Work Text:
7:30 am
taehyung learned early on that having your favorite song set as your morning alarm is useless.
after oversleeping every day for 6 weeks straight because he wanted to hear just a few more lines of norah jones, he decided to reverse his tactics. goodbye sweet sleep, hello unbearable survivor-induced headache. eye of the tiger is simply the worst song to exist in the world and taehyung has nearly twisted his ankle twice in his hurry out of bed to put himself and his alarm clock out of their shared misery.
that's why thursday is one of the best days of the week. free day, no class. he can sleep as late as he wants and he always takes full advantage.
so when the first few bars of eye of the tiger blare throughout the apartment on thursday morning, he's out of bed in an instant to shut it off. he falls back into bed with a groan so loud that pudge glares menacingly at him before turning in a circle and plopping himself back down with his back turned to taehyung. that'll show him to interfere with my sleep, pudge thinks smugly.
unfortunately for taehyung, the damage has been done. there's no going back. jungkook lays snoring and drooling beside him and taehyung is painfully jealous, wishing he could slip back into dreamland and continue with his dream of granola bar manufacturing. the blankets are unbearably hot and itchy, and he feels the strange urge to be up and about after four hours of sleep.
he's in the midst of murky mucky foggy groggy thoughts when jungkook suddenly snores so loudly he wakes himself with a jerk. pudge turns his head to shoot the two of them a dirty look, then huffs and returns to his feline beauty sleep.
"what the heck," taehyung laughs, voice croaking with morning and sleep and maybe a little bit of allergies. with a groan, jungkook buries his face in his memory foam pillow before grabbing taehyung and pulling him so tight against his body that it hurts his boyfriend's ribs. he grins and loosens his grip when taehyung protests and resorts to placing messy wet kisses all over tae's sleep-puffy cheeks.
"gross, morning breath," taehyung says, but he honestly doesn't care. not when jungkook looks at him so warmly with his droopy, heavy eyes. he makes a show of petting jungkook's messy bedhead and cooing, "aww, look at the sleepy bunny, did you have a good sleep little bunny?" until his hand is slapped away with a growl. "ooh, look at that, bunny's got bite."
sighing, jungkook cuddles him more sincerely. "you're so chatty this morning," he hums. as if the reason for his unrest was the lack of jungkook's voice, taehyung's chest calms. he grips onto the back of jungkook's oversized shirt and lets himself close his eyes like a contented cat in a patch of honeyed sunlight. they lay that way for a few minutes, comfortable, until jungkook asks, "we should go to the market this morning, yeah?"
taehyung nods, suddenly tired again. but if jungkook is good at anything it's getting him motivated and off his butt, so when he rubs the sleep out of his eyes and does a tuck and roll out of bed, taehyung follows immediately. they massage their sore shoulders for a moment before sharing a knowing look between each other, then the bathroom door.
"last one there does the laundry for a week," jungkook says quickly, then the race begins.
taehyung locks the door behind him and laughs as evilly as he can. this scene is very familiar. "does my speed impress you?" he calls while grabbing his toothbrush.
jungkook makes a noise he would deny is a whine. "hurry up, i have to pee!" he yells, but taehyung takes his time brushing his teeth and even has the nerve to smirk when he walks through the door.
"all yours. bun," he says, bumping their shoulders.
"you're gonna regret calling me that. by the way, i love doing the laundry so who's the real loser here?"
"still you."
8:42 am
their tiny, tiny apartment is a bit dreary, but they've made it colorful and theirs. there's a leak in the corner and the elongated rectangular space of their combined kitchen, living room, and bedroom is adorned in windows they always keep open in the summer. it's mid-winter now, so they settle for pulling back the curtains they'd found at the dollar store (burgundy, burgundy, cream, burgundy -- the store was short one burgundy drape and they never bothered going back to check if they'd been restocked) so the light can stream in and provide a warm ambiance.
they make a quick breakfast of cereal and coffee and eat while sitting in front of their small tv. tom chases jerry in circles, the sun shines weakly through clouds and cold, and everything is perfectly fine. normal.
until an army of mucus attacks taehyung.
he sneezes more violently than he ever has in his entire life. "oh my god. babe," he says quietly, in fear.
