tittle: It's Dark
pairing: NamSong
rating: PG13
summary: The others locked Taehyun and Mino in Taehyun's room for a night so they can get along.

it's dark

They don't know since when it started nor do they know how to stop it.

"You guys need to stop this," Kang Seungyoon grumbled, crossing his thin, long arms on his chest. "I'm getting tired of your bickering. So you two are staying together tonight." His full, pouty lips were pressed into a line, his eyebrows were furrowed. With the flushed cheeks, he was definitely angry.

But the two were more afraid to stay in one room than the cute angry leader.

"What? No!" Mino yelled together with Taehyun, "Heck no!"

"Hell," a head popped at the doorframe, beside Seungyoon's head, "yes. As much as I ship you two, you do not, I repeat, you do not mess with my kitchen." Lee Seunghoon, the dorm’s chef, glared them down.

Now that's something to be scared of; an angry Lee Seunghoon.

"But, hyung," Taehyun made a whiny complain, "if we can almost blow up a kitchen while having 3 metre space between us, what makes you think we won't kill each other when we're in one room?!"

"Nu uh," Seunghoon swats his finger. "No talking back, maknae. If one of you gets hurt, you can only eat rice with kimchi."

"Hyung!" Mino protested.

“For one week,” Seunghoon smirked.

"That's preposterous!" Taehyun looked like he's about to cry.

Seungyoon was grinning devilishly. "Soundsawesome to me. Now get along!" They slammed the door shut. There was a click sound from where they locked the door from the outside.

Mino jumped from the floor they were forced to kneel down like naughty children. He tried to turn the knob, but to no avail. He cursed at their situation.

Taehyun sighed. He jumped on his own bed. "Since this is my room," he glared at Mino, covering himself with his blanket. "I'll get the bed."

"And what?" Mino snarled, "I'll get the floor? With no pillow or anything?"

Taehyun shrugged before falling back on his bed.

"The cold floor is nicer than you, Taehyun." Mino sounded defeated as he sighed, obviously tired from bantering with Taehyun over silly things. He turned off the lights, putting the room in utter darkness. Pulling the hoodie over his head, he lied on the cold floor, using his arm as pillow, and then he turned to the side, his back facing Taehyun so he couldn't see him.

Silence fell on them. None of them were sleeping, but they both pretended to.

Taehyun couldn't fall asleep and one of the reasons was because he was afraid of darkness. He has a night lamp but he has to cross Mino for that. Another reason was; he felt guilty for letting Mino sleeping on the floor without anything. It wasn't entirely his fault in the first place — usually, its just Taehyun and his headless anger. He's just too easy to be riled up and Mino keeps doing it.

He his bed, trying hard to see Mino’s back beyond the darkness. He noticed the older was curled up on the floor like a ball, probably because of the cold.

He bit his lower lip in guilt.

Finally, trying to brace himself, he got up with his blanket, and then he went to the older one to put the blanket over him. Stupid hyungs, don't they know he doesn't have extra blanket in his room?

"Yah," Mino turned to lie on his back, frowning at him. "Take this back. You'll get cold without it."

And there he was, being a caring person he naturally is. It made him feel guiltier. "It’s OK, its colder here, anyway," his voice was soft, guilt driven, unlike his usual harsh tone to him. He went to the other side of the room to turn on his night lamp.

When he turned, he saw the hyung sitting up, looking at him. "You're afraid of the dark?"

Taehyun scowled, he wasn't sure he can see it thought. "Shut up."

He heard the other chuckle. "You don't have night lamps when we all sleep together back in Japan thought?"

His mind flew to the times when all five of them spend their nights together in traditional Japanese rooms with futons sprawled everywhere. He flushes when he admitted, "that's because you guys are around me, s-so I'm not as scared," he stuttered.

Mino chuckled again, and muttered something close to "cute" but Taehyun wasn't sure. "Here, take this back, Taehyun. You get cold easily."

Something stirred in his stomach when Mino knew he easily gets cold — was he getting a stomach ache? God forbids. They have a schedule tomorrow. "Its fine," Taehyun knew he's not. He might end up getting a little cold tomorrow but it’s okay, feeling guilty is more painful.

"Don't be stubborn, Nam Taehyun."

Stop saying my name like that! "I said its fine. Go sleep, old man." He walked pass him and settled back on the bed.

Suddenly, he felt warm blanket drapes over his body. "I said, don't be stubborn-" his voice was cut off by the sound of something blowing, and the room turned dark again.

