i'm feeling jolly so double update :pp merry christmas / happy holidays everyone !
~A few days later~
Doyoung isn't the only one that's had Taeyong on his mind.
Obviously.
Jaehyun isn't stupid. He's noticed the way Taeyong had been distancing himself from him. Whether it was walking home with Doyoung when Jaehyun had practice or barely talking to him in or outside of class.
Jaehyun doesn't like it at all.
He hates it.
Every time. Every time he asks Taeyong if he wants to hang out he's always busy or already has plans. With who? You fucking guessed it.
"I thought things were going good..." Jaehyun thinks to himself with a sigh as he makes his way home from practice.
"What am I doing wrong?" Jaehyun mumbles to himself as he walks into his house.
"Hey mom." Jaehyun greets as he gives his mom a wave who was busy working on dinner.
"Hey Jae! Dinner's almost ready."
"I'm not hungry." Jaehyun says making her frown. He's been acting weird these past few weeks. He would usually come in with a big goofy smile on his face and start blabbering on about Taeyong his new found crush but recently he's been silent. And just walks upstairs and locks himself in his room.
"Hey, come here." She says and Jaehyun sighs softly before turning around.
"Sit." She says with stern voice as she points at an open seat at the island. Jaehyun groans before walking over and sitting down.
"What's going on? You've been acting strange lately." She asks and Jaehyun shrugs.
"What happened to Taeyong?" She asks and that's when Jaehyun couldn't handle it anymore. He feels the tears start pooling in his eyes as he tries his best to suppress them.
"I don't know." He finally says as the tears begin to stream down his face making Nayeon frown as she drops he cooking utensils and walks around the island to talk to her son.
"I-I thought he l-liked me too, but I just d-don't know." Jaehyun sniffles. He felt like his heart was slowly breaking into pieces. Nayeon coos before petting her sons head softly as he wraps his arms around her.
"Then you have to ask him. The answer may hurt, or it might make you happy. But anything is better than just being left alone in the dark." She says and he nods as he lays his head on her chest.
"Awww even when you're all big and falling in love you're still my baby." She laughs as she kisses the top of his head and he playfully tries to push her away.
This was it. He was finally going to talk to Taeyong.
He marched into the classroom, and walked straight to Taeyong's desk, who was luckily already sitting there.
"Taeyong." Jaehyun calls and the older looks up at him with a warm smile, making butterflies erupt in his stomach. The smallest thing Taeyong did had the biggest effect on him. He wondered how it was possible to be so in love with someone that probably didn't feel the same for you.
"W-we need to talk." Jaehyun says, mad at himself for stuttering but doesn't pay to much attention to it. Taeyong looks at his desk before nodding.
"Let's meet at the daycare after school?" Taeyong asks and Jaehyun is shocked that the older had obliged so easily and only nods with a small gulp before sitting down in his seat.
Taeyong gulped as he made his way to the daycare.
He was nervous. It was his first time "hanging out" with Jaehyun in a while. He fiddled with the end of his uniform as he neared the daycare. Inhaling deeply and releasing it before opening the door.
"Hey! Sorry I'm a little late-" Taeyong says as he takes a few steps into the room to be met with Jaehyun playing with both Sungchan and Mark.
"You cannot defeat me!"
"Yes can!" Sungchan shouts as he pokes Jaehyun with the sword as Mark tackles him causing Jaehyun to dramatically (and comically) fall to the ground. Taeyong watches them with a small smile on his face.
"You look cute when you're playing with the boys." Taeyong says as he crouches down on the ground while giggling.
"Are you ready to talk?" Taeyong asks before looking at the two toddlers.
"Alone?" He mouths and Jaehyun nods softly.
"I'll text my mom to come get Mark then." Jaehyun mouths back and Taeyong nods.
"Me wanna talk too!" Mark says as he sits up on his brothers stomach making Taeyong giggle.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Spiderman!" Mark says as he starts to babble on about his favorite superhero. Only Sungchan was really listening though. Jaehyun was too busy staring at Taeyong while the older tried his best not to let his nerves take over as he fidgeted with the closest toy near him.
"Hey guys! Mark are you ready?" Mrs. Jung asks as she stands by the room door.
"Mama!" Mark shouts as he runs into his mom's embrace.
"I'll see you at home." Mrs. Jung says to Jaehyun as she gives him a knowing look and a smile of encouragement before leaving.
"Let's go then." Taeyong says as he gulps and gets Sungchan and his things to leave.
The three of them walk home in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable... but it wasn't the most comfortable either. The atmosphere was kind of thick as they finally reach Taeyong's house.
"Hey Sungchan, I'll be back in a bit. If you need anything tell Baekhyun okay?" Taeyong says as he leads Sungchan to the front door and the toddler nods before walking in.
"So where do you want to go?"
"The park?" Jaehyun suggests and Taeyong thinks for a second before nodding and the two walk in more deafening silence as they finally reach the park and sit on an open bench.
"I'm sorry." Taeyong says as he looks forward making Jaehyun tilt his head in confusion.
"For what?"
"For ignoring you..." Taeyong says as he starts to twiddle his thumbs making Jaehyun go quiet.
"It's okay-"
"No. It's not." Taeyong says as he finally turns to look at the younger.
"I completely ignored your feelings. You cried in front of me. I let you hug and... kiss me, and I left you hanging. I'm sorry." Taeyong says as he looks up, trying to hold back his tears.
"It's not all your fault Taeyong. If I wasn't such a jealous piece of shit we wouldn't have been in that mess." Jaehyun says and Taeyong looks at him confused.
