Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

There’s something really beautiful about waking up in someone else’s arms.

In the past, Taehyung had never been the kind of person who stayed the night with his hookups, always leaving the second they were done. And, when it came to partners, Taehyung never really liked cuddling or sharing a bed. Instead, he’s always liked to have his own space; has felt annoyed waking up with a sweaty chest glued to his back or with an arm basically strangling him.

But now Taehyung has been waking up next to Jeongguk for a long while and he’s already made peace with the fact that maybe it’s not about whether you like cuddles or not, but about the person you’re sleeping with. Because no matter how much he used to hate those things, doing them with Jeongguk has quickly become one of his favorite things to do.

Most of the time Taehyung is the one who makes grabby hands, pouting and telling Jeongguk to come and cuddle the shit out of him, simply because he loves feeling his boyfriend so close. Loves falling asleep in his arms while they’re on the couch and waking up on the bed in the morning; loves the kisses Jeongguk steals from him or the way he relaxes when Taehyung starts playing with his hair.

And there’s just something really beautiful about waking up in Jeongguk’s arms every morning. Something about being able to watch him sleep for a little longer, admiring his features, grazing his fingers over the places where Taehyung had left love bites the night before. About the way Jeongguk’s hair slightly fluffs under the steady breaths he lets out, his long eyelashes painting a beautiful work of art on his cheekbones.

It has become a routine at this point, even; waking up a few minutes before Jeongguk and silently enjoying the way their chests rise and fall at a similar pace. Wondering if their heartbeats match, too.

(They probably do.)

Taehyung presses his lips to Jeongguk’s softly like he always does. Waits, watches the way his boyfriend’s eyebrows knit together and his lips pucker up before the brunette indulges again with another peck. Whispers, soft and so, so endeared, “Jeongguk-ah, it’s time to wake up, baby.”

Jeongguk groans, rolling over on the bed until he’s lying on his stomach, and throws an arm around Taehyung’s waist, bringing him closer. He’s not even fully awake yet, Taehyung is well aware of that.

“Just five more minutes,” Jeongguk mumbles, words slurring together and barely understandable.

“Baby, your alarm will go off in two minutes,” Taehyung says as he runs a hand through Jeongguk’s dark locks. “Do you really wanna wait for that, hm?”

“Nu-uh.”

“Then c’mon, wake up, yes? I’ll go shower. You better be up when I’m done.”

Jeongguk makes a noise that makes Taehyung snort as he sits on the bed, throwing his legs over the edge to stand up, but before he can, the younger’s arm drapes an arm around his waist again and pulls him back onto the bed. When he peers up at Jeongguk, he’s met with bleary eyes already looking down at him, a soft smile playing on those pink lips he loves to kiss so much.

“Good morning, love,” Jeongguk mumbles, his voice raspy and hot, honestly. One of Taehyung’s favorite sounds in the world. “Where were you going? I’m supposed to be the one waking you up.” He pouts and Taehyung chuckles, throwing his arms around Jeongguk’s neck and forcing him to bend down a little, capturing his lips in a soft kiss, their mouths lazily sliding together.

“You know, somewhere along the way our roles reversed, somehow,” Taehyung explains with a boyish grin. “I’m the responsible, hardworking farm boy now and you’re the lazy, sleepy city boy.”

Jeongguk chuckles, letting go of Taehyung to stretch his arms above his head, yawning. He looks at the brunette with a mischievous glint in his eyes then, saying, “Well, maybe if we actually used the nights to sleep I wouldn’t be this tired in the morning.”

It’s impossible for Taehyung to avoid the blush that creeps from his neck to his cheeks and all the way to his ears. He bites his lip, softly slapping Jeongguk’s bare chest and pouting when the younger just lets out an airy laugh. “You say that as if I’m the only one who wants to have sex in this relationship,” he murmurs, shy.

While it’s true that they have sex pretty often now, it’s not always Taehyung’s fault. Sure, he can get pretty needy sometimes, but Jeongguk himself isn’t far behind. The difference is that Taehyung gets flustered when Jeongguk brings it up, and he doesn’t.

“Oh, are you blushing, hyung?” Jeongguuk asks—no, coos as he ruffles Taehyung’s hair, and the brunette grunts, glaring at him and only making him laugh harder. “You’re so cute, c’mere.” He tugs at Taehyung’s arm when he tries to pull away from him, engulfing him in a warm hug as the brunette squirms, trying to free himself.

He ends up exploding in laughter, though, when Jeongguk bites his shoulder and just—looks at him with his big, sparkly doe eyes that somehow feel a bit challenging. As if they were mockingly telling Taehyung to go and try to get away from him. And well, he really can’t help but laugh because all his boyfriend manages is to look fucking adorable.

“You’re horrible,” Taehyung says once his laughter—in which Jeongguk had joined—subsides a little.

“And that’s why you like me,” Jeongguk sing-songs as he finally detaches himself from Taehyung and stands up from the bed, stretching his limbs again. “Now let’s go, hyung, we have a full day of work ahead of us.”

Taehyung hums, standing up, too, and he smacks Jeongguk’s ass as he walks toward the door to go to his room and get some clean clothes. Jeongguk scoffs, giving him an amused look to which Taehyung replies with a wink as he leaves the room.

“You’re so horny, hyung.”

He doesn’t reply, simply rolling his eyes as he strolls toward his room and fetches the first clean item he sees, more than ready for a shower. He can hear Jeongguk mumbling something under his breath as he looks through his closet and the sound is so familiar to him now, so melodic somehow, that it brings a smile to Taehyung’s face.

There’s simply something really beautiful about waking up in Jeongguk’s arms.

“I can’t believe my eyes,” Taehyung gasps when he enters the kitchen, his eyes falling on the plate neatly placed on the island, two egg toast sandwiches on top of them. “You actually made it? I thought I’d die without seeing it.”

Jeongguk rolls his eyes, filling two glasses with milk. “Bet you thought I was lying all this time.”

“I mean,” Taehyung begins as he sits down on a stool, “you have to give me that, baby. It’s the first time you’re making this for breakfast in three months.”

“Whatever.”

“Oh, are you pouting right now? Is the baby upset?”

Jeongguk huffs, sitting on the stool in front of Taehyung “You suck. Don’t talk to me.”

Chuckling, Taehyung reaches for Jeongguk’s hand over the table and smiles when the younger doesn’t pull it away, simply giving him a glare as Taehyung starts playing with his fingers. “I’m sorry, baby. You’re just cute when you get upset.”

“You’re just a simp for me,” Jeongguk says with a cheeky grin, and Taehyung chuckles, nodding. “You’re not supposed to agree!”

“But I am! Would you rather I lie to you?” Taehyung pouts, batting his eyelashes, and Jeongguk stares at him for a few seconds before he snorts, leaning over the table and kissing the tip of Taehyung’s nose.

“No, you’re right. And cute, too.”

Taehyung smiles and speaks in a higher-pitched voice, asking, “Oh, am I, city boy?”

“Fuck you!” Jeongguk screeches, his nose scrunching up as he laughs, his shoulders shaking. Pretty.

“Okay, I’m waiting,” the brunette replies as he arches a brow, crossing his arms over his chest. Jeongguk blinks at him and he snorts, adding, “For you to fuck me? You said fuck you, right?”

