Fine {DoTae} | complete

Twenty-Four

TW: past abuse, manipulation, eating disorders

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Within another week they've settled back into their apartment, and schedules tear them apart again. The apartment is too big, Doyoung too small to fill the walls without his other half. Nights are occupied by hours of waiting, of tossing and turning, of watching Taeyong sleep for the few hours he is home. Doyoung can't join him in his dreams but is glad Taeyong is catching at least a few hours' rest each night.

Doyoung notices him take the sleeping pills now and then but says nothing. A refill of antidepressants appears in the bathroom cabinet, along with new painkillers that Doyoung really feels he should mention but doesn't. He massages Taeyong's back while he dozes off in the early hours of the morning and hopes it helps.

When they get a free afternoon, Taeyong comes home with a spring in his step and tells him all about the song with Baekhyun he's finally completed. Hours spent in the studio together. The company let them do the lyrics, Taeyong produced the track mostly on his own, they had a meeting to discuss the music video concept, their outfits, their hair colours, the song promotions, and Taeyong glows with pink hair and rosy cheeks. A manager took them out to a fancy restaurant, it seems, and Doyoung has to admit that Taeyong has put on some healthy weight over the last few weeks.

Taeyong goes to Baekhyun's place in the evening and Doyoung fiddles around on his phone until he can barely keep his eyes open. He turns to his stuffed toys for advice.

"Should I message him? Just to check up on him," he whispers, stroking his thumb over the soft fur before pressing his face into Winnie the Pooh's belly. "Don't be jealous. Don't be jealous."

His petty mind notes how Taeyong left him alone, how he walked out and said he'd be back soon but doesn't come back until the morning, and Doyoung tells himself to act cold when he finally slips inside the apartment in time for breakfast. Doyoung stares down at his bowl of soggy, leftover rice.

"Hey, love," Taeyong says when he enters the kitchen. Doyoung looks up, throat suddenly too choked to speak, and runs into his arms for a hug. His plan doesn't last more than ten seconds. "Woah, steady," Taeyong laughs a little but immediately sits down and pulls Doyoung into his lap and holds him tight.

Doyoung doesn't cry, rather stares at the kitchen wall and feels empty, sucked of all emotion and exhausted to the core. He knows he ended up falling asleep with his bears, but it was restless sleep that was interrupted too early by an alarm he forgot he even set.

"Missed you," Doyoung mumbles. If he were a cat he'd be purring as Taeyong strokes his hair and presses a long kiss to his temple. He missed Taeyong's warmth, the simple comfort of his boyfriend's presence and, as much as he knows he's being a little unfair, it's the comfort he wants all to himself. Then he asks how Baekhyun is and Taeyong pulls away a bit, inspects Doyoung's face with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you jealous?" He asks.

Doyoung hides his face back in Taeyong's chest. When Taeyong laughs, it vibrates through Doyoung's cheek and sparks happiness in his brain. He's clinging on too tight; he knows it's childish.

"I know I only meant to go for a few hours, but we got invested in a video game. I'm sorry, love."

"I fell asleep anyway," Doyoung says. He flicks sleep from the corner of his eyes, then realises it's the first time he's solidly slept since returning to their apartment and bites the inside of his cheek, tastes copper a moment later. He swallows it down.

Taeyong goes back to stroking his hair. "Did you sleep well?"

Doyoung shrugs. He's weary, and the jealousy still makes him awkward despite being called out.