Hoseok plodded towards the kitchen, still trying to kickstart his mind from his sleeping status. He arched his chest and stretched his arms over his head as he yawned, a sonorous sound that traveled through the entire house.

Once he reopened his eyes, they fell on the French doors, and he blinked as he stopped in his tracks. “Again?” he murmured to himself as he stared at Jeongguk and Taehyung sleeping in a seated position with the latter’s head resting on the other’s shoulder. “They’re cute, though.” A soft smile swept across his face as he approached the two, still cooing over them.

After the intense events that took place five days ago, the two boys had been talking and interacting more as if they knew each other for years. Although their bickering didn’t stop completely, it was more lighthearted and always ended with lots of laughs unlike before.

And since that day, they sat every night in front of the French doors and drank a beer together while chatting or simply enjoying the silence side by side.

“What are you doing?” Yoongi asked as he trod closer, and he snorted the moment he spotted the two boys. “Again?”

“Yeah. They’re cute, aren’t they?”

“They’re stupid. They’re gonna catch a cold if they keep sleeping on the floor.”

“I’m sure they just fell asleep again. Relax.” Hoseok gave his shoulder a tap and then headed to the kitchen.

“Make coffee for me too, please.” Yoongi perched on the couch and reached for the remote control.

“Okay. And throw the blanket over them.”

Yoongi grabbed the blanket, but before he covered them, he broke into a smile as he espied Taehyung holding his hand. “You’re both dumb and oblivious,” he whispered, choking back a snicker, and he carefully placed the blanket over them.

It didn’t take long for Hoseok to join him in the living room, and they spent a while relishing their coffee, watching whatever was on TV, bantering, and often glancing at the other two for no reason at all.

A mellow hum left Taehyung’s pouty lips as he nuzzled closer to the heat beside him, too sleepy to comprehend what it was. He extended his hand and clutched his supposed pillow, but he grimaced as he couldn’t move it closer to him. Why is this so heavy? He questioned in his drunk with sleep mind as he pulled harder in vain.

A few muffled chuckles infiltrated his ears, and he cracked an eye open to inspect. He took in a blurry image of Yoongi and Hoseok gazing at him while trying to control their laughter, and he was ready to question them when the realization of what he was holding thundered down on him.

He wasn’t embarrassed because he was sleeping next to Jeongguk or because he tried to hug him. He always had this habit of hugging something in his sleep, so it was normal for him. He was downright embarrassed because this time, he was caught.

“It’s not what it looks like,” he spouted off as he jerked away from the other, his voice hoarse.

“How do you think it looks like?” Hoseok asked with a smirk as he tilted his head to the side.

“I don’t know. Weird?”

“It’s not weird. You just wanted to hug him. It’s cute.”

“Yah! I thought he was my pillow, okay?” he whisper-yelled, for some reason annoyed by Hoseok’s comment.

“Don’t be so embarrassed. Hug him all you want. He’s a heavy sleeper, so even if you move him, he won’t wake up,” Yoongi said with an indifferent shrug.

“Why—Why would I want to hug him?” Taehyung asked with a string of awkward chuckles as he avoided eye contact, his embarrassment rising with every second that passed.

“Don’t play dumb. You don’t miss a chance to cling to his side,” Yoongi snickered.

“That’s absolutely not true. He’s the one clinging to me!”

“I don’t see you complaining, though.”

He cast a glare at Yoongi, but he couldn’t come up with anything to say. He huffed as he heaved himself to his feet, covering the younger’s body with the blanket, and he scuttled to the bathroom without a word, leaving the two behind him laughing.

“You guys seem to have fun.”

They snapped their heads in Jeongguk’s direction and cracked up once more, making the other snort.

“Why did you lie, hyung? You know I’m not a heavy sleeper.”

“Yeah, I know. I just wanted to see if he’ll hug you again.”

“You guys have nothing better to do, huh?”

“No,” Hoseok chirped with a grin. “When did you wake up?”

“When you two came. Yoongi hyung, why did you call us dumb and oblivious?”

“Oh, no reason, no reason.” He waved a dismissive hand as he shook his head, but then he narrowed his eyes on him. “Why didn’t you get up if you woke up half an hour ago?”

Jeongguk became awkward real quick at his question as he grasped the blanket, wanting to drape it over his head so it would somehow magic him away from there, but he instead lowered his gaze with a sigh. “It was warm... and comfortable.”

“Sleeping on the floor isn’t warm nor comfortable,” Hoseok said, his confusion shining through his expression.

“It’s not about the place,” Jeongguk uttered below his breath as he glimpsed at his side where Taehyung was sitting, and a tiny smile crept over his lips.

“What?”

