『••✎••』

Jungkook sighed contentedly, pulling Taehyung's blanket closer to his chest and pushing further into Taehyung's side. Taehyung smiled down with him. Jungkook smiled up at him, basking in Taehyung's post-coital glow.

Jungkook and Taehyung had cleaned up a while ago. Jungkook was clad in a big sweatshirt and some shorts that smelled like Taehyung. He couldn't be happier. While Taehyung settled for a shirt and sweatpants.

The two were laying in Taehyung's bed, wrapped up in blankets. They were shrouded in darkness, but Taehyung's blinds let in slivers of light from the moon. Jungkook yawned and wrapped his arms around Taehyung's torso, a small smile on his face.

"Call me baby," Jungkook mumbled. His face quickly flushed red, and he hid his face in the blanket. He hadn't meant for those words to slip out of his mouth.

"What?" Taehyung asked, sitting up a little in bed. Jungkook shook his head and clung onto Taehyung tighter. Taehyung laughed a little and wrapped his hands around Jungkook's waist.

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning in a little closer to whisper into Jungkook's ear, "Baby?"

Jungkook closed his eyes and shivered, burying his face into Taehyung's chest. Taehyung giggled a little and placed a soft kiss on Jungkook's forehead.

Jungkook's eyes began to fall closed and Taehyung sighed, knowing that he'd be alone if Jungkook fell asleep. He didn't have to fight back the urge to yawn and instead frowned when his stomach rumbled.

"Do you want something to eat?" Taehyung asked softly, watching the boy fall in and out of sleep. Jungkook nodded and yawned sleepily, then stretching his arms and wrapping them around Taehyung's neck.

"Carry me?" he asked, his eyes half open and slowly falling closed again. Taehyung smiled and picked Jungkook up, wrapping the blanket around both of them and heading into his kitchen.

"Feels like we're married," Jungkook mumbled, letting himself be placed on a bar stool. Taehyung froze for a moment, before brushing the comment off.

"Don't say things like that," Taehyung mumbled, flinching when the words came out harsher than he meant for them to. Jungkook hadn't really been paying attention, though. Taehyung sighed.

"We are still in high school," Taehyung muttered lowly, pulling out two packs of ramen and filling up a pot with hot water. Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows together but then slowly began to lean forward, until his upper body was draped across the counter.

Taehyung pulled his lips into a sad smile, letting the ramen boil behind him and giving his full attention to the sleeping Jungkook. "What's going through your mind?" he said quietly, brushing Jungkook's hair out of his face.

"What made you change so much? It couldn't have been just me," he whispered. Jungkook didn't say anything back, instead he let soft snores fall from his mouth.

Taehyung sighed again and turned back to the ramen. He watched as the noodles swirled around in the pot. They began to look like a giant mess of his feelings.

He brought his hands to his face and rubbed at his eyes. Taehyung glanced at the clock and sighed, wishing he wasn't feeling so hungry so late at night. He turned back to Jungkook, who was still sleeping, and let himself be consumed by the loneliness.

His heart began to pound to the beat of his boiling ramen. Clouds of loneliness and despair swirled around him, coming out from the depths of the quiet house.

The dark shadows that were cast around the kitchen seemed to grow even bigger. The boiling ramen behind him died down to a dull roar in the back of his mind and his own thoughts threatened to consume him.

But Jungkook still seemed to radiate light. Even in the midst of it all, his face glowed with a tainted innocence. Taehyung felt his racing heart begin to slow and he took in a deep breath. The shadows retreated to their corners and Taehyung turned back to his ramen, pulling out two bowls and filling them to the brim with the cheap noodles.

"Baby," Taehyung whispered, frowning at the nickname even though he was the one that was saying it, "Your ramen's ready."

Jungkook opened his eyes and glared at Taehyung but eventually sat up a little. Taehyung put the bowl in front of him and sat down beside him, handing the boy a pair of chopsticks and eating his food.

"I really like you," Jungkook mumbled, his mouth full of ramen noodles. Taehyung turned to look at him, setting his own chopsticks down for a minute. Jungkook lazily chewed his noodles and swallowed.

"I don't say that enough," he muttered, looking down at his bowl sadly. Taehyung frowned and brushed a feather-like hand under the boy's cheek.

"Don't worry, I know," Taehyung said, turning Jungkook's face to look at his own. Jungkook looked at him for a moment but looked away. Something clouded in his eyes. But Taehyung couldn't tell what it was.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern lacing his own features. Jungkook bit his lip and shook his head. Taehyung felt his heart break a little.

He nodded and turned back to his ramen, slurping up a big bite full of noodles and green onions. Jungkook eventually turned back to his food with a look of sorrow on his face. Taehyung wished he knew why.

"I never asked earlier, but it's okay if I stay over, right?" Jungkook said meekly, looking at Taehyung, finally. Taehyung smiled and pointed at the clock.

"I'd be heartless if I sent you home this late at night," he mumbled and Jungkook giggled a little. But the remnants of happiness were soon wiped off his face. Taehyung frowned.

When they finished eating, Taehyung put their bowls in the sink, telling himself that he'd wash them later. He picked up Jungkook and carried him back to the room, Jungkook falling back asleep the entire time. He placed Jungkook on the bed and got in beside him.

Taehyung looked up at the bland ceiling. Jungkook was snoring softly behind him, and everything was quiet. He just wished his mind would be quiet, too.

What wasn't Jungkook telling him?

『••✎••』

important question for a possible new book: hockey players bts or figure skaters bts?
or both?