dissolve. ✓

FINAL

after lunch, they were definitely the last ones to make it to seokjin's house—syrup-sweetened kisses were very distracting, and taehyung was surprisingly willing to indulge jeongguk with as many as he wanted—and for a minute jeongguk really thought the sight of all the cars plus namjoon's motorcycle might be enough to scare taehyung off. but when jeongguk raised an eyebrow at him in question, taehyung swallowed hard and shook his head.

by the time jeongguk had gotten out of the car and come around to the passenger side, taehyung had pulled on his armor, the same cocky smirk and too-cool-for-you tilt of the head that he'd hidden behind for years. it didn't have the same ease to it anymore, shaky with cracks in the foundation from all the hits his confidence had taken over the last year, but that was okay. just having him there at all was proof of his courage, and he even let jeongguk take him by the hand to lead him inside.

they made it up the first flight of stairs before taehyung balked, his hesitation pulling jeongguk to a stop too. when he looked back, taehyung's eyes were turned upward toward the ceiling. no doubt he could hear everyone stomping around upstairs. judging by the his lips pressed into a thin line and his fingers tightened around jeongguk's, it was daunting.

jeongguk pulled at taehyung's hand until he looked away from the ceiling. then he tugged some more until taehyung huffed and came closer, close enough for jeongguk to loop an arm around his waist. he still had that haughtiness wrapped around him, like he was deigning to let jeongguk hold him like this, but jeongguk knew better than to believe. it was there in the way taehyung rested his hands on jeongguk's biceps, the way he swayed forward into the embrace, the way the tense line of his shoulders relaxed just a bit at jeongguk's touch.

"hey," jeongguk said quietly. "it's gonna be fine. there's nothing to worry about."

"i'm not worried," taehyung scoffed, very convincingly.

"uh huh," jeongguk said skeptically, and taehyung shot him a dirty look that he ignored in favor of pulling him in that little bit more. "whether you're worried or not, you are gonna go in there and charm the pants off everyone because you're kim taehyung and that's what you do."

"damn right," taehyung said with that same old smirk, the one jeongguk remembered from years past when taehyung had still been a one-dimensional caricature of a bully in his mind. before, it had made him want to smack the look off his stupid, pretty face. now it was kind of endearing, like a kitten with its claws out, and left him feeling warm and a little sappy.

"and i," jeongguk said, pausing to make sure taehyung met his eyes, "am going to be right by your side. because i am your soulmate, and that's what i do."

taehyung's smirked softened, gave way to something genuine and a little shy. "yeah?" he said.

"yeah," jeongguk echoed, tightening his hold on taehyung. "we're trying, remember? we both are. and soulmates stick by each other. so wherever you are, i'll be there too. from here on out, whatever we face, we face together because neither of us has to be alone anymore. you got that?"

"got it," taehyung whispered, leaning in for a kiss that jeongguk was only too happy to return. that is, until taehyung pulled away with a grimace and another upward glance. jeongguk bit his lip, holding back a laugh.

"they're all listening in, aren't they?"

taehyung nodded. "i believe so."

something upstairs must've broke, because a loud crash was heard as well as seokjin's shouts. jeongguk groaned theatrically and dropped his forehead to taehyung's shoulder. taehyung made a noise of protest but gave himself away by turning his nose into jeongguk's hair, and jeongguk had definitely been right in thinking that his scent was somehow, some-why a source of comfort because more of the tension eased out of taehyung's frame with every inhale. jeongguk smiled into the fabric of taehyung's shirt before he pulled away.