forty || freefall back to reality

✧˖*°࿐

THUD!

Taehyun groaned loudly the moment his body had hit the cold, hard ground. The impact rattling through his body as his chest ached, the air knocked out of his lungs as he stayed sprawled on the floor.

He winced, his body protesting as he slowly pushed himself up, rubbing the back of his neck. His vision swam for a moment before everything began to clear up.

Wait.

The air... something about the air felt different. It wasn't heavy or tinged with that strange, magical hum anymore. It was crisp. Normal. The kind of air that didn't come with random bursts of glitter or talking animals.

His heart skipped a beat as realization crept in. His wide eyes darted around, taking in his surroundings. Bookshelves. A clean floor. Fluorescent lighting that hummed softly overhead.

Holy shit.

"This..." He whispered, his voice shaky as he sat up straighter, looking at the row of books in front of him. "No... no way- this- the library..."

For a brief moment, he sat there in silence, basking in the sight of the familiar old library that they had walked into just before they were sent into the fairytale world. His breath hitched as his gaze darted down to his own body. No strange fur. No prince's outfit. No magical remnants of that surreal nightmare - just him, plain and ordinary.

And then, the dam broke.

"We're home!" He shouted, the words spilling out in a rush as his chest filled with overwhelming relief. "We're fucking home! Holy shit! We're back we're back we're back!"

Taehyun's entire body vibrated with excitement, his hands trembling as he shot to his feet. He spun in place, eyes taking in every familiar, dusty corner of the ancient library. Never in his life had he been so happy to see this stingy, old place - the same one he'd have to clean spotless by the end of the week.

For a second, he thought he might actually scream, jump, and dance, but a groan nearby cut through his thoughts. His head whipped around, spotting Beomgyu sprawled out on the floor, blinking up at him like a dazed deer caught in headlights.

"Beom!" Taehyun practically lunged towards the elder, kneeling down next to him as he grabbed onto his shoulders and started shaking him like crazy. "Get up! Get up! We're back, we're back in the real world- we're home! Hyung- get up!"

Beomgyu let out a groggy groan, his face scrunching in pain as he tried to sit up. Every inch of his body ached from the brutal landing after that damn rabbit hole spat them out.

"Tyun!" Beomgyu hissed out a deep pained breath when the younger hit his head. "Calm down- calm down! Are you sure we're actually home?"

Taehyun stared at him for a second, a blank look on his face as he looked around one more time and confirmed to himself it was the library they were in before falling into the fairytale world and that they really are home, that's what Beomgyu said while they were falling down the hole anyway!

"I'm serious!" Taehyun nearly shouted, shaking him harder, trembling in pure joy- shit he might just start crying from waking up inside of a library instead of some shabby castle. "Get your dumbass up and look around, hyung! We're home!"

After hearing those words, Beomgyu's eyes had snapped open properly. Slowly sitting up as his face twisted into confusion, looking around before he glanced back at Taehyun who was smiling widely.

"No way..." He muttered under his breath when he saw the familiar vase that he had broke on the floor which was... somehow fixed...? "No fucking way!"

"Yes, way!" Taehyun exclaimed, practically bouncing in place.

Beomgyu slowly stood up, breathing in the musty air of the old library, letting the familiar scent of dusty books and aged paper wash over him. He glanced down at Taehyun, whose face was practically glowing with joy, tears shimmering in his eyes from the sheer relief of being back.

For a moment, they both just stood there, taking it all in, before Beomgyu broke into a wide grin and instantly wrapped his arms around the younger.

"Holy shit, Tyun!" Beomgyu exclaimed, his voice full of excitement. He lifted Taehyun off the ground, and the younger eagerly wrapped his arms around his neck as Beomgyu spun them around, laughing. "Oh my god- we're home! No more fuck ass fairytales and random ass shit- we're back in this damn library!"

Taehyun laughed loudly, his face practically hurting from how wide he was smiling when Beomgyu picked him up and spun them around, the two of them cheering loudly until Beomgyu gently placed him down - gently cupping his face as he stared at him.

"I'm so glad I'm not staring at a damn furry anymore," Beomgyu muttered, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against his. "It was actually kinda scary, you taller than me? Fucking wack."

Taehyun scoffed loudly, shoving Beomgyu away with a playful roll of his eyes. "Shut up, Choi." He said, shaking his head, still smiling despite himself.

Beomgyu laughed loudly, the rush of euphoria and happiness dawning upon him until his smile slowly started to fade away - a different, unreadable look forming on his face when he realized something.

"Wait..." He gently said, his voice slowly filling with suspicion. "This... this feels too good to be true."

Taehyun froze mid-bounce. "What?"

Beomgyu narrowed his eyes, now on full alert as he held Taehyun tighter in a protective manner. "What if this is some kind of trick? Like- like another fairytale that looks similar to the library we're in?"

"It literally said five fairytales-"

" - Yes, but sweetheart," Beomgyu muttered softly, the nickname making Taehyun weak. "Listen to me, we both saw how crazy that fairytale world is and how bitchy that golden letter was - this could be a trick- fuck fuck fuck, quick! Do I look weird?"

Taehyun raised an eyebrow. "Uhm... no?"

"Do I- Do I look like I'm some sort of prince?"

