2PM, Taecyeon/Chansung: and it plays again
Title: and it plays again
Group: 2PM
Pairings: Taecyeon/Chansung
Rating: PG
Length: 3,100 words
Summary: There is one thing that helps Chansung sleep. There is also Taecyeon.
Notes: This happened because of this special moment and because of Lia, who’s written one of my favorite TaecChan stories ever. Thanks for blessing our OTP with that lovely story, bb. <3
x
It was not his first or second night in his new place, yet Chansung still had trouble sleeping. He wasn’t counting, but the number was little enough that he could probably keep track of it if he wanted. He hoped he would be sleeping soundly by the time the first half of the year rolled by, not because of numbers but because he really needed to rest. There would be a new 2PM album out soon, which included lots of traveling, practice and concerts, just to mention a few of the things that often excluded a full night’s sleep.
When midnight came and went and it felt like his eyes were made to remain open, he turned on the lamp attached to the head post. He sat up while reaching for the book he had forgotten next to his pillow the night before and squinted at it. He realized he didn’t feel like reading. He had thrashed and turned in bed long enough that he was too tired for that.
A yawn came out of his mouth, but he decided to get up. When he was still in the dorm and couldn't sleep, he would stay up online or editing pictures. The problem was that he got so distracted-- or focused-- that once he went back to bed, it would be too late at night, or early in the morning. The bags under his eyes weren't getting any smaller now.
Chansung went to the living room and turned on the TV before sitting down on the spacious black couch across from it. The coffee table was covered with different things, such as his laptop, a bottle of water, two remote controls, the nuts his mom had given him and a bowl of fresh cherries. He considered eating some nuts or the fruit, but was quick to discard the thought. He wasn’t hungry, so he just made himself comfortable while switching channels. He found a drama about some lawyers that seemed to be bickering all the time; some of the actors were familiar so he settled for that. Since he wanted to get sleepy, he wouldn’t try to find anything more interesting for now.
He had been watching TV for a few minutes and thought he might be understanding the plot when he heard Go Crazy playing from the bedroom. It was his current ringtone for 2PM’s SNS chat room. He smiled as he thought of who else might be up at this hour and went to get his phone.
“You guys up?” Taecyeon had texted, a sleeping Okcat emoji next to it.
Chansung replied by asking what his plans were. When Taecyeon was up at this hour and let them know about it, it was his usual way of asking for company without really stating it.
“Who needs a plan when I’ve got wine?” he said. There was also Okcat with what looked like an actual glass of wine in hand, black sunglasses and a red snapback on his head.
Chansung chuckled soundlessly at both the words and the emoji. “And I’ve got food. Wanna come over?”
The screen showed Taecyeon was typing an answer. Then nothing. And then typing something again. In the end, he said simply, “Be there in 20!”
Chansung shrugged, left the phone next to his laptop on the coffee table and went to the kitchen to see what he could offer Taecyeon once he arrived. He didn’t really know if the other would want to eat anything, but he checked just in case. When Chansung was still in the dorm, Taecyeon would sometimes come over unannounced, and they usually drank and ate something together. They had also cooked drunk once, but Chansung would try to avoid that this time. He didn’t want to make such a mess in his still new kitchen. Besides, he hadn’t forgotten how he felt the following morning, after eating food with the wrong ingredients. The recipe for the Italian Drunken Noodles they had found online was meant to be prepared by sober people.
He shook his head and frowned at the fridge. He had stood in front of it, hand ready to open it but not pulling at the door. A quiet purr let him know Jeonggam was walking around his feet, and it also shook him out of his reverie. Chansung let go of the fridge and bent down to pat the cat, unaware of the smile coming to his face.
“Hungry? Too lazy to jump at the plants now?” He chuckled as he scratched at the back of Jeonggam’s ears. “I’d better feed you so you won’t attack Taec hyung once he arrives.”
Jeonggam just looked at him. He sat down as if he was going to wait until Chansung made those words true. Maybe he was contemplating the possibility of not eating just so he would have an excuse to scare Taecyeon. His food and water bowls were on the wall opposite the fridge, and neither was empty. Chansung decided to give him a treat instead.
