solares

Yonggeum’s gaze inadvertently burned into Taehyung. Now that he’d been pulled from his thoughts, his full attention redirected to his favorite fae. Taehyung was amused by him again. He could tell by the abundance of warmth in his voice and his expression.

“I wanted pasta. Or steak. Or both?”

He pressed his lips together firmly, the corners of his mouth jerking as they tried to lift. Pasta or steak? Or both? It was intensely amusing to Yonggeum that Taehyung would be torn between two meals that were so…contrasting. Intensely amusing and intensely endearing. His expression softened further, eyes following Taehyung’s hand as he reached over his half-raised menu to point out the specific items. He was such a sweet thing; always kind and patient. He didn’t deserve someone this perfect.

Taehyung’s arm grazed his and Yong blinked, surprised by the sudden light that flickered like flint and magnesium. He tensed, taking a quick look around the dimly lit and bustling bistro, eyes narrowed, almost glaring as he checked to see if anyone had noticed. Taehyung’s cute stutter drew his attention back prematurely and Yong’s gaze stuck to his flushed cheeks.

“What’s gotten into you, Sparky?” Yong teased softly, although it didn’t sound like he was openly amused. He went back to his analytics to keep his mind from dwelling on how Taehyung calling him ‘hyung’ made him feel so soft. His deep amber eyes passed over them once but doubled back for a second inspection when he noticed a posture change and the glint of an eye as she quickly looked down. Had he been imagining things or had he caught the table of young women not too far from them staring?

One of the girls elbowed the other and a stifled giggle exchanged between them and to Yonggeum’s horror, he realized he didn’t know how long they could’ve been watching them. As he was finding to be the usual where Taehyung was involved, he was so wrapped up in either thinking about him or looking at him that he might as well have been completely oblivious to their surroundings. He frowned deeply, deciding that Taehyung must’ve noticed them already and had become flustered by the female attention.

To be honest, it made sense. Much more sense than Taehyung flustering himself because of the contact with him. They were friends, after all, nothing more. Yong’s expression soured again and the unfortunate waiter that stepped up to the table at that exact moment took the brunt of his frustration. He didn’t even get a word out before Yonggeum was gruffly ordering their dinner, scowling judgmentally at the young man scrambled to get his pencil and notepad out in time to jot everything down correctly.

He ordered a wine that would pair well with the pasta and the steak and proceeded to order both of those too. “He’ll have that rare,” Yong said decisively even though he glanced at Taehyung for confirmation. His eyebrows rose when he caught the beginnings of conflict on Tae’s features. “Medium rare,” he corrected, waiting for relief to wash over his face. It was only getting worse. “Medium?!” he choked, looking more relieved than he’d expected from Taehyung when he managed a sheepish smile.

Yong took a moment to compose himself before ordering himself a filet; rare but with a heavy sear and shoved the menus at the waiter, anxious to be left in peace. The dragonblood cleared his throat gruffly, scowl firmly in place. He could feel eyes on them but he was much more worried about what Taehyung thought; he was finding an annoying side effect of caring about someone. “My ancestors used to eat barbecued virgins. Forgive me for liking my steaks on the rare side,” he grumbled softly.

“I- Nothing.” If his voice rose to a bit of a squeak, Taehyung didn’t mention it - after all, if he wasn’t willing to spill the beans to others yet he certainly wasn’t about to confess to the man said beans were about. At least-

Not just yet. Maybe when he felt a bit more sure of himself.

The nickname - was it fond? it sounded fond - brought another flush to his cheeks and, lo and behold, he sparked a little again as he shifted back into his own seat. It wasn’t his fault if he liked the term, and it especially wasn’t his fault that he liked the term particularly when Yonggeum said it, soft and sweet and so in contrast to his usual demeanour. He made it hard not to like him, so the fault really lay on the dragon himself.

Taehyung startled a bit at the sudden shift of tone when the other placed their orders, however. Although part of him couldn’t deny how pleased he was that - at least in this situation - Yonggeum’s fondness seemed to be reserved solely for him, the abruptness of the mood shift was a little concerning. His brows furrowed a little.

Even more concerning was the order in itself. He couldn’t help the face he made at a rare steak, and subsequently medium rare. Did Yonggeum want the grazing cow on his plate? If his expression was a little (very) affronted - not everyone was a carnivore like dragons were. Still, he offered the older a relieved smile at the settlement on medium, reaching over to squeeze his arm with a nod and a soft chuckle, although he choked on his water his barbecued virgins statement.

“You’re forgiven - so long as I don’t find cow blood on my own plate.” He was a little flustered again - what was new? - and he hastily tried to dab at his shirt with the napkin to dry the wet spot. And you don’t try to kiss me after eating raw meat, he thought, but that was a thought best left for when (and if) kissing was actually an option between the both of them.

