𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐘 || Vhope

C.23

Chapter  23:  Wanted 

Taehyung was already smiling as he parked his car in front of the picturesque little house he and Hoseok had bought together three weeks ago. It was a lot smaller than his old one—the one he had given Jiwoo and the baby—but it felt more like home. Taehyung couldn't even explain why he loved this house so much more than his old house. He suspected it might be because he and Hoseok had bought it together—for them. The thought warmed him up so much that he didn't even feel the cold February wind.

Fuck, sometimes he felt so guilty for being happy away from his son and Jiwoo. A part of him missed them, but living with Hoseok was everything he hadn't known he wanted. There was something about sharing a home with Hoseok that felt achingly good and perfect. Even thinking about Hoseok waiting for him at home improved his mood tremendously. Hoseok usually got home later than him, but this time the coach had made the team train longer.

 Taehyung unlocked the door and entered the house. He slipped out of his jacket and kicked his boots off before entering the living room.

Hoseok was stretched out on the couch, a pair of thin-rimmed glasses perched on his nose as he read something on his tablet, a small furrow between his dark brows. He was wearing a thick, comfy-looking blue sweater and gray sweatpants. Taehyung wanted to climb on him.

So he did. Taehyung ran and jumped onto him.

Hoseok didn't look impressed. "Fucking hell—you nearly broke my ribs."

"Oh, shut up. I weigh nothing!" Taehyung buried his face in Hoseok's sweater and sighed happily. It really was as soft and as amazing as he'd expected.

Hoseok snorted. "Yes, one hundred and sixty pounds of nothing."

"One hundred and sixty pounds of awesomeness."

Although he couldn't see Hoseok, he knew Hoseok was rolling his eyes.

"I was working," Hoseok said pointedly.

"You're home and tomorrow is your day off."

"You know we're understaffed because of the injury crisis."

Taehyung made a face. It was an understatement. The club had never had so many injured players at the same time.

"Tae, I was working," Hoseok said again.

"Yeah, but now I'm here."

Hoseok laughed, his strong fingers stroking Taehyung's nape. "You're impossible."

Taehyung's toes curled at the undisguised affection and love in Hoseok's voice. "I'm serious," he murmured and lifted his head to look at Hoseok. "I barely see you at the medical center. You're always busy. And the impostor doesn't like when I hang out there."

"Don't call her that," Hoseok scolded him gently, taking his glasses off. "Dr. Kim is an excellent doctor." Hoseok grimaced slightly. "It's bad enough with the staff. All the medical staff knows she will leave at the end of the season and I'll go back to being their boss."

"Ah," Taehyung's said, folding his arms on Hoseok's chest and resting his chin on them. "It's pretty weird for everyone, huh?"

"That too," Hoseok said, running his fingers through Taehyung's hair. "But mostly I don't want to undermine her authority."

"They look up to you more."

Hoseok nodded.

"Well, they should," Taehyung said. "We never had so many injuries when you were the senior club doctor. Seriously, we're becoming worse than Arsenal! Half of the team is out injured. She must have been doing something wrong. You're a better doctor, and smarter and—"

"Don't you think you might be a little bit biased?" Hoseok said, a look of amusement on his face.

"I think I would know better than anyone how good you are," Taehyung said softly.

"That's exactly why you're too biased to judge Dr. Kim's professional skills: you would think I'm the better doctor in any case."

"You're better," Taehyung said stubbornly. "A better doctor, and a better person. You're as close to perfect as it gets. People like you shouldn't exist. You're a genuinely nice person—how can you be so nice? And you're—I mean, look at you." He chuckled, sweeping his gaze over Hoseok's strong, perfectly symmetrical features, cobalt blue eyes and thick dark hair. Taehyung was far from being an expert on male handsomeness, but he wasn't blind. "You're ridiculously good-looking. People turn their heads when you walk down the street."

Hoseok rolled his eyes. "They don't."

"They do," Taehyung said with a scoff. "It's so annoying."

"Your point being?"

Taehyung wet his lips and asked the question that had been bothering him a while, "What do you see in me?"

Hoseok furrowed his eyebrows.

"I mean..." Taehyung licked his lips again. "Looks-wise, I'm nothing special. I'm not ugly or anything, but I'm pale and weird-looking." He grimaced. "Jiwoo used to say I'm 'cute,' but that's not exactly a ringing endorsement. And it can't be my personality. I'm not nice or anything."

Hoseok just looked at him for a long moment before brushing Taehyung's cheek with his thumb. "Who told you only nice and conventionally beautiful people deserve to be loved?"

It probably should have made Taehyung's feel better, but instead, some ugly emotion twisted his stomach. Looking down at Hoseok's chest, Taehyung's frowned. He wasn't sure why it mattered to him at all. "So you don't really think I'm attractive. You love me despite my being plain and weird-looking."

Hoseok gave him a pinched look. "First of all, you're not plain and weird-looking. Your facial features are interesting and very attractive. Second, I can't believe we're having this conversation. Do you want me to objectify you?"

Taehyung's scowled. "No."

"You're adorable," Hoseok said with a smile.

Taehyung's scowl deepened. "See, I'm right. I'm 'adorable' to you. I've seen you check out other guys— even that prick Jungkook—but you never do it with me."