Taehyun glanced down at the outfit he was wearing, the black sweater and sweatpants combo he wore before they went into the fairytale world, just missing the headphones around his neck since they flew somewhere.

"Uhm, no, you're wearing the same outfit you were wearing before we fell in the rabbit hole...?"

"Okay, okay okay," Beomgyu breathed out, trying to calm down. "Okay, last question: Am I... Am I still handsome?"

The question rang out in the air, Taehyun staring at him in disbelief and blinking a few times before he scoffed loudly, shoving Beomgyu's hands off of him. "You've officially lost it, man."

"I'm- I'M JUST SAYING!" Beomgyu argued, his paranoia kicking into overdrive as he watched Taehyun look at the ground in search for something. "What if this is like... a secret bonus fairytale? An epilogue test- what if another fucking giant squid appears?!-"

"Calm down!" Taehyun snapped, rolling his eyes at the elders paranoia, even though it was starting to make him have second thoughts. "I'm certain that this isn't another fairytale," He paused, eyes narrowing as they landed on something familiar. "If it was, would this be here?"

Beomgyu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he watched Taehyun bend down, picking up something off of the floor that wasn't too far from them, standing up straight as he held it up triumphantly, smiling widely as if he had just discovered treasure.

"Your..." Beomgyu asked, his mouth running dry at the object he hasn't seen in such a long time. "Your phone...?"

"My phone!" Taehyun repeated, practically squealing with excitement to see his phone once again, god he missed it so much! "This means we're really back, hyung, we're back in the real world with our real friends - not some messed up versions of them!"

God, he hopes it's the actual real world, he might start crying if he sees Yeonjun or Huening Kai as some fucked up animal or object.

Beomgyu stared at him for a brief moment before tilting his head back, running his hands over his face as he breathily laughed. "My god, I can't believe it- we're back, we're actually back, it felt like we were in there for months! Wait... Tyun, do you still love me? Don't tell me it was only fairytale feelings!"

Taehyun glanced up at the elder for a moment, his eyes softening. "Of course I do love you," He said, turning the device on as the screen lit up. "All of my feelings were-"

When Taehyun suddenly cut himself off, a wave of anxiety washed through Beomgyu once the younger turned on the phone, the end of his answer remaining in the air as he nervously walked closer. "What? What- you can't just leave it off like that!"

Taehyun's smile faltered when he stared at the screen, blinking at it as if it he had just saw the most randomest, wildest, thing ever.

"What? What is it?" Beomgyu asked, now on edge again. "Did something magical happen? Did it say something like 'three days left before eternal doom' or-"

"Beomgyu," Taehyun interrupted, his voice shaking slightly.

"What?! What's wrong, Kang?!"

"It's... you... you know how you said... it felt like we were in the fairytale for months...?" Taehyun nervously said, looking up at the elder who nodded with the same nervousness. "It's- It's... only 1 am..."

There was a long pause.

The both of them stared at each other in shock, Beomgyu's jaw dropping agape just a little as he slowly tilted his head - disbelief washing over his face as he glanced down at the screen and saw that he was right. It was only one in the morning.

...no fucking way.

"No way," Beomgyu breathed out, grabbing onto the phone as if it was telling the wrong time. "There's no damn way! I swear- it's been weeks... months! Since we fell into that fairytale land, don't tell me- it's only been five fucking hours since we were gone?!"

"Each fairytale was only an hour in the real world," Taehyun muttered in disbelief, the concept of time all messed up in his head now, he felt like he aged five decades in just five hours. "We were stuck in that hellhole for what it felt like months and this entire time, worrying about us going missing, we've been gone for five damn hours!"

It was unbelievable, really.

Taehyun groaned loudly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The weeks of torment, the endless days of battling through those cursed fairytales - it all boiled down to just five hours in the real world. A part of him felt relieved; at least they hadn't been missing long enough to spark a full-blown panic. But still, the absurdity of it all left him reeling.

Speaking of panic...

Shit, shit, shit. I should check in on Yeonjun and Huening. Taehyun's thoughts raced as he instinctively tuned out Beomgyu's escalating rant in the background. Unlocking his phone, he opened their group chat and pressed the call button. His heart pounded as it rang. Please be okay, please be okay - how the hell do I even explain all of this to them?!

Beomgyu glanced at him mid-rant, his brow furrowed. "Are you even listening to me? Tyun, this is important! What if time resets us to another-"

"Shut up, hyung," Taehyun snapped, his voice shaking as the call connected. "I'm trying to figure out if our friends think we've disappeared off the face of the earth."

Thank god Beomgyu stayed quiet after his request. Taehyun pressed the phone to his ear, his breathing shallow as the call rang out. His anxiety mounted when it went to voicemail. He immediately redialed. Once, twice, three times - his heart pounding harder with each failed attempt.

On the fifth call, someone finally picked up

"Kang Taehyun!" He heard Yeonjun's voice from the other side, both groggy and angry as if he had just woken up. "It is one in the fucking morning, what the fuck are you calling us for?!"

"Yeah!" Huening Kai came through now, but his voice was more calmer yet irritated unlike Yeonjun's outburst. "We have damn classes in the morning, and I really don't want to hear what kind of bullshit Beomgyu pulled on you, let me sleep!"

