A gentle hush cloaked the car until they were close to Taehyung's apartment. Although the black-haired boy was exhausted, he couldn't sleep. He was still tense with everything that happened and from listening to Jeongguk talk about his father. "I really don't know what's worse." This phrase played on repeat in his head, and he couldn't find a way to shut it off.

"Are you okay?" Jeongguk's delicate voice broke the peaceful silence.

"Um, yeah, I guess."

"You're awfully quiet."

"I can't shut my stupid brain off. I keep thinking about things." Taehyung rubbed his face, frustrated. "How do you stop your thoughts?"

Jeongguk found the opportunity to look at him as he stopped at a red light. "I don't. I can't." He shrugged an idle shoulder. "But I've read that it helps when you sleep with someone else."

"I've forgotten what that feels like."

"How come?"

"After my grandmother died, I started working full time and I had too many things on my mind to worry about dating."

"Your grandmother died?"

Only then Taehyung realized that he blurted out yet another quite personal information about his life. "Um, yeah."

"I'm sorry," Jeongguk uttered as he peeked at him.

The older gave him a slight smile and thought about what they were talking about before. "I don't even remember when was the last time I slept with someone."

"It seems odd, though. You seem quite flirty."

Taehyung's brows drew together in a scowl. "I'm not flirty."

"What about that Baekhyun guy then?" he asked with a snicker.

"That was like the first time I flirted back. Ever."

"Don't get all worked up."

"At least you have someone to sleep with."

"What?"

"That blonde boy. I walked in you two twice."

"We're not a thing." Jeongguk tittered, shifting in his seat, uneasy.

"Then what are you..." he trailed off as he pondered over it. "Don't tell me you're actually paying him to suck you off!"

"What!? Are you insane?" Jeongguk asked, shocked. Yes, he had money, but he wouldn't do that. Ever. "We've just made out some times, that's all. We haven't in a while, and he's definitely not sleeping at my house."

"And by making out you mean him making out with your dick?" Taehyung asked with a teasing smile, catching the other off guard because yes, that was exactly what they were doing.

"You do have a big mouth, you know," Jeongguk hissed with an annoyed face.

"Don't get all worked up," he imitated his words and tone from before in a rather taunting manner.

"Has anyone told you that you're annoying?"

"Has anyone told you that you're crabby? Why can't you just smile for once?"

"I do smile."

"Rarely."

"The point is that I do smile."

Taehyung huffed at his words and turned his gaze out the window, only to roll his eyes again. "Why do you even have tinted windows?"

"You know privacy? I kind of need it."

"What are you? Some hotshot billionaire who can't get a moment in peace?" Taehyung scoffed.

"Exactly."

"Wait, are you really a billionaire?"

"I am."

"How? You're only twenty-three."

Jeongguk just arrived outside of his apartment and parked the car. "It's a long story, and you should sleep." His tone was once again rather soft, something that surprised the older as he wasn't used to this side of him.

"But I'm not sleepy."

"If you lie down, you'll relax and sleep, Tae."

"That never happens."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing." He shook his head with a sigh and got out of the car.

"Hey, Tae." He mirrored his moves and approached him as the boy halted. He laid his hand on his shoulder and gently swiveled him to face him. Silence prevailed over them as his eyes wandered the surprised frown that settled on his features, and they met his gaze at last. "What can I do to make you relax?"

Taehyung had trouble maintaining eye contact and had to peel his gaze away, self-conscious. "Talk to me?"

"What do you want me to talk about?" He didn't stop peering at him in the slightest.

"Not here, it's too cold," Taehyung said as he glanced away once again. "Let's go upstairs."

His face visibly stiffened at his proposal as it was the last thing he expected at that moment, leading him to dry up completely.

Seeing his deadpan expression and receiving no response whatsoever, the older regretted the words he spilled in a flash. "Actually, never mind."

"Wait, why?"

"It's nothing like what you're used to. It's just a shithole," he murmured. "Thank you for picking me up and sorry for the trouble. Goodnight." He presented a forced smile to him and pivoted on his heel.

For some reason, Jeongguk froze at his words. The truth was he had never been inside someone else's house except for his hyungs'. He didn't have any friends except for his hyungs, anyway.

He watched as Taehyung made his way into the building with slumped shoulders, but once he was out of his sight, he snapped out of it and dashed behind him. "Taehyung," he called as he found the boy in front of the elevator. "I don't mind coming upstairs."