There was truth to Taehyung’s words. Himchan sighed in agreement, nodding his head. “You’re right. It will still be there. I suppose I can slow down a little. I would not want the poor youngster’s legs to hurt.” He felt no remorse. Taehyung was young, and since they had previously been on the topic of Himchan’s age, why not bring up that, since Taehyung was youthful, he should be able to handle a faster pace? It was a small jab. Himchan held true to his words, though, and was willing to at least simmer down a few notches. A couple minutes difference would not be able to bypass the time the steak would need to grill once they got there, anyways.

Once the weak rays of sunlight touched his skin, Himchan’s steps undertook a leisurely pace as opposed to his rushed ones of before. It was still a tad quicker than his regular gait, but there was definitely a difference. It gave him the chance to appreciate the streaks of fading light across the sky. Not often did he find himself wishing the skyscrapers and tall buildings would disappear, usually receiving a great view of the sun’s rise and descent from his condo. However, now that he was outside and witnessing it, he wished the buildings would move to give him a nicer view. Did Taehyung take photos of the sky? He wondered, turning to the young man besides him.

“Has anything exciting happened to you recently?” Himchan started with small talk. Although he enjoyed the silence that went along with the beautiful scenery, being quiet was not his specialty.

“My legs are just fine, don’t you worry.” He pats his own thigh to further emphasise his point. “It’s yours we have to watch out for.” Their pace is still slower now though, and since they’re no longer rushing, Taehyung takes the time to think about the answer to Himchan’s question. Has anything exciting happened to him?

Well-

A tiny flush rises on his cheeks. There’s Yonggeum. That’s a very big, very exciting thing, but he’s not sure it’s something he’s close enough to Himchan to be telling him about. No, no, best not to - even though he does want to talk about the dragon, he’s reasonably sure he won’t be able to shut up if he starts. It’s probably not the greatest idea. Beyond that, he also likes this short period of secrecy before no doubt someone finds out.

“Well,” he says out loud, scratching the back of his head. “There’s school - not that there’s a lot exciting about it, but midterms are nearly done and I got my projects in. Work’s been nice - busy, but nice. And- oh! Yuja can shake both paws on command now.” Taehyung beams in pride - he’s been working particularly hard on training her. 

There’s a small hint of color on his cheeks, the male is pretty sure he’s never run that far in his life. Well, not for something that wasn’t for a grade at least. He smiles, genuinely, a nervous laughter escaping his lips. He debates if he should tell the other fae what really happened, how their meeting briefly left his mind. How he was more enveloped in plotting their future hi-jinks. 

“Er– No! It was nothing troublesome.” He starts, finding it harder to lie around the male. Typically, the winged fae could lie through his teeth to nearly anyone. Though there was something about the other male in particular where Jooheon just.. couldn’t. “I.. I got a little too excited while planning somethings.” He explains rather loosely, hoping the poor explanation will suffice.

“Did you order already?”

He had heard good things in regards to the restaurant, though he had never had the chance to visit before now. His eyes quickly scan over the menu, widening slightly as they caught some of the prices. “Jeez.” He says to himself, dumbfounded at how someone could charge so much for food. He pouts slightly, searching for the cheapest thing on the menu. 

Taehyung’s eyes narrow.

“Somethings,” he repeats, suspicion colouring his words heavily, “What sort of somethings would those be?” He wants to give Jooheon the benefit of the doubt, he really does, but it’s been proven time and time again that the other fae is a trickster through and through, and he always, always has something up his sleeve. His suspicion is justified.

But Taehyung also knows that he does enjoy spending time with Jooheon, regardless of how much trouble he can be - he’s like a sibling, for better or for worse, and Taehyung is inexplicably fond of him for some reason or other. It might be because Taehyung knows that for all his tendencies, Jooheon is rarely out to cause anyone significant harm, and that’s enough to keep him mostly morally good in his own eyes. Beyond that, Jooheon rarely involves him in his bigger ideas, and for that Taehyung is thankful.

“I haven’t ordered yet though, no.” He has a few options in mind - the items do look good, so he’s hopeful - but he’s been waiting for the other to arrive before settling on any single one in particular. A soft snort escapes his lips at Jooheon’s soft mutter. “Choose what you like, it’s fine. My boss has had us busy the past few weeks - the pay check’s a bit bigger this time round. I’ll cover lunch today.” He doesn’t really mind at all, but he’s still not letting the fae off the hook for his earlier comments.

@obsxtae

It turns out Kim Taehyung created smiles, laughter, and the sun.

Yonggeum could solemnly attest to these facts. He was 100% certain he’d never seen anyone smile before Taehyung’s; never had he witnessed the squinting of eyes and squishing of cheeks or the appearance of pearly white teeth from behind full, kissable lips. The blinding wattage of that smile made the corners of Yong’s mouth twitch. Its radiance reflected in golden eyes, twinkling uncertainly. Or maybe, just maybe it had sparked something inside of Yonggeum, something that quietly smoldered, trapped behind the icy barriers he’d erected out of self-preservation.

