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“Taehyungie!” Seokjin cringes at the way his voice cracks as he shouts. He knows it’s a natural part of getting older, but he still loathes the sound. Wants to skip ahead five years when puberty has run its course - past the ache, the god-awful patchy beard hair.
The most inconvenient boners.
Taehyung appears at the top of the stairs. His long hair falls over his forehead. Seokjin wonders how he can see when he isn’t running and the wind isn’t pushing all those black locks back. He’s wearing a yellow sweatshirt two sizes too big for him, a former possession of Seokjin’s from pre-growth spurt. He beams at Seokjin and runs down the stairs with pounding footsteps.
The younger of them, only age 10, is blessedly free from growing pains. Seokjin has an entire foot on him and towers over his neighbor. Their mothers tease them, asking Seokjin why he doesn’t hang out with more boys his age, but the answer is simple: the boys at school tease him. They take in his glasses, lanky limbs, odd laugh, and hurdle snide remarks in response. Seokjin isn’t interested in them. Especially when all the boys in his grade want to talk about kissing girls, and Seokjin doesn’t want to kiss girls.
He wants to kiss boys.
“Hi, hyung!” Taehyung greets him with a boxy smile. His adult teeth have grown in crooked, which Seokjin finds hopelessly endearing. He’ll be sad when Taehyung gets braces in a few weeks. “I thought you weren’t going to be around today.”
“Tae Kwon Do was canceled,” the elder explains. “Do you have a lot of homework? Do you want to come over?”
Taehyung strides past Seokjin into the living room and pokes his head into the kitchen. “Eomma,” he calls out, past the kitchen’s screen door and into the yard where she’s probably gardening. “Can I go over to Jin-hyung’s?”
Seokjin can barely make out her response. “Yes, but you must come home for dinner once it’s dark!” Taehyung shouts back thanks before running back to Seokjin’s side.
“Okay, let’s go! Have you played the new League of Legends update yet?” Taehyung launches right into a rambling story. Seokjin doesn’t get a word in during the short walk across the street back to his house. He wonders how Taehyung gets enough air when he gets excited like this. But Seokjin is content to listen — to turn off his brain and enjoy the wonder of Taehyung’s, which seems to move through ideas like frogs across lily pads.
Seokjin leads Taehyung through his house, though unnecessarily. Taehyung is a frequent visitor and could likely navigate Seokjin’s home in the dark just as well as he could. They go to his room. Taehyung makes himself comfortable on Seokjin’s bed, still talking until the moment he lays down, stretches his limbs, and says, “So how was your day?”
Seokjin chuckles at him and settles on the floor, peering up at Taehyung lounging so casually on Seokjin’s own bed. “It was the same as always.”
Taehyung face pinches. “I don’t like the other boys in your year, hyung. They’re mean.”
“They just don’t like people who are different,” Seokjin answers evenly. “And I don’t want to be like them. I’m not - like them.”
Taehyung turns his head to look at Seokjin. His lovely dark curls spill over his pillow. He’s such a sweet thing , Seokjin thinks. I want to keep him safe.
“What makes you unlike them?” Taehyung asks, not unkindly.
Seokjin sighs. His heart races. He considers - is this the moment to tell him? he’s wanted to for a while. It’s only right he tells Taehyung first. Taehyung, his best friend since the day the younger was born. His favorite person.
Seokjin scoots closer to the bed but breaks their eye contact. He fidgets with his hands on his lap, then timidly whispers, “Taehyungie, do you think it’s wrong that I don’t want to kiss girls?”
Taehyung pulls a disgusted face. “Ew, no hyung. Girls are gross.”
Seokjin chuckles, but he feels like his heart is in his throat. “But what if - what if I wanted to kiss boys?” He stutters.
Taehyung’s eyes widen, but Seokjin cannot see any fear or disgust in them. Only real surprise. “Oh,” Taehyung murmurs, then he sits up in bed.
“Hyung, I think we should all be allowed to kiss whoever we want,” he answers. “As long as they make you happy.”
Seokjin smiles, nods, then challenges Taehyung to a round of Mario Party.
“Come on, Taehyung,” Seokjin mutters. He feels ridiculous standing in six inches of snow, his ears and nose turning redder by the second, holding a bouquet in one hand and hurdling stones at Taehyung’s window with the other. If Taehyung’s mom caught him, he’d never hear the end of it. He’d die of embarrassment and never get around to telling Taehyung what he desperately needs him to know. He’s banking on Taehyung’s unusual sleep schedule to make his plan work. Midnight is usually early for his best friend - practically dinner time for the night owl – but as more time passes without any sign of him, a sinking feeling settles in the pit of seokjin’s stomach. What if he’s spending the night at Jimin’s? It’s not like Taehyung would think to tell him. He’s not even supposed to be in town.
