Still The Same | taekook ✔️

e l e v e n

[ couch ]
0:58 ──♡───────── 3:47
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"Bed or couch?" Taehyung asked the timid boy.

"I-I can take the couch. Thanks."

After texting Jimin about staying at a friend's place, Jeongguk took a quick shower and changed into borrowed loose clothes. It smelled so much like Taehyung- Jeongguk couldn't get enough of it. It revealed memories that had been discarded to the back of his brain.

"Do you still need a nightlight to sleep?" Taehyung recalled.

Jeongguk felt the heat rush to his face. "Yeah."

The older's lips twitched up to a soft smile, reaching out to pinch his cheek. "I'll just keep the bedside lamp on. Don't worry." He said, "Remember shadow puppets?"

Jeongguk just scoffed, biting back a playful grin.

Often times Taehyung used to crash over at Jeongguk's place when his father was being bothersome. Back then Jeongguk didn't quite understand the deal with his father. He just willingly took the older in when he needed it. Too many nights were spent telling stories instead of getting sleep. But it helped lift Taehyung's spirit when he was upset, so Jeongguk never minded.

Jeongguk watched as Taehyung hovered his hands in front of the light source, creating shapes with the shadow on the wall. "I don't remember all of the ones we used to do." He confessed, frowning. He settled on a basic shadow puppet of a dog, prompting giggles from the younger.

"Hiya, doggo."

Taehyung whipped his head back to beam at him. Jeongguk's eyes were bright with youthfulness, smiling wide, and Taehyung thought making him smile might be his biggest achievement of the night. The younger looked down at his hands and tried to copy him.

"Here." Taehyung pulled Jeongguk towards him by the bicep and gently held onto his fingers. "Like that." He took the opportunity to press the boy's back close to his chest. Jeongguk seemed too concentrated at the task at hand to notice.

"I did it." The younger said, delighted.

"Yeah, you did." Taehyung applauded, then let go of him, disappearing behind the room divider and coming back with a blanket.

Jeongguk lifted both eyebrows confusingly at him as the older laid down on the couch. "What're you doing?"

"I asked where you wanted to sleep and you said the couch." Taehyung deadpanned, but there was a mischievous glint in his eye. "So come on."

"I thought..." Jeongguk trailed off, the redness of his cheeks spreading to his ears.

Taehyung held the blanket up, inviting the younger to join him. "I only have one blanket and I'm not about to let you freeze to death."

Jeongguk remained too shy to move, and Taehyung took it upon himself to grab the younger by the hips and tug him down on the couch. There wasn't much place, so they were huddled together. Taehyung hummed contently, a strong arm encircling Jeongguk and holding him in place, preventing him from falling off the edge. The younger was stiff in his embrace.

"Hey." Taehyung whispered, "Don't be scared. It's just like old times, yeah?" His fingers drew comforting circles on the small of Jeongguk's back. His other hand reached up to push the younger's hair back and tuck it behind his ear lovingly.

Jeongguk nodded and relaxed his shoulders, leaning towards Taehyung and hesitantly burying his face in the crook of his neck. Taehyung's heart exploded with adoration.

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier at the booth." Taehyung mumbled near the younger's ear after a moment of quiet. Jeongguk didn't move or answer and he thought he might be asleep already. "It was childish of me."

Slowly Jeongguk lifted his head and looked at Taehyung with sleepy eyes. "It's okay. You didn't say anything rude, honestly, you were just teasing. The other two were being mean though."

"They're assholes." Taehyung said, "I actually don't know them well. I was sitting with Hoseok-hyung when they came over."

"How'd you know Hobi-hyung?"

"We work at the same smoothie place downtown."

The corners of Jeongguk's lips turned upwards into a teasing smile. "You're a smoothie boy?"

Taehyung chuckled. "Maybe."

"That's—" Jeongguk's voice dropped below a whisper, turning bashful. "— cute."

Amused, the older pulled him closer and their breath mingled. "Mm... Does being a smoothie boy make me more likable?"

"Maybe." Jeongguk echoed.

"Guess I'm staying a smoothie boy for a long time then."

That remark earned him a punch on the shoulder and the older made a clicking sound with his tongue, almost mockingly. Jeongguk laughed.

Taehyung suddenly sat himself up a bit to check if the blanket was covering the younger. "Are you warm enough?"

Jeongguk grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled him back down, cuddling into his chest. "Yeah, I'm warm."

Taehyung stared down at the boy next to him who had his eyes closed, looking unbelievably peaceful and effortlessly gorgeous with his hair spread like a halo over his head. Soon his snuffles settled into a steady rhythm, his chest rising and falling calmly.

Taehyung watched him in fascination, trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was here, sleeping in his arms. He didn't want to close his eyes and drift off, afraid this was all somehow a dream and the boy wouldn't be there when he woke. He ran his fingers along Jeongguk's arm, savoring the touch after being deprived of it for more than a year.

Taehyung couldn't help the kiss he planted on the younger's temple and he thought he couldn't possibly fall more in love until a faint smile tugged on Jeongguk's lips.

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