He’d never heard anyone erupt with such a pure and melodious sound. It didn’t seem possible that any being could radiate such warmth and light and sheer radiance with just their voice and the accompanying physical reactions. Taehyung’s head thrown back, eyes squinted shut, mouth wide; his whole body shaking with that enchanting music. Honestly, Yong himself seemed to be an enormous source of amusement for the fae, which Yong did not quite or possibly understand at all, but he couldn’t help staring; transfixed. 

He thought the sun had been there all along, looming overhead. Glaring harshly, too bright to look at and hot, too hot; the kind of hot that somehow leaves you cold. But no, the sun was different when it shone on Taehyung. This was a new sun. Its rays poured onto him, and only him, warm and nourishing. He soaked up that light through every pore and it stayed there, glowing from within. To think Taehyung created all these things…he was miraculous.

Of course, Yong didn’t say any of this or anything that he was feeling. They’d been spending more and more time together since they’d met and it was nearly always because Taehyung had reached out to him. Yonggeum always dropped what he was doing so that he could marvel at the fae, study him, bask in his light. Gradually, the number of friends Taehyung invited on their excursions reduced and the last few times it had been just the two of them.

Yonggeum was positive these were not dates. A thought that brought forth a scowl that was sourer than his usual scowl. He glanced up from the menu, clearing his throat awkwardly when he realized Taehyung had been looking at him. “I can’t decide what to get,” he grumbled sullenly. “What are you ordering?”

Yonggeum looked-

He looked distracted. He often did, really, and not quite in the daydreaming way Taehyung himself tended to be  but more so in a way that he seemed to be thinking very hard about something that wasn’t their current conversation. It was cute, really - he didn’t seem to be tuning him out on purpose - and his brows furrowed just slightly in a way that made Taehyung want to smooth out the skin and kiss him happy again.

Not that he planned on ever saying that out loud by any means.

Taehyung knew Jimin was already suspicious of his little (big, massive, huge) crush, but he thought he’d still managed to keep it hidden mostly alright. As far as he was aware, his roommate didn’t know either, and beyond that he had no plans of letting anyone know, let alone Yonggeum himself.

Besides, it was Yonggeum’s fault for being so endearing anyway. Few were patient enough to listen to Taehyung’s winding stories, and so few looked as cute as the man did trying not to smile in return. It only encouraged him - he wanted to coax out the smile, have it displayed out in the open for the world (particularly him) to see. It was a sight to be in awe of, after all.

There was a soft niggle of warmth every time Yonggeum agreed to his plans, whether it was at noon with friends or at three in the morning by themselves - and he had yet to be rejected, even with some of his more outlandish ideas. And he was funny too! The man always looked so serious, even doing the most menial of tasks, and Taehyung absolutely loved it - so often had he poked a sullen cheek to pull him out of his thoughts, amused at how the dragon startled.

Cute, cute, cute.

At present moment, Taehyung was yet again being delighted by that face that meant that Yonggeum had been caught a little off guard. The corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement, expression soft and fond. “I wanted pasta. Or steak. Or both? I can’t choose, see, it’s these two-” He reached across to show the man on his own menu, unable to stop the little, invisible to other patrons, burst of happy light sparks as his arm brushed against the other’s. He flushed, stuttering.

@obsxtae

“You like him.”

From the first time Taehyung told him about the brooding dragon-blood; Jimin was sure and he told him as much. The comment was mostly in jest, Jimin taking advantage of an opportunity to tease his dear friend, but each time the fae brought up Seo Yonggeum…Jimin was surer and surer.

Their game plan for the day further solidified Jimin’s belief, whether Taehyung wanted to admit it or not. Still, he didn’t point it out. Despite how close they are, there was a lot left unsaid between them. Most of the time Jimin was patient and let the bright little fae believe he was cleverer than his intuitive friend.

“Now, listen…I borrowed this from one of the hyungs at work so, please…try not to fry it,” Jimin pleaded as he hesitantly handed over the gaming controller to his tech-incompatible friend. “You’re going pretty far to impress this guy,” Jimin bated, lifting his eyebrows in emphasis.

“What?” Taehyung sputtered, entirely aghast. “No- No, I don’t like him. I mean, I like him, yes, because he’s nice and cool and interesting and handso- I mean, I like him as a friend. He’s a friend. A very good friend. You’re a good friend. I like friends, see? Friends are good. Very likeable.” He thought it was a very good save indeed.

“Anyway-” He was entirely thankful to Jimin for this endeavour, not only for being a good listener just in case he did like Yonggeum (he didn’t, no, not at all), but also because no one he knew was willing to touch just about anything of theirs anymore. They had good reason, he supposed, but still.

He wasn’t that awful.