Groaning, Jeongguk rolls his eyes and stuffs his mouth with a big bite of his food, ignoring his boyfriend’s words. Taehyung sticks out his tongue, watches how Jeongguk’s doe-eyes crinkle and shine with fondness threatening to spill as he looks at him, and imitates his actions, taking a bite of his egg toast sandwich and humming as he munches on it.

“Really good,” he manages to get out, pointing at the sandwich and nodding as he swallows. “Should’ve done this sooner, damn. The way to a man’s heart is through their stomach, Jeonggukie. You could’ve had me from day one.”

“You’re saying that as if I didn’t literally save your dinner the first day you were here.”

“Listen.” Taehyung narrows his eyes at Jeongguk, who looks plenty amused. “We don’t talk about that, you know that.”

“Oops, my bad.”

He doesn’t look apologetic at all, Taehyung notices, and the warmth that fondness carries with it spreads all over his chest, engulfs his head, his heart, his soul. Taehyung smiles, and that’s all. There is no mischief or teasing in the smile Taehyung gives Jungkook. If anything at all, there’s love. So much love.

And it’s all for Jeongguk.

With time, Taehyung has become something like a pro at his first task of the day: opening the chicken coop gate and collecting the eggs. Unlike the first time he tried, he now knows to throw the food to the ground to distract the hens and chickens, to be able to pick up the eggs without much trouble, so the task itself takes Taehyung less than ten minutes to do.

What does take some time out of his day, though, is cuddling Msuko. Somewhere in between Taehyung’s first and second week here, the grey cat started showing up in front of Jihwan and Eunja’s house at exactly the time Taehyung arrived. He simply sat there, on the porch, watching him intently, sometimes lying down to groom his paws. And, when the brunette was done collecting the eggs and placed the basket on top of the table, he demanded attention by slipping in between his calves, purring.

Taehyung couldn’t say no, and cuddling Msuko after collecting the eggs became part of his routine.

“Hello, Msuko,” he says, not even having to look down to know the cat is sitting there already. Taehyung walks toward the chicken coop, though, the bag of food already in his hand as he quickly opens the gate and is surrounded by birds. “Betsy, Margaret, Wanda, Nani…” One by one, Taehyung greets every chicken and hen that there is. He started doing this after Jeongguk told him that talking to them helped. “Did you guys have a great night? I definitely did, but you probably don’t want to know that, do you?” He throws some food to the ground, a few feet from him, and watches how the birds practically ignore him, flocking to the grain, acting almost as if he never existed in the first place.

Snorting and shaking his head, Taehyung takes the basket that he left not too far away and steps into the coop, starting to collect the eggs. It doesn’t take him too long, which he’s grateful for, and he briefly remembers how he dropped some of them on his way back to Jihwan and Eunja’s house the second time he attempted this task.

This time, though, he places the basket carefully on the table and sits on a chair, patting his lap and smiling brightly when Msuko quickly hops onto it, making himself comfortable, turning around and round until he had settled.

“Hey, friend,” Taehyung mumbles, scratching behind the cat’s ears. “How are you today? You’re wet. Did Namjoon-hyung bathe you again?”

Msuko meows and the brunette giggles, looking at him fondly. He quickly became close with Msuko despite Jeongguk telling him he was more of a stray cat than anything and that it’d be hard to get him to like him, so he’s quite proud of the friendship they’ve built. He boasts about it to Jeongguk whenever he gets the chance.

“It was me, actually.”

Taehyung looks up, his eyes meeting Jeongguk’s. A smile spreads on his face rather quickly then, a happy feeling running through his whole body at the sight of him. Jeongguk looks beautiful even like this, with his bangs sticking to his forehead with sweat and dirty gloves on his hands. Since Taehyung takes care of the eggs now, Jeongguk always likes to go ahead and get started on some of the harder tasks so that they can finish their day earlier.

“Oh?” Taehyung tilts his head to the side, curious. “You bathed Msuko? And he let you?”

Jeongguk scoffs, arching a brow as he rests his hands on his hips, feigning offense. “I’ve known him longer than you.”

“But he likes me better.”

“You’re so annoying sometimes, Tae,” Jeongguk grunts, albeit good-naturedly. “Anyway, I saw him walking around and he looked really dirty, so I used the hose to clean him up a little even though he ran away from me.”

“That’s… nice.” Taehyung hums, closing his eyes and nosing Msuko’s head, chuckling when the cat meows and turns around, exposing his belly instead. “Okay, okay, you’re so bossy, damn.” He looks up again as he starts rubbing Msuko’s belly, smiling widely when he hears him purr. “See? He likes me mo—are you okay?”

Jeongguk blinks one, two, three times before he shakes his head a little, seemingly tuning back into reality. “Oh, I just—” A pink blush creeps up his neck, painting his cheeks, and he bites down a smile. In a breath, he says, “You just looked really beautiful just now. It made me want to kiss you.”

Taehyung chokes on air, his eyes wide as they bore into Jeongguk’s. He gapes for a few seconds, his mind running a thousand miles a minute as he tries to react. And then, stuttering because he wasn’t expecting that response, he says, “W-Well, why aren’t you doing it, then?”

It’s so dumb. As if they haven’t kissed before, because the truth is, they can’t keep their mouths separate for more than a few minutes when they’re together or alone in a room. Taehyung already knows every curve of Jeongguk’s lips, knows how they’ll feel once they’re on top of his, knows their taste and the sounds they can release But, still, something as silly as this makes him jittery all over, his body basically vibrating with anticipation and his tongue peeking out to lick his own lips as Jeongguk walks closer and closer.

He’s sure they’re both red and nervous right now, but still, their hearts are like magnets that rest inside of their chests, bringing them closer again and again; an invisible force, an invisible string keeping them together.

And, when Jeongguk finally reaches where Taehyung is sitting and rests his hands on the armrests of Taehyung’s chair, Msuko lets out a meow that sounds a lot like a complaint and hops off Taehyung’s lap, scurrying away.

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung breathes out when his boyfriend rubs their noses together, a sweet gesture that melts the brunette’s heart all over. “Kiss me already. Please?”

Jeongguk complies, instantly pressing his lips to Taehyung’s right after he finishes speaking and capturing his top lip in between his, sucking on it as Taehyung throws his arms around his shoulders, bringing him closer. It’s a languid kiss, really—a comfortable one, too, at least for Taehyung, who is sitting down. There aren’t any roaming hands or hidden intentions behind it besides showing affection to each other, and that’s one of the reasons why these kisses are one of Taehyung’s favorites to share with Jeongguk.

They make his heart beat a bit harder against his ribcage, make a happy feeling take over his entire body as he can’t help but smile into the kiss, his nose scrunching up when his teeth and Jeongguk’s clack.

“What are you so smiley for, hm?” Jeongguk asks, pecking the corner of Taehyung’s mouth and then his cheek before pulling away, looking at him with an arched brow. Long disappeared is the shy Jeongguk that stood in front of him less than two minutes ago, and Taehyung only smiles wider when he remembers just how much he loves that about Jeongguk—how unpredictable he always seems to be.

“I just like you a lot,” Taehyung replies through a snort, kissing Jeongguk again. This time shorter, quicker. “A lot, lot, lot.”