Taehyun felt frozen when he heard the sounds of his friends voices, his breath shaky as he felt a wave of emotions wash through him - nearly bursting out in tears when he realized that they were normal, they were fine!

Wait...

"Yeonjun hyung," Taehyun croaked out, his voice breaking. "You're- You're not a mouse right? Please don't tell me you're a mouse or a fucking fairy again! Do you feel weird? Is there anything abnormal about you do you-"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Yeonjun cut him off, his voice bristling with irritation. "A mouse? A fairy? Taehyun, go to sleep! You woke me up just to ask if I'm a mouse?!"

"I just had to make sure-"

"Tomorrow, Taehyun!" Yeonjun snapped. "We'll talk tomorrow. Goodnight!"

"Yeah, goodnight, Taehyun!" Huening Kai said.

With that, the call disconnected, leaving Taehyun standing there, clutching his phone. A shaky laugh escaped his lips, tears finally spilling down his cheeks. They were fine. Everything was fine.

After a little bit, Taehyun quickly wiped his tears and looked over at Beomgyu who was smiling at him, the two of them staring at each other until he ran towards the elder and immediately wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tight.

"Thank you," He breathed out, burying his face into the crook of his neck. "Without you, I wouldn't be here right now - I-I'm so happy to finally be home with you."

Beomgyu smiled and hugged him tighter. "I should be thanking you," He mumbled softly. "You saved me in ways that you don't even know, but we did promise right? We would go home together and now we are home!"

It felt unreal, they walked into this library with nothing but hatred and detestation against one another. Arguing loudly and pushing each other into bookshelves after one tiny little mistake happened, only for them to be sucked into the most horrific adventure of a life time.

But now...? Here they were, hugging each other and holding one another close, ready to leave this crazy ass library and head home to finally see their friends and live a normal life.

"Are you going to call Soobin?" Taehyun asked, pulling away as he looked up at the elder who stared at him like he was his entire world. "You don't want to check up on him and hope he's not some crazy horse again?"

Beomgyu shuddered at the thought, horse Soobin leaving a big traumatizing impact on him. "I'll... I'll talk to him when we're in school, I need time to like... debrief and calm down after returning back since we were practically fighting for our life in every fairytale for what felt like weeks."

Taehyun nodded, relief washing over him like a warm wave. They were back. They were in the real world. Their friends were okay, and there were no more fairytale nightmares to endure.

But then, something hit him.

"Shit!" Taehyun gasped, shoving Beomgyu aside.

"What?!" Beomgyu stumbled back, his confusion evident.

"The library - our punishment!" Taehyun practically yelled, pacing in agitation.

For a moment, he had forgotten. The entire reason they were in this mess was because they had been punished - tasked with cleaning the entire library from top to bottom by the end of the week. Their council roles depended on it. And now? The mess they had left behind before being sucked into the rabbit hole was bound to be a disaster zone.

Except... it wasn't.

Taehyun froze, his eyes scanning the area around them. He expected to see chaos-shattered glass, scattered books, the aftermath of their magical misadventure. But instead, everything was... pristine.

The aisle they were standing in was spotless. Books were neatly shelved, the floor gleaming as though it had been freshly polished. There was no sign of the massive rabbit hole that had dragged them into weeks (or hours?) of misery.

"What the..." Taehyun muttered under his breath, suspicion creeping into his voice.

Slowly, he began walking further down the aisle, his sharp eyes darting around. Beomgyu trailed behind him, picking up his phone and headphones from where they had fallen.

As they wandered through the library, Taehyun's disbelief grew.

"What the hell?!" he exclaimed, stopping in his tracks as they reached the reading area.

The tables, which had been buried in dust and disarray, were now spotless. The entire area sparkled, practically glowing in the dim library lighting.

"This - this was covered in dust the last time I saw it! No way!" Taehyun turned to Beomgyu, his voice rising with urgency. "Hyung, go upstairs and check the bookshelves or anything!"

Beomgyu blinked, momentarily stunned until he got the memo right away, nodding his head as he rushed out of the area and went to the staircase to inspect the second floor.

After around thirty minutes of inspecting the entire building, the both of them met with each other at the front of the library, both of them out of breath after practically running around the entire building to confirm whether Taehyun's suspicions were true or not.

"It's all clean," Beomgyu breathed out, rushing towards the younger after running back downstairs. "The shelves, the tables, everything is cleaned! Even the books that needed to be rearranged and everything, they're all clean."

"Same as downstairs," Taehyun said, putting his phone away. "Everything is clean, it's... it's kinda freaky - do you think it has something to do with the rabbit hole that opened up?"

Beomgyu hummed out softly, thinking hard before shrugging. "I mean... It's certainly impossible to clean this entire building too to bottom in just five hours, but isn't this good for us?"

"Huh?"

"Think about it!" Beomgyu exclaimed, his face lighting up with excitement. "The whole place is spotless, and that was our punishment, right? If we didn't get this done by the end of the week, we'd be kicked off the council! Whatever this magic nonsense was, it actually helped us out. We're safe, Tyun! No more hours of scrubbing!"

The words that processed through his mind took a little bit to load, but when he finally realized the depth of what had happened, he smiled widely and sighed loudly in relief, knowing that they won't have to go to the library anymore, coming back here might make him cry - what if they get sucked into another fairytale world?