By the time the bell rang and Chansung buzzed Taecyeon in, Jeonggam had been fed and petted for a long time. Enough that the cat decided to make the left corner of the couch his space for a nap. Chansung couldn’t help smiling as he looked at his pet. He usually stayed with Chansung’s mom, but while they were preparing for another album and Chansung didn’t have to travel as much, the cat could stay for a few days with him. It seemed he had gotten used to the new place faster than Chansung did.
There were five knocks on the door. It was always five; Taecyeon used to joke he was representing all the others when he came to visit Chansung at the dorm, and that became a habit. It also became a habit for them to do things that Chansung was sure had nothing to do with making it seem like the other four were there. There was just the two of them, and most of the time they prefered it that way. Or at least Chansung did.
“Hyung,” Chansung greeted him, and Taecyeon simply nodded. His eyes went from Taecyeon’s dimpled smile to his overly short hair, and stood there a second too long. He knew the other would notice his stare just like Taecyeon knew Chansung was holding back a chuckle, but Taecyeon still stood there, letting himself be scrutinized. Chansung opened his mouth to make a question Taecyeon had heard a few times since he first got that haircut, but Taecyeon had already walked past the main entrance, into the small hall where Chansung stood. The light had already turned off by itself but Chansung didn’t turn it back on as Taecyeon crowded in and closed the door behind them. The light in the living room was on, and it shone through the other door which would lead them inside the apartment.
Taecyeon leaned in and Chansung waited, noticing the smile that still lingered on the other’s lips. He recognized that as a hint, so he was not surprised to find out that the arm Taecyeon had reached out as if to put around him had been used to slide open the door behind Chansung. If Chansung had been a little less attentive, he might have fallen for that. But Taecyeon had already done that before. Chansung still enjoyed it, if only for the spark that it brought to Taecyeon’s eyes when they looked at each other.
Before he took off his shoes, Taecyeon gave Chansung the bottle of wine, which the latter placed on the small coffee table. He decided to take his laptop to the bedroom along with his phone, which he turned off. Taecyeon had already made himself at home; he found the wine glasses easily even though it was his first time in Chansung’s new place. Either he knew Chansung too well or he just got lucky.
“I thought you were never gonna invite me,” Taecyeon said as he filled the two glasses to a third. He handed Chansung one and clicked his own against it in a quiet toast. He looked around the living room in silence while Chansung watched him, sipping at the wine. It tasted just the way he liked, sharp and dry, biting at his tongue as he held it in before swallowing it. Cool at first, but it could become warm if he kept drinking. Just like the one who brought it to him.
“You know you can just come when you feel like coming,” Chansung said, aware of his choice of words, of the way Taecyeon paused but didn’t turn to look at him. Maybe it was the innuendo, maybe it was the way Chansung said it. He was not whining at all; they didn’t make demands of each other, but what he said was true. Taecyeon didn’t need an invitation. Chansung would still welcome him.
Taecyeon didn’t answer. He stood in front of the covered piano near the couch, but then he started. Chansung followed his gaze and realized Taecyeon had probably noticed Jeonggam for the first time. The cat was still lying down on the couch, looking back at the one he probably considered an intruder. On the few occasions that Jeonggam had been around when Taecyeon visited Chansung, the older one had been uncomfortable around the cat. Chansung knew that Taecyeon was getting over his exaggerated fear of animals, which was often just a show, but despite his name Jeonggam wouldn’t warm up easily to anyone. Especially someone who didn’t use to like cats.
“He’ll go back to sleep if you let him be,” Chansung said, and Taecyeon started again. The reaction made him laugh, and the amusement was still on his face when Taecyeon looked back at him. “Did you just forget I was here?”
“No, I--” Taecyeon frowned and sipped at his wine. Chansung waited, unruffled. He had come to learn that Taecyeon would let his thoughts out when he felt like it. When Taecyeon ran his fingers through his own hair though, it was hard to just stand there and resist an impulse. Taecyeon caught his stare again. And there it was, the curving of his lips before he motioned to the door on the corner between the piano and the TV. “Is that the balcony?”
