there’s music playing gently in the background.

 

“taeminnie.” jongin smiles, the one where his eyes shrink back into little crescents that make taemin’s nose scrunch up a little because his best friend is too ing much. too precious, and my happiness is your happiness and it’s kind of contagious when your best friend is looking like sunshine.

 

“jonginah.” taemin sighs back, chuckling gently for no good reason, but maybe it seems like the taste of the other’s name and the other’s presence gets him stupid. crazy stupid, because it does, really.

a lot.

like,

it really, really does.

he bites his tongue in waiting, a little tense as he relaxes into the couch. it’s a big couch. big enough for several people, yet here jongin is, and here he is, drowning into it and each other as they’re bunched together in the form of interwoven limbs on the very end of it.

 

it makes taemin happy. because that’s where jongin chose to sit. that’s what taemin would have wanted it to be like but jongin is the one who did it.

 

and that makes them both happy.

both of them.

both.

taemin and jongin.

jongin and taemin.

 

(but taemin’s still a little doubtful.)

 

jongin reaches forward from where he’s sat, cross-legged (crossed legs with taemin’s and it’s a little bit muddled - but it’s cosy!), prods taemin’s chest with a single, playful finger. his eyes are fixated on it, taemin knows what it means though. jongin’s just gathering his thoughts. using physical distractions to take the time to figure out what he wants to mean. he’s very good at playing this game.

 

taemin would like to think he was too, but he gets a little lost. his hand covers jongin’s offending one, fingers wrap around knuckles and brings it down to rest on someone’s knee.

 

“what are you thinking about?” jongin says, finally. his low voice is still really soft and taemin squeals a little, only internally, because as much as best friends means best friends taemin can’t be bothered if jongin raised his brows until taemin stops squirming.

 

so he sits there, still, eyes intent on jongin’s as the pretty boy plays with their hands. he absentmindedly bends taemin’s fingers backwards a little  too far and taemin hisses, frowns, pulls his hands back to grab jongin’s wrists. his little pout is a g g r e s s i v  e ! and before he knows what he’s doing he’s pushed jongin backwards.

 

just like children.

 

except they’re a little older.

 

taemin isn’t sure what he’s thinking about, looking down at his best friend underneath him. but with a knee to his ribs he realises he hasn’t replied, splutters out a “you.” as jongin retaliates, tugs him down until his head’s on a chest that deflates with a sigh.

 

he doesn’t know what the they’re doing but he takes it as it is because it’s midnight and doing -all all day turns out to be really tiring.

 

“me?”

 

“mmmhm.”

 

jongin blinks. his smile is still really playful when taemin pushes his hands onto the younger’s chest, a little too harsh as he’s scrambling to sit up and look down at him.

 

it’s kind of disappointing. (but it’s pretty! taemin loves it! taemin loves h-

 

“why?”

 

oops.

taemin didn’t plan it out this far.

 

“because you’re here.”

 

but he plays another game. lying.

he’s just as good as jongin in this one.

after all, they’re both the incredible-performer duo-bromance everyone pins them down to be, right?

 

jongin doesn’t question taemin’s answer. taemin wishes his friend knows better but he seems to take the lie as it is, so taemin takes it too.

 

he’s still a little disappointed.

 

“what are you thinking of, jongin?” he asks, barely hesitant, leaning back against the arm rest so he can watch the younger more comfortably.

 

“you.” jongin snaps back. it’s meant to be playful, again, but amongst insistent doubt  tangled in hope taemin thinks it actually sounds heavy.

 

they’re still watching each other.

 

somewhere they register the music stopping. a pause, the last song that played was the last on the album. the fifth one they had sat through.

 

“good.” is all that taemin says.

 

jongin nods, if he’s unsure he doesn’t show it, just lowers his eyes. thoughtful. silence ensues comfortably.

 

and then taemin’s standing up because his arms are too short to reach and put a sixth album on. jongin has no input this time so taemin plays anything calming because as it approaches two in the morning he thinks it’d be fitting.

 

it turns out to be a really pretty little tune. the familiarity has them smiling at each other because they both remember it, from that one time in japan.

 

the older of the two crawls back onto the couch. he pushes jongin down again, but no one fights the rhythm they tumble into because it’s starting to get a little cold whilst they’re both warm. and tired as .

 

taemin likes it like this.

jongin does too, because he chooses to accept it. wraps his arm around taemin’s waist as taemin pushes his head into the nook between head and shoulder. and that makes taemin happy.

 

because jongin likes it too.

they both do.

taemin and jongin.

jongin and taemin.

both of them.

 

taemin knows that for sure.

he knows.

amongst tangled doubt and hope,

“i love you.” jongin says, and for a second taemin thinks that maybe he’s just hearing that, maybe the song said it, until he feels jongin hold him tighter. and with the song in the background and their breaths so gentle on each other’s warm, familiar skin, taemin knows that jongin, his best friend, loves him.

 

of course he does.

it’s not the first time.

 

“i love you too,”

but taemin wonders if jongin knows just how far it goes.

 

as they melt into each other at 2:07 in the morning, taemin is grateful.

 

he doesn’t think he cares.

 

“i love you more than anything.”

 

taemin smiles.

 

good.

“me too.”

and they know.

 

it makes taemin happy.

because it’s the both of them. jongin said it too.

both.

taemin and jongin.

jongin and taemin.

 

he can’t get enough of it. he doesn’t think he cares. he’s just grateful, so he’ll wait, sinking into his best friend until he’s all that he breathes.

 

“good night jongin.”

 

there’s music spinning gently in the background.

and it stops in patient heartbeats.