Dominoes | Tyunning

dominoes

Taehyun groaned as he saw the battery low message pop up on his screen, temporarily interrupting his task of scrolling through his unread texts. He sighed before getting up from where he lay sprawled out lazily on his bed, and grabbed his charger before clambering into the comfort and warmth of his bed once more.

However, his task was once again disturbed by the piercing cry of the doorbell. He heard his mother’s footsteps shuffle downstairs and her cheery cry of, “Kai’s here!” He felt his face blossom into a soft grin, unread texts could wait. Before he even had the chance to blink, Kai barged in through his bedroom door, bouncing enthusiastically, and overall emitting a happy aura.

“What’s got you so excited, huh?” Taehyun asked, as he shifted over on his bed, allowing the younger boy to scramble in next to him.

“Taehyunie! Taehyunie! Guess what?”

“What?” Taehyun asked fondly as he ruffled his best friend’s hair, smiling at seeing the delighted smile dancing across the younger’s lips. 

“I finally decided I’m going to ask out Soobin hyung.”

Taehyun felt his smile drop.

Choi Soobin was someone who they were both acquainted with, Taehyun saw him as someone who he shared a class with, and as someone he occasionally bumped into in hallways and grocery stores. Kai on the other hand, was much more familiar and closer with the older boy. In addition to going to the same university as Soobin (Taehyun did too), Kai often saw Soobin outside of school as the pair worked together and often shared the same shifts. Soobin gushed over him and adored him, and Kai adored him just as much, if not more.

“Taehyun, can I tell you something?” Kai had asked him one day, while they had both been engulfed in blankets, watching a movie on Kai’s plush couch.

Taehyun turned to him and immediately saw the hesitation and worry glazing across the younger boy’s eyes. “Of course,” Taehyun said, wrapping an arm around him, “We’ve been best friends for ten years, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

“Do you know Choi Soobin?”

“Of course, we go to uni with him.”

“Yeah. Well, I think I like him, Hyunnie. I like him a lot.”

Taehyun watched as Kai’s expression shifted into one of fondness and absolute happiness, and oh, how he wondered, did Kai ever get so happy whenever he thought about him too?

“Why don’t you ask him out then?” He whispered, tugging the younger boy closer to his body and enveloping him in his warmth. He rubbed Kai’s arm soothingly, “He might like you too.”

Thinking back, it seemed like the most suitable suggestion to him at that time, because what else are you supposed to say when your best friend of a decade, the one who you’re also undoubtedly and wholeheartedly in love with, confesses their feelings for their other friend to you? Besides, he’s seen Soobin’s adoration and affection for the younger boy, and Taehyun knew he would treat him right.

Because no matter what, he could never bring himself to dislike Choi Soobin.

Soobin was one of the kindest people Taehyun had ever met. He always smiled his bright dimpled smile whenever Taehyun and him collided into each other in the hallways, and invited Taehyun to sit with him and his friends at lunch whenever Kai wasn’t around. He never mentioned it to Soobin, but he appreciated the effort the older boy conveyed into making him feel included and not left out, despite Taehyun’s initial occasional attempts to turn his offers down. Taehyun loved the company and friendliness Soobin’s friend group provided him with too, confident dance major Yeonjun, and outgoing music major Beomgyu. They were nice. Choi Soobin was nice. 

“I don’t think he likes me back, though,” Kai had whispered after Taehyun had made his suggestion.

“Why would anyone not like you?" Taehyun said, only to panic a few seconds later when the weight of the words he emitted settled on him. He hurriedly glanced at Kai, afraid he might have interpreted it in the wrong way, but Kai looked distant, lost in thought. Taehyun felt his fear evaporate.  

“The other day, after work Soobin hyung dropped me off at home. On the way back, he bought me a box of orange juice and some pasta. I hugged him and thanked him for it, but hyung just laughed and said not to worry about it and that he likes spoiling me because I’m like the younger brother he never had.” Kai smiled sadly and Taehyun felt his own heart sink a little, because despite the own pain he felt at having learnt that Kai liked someone else, seeing his best friend happy was his first priority. 

“Well, you never know how these things will turn out, right? Try asking him out, Hyuka, I can tell you really like him."

He went to bed that night thinking about how they were just like dominoes, he fell for Kai, while Kai fell for another.

Which brings them both back to a few months later, huddled together on Taehyun’s bed, his unopened texts still unread on his phone.

“Oh… what finally convinced you?”

Kai beamed, throwing an arm around Taehyun’s neck, “You Taehyunnie. You’re the one who told me to try asking him out and told me that everything would be okay. Besides, Soobin hyung will never be rude to me about it, even if he doesn’t feel the same way we can still go back to being friends. It might hurt a little, but I know it’ll be for the best.”

Taehyun felt something weird drill itself a hole in his chest, he swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m glad you finally decided to take my advice, he’ll treat you right, Hyuka.” 

But I could too.

Kai laughed, a bright, summary laugh that had the ability to light up the whole room.

“He has to say yes first, Tae. Help me think of a way to ask him out?”

And how could Taehyun say no, when Kai looked like he was walking on sunshine, like he was on the top of the world.

“Okay, I'll help you.”