a/n: i'd recommend you listen to new year's day by taylor swift, and undo, milk, and you by the 1975, because i listened to them while writing this

Taehyung's feet hurt. Just a little, and he probably wouldn't have noticed it if he had just kept on dancing. Now, though, when the party had died down, the bulk of the people had left, the music had mellowed out, the buzz of the alcohol cleared out by water, he had taken a seat near the top of the grand sweeping staircase, leaning his head against the banister. The marble was cold underneath him, and he had left his sweater draped across a couch somewhere in the heat of everything, but he'd find it later. Besides, he could always just find Jeongguk's room and take one of his if he got too cold anyway.

However much he loved dancing and drinking and laughing and everything else you do at parties, this part, where everything was beginning to slow down and stop, would always be his favorite. He could hear the intro to Undo by The 1975 pouring out of the speakers, but it was quiet now and he could see Jimin and Hoseok hugging the few that remained in the lobby, getting ready to head home.

"Hey." Taeyeon had walked up and sat on the opposite side of the stair below his, shoes in hand and dress smoothed out.

"Hey yourself," Taehyung replied, straightening up.

"You missed the fireworks, I think."

"Oh." Taehyung hadn't wanted to see them. Or rather, he hadn't wanted to go onto the roof to see them. The roof was not for midnights, it was for Jeongguk. (It was only for midnights when the two clashed.) "How were they?"

"I liked them," Taeyeon says, nodding to herself and smiling softly. "They were pretty. I've always thought fireworks were." She glanced down, hair falling into her face, and adjusted the sleeves of her dress so they covered her palms.

"I prefer shooting stars," Taehyung says, and it's half a joke so he's half smiling. Taeyeon laughs, and it's a light, tinkling sound.

Taeyeon stood up then, clapping Taehyung on the shoulder. "Have a good night, Taehyung-ah."

"Good night, noona," he murmured, looking up at her through his eyelashes. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year." And then she was gone, through the door as the last flashes of sparkling red left his mind.

Taehyung closed his eyes, breathing in, breathing out. It was quiet now, the fresh air from the door being opened so many times in quick succession floating up to him. The silence seemed to echo through the house, reverberated by the image of an hour ago with everyone crowded around everyone else.

He hummed along to Milk and thought about his parents, back in Daegu. He'd texted them earlier, wishing them a happy New Year, them replying with similar sentiments. He thought about all of his friends, about all of the smiles and happy memories that he's collected, like marbles in a jar, to think about and treasure during the coming year.

An arm slung across his shoulders then, a weight that's come to be more familiar than anything, followed by the man himself, a warmth and scent that Taehyung leans into.

"All that glitter's gonna be a real bitch to clean up," Jeongguk breathes into his ear. Taehyung giggles into Jeongguk's shoulder, eyeing the glitter that had settled itself into what seemed like every crack of the hardwood floor. "Aish, are those Polaroids?"

"I think they're Jiminie's. He brought his camera. He's always liked the physical memories."

Jeongguk takes his hand, and it's soft and it's warm and Taehyung feels content with it. He pulls him up into a standing position, and together they lazily make their way down the staircase. When they reach the floor, Taehyung bends down to collect all the pictures scattered around.

He looks at each fondly, recalling the situations of the ones he's in and imagining those of the ones he's not. There's one of Namjoon and Yoongi standing side by side, laughing about some mystery; one of Hoseok, profile outlined by the gold light that had caught him at just the right moment; one of Taeyeon dancing with her eyes closed and smile blindingly wide, twirling around with Jisoo; one of Jeongguk smiling stupidly at something, grin showing all his teeth and crinkling his eyes. Taehyung blushed when he caught sight of a sweater—his sweater—in the edge of the photo and realized Jeongguk must have been smiling at him. In fact, he flipped through all the rest of the Polaroids and saw that at least half of them were of him and Jeongguk, tucked into each other's sides or laughing together or dancing together. Jimin always had been the most invested in their relationship, being the one who frequented Taehyung's side when he was talking or crying or venting about his feelings.

