, Tae. Go back to sleep.” Jeongguk snuggled closer to the warmth radiating off Taehyung’s body, and if he wanted he could count the number of eyelashes on Taehyung’s face. They fluttered sleepily as Taehyung tried to decipher the situation at hand, and Jeongguk had never seen anything more endearing.
“Why are you here?” Taehyung inquired, curiosity and fondness lacing his voice.
“Couldn’t sleep.” Jeongguk mumbled. Wanted to sleep with you.
Taehyung huffed, draping an arm around the frame of Jeongguk’s body and pulling the younger towards his chest. A small smile graced his features and he nuzzled his face into Jeongguk’s hair. This was comfortable for the both of them, and Taehyung knew that the youngest member slept best when he was with his favourite hyung.
Glancing down at doe eyes, Taehyung could feel himself getting pulled in by the intense gaze. Squishing Jeongguk’s cheeks, Taehyung teased the younger, “Poor baby, couldn’t fall asleep without cuddling your favourite body pillow.”
Jeongguk whined and only hugged Taehyung tighter, fitting his head into the crook of Taehyung’s neck. “You’re the cure to my insomnia, hyung.”
Jeongguk blamed it on the tiredness, that it was just his fatigue speaking. But he knew, deep down, that he was unable to live without his best friend. Taehyung was his remedy, through and through.
“Sleep well, my love.” Taehyung whispered, before falling asleep in Jeongguk’s arms.
That night, Jeongguk dreamt of elephant moles and angelic laughter.
four.
It was hot, and Jeongguk was certain that there were still bits and pieces of sand in his eye. And in his underwear. Whatever.
They were in Dubai for filming, and Jeongguk was beyond excited. Not only was it his first time in the Middle East, but he had the opportunity to spend the short break with his favourite company. No, he was not solely referring to an eccentric male that seemed to occupy his thoughts every passing minute. Pssh.
But that was beside the point. Jeongguk was determined to stamp down these growing feelings for the sake of their friendship. Taking in the picturesque landscape of the sand dunes, Jeongguk clambered to the top of the van to get a better view.
“Jeonggukie! Can you lend a hand?”
He could recognise that voice anywhere.
Grunting, Jeongguk plastered on a stoic face and pulled Taehyung up the van. Patting down his clothes, Taehyung beamed at Jeongguk and immediately pulled the younger flush against his side. Oh boy, Jeongguk was weak. So weak.
Immediately wrapping his arm around Taehyung’s waist, the two boys stood, entranced, staring into the horizon.
“Hey, Kookie,” Taehyung said in a soft voice, “wanna act out a scene?”
There it was again, this innocent request. An innocent request that seemed to be underlined with layers of fear, trepidation and intent.
“Sure, anything for you Tae.” Jeongguk replied genuinely, squeezing the elder’s waist in confirmation.
Taehyung responded with that adorable, square-shaped grin. He motioned for Jimin to approach them, and instructed the vocalist to start singing “My Heart Will Go On” in a “soulful cantabile”.
“What the fuck guys.” Jimin rolled his eyes, but complied anyway.
Turning to Jeongguk, Taehyung asked in a deep baritone. “Do you trust me?”
Jeongguk nodded his head. “I trust you.” I trust you with my life, with my entire being. I trust you so much, Tae.
Stepping behind Jeongguk, Taehyung raised the younger’s arms and hugged his waist, resting his chin on Jeongguk’s shoulder. Jeongguk could feel Taehyung’s warm breath against his neck, and he shuddered involuntarily. His chest clenched, and his throat felt unbelievably tight.
“I’m flying, Tae.” Jeongguk whispered, loud enough for only Taehyung to hear. Jimin’s singing had long been drowned out — they were in their own little world again. Jeongguk could hear a slight hitch in Taehyung’s breath, and the arms around his waist tightened instantly, an action that was almost possessive.