Chansung nodded. “Be my guest,” he added, and that finally got a laugh out of Taecyeon. Chansung’s own smile was thin but he felt it-- he felt like smiling wider, and it was good even if he held it back for now. Either way, Taecyeon was already moving on to the balcony, and Chansung let his eyes glint with what his lips didn’t have to express. He followed the other, breathing in the city air as he turned to look at Taecyeon.
The older one had his eyes on the city before them, the remains of a somewhat playful smile still on his face while he savored the wine. His skin was tanned, and even if Chansung sometimes missed the longish hair, he made the short one work. Even if it didn’t, Taecyeon was handsome; his features didn’t depend on any hairstyle. He looked good, and Chansung couldn’t deny the pull, the need he had of getting closer, of doing more than just appreciating from half a meter away. There was a longing on the tips of his fingers, on the back of his neck, down his spine. A longing that slowly spread on his skin even if it seemed to come from somewhere deeper, hidden within.
“I thought you’d try to get a place where you could see... you know... nature,” Taecyeon said, his voice just slightly teasing. A city view suited him better than Chansung, and the latter did regret not finding a place that had either a river or mountain view, but he still liked what he got. It was his place, his own home, and the sounds and lights of the city made him feel like he belonged here. One of the things he did when he couldn’t sleep was come to the balcony and just look around.
“Maybe one day,” he said, leaning on the rail. It wasn’t thick enough for him to lay the glass there so he still held it, now almost empty. Taecyeon hadn’t poured them much; their first taste was usually just that, a taste, and if neither of them commented on it, it just meant the wine was good. The thought hit him that he hadn’t even offered Taecyeon food, which certainly made him a terrible host. He was about to try and fix that when he heard Taecyeon inhaling deeply before leaning down to put his glass on the floor. His next move was to take Chansung’s glass from his hands and leave it on the floor as well. The maknae didn’t feel or act surprised. He was intrigued though, and that probably showed because Taecyeon leaned into his personal space before Chansung could gather his thoughts.
“I wanted to be ready,” Taecyeon said, not looking at him at first. His hands, however, were touching Chansung’s as if asking for the permission to do that at the same time. Chansung squeezed his fingers in turn and Taecyeon exhaled as if that was what he needed to calm down; Chansung just realized the other was nervous. He wanted to ask-- about; for-- things and tell Taecyeon some of his own but he still waited. Not for Taecyeon to unravel before him; that was already happening now. Slowly, gradually. Those words, seemingly out of the blue, were an answer to something Chansung had either asked about before or wondered in ways that Taecyeon would get anyway. “Or at least see what it’d be like. Cut it little by little.”
Chansung’s lips parted. He knew it without Taecyeon having to guide his hands so that he was touching the other’s hair-- still soft, and great to tug and yank at. It might not be just the hair though. It might be a number of things Taecyeon wouldn’t be the only one to cut short or have none of, less than a year from now. “Hyung...” he breathed, stroking the dark strands before closing his hands around them and pulling. He let go slowly, fingers pressing gently at Taecyeon’s scalp before finding more hair at which to tug, knotting and unknotting muscles of tension-- in both of them. Chansung loved touching Taecyeon’s hair because it calmed both of them, and he had fallen asleep while doing that before, Taecyeon’s head on his lap, Chansung snoring softly while his fingers rested on Taecyeon’s scalp, sometimes on his back or neck.
When Taecyeon first showed up with that new haircut, Chansung had laughed after a moment in which he struggled with a sudden feeling of loss. It was just hair, after all, and hair could grow back. Besides, Taecyeon looked just like he did back when they had just debuted. He had also laughed when Chansung tried to touch his hair and joked that he should try and see how much his own hair would grow. Taecyeon had seen right through him and said nobody wanted that damn bun on Chansung’s head again, though he later confessed he liked it when Chansung let his long hair down. The younger one didn’t comment on what that meant; it was such a long time ago. He just filed it away for himself to appreciate whenever he wanted to.
“I was hoping you’d answer,” Taecyeon said, his eyes closing as Chansung kept touching his hair, though one hand wandered down his neck too. Taecyeon just leaned into it, moving his head back, peeking at him as if Chansung had misinterpreted his words. Chansung knew though, that the other meant the SNS message, that he didn’t reach out to Chansung alone because he still felt unsure, just like Chansung did. The words he just said now, however-- those words made Chansung feel as if he were falling, a split second in which he forgot about the concrete digging at the low of his back, the same bare concrete under his foot. He still hadn’t finished decorating this place, but he was not about to think of tiles and rugs when Taecyeon’s hands dug at his sides as if to bring him back to where he was.
