Dreaming Alone | taekook ✔️

t h i r t y - s i x

"Does he ever curl up into a ball?" Jeongguk asked, studying the little creature in his hands.

"Only if you threaten him." Jimin answered, munching on a granola bar. "Hedgehogs roll into a balls so that their quills cover the entire area of their exposed body. It protects them." He finished the rest of his snack and stretched out a hand towards the ravenette. "Gimme."

Jeongguk handed over his empty wrapper, thanking Jimin as the pink-haired boy discarded their trash into the bin.

"I can't believe you chose granola bars over dining hall food." Jimin told him, "The pancakes are pretty killer."

"I wanna see what he looks like if he curls into a ball." The ravenette changed the subject abruptly, letting Dave climb off his palm and onto the blanket they laid on the floor.

"You have something against going to the dining hall?" Jimin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No." Jeongguk avoided eye contact. "What does he look like when he's curled into a ball?"

"Well," Jimin got up to the balls of his feet, deciding not to push the matter any further. "He looks like this." He hugged his legs close and toppled forward clumsily in an attempt to make the ravenette laugh.

Jeongguk giggled, not minding when Jimin scooted closer to him with a giant grin on his face.

Little Dave sniffed the blanket, tiny legs giving out as he snuggled into the soft fabric.

Jimin leaned onto the ravenette's shoulder. "You smell nice." He noted lightly, fingers tracing random shapes onto Jeongguk's nape.

"That's, uh, Tae's shampoo you're smelling." Jeongguk choked out, "Stopp— that's ticklish!" He pushed Jimin's hand away, making the boy laugh.

"You're ticklish, Jeongguk?" There was wickedness in his tone that complimented the smirk on his face. Jimin kneeled down and gently picked Dave up to return him to his cage.

"What are you doing?" The ravenette whined, "I thought we're still playing with him."

Jimin secured the gate. "I don't want him to run away when we're not keeping an eye out for him." He said nonchalantly, turning back towards Jeongguk.

"Why wouldn't we be keeping an eye out for—"

"C'mere."

The ravenette gasped in surprise when Jimin grabbed him by the waist, dug his fingers under his ribcage and started tickling him.

"Jimin Jimin Jimin—" Jeongguk squealed, wiggling around on the floor, trying desperately to get away. "Stop." More and more giggles.

And suddenly this harmless, playful act became something more when Jeongguk had collapsed onto the floor, out of breath, and Jimin hovered over him, the boy caged between his two arms.

"Hi." Jimin smiled down at him, his eyes disappeared into happy half-moons.

"Hi." Jeongguk puffed out, hand flying up to rest on his own forehead.

"Your cheeks are all red."

The ravenette snorted. "What did you expect? Have you never been tickled before?"

"Not really." Jimin shrugged, and Jeongguk was beginning to wonder why he hasn't moved out of the way. The pair-haired boy flashed him another smile, seeing the way Jeongguk's large eyes shone with this innocence that made him so utterly adorable. "You're cute." He told him.

"You say that way too much." Jeongguk replied, punching the boy's chest, "Let me up."

"Ggukie?"