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chapter five ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ
"i'll breathe it in."
willow's soft snores from the end of the bed brought taehyung back, waking him up from his dreamless night of sleep; normally, his dreams consist of worst-case scenarios and reminders of how much of a disappointment he was as a son to his past guardians (because he refuses to acknowledge them as his parents anymore). in the safety of jeongguk's loft, his nights are spent snuggling up to one of the elder's body pillows without any dreams at all. taehyung likes it this way, but that does not mean he doesn't have a bunch of questions for the elder when they get to that conversation today considering the younger is fully aware of how he will not be able to avoid it. nonetheless, taehyung slips out of bed, still clad in jeongguk's baby blue knitted sweater and never used boxers ("taehyung, seriously, do you think i'd give you some boxers i've used before? just put them on, you cute little lunatic.") he lent to him last night, and lazily waddles down the bleak staircase.
he is met with an empty space; the kitchen looks to be recently cleaned, counters still smelling of citrus disinfectant when he looks around for any sign of food considering his tummy is rumbling like crazy. that's when he huffs, pouting at the lack of food and finally hears the gentle sound of fingers typing away on a distant computer. if he was a dog, he swears his ears would perk up with excitement as he follows the sound until he reaches a room he has not yet discovered. taehyung softly opens the door, trying to make no sound as to not disturb the elder when he is probably working on something important. jeongguk is dressed in gray joggers with a matching hoodie, looking too cozy for his own good and he has yet to register the fact that he is no longer alone.
the elder pauses his writing to take a sip of his pistachio rose latte, feeling frustrated with how his book is coming along. he can't seem to get the direction of the story in action, always too fast or too slow or too messy. the man is taken out of his self-deprecative thoughts when he feels a face in his lap, leading him to look down albeit a little shocked to see willow nuzzling into his thigh. he wouldn't be so confused if he knows for a fact that he shut the door earlier because willow does have the tendency to be a bit of a distraction. he coos at her, rubbing behind her ears as he whispers, "how'd you get in here?" taehyung shuffles over to the two of them, mumbling little apologies as he nudges willow towards the door to leave. jeongguk grabs ahold of his wrist before taehyung could think about escaping with willow, pulling him back to stand in front of him and he reaches a hand up to feel if taehyung still has a fever. thankfully, it seems to have gone down a lot since yesterday. "why are you in here?"
"just looking for you," the younger mutters, eyes traveling downwards to look at jeongguk's thighs that look even comfier in joggers. a boom of thunder makes him flinch, too captivated with jeongguk's warm brown eyes looking at him so softly that it makes taehyung's skin heat up. in the quiet of the room, the elder can hear taehyung's belly growl in hunger and the younger whines in embarrassment.
jeongguk only chuckles, standing from his seat and leading them over to the kitchen. he does not bother with making anything time consuming and sticks to just milk and cereal, pouring the cereal in before the milk. the elder, after finishing, leans against the counter as he watches the younger consume the small meal quietly and happily. his heart clenches upon realizing that today is the day that either makes it or breaks it with their blossoming friendship; taehyung can either choose to stay, or he can leave. he can't help but clear his throat, breaking the silence, "have you thought about my offer?" taehyung stops chewing for a second, looking up at the elder before continuing and avoiding his eyes altogether. jeongguk is quick to assure taehyung, "don't feel pressured, taehyung. i'm not trying to force you into something you are not comfortable with."
"it's just-" taehyung tries, huffing from his own internal irritation. "i've been at this for a few months now and i don't like dragging people into my problems. there's a lot to think about, jeongguk. i can't even help with rent and this place is nice so i know i'll be in way over my head. i think it's better if i just go back to my spot."
the elder shakes his head, walking over to sit across from the younger man. "let's do it this way, okay? you can ask me some questions you have, because i know you probably have many, and i will answer them honestly. first things first, i do not expect you to help pay for anything. your stay will be free of charge; all i ask of you is your presence."
"that's just a little odd to me," the younger murmurs, fiddling with his fingers and completely forgoing his cereal. "you are asking me, a complete stranger, to stay in your place and claim your bed just so you have a friend. it's just... is this really the next move you want to make? you know nothing about me. i could be homeless because i committed horrible crimes or something. you don't know anything."
"i would like to get to know you," jeongguk says, nodding in understanding. he surely knows that this is a little odd to ask of someone you don't even know. "but i have a gut feeling that the reason you're out there is a little bit more complicated than just a simple crime. am i wrong?"
taehyung bites his lip.
"when i first met you and saw you out on that cold bed, i never thought of asking you to stay with me but there's something about you that makes me hesitate on sending you out there again," he shrugs. "i respect your decision either way, but you are not a burden. like i said, we are helping each other out."
the younger blinks, stirring his cereal with the milk as he thinks all of this through. "a- are you sure?"
jeongguk's eyes light up, body shining a hopeful light on the two of them. "i'm sure."
"how old are you, jeongguk?" the question surprises the elder, but he answers without hesitation that he is indeed thirty-two. taehyung had a feeling jeongguk was older than he was but not by that much. "i'm twenty-one. is this one of those things older people do?"
"one of those things?" jeongguk asks, eyebrows scrunching together before it comes to him. he chuckles, "are you asking if i'm subtly asking for you to be my sugar baby? look, tae, i'm asking you to stay in my house so you keep warm and keep me company, but you do not have to tend to me sexually ever."
"d'you mean it?" taehyung asks, nibbling on his lip until jeongguk uses his thumb to remove the younger's bottom lip from in between his teeth, whispering a don't do that before nodding. "okay, i'll stay but only under one condition."
"and what would that be?" jeongguk sits up, somewhat nervous by the boys statement.
"i can leave whenever i want," he says. "i'm not some lost cause and you do not ever get to treat me like i am, got that?"
"yes sir," jeongguk salutes. that was never a problem for him to begin with. "so that's a yes?"
