The Years of Us (TaeJoon)

The Birthday: V

          When Taehyung and Namjoon got back from their little adventure, they were touchy like never before. It started the moment Jeongguk's car was parked next to the curb and Taehyung climbed out with a laugh, only to turn around and wait for Namjoon to catch up with him in the driveway.

          The moment he did, Namjoon kissed Taehyung's lips and held onto the younger's hips while Taehyung's own hands went up to take hold of Namjoon's covered biceps. It was a simple kiss and the two were giggling each time their lips met, but each touch held power and they both knew it. It was their first.

          Taehyung began backing up, heading for the front door, but Namjoon kept a hold on him and the two twirled in a tornado of sweet little kisses and hand holdings. Unfortunately, after years of being deprived of such interactions, both boys grew more desperate for the other and what was once a mix of innocent pecks, turned into a full fledged makeout with Taehyung's arms wrapped around Namjoon's neck as they stumbled through the door.

          Jeongguk, who had been sitting in the arm chair across the living room, quietly reading a book, stood up faster than he could say the word stop.

          "Hey! Off of my brother!" He ordered, his eyes narrowing at Namjoon in a deadly way.

          Taehyung pulled away from Namjoon, but moved to lock their fingers together down at his side. "Jeongguk, I'm old enough now. You can stop worrying so much."

          "No!" Jeongguk stubbornly yelled, grabbing the attention of his mother who had been in the kitchen preparing the rest of breakfast. "And I will let you know when it's your turn to speak!" He focused back on his best friend. "Just because I lend you my car to go talk with him doesn't mean you have permission to shove your tongue down my little brother's throat in front of my face."

          Jeongguk's father joined his wife's side in the kitchen doorway to watch. "I feel like maybe we should mind our own business right now, but I can't seem to make myself tune them out." He whispered.

          "I know," she whispered back. "It's the showdown we've been waiting for since that play wedding they had as kids. They were so cute then. Where did those times go?"

          "Don't worry. There'll be a real wedding to hold sometime in the near future anyway." They fist bumped each other. "No wonder I married you," the boys' mother concluded.

          At the same time, Namjoon had just finished gathering his thoughts. "Jeongguk, I understand that. But neither of us knew you'd be sitting there. Accidents happen. And anyway, you said you were okay with us being together."

          Jeongguk nearly growled. "Not. In front. Of my face. Not like that."

          "Jeonggukie, you need to chill out before we do it again just to spite you." Taehyung said, already moving dangerously close to Namjoon's face.

          Namjoon laughed evilly. "Yeah, and maybe even step it up...add a few kisses to the nec-"

          "Okay, that's enough for now, thank you!" Taehyung's father said, quickly going back to move the food onto the dining table.

          Just then, Namjoon's family appeared in the still opened doorway that lead out to the front porch. "Did we miss anything?" his dad questioned, raising an eyebrow curiously. "Oh, looks like they're already together. Taehyung, after waiting such a long time, it feels good to finally say, welcome to the family!"

          Both boys just smiled before Namjoon turned to steer his love into the dining room.

           "They do realize we're not engaged yet, right?" Taehyung whispered.

           "Well...you know parents...let's try not to kill their dreams." 

           Taehyung quickly nodded in response, agreeing wholeheartedly.

~

          When breakfast began, everyone was sat in their usual spots. Namjoon in the middle on one side of the table with Taehyung to his right and Jeongguk to his left. The other side was taken up by Jeongguk and Taehyung's mother, Namjoon's parents, and the two heads of the table were filled by Choon-hee and the boys' father.

          For the first couple of minutes, no one spoke, only able to take in the delicious food that had been made for them until Jeongguk couldn't help but to catch a glimpse of Namjoon and Taehyung holding hands. It wouldn't have been such a problem for him under regular circumstances, but the the fact that Namjoon's hand was in his brother's lap ticked him off.

          Taehyung on the other hand, was enjoying every second of it. It made him feel special to know that Namjoon was in fact right handed, yet had no problem using his left hand to eat just so he could hold the other's hand comfortably.

          "Do you have to do that here?" Jeongguk asked.

          Choon-hee peeked around the corner of the dark, wooden table to see what Jeongguk was referring to. When she did, the twenty one year old only shrugged. "It's not the first time they've held hands at a meal. Where have you been all your life?"

          "Here." Jeongguk sneered, looking back towards his food and shoving a mouthful of ramyeon past his lips. "But every other time they did, it was on top of the table and Taehyung wasn't eighteen."

          "Jeongguk, swallow your food and then speak," his mother scolded. "You're not nine anymore."

          Namjoon made no move to let go of Taehyung and calmly laughed at Jeongguk's previous statement. "You're one to talk, considering you have a boyfriend of your own. How is your 'flirty baby' of five years, anyway?" He smirked, knowing he'd won.

          Collectively, everyone at the table, including Taehyung stopped moving to look at Jeongguk. Everyone in this room was his family, whether it was of blood or not, and the only person he'd told of his relationship was Namjoon, back when it had started.

          Jeongguk swallowed his remaining noodles whole and it felt as if he were passing a brick through his throat. "That wasn't your information to spread."

          He might have felt a bit bad on the inside, but all Namjoon did was shrug and pick up his glass of water to take a drink.

          The boys' mother cleared her throat from across the river of food. "You know what, Jeonggukie? I'm personally thrilled and can't wait to meet this boy. What's his name? How did you meet?" Beyond being actually curious, she'd also wanted to lighten the mood by showing support for her son. She didn't want him to think anyone was mad even though deep down, some of them were a little perturbed.

          Jeongguk finally looked up and met her eyes. "His name is Jimin. Park Jimin. And I met him through a psychology class my junior year of college."

          Once he started, Jeongguk couldn't stop describing his older boyfriend of two years. He gushed about his blonde hair and about how upon first meeting, Jeongguk thought Jimin was younger, due to how adorable his boyfriend preferred to act. He even described a project they'd done together in which they were assigned to basically pester the other to see if a strong bond would build between them by the end. And they were the only two out of their class who had fallen in love after spending every second together.

          "So," Taehyung said at the end of his brother's long rant, "you still haven't explained why you felt the need to hide all of this from us."

          Jeongguk sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? But after years of sharing everything with everyone, I felt like I finally deserved to keep something to myself. And you will meet him eventually, just not right now."

          That seemed to be enough for everyone, and both families continued on with their meal, now chattering lightheartedly about how Taehyung was finally a man. Namjoon, for one, was completely interested in the subject.