Seokjin throws one more stone and gives it until the count of ten. If Taehyung doesn’t appear, he’ll retreat. One. New plan: he can come back tomorrow. Two. He could bring lunch. Three. Lunch is romantic!
Four.
Five.
Si—
Taehyung’s window flies open. Taehyung’s pretty hair is characteristically unruly. Brows furrowed, a cute pout decorates his face that quickly morphs into a relaxed smile at the sight of Seokjin.
“Hyung!” Taehyung gasps. “What are you doing here? I thought you had to stay at school.”
“And miss my Taehyungie’s eighteenth birthday? What kind of a hyung would I be?”
The reflection of Christmas lights from neighboring houses makes Taehyung’s eyes look like they’re sparkling. His boxy grin that exposes rows of perfect teeth only accentuates his beauty. Seokjin’s heart flutters.
“And why are you at my window instead of the front door like normal? You know you can just walk right in.”
“Why don’t you come down here and find out?”
Taehyung hurries away. In his absence, Seokjin feels even colder than before. He hops from foot to foot while he waits. Taehyung appears a few minutes later, bundled in a peacoat and scarf. Seokjin notes he brushes his hair, too.
Before Taehyung can say anything, Seokjin extends the bouquet to him. “Happy Birthday,” he says. Taehyung grins at his feet, bashful.
“Ah, hyung,” he murmurs as he sniffs the flowers. “I didn’t even realize it was past midnight.”
“Well, I have a surprise for you if you’re up for it,” Seokjin offers. “Unless you have other plans.”
Taehyung laughs and rolls his eyes. “At this hour? I’m very booked. But I think I can make space for you.”
“Ah, what a blessing,” Seokjin tuts with a smirk. He extends a hand to the younger, wiggling his fingers for emphasis. Taehyung slips his fingers between Seokjin’s with practiced ease, and it all feels so good, so right. There’s a moment where they linger with their eyes on each other, smiling and breathing together. Seokjin thinks that he cannot possibly hallucinate the longing behind Taehyung’s expression that parallels his own. He has to believe that all the years of pining will be worth this moment, the time to do this properly.
Seokjin has waited ages to tell Taehyung how he really feels. When he first developed what then was only a crush, Taehyung was still too young for Seokjin to act on it, a boy of only 15. Seokjin told himself his feelings were only a result of their closeness and the fear that would vanish once he left for school.
It didn’t. Whenever he came home, he and Taehyung would pick right back up where they had left off. Then, about a year ago, Seokjin began to notice how Taehyung would let his hands linger on Seokjin’s shoulder for longer than necessary or catch him staring at Seokjin’s lips. And Seokjin, whose feelings had tripled instead of subsiding, wondered if maybe Taehyung was trying to figure out the same thing, too.
Seokjin leads Taehyung by the hand back across the street to his house. Instead of going inside, however, he walks him around the side straight to the backyard. “Are you taking me to the woods, hyung?” Taehyung asks conspiratorially. “Are we hiding a body?”
“Yes, Taehyungie, for your birthday, I finally got you the murder cover-up you’ve always wanted,” Seokjin teases. Taehyung squeezes his hand when he laughs and the laughter squeezes Seokjin’s heart.
In actuality, there’s no dead body in Seokjin’s backyard or the woods bordering it. Instead, there’s a sizable tent glowing in the dark. It looks warm and inviting against the backdrop of snow and trees.
Taehyung gasps, delighted. “Is this for us?”
“Of course,” Seokjin states proudly. “And there’s a heater inside.”
The two of them crawl inside. Seokjin already had stored plenty of snacks and a bottle of soju. He takes the flowers from Taehyung and shoves them in a vase of water he’d prepared, propped up in the corner. The little heater does its job remarkably well. The tent is warm enough that they can shed their coats. Still, Taehyung grabs a blanket and throws it over Seokjin and his legs as they sit cross-legged, facing one another.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Taehyung says. Their knees bump together. “I don’t think I said that before. But I’m really happy to see you.”
“I’m happy to see you, too,” Seokjin whispers, overcome with emotion. Here, Taehyung is so close and feels like his heart is caving in. “I, um.” Seokjin reaches out and re-intertwines their hands. “I miss you, you know. When I’m gone.”