“Taec...” he trailed off, not sure if what he left out was just the honorific or the question for which he didn’t know what words to use yet. It would come to him. He could feel it, gathering like winds that twirl before funneling into the ground. This wouldn’t be a question to destroy anything, though. It would clear the ground so that new things could grow.
Taecyeon was touching his face as if he could help his mind find a way while tracing the contours of his skin. Chansung nearly mirrored him, except he traced Taecyeon’s jawline with just the one hand, the other still tugging at his hair now and then. He looked from Taecyeon’s lips, so close to his fingers, to the eyes that met his stare with what seemed to be a similar kind of expectation. They looked at each other but they also looked for something, maybe for themselves, one in the other’s eyes, until they gave in to their other senses.
The question came later, as inevitable as what brought it into life.
“Will you still be here when I wake up?”
Taecyeon’s head was not on Chansung’s lap. One was not lying down on the other’s couch; the latter was not sitting or fighting fatigue while tugging at the former’s hair. It was Chansung who lay over Taecyeon, his head on the other’s chest while Taecyeon traced invisible lines on his back. They were in Chansung’s bed, and Chansung felt ready to fall asleep now.
“You know I’ll be sleeping,” Taecyeon said. It was not the time to be ambiguous, but he was Taecyeon. And Chansung being Chansung didn’t complain about it. He just let out the softest of sighs, a sound that could easily be mistaken for sleep overcoming him. That is, until he insisted.
“Here?” he whispered, fingers locking with the ones that were not going up his spine to touch his hair. He felt himself relaxing even more than he already had while Taecyeon caressed his scalp as if to repay Chansung for doing the same to him. Taecyeon didn’t use any strength though; Chansung was nearly sleeping now and that would be counterproductive.
Chansung was already in dreamland when Taecyeon gave him the answer he wanted.
x
Group: 2PM
Pairings: Taecyeon/Chansung
Rating: PG
Length: 3,100 words
Summary: There is one thing that helps Chansung sleep. There is also Taecyeon.
Notes: This happened because of this special moment and because of Lia, who’s written one of my favorite TaecChan stories ever. Thanks for blessing our OTP with that lovely story, bb. <3
x
It was not his first or second night in his new place, yet Chansung still had trouble sleeping. He wasn’t counting, but the number was little enough that he could probably keep track of it if he wanted. He hoped he would be sleeping soundly by the time the first half of the year rolled by, not because of numbers but because he really needed to rest. There would be a new 2PM album out soon, which included lots of traveling, practice and concerts, just to mention a few of the things that often excluded a full night’s sleep.
When midnight came and went and it felt like his eyes were made to remain open, he turned on the lamp attached to the head post. He sat up while reaching for the book he had forgotten next to his pillow the night before and squinted at it. He realized he didn’t feel like reading. He had thrashed and turned in bed long enough that he was too tired for that.
A yawn came out of his mouth, but he decided to get up. When he was still in the dorm and couldn't sleep, he would stay up online or editing pictures. The problem was that he got so distracted-- or focused-- that once he went back to bed, it would be too late at night, or early in the morning. The bags under his eyes weren't getting any smaller now.
Chansung went to the living room and turned on the TV before sitting down on the spacious black couch across from it. The coffee table was covered with different things, such as his laptop, a bottle of water, two remote controls, the nuts his mom had given him and a bowl of fresh cherries. He considered eating some nuts or the fruit, but was quick to discard the thought. He wasn’t hungry, so he just made himself comfortable while switching channels. He found a drama about some lawyers that seemed to be bickering all the time; some of the actors were familiar so he settled for that. Since he wanted to get sleepy, he wouldn’t try to find anything more interesting for now.
He had been watching TV for a few minutes and thought he might be understanding the plot when he heard Go Crazy playing from the bedroom. It was his current ringtone for 2PM’s SNS chat room. He smiled as he thought of who else might be up at this hour and went to get his phone.