Hoseok’s inquiry shook him out of his thoughts, and he threw them a glance before he dropped his head and rose from his seat. “Nothing,” he muttered as he hurried away, cursing himself mentally for unfolding his mouth.

🥀

An array of drinks and snacks were placed on the living room table and chill music was playing in the background as the four boys waited for the other three, who would come at any moment now.

“Are we gonna order pizza again?” Taehyung asked with a small pout that indicated his disapproval.

“If you don’t like it, why don’t you cook something?” Yoongi shot back with a chuckle.

“But Jeongguk is our chef. Why would I cook?”

“I am a chef, but I’m not your chef,” Jeongguk said with a wry face that caused the other to huff in fake annoyance.

Unable to stand his mockery, Taehyung snatched his face and squished his cheeks, eliciting a throaty groan from the younger that intensified his amusement. “There you go. Your grumpy face is back,” he teased as he gave his cheeks a light slap and then retracted his hands.

“I told you if you do that again, I’ll tickle you until you cry. Remember?” Jeongguk shifted his hands towards him at a tantalizingly slow pace, and a cunning smile sprawled on his lips when he discerned Taehyung shrinking away.

The bell ringing on repeat brought his movements to a stop, and Taehyung released a sigh, thinking he was rescued. “I’ll go get it.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” Jeongguk swiftly began to tickle him then, enjoying the choked shrieks the older produced as he laughed his head off with him.

“Dorks,” Yoongi snorted as he went to open the door instead.

“Took you long enough.” Jimin muffled his boyfriend in his hug, placing a sweet kiss on his neck.

“Yeah, we have a small situation in here.” Yoongi pointed to the two boys in the living room, who were still fooling around and laughing like crazy.

“I’m still not used to seeing them like this,” Seokjin uttered with a chuckle, and the others could only nod in agreement as it was unusual for them too.

“Hey, Tae!” Jimin called with a bright smile while they stepped inside, but he frowned as the violet-haired boy continued playfully fighting with the younger as if he didn’t hear him. “Are we invisible again?”

“Yah, guys, guys.” Yoongi clapped in front of them to get their attention, and he succeeded as the two stopped.

“What?” they asked in unison as they sat straighter, both panting for breath.

“Hello, we’re here,” Seokjin said in a singsong tone.

A near-silent gasp left Taehyung’s mouth as he sprang up from his seat to welcome his friends with a warm hug. His smile withered when he was about to hug Jimin as he perceived his slightly pouty face. “What’s wrong?”

Jimin encircled his waist with his arms and rested his chin on his shoulder as he let out a faint sigh. “I’m jealous. You seem so close to Jeongguk now, and I’m afraid he’ll take my place.”

“That will never happen, Chim. You’ll always be my soulmate.” He squeezed him in his hug, stealing hearty giggles from him. “You know I love you, right?”

“I know. I love you too, Tae.”

“Let’s just... not, okay? Go to your boyfriend.” Jeongguk suddenly flashed up behind the violet-haired boy and yanked his hand as he shooed Jimin away.

“You ruined our moment!” Taehyung grumbled as the younger dragged him towards the couch and made him sit next to him. “And you always drag me away whenever I hug my friends. What’s your deal?”

“How can he be so oblivious?” Namjoon whispered to Seokjin, who was currently struggling to control his chuckles.

“I don’t do that,” Jeongguk defended himself as he shot him an affronted look.

“Is he really denying it? Damn,” Yoongi said quietly enough for the two who were arguing to not hear him.

“But you do. Guys, he does, right?” Taehyung redirected his gaze to the others, and a beam overran his face as they all nodded.

“Tsk, whatever,” the caramel-haired boy gritted out with an eye roll, reaching for a beer. Do I really do that?

“Oh, Joon, I forgot to tell you,” Seokjin said as he turned to him. “I assume you don’t know this since you rarely check our class group chat. Guess who’s coming back to our uni.”

“Why are you asking only Namjoonie hyung?” Jimin asked, his brows furrowed in puzzlement.

“I don’t think you guys know him. He always hung out outside, smoking and stuff. And he was involved in a rumor. Can you guess who it is?”

Jeongguk’s heartbeat shot up once he heard what Seokjin said, his entire body freezing with dread. Don’t tell me...

“Wait, Johan? Johan is coming back?” Namjoon questioned as his eyes popped in surprise.

“Yes, that little prick. He’ll disturb the whole class again all the damn time.”

“Johan?” Jimin muttered, trying to figure out where he had heard that name before.

“Are you—Are you sure?” Yoongi asked with an uneasy half laugh.

