Hoseok waved his hands in the air exaggeratedly and looked at the other members in the room.

"Of course I'll win. I always do", he stated matter of factly and gave them a stern look for emphasis. Taehyung rolled his eyes and shook his head. It was obvious the younger between the two would win. Hoseok always thought he'd win one of their silly bets, but he never did. The guy was too... all over the place. 

Jimin grinned mischievously and glanced at the boys crowding around him. He pursed his lips as he wriggled his hand in excitement. This was going to be fun, he thought.  

"So here’s the deal”, Jimin began, “I dare you two to go into the basement and mark something with your name." 

Taehyung shrugged. Piece of cake. He wasn't scared of a basement. He'd go in, write his name on the wall with a marker and return as the winner. Hoseok on the other hand turned pale at the mention of the basement. He was known to be a scaredy cat. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to go there. All the conversations about the haunted basement clouded his mind. People said weird sounds came from the place, especially during this time of day. He had heard his sunbaes talk about a weird dark shade moving around the walls. It was just to scare them away right? It was just for fun. Yes, he’d believe that. He had to, or he’d lose and he wasn’t planning on losing again. He gulped before nodding his head at Jimin, signifying his participation. 

“Ah, before I forget. You have to take a picture as proof. Like, a selfie or something.”

Jimin clapped his hands eagerly and looked at the other two. "Here, take this black marker", he said handing Hoseok a permanent marker. He grinned. This was going to be fun. Hoseok was already scared by the looks of it. Jimin was sure the elder wouldn’t make it past the door.

Taehyung laughed at the sight of his pale face, wrapping his arms around the elder's waist. 

"Hyung, you sure you're going to win?" he said grinning knowingly before earning himself a smack on the head. Hoseok let out an annoyed sigh. "You'll see. I'm not scared at all. I'll win." And with that he got up from the ground, determined to head for the basement. He walked to the exit of the practice room, pausing momentarily at the door and looking back over his shoulder.

He didn't want to seem like he was waiting for Taehyung to join, so he just shrugged and walked down the hallway. 

"I'll leave too.” He stopped at the door, turning around to face Jimin with a curious look. “Ah, what will my prize be?" he asked. A smirk played on Jimin’s lips. 

"You'll find out soon enough." With that said he waved the other away, urging him to go do his mission. Taeyhung disappeared through the door, leaving Jimin alone in the room. He stood up from the ground and walked over to the seats. Grabbing his bag, he glanced over at the mirror covering one side of the walls. Jimin-ah, you’re a genius. He grinned widely and put his thumbs up. It’s showtime. He grabbed his phone off the table next to the seats and decided it was best for him to go home to their dorm. Just as he was stepping out of the room, someone clashed into him.

“Ah, sorry. I forgot my phone. Let me get it real quick.” . Jimin shrugged loudly and pulled on his shirt to straighten it. He glanced at Taehyung awkwardly and smiled.

“I haven’t seen it around here. You must have forgotten it at home.” Taehyung looked at him and nodded.

“Oh, I’ll use Hoseokie hyung’s phone then. You going home?”

“Yes, I need some sleep. I’m tired from practice, can’t stay around to play with you two”, he simply stated as he strolled down the hallway, leaving the other behind alone. He reached for his pockets and felt the contents inside.

 It was there. Taehyung’s phone.

And Hoseok’s phone.

-

“Ah hyung, stop clinging. You’re pulling my shirt down.” They were at the top of the stairs to the basement. It was eerily silent in the place. A faint light shined upon the stairs, just enough for them to see where they were going. And Hoseok was all kinds of scared already. He clung to the younger boy as if his life depended on it. Taehyung slowly took steps forward, dragging Hoseok down with him. “Use your feet or you’re going to fall hyung.” Hoseok collected his thoughts and shook his head. “Okay, let’s do this.” He was determined to go in. Taehyung laughed at the sudden eagerness and strolled down in ease.

They reached the door. Taehyung peeked inside. “There’s no lights”, he stated.