"When I heard what you said to Doyoung. I'm not gonna lie. It hurt. Watching you get closer to him all this time, hurt. Taeyong I... I-I like you. So much. So so much." Jaehyun says as he looks the older in the eyes making Taeyong's lip quiver.
"I-I'm sorry. I like you too Jaehyun. I really really like you." Taeyong says as he looks down at the bench making Jaehyun's heart beat so fast he was sure it was going to burst from his chest as a small smile decorates his face.
"And that scares me." Taeyong admits as the warm tears slide down his cheeks as he looks the younger in the eye. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. Not this intense at least." Taeyong says softly as Jaehyun sits there silently, deciding to just listen.
"But I have so much going on. Whether it's Sungchan, Dealing with everything with my parents, everything with Doyoung, I can't. I just can't add another person to that." Taeyong says in between sniffles. Jaehyun brings his hand up to the older's face and lifts his chin, showing the older the tears that had begun to fall from his eyes as well.
"Baby, you don't need to apologize for that. I understand that you need your time." He says with a small smile as he wipes away Taeyong's tears making the older's heart flutter.
"I'm willing to wait for you. And nothing will never. EVER make me stop being in love with you." Jaehyun says and more tears start to fall from Taeyong's eyes. The younger pulls Taeyong into his embrace as Taeyong begins to let out muffled sobs into Jaehyun's shoulder as Jaehyun lets his own tears fall as he listens to the older.
"Just let it out. I know you need too." Jaehyun says and Taeyong doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around the younger as his broken sobs echo through the empty park.
"It hurts Jaehyun... it hurts." Taeyong says as he pulls away from the younger almost hyperventilating through his sobs as he clutches his chest.
"I know, I know baby. Here breathe with me." Jaehyun says as he breathes in and out softly and Taeyong holds onto Jaehyun's arms as he follows him.
"I miss them so much..." Taeyong says as the tears continue to run down his face as Jaehyun tries to keep his own from falling. He hated seeing the older like this. So broken. But a part of him was 'happy' that Taeyong was willing to show him this side of him. It meant the older trusted him. And he sure as hell wasn't going to break it.
"It's okay. I know you do. But look at you now." Jaehyun says as he pulls Taeyong into his hold as the older continues to sniffle.
"You're 16, almost a senior in high school. You take great care of Sungchan. Hell, you take good care of all of us." Jaehyun says with a chuckle.
"They would be so proud of you Taeyong, I know they would." Jaehyun says and Taeyong looks up at him.
"Thank you..." Taeyong says, eyes red and face puffy.
"Anytime..." Their eyes travel around each other's face for a second, slowly leaning forward and closing their eyes as they let their lips connect softly. Sweet and soft. The only thing they felt was love. Taeyong felt so delicate, so vulnerable. But for some reason, he was okay with being like that in front of Jaehyun.
He wouldn't mind if they stayed like that forever.
They part their lips and smile at each other softly before Taeyong snuggles into Jaehyun's side and lays his head on the younger's shoulder. Jaehyun chuckles before laying his head on top of his as they sit there for a moment. Just sitting in each others presence.
"It's getting late. We should head back-" Jaehyun says as he sits up but sits back down when he feels Taeyong go limp, then he realizes. He fell asleep.
"He's lucky he's so light." Jaehyun chuckles before standing up, carefully not to wake him and scoops the older up before walking back to Taeyong's house which thankfully, was only five minutes away.
"Yes? Oh-" Baekhyun says as he looks at the sleeping Taeyong in Jaehyun's arms.
"Right this way." Baekhyun says as he shows Jaehyun the way to Taeyong's room. Trying his best not to release his inner fan boy. Baekhyun opens the door and Jaehyun thanks him softly before walking in and setting Taeyong down on the bed, covering him in his sheets and getting him comfortable. Before he can walk away he feels a hand grab his wrist.
"Please don't leave." Taeyong says, half asleep.
"I won't, I'm just going to the bathroom." Jaehyun says but Taeyong doesn't buy it as he continues to hold onto the youngers wrist.
"I promise. I'll stay with you." Taeyong relectently lets go and Jaehyun walks out of the room only to be met with Mrs. Kim making him jump.
"It's okay, you can stay with him." She says softly as she peaks into the room before looking back at Jaehyun.
"You hurt him. And I'll make you wish you were never born." Mrs. Kim says as he glares him down and Jaehyun gulps before nodding.
"Bathroom's down the hallway, to the left." She says before walking past him.
"That's one terrifying lady." Jaehyun thinks to himself with a shiver as he walks into the bathroom. He looks at himself in the mirror before fishing his phone out of his pocket and dialing a number.
"Hey mom."
"Hey mom my ass! Jaehyun! It's already 11pm! Me and your mother are worried sick! I swear to god-"
"Look mom, I know and I'm sorry for not texting you but he needs me right now..." He hears silence on the phone followed by a sigh.
"Fine. But you're explanation better be the goddamn fucking testament." Mrs. Jung says with another sigh as Jaehyun tries not to laugh at her.
"Okay I get it, I love you."
"I love you too. Don't do anything stupid!" She says before hanging up. Jaehyun walks back to the Taeyong's room where he sees the the older clutching the wolf stuffed animal that he got him making him smile as he shuts the door behind him and takes off his jacket.
"What took you so long?" Taeyong asks sleepily as Jaehyun crawls into bed with him.
"I had to call my mom." Taeyong nods as he wraps himself around Jaehyun as their legs tangle together.
"I like you, you big goober." Taeyong says making Jaehyun smile.
"I like you more." Jaehyun says as he places a kiss on Taeyong's forehead and closes his eyes as they both fall into a deep slumber.
🗓