“I miss you, too.”
When Seokjin meets Taehyung’s eyes again, he notices the younger lip his lips. Seokjin’s breath catches in his throat. He hears Namjoon’s voice in his head. Stop overthinking everything, hyung. He obviously wants you, too.
“Taehyung-ah,” Seokjin breathes carefully. “You know you’re my best friend, right?”
Taehyung’s face falls. “Of course, hyung,” he says, somewhat stiff. Seokjin pulls their hands to his chest.
“But do you -“ he starts, but the words get caught in his throat. He swallows his nerves and tries again. “Do you remember when I asked you what you would think if I wanted to kiss boys?”
Taehyung smiles at him, tender and sympathetic. “I do.”
Seokjin leans forward, less than an inch but enough that Taehyung notices. He inhales sharply at the motion and then mimics it, bringing their faces even closer together. “What would you say if I told you I don’t want to kiss boys? What if… what if I only want to kiss you?”
In his memory, this moment happens in slow motion. First, Taehyung smiles. It consumes his entire face; it’s the loveliest smile Seokjin has ever seen. It permanently burns into Seokjin’s memory, so he’ll never forget it. Second, Taehyung laughs, tender and relieved. And finally, he leans even closer, so Seokjin goes slightly cross-eyed looking at him, which does nothing to aid his dizziness. “I only want to kiss you, too, hyung,” he whispers before he seals their lips together.
“Taehyung, I’m ho—“ Seokjin halts his speech the moment he actually sees Taehyung, spread across the couch like a baroque painting, asleep with his glasses on and notebook open on his lap. Carefully, Seokjin sets down his briefcase, toes off his shoes, and tiptoes over to the younger. He resists the urge to coo at his adorable boyfriend and poke his doughy cheeks. Instead, he gingerly removes Taehyung’s glasses and the book, setting both on the coffee table. Even though it’s May, Taehyung has already turned on the window fan to cool down their unusually warm apartment, so Seokjin also lays a blanket over him. He gently kisses Taehyung’s forehead before leaving his boyfriend to rest. It’s his last finals week of college, and the younger has been working such long hours to finish all of his work - he deserves a break.
Seokjin figures preparing dinner will naturally awaken Taehyung from his nap, so he gets right to it. He boils the water for their stew and gets to chopping the vegetables. Sure enough, he’s just finished chopping the last carrot when a pair of arms snake around his waist and a familiar warmth blankets his back. Seokjin grins and drops the knife.
“Hi, baby,” he greets, turning his head to kiss Taehyung’s cheek.
“Hi,” Taehyung echoes, voice thick with sleep. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“You deserve the rest,” Seokjin assures him, twisting around so he can hug his boyfriend properly. Taehyung buries his face in Seokjin’s shoulder and stills, not planning on leaving anytime soon. Seokjin kneads at his back and shoulders, working out the tense muscles. “I need to finish dinner, love. You need to eat.”
Taehyung sighs. Keeping one arm wrapped around Seokjin’s waist, he leans back to look him in the eye. Dark circles line Taehyung’s eyes. His hair is oily, unwashed, and his face is a little splotchy. Seokjin reaches up to stroke his cheek. “Do you want to take a bath after dinner?”
Taehyung nods. “Will you join me?” He asks, with a twinge of exhaustion and melancholy.
“If you want me to.”
The younger nods again before kissing Seokjin quickly yet tenderly. “I do. I missed you today.”
“Well, I’m home now,” Seokjin assures him with another kiss. “And I’m all yours.”
“Taehyung,” Seokjin whines, the sound getting lost in Taehyung’s mouth as he incessantly kisses the elder. “Baby, I have to get the keys.” The balancing act of Taehyung, who is fawning all over him, plus Taehyung’s bouquet that he offered to carry for him, and fishing in his bag for keys is proving to be quite difficult. In any other circumstance, he may feel annoyed, but today he’s too giddy for any negative emotion. He has no desire to stop kissing Taehyung, either, but he also needs to get them out of their hallway and into their apartment before he gets them both arrested for indecency.
And that is not how he wants their wedding night to go.
“Taehyung-ah,” he tuts, gently holding the younger back with a firm hand on his touch. “Let me open the door, please.”
Taehyung bursts into a fit of giggles, and Seokjin’s face aches from how hard he’s been smiling all day, but he can’t help but grin stupidly at him. His true love, his husband.