“Yeah, he’s still in our group chat, and he spammed us this morning with a load of texts. We still don’t know why he left in the first place. But I think it had something to do with that rumor. Apparently, someone was protecting him and he had sex with him in exchange.”

“Ah, Tae! Isn’t that the guy you had asked me about?” Jimin blurted out as he finally remembered, and all Taehyung could do was stare at him with his mouth wide open, unable to say anything.

“You asked about Johan? Why?” Namjoon threw him a suspicious glance.

“I—I d-don’t—“ Taehyung fell silent as the younger exploded out of his seat and wordlessly charged towards his room.

“Guys, what... what just happened?” Seokjin asked under his breath, taken aback by Jeongguk’s behavior.

“We know Johan. We know him better than anyone, apparently,” Hoseok uttered, bitterness pouring off his words. “He played Jeongguk. And he started the rumor himself.”

“What? How did he play him?” Seokjin asked.

“I liked him.” Jeongguk returned then with his notebook and recipe book and sat at his previous spot. “We said we wouldn’t sleep with others, but he did, and I told him I wanted to end it when I found out. He didn’t like it and spread that rumor, making it seem like he wasn’t the one, like he was the victim. Like I made this deal with him.”

“What...” Seokjin breathed out as he couldn’t believe his ears. “That’s how everyone knows you? And a lot of them...”

“Look askance at me? Yeah, that’s why.” A bitter chuckle came with Jeongguk's remark as he opened his notebook, keeping his eyes on his notes without paying attention to what he was reading.

“I’m sorry, Kook, I didn’t—“ Seokjin started, but he was cut off.

“It’s okay. I’m surprised you guys didn’t know it was me, though.”

“We had heard a bunch of names, so we didn’t really pay attention. You know how these rumors work. Everyone says whatever they want,” said Namjoon.

“Yeah. Anyway, let’s just change the subject.” Jeongguk forced his thoughts out with a shake of his head and focused on his notebook, but a delicate hand rubbing heart-melting patterns on his back raised a tiny smile from him.

He gave a squeeze on Taehyung’s knee, silently thanking him for his sweet gesture, and got lost in his notes and the warm touch on his back that didn’t leave for even a second.

As the others continued chatting about different things, gradually putting aside the heavy moment they went through, Taehyung couldn’t take his eyes off the younger. No matter how much he tried to seem okay, Taehyung knew he wasn’t, but he didn’t know what to do to cheer him up.

So he let him pore over his notebook, which he held so close to him as if he didn’t want anyone to see what was written in it, and vaguely participated in whatever the others were rambling about.

But as time went by, no words came out of Jeongguk’s mouth, something that drove him into a rather sulky mood as he couldn’t stand this any longer. Not knowing what else to do, he yanked the notebook out of his hold and hid it behind his back. “Interact with us.”

“I don’t wanna,” he whined as he attempted to get his notebook back, but Taehyung didn’t yield.

“Interact with us for like twenty minutes and I’ll give it back.”

“Whatever, I have my book.”

“No, you don’t.” Jimin was quick enough to grab the book before Jeongguk, leading him to groan.

“I hate both of you.” He tsked but complied with Taehyung’s request eventually and began listening to the current conversation.

“You would want to be a grim reaper? That’s creepy!” Seokjin said as he looked at Yoongi with sheer disapproval.

“Why? It’s cool. I want to be like 444. Have you seen Black?”

“Spoilers! I haven’t seen it yet,” Jimin exclaimed as he covered his ears, making his boyfriend chuckle at his cuteness.

“I didn’t like the first two or something episodes, but it got so much better—“

“Spoilers!”

“Fine, fine!” Seokjin lightly slapped his shoulder with a tsk sound.

Jeongguk heaved a sigh as he dragged a hand down his face, pinching the spot beneath his chin. Determined to get his notebook back, he turned to face the one who stole it, but a surge of anxiety rippled through him as he saw Taehyung open it. “Yah, don’t read it!”

“Why? Do you have a secret recipe in here or something?” Taehyung scoffed as he glimpsed at what was written on the page and his face crumpled in stark confusion. “But he—“ That was all he managed to read before Jeongguk grasped the notebook. “Yah, what the hell? That wasn’t a recipe.” He scrutinized how awkward and nervous Jeongguk seemed, something that only inflamed his curiosity. “Let me read it.”

“No!”

Taehyung jumped to his feet and strove to get a hold of the notebook, but Jeongguk leaned back, outstretching his arm as much as possible so Taehyung wouldn’t reach it. Seeing his efforts fail, Taehyung practically laid on top of him and did his very best, but he ended up losing his balance and collapsing to the floor while pulling the younger with him.

“Ouch, you dumbass,” Jeongguk complained through his heavy breathing as he clutched his shoulder that violently slammed against the floor.

