Blue {DoTae} | complete

Nineteen: I'm listening

Doyoung is perfectly content with watching Taeyong's mind at work. Taeyong tries out all sorts of words to express the feelings the younger talks to him about, the pencil blurring in front of their weary eyes, and when they have a verse done - or possibly the chorus, they're not sure yet - they're shocked to learn that it's already three in the afternoon. Light conversation fills the little space there is between them until the elder suggests going home.

"We'll go back to my apartment, if that's okay with you?" Taeyong asks.

"Your actual apartment?" Doyoung replies, a small smile on his lips.

"Yes." Taeyong confirms. "Although I'll have to go back to the other one at some point to clean and pack my things up. I'm sure the company's only one step away from putting it up for sale."

"Maybe we could go together." Doyoung suggests as they collect the discarded takeout boxes in their arms.

Taeyong hums in agreement. They leave the studio, the elder taking a moment to make sure it's locked, and they find a suitable bin in the next corridor to get rid of the food packaging before stepping outside.

The sun is shining high in the sky, but it isn't warm like it usually would be. The beams of light hit Doyoung's face and it's irritating, his skin prickling, and he glues himself to Taeyong's side, who has his face ducked down a little to make up for his lack of mask or hat. Luckily, the other pedestrians are scarce and unbothered. Once again, Doyoung's stomach fizzes with excitement. Taeyong is letting him further and further into his life, and his paranoia waits for him to turn around and ditch him on the pavement to fend for himself. But that doesn't happen. Instead, Taeyong leads the younger down a small backstreet, not before checking their surroundings for onlookers. They're in an area with lots of apartment buildings but it's fairly secluded and the various trees scattered around take away from the busy urban life of the city.

"Here we are." Taeyong climbs a set of metal fire escape steps, Doyoung following behind, and they enter the top corridor of the building. It's warm with thick carpet beneath their feet. He can already tell the apartments here are far more luxurious than the other one.

Taeyong leads the way down the staircase and finally stops at his front door on the fifth floor, unlocking it and ushering Doyoung inside.

There's a little rack to leave their shoes on and Doyoung follows him into the living room. His fingers wring together with nerves, as he's terrified of breaking etiquette as a guest or of damaging something. A large window spans the length of the far wall, the sofa matches the draping dark blue curtains, and there's a coffee table scattered with various magazines and books and doodles on scrap paper.

"You again." Doyoung snaps his head back to the sofa, where he now realises Hyunseok is sat.

"Hello." Taeyong says stiffly, nose twitching in disapproval. "Doyoung will be staying with me."

"For how long?" Hyunseok presses for more information. His stare lingers on Doyoung, which makes him squirm and scratch at his hands to dispel some of his discomfort.

"I don't know." Taeyong snaps back. Hyunseok raises an eyebrow. "But he won't be any trouble." Doyoung croaks out an agreement and cringes at the fear lacing his voice. A dreadful minute of awkward staring later, Hyunseok agrees and gets up from the sofa.

"Fine. But just don't get seen together. Got it?" Hyunseok growls, then he disappears through the front door, leaving Doyoung blinking with confusion in his wake.

"Does he come here often?" Doyoung asks after a minute of silence. Taeyong stacks everything on the coffee table into rough piles before responding.