He felt rather than heard Jeongguk approach him, peering over his shoulder at the photos clutched loosely in Taehyung's hand. "I like that one," he says, and it makes Taehyung shiver and turn around from where he's crouched.

"I like it too." And he really does, because however overused it may seem he can practically see the love in their eyes as they're by each other's sides.

"Come up with me?" Jeongguk jerks his head upwards, and Taehyung doesn't really know where he means but he nods anyway, letting Jeongguk take his hand again and lead him back up the staircase. He produces a sweatshirt out of nowhere—"You'll get cold, hyung"—and Taehyung dutifully slips it on, folding the pictures into the pocket and unconsciously relaxing into the fabric.

Jeongguk, somehow, also has a blanket that Taehyung hadn't seen him pick up. (Granted, he's not focusing on much more than the heat of their palms clasped and fingers intertwined.)

Jeongguk picks another staircase to pull Taehyung up, and now he knows where they're going, because this is how they appreciate stillness. Roofs are for Jeongguk, and now they're for Jeongguk and two A.M. party aftermath breathing and looking at the sky to imagine the remnants of fireworks are shooting stars.

They leave the door up to the roof open, and Taehyung can faintly hear the tune of You floating up as the cold air engulfs them like a hug. Jeongguk pulls Taehyung close and wraps the blanket around the both of them.

The crickets sing around them, everywhere but always out of sight. Jeongguk doesn't smell like alcohol, only like the salted caramel ice cream Taehyung was so insistent on buying. Taehyung breathes him in and melts against his body, always so solid and there.

"Did you have a good night?" Jeongguk whispered against Taehyung's temple.

"The best." Taehyung traces the back of Jeongguk's hand, running his thumb over his knuckles. He squeezes his hand once, twice, three times. I'm here I'm here I'm here. "There's no one I'd rather give my midnights to."

"There's no one whose midnights I'd rather have. You're it for me, I think. Who else would not kick you out for pouring your milk before your cereal? And not fully drying your body after a shower and getting your shirt damp? And—"

"Okay, okay, I get it, I'm a difficult person to love," Taehyung laughs.

"It's worth it, though. And besides, I'd like to think I manage it pretty well."

"The best, actually."

"The best, huh?"

They're silent for a while, until Jeongguk nudges him. Gently, so gently. "Don't be a stranger."

"Stranger? I could never, not with you."

"That's good to hear, hmm?"

"I'd sooner be a stranger with the sky."

Jeongguk nudges him again. Taehyung giggles. "You are the sky, Taehyungie."

"Ah, you're too sweet. The sky is endless, eternal, it creates every color."

"And who's to say you aren't? You're more beautiful, for starts," he pauses, cracking a smile as Taehyung buries his face in the blanket, no doubt flushed to the roots of his hair, which Jeongguk ruffles affectionately. "And you light up the world with more ease than the sun and stars; you're the brightest up there."

"Fuck off," Taehyung groans. "You're so sappy, what the hell. And Jimin says I wax poetic about you."

"Aw, baby," Jeongguk grins, not quite done teasing (torturing) Taehyung. "Wax poetic? Do you have a crush on me or something?"

"Maybe a small one."

"Hmm, I was hoping it was something a little stronger, if I'm to be honest, considering I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Taehyung might start crying if he stays like this, so he sticks his face back out into the cold. He can always blame it on the wind, after all, them being so far up. He can see the outline of Seoul now, all of the lights that say that even though its residents might, the city never truly falls asleep.

"I love you," he whispers into the night, into the wind, and it might have been carried away but Jeongguk knows it, it's been branded into everything of his that Taehyung can touch.

Jeongguk just holds him tighter. "You're my eleven-eleven wish every night, you know that? And you're the early-morning sunlight that peeks over the buildings over there," he points to where Taehyung is looking. "And everything in between."

another a/n: hi!! sorry it's been so long since i've posted on here, i've been really busy but i just wanted to write this for the new year :)

i hope all of you have a wonderful and safe new year!! <3