The night lamp blew up.

Taehyun whimpered slightly when the dark returns. He unconsciously pressed his back on the wall.

Mino instinctively sat on the bed, his hand reached for Taehyun's cheek, his thumb on the cold, soft surface of his skin in an attempt to comfort him. "Hey, it’s okay, I'm here," he said softly in deep voice which felt like melted sweet honey on Taehyun's ear.

Almost immediately, Taehyun stopped shivering and relaxed on the bed. They fought a lot, but somewhere deep in his thoughts, Taehyun knew Mino would never hurt him.

Mino sighed in relief when the younger one relaxed. "Go sleep now, hm?"

There was a soft "okay" and the rustling of sheets. The older one slid off his bed, but Taehyun stopped him by holding his wrist. "T-this is weird but- you can sleep here w-with me," he stuttered, feeling his cheeks flared at the invite. What was he doing? He thought to himself. But he slept with Seungyoon on a queen bed in a hotel once, so sleeping on a single bed with Mino, sharing a blanket and a pillow wouldn't be too weird, right?

Mino blinked. "Are you gonna kill me in my sleep?"

There was a pause, then there was an annoyed huff coming from Taehyun's mouth. "Fine, sleep on the floor," he pushed Mino's hand.

Mino laughed softly, in a way that made Taehyun's stomach fluttered again. "I'm kidding." Mino carefully lied on his side, facing Taehyun's face which was hard to outline except with the help of the city lights against the curtains. He stared, knowing how beautiful Taehyun is but he never had the chance to see it that close. He was blushing. This was a bad idea.

Feeling weight of guilt lifted from him, he felt tiredness settled on him after practicing and fighting with Mino all day. His eyes fluttered shut, "Goodnight, hyung," he muttered softly.

Mino wanted to scream at the moment but he managed to keep it in. He saw the younger defenceless, so he tried to push his luck. "Taehyun," he called.

"Mm?" Taehyun hummed sleepily, his eyes still closed.

He looked so angelic and calm, unlike his usual self. Is the bed the only place he's like this? Mino blushed redder at the thought. "C-can I hug you? S-since I usually snuggle my teddy bear, and all-" yep, Taehyun will kick him off the bed this time.

Taehyun's eyes opened slowly, then he looked at him, as if judgingly.

"W-well- never mind, that's just weird, ha ha." Mino wanted the ground to open and buries him.

Taehyun blinked in a daze. "I never…snuggle with someone before…" He mumbled. The only person he let to touch him which was closest to snuggle was their oldest hyung, Kim Jinwoo. He was a natural teddy bear but Taehyun never touch or be touched when he's asleep, let alone cuddling, snuggled up on someone — not even with his past girlfriends.

Mino held his breathe. So he was considering it? He decided to push further. "At least there will be more space so I won't fall?" He laughed softly at that.

There was a pregnant of silence, and Mino was almost sure he ed it up again and the younger gonna kick the door before kicking his back to his room. But Taehyun proved him wrong by pushing himself up with an arm, rubbing an eye. "How do you want it to be?" His voice was still soft, still drowsy from sleep, but Mino wouldn't reject this rare moment.

Mino scooted more to the middle of the bed, before pulling Taehyun closer by his waist. Taehyun hesitated, putting a palm on Mino’s broad chest.

"It's okay…" Mino's other hand found Taehyun's cheek, it in that comforting way again.

Taehyun stared at him for a moment before settling on Mino's chest. He can hear that other's heart thumping as loudly and as fast as his, it calmed him for some reason.

Their legs tangled, and the blanket were pulled to tuck them both warmly, but not as warm as Mino's skin to his. He felt a pair of strong arms circled around his waist. Taehyun felt safe, for the first time in a dark room. Sure, he felt OK when the five of them slept together in the traditional Japanese room, but he never felt so safe before, to the point he let his defence walls down. He snuggled up to Mino, and then sighed in content.

"Goodnight, hyung," he peeked up, to look at Mino's face before he closed them.

Maybe they were caught in the moment because Mino bravely pecked Taehyun's forehead and gripped him tighter. "Goodnight, Taehyun."

Taehyun smiled before drifting to sleep, dreaming of bright colours for the first time in a long time.

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author x: this is embarassing HAHAHA. Late night thoughts and some unecessary free time brought me to this. Request us on our twitter: @dumber2dumb !