Jeongguk chuckles, brushing the brunette’s bangs from his face with his index, a delicate touch that somehow reaches deeper than any rougher ones. “How much is a lot?”

Taehyung lets go of Jeongguk, extending his arms to his sides. “This much.” He tries to stretch them a bit longer. “N-No, this much—”

“Tae, you’re gonna hurt yourself.” Jeongguk chuckles, taking Taehyung’s hands in his and placing a kiss on the top of them. “I get it. But I love you a lot more.”

Time stops. It’s as if Taehyung can see it all happening in slow motion, the way realization hits Jeongguk and his eyes widen in panic, shining with fear of rejection but also with so much honesty, so much emotion that Taehyung can’t even fathom the idea of all of this being fake in his head.

He doesn’t know how to react. What to say, what to do, how to breathe. Because Jeongguk just said he loved him and the only thing Taehyung knows for sure is that he loves him, too, but should he say it now? Or will Jeongguk think he’s saying it for entirely different reasons?

It’s been three months. Three months he has spent entirely next to Jeongguk, from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to bed. His days have been full of bunny smiles, melodic laughter, lots of teasing and, later on, warm hugs, hot kisses, deep conversations and tender touches. Taehyung doesn’t know if that’s enough to fall in love with someone, but he’s been sure that he’s loved Jeongguk for a while now. He has no idea how or when it happened, but he’s certain about his feelings.

“Jeongguk—”

“I’m sorry!” Jeongguk blurts out, cutting him off and looking really, really distressed. Taehyung’s heart breaks a little in his chest. “I didn’t mean to say that—I didn’t mean to tell you like this.” He brings a hand to his hair, ruffling it before he starts nervously scratching his nape. “I’m sorry, hyung. I understand if you don’t—if you don’t feel the same way. It’s too soon, I know that, and—”

“You fucking dumbass,” Taehyung interrupts him, his voice barely above a whisper. But it’s not his tone that makes Jeongguk stop, but the way his voice wavers. And only when Jeongguk’s eyes widen even more in worry does Taehyung realize he’s crying. “Y-You asshole, don’t assume things, I—”

A sob wrecks its way through his throat, explosive and definitely dramatic, but Taehyung is the happiest he’s ever been, really. He’s a bit overwhelmed, of course, his head not giving him a break from the different reasons as to why this isn’t prudent. Things that may end up being true, but that have no business worrying him now, like the idea of Jeongguk getting tired of him soon now that he’s confessed and Taehyung obviously reciprocates his feelings.

But if Jeongguk feels even a small amount of what Taehyung feels for him—their connection, their bond—then hope can bloom in the brunette’s chest. Because he’s absolutely sure that he will never get tired or bored of being with Jeongguk; feels it in the way his whole being seems to shake when he locks eyes with the younger, in the way his heart seems to beat more freely when Jeongguk is around.

“Tae, I—”

“I love you, alright?” Taehyung says, peering up at Jeongguk through his wet eyelashes. Shy, a bit scared. “I love you too,” he whispers.

“Then why are you crying?” Jeongguk asks as he squats down in front of Taehyung, cupping his face and wiping the tears from his cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. “Talk to me, love. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, I promise,” Taehyung replies, leaning into the touch and closing his eyes. “I’m just happy. Really happy.”

“Have you finally gotten yourself a partner, kid?” Jihwan teases Jeongguk the second he and Taehyung step inside his house. 

He’s taken a liking toward greeting them this way ever since the two of them told him and Eunja that they were dating—for old times’ sake, he had said. And, well, Taehyung doesn’t really mind it too much, either. As Jihwan had said, it reminds him of the first time he met him and Eunja, as well as his first official working day; memories he holds dearly, really close to his heart.

“Yes, grandpa,” Jeongguk replies with a roll of his eyes. “We have the eggs.”

“Took you long enough. What were you two doing?”

Taehyung’s eyes widen at the same time Jeongguk chokes on his spit, Jihwan letting out an airy chuckle and beckoning them into the kitchen with a wave of his hand. “Just kidding,” he says. “I didn’t see anything.”

“T-There wasn’t anything to see,” Taehyung splutters, his heart beating a bit faster at the simple reminder of the words he and Jeongguk exchanged before. I love you. He grabs Jeongguk’s hand, making it so his boyfriend has to carry the basket with the eggs with only one, and he intertwines their fingers. “I was just telling your grandson that I love him.”

Jeongguk beams, his cheeks coloring in that pink shade that Taehyung loves so much, and they both bow a little when Eunja stands up from the kitchen chair to greet them. “Good morning, boys!”

“Morning,” both Jeongguk and Taehyung say. Eunja smiles at them and takes the basket from Jeongguk’s hand, placing it on top of the counter.

Over the last few months, Taehyung has become really attached to Jeongguk’s grandparents. They remind him a lot of his own and are always fun to talk to. They have lunch together every day like the brunette had promised the day he started working here and it has definitely helped Taehyung feel a lot more welcome, a lot quicker.

They became so close that Jihwan and Eunja could tell Taehyung and Jeongguk liked each other even before they themselves had realised. Always teasing them about it just to see their blushing cheeks or hear them nervously sputtering.

“What are your plans for today?” Jihwan asks as he sits on a chair, looking up at the two younger boys.

Taehyung smiles, rocking back and forth, bouncing excitedly on his feet. Jeongguk chuckles, nodding at him. “The cows need to be moved today!” he replies. “But, before that, I’ll go help Namjoon-hyung with the horses while Jeonggukie is with the sheep.”

Eunja nods, looking at him with fond eyes. Taehyung has completely adapted to life on the farm by now, and he loves reporting back to Jeongguk’s grandparents, be it at the end of the day—when he gets to try the food they’re making for dinner—or in the morning like right now, telling her about the day’s schedule.

In all honesty, Taehyung never thought it’d be this easy to adapt to this new lifestyle; he thought it’d be a challenge to leave behind the person he used to be—the person he used to pretend to be—but, instead, he had been quick to let his true colors shine again, something about the seemingly never ending, green fields that Taehyung gazes at every day, easing him into it a lot more effortlessly than he expected.

And, with Jeongguk by his side, Taehyung couldn’t be happier.

“Okay,” Eunja says, startling him back to reality. “You guys will be here for lunch, right?”

Jeongguk snorts, throwing an arm around Taehyung’s shoulders and nodding. “Yes, grandma. We’ll be here like we always are, don’t worry.”

“Yes, don’t worry. It’s not like I’d let Jeonggukie here skip meals again,” Taehyung says, flicking his boyfriend’s forehead and chuckling when he pouts, blinking his wide eyes at him. “Don’t look at me like that! I’m only looking after you, you dumbass.”

“Okay, okay,” Jeongguk says, holding up his palms in surrender. “Don’t kill me, love. Unless it’s with kisses. I’d happily die by kissing those lips of yours.”

“Jeongguk!” Taehyung whines, his cheeks burning up as he shyly peers back up to Eunja and Jihwan, who are looking at them with so much fondness, so much happiness in their eyes that Taehyung only blushes harder. “You’re impossible.”

“But you love me,” the younger says, matter-of-factly, as he presses a kiss to Taehyung’s cheek.

Taehyung can’t really help the way his mouth curls up in a smile, his eyes shining with love as they look back at Jeongguk. “That I do.” 

