Archive of Our Own

To say it was the stupidest idea Taehyun had ever heard from Yeonjun, would be an understatement. Now, don’t get him wrong. Logically, he knew Yeonjun was an adult, and a relatively smart one at that. It was just that, sometimes, he got a little too ahead of himself. He would get excited, he would get his hopes up, just to see his fantasies get crushed in front of his own eyes. So, yeah, Taehyun wasn’t too sure about this new brilliant idea Yeonjun had just rambled about to him over the phone.

“Hyung, you know that I love you, and I’m always trying to support you. However—”

It wasn’t unusual for Yeonjun to shut Taehyun up mid-sentence.

”Taehyun-ah! Have some faith in me, just this once!” Yeonjun begged over the phone.

Taehyun let out a sigh. He was currently at work, for fuck’s sake. Listening to Yeonjun’s crazy, over-the-top ideas didn’t really count as him being a contribution to the small team of employees. Nervous about getting caught standing in a corner slothfully, Taehyun hissed into the phone, “I have to go. Let me know once you’ve realized this is a stupid, god-awful idea.” With that, he hung up and returned to work.

As he was going over his to-do list, a small smile graced his lips for he remembered what day it was: Friday. Every Friday, a regular would pick up a small bouquet. Nothing special, really. But she was one of the sweetest customers at the flower boutique. All of the employees would agree that she was really lovable, without an explanation. For some reason though, as he was putting together the bouquet for Mrs. Choi, his mind strayed back to Yeonjun.

He just couldn’t shake the bad feeling he had about this fluke of Yeonjun. The elder was wanting to open a coffee shop, together with one of his friends that Taehyun didn’t know more of than from glances. It didn’t sound like that bad of an idea, yet it had Taehyun stressed out. Something was going to go wrong, he just knew it, or he wouldn’t be feeling like this.

The cheerful sound of the bell on the entrance door signaled Taehyun that a customer entered, and he broke out of his thoughts.

“Mrs. Choi!" he exclaimed, surprised. Was she early, or had he been zoned out for a long time without even realizing it? No matter, the bouquet wasn’t finished yet!

The older lady took a few steps towards him, her eyes crinkled up in a soft smile. She’d always treated the employees of the boutique like her own children, with so much love. Taehyun couldn’t help but cower before her, painfully aware of the fact that he had failed to assemble her weekly bouquet in time.

“Hello, dear. How have you been?” she asked, ever so caring, as she placed her dark red purse on the counter.

“I’m doing well, thank you. How are you?” Taehyun answered politely.

The lady blinked at him, as if she knew he wasn’t telling the whole truth, but then decided to let it slide, “I’m as wonderful as ever, dear.”

Taehyun let out a sigh and his shoulders dropped as he decided he might as well tell her the bad news.

“Mrs. Choi, I am so very sorry. I was in charge of assembling your bouquet today, but I think my mind was wandering or something similar. Truly, I don’t know what came over me, but— I haven’t finished it yet. I am so sorry, Mrs. Choi. Tell me how I can make it up to you, I’m willing to apologize in whatever way you see fit. See, you’re our most loyal customer, I am very sure of that, and you do not deserve this treatment.” he rambled.

He was going to keep apologizing, until the regular cut him off with a smile.

“Dear, it’s okay. In case you haven’t noticed yet, I came in earlier today,” she used her walking stick to point at the analogue clock displayed on the wall, “to tell you I won’t need my bouquet today. I do appreciate your efforts, and I probably should’ve told you sooner. However, I’m visiting my grandson in Yongsan. The boy doesn’t care a lot for flowers, so it’s okay for today, really.” Mrs. Choi finished with an apologetic smile.

Taehyun let out a woosh, a worry slipping from his shoulders.

“Well, in that case, I’m glad I’m behind on my work. Thank you for telling me, Mrs Choi. And have fun visiting your grandson! I’m sure he’ll appreciate your visit.” he chuckled.

Mrs. Choi smiled at him and waved, “Have a good day, honey.” she said as she exited the shop.

The second she was out the door, Taehyun dropped his head in his hands. He groaned in humiliation. It was only 9AM yet his day was already awful. Yeonjun’s idea stressed him out for an unknown reason and he embarrassing himself in front of Mrs. Choi. All he wanted to do was to go home.

