COMFORT OF STRANGERS|| VKOOK ✓

8. Celebrate

It becomes something of a habit between them.

They meet, sometimes at the bar, but sometimes Taehyung just shows up to Jeongguk's apartment. They talk, flirt, mess around with Pepper, and then they retreat to Jeongguk's bedroom.

Jeongguk thinks he could be an expert on Taehyung's body, by now. He knows all the buttons to push, knows Taehyung likes to be teased, that he likes to be kissed in the dip on the side of his neck, that he has a thing for Jeongguk's hair being left down. (Because it's getting seriously long now, but whenever he expresses any thought of trimming it, Taehyung scolds him and runs his fingers softly through it until Jeongguk says he'll take it back).

That being said, Taehyung is picking up on things just as quickly, praising Jeongguk in between each kiss and keeping a hand on his hip to stroke and kiss over the heart tattoo, tugging lightly at his hair because okay, maybe it's just as effective for Jeongguk as it is for Taehyung in getting them going.

They generally talk for a bit after, Taehyung touching Jeongguk lightly, stroking his hair out of his face and running a hand down the side of his torso, touching Jeongguk like he's admiring him in the moonlight, like he's some star child meant to be cherished, taken care of like he matters.

And then he leaves. Sometimes when Jeongguk's on the verge of sleep, sometimes when he is asleep, leaving him to wake an hour or so later to a cold bed and an empty apartment.

That's when Jeongguk paints. He can't stay asleep for long after Taehyung leaves, which is how he knows that Taehyung never stays the night. So he abandons all hope of sleep and slinks into his living room, tying his hair back, pulling out a paintbrush, and painting.

That painting is almost done, thanks to his tireless efforts. But he's exhausted now. He can't sleep until he's done for the night, has exhausted himself out of doing anymore work, and collapses on his couch to sleep for the bit of extra time he can get. It's going to ruin his back, for sure, but he can't sleep on his bed. He's restless, and has to force himself to live off of the little bit of actual rest he gets when Taehyung's around.

It's uncomfortable, but he makes do. He always has. He wants to ask Taehyung to stay, and contemplates it every night, but he feels that might speed things up too much, scare Taehyung away from him too fast because he's too needy, too touchy, because he likes to feel warm and safe, and he's too pathetic to be able to find that on his own.

So he never asks.

The cycle remains: talk, fuck, rest, paint.

Until Taehyung breaks his door down one evening when the sun has barely even started to set and the buildings are still covered in a warm golden glow. Taehyung knows where he keeps his spare key now, so him waltzing in unannounced after work is a common occurrence.

"Let's go out."

Jeongguk is draped over the couch, one leg falling off the cushions and one arm underneath his head as he strokes the cat lying on his belly (who startles when the door slams open).

"It's..." Jeongguk cranes his head to look over the couch cushions at the clock on his microwave (a little shocked at how early it still is, normally Taehyung is still at work), "only 5:30. Club probably isn't even open."

"It's actually 5:42, but no, that's not what I meant."

Jeongguk runs a finger down from between Pepper's eyes to the base of her tail until she relaxes back into him, purring. "What did you mean, then?"

"Let's have supper."

Jeongguk heaves an exasperated sigh. "I told you I've been eating. You don't need to watch me like some kid."