But... the only bad thing is that... they'll somehow have to find an excuse as to how the library became clean in just five hours.

"Well!" Beomgyu said, grinning widely as he swung an arm around Taehyun, pulling him close. "I guess that this means we go back to school and act like nothing happened?"

"I'm actually kind of scared," Taehyun admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "After seeing a bunch of our friends and teachers turned into crazy magic beings... I don't think I can act normal."

"Yeah," Beomgyu agreed, laughing nervously as they began walking toward the library doors. "Confronting Heeseung after pushing his fairytale version off a stone balcony is definitely not something I'm looking forward to."

Taehyun burst out laughing, though a shiver ran down his spine. "What about me?! I stabbed Karina in the chest when she was a dragon. God, this still feels unreal!"

The both of them walked outside of the library, the cool air swirling around them like a comforting blanket as they finally left the library - this time, changed and ready to head back, relieved that they're finally home.

Beomgyu sighed softly, looking over at Taehyun with a soft gaze, removing his arm from around his shoulder to intertwining their hands together, unspoken words hanging above them - yet their gaze one one another, was enough.

"Well," Beomgyu said softly. "I guess it's time to go home right?"

Taehyun's smile faltered hearing that, heading home. He doesn't... really want to go home, not after everything that has happened, not when he and Beomgyu made up and discovered that everything that happened between them, every downfall was because of their parents.

And Tangled... during Tangled when he had admitted that he didn't want to be a dancer at all, that it wasn't his dream... the guilt was gnawing at him.

He had to tell them before it was too late.

Beomgyu, who noticed the males silence and faltering smile, took a step forward and gently cupped the younger's face, pulling him close. "You don't have to be afraid of anything, okay? I'm here for you, no matter what happens now."

Taehyun looked up towards the elder, his heart racing at the close proximity - gosh, he felt like an idiot from how easily flustered he was by Beomgyu and his sweet stupid words, but with a tiny nod, he felt better knowing he was there for him.

"The school is gonna freak the fuck out,"
Beomgyu chuckled, stepping back as Taehyun stared at him curiously. "The moment I announce that you're my boyfriend, they're going to be so confused!"

Taehyun froze, blinking up at him in stunned disbelief. "...Boyfriend?"

Beomgyu smirked, but it was clear he was taken aback by that reply. "Uh... yeah? You and me? Boyfriends? Or did you hit your head on something while falling through the rabbit hole again?"

"You..." Taehyun stared at him, slack jawed. "You... you never asked me out?! We- we're not dating! What the hell?!"

Beomgyu's smile dropped down when he said that, confusion washing over his face. "What? What do you mean?! Of course I asked you out, on that boat in Tangled?"

"That was a confession, you just admitted your love to me- we- you never even took me out on a date!" Taehyun replied, panicked and extremely flustered.

The idea of being named Beomgyu's boyfriend was driving his heart insane.

Beomgyu threw his arms in the air, completely aghast. "Excuse me?! What do you call candlelit boat rides under the stars, running through magical kingdoms, and fighting off crazy-ass dragon versions of our friends?! If that's not a date, then what is?!"

"That's called survival, you lunatic!" Taehyun replied, trying to cover his face with his hands as Beomgyu's words made him blush harder. "Romantic dates don't usually include nearly getting eaten by giant squids or dodging fireballs, Gyu!"

Beomgyu blinked at him in disbelief. "Okay, so let me get this straight - you're saying that risking my life to protect you from crazy versions of our friends, fighting a giant squid, and dancing in multiple ballrooms together doesn't scream relationship goals to you?"

Taehyun groaned, shaking his head in defeat. "It's not about that! You can't just assume we're dating without, you know, asking me!"

Beomgyu squinted at him like Taehyun had just declared war on logic. "So, you're saying I need to ask you when I already said I love you? What kind of weird dating handbook are you following?!"

"The normal one, Beomgyu!" Taehyun shot back, his voice cracking again. "You can't just parade around saying I'm your boyfriend like it's a fact! Everyone will freak out!"

Beomgyu stared at him for a beat before sighing dramatically, running a hand through his hair like he was about to do something monumental. "Fine. Fine. If it's that big of a deal to you, I'll do it the 'normal' way."

Taehyun squinted, unsure where this was going. "Wait, what are you-"

Beomgyu suddenly dropped to one knee, grabbing his hand with a flourish. "Oh Kang Taehyun, will you do me the honor of officially being my boyfriend?!"

Taehyun's mouth fell open, his face flushing bright red. "Get the hell up! We're on the sidewalk, you idiot!"

"Not until you say yes!" He declared, dramatically holding a hand to his chest like he was about to recite Shakespeare. "I love you so much, Tyun! I want you to be mine forever and after, say you'll be mine my beautiful gorgeous sexy-"

"Okay okay!" Taehyun quickly said, grabbing the elder by the shoulders and pulling him up. "Of course I'll be your boyfriend! I'd be an idiot to reject the man to who saved me countless times!"

Beomgyu smiled widely, wrapping his hands around Taehyun's waist and pulling him close, the reality of their new relationship crashing over them like a tidal wave - overwhelming but exhilarating.

Wasting no time, Beomgyu pressed a kiss to his lips, a grin forming midway through as Taehyun quickly reciprocated. Not content with just that, the elder scooped him up and spun him around once again.