“You guys up?” Taecyeon had texted, a sleeping Okcat emoji next to it.
Chansung replied by asking what his plans were. When Taecyeon was up at this hour and let them know about it, it was his usual way of asking for company without really stating it.
“Who needs a plan when I’ve got wine?” he said. There was also Okcat with what looked like an actual glass of wine in hand, black sunglasses and a red snapback on his head.
Chansung chuckled soundlessly at both the words and the emoji. “And I’ve got food. Wanna come over?”
The screen showed Taecyeon was typing an answer. Then nothing. And then typing something again. In the end, he said simply, “Be there in 20!”
Chansung shrugged, left the phone next to his laptop on the coffee table and went to the kitchen to see what he could offer Taecyeon once he arrived. He didn’t really know if the other would want to eat anything, but he checked just in case. When Chansung was still in the dorm, Taecyeon would sometimes come over unannounced, and they usually drank and ate something together. They had also cooked drunk once, but Chansung would try to avoid that this time. He didn’t want to make such a mess in his still new kitchen. Besides, he hadn’t forgotten how he felt the following morning, after eating food with the wrong ingredients. The recipe for the Italian Drunken Noodles they had found online was meant to be prepared by sober people.
He shook his head and frowned at the fridge. He had stood in front of it, hand ready to open it but not pulling at the door. A quiet purr let him know Jeonggam was walking around his feet, and it also shook him out of his reverie. Chansung let go of the fridge and bent down to pat the cat, unaware of the smile coming to his face.
“Hungry? Too lazy to jump at the plants now?” He chuckled as he scratched at the back of Jeonggam’s ears. “I’d better feed you so you won’t attack Taec hyung once he arrives.”
Jeonggam just looked at him. He sat down as if he was going to wait until Chansung made those words true. Maybe he was contemplating the possibility of not eating just so he would have an excuse to scare Taecyeon. His food and water bowls were on the wall opposite the fridge, and neither was empty. Chansung decided to give him a treat instead.
By the time the bell rang and Chansung buzzed Taecyeon in, Jeonggam had been fed and petted for a long time. Enough that the cat decided to make the left corner of the couch his space for a nap. Chansung couldn’t help smiling as he looked at his pet. He usually stayed with Chansung’s mom, but while they were preparing for another album and Chansung didn’t have to travel as much, the cat could stay for a few days with him. It seemed he had gotten used to the new place faster than Chansung did.
There were five knocks on the door. It was always five; Taecyeon used to joke he was representing all the others when he came to visit Chansung at the dorm, and that became a habit. It also became a habit for them to do things that Chansung was sure had nothing to do with making it seem like the other four were there. There was just the two of them, and most of the time they prefered it that way. Or at least Chansung did.
“Hyung,” Chansung greeted him, and Taecyeon simply nodded. His eyes went from Taecyeon’s dimpled smile to his overly short hair, and stood there a second too long. He knew the other would notice his stare just like Taecyeon knew Chansung was holding back a chuckle, but Taecyeon still stood there, letting himself be scrutinized. Chansung opened his mouth to make a question Taecyeon had heard a few times since he first got that haircut, but Taecyeon had already walked past the main entrance, into the small hall where Chansung stood. The light had already turned off by itself but Chansung didn’t turn it back on as Taecyeon crowded in and closed the door behind them. The light in the living room was on, and it shone through the other door which would lead them inside the apartment.
Taecyeon leaned in and Chansung waited, noticing the smile that still lingered on the other’s lips. He recognized that as a hint, so he was not surprised to find out that the arm Taecyeon had reached out as if to put around him had been used to slide open the door behind Chansung. If Chansung had been a little less attentive, he might have fallen for that. But Taecyeon had already done that before. Chansung still enjoyed it, if only for the spark that it brought to Taecyeon’s eyes when they looked at each other.
Before he took off his shoes, Taecyeon gave Chansung the bottle of wine, which the latter placed on the small coffee table. He decided to take his laptop to the bedroom along with his phone, which he turned off. Taecyeon had already made himself at home; he found the wine glasses easily even though it was his first time in Chansung’s new place. Either he knew Chansung too well or he just got lucky.
