Fire On Fire [TK]

(13) My brother

"My brother, where do you intend to go tonight?
I heard that you missed your connecting flight
To the Blue Ridge Mountains, over near Tennessee"

— Blue Ridge Mountains, Fleet Foxes

❀

— Jk —

August slowly lumbered to its end and Jeongguk became wholly acclimatised to Los Angeles. Seoul had always felt like being watched by mirrors and expectations, but Los Angeles had him entirely unnoticed, which should've been freeing...but sometimes felt like floating without an anchor, although there was something gentle about this city, the way the ocean breathed in the distance, and the light softened everything. The way loneliness here didn't press down, but stretched out, like the vast blue of the Pacific. Jimin had been right, Jeongguk had realised with much horror. The sea did make a difference.

For the last Sunday of month, Jeongguk had drawn out elaborate plans of getting up at 5 am and witnessing the sunrise on the beach, except he spectacularly shat on it by staying up all night playing a game, and woke up well after the sun was already overhead. He had just finished coffee and lay sprawled on his bed, contemplating a shower, when his phone buzzed. He frowned at the screen, then checked to find Taehyung's name in the chats.

Good morning Jeongguka! xx how are you?

It had been too long since he talked to the elder, with hours of long practices and keeping up with his friends here, he barely had time to do anything except drop a text or two to family or reply to the group chats before hitting the hay. A swell of longing washed over him, and before he could overthink it, he video-called the elder. He calculated the time zone difference. It would be early back home. The screen filled with a familiar face, slightly grainy, still half-asleep, morning light spilling in behind him.

Taehyung's hair stuck up in every direction, and Jeongguk's chest did something stupid.

"Why do you look like that," Taehyung squinted his eyes. "Are you dying?" He had very evidently just woken up.

Jeongguk smiled. "You look handsome, hyungnim."

There was a pause before Taehyung blinked. "Mwo?"

"Nothing," Jeongguk said quickly. "You just-your hair-"

"It's six in the morning, Jeongguka. Do not judge my hair." Taehyung groaned. "I hate you."

"He doesn't," Hoseok's cheerful face popped into the screen. "Jeongguka! How are you? LA treating you right?"

Jeongguk relaxed into the pillow. "LA is good, hyung. Practices are long, tiring, but I am having fun."

Hoseok laughed. "Jeonggukshi, getting closer to becoming a star now, eh?"

"Ah hyungnim, ani—" He allowed himself a shy smile. "Nothing of that sort."

"Not just a star, hyungnim," Taehyung adjusted his blanket up to his face. "A superstar."

Jeongguk noticed Taehyung was not in his own bunk, considering he originally had an upper bunk, and unless Hoseok had clambered up, Taehyung was definitely in the lower bunk. But who had been kind enough to exchange? Moreover, who would be sleeping beside Jeongguk now?

"Did you change your bunk, Taehyungie hyung?" The question was out before he could ponder over it.

"You wish," Hoseok snorted. "This giant baby here could not fall asleep last night and sneaked into my bed, and did you know how it feels to fall asleep alone in your bed and then wake up to a whole ass human beside you-no-almost on top of you, because I do. I woke up to being crushed in my dream."