"hm? oh, bless you," jungkook says halfheartedly without taking his eyes off the tv. he brings a spoonful of cereal up to his mouth and misses; it bumps his chin and spills over the front of his shirt.
"babe, i --" another powerful sneeze.
this one captures jungkook's attention and he turns to taehyung with wide eyes and a smile taehyung wants to punch off his stupid smug (beautiful) face. "kim taehyung," he gasps dramatically, "are you sick?"
"no!" taehyung shouts angrily, rubbing his snotty nose with the sleeve of the jacket he's wearing (jungkook's). "maybe."
"you totally are," jungkook laughs and it's even more annoying with milk dripping down his clothes, "this means i get to take care of you, oh my god, you always say the stupidest things when you're sick. fucking do you remember when--"
an impressive sneeze fills the room.
it didn't come from taehyung.
"holy crap," taehyung whispers after a 3 second silence. jungkook stares into the void with wide, terrified eyes as taehyung jumps to his feet and throws down his napkin like it's a football and he's just scored the winning touchdown.
"we're both sick, asshole!" he yells in celebration. jungkook flops down to the floor in distress ("it must be a mistake! i drink gatorade! i work out!").
9:28 am
dressed in layers upon layers, they sacrifice fashion for body heat and walk the short distance to the supermarket. it's nearly empty this early in the morning and the owner has yet to drop their dog off at doggy day care, so frank the pug is there to watch over the shop in his work vest and puppy boots.
"good morning, frank," jungkook says.
frank raises a paw in greeting before returning to the morning news.
they're here to shop for necessities but they're both terrible terrible terrible, so by the time they're ready to go to the register they have in their basket: animal crackers, a new flavor of doritos, organic vegan soup with packaging too cute to pass up, a cake in the shape of mother goose, and a strange vegetable neither of them know the name of.
"the pasta..." taehyung mumbles as they stare sadly into their basket, and they start over from scratch (keeping only the vegetable).
they know they would finish more quickly if they split up, but instead they make their way slowly together, huddling close in aisles and taking turns holding the grocery list. frank gives them complimentary tissues on their way out.
keeping a close eye on the approaching rain clouds, they return back to their apartment in a slow shuffle. their breath comes out in puffs that jungkook is entertained by to the point that taehyung has to call his name three times to get his attention when the pedestrian light turns green (“jungkook. bun. babe.” “oh, sorry.”). taehyung keeps a close eye on him after that. thankfully they return home in one piece.
10:14 am
sniffling and sore, they take lots of medicine and sit back in front of the tv to watch chopped. taehyung ties kook's hair up in seven different ponytails, each one complete with a ribbon, and then sits on his lap, back to chest, while holding his stuffed duck secure in his arms.
"i'm not that tired," jungkook says, then immediately falls asleep. but taehyung, even though he's sick and full of medicine, is still feeling the same restlessness he woke up with, so he practices flips on the hardwood floor as quietly as he can while pudge watches from the safe height of the fridge. after a particularly successful series of cartwheels, his attempted front flip goes wrong and he flops flat on his butt with a force that shakes the walls. jungkook leaps off the couch in a hurry, his puffy red eyes barely open and entire body swaying off balance as he brandishes the tv remote in the direction of the door.
he scans the apartment for danger before his eyes land on taehyung, who looks up at him in confusion. with a sigh of relief, he drops the remote and makes his way over to pick taehyung up under the arms to hold him like a child. for the millionth time in the past two years, taehyung wonders how jungkook can lift him as if he weighs nothing, but he drops those thoughts in favor of watching his boyfriend attempt to walk to the bed with his eyes closed.