“I thought you were never gonna invite me,” Taecyeon said as he filled the two glasses to a third. He handed Chansung one and clicked his own against it in a quiet toast. He looked around the living room in silence while Chansung watched him, sipping at the wine. It tasted just the way he liked, sharp and dry, biting at his tongue as he held it in before swallowing it. Cool at first, but it could become warm if he kept drinking. Just like the one who brought it to him.
“You know you can just come when you feel like coming,” Chansung said, aware of his choice of words, of the way Taecyeon paused but didn’t turn to look at him. Maybe it was the innuendo, maybe it was the way Chansung said it. He was not whining at all; they didn’t make demands of each other, but what he said was true. Taecyeon didn’t need an invitation. Chansung would still welcome him.
Taecyeon didn’t answer. He stood in front of the covered piano near the couch, but then he started. Chansung followed his gaze and realized Taecyeon had probably noticed Jeonggam for the first time. The cat was still lying down on the couch, looking back at the one he probably considered an intruder. On the few occasions that Jeonggam had been around when Taecyeon visited Chansung, the older one had been uncomfortable around the cat. Chansung knew that Taecyeon was getting over his exaggerated fear of animals, which was often just a show, but despite his name Jeonggam wouldn’t warm up easily to anyone. Especially someone who didn’t use to like cats.
“He’ll go back to sleep if you let him be,” Chansung said, and Taecyeon started again. The reaction made him laugh, and the amusement was still on his face when Taecyeon looked back at him. “Did you just forget I was here?”
“No, I--” Taecyeon frowned and sipped at his wine. Chansung waited, unruffled. He had come to learn that Taecyeon would let his thoughts out when he felt like it. When Taecyeon ran his fingers through his own hair though, it was hard to just stand there and resist an impulse. Taecyeon caught his stare again. And there it was, the curving of his lips before he motioned to the door on the corner between the piano and the TV. “Is that the balcony?”
Chansung nodded. “Be my guest,” he added, and that finally got a laugh out of Taecyeon. Chansung’s own smile was thin but he felt it-- he felt like smiling wider, and it was good even if he held it back for now. Either way, Taecyeon was already moving on to the balcony, and Chansung let his eyes glint with what his lips didn’t have to express. He followed the other, breathing in the city air as he turned to look at Taecyeon.
The older one had his eyes on the city before them, the remains of a somewhat playful smile still on his face while he savored the wine. His skin was tanned, and even if Chansung sometimes missed the longish hair, he made the short one work. Even if it didn’t, Taecyeon was handsome; his features didn’t depend on any hairstyle. He looked good, and Chansung couldn’t deny the pull, the need he had of getting closer, of doing more than just appreciating from half a meter away. There was a longing on the tips of his fingers, on the back of his neck, down his spine. A longing that slowly spread on his skin even if it seemed to come from somewhere deeper, hidden within.
“I thought you’d try to get a place where you could see... you know... nature,” Taecyeon said, his voice just slightly teasing. A city view suited him better than Chansung, and the latter did regret not finding a place that had either a river or mountain view, but he still liked what he got. It was his place, his own home, and the sounds and lights of the city made him feel like he belonged here. One of the things he did when he couldn’t sleep was come to the balcony and just look around.
“Maybe one day,” he said, leaning on the rail. It wasn’t thick enough for him to lay the glass there so he still held it, now almost empty. Taecyeon hadn’t poured them much; their first taste was usually just that, a taste, and if neither of them commented on it, it just meant the wine was good. The thought hit him that he hadn’t even offered Taecyeon food, which certainly made him a terrible host. He was about to try and fix that when he heard Taecyeon inhaling deeply before leaning down to put his glass on the floor. His next move was to take Chansung’s glass from his hands and leave it on the floor as well. The maknae didn’t feel or act surprised. He was intrigued though, and that probably showed because Taecyeon leaned into his personal space before Chansung could gather his thoughts.