Later, when they had gone back to rest after a day of non-stop filming, Jeongguk could still feel the ghost of Taehyung’s lips on his neck. It was dangerous, this game they were playing, and he had no idea how long he could continue before it was too late.
five.
They were all filming for an episode of V Fashion, decked out in Christmas sweaters, arms filled with Tiffany-blue presents as they paced around the shoot location — a bar of some sort. They were gathered around the piano, and the instructions from the director were to just “have fun, because it’s fucking Christmas”.
As if by some force of the universe, Jeongguk and Taehyung were drawn to each other, like opposite poles of the magnet. In all honesty, Jeongguk had missed his hyung a lot. Taehyung was swarmed with Hwarang promotions, and he had recently been getting closer to other idols. Minho, Bogum, Baekhyun, the list went on and on. Safe to say, Jeongguk was jealous. Pure, unadulterated jealousy. He did not blame Taehyung, who could? Taehyung was endearing and bubbly, full of energy to match his status of being a social butterfly. Then again, Jeongguk was Taehyung’s first friend in Seoul, and they had been through thick and thin together. If anyone deserved special treatment from Taehyung, it would no doubt be Jeongguk.
Shaking away his childish thoughts, the youngest member watched Taehyung from a distance, looking adorably fluffy in the oversized turtleneck sweater. Taehyung’s eyes twinkled when they made contact with Jeongguk’s, and Jeongguk unconsciously smiled. Taehyung’s joy was unbelievably contagious. Icy demeanour be damned, Jeongguk would only let his guard down in front of Taehyung.
“My favourite bunny!” Taehyung exclaimed, bouncing on his feet as he bounded towards Jeongguk’s side, engulfing Jeongguk in a warm hug.
Giggling at Taehyung’s antics, Jeongguk lovingly gave Taehyung a gentle back hug, well aware that the cameras were rolling.
“I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know…” Jeongguk sang softly in Taehyung’s ear, a rare tinkle in his voice.
“Make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you…” Taehyung replied without missing a beat, chuckling and clapping to the beat, relaxing into Jeongguk’s embrace.
It was a cliche choice of a romantic Christmas jingle, but Jeongguk was happy. Over the fucking moon. Taehyung only had eyes for him, Taehyung was his. Jeongguk might as well had already confessed his feelings to Taehyung (via a Christmas song, what the heck), and it would only be a matter of time before Taehyung noticed. He was kinda oblivious, after all.
Swaying to whatever the fuck Yoongi was playing on the piano (“Fuck, Taehyung, stop pressing random keys and ruining my screen time, you imbecile.”), Jeongguk swallowed any semblance of jealousy and nervousness that still clung to the walls of his throat. Licking his lips, Jeongguk spoke in an undertone from where he was resting by the base of Taehyung’s neck.
“Tae, stay back after the filming session. I have something to tell you.”
The hair on the back of Taehyung’s neck pricked and stood up as Jeongguk detached himself from Taehyung, the cool air hitting Taehyung like a breath of realisation.
one.
Taehyung thought it was all fun and games until shit hit the fan. He had enjoyed this, whatever it was, between him and Jeongguk. Situational skits, if you may. Taehyung was thankful to Jeongguk for putting up with his weird antics, for playing along and goofing around together. He failed to be cautious, because it seemed that the line between play pretend and genuine feelings had been removed, erased, ignored, swept under the rug. He should have seen it coming, and he cursed at himself every night for being so invested, so gullible. Stupid, stupid Taehyung, he would mumble into his pillow.
It was like a free fall, without the safety harness and gear. The fear increased exponentially, and so did the thrill. Taehyung knew he was falling hard for Jeongguk, and falling fast. He tried his best to ignore the churning of his gut whenever he noticed Jeongguk looking at him, tried to stifle the growing urge to lick the sheer, inviting expanse of the younger’s neck and then kiss Jeongguk silly. Taehyung lost count of the number of times like became love, and he chose to not acknowledge the knowing looks that Hoseok and Namjoon gave him. Heck, even Yoongi confronted him about his stifled feelings, and Taehyung was so scared. He was afraid that he would give his feelings away too easily, so he immersed himself in the time spent with his other idol friends.
