GLOW-UP

25 | taeil as old as time

doyoung melted into jaehyun's embrace, the other boy's glow washing over the cold and taking away all his inhibitions. he looped his arms comfortably around jaehyun's neck and closed his eyes, breathing in the now familiar scent of his shampoo mixed with the tang of vodka and sweat. just being this close to jaehyun was enough to override doyoung's senses and make him forget all the pain.

"we should go back inside," doyoung mumbled then, though reluctant to pull away from jaehyun, "it's cold..."

jaehyun let out a laugh that sounded like sleigh bells, a bright grin spread across his face. "oh really?" he joked, "i didn't notice... come on then, doyoungie, let's go inside..."

doyoung couldn't stop himself from smiling at jaehyun's laugh, and the way he took his hand to lead the way inside. he almost couldn't work up the nerve to suggest, "we could go back to mine instead?"

"with everything that's going on at mine?" jaehyun snorted, "you don't even have to ask twice."

so doyoung opened the door, still in his bunny slippers, and welcomed jaehyun inside.

next door, meanwhile, was in total chaos. ten was still in the process of getting everyone to leave, and that task was proving to be very difficult when everyone was drunk and hard to convince.

"honestly," he huffed under his breath, "i decide not to drink to look after my health and this is what i get for it."

"phonny-hyung," mark said, appearing at the older boy's side as ten managed to kick out the last big group of partygoers from jaehyun's apartment.

"mhm?" ten turned to look up at mark with a tired sigh, but the blush that spread from mark's neck to the tips of his ears, and the cautious way he tugged at his sleeve, was enough to make ten smile again.

"that taeyong-hyung guy is behind the sofa," mark told him, breath catching in his throat at the way ten gazed into his eyes, "um, he looks kind of dead..."

"dead?" ten repeated in alarm, eyes widening. he grabbed mark by the hand and stalked over to the sofa in the living room, peering round the back.

mark was right - taeyong did look kind of dead. he was stretched out behind the sofa, passed out, inhaling and exhaling shallow breaths through his open mouth.

"hey," ten muttered, nudging taeyong's sleeping form with his foot. with no response, he knelt down instead and shook taeyong awake by the shoulders.

taeyong blinked his eyes open lazily, and began a fit of giggles and hysterics.

"oh god," said mark from where he was standing behind ten.

"you said it, sister," ten groaned. "taeyong? come on, we're gonna take you home, okay?"

taeyong just giggled again, eyelids drooping slightly, and latched onto ten's sleeve with one hand. mark's gaze shifted to that hand, and he instantly started to frown. he was the absolute worst when it came to hiding his feelings and he knew it.

"give me a hand, markie," ten said with a soft grunt as he tried to haul taeyong to his feet. taeyong wasn't in any respect a heavy person, but ten was in all respects a small person, and he couldn't lift him without mark's help.

"can't we just call him a taxi?" mark mumbled under his breath, his tone laced with jealousy.

ten didn't hear him. "come on, you baby, help me get him down to the car and i'll drop you home too."

there had been the faint sound of somebody vomitting in the bathroom but now it finally stopped. there was the noise of a flushing toilet, then footsteps, and then johnny seo emerged in the living room looking thoroughly ashamed of himself.