“Are you sure? There should be a switch somewhere right?” Taehyung could hear the tremble in his voice. Hoseok was scared. He linked his arm with the elder in comfort. “Hyung, don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll keep you safe”

Hoseok held on tight and inched closer behind Taehyung. He inhaled deeply and let out a slow shaky breath. “Just… let’s go in”, he murmured. Taehyung took that as a sign to walk into the basement.

It was dark. He couldn’t really see where he was going, but the faint light casted silhouettes of the objects in the room. He used that as a guideline. They inched forward in a slow and steady pace. Hoseok scanned the room, his grip on the marker tightening. He turned around, trying to find something that they could mark.

“Hey, why don’t we write our names down on the table over there?” He pointed to the wooden table against the wall across the room. Taehyung looked in the direction he pointed. It looked like an office desk. It might have been the CEO’s, he thought. Would that be a good idea? His eyes glanced over at the shelves near the table. There were boxes stacked on them and random stuff he couldn’t identify in the darkness.

“We should mark the shelves instead. It’s less noticeable.”

“Okay, let’s just get it over with.” Hoseok trailed behind as Taehyung walked over to the shelves. He waved the air away as a fit of coughing made its way through his throat. 

“It’s so dusty. Don’t they clean in here? I should send Jungkook to clean this place as a punishment next time he’s being a bratty little maknae”, he said in between breaths. Hoseok laughed and patted the younger’s back.

“Easy there.” He laid his hands on Taehyung’s cheeks, trying to calm him down. “Breathe slowly”, he urged as he felt the other relax at the touch. The coughing slowly faded and Hoseok let go, holding the marker in front of him.

“Let’s write!”

“Wait!” Taehyung yelled in excitement when he saw Hoseok reaching for the shelves.

“Make it look pretty.”

“Seriously, Taehyung. I can’t even see anything. Sometimes you’re just…” He shook his head and wrote down his name underneath one of the shelves higher up, which gave him easier access. He drew a heart for the hell of it, next to the place he believed had his name on it now. It probably looked like a mess anyway.  

“But I wanna post this on twitter”, he pouted.

“I drew a heart. Happy?” Taehyung beamed and took the marker out of the elder’s hand.

“My turn. Let me try writing a scary letter to the people coming here after us”, he grinned as he began writing eagerly.

It’s Taehyung. Help… me.  It’s them, they’re here. They won’t let me leave! Hee—

He tried smudging the last few letters to create a dramatic effect. He hoped it was readable. This was fun!

The door fell in the lock, shutting out any light that shone inside.

“Hyung, give me your phone so I can use the flashlight to check the writing.” He held out his hand, waiting for Hoseok to hand him over his phone.

“I don’t have it with me. I think I left it in the practice room. Why don’t you use yours instead?” Taehyung frowned.

“I left mine at the dorm. How are we supposed to take a picture now? Wait let me go get a camera upstairs.” He was already moving when Hoseok stopped him by tugging his shirt.

“Wait! Don’t leave me alone here!” he exclaimed in fear.

“Then follow me hyung.” Hoseok stayed on his tail, holding on to his arm while slowly following the pace.

“It’s dark. I can’t see anything. Where’s the door?” Taehyung moved around feeling the walls with his hands, trying to find the exit. The rough texture of the walls grazed his hands. He moved left, when his fingers felt something cold. It was the handle!

“I think I found it! Wait let me-” He tried pulling it down, but the door didn’t budge. He shook the handle again, desperately trying to open the door. Still, there was no sign that the door would open. He tried shoving the door with his shoulders, while his grip around the handle tightened.

“It won’t open!”

The handle came off. Little did they know Jimin had withhold the fact that the door couldn’t be opened from the inside either way.

“.” Taehyung came to a halt. This scared Hoseok.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Hoseok panicked, his voice going up a pitch as he shook the younger by the shoulders.

“The handle came off. We’re locked in.” A deep sigh left his mouth as he reached for his pockets to pull out his phone.

