Maybe Even Forever [Vmon/Junghope/Yoonmin]

wonder and wonder

Taehyung and Namjoon were in love. Everyone knew it.

All of their friends, all of their classmates, all of their teachers. Anyone who spent two minutes in the same room as the two of them knew it. How could you miss something so obvious?

You could see it in the lingering gazes, the soft, lovelorn smiles, how their hands naturally found the other as if their presence alone was a security blanket. You could feel it in the way Namjoon's shoulders seemed to relax whenever Taehyung was around. You could hear it in the way Taehyung's laugh was that much louder when Namjoon was the one evoking it.

They were friends, best friends, since kindergarten. Since Namjoon tripped on the playground and Taehyung came to his rescue. Kissed the bruise on his knee, because "that's what eomma does!" and then promptly ran in the other direction, because "look, Joonie, there's a butterfly!" And Namjoon had stood there for a second, wondering what had just happened, but the time he used to ponder was cut short by Taehyung grabbing his hand and leading him to the butterfly he found.

Taehyung was taller than him then, more talkative and much more touchy. Namjoon's quieter responses never discouraged him, though. Because after a little while of sitting next to the older boy, listening to his murmured responses, Taehyung knew Namjoon thought more than it seemed, that his voice was more internalized.

Much later, Taehyung realized this was because no one takes kids seriously anyways, despite him thinking whatever Namjoon said was the most interesting thing he'd heard all day.

The two of them were inseparable. Namjoon and Taehyung. (They'd spent a whole two hours sitting on the grass after school debating whose name should come first, but eventually Namjoon won with his argument that a) "I'm your hyung, TaeTae" and b) 'N' came before 'T' in the alphabet, and Taehyung was forced to give in. And he didn't really mind, because Namjoon smiled when he got to be first, and Taehyung liked his smile. So that was that.)

Taehyung held wonder in his eyes.

The first time Namjoon truly saw this was when they sat outside on the grass doing nothing. Evening had fallen, and the crickets were singing, and a firefly flew over and landed on Tae's hand. Ever since the beginning of that summer, Taehyung hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of the glowing bugs that came out at night.

"Look! Look, Namjoon-hyung! On my hand, here, look, look!" Tae shouted, the volume making Namjoon, sitting less than a foot away, wince. Subtlety had never been Taehyung's strong suit.

But he swore then that the boy's smile could have lit up the whole city.

Namjoon found himself wanting to be the cause of that smile, wanting to make sure it never went away. He made a pact with himself that night. To try his hardest to never make Taehyung less than happy.

Namjoon held wonder in his head.

The first time Taehyung truly knew this was one night when Namjoon was sleeping over. Tae's nightlight had broken (apparently someone had tripped over it, or something), and he couldn't sleep.

"Joonie?" It came out whispered, in case he was asleep already.

"Yeah?"

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

"I was," Namjoon admitted. "But I'm not anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because," he said, shifting his blankets to sit up and look at Taehyung. "There's no need. The dark just missed you. It's trying to give you a hug, because you always sleep through it. It only wants your company, TaeTae."