“Sorry, yeobo ,” Taehyung quips teasingly, and god help him, but Seokjin can’t resist diving right back in. He recaptures Taehyung’s lips. The two sigh happily into each other. Taehyung clutches Seokjin’s lapel with one hand and his cheek with the other, teasing the ends of Seokjin’s hair with his fingers.
“Okay, okay,” Seokjin gasps. He’s hot all over, vibrating with excitement, and he’s never been this horny in his entire life. “ Inside . Now.”
He finally gets the key out and shoves it into the lock, kicking the door open with his foot and immediately throwing his bag inside. In one fluid motion grabs Taehyung by the waist and dips down, scooping him up by the legs. Taehyung yelps and dissolves into a fit of laughter. He clutches Seokjin by the shoulders as he walks over the threshold, lips meeting again. Without breaking apart, Seokjin kicks the door shut, drops the bouquet on the key table, and walks his husband back to their bedroom.
Seokjin:
Tae-yah are you home?
Taehyung (husband):
Yeah just got back from the store
Why?
Seokjin:
I’m coming home early
Taehyung (husband):
🥺 what’s wrong yeobo?
Seokjin:
Sick
My stomach is killing me
I’m worried it’s food poisoning
Taehyung (husband):
Oh baby 😔 I’m sorry. You’re not driving are you?
Seokjin:
No I left my car at the garage. In an Uber now
Yoongi said he’d drive it to us later and Hoseok will pick him up here
Taehyung (husband):
Good
I’d be worried if you drove sick
Although now I’m worried about unknown Uber drivers
Does he look trustworthy?
Seokjin:
He’s taking all the right streets so no kidnappers vibes yet
Although his turns are not helping the nausea
Taehyung (husband):
Tell him you’re very precious cargo and he must drive you as such
Seokjin:
That sounds an awful lot like flirting, babe, you sure you want me to say that?
Taehyung (husband):
No 😡😡
Seokjin:
Three minutes away
Taehyung must have heard Seokjin’s shuffling up the stairs because he’s already at the door when Seokjin enters, ready to embrace the elder. The air rushes out of Seokjin’s lungs with an “oof” as Taehyung takes hold of him by his waist. He immediately collapses into the hug, muscles relaxing as he inhales Taehyung’s musky scent, his brain registering the familiar warmth of his arms as Seokjin’s home. Just the skimming of the younger’s lithe fingers across his back makes him feel better. The heat of their apartment envelopes him like a blanket and he sighs just as Taehyung kisses his temple.
“My jagiya,” he coos. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t feel good,” Seokjin grumbles as he shoves his face into the juncture of Taehyung’s neck and shoulder. “Just wanted to be home.” He presses a kiss to Taehyung’s honey skin. “With you.” Seokjin lifts his head, glancing around the room. “Where’s Hyejin?”
“Sleeping,” Taehyung assures. “Like you should be.” Taehyung grabs Seokjin by the hand and leads him through their apartment, past the kitchen, the baby’s room, and Taehyung’s office, and straight to the master bedroom. Not even an utter of complaint falls from Seokjin’s lips. Even though this apartment is the most familiar place in the world to him, his steps feel out of balance in his sick haze. The light pouring in through the windows gives him a headache, and the smell of burnt toast, lingering from that morning’s breakfast, grates on his nostrils. Taehyung is his only anchor, the only thing stopping him from collapsing right in the hallway.
When they reach the bedroom, it is immediately evident that Taehyung quickly prepared for Seokjin’s arrival. A matching set of pajamas lay waiting on the bed. There’s a glass of what looks like ginger ale on the elder’s nightstand next to his Nintendo switch, and the curtains are already drawn, a small sliver of daylight the only illumination.
“You change,” Taehyung orders with a kiss to Seokjin’s temple. “I’m going to get the alka seltzer.”
Seokjin begrudgingly detangles himself from his husband. He undresses with haste, eager to trade his stiff dress shirt for the soft cotton pajamas that smell like laundry detergent and a faint hint of Taehyung’s cologne. Taehyung re-enters the bedroom just as Seokjin buttons the top button on his pajamas. The younger gestures for the elder to lie down, which is done without argument. Seokjin settles in the bed with his back to the headboard in preparation for the water and alkaseltzer tablet that Taehyung raises to his lips and forces him to drink. Seokjin does as instructed with a grimace but Taehyung is there to praise him once the fizzy water has gone down.
“I know it’s gross,” Taehyung concedes. “But it’s better than stomach pain. Go lie down, yeobo, you look so pale.”