“I won’t fry it. Trust me, yeah? I looked up all the circuitry in these and everything. I even brought gloves-” He proudly displayed a pair used for dishwashing. “- Just in case. I can handle this system. You do know how to play it though, right?”

Himchan gave a roll of his eyes, entertained with Taehyung’s summary of his spiel. He was not entirely wrong, but Himchan would not say he was old. “I’m not old, I’m just not as young as you are.” Twenty-seven wasn’t old yet, right?

“His name is M–” He paused abruptly, realizing he probably should not divulge the certain individual’s name, given that he is a public figure of sorts. As bothersome as Minhyeok is, Himchan does not think he has any reason to tarnish said boy’s reputation, even to just Taehyung. “You probably don’t know him anyways, but I will have you know that you’re an angel in comparison to him!”

As soon as the younger male was out of the doorway, Himchan all but pounced onto the doorknob, locking it before shoving his keys back into his pocket. His train of thought determined that the faster that he moved, the faster he would be able to eat, unless Taehyung took his dear time along the way. He hoped that would not be the case.

“I wanted to work up a good appetite for dinner, and that plan seems to have backfired. I was looking at food before you came, too.” Ultimately, it was his own fault. That would not stop him from rushing Taehyung, though. “Are you not excited to be getting free steak?”

He gave the elevator before them a single glance before approaching it, hitting the button to reach a lower floor. The wait, much to Himchan’s joy, was not a long one, as the elevator doors slid open fairly quick, and he entered, making sure to hold the doors until Taehyung was inside.

“Not as young and not as sprightly,” Taehyung continues, a small laugh escaping. “But I’m glad to know I’m the better one in comparison here - even I don’t know who you’re comparing me to. Winning is always nice, whether intentional or not.” Himchan seemingly scrambles to lock the door then, and Taehyung raises an eyebrow but lets it slide without comment.

He seems to be in a hurry as they walk too, and his steps are rushed in contrast to his own ambling ones, because he’s happy to be outside in the good weather now that he has some company. Regardless, he quickens to keep pace with the other, a little confused but nonetheless not too concerned.

“I’m always excited to get steak. Steak is great, and free steak even better - but it’ll still be on the menu whether we take ten minutes or twenty. I guess you’re really hungry, huh?” His eyes are bright, a little amused but nonetheless understanding.

@obsxtae

The past few days had been crazy ones, Hoseok voluntarily taking some time off from work and school alike to help make the newest addition to the home Taehyung and he shared. He had been looking forward to this for months, the male ecstatic over getting the small shetlie who currently laid comfortably in his lap. She was much smaller than he expected, though she was perfect in every way. 

“Yuja~”

He says cutely, scratching behind her ears as the pair waited for Taehyung to return from the department store. It took little to no convincing at all when bringing up them adopting a pet, though it took some time to even decide on what to get. Hoseok loved all animals as much as humanly possible, though he always found himself drawn to dogs. Being part canine did play a small role in that, but he felt more connected towards dogs on a spiritual level. Growing up, his father never allowed pets, not even a fish which Hoseok pleaded for due to his desperate want for a fur-ever friend. Though, stern parents were as stern as ever, and denied him before he even had a chance to ask. The closest he had ever gotten to owning a pet was dog sitting on occasions, but that all changed two days ago. 

Yuja’s ears flicker she she slowly starts to fall asleep, Hoseok smiling warmly as he watches. Perhaps he and Yuja should have tagged along, it would’ve been a good bonding experience for the trio. He would make sure to bring it up to Taehyung upon his return, the male anticipating his roommate’s arrival. As soon as he heard a familiar jingle of keys, Hoseok sits upright, bringing Yujacha out of her short nap, causing her to hop off the fox’s lap and go straight for the door. She yaps excitedly, as if she already knew who it could be.

“Tae-ah! You missed it! She fell asleep..on my lap!” 

There’s a bit of an extra spring in Taehyung’s step as he makes his way back to the apartment, a small smile tugging at his lips. While the past few days have been extremely hectic, they’ve also been equally as fun and exciting so he really can’t complain, and doesn’t want to either. There are a few bags in each hand (a new toy, because he’s bent on spoiling Yuja) and a few more odds and ends and a jacket - with maybe a matching smaller one - in preparation for winter.

It’s a little early still, but he likes to play it safe with the cold.

When he pulls up to their door and starts to unlock it, he can already hear soft sounds from behind it. His smile widens. Taehyung immediately sets his purchases down as he enters, kneeling to greet their new housemate with copious amounts of affection. Namely kisses.

“Did she really?” He’s delighted at the thought. Logically, he knows that there is a certain amount of novelty that’s playing part in this excitement, but even when that settles he’s confident in just how much they adore her that they won’t get bored. “Maybe I should have come home later - you could’ve gotten a nice picture, hyung.”