“Aren’t they cute, darling?” Eunja asks, putting her head on Jihwan’s shoulder. “They remind me of us when we were younger.”

Jihwan hums, chuckling when Jeongguk’s wide eyes fall on them. “Okay, that’s our cue to go,” he mumbles, nose scrunched up as he giggles and practically drags Taehyung out of the kitchen. “Have a good day! Love you!”

“Be careful, kids!” Jihwan says, waving them goodbye. “Don’t overwork yourselves!”

Laughing, Taehyung pushes Jeongguk off of him the second they’re back outside, shooting him a fake glare. His boyfriend looks beautiful like this, with a little bit of mischief glinting in his big eyes and a smile painted by love itself on his face, head tilted slightly to the side in fake confusion.

“You’re the worst. I’m—I don’t think I’ve ever been more flustered in my life, Jeongguk!” Taehyung whines in complaint as he starts walking toward the barn to meet with Namjoon.

“I think you have,” Jeongguk says with a giggle, catching up to him and wrapping his hand around his wrist to softly pull him in for a hug. Taehyung practically melts in his embrace, instantly hugging him back. “Like all those times I tried to woo you when you first arrived, remember? You used to go so red, hyung.”

Taehyung can’t help the laugh that escapes him, smacking Jeongguk’s nape with his hand before capturing his lower lip in his mouth, giving him a soft kiss. “You’re a brat. And stop talking as if you never got shy—more than once I remember thinking you were gonna explode from how flustered you got, especially when I started flirting back.”

Jeongguk hums, his hand moving to rest on Taehyung’s lower back before he leans in, kissing the tip of Taehyung’s nose, then his forehead, his cheeks, his jaw before he finally kisses his lips. Slowly, as if he’s tasting Taehyung for the first time.

“That’s because you’re a terrible flirt,” he whispers against Taehyung’s mouth. “I was trying not to laugh.”

“But I wooed you, didn’t I?”

Chuckling, Jeongguk looks amused and fond as he pulls away a little to take a better look at Taehyung. “Yeah, you did.”

They’re about to kiss again, their lips brushing, when a clap startles them both, followed by loud, cheerful laughter. It’s no surprise to Taehyung when he turns around and sees Hoseok doubled over on the floor, laughing without end and with Namjoon’s fond eyes on him. Yoongi stands beside them, his hands in a position that lets the brunette know he was the one who clapped, his gaze amused.

“Good morning, lovebirds,” Yoongi says, smiling. “Did we interrupt something?”

Jeongguk pouts. “Hyung, you’re so mean. I don’t scare the shit out of you when you and your boyfriends are having an intimate moment. I think my heart almost fell out of my fucking ass.”

Hoseok’s laughter intensifies as Namjoon helps him stand, cupping his face and wiping away the tears from his cheeks. Actual tears. Taehyung can’t help but join him, letting out a peal of laughter. “Hobi-hyung, you’re actually crazy,” he says.

“No! You should’ve seen yourselves—” Hoseok gasps for air. “You jumped so fucking high, it was so funny.”

“We’ll see if it’s still as funny when we do the same thing to you guys,” Taehyung says with narrowed eyes, leaning into Jeongguk’s side and smiling softly when he feels an arm wrapping around his waist. “Good morning, by the way.”

“We were looking for you, Tae,” Namjoon explains, although it takes him a few extra seconds to finally look at the brunette, all his attention on Hoseok. “Since you’re, you know, a little bit late. Hoseok was about to break into your house if you didn’t show up anytime soon.”

Hoseok nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, I was.” Then he grimaces. “But now that I think about it, I think I’d rather not. Who knows what I’d find if I did. Probably something that’d traumatize me for the rest of my life.”

“I mean—” Jeongguk begins, his lips curving up in a smirk, and Taehyung is quick to place his hand over his mouth, preventing Jeongguk from saying what he thinks he was about to say.

“Don’t! You’ve already embarrassed me enough today.” Taehyung whines, although his eyes shine with fondness when he sees Jeongguk’s turning into little crescents. It goes away, though, the moment the younger boy licks his palm and Taehyung squeaks, smacking his head. “Jeongguk! You’re disgusting!” he says, words without bite because he’d never find Jeongguk disgusting. Not in this universe, at least.

“You say that now, but when we’re—”

“No!” Hoseok and Namjoon scream at the same time, watching with big eyes how Yoongi joins Taehyung and smacks Jeongguk again, making him whine in complaint. “Please, do not finish that sentence, Jeongguk-ah, or I’ll end our friendship right here and now,” Hoseok threatens, pointing a finger at the youngest of them all.

Yoongi snickers. “What’s up with you today anyway, huh?” he asks, tilting his head to the side. “I mean, I know you’re usually a brat, but today I feel like you’ve been out doing yourself for some reason.”

Taehyung nods, humming in agreement and shooting Jeongguk a pointed look. “He has! Hyung, he’s been torturing me all morning.”

Jeongguk smirks. “Well, it’s not my fault you’re into t—”

“I’ll break up with you if you finish that sentence,” Taehyung says, interrupting Jeongguk and looking at him dead in the eye. “I will.”

“As you should, Taehyungie!” Hoseok cheers. “Stand your ground!”

“This is, like, way too much drama for me this early.” Namjoon sighs, but there’s a soft smile playing on his lips. “Anyway. You’re coming to help with the horses, right, Tae?”

“Yes, yes, of course. Let’s get going,” Taehyung says. He presses a quick kiss on Jeongguk’s cheek, teasing, before the younger boy grabs his face softly and kisses his lips. “See you later, love.”

Jeongguk hums. “Have fun.”

Yoongi glares at him, his lips twitching. “We’re gonna start the day shoveling manure, Jeongguk-ah.”

“Oh, I know. That’s why I told you guys to have fun.”

Namjoon has to grab Yoongi before he starts scolding Jeongguk, and the sight of his boyfriend laughing so freely as he waves them goodbye makes Taehyung warm all over. He ignores Namjoon’s comment of how smitten he is, and lets out a loud peal of laughter when Hoseok looks at him and practically begs, “Please, do not scare Joonie, Yoongi-hyung, and me when we’re together. I’d, like, faint or something. I’m serious! Don’t laugh—”

If there’s something that has definitely become a part of Taehyung’s routine, that is lying down on the grass with Jeongguk when they’re moving the cows. He has learned not to fear them with time—which, in his humble opinion, is a big achievement—and he found that he loved cuddling Jeongguk under the blue sky, the clouds the only witnesses of their love—and, well, a few cows, too. But Taehyung can live with that.

“I’m so tired,” Jeongguk whines as he falls right on top of Taehyung, who is already lying down on the grass. The brunette lets out a choked laugh and kisses Jeongguk’s lips when the younger boy shifts to rest his chin on Taehyung’s chest, peering up at him through his long, dark eyelashes. “You look pretty from this angle.”

Taehyung snorts, threading his fingers through the hair that curls on Jeongguk’s nape and softly digging his nails into his scalp, massaging it with slow movements. “I’m sure all you can see from your position is my double chin and my pores.”

