Chapter Text
“How do I look?”
“So cute, very very cute.”
Taehyung turns and finds Jimin lying comfortably on his bed, holding Yeontan up, his tiny black pomeranian pup, and peppering its head with kisses. The puppy returns his affection by licking his chin, making Jimin giggle and Taehyung almost doesn’t want to go out.
“Why do I feel like my dog loves you more than me?” Taehyung asks, and Jimin finally, finally turns to look at him, cuddling Yeontan close to his chest.
“Of course Tan loves me more.” Jimin answers, confident and teasing. “Who’s the one who loves him when you’re too busy meeting pretty people behind his back? Me. Of course he’ll love me.”
Well first of all, who wouldn’t, Taehyung thinks. But he rather not say that out loud.
“Well don’t let me keep you two from loving each other.” He says, picking up his jacket and checking himself before the mirror one last time. “I’ll be home before 11.”
“I told you don’t bother coming home,” Jimin says, getting up and following Taehyung as they head to the apartment’s front door. “I don’t mind spending the night with the love of my life.” Jimin says, always the cheeky one. He raises Yeontan and presses his cheek against the side of the pup’s cute little face and Taehyung tries his hardest to look bored but the sight is too cute he gives in easily. He grins and reaches for Jimin’s cheek, they’re not as full as they were back when they’re younger, but still soft and irresistible Taehyung just has to pinch it hard.
“Ow! You-” Jimin yelps and Yeontan barks at the sound. Taehyung laughs and quickly places a kiss on top of both Jimin and Yeontan’s heads before Jimin could push him away.
“I’ll be back by 11! Take care of my baby!” he yells and immediately apologizes to the neighbor that passes by. He turns just in time to see Jimin childishly sticks his tongue out at him and makes a show of slamming the door close.
He hears Yeontan makes a startled sound at that, followed by Jimin’s hurried apologies and Taehyung really, really doesn’t want to go out anymore.
//
The date isn’t so bad.
Sooyoung is lovely. Tall, witty, really pretty and really funny. Taehyung had a far better night compared to the the guys and girls he met before and he did consider going out for another time. But when Sooyoung hinted she wouldn’t mind if Taehyung would come over to her place, he politely declined and said he had a pup waiting for him at home.
Two pups actually, Taehyung thought fondly. But he’s not gonna tell her that.
He did got bonus points for the reason though, even though it’s a complete lie. There's no need to rush home, that's why he called in Jimin to puppy-sit for him. But Sooyoung cooed with how adorable he was, and that she looked forward on meeting his pup next time. Taehyung smiled but didn’t make any promise. Committing to it kindly felt like lying. He's not that eager to introduce Sooyoung to Yeontan anyway. Not yet.
Kinda feel like will not ever.
The thing is, this always happens. Sooyoung might be the best one he dated so far, but she isn’t the first one that Taehyung thought he would actually might like.
There had been, as Jungkook called them, potential true loves. There’s that really smart guy from his English class, the adventurous and free-spirited girl from the varsity team, and even the creative and broad-minded boy from the cafe he frequents on his free time.
Taehyung had enjoyed his time with them and yet, everytime they as much as tried to prolong the conversation or ask him if he wanted to move to another place (back at theirs most probably) Taehyung just, just always found himself kindly rejecting the offer in favor of going home.
He did try to meet them again, and continued to turn them down that Taehyung kind of gave the impression he’s not that interested.
He can’t help it that he does really want to go home though. Everytime. All the time.
It's always his favorite part.
//
Yeontan is still awake when he comes home that night. He is, most of the time. But Jimin would be awake with him.
This time his best friend is fast asleep, curled over his bed with his pup safe in his embrace.
Yeontan perks up between Jimin’s arms when he sees him, immediately jumping off Jimin’s hold and waits for Taehyung to pick him up. He seems to sense that he shouldn’t make any noise, so as not to wake Jimin up and Taehyung smiles and kisses the top of his head for a job well done.
Taehyung sits on his bed carefully, and Yeontan snuggles close shortly before wiggling to be set free. He briefly considers doing so, scared the pup might wake Jimin up but decides to free him nonetheless as he might start barking and indeed wake Jimin in the process.
Yeontan doesn’t go and wake Jimin, but rather pick his stuffed ball lying innocently over the bed and starts chewing on it.
Taehyung chuckles quietly, petting his pup’s head and very, very endeared. Jimin bought the stuffed ball a few weeks ago, right when he noticed Yeontan has developed the habit on chewing just about everything. Always hungry. Always craving for attention and affection.
Cute and tiny and needy. Taehyung watches Yeontan let go of the ball and stretch over his bed, rolling as he does so and nuzzling back to Jimin.
Yeontan whimpers and Jimin whimpers back, bringing a small hand over Yeontan’s body and carefully hauling him close.
Taehyung feels like his heart is going to burst.
He doesn’t mind missing all the after dates, doesn’t mind that he has to go back to square one in searching for The One. He doesn’t mind that he’s missing all the potential boyfriends and girlfriends, the potential true loves have to offer.
It sounds mean, mostly selfish. But can he really be blamed?
Not when this is the sight he comes home to everytime? All the time.
He won’t trade it for anything.
//
“Makes you wonder why, why does Jimin-hyung and Yeontan far more better option than I don’t know, getting laid?”
Taehyung takes his eyes off his best friend and his puppy playing on the floor to frown at Jungkook.
“Jungkook you’re such a teenager with raging hormones. There’s more to life than sex you know.”
“Yeah, like potential romance. Which you have been whining about but everytime an opportunity comes, you turn it down. Why? Tell me why you always choose your best friend and your pup than a chance for true love? Enlighten me.”
Taehyung glares at Jungkook and turns his gaze back to where Jimin and Yeontan are. Jimin is trying to teach Yeontan some tricks and Taehyung is grinning widely before he knows it.
“Don’t judge me, can’t you see how cute they are?” Taehyung tells Jungkook without breaking his gaze from such an adorable sight. “They’re my favorite boys in the world.”
And they are, Taehyung thinks. He watches as Yeontan places his little paw on Jimin’s tiny palm just as the latter asks for it, and he feels his chest warm when Jimin excitedly picks Yeontan up and mutters how proud he is of him and that he’s a very good boy.
Taehyung is enamored.
He's maybe a little bit in love.
.
.
.
.
.
Wait.