“Ahhh. We don’t have a phone to call someone to get us out of here.” Taehyung let out a frustrated groan as he dropped the handle to the ground. His eyebrows furrowed when he felt Hoseok starting to shiver. He felt the grip around his arm tremble. The elder stayed silent, which made Taehyung worried. He took Hoseok’s hands in his.

“Hoseok hyung? I’m here. You’re not alone. Let’s sit down, Jimin will find us if we don’t show up at the dorm. Don’t worry”, he tried calming the other as he pulled him down gently to sit on the cold ground. He wrapped his arms around the elder.

“There’s nothing scary here. It’s just the darkness. Nothing will happen”, he reassured as he tried to readjust his eyes to the pitch black surroundings. He couldn’t see anything and it bothered him that he couldn’t read Hoseok’s expression. He didn’t know if he calmed down or if he was in state of shock. He pinched his side slightly to get a reaction out of him.

“T-thank you Taehyung”, he stuttered. “I’m okay, I think.” He looked to the side, trying to grasp the outline of Taehyung’s face, but it was too dark to see anything. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. His eyes closed as he let his head sink back into the door behind him.

They both stayed silent for a while, time passing as they waited slightly more at comfort in the darkness than they had been earlier. Hoseok leaned in closer as the room seemed to get colder. It was late. When would they come? He frowned as his thoughts began to wander.

Just my luck. Jimin will totally laugh and tell everyone we were locked in the basement. And Taehyung will mock me for being scared.

Just. Great.

“Hyung, let’s-” Taehyung turned sideways, tired of the silence.

He paused abruptly as he felt something against his lips. Hoseok’s eyes shot open. The room was silent again in the blink of an eye. No breathing could be heard, as if there was no presence in the room.

None dared to move. Time seemed to pass awfully slow as their minds weren’t registering what was happening. Taehyung felt his lips act on their own, pressing into the softness against his own. He wasn’t sure what he was doing. He felt how Hoseok reacted to him, pressing his lips with slightly more force back on his.

His eyes closed. Their lips started moving.

It was hesitant. Slow. The foreign feeling making them unsure. Taehyung felt two cold hands around the back of his neck, pulling him in closer. It felt gentle, caring. His mind shut down as he felt himself losing into the kiss. Hoseok felt the younger’s hands on his waist.

His lips parted slightly when Taehyung deepened the kiss. The grip around his neck tightened as he pulled him closer. He felt the other his bottom lip, as if asking for permission. He was hesitant, closing his lips for a second, but opening them again as he felt the fingers on his waist gently caress him. Their tongues intertwined, tasting and feeling cautiously, leaving them in need of breath.

His fingers left Taehyung’s neck and trailed down to his shoulders. They parted for a second, replenishing their lack of oxygen before tangling their lips together again. Taehyung slowly hunched over Hoseok, laying his back on the cold floor. His hands were at each side of his face, holding him up from the ground. Hoseok complied easily, content on exploring the younger’s mouth.

He could taste Taehyung. Taehyung had a taste.

He felt a pressure on his body as Taehyung lowered himself.

A small, inaudible moan escaped Hoseok’s lips.

As if shaken awake they both jolted up from the floor, letting go of each other and inching a few steps back as their minds seemed to register what just happened.

We kissed.        

Taehyung was frozen in shock. His mind couldn’t process anything. What did he just do? What was he going to do? He shook his head in denial. Nothing had happened. None of it had happened. He frantically rocked back and forth, trying to calm his mind.

That moment a bright light shone on his face. He looked up. The door was open. He saw Jimin peeking in with a grin.

“I can’t leave you two alone, can I. Getting locked up and all. Tsk tsk”, he shook his head a small smirk playing on his lips. Taehyung didn’t register anything as he bolted for the door, leaving the other two behind as he desperately tried to escape their presence.

“Hoseok hyung, are you coming?” The elder looked at Jimin in daze. Jimin waved over, his eyes glistened proudly.

Mission accomplished.