"i can't take you seriously," he says after jungkook painfully bumps his big toe on the corner of the dresser. he tugs at one of jungkook's ponytails, flinching when he receives a nip to the hand.
"bunny," he says in impulsive retaliation.
"what did i tell you about calling me that?" jungkook drops him on the bed, then lays heavily on top of him, head on his chest. "don't make me spank you."
"as if," taehyung scoffs, worming his way out from underneath him so he can watch the chopped contestants plate their food with only seconds to spare. jungkook's hands attack his sides until he's laughing breathlessly.
"you enjoy it too much," he says, biting at taehyung's shoulder.
"i do not," tae forces through the laughter, pushing uselessly at jungkook's broad chest.
"no?"
taehyung jumps when his thigh receives a stinging slap, and decides to alter his strategy. he jabs his fingers into jungkook's ribs until he falls from the mattress with a heavy thud.
finally free, taehyung rushes to the kitchen and grabs a yogurt from the fridge. he eats it calmly while standing over jungkook's motionless, defeated body.
"gonna sleep here," jungkook mumbles from the floor, eyes closed and limbs stretched out like a starfish in the sun. "good night."
"night, loser."
10:44 am
taehyung is working on his 3rd strawberry yogurt when jungkook plops himself down on the floor in front of him.
"thought you were sleeping," taehyung says. he undoes the ponytails in jungkook's hair and runs his fingers through it to smooth it back down.
jungkook tilts his head back until it hits the couch cushions. "missed you," he mumbles, his words slurring.
"aww," taehyung slides down into jungkook's lap so he can squish his cheeks together with both hands and kiss him obnoxiously on the mouth. "how cute of you."
"i'm fucking adorable," jungkook argues. his hands reach up to pry taehyung's own off his cheeks, interlacing their fingers in the process and leaning forward to kiss him more sincerely. their lips move together in a sweet, familiar way that's still just as addictive now as it was the first time, and taehyung feels nothing less than soft and smitten when he pulls away to see the tired droopiness of jungkook's eyes and the weak purple underneath that he wants to touch gently with his fingertips. jungkook's hair is mussed and messy and his cheeks and ears are pink and he's looking at taehyung so sweetly it almost aches.
"you're so pretty," he mumbles, laying his head on jungkook's warm shoulder so he doesn't have to look at him while he says it.
"i thought you couldn't take me seriously," jungkook teases, running his hand soothingly up and down taehyung's back. the rhythm of it reminds taehyung of a nursery rhyme his mother used to sing to him and he suddenly remembers how early they'd woken up.
"it's only 11 o clock," he sighs, closing his eyes, "i'm so sleepy."
"did it take that long for the medicine to kick in?" jungkook wonders. the tv buzzes quietly in the background and jungkook's arms are a safe haven from the cold. taehyung feels dizzy in the best way possible, like he's moving through syrup or honey, sugary and sticky.
"it's not my fault my body is strong and wants to fight everything."
"yeah?" jungkook picks him up and sits back on the couch. he bounces taehyung lightly on his knee until the other boy whines and wraps his arms around his shoulders, burying his face in his neck. "you can go ahead and nap. i'll tell you who wins this episode."
heat floods to taehyung's cheeks and the backs of his eyes; he suddenly feels like crying. he realizes that even if he wants to sleep, what he wants even more is for jungkook's focus to be on him, unadulterated and in full, so he searches for every way possible to move his body closer. wraps his arms tighter around his neck, presses their torsos together, looks up through his bangs at jungkook's focused face.
"what's wrong tae?" jungkook eventually asks, looking away from the text book he has sitting on the cushion next to him. taehyung makes kissy faces at him until he gets the picture and leans down with a grin, kissing soft before gripping taehyung's jaw strongly with his hand. taehyung goes limp with a shaky exhale. "just want my attention, huh?"
taehyung stares up in shock, unsure of how to reply. jungkook looks annoyingly amused and taehyung is angry at himself for being embarrassed. "shut up," he says petulantly, then does a 180 and musters up all his seductiveness. he traces a finger down jungkook's chest and looks exaggeratedly up under his lashes. "just take me to bed, sexy."