He moves further into the apartment, Yuja around his ankles, to shift the bags onto the couch. She’s fairly adamant and eager for attention, but she hasn’t been forceful or aggressive or jumpy - Taehyung is honestly rather impressed.

@obsxtae

The raven had a very uneventful start to his day, finding people to mess with seemed to be impossible.The streets nearing his apartment were surprisingly barren today, though Jooheon didn’t care to pursue why they would be so empty on a day like today. He decides to shrug it off, and hopes to make up for lost time later, and even get one of his friends in on the fun.

Jooheon really had to hold himself back when it came to pulling pranks with the fae he befriended not too long ago. The male in particular was a newcomer in the art of practical jokes, and though he did find the tricksters antics amusing, when it came to partaking in them he seemed disinterested in the hardcore ones Jooheon had planned. He honestly didn’t mind toning things down anyway, nor did he want to push his friend out of their comfort zone. He conjures up a list of pranks he feels that Taehyung would be more comfortable with, hoping that maybe the pair would be able to pull a few later in the evening. 

He nearly forgets that they were supposed to meet up at a restaurant not too far from his apartment, the raven distracted by the excitement of being able to pull a few tricks. Not that he’d admit to his excitement, but hanging around with Taehyung did put him in a good mood.

He shoots Tae a quick text in apology for his tardiness, running as fast as he can down the five blocks that separated him between his fellow fae. It was definitely a sight, the male making a mental note to get back into the routine of morning jogs. He was left nearly breathless coming up on the third block, eventually having to stop for a couple minutes to catch his breath. He eased himself back into a running pace, eventually coming upon the place he agreed to meet Taehyung fifteen minutes ago. His forehead beaded with sweat, and still noticeably out of breath, he slowly walked inside the establishment, seeking out other fae immediately. 

He soon spots his friend, quickly taking the seat across from him. He flahses the other male a quick smile, clearing his throat before greeting.

“Bro! Real sorry about being late. I uh.. got caught up with something.”

He laughs nervously towards the end, hoping to make it up to Taehyung by offering to pay for his meal. The raven did come across a small fortune the other day, so he might as well put it towards a good cause.

Taehyung’s day hasn’t necessarily been eventful but it’s certainly been tiring - with multiple projects all in different locations, all he’s done is load and unload and set up equipment only to wash, rinse, and repeat. He enjoys his job, he really does, but even so there’s only so many times he wants to carry bulky equipment all across town, especially when it’s likely worth more than him.

Regardless, he’s happy to meet Jooheon, even as he’s also glad for the little bit of a wait at the restaurant because it means he gets to rest his legs for a beat, scrolling through various social media feeds and hoping his battery doesn’t drain down entirely.

Jooheon is- Well, he keeps Taehyung on his toes. There’s mischief, yes (plenty, maybe even too much), but there’s also something particularly endearing about him in that he knows that the other fae means little harm - little real harm. He’s a prankster through and through and to the core, but he’s not by definition bad.

Just a little bit of a trickster.

The text notification pops up but he swipes it aside, aware that if Jooheon’s running late he won’t take the time to look at a reply. Besides, he’s not upset about it anyway - the restaurant is a nice one, and people-watching is always nice while waiting.

The other does show up soon enough though, and Taehyung comes face to face with a rather ruffled looking friend of a fae. Amused, he cracks a smile.

“Something? And what’s that?”

He pushes over a menu as Jooheon takes a seat, sipping at his drink.

Yong was vaguely aware as Taehyung came closer, looming over him briefly. He became much more aware when the fae knelt down between his sprawled legs. He struggled to focus on the figure in front of him but his head was still spinning, his vision still clouded by tears water.

The dragon-blooded looked up toward Taehyung’s face, stony heart leaping when positively warm and soft hands cupped his cheeks. Even the voice that constantly critiqued the mess that was his existence shut the fuck up for this moment. Yonggeum stared as his vision cleared and focused, awed by the luminescence that softly radiated from Taehyung’s skin. He felt a wave of that warmth wash over him just from being so near. He hoped it didn’t show on his face.

His mouth went dry while anticipating Taehyung’s words. Somehow…he expected something less vulgar, even if swear words sounded a bit cute on Taehyung’s tongue. He blinked and swallowed over the lump in his throat, not sure what was happening, what he should do or what Taehyung was going to do. He couldn’t honestly say that he minded the proximity or the physical contact…quite the opposite really.

His words did a lot to comfort Yong, surprisingly and he felt an unfamiliar urge to reassure the fae. However, he forgot how to speak when Taehyung pointed such a shy smile right at him. He continued to blink but was on his way to scowling when Taehyung teased him and pointed out that he’d cried. He was so eager to insist that he’d absolutely NOT been crying that he nearly missed what the boy had said just before that.