Jeongguk hums, tracing Taehyung’s cheekbone with his index. “Exactly,” he murmurs, his eyes sparkling, beaming as they look at him. A pink blush crawls up Taehyung’s cheeks at his boyfriend’s words, his heart soaring in his chest, its beats erratic. But it feels nice, warm like summer mornings, with that burning edge of love to them.

“I love you,” Taehyung says. Repeats the words from this morning because he feels like they’re about to fall from his lips anyway, coated with affection and eagerness to be voiced.

It takes Jeongguk a few seconds to reply, his pretty eyes widening with surprise and a glint of something that looks a lot like fondness. He smiles, holding himself up in his forearms before shifting to sit on Taehyung’s lap instead, one of his hands moving to cradle his neck.

“And I love you,” he says, his caresses speaking for themselves. So slow, passionate in the delicate way they touch, the tips of Jeongguk’s fingers playing with a few strands of Taehyung’s hair and tucking it behind his ear. Then, Jeongguk’s nose scrunches up and a giggle escapes his lips like a bird set free, beating its wings, breaking out of the cage that confines it and reaching Taehyung’s soul, melting into it. A sound the brunette loves, a sound he can trust. “We’re really cheesy, aren’t we?”

Taehyung’s laugh echoes and he boops Jeongguk’s nose playfully. It’s cold. “You’re right. We definitely weren’t like this when we first met, were we? Should we go back to that?”

“No!” Jeongguk exclaims without missing a beat. The wind blows softly from the east, messing the younger’s hair, and the coldness that it carries makes his cheeks a bit redder than usual.

Not for the first time and certainly not for the last either, Taehyung looks at Jeongguk and sees a man he can see himself loving for as long as forever lasts. A man he already loves, a man with so much to show him, so much to give him and so much to receive in return that his eyes always carry the glint of ardor wherever they gaze.

“Why not, hm?” Taehyung questions, tilting his head to the side and watching Jeongguk follow the movement. The brunette’s hands go to rest on Jeongguk’s hips then, and he gives them a soft squeeze, smirking when his lips fall open around a breathless gasp.

“B-Because,” Jeongguk begins, words coming out rushed and stuttered at first, “I like our dynamic now. I like to be so honest and open with you and I like that you’re the same way with me. It feels good, it feels…”

Like home, Taehyung completes the sentence in his head, but neither of them say it. They both feel it, though—Taehyung knows they do.

“I know what you mean,” he says, smiling before Jeongguk leans in and sucks on his lower lip, tilting Taehyung’s face a little with his hand for better access and earning a gasp from him. It’s not long before he’s teasing his lips with the tip of his tongue and Taehyung lets out a pleased hum, his fingers curling and digging a bit harder into Jeongguk’s hips as he opens his mouth a bit wider.

“Tae,” Jeongguk pants against his lips after he pulls away. It makes Taehyung shudder, the thought of having Jeongguk right here and right now sounding a bit too tempting. He lets Jeongguk tug at his hair and leave a trail of open-mouthed kisses from his jaw all the way to his neck, letting out content sighs. “Tae, I want to suck you off.”

Taehyung looks around. They’re surrounded by endless grass and trees since they’re in an open field, at least a mile away from the farm. He would be lying if he said the idea doesn’t excite him, arousal pooling in his gut and his cheeks on fire—

“Here?” he still can’t help but ask as he takes in the sight of Jeongguk like this. He looks eager, eyes wide and shiny as they look at Taehyung with a silent plea swimming in his irises. The tips of his ears, his cheeks—a pretty red decorates his skin all the way to his sternum, chest rising and falling at a fast speed. “Love—”

“Yeah,” Jeongguk cuts him off, squirming a bit on Taehyung’s lap. “Don’t you… don’t you think it’s hot? We’re here alone, anyway, but we’re outside and…” he trails off, biting his plush, pink lip and giving Taehyung the look; the one he knows the brunette can’t say no to.

Although it’s not like he was planning on rejecting Jeongguk’s suggestion anyway.

Taehyung licks his lips, feeling his dick twitch in the confines of his pants. Funnily enough, they’re both wearing the flower-patterned ones, matching, and that fact has a snort escaping him when he notices them. “Okay,” he says. “Let’s do it.”

Jeongguk beams, his nose scrunching up before he leans in again. Their mouths part at the same time and the younger slips his tongue into Taehyung’s mouth rather roughly, just like how Jeongguk knows he likes it. Jeongguk barely gives him time to breathe before he’s grabbing his jaw and opening his mouth wider, their tongues sliding together and eliciting a moan from them both as Taehyung lets his hands roam around the planes of Jeongguk’s stomach, slipping under the fabric of his shirt.

What he isn’t expecting, however, is for his boyfriend to slap his hands away and separate from him, giving him a pointed look.

“What?” Taehyung asks, confused. Jeongguk’s lips shine with spit and are now a darker shade of pink while his hair is disheveled, falling messily to his eyes yet only adding to his beauty. “What’s wrong?”

“This is about you, hyung,” Jeongguk explains, his hand pressing hard over Taehyung’s crotch, making him gasp and arch his back off the grass, a moan slipping past his lips. “About your pleasure.”

“But I—”

Jeongguk bites at Taehyung’s jaw, dragging his teeth down his neck and pressing an open-mouthed kiss there. “Relax,” he whispers before sucking the skin into his mouth. The action has Taehyung reaching to bury one of his hands in his hair, the other one grabbing his shoulder tightly. “And enjoy.”

Taehyung doesn’t know what exactly he’s done to deserve this, but it’s not like he’s going to complain, either. Instead, he lets his eyes flutter shut and focuses on the feeling of Jeongguk’s warm lips against his skin; his hands squeezing his thighs over his pants, then moving upward to caress his sides and hold Taehyung’s waist.

The next time they kiss, it’s more heated. More whimpering on Taehyung’s part, too, for Jeongguk slots his thigh in between Taehyung’s legs and presses it hard against his crotch, watching with a fucked out expression how the brunette writhes, pants and grinds down on it. It makes Taehyung hot all over, knowing that Jeongguk’s eyes are fixed on him and only him. On the way his face contorts with pleasure every single time he moves his leg a little.

“Tae,” Jeongguk breathes out before sliding his fingers under the elastic of Taehyung’s pants, playing with it and letting it slap hard against the brunette’s skin. “You look so good, baby. So fucking beautiful.”

“Jeongguk, please,” Taehyung begs, and he wonders how he ends up in the same situation every single time; squirming in his arms, desperate, and begging his boyfriend to do something. He loves it, though—loves all the attention on him, the praises, the teasing and, above all that, he absolutely adores the look in Jeongguk’s face when he looks down at him. As if he’s torn between worshipping Taehyung’s body, making him come with soft, loving touches and kisses, and absolutely ruining him, making him cry out of pure pleasure, his name on his lips like a prayer.

Today, however, Jeongguk doesn’t really take long before he’s giving Taehyung what he wants. The brunette lets out a soft whimper when his hard cock springs free from his briefs and he feels the cold air against it. Jeongguk licks his lips, leaning in to kiss Taehyung one more time before he settles in between his legs and leaning down, swirling his tongue around the tip of Taehyung’s dick torturously slow.