A hand on his shoulder had him looking back up in an instant.

“Are you okay Taehyun-ah?” Kai asked with a devilish smirk.

All he could muster was a devastated “no”, which only resulted in more joy on Kai’s part.

Okay, maybe that wasn’t the stupidest idea Taehyun had ever heard come from Yeonjun’s mouth. Because, later that day, Taehyun decided to visit the elder for the sake of upholding their friendship. Even more ideas — that definitely needed some work — were mentioned by Yeonjun.

“Oh my god, Taehyun! You could so quit your job at the boutique and become our coworker! I can already envision you and your brilliant customer service, and you’d reek of coffee beans instead of flowers!” he rambled with the brightest smile Taehyun had ever seen on him.

They were seated on the couch in Yeonjun’s small, but terribly cozy, living room. Two glasses of red wine were placed in front of them on the coffee table, setting a peaceful atmosphere. The lights were dimmed, only if just slightly, because Taehyun had complained about a headache after clocking out from his shift.

“No. Not happening. It doesn’t even make sense. For starters, I love my job at the boutique and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I’ve got great coworkers, customers, and I genuinely enjoy the work field. Now, I can keep going if you want me to. My answer will remain the same: no.” he explained, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Yeonjun groaned and fell back onto the couch, “Your coworkers can’t be that wonderful.”

“Trust me, they are. I’d rather assemble flower bouquets with Kai all day then brew coffee with you for just five minutes.”

That comment had Yeonjun letting out a gasp and sitting back upright, “You, Kang Taehyun, are one cold, heartless man!”

Comments like those from Yeonjun never bothered Taehyun. At heart, they were nothing but playful, and teasing. The two had been friends for so long, Taehyun had stopped pretending to be offended whenever Yeonjun made a similar joke. Because he simply wasn’t. There might’ve been people out there who were actually convinced that Taehyun was “cold and heartless”, but that never bothered him. After all, his true friends knew that he wasn’t anything like that, not even in the slightest. If anyone genuinely thought that those descriptions applied to Taehyun, they just didn’t know him well enough, he figured.

And so, he just shrugged at Yeonjun’s remark.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the older man burst into hysterics and jabbed Taehyun in the side.

“Ouch? What is your deal?” he asked in confusion.

Yeonjun laughed some more, then tried to catch his breath, “I’m sure you’d love working with Beomgyu-ya!” he laughed.

“I don’t think so, hyung. I don’t even know the guy.”

“Well— Let’s see. You guys are like polar opposites! He’s loud and you’re not, you’re athletic and he’s weak, he’s like the sun and you’re like the moon. Wait, Taehyun-ah…” Yeonjun trailed off.

Growing weary of whatever Yeonjun was going to say next, Taehyun took a long sip of his wine. It had gone from ice cold to lukewarm in just half an hour, and truth be told, it was disgusting.

“You guys would make such a good couple.” Yeonjun muttered, then stared at Taehyun in disbelief, as if in shock that he came up with such a brilliant idea.

Taehyun stared back at him in equally as much disbelief. He hadn’t even met this Beomgyu, yet Yeonjun was already trying to play Cupid for the two of them.

“And his mom would love you Taehyun-ah! I’m not even exaggerating, I swear.” Yeonjun was now holding Taehyun by the shoulders as if it would magically make the younger fall in love with this stranger that Yeonjun was telling him about.

“I think I’m okay, hyung.”

For the nth time that night, Yeonjun groaned.

“Okay, whatever, but don’t come crying to me when you fall in love with him and you need advice.” he spoke, before downing the rest of his wine in one go.

The doorbell rang, offering Taehyun an escape out of this awkward conversation about a stranger. He saw his opportunity and took it, “I’ll go get it, hyung. Could you get us some more wine?”

Yeonjun nodded with a smile and Taehyun got up from the couch to open the front door to Yeonjun’s apartment.

When he did, he was met with — someone.

The man standing in front of him was tall, even slightly taller than Taehyun. His hair was styled in a brown wolf cut, bangs reaching down to his eyes. The sweatshirt he was wearing looked quite simple, gray with big, bold, black letters that spelled out the word “youth”. He had combined the sweatshirt with a pair of black jeans, and gray sneakers.

