Maybe Even Forever [Vmon/Junghope/Yoonmin]

the allegory of us

"Joonie?" Taehyung knocked on the doorframe.

"Hmm?"

"Can you—" he stifled a yawn, "—read to me?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course." Namjoon drew himself up and to the side, lifting up the comforter so Taehyung could climb in beside him. Taehyung obliged, and was immediately enveloped by warmth on all sides. He moved forward until his ear was pressing against Namjoon's chest: one to hear the vibrations of his chest as he spoke and one free to listen to his (beautiful, beautifully relaxing) voice.

"What book?"

"Surprise me."

They had developed a custom of finding philosophy books to read out loud to each other in bed. Taehyung loved it, because often they'd leave off in the middle of a passage to discuss what they thought of the events. Because he got to see Namjoon's brain at work, and even though he knew every inch of it as if it were his own, he never stopped appreciating it.

Namjoon cleared his throat, and it jolted Taehyung out of his head. He held up a book with one hand, the other dancing along Taehyung's collarbone, rubbing at the skin exposed by the rips in his sweater.

Namjoon pressed a kiss to Taehyung's temple before starting to read.

"'Next, said I, compare our nature in respect of education and its lack to such an experience as this,'" and Taehyung snuggled into his boyfriend with a noise of satisfaction and breathed in the words. Breathed in the sound of Namjoon's voice, low and warm and familiar and a little bit scratchy from how late it was. Breathed in the promise that they'd talk after Namjoon was finished (if Taehyung hadn't been lulled to sleep already), talk about what they thought of it, and they would go to sleep with minds swimming with ideas and thoughts and each other.

This might be Taehyung's favorite part of the day, he thinks as Namjoon keeps reading.

"'A strange image you speak of, he said, and strange prisoners.'"