Little Cub (TaeJinKook) ✅

Thirty Nine

There's one more chapter after this before the epilogue (le cries)

We've been winding down and there's zero angst left 😭😭😭😭

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It wasn’t until three weeks later that Taehyung finally had the time and the courage to go and visit Namjoon again. He and Namjoon were close, and Taehyung knew that once Namjoon found something interesting, that he would latch on and keep interest. And Hoseok was no exception.

The bell above the door rang with the familiar sound as Taehyung entered. He felt an instant feeling of calm wash over him. He relaxed and smiled, looking around, trying to locate someone among the shelves of books.

“Hello?” He finally called after there was nothing. There wasn’t even a movement after he called out. Taehyung sighed, turning his eyes to the shelves. He knew that the shop wasn’t closed, since the front door was open and the lights were on, but he was beginning to doubt, since Namjoon was almost always sitting at the desk, and if he wasn’t, he was sure to come out at the call of his favorite customer.

Taehyung sighed once again as he walked around the counter, going into the back rooms. He passed the living room, seeing that nothing seemed to be touched and all of the lights were turned off. “Hyung?” Taehyung called. Namjoon wouldn’t leave the store unattended...would he?

Taehyung finally approached Namjoon’s room and opened the door slowly. He was going to walk in and see if maybe Namjoon had fallen asleep from exhaustion—he overworked himself more times than Taehyung could even count—but was shocked to see...Namjoon naked, sleeping on top of the covers...and a naked Hoseok.

Taehyung shrieked in surprise, causing Namjoon to shoot up from his position, falling from the bed and showing Hoseok in his full glory. Taehyung didn’t care about him, he’d seen Hoseok naked plenty of times, but Namjoon was a new one. Namjoon was almost like a father to him, and the last thing he wanted to see was him naked and in bed with his ex lover.

“Hyung!” Taehyung cried out, sounding mortified.

“What the hell Tae!?” Namjoon exclaimed, finally getting off of the floor and pulling some pants on to cover himself. “Why are you here? You could have just called for me.”

“I did! About three times and you never responded!” Taehyung shrieked back indignantly. “Really!? You never take off of work and the moment you do it’s to fuck Hobi hyung?”

“Why? Do you have a problem with it? You have two lovers already—“

“That’s not what I’m saying. I’m glad for the two of you, really, but maybe not glad to have walked in on you two.” Taehyung huffed back. He crossed his arms and turned to Hoseok. “Hi, hyung.” He finally said, his tone turning more sheepish.

The last time he had seen the elder, he had told him to go and get help...something he knew would hurt Hoseok to a full extent. He was ashamed, and he suddenly bowed. “I’m so sorry for what I said last time, I didn't mean it, and it just came out. That isn’t an excuse, and I know you don’t need help, you're just different, and I was just being stupid and—“

“Whoa. Chill out, it’s okay Taehyung, really.”

“...really? Because I hurt you and I know that I never should have said those words, I didn’t mean them that way and I was just hurt and maybe a little scared and acting out—“

“Yes! Yes, really. I’ve forgiven you already. I know that you didn’t mean it, and I say things I don’t mean sometimes, we all do. So you're forgiven, I don’t hold it against you, and I know you would never actually say something like that to hurt me.” Taehyung breathed out a sigh of relief at those words.

“Thank you, hyung. And I really am glad for you and Namjoon hyung. I think the two of you go perfectly with each other. And I hope that there’s no hard feelings between each other.”

“Don’t worry. There isn’t anything. Namjoon has shown me and told me a lot since the last time we saw one another. And I’ve moved on and realized that what we had wasn’t really love...but I still want to be friends.”

“We can be bottom buddies.”

“Bottom—YAH!” Hoseok shrieked, covering himself with the sheet, mostly to hide his furiously blushing face. “What makes you think that I bottom!?”

“It’s obvious, hyung. And I know for a fact that Namjoon hyung would never bottom. And you really...you're a sadist sometimes, hyung, but really you just love pain more than anything and you don’t care if you're the one getting or receiving. Plus...It’s kinda right there in front of me, seeing as Namjoon hyung was, one, on top of you, and two, you have hickies all over your neck and you never let me mark you up when I was with you—“

“We don’t need to talk about this anymore.” He muttered, cutting the male off. Taehyung giggled and smiled, turning to Namjoon.

“By the way, I came to pick up the books you saved for me, and to pay you back for the books I took last time, seeing as you ran off before I could pay for them.” Namjoon nodded and led Taehyung back to the front of the store, letting Hoseok gather his thoughts and get dressed.

“I have some ancient Russian manuscripts about the holy trinity pack and their original plan against Poland—“

“Boring.” Taehyung pouted and turned to Hoseok who had spoken.

“Says you. You just like reading erotica.”

“Hey, I distinctly remember you loving the things I—“

“Okay, and we’re going to shut up now.” Namjoon butted in. The two other men laughed at the man’s butt hurt expression.

Taehyung finally paid for everything and turned to Hoseok and Namjoon one more time. “I really am glad for you two. I hope you guys have a good day. And thanks for still wanting to be my friend, Hobi hyung.” Hoseok smiled and nodded, walking forward and pulling the man into a hug.

“Friends. But I still love you.”

“And I love you.” The two men separated, looking at each other. They did love each other, just in a different way, and they were okay with that, because they’d found people who could love them other ways and be there to support them and care for them. There were no hard feelings and there were no strings that still needed to be cut.

Taehyung smiled, knowing that once again...something was ending happily for him.