PAST TENSE ► T.KOOK/DISCONTINUED

𝙩𝙬𝙤

[🌙] SWEET LULLABY

the door to jeongguk's room opened with a small creak.

8 years have passed and now jeongguk was 10, and growing rapidly. many changes have occurred, mainly mrs. kim finally accepting to live at the jeon residence.

after the 8 years, she has gotten over the death of her husband. of course she is sad, but she doesn't want that to stop her from raising her son. she kept the house for vacations, though.

back to jeongguk's room. the younger stirred in his sleep. he put all his weight on one arm to see who or what was at his door. at this age, he was completely paranoid of aliens and ghosts.

he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and squinted to the small figure in his doorway. the silhouette held a small bear limply in his left hand.

"t-taehyung?" jeongguk was taken aback by how scratchy his voice was, but he brought all his attention to taehyung.

the older entered the room, closing the door slowly and quietly behind him and walked towards jeongguk.

"i had a nightmare," taehyung quietly explained. "is it alright if i sleep with you tonight?"

jeongguk was a bit embarrassed how quickly he agreed to the new sleeping arrangement. he couldn't even tell he was blushing as he said it.

"of course!" he scooted to the right side of the bed, giving taehyung the left. he watched taehyung carefully climb over the bed.

they both laid facing each other, staring at the other's eyes. jeongguk's were wide, much like a deer, while taehyung's were calmer and sharper.

"is it okay if i... hug you?"

jeongguk didn't reply. the question was absurd. he didn't feel the need to decline, but taehyung took his silence as a rejection.  

"it's okay if you don't want to," taehyung rushed to say. "i know it's a bit weird." he laughed awkwardly.

"no!" the younger replied, a bit too loudly as it was 1 am. lowering his voice, he replied again.

"no. i'm okay with it."

"really?"

"really." jeongguk smiled reassuringly.

and jeongguk didn't know if he was supposed to initiate it or not, so he was relieved when taehyung scooted closer to his chest. he tucked himself under jeongguk's chin and brought his knees up into a half-foetus position.

in the back of jeongguk's mind, he couldn't help to think how uncomfortable taehyung felt in that position. taehyung was taller by a few inches, but somehow carried himself to look smaller.

so he wrapped his arm around taehyung's side cautiously, only being confident when the older let out a content sigh.

jeongguk had never felt so at ease.

"hello, it's been a while
there's no question mark in your voice, it's so you
as if it's a rule
your seat is always the same, by the cold entrance"

jeongguk sang gently, his voice flowing over taehyung like silk.

"don't say those words, please
you know those words hurt me even more
you said you would love me, so what is this
you don't know what kind of heart you gave me
as much as you were lonely
i really hope you meet someone
who will love you more than you do
i'm sorry that's not me
it's not easy to give"

jeongguk felt taehyung's breathing was slowed and his heart rate becoming steady. the thumps like the beat of the sweet lullaby.

"please be honest with me
you know I'll believe anything you say
just like you said
do you think that I will ever
be loved by someone like me?"

jeongguk was more than 100% sure that taehyung was asleep. his light brown hair tickled jeongguk's chin and hot breath kept jeongguk's chest warm.

"good night hyung," jeongguk mumbled before he, himself, fell under slumber's spell.

—
nothing could beat waking up next to taehyung. their short legs were tangled like wires. his hand was resting in the older's lower back. and still, taehyung was safely protected under jeongguk's chin.

jeongguk checked his clock.

10:26 AM

he groaned, his voice vibrating through he throat, making taehyung wake up slightly.

"ggukie?" taehyung murmured. "what time is it?"

jeongguk looked down to see taehyung looking up at him with sleep crusted eyes, usually unflattering, but jeongguk found it quite. . .

endearing.

"10:30. our moms must left already."

taehyung's squinted eyes opened in realisation, realising something jeongguk hadn't realised yet.

"my mom. she told me that she was going to enrol us into school!" he yawned.

jeongguk smiled.

"that's wonderful, but you were up late. maybe you should continue to sleep a bit more," jeongguk persuaded. maybe he was the sleepy one.

it was either that, or he didn't want to detach himself from the warmth of taehyung.