YES, DADDY (KOOKV)

FOUR⁴

Staying with Jeongguk is a big fucking deal. It's a big fucking deal because it means he's walking around on hardwood floors and leaning on marble countertops and eating things off china that looks like it costs around the same amount he was paying for rent. It means Jeongguk gives him his own room - high, almost-cathedral ceilings and soft white carpet and a bed that puts the queen at the hotel to shame. It means Taehyung is with Jeongguk almost constantly now - trying to make himself disappear into the small part of the large L-shaped couch as Jeongguk goes about his normal day and consistently shakes his head at him with a smile and a nice little: "Stop trying to blend in, kid. Relax. It's good that you're here."

It's a big fucking deal.

And it's only been a few hours.

"Hey Jeongguk?"

"Yeah?"

"How does your— How do you turn your shower on? It's like a fuckin'—...Jesus Christ."

"Turn the handle."

"I am."

"Turn it harder."

"I— ...I am, nothing's happening."

"Did you pull that tab thing up first?"

"...tab thing..."

"Taehyung?"

"Yeah I pulled the tab thing."

"Then it should be working."

"... ...uhhh-"

"Hold on."

The knock at the bathroom door has Taehyung lurching for a towel and throwing it around his waist as quickly as possible before shouting what he hopes is a totally composed, "Yeah."

Jeongguk barrels through the door like a man on a mission, zeroing in on the faucet in the shower.

"Sometimes it sticks," he explains, completely oblivious to how Taehyung edges away from him, towel clutched firmly in his grasp. "Just gotta..."

There's a grunt and then the promising pitter patter of the shower's spray hitting against the tile, relief washing over the tiny bubble of nerves in Taehyung's stomach.

"There we go," Jeongguk grins, ducking back from the water to rub his palms against his pants.

And Taehyung's not sure if he desperately wants Jeongguk to leave or if he wants to ask him to stay when he smiles back, "thanks," and there's this split-second moment where Jeongguk's gaze slips from Taehyung's face, just low enough to prompt something to register in his brain and push him to keep walking, eyes dragging back in front of him as he heads back out the door with a polite:

"Mhm."

It takes a full five minutes and the hottest manageable temperature for Taehyung to calm down.

So this is how it's going to be.

The second thing that Taehyung notices within the first day is that Jeongguk listens to Coldplay.

Like a lot.

Like he's played it in the car a few times when he's driven Taehyung around, but it's nothing compared to this.

"Really? Coldplay?"

Jeongguk is in the kitchen doing some sort of adult-ish thing like hydrating or something, but he's not too busy to glance up at him over the counter with a raised eyebrow. "What's wrong with Coldplay?"

Taehyung just looks back down at his phone, grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Nothin'."

A particularly chill guitar solo sounds through the speakers and then Jeongguk is speaking again, waving a cucumber in his general direction. "Listen here, just because it's not Lady Gaga or whatever the hell you crazy kids are listening to these days, it doesn't mean it's not good."