Try as he might, the feeling Taehyung harboured for the younger grew steadfast, akin to a parasite that consumed his entire being.
When he felt Jeongguk’s hand on his waist, the possessive curl around his frame, the words that were being uttered from Jeongguk’s mouth, Taehyung finally knew — like a bucket of cold water dunked over his head, he knew.
Reality check, Taehyung slowed down in the midst of playing that annoying Chopsticks piano tune when he felt a warm body slide beside his own on the piano bench.
“Tae-hyung.” Jeongguk greeted quietly, almost shy, as he intertwined his hand with Taehyung’s which was resting, unmoving, on the piano keys.
“Kookie.” Taehyung turned to face the younger, an equally shy smile matching the one on Jeongguk’s face.
“Kookie,” Taehyung repeated, licking his lips nervously, “before you say anything, I have one last favour to ask of you.”
Jeongguk arched a brow, confused. He was not expecting something like this to happen.
“Sure, hyung. Anything you want.”
Taehyung gripped Jeongguk’s hand, which was still on the piano, and a dissonant chord rang through the still air.
“Can we act out one last skit?”
Relief flooded Jeongguk’s eyes as he nodded hesitantly, although he was still unsure of Taehyung’s request.
Staring into Jeongguk’s chestnut orbs and holding his gaze, Taehyung gulped and mustered any remaining courage he possessed. “I love that you get cold when it’s 71 degrees out.”
When Harry Met Sally. Jeongguk stifled a laugh and continued to fondly gaze at Taehyung. Oh, how he never changed.
“I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you’re looking me like I’m nuts.” Taehyung rambled on, the words tasting like caramel on his tongue. Sweet, but difficult to utter. Confessions were difficult.
Taehyung took a deep breath. Improvise.
“I love that after I spend a day with you, you still fall asleep by my side, and I wake up to the most beautiful sight in the world. I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night, and the first person I want to talk to when I wake up. And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s been dragging on for far too long. It’s like the moment when you slowly realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
Taehyung finished, and the silence was deafening. Taehyung knew that Jeongguk had watched the movie over twenty times, and he watched all of it with Taehyung by his side, curled up in the comfort of the ugly couch in the dorm. Taehyung was certain that Jeongguk knew. Positive.
A bright chuckle startled Taehyung from his thoughts. Jeongguk looked the happiest he had ever been, and it brought warmth to Taehyung’s already red cheeks. Suddenly, he felt too hot in the white turtleneck sweater. God.
Squeezing Taehyung’s hand, Jeongguk brought it to his lips and brushed over Taehyung’s knuckle.
“You see? That is just like you, Tae. You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you,” Pressing a kiss to Taehyung’s hand, Jeongguk cupped Taehyung’s cheek, eyes disappearing into crescents and the ever loving bunny teeth poking out from his smile.
“In fact,” Jeongguk titled his head and surged forward until he was nose to nose with Taehyung, who was anticipating with bated breath. “You’re making me fall in love with you, harder and faster than ever.”
And with that, Jeongguk sealed his confession as his eyes fluttered shut and he pressed his lips against Taehyung’s. Time seemed to stop as Taehyung immediately responded, slotting his lips to perfectly fit Jeongguk’s and raising his hand to brush Jeongguk’s cheek before cradling the back of Jeongguk’s neck. It was warm and sweet, bodies leaning close with lips moving at a slow pace. Taehyung experimentally opened his mouth and Jeongguk slid his tongue in, groaning in pleasure as Taehyung sensually sucked on his tongue. Taehyung smiled and cheekily bit Jeongguk’s lower lip, and Jeongguk pulled the elder in for another kiss in response.
Taehyung tasted like hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, like a warm fireplace accompanied by a plate of sugar cookies. Most importantly, Taehyung tasted like home, and home is where the heart is.