Seokjin crawls into the bed, relishing in the dip of the mattress against his weary bones, but instead of burrowing in, he flops back the comforter as he settles on his side. The invitation is obvious. “Stay with me,” he beckons to his husband, patting the empty space. Taehyung doesn’t need any more convincing. The younger slides right in, turning up the volume on the baby monitor sitting on the nightstand on the way. With his back resting against the headboard, his upright position gives Seokjin perfect access to Taehyung’s lap. He curls against Taehyung’s legs and rests his head on his thigh. The younger husband chuckles. Carefully, he starts to comb his fingers through Seokjin’s hair. As he tries to work out the knots, Seokjin hums, content.
“I think it’s food poisoning,” Seokjin mutters. Taehyung clucks his tongue, disappointed.
“From the seafood last night?”
The elder nods. “I knew it wasn’t cooked properly. I should’ve trusted my instincts.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, jagiya,” Taehyung tuts. “It’s not your fault.”
Seokjin hums, acknowledging the younger’s sentiment but too tired to dwell on the source of his illness any further. “How’s Hyejin?” He queries instead, happily changing the topic to their pride and joy.
“She went down pretty easily today,” Taehyung informs him. “Only cried for a minute or two.”
“Our girl is tough,” Seokjin sighs proudly.
“Like her abeoji,” insists the younger, fondly brushing some stray hairs behind Seokjin’s red ears. “You should sleep, yeobo.”
“Will you stay with me?” Seokjin asks with a sigh. He’s not usually the clingy one in their relationship but Taehyung’s fingers scratching his scalp feel so good, and he smells so divine, like cedar and laundry detergent, that suddenly Seokjin cannot bear the thought of them being separated.
“Of course I’ll stay,” Taehyung promises. They rearrange themselves on the bed so Seokjin can curl at his side and rest his head on Taehyung’s chest. “Just don’t throw up on me,” he adds sternly.
“I’ll do my best, jagi.”
Taehyung continues to run his fingers through Seokjin’s silk brown locks. On one stroke, his wedding band collides with Seokjin’s ear, and although it should be uncomfortable, the elder finds it grounding. A reminder that they’re here, they’re together, and he can rest. Really rest.
So rest he does.
“Taehyung-ah, I’m leaving the airport now. Did you make any dinner plans yet? I’m thinking of picking up steaks. Or maybe lamb. I’m going to stop unless you tell me otherwise. I should be home in thirty minutes or so. Okay? I can’t wait to see you, baby, I missed you.”
Seokjin hangs up the phone and does a little stretch before starting the car. His back is still stiff from the plane’s seats and he’s fatigued from a long week of out-of-town work, but he still feels giddy at the thought of being home. He drives faster than he usually would to the grocery store, where he settles on steak, then to their house. The sun has just set, and he can see the twins, Dal and Haru, at the table.
Seokjin smiles fondly at them from outside, admiring how much they look like Taehyung at that age with their unkempt black hair and too-big clothes, then hurries to the door. He discovers it’s unlocked and decides to use that to his advantage.
“Aish, who left this door unlocked?” He bellows, still grinning. In an instant, pounding footsteps begin to make their way toward the entrance. “With my precious family inside? What if a burglar had come?”
The boys make it first, unsurprisingly. They slide on socked feet through the foyer and into Seokjin’s gut as he locks the door behind him. “Abeoji!” They shout. “Abeoji, we missed you!”
“I got an A on my math test!” Dal informs him.
“And I scored the winning goal at the game last night!” Haru adds with pride.
“Ah, I should not be surprised. My boys’ hard work always pays off.” He kisses both of their heads. “I’m very proud, my sons. Go wash your hands and you can help me make dinner, yeah? We’re having steak.” The boys, eager young chefs in training, take off with excited yelps.
Hyejin has quietly appeared at Seokjin’s side. Her quiet, patient smile is enough for Seokjin to know that she missed him. Hyejin is not the most emotionally expressive of his children, but he can read her like an open book. “Hi, sweetie,” he greets, wrapping her in a hug. The pre-teen’s head nearly reaches Seokjin’s shoulder. God, she’s getting so old, he thinks wistfully.
“Hi, abeoji. I missed you.”
“I missed you too, my flower. How was your week?”
Hyejin shrugs. “I have a paper due on Monday. Can you help me with it tomorrow?”
“Of course. What’s it about?”
Hyejin’s smile turns shy and she looks at her feet. “We’re writing about realistic and unrealistic depictions in literature. I wanted to write about romance and I thought maybe I could write about you and appa?”