If it wasn’t for the warm, tingling sensation that soon enveloped his throbbing head, Yong still wouldn’t have believed what was happening. Almost instantly the pain subsided, along with the tingling and he was left with just the rapid beating of his heart. He stared at Taehyung, visibly shocked. He couldn’t believe he’d risk being discovered for such a rude stranger, whether he felt guilty or personally responsible or not.

Yong nodded slightly, trying to recover his wits. “You’re Fae?” he asked softly, glancing over his shoulder to visually check that they were still alone. He only waited a beat before blurting out the next most important thing on his chest.

“I wasn’t crying.”

The man was awfully quiet for an awfully long time, and it didn’t take long for a niggling little bit of alarm to sink in. The bump didn’t look bad - he’d gotten enough to know that it really shouldn’t be - but he supposed it was still a head injury. Had Taehyung damaged something in there? It had been a hard knock.

Regardless, he healed it before pulling back to inspect the results. It certainly looked alright - the redness was gone and the skin had flattened nicely, but if there was anything serious going on in there he wouldn’t quite be able to handle that anyway. It wasn’t ideal, but-

Well, it would do.

He was startled out of his inspection of the bump (his hands had gripped the sides of his head to hold him still, and he abruptly let go), stomach churning a bit at the realisation of what he’d just admitted. No, the man wasn’t human. But that didn’t guarantee anything these days, and what he’d just done could just as equally mean a threat as it could a new friend.

But could he hide it now? Taehyung couldn’t take back his words but he also couldn’t bring himself to answer with a vocal affirmative, instead swallowing nervously with a quiet nod, eyes drawn back towards the door.

And then-

“Is that really what you’re worried about?” There was a bit of relief for sure - he hadn’t caused any permanent damage at least - but it was paired with incredulity and perhaps the slightest touch of amusement. It seemed his species wasn’t the most pressing concern right now, and he couldn’t decide whether to be alarmed or pleased by the fact.

“Oh, the cold,” Yewon repeats, humming in thought, and also in a bit of sympathy. She should have assumed that was at least a tiny part of it, seeing as Taehyung was near swaddled in that blanket of his. Was it just Yewon or was he still a bit pallid? Whatever the case, she’s devoted into helping out a fae who is as kind as Taehyung is turning out to be. That, and she also feels bad at just how awful he seems to feel at this moment. “Well, having anything in your tummy right now would certainly bring your spirits up a little bit,” she suggests, blinking at him. It takes a moment for the new information to settle, so Yewon scoots them towards the side of the hallway. “Winter sunlight,” she hums contemplatively. 

As Yewon passes by a calendar on the wall, she signs up her own name for a future potluck, a bit distractedly. Although she was happy to be talking with her new friend (friend? they were both fae, right? and the F in fae has to stand for friend?), there was still much important business to be done, such as going to her locker and finding her winter coat so that her journey home would be less awful. When Taehyung suggests something in return for what she’s done, Yewon scrunches her nose. “I don’t keep tabs just because I decided to be kind,” she says, but the little nose scrunch disappears into a soft laugh at his comment. “Don’t worry, your eye bags are luxury. And you can repay me by getting rest and putting a bit of color back onto your face,” She jokes, fixing her bag. 

“But… I wouldn’t be so against keeping a friend like you around. You’re interesting, and… snotting a little bit- wait, let me find a tissue for you,” Yewon laughs awkwardly, patting around her pockets. 

“You’re not wrong,” Taehyung concedes, dipping his head in agreement at the suggestion. Some warm food won’t fix things but having it in his stomach might help, if only just a little - although he’s feeling more partial to a hot chocolate and a slice of something hot over a granola bar and juice. It is winter, after all, and a nice cup with a warm drink never fails to cheer him up.

He notices as she signs her name, glancing up at the sheet in curiosity before the corner of his lips quirk upward into a small smile. “Potluck, hm? Do you cook often? I- Well, I try. And I’m okay at it. But microwaves still hate me. I think our toaster does too. Hyung does most of it if he has time - and he’s really good.”

She’s a sweetheart, Taehyung realises, amused at her own amusement. “I’m not saying you’re that kind of person, but it would make me feel better if you let me anyway. I know tons of good places for food - the kind you’ll want to take pictures of. You know- hipster stuff. Fun things for your instagram and all that.” He waggles his brows. “I bet if you let me do that it’ll make me feel better.”

Yonggeum stared at himself as he picked the phone up. ‘I don’t have dimples…do I? No, of course, you don’t have fucking dimples! This is how they get to you! You’re being tricked!’ He scolded himself vehemently, and yet, one corner of his mouth uncertainly tried to lift itself and then, the other. It certainly couldn’t be considered an actual smile but sure enough, there they were in his own damn cheeks.

Dimples. And cute ones too; Taehyung had said so.

“I told you, didn’t I? You have dimples, um- Whatever your name is.” 

Yonggeum had been in the process of attempting to manifest a smile. It was a foreign concept to him, sadly, but Taehyung had managed to pique the tiniest bit of curiosity in his sullen beast-blooded soul and he’d found himself surprised by the result.