"It's okay if you're uncomfortable."

"I'm not."

His heartfelt tone raised a tiny smile from the older and caused him to drop his head in an attempt to hide it. They wordlessly got into the elevator, and he pressed the second floor.

Taehyung stood there with his head still bowed, playing with his hands nervously, while Jeongguk was rather tense and refrained from making eye contact with him.

Once they arrived, Taehyung unlocked the door, and they walked inside. Well, he was right, it was indeed just a shithole, but Jeongguk didn't pay attention to that; what drew his attention was how cold that tiny apartment was.

"It's cold in here," he voiced out his thoughts as he stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"Yeah, I don't have a heater," Taehyung said as he sat in his bed, one of the few pieces of furniture he had. He only had a bed, a nightstand, one small closet, two chairs, and a table in the kitchen in his small apartment. "You can sit, well, either here or there." He pointed at the bed and then the chair that was behind him.

The younger surged forward, not even bothering to glance back, and sat next to him. "It must be really cold in the winter."

"It is," he said as he faced him, sitting cross-legged in the bed. "But I'm used to it now."

"How can one get used to being cold?"

"I don't know, you just do. I've lived here for almost four years now."

Jeongguk scoped the studio apartment for a few moments in silence. "It's... not that bad," he uttered, trying to cheer him up even a little.

"You don't have to be nice about it. You think it's a shithole, and I know it." A chortle accompanied his last remark.

"It's not a shithole, it could be worse!" Jeongguk argued back, making the other's small chuckle turn to a throaty laugh.

"You're right about that." He glanced at him with a warm smile, eyes gradually finding their gleam again.

Upon seeing his smiley face, Jeongguk snorted and lowered his head as a faint smile made its way to his lips.

Taehyung gasped then and palmed his mouth in pretended shock. "You smiled!"

Jeongguk grabbed a pillow that was behind him and smacked him in the face. That only made Taehyung toss his head back and roar with laughter, and the younger was left staring at him with soft eyes while he chuckled as well.

"I didn't know you're that short-tempered," Taehyung commented through his mild laugh.

"I didn't know you're such a tease."

"You know, smacking someone with a pillow isn't something a CEO would normally do."

"I'm tired of-" Jeongguk forced his lips together and swallowed what he wanted to say.

"Tired of what? Being a CEO?"

"No, not that. I'm tired of doing only grown-up things. Things only a CEO would do."

Taehyung felt the bitterness in his tone strike him hard, and he stayed mute for a spell as he examined his gloomy expression. He felt bad for him, and he couldn't do anything about it. "You're not happy."

Jeongguk remained unfazed at his words and inhaled a chest-swelling breath before he spoke. "I'm not. I don't remember the last time I was."

"Why? You have everything."

"Just because I have money doesn't mean I have everything. I just don't have to worry about starving or living in the streets. That doesn't mean I have it easy. I didn't even have time to finish high school. I haven't been on vacation, ever. I never had a birthday party. On my last birthday, I was alone in my house doing nothing because everyone was busy getting ready for a presentation we had the next day. And I had to go through my notes too, but I couldn't. I was too depressed to do anything.

"I never went to a party to have fun, I only went for business. I don't have friends except for my hyungs. I have never been in love. Whoever approaches me just wants to take something from me. At least you know that when someone approaches you, they do it for you, for who you are."

There was a thick, intense silence after Jeongguk finished talking. Taehyung had no idea what to say; he could only gape at him with doleful eyes. He was right, Jeongguk wasn't happy. Not at all. And he didn't know what to do about it. "Why are you mean to everyone?"

"I don't know. That's who I am."

"But you're not." His remark gained his attention as he lifted his head and gazed back at him with his usual deadpan expression. "You're mad. All the time."

Yes, Taehyung hit home with what he said. Jeongguk was mad all the time, every day, with everything.

"Why?"

"Stop asking. I don't know," he chose to say, but he knew deep down quite well why he was so mad. He just couldn't bring himself to admit it and accept it.

"I'm sorry." Taehyung didn't mind his brusque behavior. Although he really wanted to know the reason behind it, he didn't pressure him.

Maybe it was the first time that Jeongguk felt bad for being curt to someone. Taehyung's soft gaze and smile made him feel like an ass. "It's okay," he mumbled with a sigh. His need to apologize almost got the best of him, but he couldn't do it at the end.