"you're so ridiculous," jungkook laughs, but picks him up anyway after a quick kiss to the forehead and carries him to their shared bed. taehyung feels lightheaded and giddy being caged under jungkook's arms and broad shoulders, his weight a familiar comfort above him.
"you gonna be good for me?" jungkook asks against the skin of his neck. taehyung nods a little, his head tilted back against the pillows. "words, baby."
taehyung grips onto jungkooks hips and pulls him flush against him, all heat and muscle and rabbit pulse. "no," he mumbles. "just come here."
"so you're gonna be like that today," jungkook says, leaning up to press a light kiss to taehyung's mouth. taehyung chases after him when he pulls away.
"i don't know what you mean. come here."
"hmmm, ask nicely and we'll see," jungkook says, a smug grin playing on his lips as he sits up and away from taehyung's grabby hands.
"no," taehyung frowns.
jungkook stretches and starts to stand. "i think it's time for pudge's walk?"
"nooo," taehyung yanks him back down harshly and jungkook laughs, trying not to give in.
"then say please."
"no."
jungkook raises a brow and looks over at pudge, who stands and stretches expectantly. yes, pudge thinks, it is time for my daily stroll.
taehyung huffs. "i'm only doing this because i want to," he says with a very pointed expression. jungkook offers an innocent smile. "come here...please."
"sorry, what was that?"
"please come here and kiss me, god," taehyung nearly yells, embarrassed and impatient. jungkook laughs and kisses him right away, pushing him back against the mattress.
"wasn't so hard, was it?"
taehyung weakly hits his shoulder before running both hands underneath his shirt and gripping onto his slim waist. "kook," he laughs between kisses, "hey."
"hm?"
"you know what is hard?"
"oh really?" jungkook huffs out a laugh, grinding his hips down against taehyung's and taking great satisfaction in the way his breath leaves his lungs. pretty. taehyung has always been easy to rile up.
slow slow sleepy and fond, he pushes taehyung's shirt up to kiss his soft belly, loving the way it gives plushly under the pressure of his lips. skin warm under his tongue, he slides his palms up taehyung's sides, his ribs, lets him intertwine their fingers as he moves his mouth lower.
"nothing fancy, just do the thing," taehyung says breathlessly, tugging on jungkook's hand.
"no? you're not in the mood for a very extravagant dick sucking?"
"can i cash it in later?"
"of course, it's my favorite past time," jungkook says, tugging down taehyung's boxers before leaning back up to kiss him deeply. taehyung's hips buck up on their own accord when jungkook wraps his hand around him and strokes expertly. he moans into the kiss and trails his hand down over jungkook's well defined abdomen to palm at the bulge in his sweatpants.
without breaking the kiss, taehyung reaches under the pillow for the lube they keep there and coats his fingers adequately before wrapping his fingers around jungkook's cock, swallowing down his sigh as he twists his wrist just the right way.
"you ready?" jungkook asks, pushing himself up on his arms. taehyung nods and jungkook can't help but drop one last kiss to his pouty mouth before pushing inside.
his pace is slow as he sits up on his knees with a hand on either one of taehyung's warm, lean thighs. he drops messy kisses onto his calves and knees as taehyung loses his breath beneath him, the heavy slide of his cock growing into an aching pleasure almost overwhelming as it spreads hotly through taehyung's body.
"go faster," taehyung pleads, but jungkook shakes his head, his lips pulled up in a small smile, and presses deeper until taehyung's keening, his back arching prettily against the sheets. jungkook drops to his elbows for a kiss and his pace doesn't falter, deep and slow and perfect.
"wow you're good," taehyung whispers shakily, wrapping his legs around jungkook's waist and pushing his own hips upwards in an attempt to speed up the pace. he whines when jungkook's fingers grip onto his hips and press them down into the sheets, rendering him immobile, forcing him to take whatever jungkook gives him. the show of strength leaves him trembling. his cock drools untouched on his belly.