Speaking of being surprised…

Yonggeum considers himself a predator; a commanding force to be reckoned with. Majestic lineage flowing through his veins like blood; it is blood. As a body guard, he has to stay in sync with his environment, use his innate animal instincts to protect the weak and defenseless from harm. And yet, somehow - this majestic predator didn’t hear or even sense the aforementioned Fae skipping (They skip, right? That’s a thing isn’t it? Yonggeum doesn’t associate with many Fae, if you couldn’t guess.) right up behind him at what was undoubtedly the worst possible moment.

He had just dislodged a considerable amount of doubt from his mind when Taehyung’s cheerful voice shredded through the lull in his grasp on reality and brought him, quite painfully, back to it. His immediate instinct was to hide what he was doing - even though Taehyung had obviously already seen him. In that effort, Yonggeum dropped the phone and tried to straighten his posture - of course, forgetting that the roof of the car was directly over his head.

There was a light; blinding white and then blackness with…stars. He was literally seeing little sparks of light dancing across his vision as it began to clear. The pain came very soon after and did not subside. He’d never hit himself so hard before and he hoped he never would again. Everything around him was forgotten, even his body gave up and he ended up in the dirt, staring bewilderedly at the spots barring his vision. And the pain, how could he have managed to hurt himself so badly? He was sure there must be buckets of blood gushing out of the wound, which in truth, hadn’t even broken the skin.

He reached up to touch his head, inhaling much more sharply than he would’ve liked when his hand just barely grazed his hair. It hurt so much, so much that water began to well in his eyes. 

Not tears, it was water.

Taehyung had expected-

Well, he wasn’t quite sure what he had expected, but it was certainly more grateful than the sight that met him instead. Briefly, he wished he’d had his camera - even his phone would have sufficed - just so he could replay the scene over and over and over again, preferably in slow motion. Perhaps it could have even been made into a meme of sorts.

His head gave a phantom twang in sympathy at the sudden loud thunk of what was apparently a very hard head hitting the roof of the car - goodness that sounded painful - and then the other man was very suddenly on the floor and any and all humour vanished from the situation.

Taehyung was going to be in huge trouble - he’d not only thwacked this man with a tripod but he’d also managed to give him a concussion, all in the same day, and his boss was in no way going to be happy. What if he was sued over this? He was alright - he wasn’t really hurting for money - but he was still a student and he was working as an assistant. Could he really pay any lawyer fees? What would his defense be?

‘Your Honour, I swear I just told him he had dimples.’ No, no, that wouldn’t do.

There was a brief flash of panic at the thought, but also an undercurrent of concern at the man now touching his head. Quickly, he knelt to check, cupping his face with both hands to see the extent of the damage.

“Fuck, fuck, I’m so sorry- This is twice now, isn’t it? I’m really, really sorry.” Carefully, he turned his face this way and that, checking for any bruising or signs of a concussion.

There was only a tiny red mark.

With a sigh of relief, he smiled shyly. “Um- you look alright though? Mostly. And I can heal this if you’d like. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Gently, he patted his cheek, truly regretful even as  he threw caution out of the window (the man wasn’t human, he just knew) and his hand hovered above the small bump, taking care of it quickly.

A moment’s pause is given as Gohn listens closely to what the other fae has to say. It’s often enough that he misinterprets a conversation, or, if nothing else, jumps to the wrong conclusion. He’s good at telling emotions apart and reading people, but that only goes so far. He tugs on his scarf again- still smiling ever so nervously as he looks down at the hand in his lap. From his wording now, though, it would seem that Taehyung might be a bit upset that Gohn would even… come to that conclusion in the first place.

But Gohn still thinks it’s relatively fair. Long gaps and pauses in the conversation, being unable to covey the emotion of his words in sounds, the lack of the feeling of speaking in real time at all… There are a lot of people who don’t deal with it well. Gohn has more time to put into his words because he writes them down, but that also makes it easier for him to fabricate them. It makes it easier to lie, and that, in a way, is probably a part of why he jumps to such conclusions so often. He clenches his fist yet again. He wishes frequently that he was better with technology and could use online chat boards. Those would be more fitting.

But he looks up again nonetheless with a smile. His eyes no longer show that nervousness because he’s determined to make it go away. So he just laughs without air- swatting a hand to the side as he does so. Vampires aren’t a usual topic for him anyway. They just come up sometimes when relevant. He can easily avoid talk of them if it’ll make this other fae feel more comfortable. He certainly won’t press for a reason as to why Taehyung is uncomfortable with them in the first place. Those aren’t matters he feels he’s allowed to hear.