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung cries, grabbing a handful of his boyfriend’s hair and tugging. It earns him a soft moan that has his dick twitching, and Jeongguk giggles quietly before fully wrapping his mouth around the tip of his cock, sucking on it. “Fuck, love—”

Fingers dig into Taehyung’s thigh as Jeongguk slides down his cock, his pretty eyes looking up at him with a darker shine to them now, and if his lips weren’t stretched around Taehyung, he would think Jeongguk is smirking. He wouldn’t put it past his boyfriend, for he loves teasing him in bed—and out of it, too. Pretending to kiss Taehyung before pulling away with a shit-eating grin on his face; pretending he’s finally going to fuck him like he wants to only so he makes Taehyung beg for it; riling him up when they’re busy working, making the brunette walk around with a hard-on and making sure it stays that way by texting him all the things he’d do to him if they were alone.

Jeongguk is a brat, but that’s just another one of the many things Taehyung loves about him. 

Especially when it comes to sex.

Taehyung looks down at Jeongguk, at the way his eyes shine now with unshed tears as he takes all of Taehyung’s dick into his mouth and swallows around it, his throat constricting and making the brunette’s back arch as he tugs at Jeongguk’s hair again, lips parting with a lewd moan.

“Love every sound you make, hyung,” Jeongguk praises after pulling off, his wet, spit-slick lips shining and moving against the head of Taehyung’s cock as he speaks, sending a shiver down his spine. “Love how you taste, love the weight of your cock on my tongue.”

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung breathes out, biting down on his lip. “If you go on, I might just come like this.”

Jeongguk smirks before biting the inside of Taehyung’s thigh, making him squirm. “That’s the plan, baby.”

And Taehyung doesn’t know whether it’s the way his heart beats in his chest as if it had never truly beaten before, or the way Jeongguk treats him—roughly, forcing him to be still as he sinks down his dick once again, movements painfully slow as he deep throats him—or maybe even just their closeness, but he orgasms not too long after.

His muscles pull taut, body locking and thighs threatening to close around Jeongguk’s head if the younger wasn’t keeping them open with his hands; toes curling in his shoes, back arching as Jeongguk hollows his cheeks and sucks, milking him.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Taehyung cries out as pleasure washes over him, the sensation almost overwhelming. “Jeongguk.”

“You did so well, hyung,” Jeongguk says after pulling off, his voice softer than before as he pulls Taehyung’s briefs and pants back up. He lies back down on top of the brunette, hugging him and resting his head on his chest, his ear right over Taehyung’s heart. “I can hear how fast your heart is beating.”

“It’s because of you,” Taehyung replies, still a bit breathless, without missing a beat. Because it’s true; maybe the fact that Jeongguk has just sucked him off has something to do with it this time, but Taehyung is also sure his heart would still flutter and do somersaults around Jeongguk regardless. “My heart will never not be a mess when I’m around you, love.”

Jeongguk giggles and Taehyung watches the flutter of his eyelashes, the shadow they cast upon his cheekbones, a sight prettier than any flower near them. A sight brighter than the sun itself, warming Taehyung like nothing, no one could ever do. “That’s good,” Jeongguk murmurs, voice low and relaxed. “I’m happiest when I’m with you, Tae.”

Taehyung hums, running a hand through his boyfriend’s dark locks before craning his neck a little and pressing a kiss to the slope of his nose. “And I’m happiest when I’m with you, Jeonggukie.”

It’s silent for a few seconds and Taehyung snorts when he hears Jeongguk’s soft snores. He can still feel his hard cock against his hip, and he had thought he’d have the chance to help Jeongguk with it, too, but apparently, that’s not an option anymore.

“Are you asleep?” Taehyung whispers, fondness spilling from every word he says. “Baby, c’mon, we still have to go back,” he says, but he doesn’t do much to wake him up. In fact, he keeps playing with his hair and tracing patterns on his warm skin under the shirt he’s wearing, smiling softly when Jeongguk lets out a pleased hum and shifts a little, making himself more comfortable.

Eventually, Taehyung’s hands slow in their movements and the brunette’s eyes flutter closed, too. Then, they’re only two lovers falling asleep to each other’s warmth, surrounded by flowers and nature and every other symbol of love there can be.

Time passes faster when you’re happy, Taehyung has learned. So fast, in fact, that he absolutely misses the one year mark since he left Seoul. Back there, Taehyung remembers his days being long; weeks feeling like months, months feeling like years, and years feeling like endless monotony. It was exhausting and disheartening, and he could only look at the world in grey scales, nothing ever standing out, nothing ever changing.

Now, however, Taehyung sees color again. His bedroom, the one he shares with Jeongguk, has its walls full of colorful paintings, all created by him, some of them with the help of his boyfriend. If he looks out the window, it doesn’t matter what season it is, there’s always the sight of trees arching beautifully, their leaves either sprouting, turning yellow, falling to the ground, or disappearing altogether. They change with time, and so do Taehyung’s days.

Unlike before, the end of winter brings back spring; flowers, warmth, butterflies, and the everlasting feeling of love in the air—Taehyung’s second favorite season, the first one still being autumn, after all.

The day starts like any other day would, with Jeongguk and him cuddling on their bed. Tangled legs, sleepy kisses, and raspy good morning, love’s. The first thing that Taehyung notices is a bit off is that Jeongguk lets them both sleep for a bit longer, his phone showing him the time 09:13 AM when he picks it up. And, when he panics and tells Jeongguk that, his boyfriend only regards him with a nod and a soft reassurance that it’s okay for them to sleep a bit more today.

The next thing that confuses Taehyung is the knowing looks Jeongguk exchanges with his grandparents when they visit them in the morning, and then, Namjoon’s very obvious nerves; the way he avoids Taehyung’s eyes, carefully chooses his words and fiddles with his fingers. And, of course, the pointed looks that Yoongi and Hoseok shoot him from time to time.

“C’mon,” Taehyung whines, watching Hoseok training with Stella in the paddock. He thinks about the first time he saw them together; how nervous Hoseok had seemed and how stubborn Stella had been, Yoongi scolding the show-jumper with an exasperated look on his face. Today, however, he’s watching them with pride and a soft smile on his lips—and he’s not the only one. Namjoon, too, looks so proud and in love that Taehyung almost laughs.

“C’mon what?” Yoongi asks without peeling his eyes away from Hoseok’s form.

“Tell me what’s going on, hyung. Why are y’all acting so weirdly today? Namjoon-hyung said he’d take care of the horses today, and that’s suspicious.”

Hoseok snorts as Stella trots past them, her neck an elegant curve, her posture practically impeccable. “What? You never let Taehyungie catch a break, babe?”

Namjoon blushes at the pet name and his next words come out spluttered. “I-I do! I just—he—I do.”

“Right,” Taehyung says, amused, as he looks at his friends. He then turns to Yoongi and whines again, exaggeratedly batting his eyelashes in an attempt to give him his best puppy eyes. “Please, hyung, tell me.”

“I would tell you only so you would stop whining about it,” Yoongi begins, massaging his temples, “but I can’t tell you because there’s nothing going on, Taehyung-ah.”

Taehyung narrows his eyes at him, suspicious. “Then why in hell would you guys cover for Jeongguk and me? All so that we could sleep more?”

“We thought you guys deserved a day off, or the closest thing that you can get to it in here,” Hoseok explains as he, once again, passes them by, riding Stella. It’d be quite comical if Taehyung wasn’t busy pouting at everything and everyone because there’s something definitely going on today and they’re not telling him.