"of course i am, i have someone important to impress," jungkook says, dragging his mouth down taehyung's neck and muttering praise. taehyung's pulse is alive and loud against his tongue, a rhythmic thump that bears an evergrowing softness in jungkook's chest. he wants to give taehyung the world, wants to pack it up and give to taehyung to open and own and hold. wants to give him all the happiness and pleasure a human can possibly receive.
he reaches between their bodies to touch where taehyung needs it most, reveling in his responding whimper and tightened grip in jungkook's hair.
"please," taehyung moans, his eyes wet with unshed tears. his thighs tremble and toes curl as jungkook quickens his pace until everything becomes too much. taehyung comes with a mewl, thick ropes of white shooting up his chest, tears spilling down his temples as he throws his head back.
"fuck, baby," jungkook curses, gasping as taehyung clenches around him. he pulls out and fists his wet cock until he adds to the mess on taehyung's belly with a deep groan.
"whoa," taehyung breathes.
"whoa," jungkook seconds. he kisses taehyung again, wipes under his watery eyes and treats him gently. "you're always so good for me," he says. taehyung positively preens under the attention and lays patiently as jungkook cleans away the mess on his tummy.
"sleep," he says, pulling jungkook down to lay comfortably on his chest.
"sleep," jungkook hums in agreement.
2:03 pm
taehyung is woken by jungkook's quiet voice.
"tae, i'm going out now," he says, rubbing the other boy's shoulder as taehyung pries open his sleep swollen eyes. he groans and reaches languidly for jungkook to pull him into a hug that's awkward from the angle, but just as good. just as warm.
jungkook gives in (always) and they lay that way for a few seconds before he pulls away. he kisses taehyung sweetly. "i heated up the leftovers from last night, they're waiting for you on the stove. love you."
"love you too. be careful," taehyung says, and it's physically painful watching jungkook leave. he sits up in bed and looks sullenly at pudge, who lets out a deep sigh.
"me too, pudge."
after dragging himself over to the bathroom to brush his teeth, he picks up his phone to text "miss u :(" to a jungkook who's probably barely out of the building.
jungkook: i've been gone for 2 minutes
taehyung: :-[
sad, taehyung instead texts jimin to ask if he still wants to meet at the park. his phone doesn't ding until a few minutes later while he's changing into clean clothes.
jimin: señor has been acting up. he needs this playdate
jungkook: miss u too
taehyung grins and wrestles pudge into his raincoat to take him out on his walk. as much as pudge loves walks (and señor), he isn't a fan of the cold.
4:53 pm
"i'm just saying, it makes no sense at all as a battle move."
"you know i have to disagree with that," jimin says, looking at taehyung with all the seriousness of a business major, "did you not see those results? that impact? that perfect, graceful stance --" he stops himself with a shake of his head and brings a spoonful of soup up to his mouth, "you have no appreciation for the arts."
"whatever," taehyung replies. he rubs pudge's belly. "you're just mad because he lost."
"that's ridiculous --" he cuts off when their phones simultaneously release a barrage of notifications. "how much do you wanna bet namjoon's back at the cafe?"
"after what happened last week?" taehyung snorts, his eyebrows shooting up when he checks his phone. "oh."
namjoon: om g guys i'm going to the cafe and
namjoon: i feel so stupid like should i even be showing my face after what happened last week
namjoon: i'm so nervous you should feel my a r mpits
yoongi: i'm so sick of hearing about ur love problems just go in there grab him by the collar and
yoongi: confess your loev to him. jesus christ ur a great guy what do u have to lose
namjoon: yoogni...... . . :- )
yoongi: shut up
yoongi: and pick me up a mocha
jimin laughs. "what a loser, i swear to god."
"i can't believe he's going back," taehyung says, shoveling a spoonful of soup into his mouth, "how beautiful can this guy be?"
