Taehyung wasted no time in pushing Jeongguk into bed after they finished dinner.
Dinner wasn't anything special, just some takeout Chinese food that Jeongguk had been in the mood for. Taehyung had obliged and payed for it, wanting Jeongguk to feel at ease. The next few hours would be tiresome for the both of them, and Taehyung wanted to do everything he could for his boyfriend.
New Year's Eve was always a bad day for Jeongguk; the night was even worse. As a result, Taehyung had made it his job to help his boyfriend during this time of the year. Still, each year, there seemed to be a remarkable improvement in Jeongguk's behavior. Or at least, that's what Taehyung told himself every year when he would rock a sobbing Jeongguk back to bed.
Jeongguk had been calm the entire day, not even noticing that it was New Year's Eve until Jimin had sent a message in the group chat on KakaoTalk asking if they would be coming over that night to celebrate New Year's. Taehyung had politely declined on their behalf.
Now after dinner, he was wrestling with Jeongguk under the sheets in a vain attempt to get the younger to stay still.
"Gukkie-yah! Come on," Taehyung whined.
Jeongguk shook his head, smiled then rolled them over so he was pinning the elder to the bed. "Not tired, hyung."
Taehyung sighed, claiming defeat when Jeongguk's nose began trailing a path along his jawline. "That's not fair, Gukkie-yah."
Jeongguk giggled and rolled them over again so Taehyung was on top. "Hyung, come on. Just one kiss and then I swear I'll go to bed."
"You're behaving like a child, Gukkie," Taehyung let out, dipping his head down so his nose bumped against Jeongguk's.
"You love me regardless."
"I do."
"Then kiss me, hyung," Jeongguk whispered into the darkness of their bedroom.
Taehyung sighed and lowered his head more so that his lips were only a hairsbreadth away from the younger's. "You promise that you'll go to bed right after?"
Jeongguk shivered, but managed to breathlessly whisper. "Yes."
Instead of answering, Taehyung allowed his lips to softly brush against Jeongguk's. His lips moved against the younger's gently, doing his best not to tug too hard on the tufts of hair he held in his hands. Jeongguk's hands were scaling his back underneath his shirt in a slow and lazy path. Their breaths intermingled in the small space between them, and Taehyung relished in the closeness of his younger boyfriend who he loved so much.
When they broke apart, Taehyung rolled over so he wasn't on top of Jeongguk any more and turned on his side to face the younger. Jeongguk turned to look at him at the same time Taehyung had and neither of the two men were able to hide their smiles.
Jeongguk yawned then and Taehyung drew him closer into his embrace. "Sleep now, Gukkie-yah."
The younger nodded his head and snuggled deeply into his boyfriend's warm chest. "Night night, TaeTae."
Taehyung smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "G'night, Gukkie-yah."
They slept then, but the peacefulness of sleep didn't stay with them for long. Sometime around midnight, Taehyung woke to an arm being smacked into his face.
"Ow," he muttered, lazily rubbing his face as the sting of skin hitting skin slowly ebbed away.
"No, p-please," Jeongguk murmured beside him.
Taehyung sighed and sat up, positioning himself so that most of the younger’s aimless punches wouldn't strike him.
“Stop! Let th-them go!” Jeongguk yelled, his legs beginning to kick out.
“Jeongguk!” Taehyung pinned the younger’s limbs down.
“Please, s-stop!” The younger was crying now.
Taehyung used every ounce of strength he had to keep Jeongguk’s limbs pinned to the mattress. The younger was putting up one hell of a fight and Taehyung found that it wasn't just his face that was beginning to ache from his boyfriend’s nightmare.
“Gukkie-yah,” Taehyung panted when Jeongguk’s sobs had died down to mere whimpers. “Baby, wake up.”
Jeongguk let out a frail sob and opened his eyes with tears streaming down his face.
“Baby, it was just a dream,” Taehyung murmured, his lips finding purchase against Jeongguk’s jaw. “Can you hear me? Gukkie-yah, it was just a dream.”
“T-Tae,” Jeongguk cried.
“Sh. It's alright, baby. Just a dream. You're not being attacked, I promise.”
“I miss th-them. It felt s-so r-real, hyung. Like i was w-watching it again.” Jeongguk’s voice shook.
Taehyung let go of his limbs and pulled his sniveling boyfriend into his lap. Taehyung knew Jeongguk still grieved after his parents. It was the reason he had these nightmares. Jeongguk told him that at first he would have the nightmares every night, but that was understandable considering Jeongguk’s age when he witnessed his parents being murdered. Slowly, the reoccurrence of his nightmares began to dwindle down to once a week, then to once a month, and finally to once a year on New Year’s Eve, the anniversary of his parents’ murder. But each year it became easier to comfort the younger. Taehyung no longer had to hide any sharp or blunt objects that were in their room. Jeongguk no longer slept walked through the nightmares. He woke up faster and calmed down quicker each time. Jeongguk was slowly getting better.
And Taehyung was there to hold him, kiss him, and cuddle him back into a fit less sleep every time. Jeongguk sighed against Taehyung’s chest and let the elder lay him back down on bed. Jeongguk curled into the fetal position and Taehyung turned to spoon his distressed boyfriend.
They lay in silence for some time until fireworks started outside on their street and Jeongguk jumped, startled.
Taehyung ran a soothing hand down his arm and muttered, “Just fireworks, Gukkie-yah. It's New Year’s.”
Jeongguk turned to face the elder, their faces centimeters apart.
“I love you. Thank you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Happy New Year,” Jeongguk mumbled against Taehyung’s lips.
“Happy New Year,” Taehyung responded as he pressed their lips together.
THE END !!!