“Whatever.” Taehyung huffs, crossing his arms over his chest and turning around. “I’ll go see if I get Jeonggukie to tell me, then, since you guys seem to be against me today.”

“Good luck with that,” Namjoon says, and Yoongi glares at him, making him quickly correct his words. “I-I mean, because there’s nothing to tell you, of course.”

“We’ll see about that,” Taehyung mumbles before walking away. He will get to the bottom of this.

Jeongguk does, in fact, not reveal anything at all, either. No matter how much Taehyung whines, how much effort he puts into annoying him as he works—jumping to his back, standing in his way—he doesn’t bulge, his face lighting up with amusement every single time instead.

“It’s not funny,” Taehyung says, pouting, as he watches his boyfriend text someone. The day is coming to an end now and Jeongguk has just finished his last task of the day. One that should’ve been Taehyung’s but that, once again, he wasn’t allowed to do. “Why can’t you just tell me?

“Tae,” Jeongguk begins, looking up at him. He puts his phone back on the pocket of his denim jacket and walks toward the brunette, his hands instantly going to his waist. A light touch, but one that sends shivers down Taehyung’s spine. “You’re obsessing over nothing, baby.”

Taehyung’s whole body deflates with disappointment. “‘M not,” he mumbles, placing his hands over Jeongguk’s and softly pushing him away. He’s not mad, just… a little sad at the sudden realization that, whatever it is that’s going on, it is something he’s not a part of; something they don’t want him to be a part of.

Jeongguk seems to notice this, his expression falling and eyes widening in concern. “Tae—”

“It’s okay,” Taehyung cuts him off, putting on his best smile, “I get it. I do, Jeonggukie, really. Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell me.”

“Baby—”

“If you guys don’t need me though, I think I’ll go back home and go to sleep first. I’m kinda tired from… doing nothing.” He blinks, nodding a few seconds later. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“Taehyung, you’re so—God, I love you so much,” Jeongguk says, his arms wrapping around Taehyung’s frame and pulling him in for a tight hug, not letting the brunette go and only confusing him further. “Baby, what did you do today?”

“I—What?”

“Think about it. What did you do today?”

“Nothing!” Taehyung exclaims, looking at Jeongguk dead in the eye and glaring at him. “I did nothing because you guys didn’t let me!”

“And with me?”

“Huh?”

“What did you do with me?”

Taehyung frowns, looking at Jeongguk as if he’s lost his mind. Still, he replies, “Well, we woke up late, then you, for some reason, cooked this big, delicious breakfast. After that I went with the hyungs, so the next time I saw you was when I came here. And you were being annoying, ignoring me. Then you threw me to the goddamn hay and kissed me and we cuddled in there like true farmers—”

Jeongguk lets out a peal of laughter and he looks so beautiful that any annoyance left in Taehyung’s body leaves, giving space for the fondness to bloom again. Still, he makes sure Jeongguk can’t tell by squinting his eyes at him, arching a brow.

“What’s so funny?” he asks, and Jeongguk shakes his head before pulling him in for a kiss. Well, kisses, for Jeongguk starts leaving pecks all over Taehyung’s face, making him let out a giggle. “Jeongguk! Stop, I’m supposed to be mad at you.”

Jeongguk kisses his jaw. “Well, you can’t be. In fact, I have something to show you.”

“Is it what you have been hiding from me all day?” Taehyung asks curiously, tilting his head to the side, and his eyes widen when his boyfriend hums, taking Taehyung’s wrist and pressing a kiss to his wrist, right above his pulse, too. “It is?”

“Yes,” Jeongguk whispers against Taehyung’s lips, leaning back when the brunette leans in. “Will you forgive me if I show you?”

Taehyung scoffs, wrapping his arms around Jeongguk’s neck and pulling him closer. “I’ll forgive you if you kiss me this instant.”

And Jeongguk does, a soft press of lips as he captures Taehyung’s upper lip between his own, kisses it with utmost love and devotion, and Taehyung just—melts in his arms.

Taehyung finally understands what was going on all day when he and Jeongguk enter Eunja and Jihwan’s house, all their lights off as Jeongguk guides him through the house and into the living room.

“What’s going on?” Taehyung asks, voice hushed for some reason as he tries to make out the furniture in the room, not wanting to accidentally hurt himself. “Jeongguk?” 

“You’re such a forgetful little thing,” Jeongguk says as he wraps his arms around Taehyung’s middle and presses a kiss to his neck. His cologne engulfs the brunette, and he loves it that way. “Do you know what day it is today?”

Taehyung frowns. “No? What is it? Your birthday is September 1st, mine is in December, your grandparents’ is in November, both of them… So, what is it?”

And then it happens. Like in a movie, the lights turn on and confetti shoots up to the ceiling, Taehyung’s parents, Jimin, Seokjiin, and Jeongguk’s grandparents all appearing from their hideout spots and yelling a cheerful, “Happy first birthday!”

To say Taehyung is confused is an understatement. However, that doesn’t stop him from jolting on his spot and grabbing Jeongguk’s hand a bit tighter at first, eyes widening at the sight in front of him. “What is this?” he asks, his eyes already filling with tears solely because of all his family being here. Every day Taehyung misses them, but he knows they all have lives of their own and that not every weekend can they afford to pay him a visit.

So, the fact that they’re all here—it means a lot to him.

“It was Jimin’s idea,” Taehyung’s mother begins, smiling softly at a fully beaming Jimin. “Today it marks a year since you moved here and had what Jimin calls your second birth.”

“My second birth,” Taehyung echoes, looking at his best friend with a raised eyebrow.

Jimin hums, walking toward Taehyung. “Yes. Let’s be honest, baby, you weren’t really you until you came here. It’s as if you’re a different person, a happier Taehyung, and that in itself I think is something to be proud of. So, why not celebrate it? Like a birthday. Your second birth, the birth of the person you are today.”

When Jimin finishes speaking, Taehyung is sobbing in his arms, hugging him tightly and finding a much needed comfort in the way he rubs his back soothingly. Don’t get him wrong; Taehyung absolutely loves Jeongguk’s hugs and closeness, but sometimes you just need your best friend there, and Taehyung hasn’t seen Jimin in so long that he was almost aching for a hug from him.

“We’re proud of you, son,” Taehyung’s father says, and the second the brunette is out of Jimin’s arms, he’s running into his parents’. “We really are.”

“Thank you,” Taehyung mumbles before pulling away and turning to Jeongguk. Yoongi, Hoseok and Namjoon are now next to him, too, smiling at Taehyung, and he feels a bit silly, as well as touched. “So this was what you guys were hiding from me?”

Yoongi shrugs. “It was Jeongguk’s idea.”

“And Jimin’s,” Jeongguk reminds with blushed cheeks, groaning when Jimin squeezes them, cooing. “Hyung!” he whines.

Taehyung looks at the scene with fond eyes, watching them bicker with a soft smile playing on his lips. They both hold the most important parts of Taehyung’s life—besides his parents, of course—and seeing them together like this always makes the brunette giddy. Of course, he knows they have known each other for far longer than Taehyung has known either of them, so they have a dynamic of their own and he loves seeing it.