“I wanted to be ready,” Taecyeon said, not looking at him at first. His hands, however, were touching Chansung’s as if asking for the permission to do that at the same time. Chansung squeezed his fingers in turn and Taecyeon exhaled as if that was what he needed to calm down; Chansung just realized the other was nervous. He wanted to ask-- about; for-- things and tell Taecyeon some of his own but he still waited. Not for Taecyeon to unravel before him; that was already happening now. Slowly, gradually. Those words, seemingly out of the blue, were an answer to something Chansung had either asked about before or wondered in ways that Taecyeon would get anyway. “Or at least see what it’d be like. Cut it little by little.”
Chansung’s lips parted. He knew it without Taecyeon having to guide his hands so that he was touching the other’s hair-- still soft, and great to tug and yank at. It might not be just the hair though. It might be a number of things Taecyeon wouldn’t be the only one to cut short or have none of, less than a year from now. “Hyung...” he breathed, stroking the dark strands before closing his hands around them and pulling. He let go slowly, fingers pressing gently at Taecyeon’s scalp before finding more hair at which to tug, knotting and unknotting muscles of tension-- in both of them. Chansung loved touching Taecyeon’s hair because it calmed both of them, and he had fallen asleep while doing that before, Taecyeon’s head on his lap, Chansung snoring softly while his fingers rested on Taecyeon’s scalp, sometimes on his back or neck.
When Taecyeon first showed up with that new haircut, Chansung had laughed after a moment in which he struggled with a sudden feeling of loss. It was just hair, after all, and hair could grow back. Besides, Taecyeon looked just like he did back when they had just debuted. He had also laughed when Chansung tried to touch his hair and joked that he should try and see how much his own hair would grow. Taecyeon had seen right through him and said nobody wanted that damn bun on Chansung’s head again, though he later confessed he liked it when Chansung let his long hair down. The younger one didn’t comment on what that meant; it was such a long time ago. He just filed it away for himself to appreciate whenever he wanted to.
“I was hoping you’d answer,” Taecyeon said, his eyes closing as Chansung kept touching his hair, though one hand wandered down his neck too. Taecyeon just leaned into it, moving his head back, peeking at him as if Chansung had misinterpreted his words. Chansung knew though, that the other meant the SNS message, that he didn’t reach out to Chansung alone because he still felt unsure, just like Chansung did. The words he just said now, however-- those words made Chansung feel as if he were falling, a split second in which he forgot about the concrete digging at the low of his back, the same bare concrete under his foot. He still hadn’t finished decorating this place, but he was not about to think of tiles and rugs when Taecyeon’s hands dug at his sides as if to bring him back to where he was.
“Taec...” he trailed off, not sure if what he left out was just the honorific or the question for which he didn’t know what words to use yet. It would come to him. He could feel it, gathering like winds that twirl before funneling into the ground. This wouldn’t be a question to destroy anything, though. It would clear the ground so that new things could grow.
Taecyeon was touching his face as if he could help his mind find a way while tracing the contours of his skin. Chansung nearly mirrored him, except he traced Taecyeon’s jawline with just the one hand, the other still tugging at his hair now and then. He looked from Taecyeon’s lips, so close to his fingers, to the eyes that met his stare with what seemed to be a similar kind of expectation. They looked at each other but they also looked for something, maybe for themselves, one in the other’s eyes, until they gave in to their other senses.
The question came later, as inevitable as what brought it into life.
“Will you still be here when I wake up?”
Taecyeon’s head was not on Chansung’s lap. One was not lying down on the other’s couch; the latter was not sitting or fighting fatigue while tugging at the former’s hair. It was Chansung who lay over Taecyeon, his head on the other’s chest while Taecyeon traced invisible lines on his back. They were in Chansung’s bed, and Chansung felt ready to fall asleep now.
“You know I’ll be sleeping,” Taecyeon said. It was not the time to be ambiguous, but he was Taecyeon. And Chansung being Chansung didn’t complain about it. He just let out the softest of sighs, a sound that could easily be mistaken for sleep overcoming him. That is, until he insisted.
“Here?” he whispered, fingers locking with the ones that were not going up his spine to touch his hair. He felt himself relaxing even more than he already had while Taecyeon caressed his scalp as if to repay Chansung for doing the same to him. Taecyeon didn’t use any strength though; Chansung was nearly sleeping now and that would be counterproductive.
Chansung was already in dreamland when Taecyeon gave him the answer he wanted.
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