thinking abt #taekookau where jungkook, exhausted by the day & feeling utterly numb, goes to his comfort place & falls asleep on the couch. when tae gets to his apartment, he's surprised to find his ex curled up in his living room. still, he carries jk to his bed & tucks him in.

jungkook hadn't realised where he was going, nor where he ended up, until he wakes up at 2am feeling groggy and disoriented. there's a familiar smell in the air — hints of lavender & vanilla (not too much, just enough to be perfect) — and it makes him want to sink back to sleep.

the clothes he's wearing are soft and loose, nothing like the ripped skinny jeans and turtleneck he was dressed in before. it's only when his blurry eyes focus on the glow-in-the-dark hearts stuck messily on the dresser next to him that his mind slowly clicks as to where he is.

his body screams at him to lay back down onto the familiar mattress, and wrap himself up in the covers like he always used to. instead, he forces himself out. there are bunny slippers on the floor waiting for him, with crooked ears and holes in the toes but well-loved.

when jungkook pads out of the bedroom and back into the living room, hands rubbing at his sleepy eyes, he finds taehyung sprawled on the couch, mouth open and snoring lightly, limbs spilling awkwardly over the edges. jungkook's heart squeezes. softly, he says, “...hyung?”

taehyung dozes, unaware of jungkook's presence. jungkook debates slipping out of the apartment without letting taehyung know. he thinks about leaving taehyung, his ex from 2 years ago, sleeping on the couch. but taehyung doesn't deserve that.

no, even after their break-up, taehyung's always been so kind. he's always been the one to initiate contact and check up on jungkook. the one to tell jungkook that everything's okay, they're still okay, that they can still be friends. /friends/. jungkook can't just leave.

so he steps forward, and the bunny slippers he never got to take out of taehyung's apartment feel soft on his heels when he crouches down before the couch. he shakes taehyung's shoulder. “hyung,” jungkook murmurs. he jostles taehyung harder until he stirs. “hyung, wake up.”

when taehyung wakes up, he does so with heavy eyes and a big yawn. jungkook watches, unblinking, as taehyung rouses himself awake and sniffles, nose scrunching, before squinting at jungkook in the dark. “jungkook?” jungkook feels his hands shake at the sound of his voice. “hi.”

“you're awake? what time is it?” “2am.” “go back to sleep,” taehyung mutters, eyes drooping. jungkook gnaws on his lip. “no. no, i gotta go. i just wanted to say...” “do you have to?” taehyung asks. he pushes himself up into a sitting position. “it's the middle of the night.”

“yeah, but i don't want to intrude.” taehyung scoffs warmly, rolling his eyes even though a smile touches his lips. “you're not intruding. you never are, jungkook.” “i showed up out of nowhere, with no warning.” “so?” jungkook fidgets. “so i shouldn't be welcome.”

taehyung sighs. “you and your overthinking mind. you're welcome here. you look like you need sleep.” every muscle in jungkook's body is strung tight, waiting for an inch of self-discipline to slip, and he so badly wants to spring forward and gather taehyung into his arms.

he wants to kiss that sleepy pout off taehyung's lips and run his hands through taehyung's messy hair. wants to cuddle him on the couch and laugh about how they both barely fit, just like they used to. he wants to keep talking to taehyung, voices quiet and hushed and sleepy,

like they're the only ones in the world awake. they're the only ones who matter. “sleep in my room, jungkook. go back and get some rest.” “i— i can't.” “if this is you trying to be polite, then i assure you, this couch is just as comfy as my bed & i'd rather you sleep there—”

“no,” jungkook blurts out. “well, yes, it's that. but also... also, no. i just— i can't.” /i can't fall asleep on that bed without you./ taehyung gazes at him for a moment, and his eyes are shadowed by his bangs in the still, dark room.

jungkook clamps his mouth shut and averts his eyes down. he hopes taehyung can't read between the lines, can't guess what he's thinking. “do you want me to cuddle you?” taehyung asks, voice soft. but taehyung has always, always known him all too well.

the premise of taehyung's arms around him sound too tempting. the thought of a full night's sleep in that room, of a warm body holding him close, is too much. it's been 2 years, and jungkook hasn't stopped loving him any less even though they've been apart.

and he's tired. he's exhausted. the world has been dragging him down, and he feels like he messes up everything he does, and he got yelled at today, and he just wants a break, and he feels like he's about to shatter and crack and break down and every second feels too long, and—

“don't cry,” taehyung whispers, bringing a hand up to cup jungkook's cheek. “it's okay. don't cry.” jungkook's eyes sting. his voice breaks in the middle when he asks, “can we go to sleep?” /we/. as in, together. taehyung strokes his thumb on jungkook's skin. “of course.”

