[ CHAPTER 18 ]
saturday nights

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

JEONGGUK regrets ever offering to drive taehyung home. it had taken a good half an hour to stuff the said male into the front seat and then convince him to click on his seatbelt, the man claiming that he was going to die regardless, kudos to his supposed terrible sleigh maneuvering.

once they had however finally swerved onto the streets, taehyung had fussed over the radio, constantly changing the station until jeongguk had reached over and turned the entire radio off before hastily switching it back on when he spotted the familiar gloss across the elder's eyes.

by the time they had arrived at jeongguk's home, which was unsurprisingly a great, pearl mansion shrouded with neatly clipped bushes perched across meticulously arrayed coloured pebbles, illuminated pot plants propped at the front of two great pillars framing a fawn, two-doored entrance carved with intricate details. the front of the house is cut off midway, portraying an equally sophisticated front garden, various plants adorning the perimeter of a gurgling fountain, a robed statue admits the middle of it all.

it's all so grand, so meticulously arranged that taehyung who had been previously enraged with the visible repulse upon the other's expression when saturday nights had strung the interior of the car, momentarily ceased his bitter cursing to gape in awe at the extravagant sight before him.

"it's beautiful." he murmurs.

"is it?" jeongguk asks indifferently, casting a fleeting glance at his residence as he taps the key to the automatic opening for the great, dark-winged gates to shudder close behind him.

"mhm," taehyung nods, "must've cost a lot."

"eh, a bit i guess."

at this, he scowls, scoffing, "oh, my apologise, i forgot how much of rich snob you were."

"just get out of the car." jeongguk sighs, too exhausted to delve into yet another one of their brawls.

pursing his lips, taehyung abides, fingers curling around the handle of the night black mercedes-benz cla 250, the sight infuriating him even further as he trails behind the other, feigning boredom as he eyes the design of the house, or a mansion if he were to say.

maybe it was the grand impression the mansion gives off that has taehyung considering what exactly jeongguk had done in his past life to swim in this sea of endless money, that sobers him up in the slightest as he stumbles across the driveway.

the interior is, if possible even more mesmerising than the exterior, silk curtains draped over the many glass windows propped at its walls, tiles sweeping across the floor, halting at the heel of a curved stairway, dark handles framing its lips as it winds upstairs, robed with plush, crimson fabric. a light chandelier drapes to the floor, encased with coloured rubies of periwinkle blue to sun-kissed gold.

"likey?" jeongguk smirks as he catches the fleeting expression of star-struck awe upon the elder's features, "the architect was a bitch but he did good, surprisingly."

"good?!" taehyung scoffs, "this is unreal!"

laughing softly at the other's expression, jeongguk continues on, fingers curling around his wrist to tug him along, "you'll love your room then."

"i have a room for myself?"

smirking, jeongguk raises an eyebrow as his voice slips a few octaves, "my bed's always welcome-"

"oh my God, stop." he grimaces, swatting at the younger's bicep, "what the hell goes on up there?"

"wouldn't you like to know."

"please, just take me to my room."

grinning, jeongguk tugs the two of them up the stairs, slinging a stable arm around the elder's waist much to taehyung's distaste as he stumbles on the occasional step.

"God, how much did you drink?" jeongguk asks after the ash-haired male had nearly played out an epic nose dive to the carpet.

"m'dunno," taehyung grins sloppily, "three? five? no maybe-"

"forget it," he sighs, shaking his head as he presses the pads of his fingers to the door, shoving it open gently, "we're here."

the first factors taehyung notices is the gold and white colour scheme. from the walls to the bed, everything was enriched with a plush gold, lined with faded white that seeps across the room in gentle stars. the floor is of gold marble, lit with the reflection of the lamps and hem of gold lights curved at the edges of the walls and of the bedpost.

the bed itself is perched upon a circular stand, clothed in a beige carpet, curving around the head of the bed in resemblance of a couch donned with multiple faded golds and white sheets and pillows. a side of the room is adorned with great, slabs of glass, mirrors that hide the interior of cupboards, while the opposite is draped with curtains upon windows, fabric slithering across the windowsill. a single couch is perched beside the windows, dim gold lamp beside it.

"woah?" jeongguk offers as he smothers his amusement at the sight of taehyung's gaping mouth and bulging eyes.

exhaling, he nods shakily, "woah."

"you look cute when you're surprised." jeongguk suddenly blurts, feeling his cheek fire a hot crimson as taehyung turns to face him slowly, face a tad rose himself.