So he pulls the book toward him again- seeming to have pulled a complete turn around from his original nervous nature. He’s writing again- letters finally not shaking as they were before. He takes more time to think about his words now- about the meaning each carries. Maybe he writes a bit too long, but he’s trying to make up for the way his writing look moments ago.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize you had issues with them. I won’t press, I won’t press. Don’t worry. I won’t talk about them again in the future.” A break. “Would you rather talk about interpretive dance? I tend to think that when I’m flying about in the wind my moves could look a bit like it. Do you think I could start a studio where I teach people to dance in thin air..? Oh, wait, no no. Most people can’t fly so it wouldn’t work, would it? Here, have an apology mint.”

The joke is meant to lighten the air, but he’s never sure if it’ll work. Jokes have never really been his strong point. He slides the notebook over with a peppermint neatly placed at the end of the last sentence. Hopefully it’ll do it’s job well enough.

Taehyung is happy to see that Gohn is more relieved at his explanation - the last thing he wants is for the other to feel uncomfortable communicating with him, regardless of what method of communication is used. And it’s not really that quiet, not at all. There’s the scratch of pen against paper - there could have been tapping against a screen had he been using a phone - there’s the shift of clothes against wood as the other fae moves. His face isn’t the most expressive face he’s ever known, but it’s certainly expressive enough.

It’s really not as uncomfortable as Gohn seems to think it is.

There’s a reasonably long pause as the other writes, but he takes the time to reply to a few messages instead - one to his friend and one to his boss, telling him that he’s alright for the timing of the next photoshoot. He fits in a reply to a comment on instagram as well, phone miraculously holding up, before the scritch of the fae’s pen stops. He looks up.

A mint rests on the page of the notebook, but Taehyung reads the paragraph first as he fiddles with its plastic wrapper, eyes following the words carefully. The vampire issue is skimmed over and he’s more than grateful for the fact - it’s not an everyday, lunchtime sort of topic anyway - but he’s hard pressed to suppress a snort at the statements that follow.

“How can you be sure it looks like interpretive dance if you’ve never seen yourself? Once I thought I was dancing but then I saw myself in the mirror and it was just- Well, it wasn’t good. An interpretation of no skill, more like.” A finger lightly traces under the words. “Maybe you could start a class for other fae. Or weres or beast-blooded. Whoever can fly and wants to put it to good use. Or fun use, at least. I’d join if I could.” He waggles his brows.

A feigned expression of hurt formed on his face. Rounded eyes bore at Taehyung, paired with narrowed eyebrows and pressed lips. “That’s the problem with the youth today.” Himchan tutted his tongue, not quite yet abandoning his act. “You all want to use Himchan hyung for this and that. What happened to good, old-fashioned friendship? You didn’t have to receive material goods to be friends back then. Companionship used to be enough.” He shook his head, and that was all it took for his facade to disperse, giving way to how he actually felt – amused. He would say he was a pretty good actor. The reality was far from that. “You are at least better mannered than another boy I know that’s your age.”

Keys still in hand, Himchan headed for the front door. Car or not, he would need it anyways to get back inside of his condo. “It’s decided then.” His hand rested on the doorknob, dark eyes darting back to Taehyung. “You can just leave the cup on the counter when you’re done.”

He opened the door, showing little effort or resistance in hiding his eagerness to eat. It was those photos on the internet. Already, he was hungry enough to eat a cow, and eat a cow he would, albeit in much smaller proportions than a full grown cow. Or maybe he would order plate after plate that it would add up to the size of at least a calf. Who knows. He was just impatient to get to the restaurant; now that he thought about it, perhaps it would have been a better idea to take the car in order to get there faster, but it was too late now. The decision had already been made.

Lingering in the doorway, Himchan waited for Taehyung to approach. Although he was famished, he had enough sense to wait. He was not a wild animal. After all, logically, he knew Taehyung was not even taking long, Himchan just felt as if time’s hands were ticking slow as hunger gnawed at him. “God. We are lucky it is so close, because I would just about die if we had to walk longer than ten minutes.” Maybe that was overdramatic, but Himchan was a master at the art of being dramatic.

“All I got from that was that I think you’re calling yourself old, which-” Taehyung shrugs loosely, eyes crinkling in amusement. “- I can’t deny it either. You definitely act like it - good, old-fashioned friendships and all.” It’s nice though; he can’t deny that it’s comforting to have a friendship like the one he has with Himchan. It’s- Perhaps it’s not the most adventurous of companionships but it’s nice and safe and comfortable, and he always enjoys himself.

“Which other boy my age? I’ll have you know I’m a delight,” he adds, a little affronted at even the thought he would be anything less than polite as he ignores Himchan’s words, rinsing out the cup in the sink quickly as if to prove his point. “But yeah, yeah - let’s go. Else we’ll be late.”

Taehyung is fairly hungry himself - at least on the actual food front. He’s well fed otherwise considering how sunny this summer has been so far, but he certainly could use a good meal otherwise with how much he’s on the go day in and day out, and he’s very much in the mood for a good meal. With steak.

Maybe two.