jungkook, for a moment, closes his eyes and pushes his face into taehyung's comforting, calloused touch. taehyung doesn't push him away, or tell him to leave. he stays quiet. he stays quiet when jungkook struggles to stand up. stays quiet when they walk to his room.

he's quiet when jungkook kicks off the bunny slippers, and taehyung drops his right next to jungkook's. he only talks again when they're both wrapped up under the same blanket, an arm length apart. “is this alright?” jungkook swallows dryly. “yeah.”

then, there's a hesitant hand on his waist. jungkook almost jolts, the warmth searing, but it's so, so light and the heart stickers on the dresser seem to glow a little brighter. “this alright?” “...yeah.”

“jungkook, look at me, please.” bracing himself, jungkook does. the sight takes his breath away — taehyung, on his side facing jungkook, cheek squished against the pillow and hair spilling across it. his arms are open, gaze understanding, voice gentle when he says, “c'mere.”

jungkook doesn't hesitate. he slips into taehyung's arms easily, his head on taehyung's chest, their legs tangling together under the blanket. taehyung locks his arms around jungkook's waist, nose pressing into jungkook's hair, and their chests are pressed close together.

jungkook shivers, eyes squeezing shut, and he never feels this warm and soft except when he's in taehyung's arms. “sleep,” taehyung whispers. “youre safe here.” /safe/. jungkook breathes in the lavender and vanilla, the comfort, and, in taehyung's arms, he falls asleep.

--- [a/n: wrote this bc im exhausted from work, life, uni, and i've been blessed with sleeping problems too LMFAO how fun. this was originally meant for just me but i thought fuck it, we ball, so y'all get to see it too !] curiouscat.me/buninipanini

--- the next morning, when jungkook wakes up, the first thing he sees in his sleep-dazed, bleary vision is the sight of taehyung leaning above him, propped up on his elbow, a sweet smile on his lips as he watches jungkook slowly stir awake. “morning, sleepyhead.”

“g'mornin',” jungkook mumbles. “thank you for letting me sleep here.” “my pleasure.” taehyung sounds happy, smile growing as he says, “you should come by more often. i missed you.” “i... i missed you too.”

there's a moment of silence where jungkook truly let's everything sink in. the past few days — the past few weeks — have been nothing but disaster after disaster, and he's never felt more alone than when he had to clean up the messes that others have made of him.

he's been run ragged. he's hugged himself through sleepless nights, and it's hard to even find a reason to smile when something as simple as lifting the corners of his lips takes too much energy. jungkook has been through so much. /so much/, and he doesn't know when it'll end.

but now, in this small safe haven of lavender and sweet smiles, vanilla and taehyung's messy bedhair, bunny slippers and the dried drool on taehyung's cheek, he feels okay. he feels like he can breathe. he feels like he can cry. jungkook closes his eyes. he wants to cry.

“you know, you can let it out,” taehyung murmurs, and he reaches a hand to run through jungkook's hair. “with me, you can cry. you don't need to bottle it all up.” soft words and a gentle touch is all it takes to unravel jungkook. “life hit you hard. 's ok to be sad about it.”

the tight knot in jungkook's chest unravels and he feels a lump in his throat. “your feelings are valid. you don't need to be so strong all the time.” jungkook reaches out, curls his arm around taehyung's lithe waste, and shoves his face back into taehyung's chest, sniffling.

“you'll be alright. you'll be okay. you'll get through, and i'll always be here for you.” the first sob wracks jungkook's body. “we went too fast when we were younger— we crashed because of it. but i'm here for you. i'll always be here for you. i... want to— want to try again.”

jungkook fists his hands into taehyung's shirt, unwilling to let go. he wants to try again, too. “this place,” taehyung says, and he sounds choked up. “will always, always be safe for you.” the weight on jungkook's shoulders, the cracks on his skin, feel so ugly. but taehyung—

sees them, and he presses his fingers into jungkook's skin like he can /feel/ them, and still, his voice is loving and fond and warm and everything golden when he whispers, “you'll be okay.” jungkook lets it all out in harsh sobs. taehyung holds him tighter. “you're safe here.”

--- [a/n: i couldn't just leave them as exes :( so ! here's another extra little bit w/ a hopeful ending. this doubles as a message for my dear readers too. my acc is a safe place for u. if u have a bad day, just know im patting ur head gently. you'll be okay :] ♡ ]

my curiouscat and retrospring (feel free to vent in these if you need to): cc: curiouscat.me/buninipanini retrospring: retrospring.net/sincerelyxnini

[popping this here so i can easily boopity bop back and forth from the start to the end of the thread in the future~] twitter.com/sincerelyxnini…