"it's not like he's even gonna confess," jimin says, "i don't know what he's thinking. we should prepare a heartbreak party."
their phones chime again.
namjoon: OK GUYS I'M
namjoon: IM GONNA DO IT
namjoon: IM GONNA ASK HIM OUT
namjoon: IM
silence.
taehyung and jimin share wide-eyed looks.
"do you think he died?" taehyung whispers fearfully.
"that's what the evidence is pointing to..."
"rest in peace," they say in sync, then pull up pictures of namjoon on their phones and set them down in between them. taehyung leaps up to turn out the lights and returns with candles and matches.
"may he get some sweet dicc in the afterlife," jimin prays, his hands clasped to his chest. taehyung nods in agreement.
"amen."
their photos of namjoon blink with chat notifications and they both jump to check the cafe updates, relieved to see that namjoon, in fact, is not dead.
namjoon: GUy s uU WOTN BELIEVE
namjoon: hoLIy ghist !!
taehyung: what IS HAPPENING
jimin: WE THOUGHT U DIED
taehyung: ARE U DYING DO WE NEED TO CALL U AN AMBULANCE
namjoon: MAYBE AN AMBULANCE FOR MY HEART
namjoon: YOU GUYS
hoseok: DID U ASK HIM OUT OR WHAT
namjoon: HE
namjoon: !
namjoon: SO I WALKED IN READY TO ASK HIM OUT RIGHT
namjoon: BUT THEN
namjoon: I LOOKED INTO HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE
namjoon: his face.....
namjoon: those sweet kind chocolate eyes deeper than the ocean, more emotive that even the most famous of poetry, more beautiful than a springtime revival of blossoming flowers and light soft rain
namjoon: that smooth skin softer than silk, with a blush like a watercolor sunset bathing in the sea. the sea we will visit on our honeymoon. a secluded island with
namjoon: finely grained sand that's easy on the skin because i would never want anything to scathe or mark that perfect body, that body created by the hands of god himself with the goal of
namjoon: making the world's finest creature. no flaws. only beauty . only
hoseok: get on with it this is repulsive
namjoon: RIGHT
namjoon: so i look into that gorgeous face and i
namjoon: lose my confidence : (
jimin: ur kidding
namjoon: i know its hard to believe but no
namjoon: i let my fear get the best of me
namjoon: i just ordered my coffee and cried
namjoon: when i say i cried i mean it literally i had real tears in my eyes
namjoon: it was terrible and embarrassing
hoseok: u poor thing : ( i guess some things just arent meant to happen
namjoon: so i was ready to just get out of there and crawl under my blankets and never come out
namjoon: BUT THEN !
taehyung: :0 what !
jimin: wHAT HAPPENS NEXT
namjoon: he handed my my order with the softest and sweestest smile....
namjoon: truly the msot beautiful smile i've ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on
namjoon: and as i was walking out of the shop i realized
namjoon: that he WROTE
namjoon: HIS NUMBER
namjoon: ON THE CUP
namjoon: GUYS
jimin: holy crap
namjoon: I HAVE BEAUTIFUL COFFEE MANS NUMBER
taehyung: OMGG U REALLY DID IT
hoseok: KIM NAMJOON U DOG UR GONNA GET SOME OF THAT FINE BARISTA BOOTY
taehyung: THIS MEANS WE CAN DOUBLE DATE
jimin: great another couple to be the third wheel to
namjoon: I CANT WAIT FOR THE WEDDING he seems like a traditional kind of man so i'm thinking of going with white roses u kno
taehyung: of course
hoseok: that sounds beautiful please pleas pls let me be the best man
namjoon: obviously :'-) ur my longest and dearest friend
yoongi: did u get my mocha
namjoon: oh crap no sorry : (
taehyung throws down his phone and pulls pudge into his lap gleefully. "i can't believe joon is getting married, he's been waiting for this for so long," he says. pudge purrs happily at the belly rubs.