Silence enshrouded them once again as Taehyung cast his mind back to everything the younger said, and Jeongguk didn't know what to say. It was after twelve, and Taehyung couldn't help but feel bad for him since he knew he had to wake up early to go to the company.

"Are you feeling better?" the dark brown-haired boy asked before Taehyung could vocalize his thoughts.

"Honestly? No."

"Why? Am I making you depressed with my sad life story?" A spark of irony was evident in his tone, but Taehyung caught the bitterness it contained again.

"Honestly?" he asked, keeping his gaze on him. "Yes," he said with a chuckle, but what surprised him was that Jeongguk chuckled too.

"What did you expect to hear? About a bratty, spoiled boy who had everything he wanted and was having the time of his life because he was rich?"

"Hmm, something like that," he teased, both chuckling again. "I'm kidding, I knew you weren't happy."

"How?"

"I-I don't know. I just... I can tell."

"Is it really that obvious that my life sucks?"

"I can assure you that my life sucks more. You don't have to worry about bills or if you're gonna freeze to death while sleeping."

"You said you were used to it."

"I lied. You can't possibly get used to it."

Jeongguk knew what he was about to say would irritate him, but he had to. He couldn't control himself at all. "I can buy you a heater as a gift or whatever."

Taehyung's eyes glinted with vexation at his words. "Perhaps you can pay for my electricity bill too? Because that's why I don't have a heater. It consumes a lot of electricity."

"I can do that too."

"And suddenly you have become the obnoxious rich CEO who loves to brag about his money."

"Why do you see it as bragging? I just want to help."

"I don't want your money."

"Okay, okay. I get it."

"And since we're talking about it," Taehyung trailed off as he opened a drawer and took out an envelope.

Jeongguk's face shriveled in exasperation the moment he laid his eyes on that envelope, and the muscles in his jaw bunched as the older held it in front of him. "I swear, if you don't put away this envelope, I will shove it down your throat, and I'm not even joking."

"It's your money." Taehyung frowned as he pushed the envelope closer to him.

"It's your money." He felt this close to lashing out at him since Taehyung didn't yield. "Taehyung, I swear-"

"No, I don't care! I don't want to be in debt to anyone!"

"I'm not gonna ask for the money back ever, do you hear me? Ever. Even if I go bankrupt, even if I end up living in the streets, I'm not gonna come for you and ask for the money back."

"I... I don't like this," Taehyung drawled as he dropped his hand to his lap. "I feel like I owe you something."

"Look at me," Jeongguk said, but he didn't receive any kind of reaction from him. Without thinking about it too much, he cupped his face and lifted his head, leaving Taehyung shocked at his actions. "You don't owe me anything." He paid no mind to his staggered expression and focused solely on his captivating, doe eyes.

They held eye contact as the older melted in his touch; he found himself immersed in his beautiful hazel eyes that were gazing at him as if he were the most precious thing in the world.

"You don't owe me anything and you never will." He absently caressed his cheeks with the pad of his thumbs. "So please, stop trying to pay me back. I can't sleep while knowing that I have your money," he whispered and let his hands fall to his sides.

"Why?" Taehyung questioned, and for some reason, a pout crawled over his lips when he retracted his hands.

"Because you need it. And I'm not looking down on you. I will never use that money, but you will, you need it. I can't sleep at ease while knowing that."

Taehyung couldn't think of anything to say. Jeongguk was right, of course. He really did need the money, but it was his since he paid for his hospital bill, and Taehyung couldn't help but feel bad about keeping it.

"Jeongguk, I can't keep it."

"If you want my shitty life to get a little better, keep the money."

"Why would I care about your shitty life?"

"You literally got depressed a few moments ago when you heard some things about my shitty life," Jeongguk said, surprised at his remark.

Taehyung released a soft chuckle, causing the other's rigid face to mellow. "I'm kidding."

"Such a tease," he mumbled with an eye roll, a smile engraved on his features.

Taehyung observed him without saying anything for a while, finding the smile on his lips a ton more suitable for his handsome face. "You should smile more."

"You think?"

"Yes. It looks good on you."

Amusement spread on the younger's face as he raised a sly brow. "Are you flirting?"

And Taehyung's expression changed instantly into a stunned one. "No, you coconut head," he said in haste, embarrassed, as he felt his cheeks blush.

He chuckled upon seeing his reaction. "Just checking." The smile that crept over his lips once again was like no other as he peered at the gorgeous, bashful boy in front of him.

⚜✳⚜