"Hyung!" Taehyun yelped, laughing in between as he held onto him tightly. "Calm down!"

"Calm down? How can I calm down when I finally made you mine?"

The two of them laughed loudly, Beomgyu spinning him around one more time before he gently placed him back down on the ground, leaning forward until he was pressing his forehead against his.

Taehyun wanted to cry, he had never felt so happier before.

Just thinking about it, his past self would've been furious and absolutely devastated that he would do this - date the one boy who ruined his entire life. But that was the past, and he's so ready to walk towards the future.

The future with Beomgyu being by his side.

"I love you," Beomgyu murmured, bringing Taehyun's hand to his lips and pressing a tender kiss to his knuckles. "Forever and always, I'll choose you."

Taehyun felt his chest tighten, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst. His smile was so wide it hurt, but he couldn't care less. "I love you more," He whispered back. "More than anything in the world."

The two of them stood there, basking in the glow of each other's presence, as if the rest of the world had faded away. For a moment, nothing else mattered.

Eventually, they broke apart, knowing they had to head their separate ways. Beomgyu stole one last quick kiss, grinning mischievously before stepping back.

As Taehyun watched him walk off, the weight of everything finally hit him.

Oh god.

How the hell was he going to explain this to his friends?

✧˖*°࿐

click!

Taehyun took a deep breath as he closed his front door, his hands trembling slightly as he slowly turned around.

The living room area was dimly lit, the faint glow of the TV shining in the dark interior which signaled that his parents were awake for who knows what reason.

He knows it was late, extremely late to be coming home. It was nearly two in the morning, a bizarre time to even come home after saying he would be gone for a bit, hell... he even told his mother he'd be back before midnight but now it was two hours past midnight.

For a brief moment, he debated on whether he should walk into the living room and announce his arrival and tell them that the punishment was off and that his role on the council was safe and secured but... the other half of him wanted to run, run to his room and stay secluded - drowning in the fear and guilt of his truth about his life.

He stood there, mentally fighting himself until he finally made his decision, closing his eyes as familiar words rang out in his head.

"For what I think it's worth," Beomgyu spoke up, pulling him a bit closer. "It's not too late y'know? If dancing isn't the career you want to pursue then that okay, you still have enough time to figure out what you want to be... if not now then later. Life just doesn't end after high school, y'know?"

The words repeated in his head, the memory of them being trapped in that flooding cave in Tangled where he had admitted the truth to someone, to Beomgyu, about his future echoed out in his head.

His heart began to race. Beomgyu was right, life doesn't end when high school ends. He still had time, he had time in the whole wide world to figure out what he wants to be.

It's his life, not his parents. They can't control that part of him anymore.

He can't let himself suffocate like this anymore, it was time to come clean.

Taehyun inhaled deeply, sliding off his shoes and stepping into the house. Each step toward the living room felt heavier than the last, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Finally, he stopped in the doorway. His parents were seated on the couch, their eyes fixed on the TV, even though he knew they'd noticed him come in.

"Mom."

His voice broke the silence, and though his mother didn't look at him immediately, he saw the slight tension in her shoulders. After a long pause, she muted the TV and turned to face him, her expression as cold and unyielding as stone.

"You're late," She said flatly, her voice sharp enough to make him flinch. "Two hours late. Do you think that's acceptable?"

Taehyun swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat, but he held his ground. "I know," he said, his voice trembling but steady. "I'm sorry for being late, but I... I have something important to tell you."

His father, who hadn't even bothered to look up, cut in before he could continue. "Whatever it is, it can wait. Do you know how many meetings you have tomorrow? It's time to end this little hiatus of yours and get back to performing. Enough wasting time."

Receiving news that he would have to go back into the dance world made his heart drop, a wave of fear and anxiety washed through him when he realized he would have to go back that environment he no longer enjoys. He doesn't want to go back, he wants to live his life.

All the words hit Taehyun like a slap. His father's dismissiveness, his mother's cold gaze - it all built up into the pressure that had been suffocating him for years. But this time, something inside him snapped.

"No." he said firmly, his voice louder than he expected.

Both his parents froze, their heads turning toward him in unison, surprised by his tone.

"What did you just say?" His mother asked, her voice dangerously low.

"I said no," Taehyun repeated, his hands clenched at his sides. His heart was pounding so loudly he thought it might burst, but he refused to back down. "I'm not going to those meetings. I'm not going back to dancing."

His mother's expression darkened, and she stood up from the couch. "Taehyun, do you have any idea how much we've sacrificed for you? All the money, the time, the effort - everything we've done to make you a star-"

"I didn't ask for any of it!" Taehyun shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "You decided I was going to be a dancer. You decided what my life was going to be, and I've gone along with it for years because I didn't want to disappoint you. But I'm done! I don't enjoy dancing anymore, mom!"

His mother's face twisted in disbelief. "How dare you?! We sacrificed everything for you!"

Taehyun stood there in disbelief, staring at them in shock. What in the world did they sacrifice? Absolutely nothing. His entire life, they've been comparing him to Beomgyu, always comparing his talents and seeing him as a tool for stardom - always comparing him to someone, making him lose sight of who he truly was.

This was terrifying him though, he's finally coming out with the pure truth, but it was hurting him so much when he realized that they don't... care.