"he literally just got the guy's number, you all need to chill," jimin says, throwing back the rest of his coffee.
the door creaks open loudly and jungkook walks in with pink, wind bitten cheeks and flakes of post-christmas snow dotting his coat.
taehyung looks up at him with the biggest smile. "did you see the group chat?" he asks, leaping to his feet and following the two cats who run over to greet jungkook with happy meows.
"ugh yes," jungkook says as he shrugs off his coat and bends down to pet pudge and señor. taehyung invites himself to hop onto his back, glad when jungkook reflexively catches him with a hand under either of his legs. "can't wait for the wedding."
jimin gags. "you guys are so gross, i'm going home."
"what? no," taehyung jumps down with a frown, watching as jimin pulls on his coat. he's serious. "kook just got here and we need to finish watching the new season."
"yeah well you know. i'm just kinda," jimin pulls on señor's coat and reaches for his matching boots. "i don't know. just one of those days i guess."
tension fills the room as taehyung ponders over whether to say what he wants to say, but luckily jungkook beats him to it. he's in the kitchen now with a jar of peanut butter in one hand and a bag of tortilla chips in the other. he looks jimin in the eye as he says, "you need to talk to yoongi."
jimin wets his lips nervously. latches señor's leash to his collar. "i know it worked out for you two but i'm not confident i'll be so lucky. he's been my friend for the longest time and i don't. i just don't want to mess this up. so many things could go wrong."
taehyung and jungkook exchange a quick glance, thinking about the way they've seen yoongi look at jimin. softly, like he's the only one in the room.
"i think you'd be surprised," taehyung says.
jimin shakes his head with a sad smile. "maybe. i'll see you guys later."
"careful on your way home, it's still snowing pretty hard."
with a halfhearted wave, jimin picks up señor and closes the door behind him. pudge paws at the door with a squall, devastated that his best friend has left him to nap alone. next time señor comes over he is definitely not getting the good catnip.
taehyung picks him up and hops onto the counter beside where jungkook is standing with his makeshift peanut butter sandwich. "how was class?" he asks.
"freezing," jungkook complains with a full body shiver and a pained expression. "i've never so badly regretted not having fur."
taehyung lets jungkook place a few tortilla chips in his mouth and crunches, "pudge has life figured out."
"pudge is who we should all aspire to be like," jungkook rubs the cat's ears and then reaches into the cabinet to pull out the pasta and sauce. he claps his hands together and says through a mouthful of peanut butter, "you wanna boil some water while i chop the veggies?"
"sure."
pudge sits on the counter and oversees the cooking. a lucky charm.
6:32 pm
taehyung stares sadly down at his plate. where did life go wrong?
if only he could turn back time.
"i dont," he sighs, "i don't think i can eat this."
"maybe we could...order a pizza?" jungkook asks.
"but we had pizza three times last week."
"maybe we could...go to namjoons?"
taehyung hums. "hoseok is still in that culinary class right?"
"yeah, yoongi said the kitchen has nearly burned down twice now."
"yikes," taehyung grimaces, wondering about his death in the form of starvation vs kitchen fires. "they're sure to have something in their fridge."
"okay its settled. text jimin, we're having a food festa."
7:15 pm
"okay, so my mom made me this casserole last week and i think it might be spoiled now but i have nothing else to offer you guys so," jimin struggles as he attempts to unwind his scarf with one hand and balance the casserole with the other.
"i will literally eat anything, i dont think you understand," jungkook says, helpfully taking the pan from his hands.
hoseok raises his brows. "but the pasta..."
"anything but the pasta," taehyung says through a bite of his sandwich. a pickle falls on the front of his shirt. "you know when namjoon is supposed to be here with the fries?"
yoongi checks his phone from where he's sitting in front of the couch. "his last text was 20 minutes ago. it's possible he's dead."
"second time today," jimin mumbles as he takes a seat beside taehyung.
