jeon jeongguk isn't stupid.

taehyung and jeongguk are smart.

Slow.

That's what it is.

What everything is.

It's like it happens in slow motion.

The world around them, the world within. Everything around Jeongguk is blurred as Taehyung pedals except Taehyung himself, and he just wants it to go faster. To get home. But it's honestly okay that it's slow.

Jeongguk thinks it may be his brain involuntarily savoring this moment, and he's glad that it is. That his subconscious is smart, just like the rest of him, and knows what's important and what's not. Because he hasn't thought about anything that feels wrong for the past hour and a half. Because he's only thought about what's right.

It's slow when Taehyung finally stops pedaling, and he steadies them so they don't fall over. Let's Jeongguk get off first, the bag making a light rustling noise along with the sounds that the night bring. The sounds of their breathing.

The sound of Taehyung getting off the bike, and letting it flop onto the grass of Jeongguk's front lawn. They leave it there. Taehyung lives in a safe neighborhood. It should be fine.

And it's even slower when Taehyung looks at Jeongguk, who's just standing, there, waiting, and he smiles, lips creeping up his face viscidly, like molasses or honey as it drips into something bitter, spreading outwards and making it sweet. Jeongguk felt bitter, and maybe Taehyung is molasses and honey, is viscid, because Jeongguk still tastes sugar on his tongue and feels it in his heart.

"I," he starts to say, lips moving from the smile momentarily to talk, but he doesn't finish, just keeps looking at Jeongguk and then holds one of his hands out. Jeongguk looks at his palm, and the lines of blue that cover it, and he fits it within his own free hand, breathes lightly when Taehyung yanks him forwards so their chests are nearly touching.

The air between them is nonexistent. There's nothing. Just them.

Taehyung opens his mouth to continue, looking slightly confused, but a good confused. He's only confused because it's hard to think with Jeongguk's face this close to his own, something that beautiful within his reach.

He touches him. The hand comes up slowly, unsure at first, but then Taehyung asks himself why he's unsure and he realizes there's no answer to that question, because he's not unsure. So when it touches Jeongguk's cheekbone, the skin soft and smooth under the warm pad of Taehyung's thumb, his movements aren't hesitant in the slightest.

And then he's opening his mouth to try and talk again, just staring into the eyes in front of him, but the eyes cut him off. Talk instead.

"What makes you think of me?"

Taehyung's smile grows, and Jeongguk feels pride bloom in his chest, also feels the heat of Taehyung's hand as it cups his cheek and brings him slightly closer, "What do you mean?"

It's said through a smile, the words all teeth, and Jeongguk shakes his head lightly, hair moving around and some of it falling forwards to tickle the back of Taehyung's hand, "I mean, when I'm not with you, what reminds you of me?"

Taehyung's smile is still getting larger, to the point where Jeongguk thinks his lips may fall off of his face. He wants to lean forward and kiss them, but he doesn't, because right now they're talking. Because once he gets his answer, it won't matter and he can kiss them as much as he wants to.

"Where did that come from?" He asks, and Jeongguk isn't sure where, he just wants to know, needs to, this curiosity that's been eating away at him all night ever since he saw the stars in the same smile that looks at him right now, "I don't know. Just wondering."