At first, however, he used to get a little jealous. He knows Jimin is a very touchy, loving person; pet names are part of his language and so are light caresses as he speaks to you, and that, of course, didn’t really change with Jeongguk. However, even if Taehyung hasn’t known Jimin for as long as Jeongguk has, it’s been long enough for him to know his touches and antics are innocent, and that the way his eyes shine when they land on Seokjin is different from the way they glimmer when he’s looking at him or Jeongguk.

Now, it makes him happy, seeing the two pillars of his life so close, hugging each other, cuddling, and so on.

“Happy first birthday, kid,” Jihwan says, startling Taehyung back into reality when he places a hand on his shoulder and squeezes. There’s a facetious edge in his voice, his eyes narrowed, squeezed by the apples of his cheeks, and Taehyung can’t help but notice just how similar to Jeongguk he looks sometimes. “We’re glad to have you here.”

Taehyung quickly bows, cheeks on fire as he splutters, “Oh, n-no! Thank you for taking me. This job, this place—it has saved me, really.”

Jihwan nods, ruminative. “Yes, that I can see,” he says. “You’re certainly not the same stiff kid that arrived here and calling me sir despite me telling him not to.”

“That I’m not,” Taehyung replies through a soft chuckle, smiling when Hoseok’s perfume reaches him, along with Namjoon’s, two arms draping over his shoulders. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, fake-birthday boy,” Hoseok greets cheerfully before greeting Jihwan with a bow. “Boss.”

Chuckling, Jihwan waves him off. “You’re worse than Taehyung here. For how long have you been working for me, huh? Years. Years! And you still call me boss.”

“I’m sorry, boss,” Hoseok apologizes, although there’s nothing apologetic in his voice nor in the way he says the last word, teasing more than anything. “It’s a habit at this point.”

“Whatever, whatever,” Jihwan says through a sigh as he starts walking away toward Taehyung’s father. They got along immediately after they met, just like Eunja and his mother, and that’s something that makes Taehyung really happy—seeing his two families getting along. “Have fun, kids.”

“So,” Namjoon begins, turning to fully face Taehyung with a soft smile on his face, “you aren’t mad at me, are you?”

Taehyung looks at him. Blinks one, two, three times before bursting into laughter, wheezing out, “Hyung, you were, like, really obvious. I could tell you wanted to tell me, so no, I’m not mad at you. Hobi-hyung and Yoongi-hyung though…”

“Why are my bullshit senses tingling?” Yoongi asks as he approaches them, a brow quirked.

“Taehyungie here was talking smack about us, hyungie,” Hoseok whines, but when he looks at Taehyung, his lips curve up in a smirk, making the brunette roll his eyes.

“You guys made me think I was crazy the whole day!” Taehyung complains, softly kicking Hoseok’s ankle. “That’s plain rude.”

“If anything, I think we deserve a hug and a kiss on the cheek for putting up with all your pouting,” Yoongi teases, clearly holding back a laugh. “You were extra annoying today.”

Taehyung huffs. “And who’s fault is that?”

“Jimin and Jeongguk’s, of course,” Namjoon provides, and Taehyung rolls his eye before quickly leaning in and pressing a kiss to Yoongi’s cheek, catching him off guard and taking the chance to hug him, too, laughing when the older lets out a shriek and tries to squirm his way out of Taehyung’s arms.

“You asked for it!” Taehyung says. “And now you’re complaining?”

“It was rhetorical!”

“Just admit you wanted me to kiss your cheek, hyung.”

“I didn’t—”

“And give you one of my bear hugs.”

“Taehyung, if you don’t let me go right now—”

Hoseok wraps his arms around Yoongi’s back, too, successfully sandwiching him. “I’ll save you, hyung.”

“You guys are only making it worse,” Namjoon says through a snort, watching the scene develop in front of his eyes. He then grabs Hoseok’s arm and tugs, as if trying to pry him away from Yoongi, but—

“Be careful!” Seokjin yells, and Taehyung can see it all happening in slow motion. The way the three of them lose balance; Namjoon looking behind himself to find the dining table with a cake on it; the way his eyes widen and the way Seokjin runs and picks up the cake at the last second, saving it from being squished by the four of them.

“The cake?!” Namjoon complains after his back has hit the floor, the table having moved forward with the impact. “Really?!”

“Eunja-ssi worked really hard on it!” Seokjin retorts with a shrug, and Taehyung looks up from where he’s lying on the floor, right over Yoongi’s body, which is lying on top of Hoseok’s, who is on top of Namjoon.

Only then does Taehyung realize that they’re all laughing, and, before he can even realize, he’s joining the cheerful laughter along with Yoongi, who lets out something similar to a scoff before it turns into a full laugh. Hoseok, as expected, has tears rolling down his cheeks from how hard he’s laughing, and Namjoon’s shoulders shake softly, ever the silent one.

“You guys are honestly a mess,” Jimin says as he approaches them, but instead of helping them up, he lets himself fall down on top of Taehyung, ignoring the groan he gets not only from the brunette but from the other three, too. “What? You’re comfortable!”

“A mess,” Seokjin is saying to Jihwan with a shake of his head, but his words and eyes are soft, just as Jihwan’s. “They’re a mess.”

Taehyung’s mother smacks his shoulder in a scolding manner, although not seriously. “You’re young, too! Why are you talking like you’re fifty, huh?”

“Hyung is an oldie at heart,” Jeongguk teases as he plops down on the couch, and he snorts when Taehyung gives him a pointed look. “What is it, baby?”

“I can’t believe none of you are helping us up,” he says, and the room breaks into a peal of laughter again. It’s a pretty sound, one that makes Taehyung happy. So, so happy.

The gleam of the moon isn’t the only thing lighting up Taehyung’s home when he steps inside. It’s expected; he doesn’t live alone anymore but with Jeongguk, whose smile shines more brightly than any light. But expecting it doesn’t make it any less exciting, and he has just taken three steps when he feels the weight of happiness settle heavily all over his body, fully embracing him and keeping him warm. It makes him move a bit more slowly and feel giddier than he is.

It’s barely been a minute when Taehyung hears the steps he knows so well. After all, Jeongguk had left the party they threw for Taehyung a little earlier, claiming he was tired. And, at this point, Taehyung is sure he can even recognize Jeongguk by his breathing. When he looks up, toeing off his shoes in the foyer, his eyes meet big, doe, glistening ones that carry every poetry verse Taehyung could ever come up with in their brown irises. Only for Taehyung to see—only for Taehyung to read.

A decision made in the spur of a moment, Taehyung never thought it’d take him where he is now; to a moment when he has a place to call home, a moment in which his days are always different and refreshing despite the routine he’s gotten used to. A moment in which he has someone to kiss, someone to hug, someone to lie down under the sun in the middle of an open field with. Taehyung never thought moving here would give him not only a home and a refreshing lifestyle, but also someone to love.

Opening his arms, Jeongguk quirks a brow and watches as Taehyung pads toward him, instantly hugging him the second they’re close enough and leaving a kiss on his neck. Softly giggling, Jeongguk uses his index finger to trace Taehyung’s jaw and, breath hitting the brunette’s lips, he asks, “Ready to receive your birthday present, city boy?”

Yet right there, in front of him, stands Jeon Jeongguk. 

Someone to love, someone to kiss, and someone to hold.

Home.