"died and brought back by an angel," hoseok sighs dreamily. yoongi and jimin roll their eyes simultaneously. "how romantic is that? the way bcm (beautiful coffee man) wrote his number on the cup? you think joon will have the guts to text him though?"
"no way," jungkook scoffs, "he's probably already lost it, he's so --"
"hey guys," namjoon calls from the threshold. no one had heard him unlock the door. "um. i brought --"
"oh my god, are you beautiful coffee man??" hoseok exclaims, and the whole room turns to look at namjoon and his (beautiful) guest in shock.
"holy crap," taehyung whispers in awe, "he's real."
"you weren't kidding, he's radiant," jimin says, equally amazed.
"uh, guys, this is --" namjoon gestures to the otherworldly beautiful man standing beside him.
"i'm seokjin," the mysterious guest introduces himself, with a smile so charming the entire room is caught under his spell. "we ran into each other in the subway and he said he was on his way to a food festa. as a foodie myself i decided an invitation was in order."
namjoon is bright red as he shrugs off his coat and offers to take jin's. hoseok watches with proud eyes as he stumbles only once on his way to the coat hanger.
"you're so much more beautiful and wonderful than we could have imagined. joon has the habit of exaggerating so --"
"hoseok," namjoon snaps in embarrassment. he turns to seokjin, "sorry about him. he's just kidding, he's always like this."
"no problem," seokjin laughs melodiously, then raises the bag no one noticed he'd been holding because they were all too focused on his perfectly symmetrical face. "i brought this by the way --"
"is that kfc?" taehyung asks.
"it is actually, how did you --"
"holy shit he brought kfc," yoongi says. his eyes are as wide as plates.
the whole goes silent as jimin walks over to shake seokjin's hand.
"welcome to the family, man."
11:27 pm
"you sure you guys wanna head out in this?" namjoon asks worriedly. he's relaxed considerably after a few beers and hours next the most beautiful man in the world. seokjin had left a few minutes earlier and yoongi and jimin lay sleeping beside each other on the couch, the tv casting light over their faces.
"no choice," taehyung says, "the last bus leaves soon and i have class tomorrow. plus i have to get some more allergy medicine into kook before he ruins my coat with snot."
"stay safe," hoseok says, his voice low as he glances at his friends sleeping just a few feet away. he hands them a bag of leftovers.
"we will," jungkook says with a nasally sniffle, then to namjoon, "nice choice by the way."
"please stop talking."
the bus ride back is slow. with a bag of warm food on his lap, taehyung sits close to the boy he left his home for 2 years ago. never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined this could be his life. loved, whole, fulfilled. jungkook's weight and presence next to him have grown to be a necessity, an anchor that holds him to earth as the world moves by in the form of hazy city lights and strangers passing.
jungkook squeezes his hand. "you alright?"
taehyung nods, leans his head on jungkook's shoulder. home is minutes away. but jungkook feels more like home than any house ever has.
pudge greets them at the door with kitty headbutts and dinner-demanding meows. taehyung doesn't bother closing the curtains, just brushes his teeth, strips down to a tshirt and boxers, and falls onto the mattress with closed eyes. seconds later jungkook straddles his hips and leans down to nip at his jaw before burying his face sleepily in his neck. their legs tangle together under the sheets.
"you have fun tonight?" he asks quietly, and taehyung rubs his back gently before reaching a hand up to the back of jungkook's head to pet the soft hair there.
he hums in affirmation, then before he can think any better of it, says, "can't believe i'm here right now."
"what do you mean?"
"i never thought i'd be able to go to college, or have a group of friends like this," he mumbles, already half-asleep and floating, "be away from home. have someone like. like you. i'm really glad i met you."
jungkook leans up and kisses him, embarrassed. "go to sleep, you have an early class tomorrow." brushes tae's hair out of his eyes, kisses his cheeks and chin and nose.
taehyung laughs. "okay. i mean it though."
"i know. me too."