ZB1/ZeroBaseOne Oneshots

Sunset | Matthew x Taerae

The evening sky lit up in a blaze of orange and gold, settling over the horizon as a beautiful blanket of colour. Warm and comforting enough on its own, yet, it became unbearably overwhelming when paired with a smile more incredible than the sunset itself. As the tears trickled down his cheeks, Taerae couldn't comprehend how such a sight could make him cry. He barely knew Matthew, and suddenly, all those love songs he had sung over the years finally made sense. Words intertwined with intimate metaphors, the ones he never understood before, he could feel now so intensely. A door was opened, a world reformed, Taerae knew in that moment nothing would ever be the same.

As the weeks passed, the boys grew closer. A bond forming between them, strong and unbreakable. Taerae tried to forget about that moment, to think of Matthew only as his best friend, but selfishly, he longed for so much more. Every late night chat, every grasp of his hand, every time he'd flash that smile, Taerae's heart was painting an idealistic picture in his mind. That all of these interactions held more meaning than they actually did. That there was a chance Matthew felt the same way about him.

The reality was far less favorable. 

His smile wasn't only for Taerae, nor was it on that day, but he desperately wished for that to be the case. As much as he wanted Matthew for himself, that wasn't possible. He couldn't stop his daily hugs with Gunwook, or block out the happy giggles triggered by Hanbin. Matthew was close with all of the members. Even if he claimed Taerae as his best friend, it didn't feel like much of a privilege. 

Still, despite how painful it was to harbor those unrequited feelings, Taerae took every opportunity to watch the sunset. To feel just a sliver of what he felt on that day. Staring out of the car window, Taerae smiled at the dark orange hue that crept closer and closer to dusk. Just like being with Matthew, the beautiful moments always came to an end. 

"Taerae." He felt himself nudged out of his trance. With an idle gaze he turned to the man beside him, who was already exiting the taxi.

Hao doesn't need to tell him that they had arrived, he figured that one out for himself. The company had given the members a night off, so the older members decided to go for some drinks together.

Feeling a little rushed, Taerae clambered out of the taxi, his face flushing pink upon finding that the other four were waiting for him. "Sorry." He muttered, scratching his nape awkwardly.

His body was immediately propelled forward by an arm all too eager to wrap around his neck. "Come on slow poke." Matthew chuckled, tilting his face towards Taerae with that signature smile. Taerae felt his face heating up even more, but he couldn't deny how much he adored Matthew's touchy nature. Even as they headed into the bar, Matthew kept his arm in place, and body glued to Taerae's side.

The five men settled down at one of the more secluded tables. Matthew practically dragged Taerae into the seat beside him. They ordered their first round of drinks, venting about the stress of idol life and discussing their upcoming comeback. The conversations were all too normal, until it switched to a topic that made Taerae really uncomfortable.

"That girl has not stopped staring at you since we got here." Jiwoong subtly nodded his head in the direction of the girl, an unnecessary action, as anyone would have noticed her lustful eyes fixed on Matthew. The girl was gorgeous, with her long black hair and tight little dress, Taerae had no doubt that any straight man would find her attractive. And from what he knew about his friend, Matthew fit that category to a tee. 

"Don't encourage him." Hanbin scoffed lightly. "We're not here to find hookups." He directed that at Matthew, but the younger was unphased by it, laughing to brush off the comment.

He suddenly turned to Taerae, leaning closer, a restrained excitement in his eyes. "What do you think? Should I talk to her?"

Was it even reasonable to feel upset hearing that question? He already expected that Matthew would be interested in her. Though it didn't make it any easier to hear, and it was still excruciating to answer. "Do what you want." He mumbled, not having the strength say no, nor give his full encouragement. He swiped his drink off the table, and gulped it down, in an attempt to hide any expression of how he really felt about it.