He doesn't want to be stuck in a life he doesn't enjoy, he won't go back, no matter how angry they are with him.

"How dare I...?" Taehyun muttered softly, his voice shaking. "How dare you? You both... you both never cared about what I wanted! You only cared about the image of your perfect, obedient son who would live out your dreams for you! The moment I messed up that performance when I was thirteen, you tossed me aside!"

"Because who would want to be around someone who's a disappointment?!" His mother argued back, striking him deep in the gut.

"You-"

"Taehyun, that's enough!" His father interrupted, finally standing up.

He wasn't going to let him have the last word though, even if he felt the tears coming out and the happiness he once felt earlier faded away - he wasn't done.

"It's not enough, it's never enough." Taehyun said, his voice raising slightly. "It's never enough for the both of you, is it? No matter how hard I work, no matter how hard I try to be someone outside of dance - to be my own person, it's never good enough! I'm done trying to please the both of you!"

His mother stared at him, her face a mask of fury and shock. "You're being ungrateful and childish," She hissed. "After everything we've done for you, this is how you repay us?"

"I'm not being ungrateful," Taehyun said, his voice trembling but defiant. "I'm finally being honest. I'm not going to be a dancer. I'm never going to be a dancer. And if you can't accept that, then that's your problem, not mine."

The room fell into a heavy silence. His mother turned her back on him, muttering, "I don't want to hear this."

His father didn't say anything, just shook his head in disappointment and sat back down.

"You guys always chose him over me," Taehyun muttered softly, referring to Beomgyu. Back then, he would've hated the elder even more for this, but now he's nothing but grateful knowing he's by his side. "I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, but now... I'm exhausted. If you won't support my wish, then I'm done."

Before they could say anything more, he turned and instantly walked away and headed upstairs to his room, his legs shaking but his heart felt oddly steady. His chest was aching, but at the same time, he felt lighter than he had in years.

When he reached his room, he closed the door and stood there for a few minutes - collecting him side before he slowly slid down against it and buried his face in his hands, the crash of what had just happened finally falling down on him.

"Fuck," He whispered softly, his voice cracking as tears began to fall, but they weren't tears of sadness. They were tears of relief. "I finally did it."

For a moment, he was terrified of what the future holds between him and his parents now, would they force him to go back into the dance world he tried so hard to get away from? Will they continue to compare him to Beomgyu and constantly bring up the differences they had between one another?

It was all too much, and he was terrified.

But then again, he was so happy.

The words that the elder had told him in Tangled, the fairytales in general when they finally gave each other a chance again, a chance to express their true selves... it comforted him so much.

He wouldn't have been able to do this without Beomgyu.

After sitting in silence for a while, trying to calm his tears, Taehyun's phone buzzed on the floor beside him. He jumped slightly, his heart racing at the thought of who could be calling this late. Was it Yeonjun again? Ready to yell at him for waking him up earlier?

But when he picked up the phone and saw Beomgyu's name on screen, his heart stuttered. For a second, he forgot how to breathe. He'd almost forgotten that his number was saved into his phone for purely council work (and to block multiple times), but now it was needed for something new.

He took a moment to compose himself, wiping his face and steadying his breath, before answering. "Hey, Choi."

"Kang," Beomgyu said softly, his voice warm and comforting. "Did you make it home safe?"

A small smile twitched at Taehyun's lips, the warmth in Beomgyu's tone calming him just a bit. "Yeah, I did."

Silence followed. Taehyun tried to steady his breathing, but the weight of everything he'd just done and said to his parents pressed down on him again. Despite his best efforts, a shaky breath slipped through.

It wasn't until Beomgyu finally spoke up again.

"What's wrong?" The elder asked, already figuring out that there was something wrong. "Did something happen?"

Taehyun hesitated for a moment, he didn't want to ruin the night - they literally just became boyfriends... but he knew it was better to talk about feelings than to hold them in, he knows all too well what could happen with miscommunication.

"I...I came home, and thought about what you said during Tangled when I admitted I didn't want to be a dancer," He paused, hearing only the sound of a car engine in the background, he must be driving. "I... I decided to tell them, my parents."

Beomgyu was silent for a few seconds. "Told them?" He echoed, his tone softening even further. "How much did you tell them?"

"Everything," Taehyun whispered, his voice barely audible. "That I hate dancing. That I don't want to do it anymore. That I'm not going back to it."

Beomgyu was silent for a moment, but Taehyun could hear him processing the words.

"And how did they take it?" Beomgyu finally asked, though he could already tell by his tone that he knew the answer.

"They're furious," He admitted, his voice breaking slightly. "Mom wouldn't even look at me. Dad called me ungrateful. It was... it was awful."

"Tyun..." Beomgyu's voice was so gentle that it almost broke him.

"But, I'm glad I said it," Taehyun added, quickly wiping his eyes again before breathing out. "Like you said, life doesn't end after high school. I have time- we- we have time, I feel like I'm free."

There was another pause, just silence on the other line for a brief moment until he heard Beomgyu rev up his engine again, as if he had decided to make a quick change on driving.

"Wait there, I'm coming over."