"i-uh thanks?"

rubbing the back of his neck as he avoids eye contact, jeongguk shrugs feigning indifference, "i-i'll go get you some clothes, you can head into the shower if you want."

nodding, taehyung prays for his cheeks to return to their original tan shade as he drops his gaze to follow jeongguk's timberlands as they trudge out the door.

it's only when the man's fingers remains in sight, curled against the handle of the door, does taehyung pipe up.

"hey guk!"

poking his head around the door, jeongguk raises an eyebrow, "yeah?"

"thank you," taehyung says sincerely, fiddling with his hands as he takes sudden interest to the floor, "for stopping me back there before i did something stupid and giving me a place to crash, i appreciate it."

and then, for the first time, jeongguk smiles. not a smirk nor a jeering snarl that has taehyung bristling from head to toe but genuine grin that curls at the rose of his lips, two large front teeth exposed as his cheeks curve gently.

"you're welcome silver."

─── ·𖥸· ───

it's a coincidence that the very second taehyung tugs the hem of jeongguk's grey sweater to his hips does the said man step into the room, a glass of water and pill in hand.

"oh!" jeongguk  apologises once he catches taehyung's startled expression, "sorry, forgot to knock."

"s'all good." he says, peering curiously as the man sets the glass and pill across a wad of tissue on his bedside table, "what's that for?"

"bet you'll have a killer hangover tomorrow morning, i don't want to disturb you then so the medicine's already here for you." he replies, straightening up as he turns to face the elder, "they look good on you."

unconsciously smiling at the comment, cheeks warm he glances down at his attire which fits him well since the two were of the same height, taehyung standing a tad taller, though it was slightly loose credits to the younger male's set of muscles.

pinching at the collar of his sweatshirt as it slips across his neck, exposing his collarbone, taehyung grins meekly, "thanks."

there's a brief silence, one in which taehyung shifts from foot to foot, gaze flitting from the equally uncomfortable male to the spectacular design of the room.

"so," jeongguk says, clearing his throat as if to break the silence, "anything you need or you good?"

"i'm fine, no-i mean yes, no it's just weird."

raising an eyebrow, he prods, "it can't be that weird, i mean- unless you want to get down and dirty-"

"no!" he shouts, blushing a dark rose as he composes himself, "no, i just...could you sing for me?"

visibly taken aback, jeongguk blinks, expression of one of bemusement as he speaks slowly, "you want me to sing?"

stomach wrenching with the familiar sensation of rejection, he smiles weakly, laughing as he turns to slip under the sheets in hopes of hiding his fallen expression, "forget it, it's stupid anyway."

the fabric is smooth against his skin, consoling as he shifts within the covers as if it were attempting to assure him that his appalling request was solely on behalf of his dwindling drunk state.

he waits for the tell-tale sound of feet padding out of his room as he struggles to swallow the humiliated burn at his waterline, covers fisted tightly at his chest.

"stay up working late at a job you hate, fix your makeup in a dirty bathroom."

and he does hear the tell-tale sounds of bare feet padding across the floor, but it does not blur out of his audio range but increase in volume as a hand rests at his hip, a soft voice stringing the air around them.

"you got plans wrapped in rubber bands, and that's the only thing you never lose."

it was the song that jeongguk hated, claimed that it was much too bland and boring, droning and drawling in what was the artist's idea of some appalling version of what he called singing. and now, rubbing gentle circles into the dip of his hip, he sings the very song so gently, as if it were the brittle wings of a butterfly and even the slightest nudge would shatter all.

and God maybe it's how he sings it, so beautifully, so easily as each note is strung in well-practised english, easing the tight string twisted at his chest or maybe it is the rush of memorise that churn at his stomach and burn at his eyes, that makes him turn to face the other, cheeks wet as he finds himself singing along.

"and all the things that i know, that you're parents don't, they don't care like i do, nowhere like i do."

maybe it is the way that their voices slot so well with one another, his crisp and baritone and jeongguk's light tenor that harmonises so well that tugs the invisible force between them closer until their noses are mere millimetres apart and their breaths fan across the other's lips.

he can see the stars in jeongguk's eyes, the cosmic galaxy of bottomless onyx as he murmurs another line. his lips, taehyung notice shamelessly, are of a pretty rose shade, thin yet full at the same time.

so maybe it is the drugs that reel through his mind and numb at his skin, eyes hooded with the droopy aftertaste of bitter liquid he had so carelessly burned at his throat that pulls him even closer.

and slots his lips against the others.

"the way that i do.."

~
[a/n]

chapter nine and we've already got a lil kiss, consider yourself well fed. ;)

my brother actually inspired me on this one, he hates the song and whenever i play it in the car he goes on whining and throws a hissy fit. ily ♡