“Shit, are you okay? Sorry,” Taehyung said as he was in a similar condition, but his brows bumped together once he caught a glimpse of his shaking body. He snorted upon realizing Jeongguk was actually laughing and laughed his heart out with him as they rolled from side to side.

“I can’t believe Jeongguk didn’t get mad,” Jimin said in a daze as he watched the two round-eyed.

“Whatever Taehyung does, he doesn’t get mad anymore. Did we tell you they even sleep together sometimes?” Yoongi asked with a chuckle, but he flinched when Jimin burst out of his seat.

“They sleep together?” he cried out in extreme shock, causing the two boys to hush up as well and set their gaze on him.

“Not like that!” Yoongi whisper-yelled, instructing him to sit again. “They just fall asleep sometimes in the living room.”

“Stop talking about us,” Jeongguk spat as he pulled himself to his feet and helped the other stand up too.

“You really won’t tell me what you’ve written in your notebook?” Taehyung tightened his grip on his hand before Jeongguk could retract it.

“It’s just stupid. You’ll think is stupid,” he mumbled, his head firmly bowed to dodge Taehyung's puppy-like eyes.

“We’ll be back,” Taehyung announced and led the younger to his room for privacy. “I won’t say anything about it if that’s what you want,” he said as he closed the door with the softest thud and twisted around to face him.

“Why do you want to know, though?”

“Yah, you read my notebook. You owe me.” His remark pulled a mild snort from the younger, and he cracked a smile as Jeongguk finally met his gaze.

Although he hesitated, Jeongguk passed him the purple notebook, nibbling his lower lip to constrain his awkwardness.

The older flicked through the pages and stopped towards the last ones. He found what he started reading before and his lips parted in astonishment once he comprehended why it seemed so familiar. It was a paragraph from his novel.

But he was beautiful. As much as he tried to deny it, ignore it, overlook it, he was, and he managed to make his blackened life a shade better. He had the most beautiful heart he had ever seen. How could he look past that?

His hazy, big eyes traveled to the younger and stared hard, still trying to process what was happening. “What—“

“Yeah,” Jeongguk breathed out as he took his notebook back, refusing to make eye contact again. “I just... I was reading your novel two days ago and jotted down random lines. I don’t know why, but it’s comforting. To read them. I’m sor—“ His remark was smothered into a sharp inhale as Taehyung clasped him tightly, nuzzling against his chest.

“You don’t know how happy that makes me. Knowing that my words can comfort you. But that paragraph isn’t comforting,” he spoke in a quiet tone and untucked his head, almost losing himself in his gorgeous eyes. “We usually note something we can relate to. Why do you relate to this? Who is that beautiful to you?”

“No one.” He withdrew from the hug and stepped back, afraid that Taehyung would notice his raging heartbeat.

“It’s not... Johan, right? After the way he treated you, you can’t still like him, right?”

The silence that engulfed the entire room carried on as Jeongguk maintained his eyes on the floor and Taehyung couldn’t look away from him, for some reason scared to the core about what he would hear next.

“Jeongguk, tell me you don’t like him.”

At the younger’s silence, the awful feeling that coiled deep in Taehyung's gut welled up to his chest, giving it a prickling sensation as if his skin were burning. Taehyung closed the gap between them and gripped his shoulders, shaking him gently to force him to look at him. “Tell me you don’t like—“

“Why do you care about that? Why do you care if I still like him?”

“Jeongguk, he doesn’t deserve you. Please don’t go back to him. You’ll get hurt again. I don’t want you to get hurt.” A sorrowful gaze accompanied Taehyung's words as he drew a hand closer to his face, cupping it. “I don’t know how you feel right now, but despite that, I know it’s not worth going back to him. Especially after the way he hurt you. You’ll lose all the progress you’ve made if you go backwards, Kook. Please don’t do that.”

Jeongguk slowly ringed his slim waist with his arms, connecting their bodies in need to feel his warmth to the maximum. “Is that the only reason?”

“What—What do you mean?”

“Is that the only reason you don’t want me to go back to him?”

Taehyung blinked on repeat as his eyes moved in all directions at the sudden restlessness that consumed him, but a feather-like caress on his head down to his nape turned him into an icicle and brought his eyes to a standstill, locking them with his. “W-what other reason could I have?”

“Right.” He allowed his lips to curve into weak a smile. “Anyway, let’s go back, hm?”

Taehyung presented a brittle smile to him as he gave a few stuttering nods, and he let the younger guide him back to the living room while all he could think about was one thing; is there another reason?

⚜✳⚜

Here's a loooong chapter for you, my amazing readers who always support me 💜