Taehyun blinked, caught off guard. "Wha- What?! Beomgyu, it's two in the morning and we just saw each other like thirty minutes ago! You need to go home or else you'll get in trouble-"

"I'd rather get in trouble than leave you there alone, Tyun," Beomgyu interrupted firmly. "I want to be there for you, just wait for me, yeah?"

Before he could argue, the line went dead.

Taehyun slowly brought the phone away from his ear, staring at it for a moment, confused and slightly exasperated. But then, the corners of his lips curled into a small smile from how caring Beomgyu was.

Fucking idiot.

It had been over thirty minutes since Beomgyu had told him to wait for him, and honestly he's starting to think the elder fell asleep at the wheel or something.

Not that he doesn't really trust Beomgyu, but if he was going to make Taehyun play the waiting game, then he shouldn't come over at all!

Where the hell is he...? Taehyun frowned, absentmindedly drawing shapes on his pillow. He'd given up on the floor after it made his legs fall asleep. Actually, how the hell is he going to get inside? If I get caught sneaking him in, my ass will actually be killed!

He's also wasting his sleeping time waiting for this dumbass, gosh... why did he have to fall in love with such a dumbass?!

Taehyun paused for a moment, a faint flush growing on his cheeks as he groaned loudly, covering his face as he buried his face into the pillows - he shouldn't be this happy that Beomgyu was now his boyfriend! God! This is so embarrassing for him!

He should go back to hating Beomgyu, but instead of the reasoning back then, the new reason is because he's making him stay up and wait for him to arrive!

Yeah... yeah maybe he'll be petty and break up with him, then get back together with him - that'll prove not to make him wait!

Oh lord, how is he even going to tell his friends about this? Matter of fact, how the hell is the school going to react to this?! They've been known as the duo who hates each other and attempt to murder each other every day, there's no way people will react normally if they waltz into school in a few hours all lovey dovey!

Oh he's fucked, he's so so so fucked-

thunk!

Taehyun jolted up, blinking rapidly at the sound that just echoed out near his window, his heart dropping down in confusion as he slowly stood up and began walking towards it, wondering if he heard it wrong or-

thunk!

All of a sudden, he saw a small rock hit the glass, making him flinch. For a second, he thought he was seeing things until his eyes narrowed dangerously when he spotted a familiar figure down below.

"What the hell?!" He exclaimed, immediately throwing the window up. "Choi Beomgyu what the- OW!"

Before he could finish yelling, another rock flew up and hit him square on the forehead. He stumbled back, clutching the spot as a loud gasp echoed from below.

"Oh shit!" He heard Beomgyu gasp, sounding genuinely panicked, while Taehyun angrily clenched his jaw as he held the spot where it hurt. "I'm so sorry Tyun!"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Taehyun exclaimed, leaning out the window to glare down at the boy standing in his backyard, holding another pebble. "Are you trying to break my window or my skull?!"

"Hey! I told you I was coming over!" Beomgyu grinned, clearly unbothered by his angry outburst. "I parked my car a few houses away and walked here, didn't want to make it suspicious - also! I didn't want to ring the doorbell, I don't want to face your parents! So... plan B?"

"Your plan B was assaulting my window with rocks and then hitting me on the forehead with one?!" Taehyun snapped, still rubbing his forehead.

"It was an accident, baby, I swear!" Beomgyu exclaimed, holding up his hands defensively. "It took me twenty tries to even hit your window, give me some credit!"

"Credit?!" Taehyun hissed, angry that he waited over thirty minutes for the elder to show up, wasting his sleep time, just to get hit by a damn rock! "I should call the cops on you for harassment at this point!"

Beomgyu snorted. "Yeah, good luck explaining to the police how your boyfriend was just trying to check up on you!" He exclaimed, smiling brightly. "I told you, I wasn't going to let you be alone, sweetheart!"

Taehyun scowled lightly, a faint blush spreading over his cheeks, his heart fluttering when Beomgyu had called himself his boyfriend, gosh he's never going to get used to that. He feels like a middle schooler in a fresh relationship, which sorta feels like it!

"You're lucky I'm not going to throw a fucking chair at you, idiot!"

"Aww, don't say that, love!" Beomgyu laughed loudly, a bit too loud for it being two in the ass fuck morning. "You wouldn't want to hurt your favorite boyfriend, would you?"

"You're my only boyfriend!" Taehyun whisper-shouted, his face heating up more before he tried to calm himself down. "I might reconsider if you don't explain how the hell you're going to get up here!" He gestured to the two story building.

"I don't know, let down your magical long hair or something!"

"That's not funny, Choi!"

Beomgyu only chuckled, glancing around the yard for anything that might help. A ladder? Nope. A stack of conveniently placed crates? Nada. Just grass, rocks, and leaves.

So... at this point, he has to improvise.

The both of them stared at each other for a moment, nothing being said until Beomgyu slowly looked over at the tree that was near his window, the perfect distance!

Taehyun, who saw the glimpse of mischief, gasped loudly. "Beomgyu, don't you fucking dare climb the tree!"

"What?!" The elder frowned. "I literally climbed a whole ass tower by myself! I can do this, a tree is nothing!"