Seokjin chuckles, endeared. “Did you tell appa about this yet?” She shakes her head. “I would love nothing more than to talk to you about appa, honey.”
“I thought so,” the child says, almost smug, before leaving.
“DADDY!” A bubbly voice echoes through the front entrance. Seokjin looks up the stairs to see Nali holding the railing and attempting to go down the stairs at top pace, which for six-year-old is not too fast. Seokjin helps her by surging forward to meet halfway. He lifts her into his arms and revels in the fact that he can still do this with her, the other children now too big for it.
Nail pets his face as he kisses her cheek. “Now there’s my precious jewel,” he says with a smile. “I missed you so much, my girl.”
“I lost a tooth!” Nali informs him. She smiles, a boxy one like her father’s, and exposes the new gap with pride. “And another one is already loose!”
“Wow, that’s so exciting,” Seokjin affirms as he sets her down. “I want to hear more but I want to see appa and Mihi first. Do you know where they are?” Nali shakes her head, braid swishing behind her.
“Okay, go play, sweetie. I’m going to start dinner soon.”
Nali takes off for her bedroom. Seokjin follows her back up the stairs but walks past her door to the far end of the hallway. Mihi’s door is shut all the way, usually a sign that the youngest is asleep. Seokjin decides to take a peek.
He eases it open and sticks his head in. Standing in her crib, hands on the bars as if plotting an escape, is Mihi. Taehyung is sound asleep in the chair across from her. Upon sighting her father, Mihi shrieks and reaches out for him. It jolts Taehyung awake with alarm. Seokjin laughs at the sight, entering the room all the way and going to the baby. “Daddy, daddy,” she titters. Seokjin snuggles her up to his neck and kisses her head no less than ten times.
“Mihi, Mihi,” he echoes with the same cadence. “Daddy missed you so much, lovey.”
“Not as much as appa missed him,” Taehyung chimes in with a smirk. He goes to Seokjin’s side and wraps an arm around Seokjin’s waist, giving him a quick peck.
“Hi, yeobo.” Seokjin strokes Taehyung’s cheek with the hand not holding Mihi. “I missed you most of all,” he says candidly.
Taehyung throws a wink at him then declares, “Mihi! We have slept too long. It is time for a bath. What do you think?”
Later, after Mihi has been bathed and everyone has eaten, after Seokjin and Taehyung have tucked all of their children into bed and kissed them all goodnight, Seokjin leads Taehyung to their bedroom and kisses him for real. Taehyung goes boneless in his arms, putting his weight on Seokjin, who keeps him upright with a firm hand on his lower back. The other cups the back of Taehyung’s neck and threads into Taehyung’s hair, peppering with stray gray hairs. He loves him like this, so pliant and eager to receive affection. He’s exactly the same as in his youth, when they were both just cheery boys in their twenties trying to navigate how to be in love.
It astounds Seokjin how quickly time has passed. In the blink of an eye, twenty years have lapsed, and their cozy tent has turned into a full house. Seokjin smiles at the thought. The subsequent colliding of Taehyung’s lips with his teeth makes the younger laugh. Seokjin breaks the kiss by resting his forehead on Taehyung’s, creating a tiny intimate world for the two to giggle and breathe together.
“I really missed you, hyung,” Taehyung confesses wistfully. “It doesn’t feel right when you’re not here.”
“I know, yeobo,” Seokjin says, kissing his nose. “I don’t like it either.”
Taehyung pulls the elder into a firm hug. Seokjin teasingly lifts Taehyung — carefully, his back isn’t as strong as it used to be — and throws their entangled bodies on the bed. Taehyung keeps clinging to him, even as Seokjin gets them situated comfortably on their sides. “That’s because you and I belong together, yeobo,” Taehyung declares with a smile.
“Did you know Hyejin is writing a paper about that, actually? She wants to interview me. About us.”
“Our sweet girl,” Taehyung dreamily sighs. He begins to trace Seokjin’s cheekbones. “What are you going to say?”
“That you and I are undeniably lucky,” Seokjin replies honestly. “That I loved you for your entire life, one way or another, and I’ve always known that you are an essential part of me. My other half.” He pokes the mole on Taehyung’s cheek, which disappears when he smiles into the wrinkles forming on the edge of his eyes. “You are the home I’ll always return to.”
Taehyung kisses him softly again, a kiss that says, We have all the time in the world . “I love you,” he says. “And I’ll always wait for you to come back.”