"That was in the fairytale world, does this look like the fairytale world to you?!" Taehyun panicked, his grip on the windowsill tightening. "You can actually die, dumbass! Now stop and just come through the front door-"

Before he could convince Beomgyu otherwise, the elder was already on the move as he began to climb up the tree, grabbing onto the lowest branch as he sorta struggled to pull himself up before successfully standing on it, smiling brightly as he grabbed the next branch while Taehyun was on the brink of exploding.

"See? This is easy!" Beomgyu beamed brightly, far too happy for someone who could fall and break their neck any minute. "I'm almost there, nothing can go wrong!"

"Everything can go wrong!" Taehyun cried out, losing hair over how dumb this boy was. "Get down right now, or I'm breaking up with you! I swear!"

"But we've only been official for an hour!"

"Exactly, now get down please!"

Beomgyu must've left his goddamn brain in the fairytale world or something, because instead of listening to Taehyun like a good boyfriend would, he just continued climbing up - struggling for a moment or dangling in the air until he finally pulled himself up to the branch that was near the window, balancing precariously on it.

"Please don't tell me you're going to jump!"

"Oh, I'm definitely going to jump!"

"Choi, no!-"

Before Taehyun could stop him, Beomgyu launched himself toward the window. For a split second, it almost looked like he'd make it - until his foot snagged on the branch behind him.

The results? Predictably catastrophic.

Beomgyu let out a startled yelp as he lost his balance, slamming into the windowsill with a loud BANG! His upper body managed to land inside Taehyun's room, but his legs were left dangling helplessly outside.

"Fuck! Ow!" Beomgyu hissed, his expression morphing into full-blown panic as he realized he was slipping. "Oh shit - HELP ME!"

Taehyun froze for a beat, taking in the utterly ridiculous sight of Beomgyu flailing like an overturned turtle. He tried - he really tried - to hold it in, but then a snort escaped. That snort quickly turned into uncontrollable laughter.

"Kang Taehyun!" Beomgyu hissed, his voice panicked as he tried his best to pull himself up. "This isn't funny- help me! I'm going to fall and die!"

"I can't!" Taehyun cried out, laughing loudly. "You look like a fucking fish flopping around!"

"TAEHYUN!"

"Okay, okay!" Taehyun finally composed himself, still giggling as he grabbed Beomgyu's arms. "Hold still, you idiot!"

It took several attempts, some dramatic grunts, and way too much flailing, but Taehyun eventually managed to haul Beomgyu fully inside.

They collapsed onto the floor in a tangled heap, lying there for a moment to catch their breaths. Beomgyu was panting like he'd just completed an Olympic marathon, while Taehyun pressed his face into the carpet, still shaking with laughter.

Soon enough, Taehyun slowly sat up and wiped the tears forming on the corner of his eyes. "My god, I wish I recorded that!"

"I'm glad you didn't," Beomgyu grumbled, slowly sitting up as he rubbed his abdomen where a throbbing pain was. "You're lucky I didn't die!"

"Stop being such a big baby!"

Beomgyu gave him a wide, teasing grin before leaning back against the bed. He watched Taehyun giggle quietly to himself, his cheeks still flushed from laughing so hard. Then, without warning, Beomgyu reached out, grabbing Taehyun by the wrist and tugging him onto his lap.

Taehyun yelped loudly, startled by the sudden pull. His body tensed for a moment, but as soon as Beomgyu's arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, he melted into the embrace, letting his head rest against Beomgyu's chest.

For a while, neither of them spoke. The room was quiet except for their steady breathing, Beomgyu's thumb idly rubbing small circles onto his waist.

"You know," Beomgyu murmured softly, his voice warm and sincere, "Ignoring my horrible entrance and all... I'm proud of you. For telling your parents everything. I know how hard that must've been."

Taehyun blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. He tilted his head to look up at him, his expression softening.

"...Thanks." He whispered, his voice barely audible.

Beomgyu gave him a small smile, one that wasn't full of mischief for once. It was genuine, warm, and so achingly full of love that it made Taehyun's chest tighten.

"You're stronger than you think, Tyun," Beomgyu added, leaning down to press a light kiss to the top of his head. "Don't let anyone else let you think otherwise, know I'm always here supporting you, whatever path you choose."

Taehyun exhaled a shaky breath, tightening his hold on him for just a moment before pressing a soft kiss to the elder's neck - a silent gesture of thanks for comforting him. The suffocating tension that had filled his room earlier seemed to dissolve, and for the first time that night, he felt like he could breathe.

After a moment, he pulled back slightly, sitting upright on Beomgyu's lap, his arms draped loosely over the elder's shoulders. "It's almost three in the morning," He murmured. "Shouldn't you be heading home? Your parents are going to be furious."

"They don't care about me, not that much anyway," Beomgyu shrugged, his hand sliding up and down Taehyun's side in a soothing rhythm. "But you - you're my first priority. Making sure you're okay is way more important. I can sacrifice sleep for that."

Taehyun bit back a smile, even though he was really worried about him coming over and sacrificing sleep, he was sorta glad the elder came by. If he was alone, he was certain he would fall deeper into his guilt and eventually give in, but with him by his side reassuring him that it's all okay... he felt happier.

"I love you." Beomgyu spoke softly, cupping Taehyun's face.

Taehyun smiled brightly, a faint red hue washing over his face as he leaned closer. "I love you too."

And for once in his life, with Beomgyu by his side.

He didn't feel like a failure.

✧˖*°࿐