Not to mention, his face. Taehyun hated admitting it, but it almost looked like it had been handcrafted by the gods themselves. The perfect slope of his nose that went so well with his sharp jawline. The way his long eyelashes fluttered when he blinked, drawing Taehyun’s attention away from the beautiful pink, plump lips.

The man let out a small cough, breaking Taehyun out of his trance.

“Uhm. Is this Choi Yeonjun’s apartment?” he asked with a soft-spoken voice.

Taehyun couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful stranger in front of him for a few more seconds before he shook his head to stop that train of thought.

“It is. Who are you?” Taehyun answered him.

“I’m his friend, Choi Beomgyu? He texted me to come over about an hour ago.”

Fuck, Taehyun’s mind supplied. So this was Beomgyu. Yeonjun had been right, the guy was drop-dead gorgeous. Taehyun was having a hard time conversing with the guy, his mind supplying him with unholy fantasies about the stranger — well, maybe no longer stranger — standing in front of him.

“Beoms!” Yeonjun exclaimed from behind him.

Taehyun spun around on his heel, watching as Yeonjun made his way over to the two by the door with one bottle of wine in each hand.

“Hi, hyung.” Beomgyu giggled as he was pulled into a hug by Yeonjun.

“Gosh, I’ve missed you. You and your hugs. We all know I won’t meet my minimum requirement of daily skinship with just Taehyun here around.” Yeonjun joked.

“I’m assuming you’re Taehyun?” Beomgyu asked after Yeonjun released him from the hug.

With a simple nod, Taehyun confirmed his suspicions.

Beomgyu looked him up and down, making Taehyun squirm and his ears burn. The moment felt like it lasted an eternity. Nothing but Beomgyu’s eyes on Taehyun’s body — unspoken thoughts lingering in the warm air. As the cherry on top, Taehyun could’ve sworn he saw Beomgyu licking his lips. But then, in an instant, the killing atmosphere was exchanged with a disinterested one.

“It’s nice to meet you, Taehyun-ssi.”

A few hours passed, and within those few hours, Taehyun’s feelings towards Choi Beomgyu managed to change drastically.

Not only was the guy loud as fuck, like Yeonjun had warned him. He was also foolish. So incredibly foolish. It was almost as if in his eyes, the world was nothing but rainbows and butterflies. A stupid smile plastered his stupid face all night long, and even when Taehyun would try and ruin the stupidly happy mood, Beomgyu had the nerve to laugh.

It was safe to say, Taehyun’s night was ruined. He refused any more wine after his second glass, not feeling it. Yeonjun and Beomgyu kept discussing their ideas about their dream coffee shop. Taehyun just thought it was all so stupid. He was convinced this coffee shop wouldn’t even become reality, let alone last a week.

As the other two kept sipping away on the red wine, a rose blush creeped upon Beomgyu’s cheeks. Truthfully, Taehyun was pissed off. How could a guy this beautiful have such an annoying personality?

When their words started slurring Taehyun figured it was about time he went home.

He got up from his place on the couch and made his way over to the shoe rack by the front door. Without any issues he exchanged his inside slippers for his dirty sneakers and turned around to bid Yeonjun — and not Beomgyu — goodbye.

“Let me know when you’ve finally figured out this plan won't work.” he quipped.

“Hm. That’s my Taehyunnie.” Yeonjun mumbled as he pulled the younger one into a hug. It would’ve lasted forever if Taehyun didn’t pull away after some time, holding Yeonjun by the shoulders and inspecting his body language.

“You are so drunk. Go to bed, hyung.” he giggled.

“Mhm.” Yeonjun answered.

Taehyun let go of Yeonjun and looked over at Beomgyu, who was standing just behind him. The male looked tipsy as well, although significantly less drunk. He was swaying a little, but nothing a glass of water and two Tylenol couldn’t fix.

“You better take care of his drunk ass.” Taehyun bit out, looking Beomgyu directly in the eyes.

The male didn’t seem to register the threatening aspect of the message, but chose to nod nonetheless. And with that, Taehyun was out the door and on his way home. The breeze outside had him shivering, and he wished he lived closer to Yeonjun. Picking up his pace, he kept moving until he reached his own crappy apartment.

Although he loved his job, it didn’t earn him an extraordinary paycheck. The apartment he lived in was just big enough for him. Therefore, it didn’t need a lot of maintenance, but it could still feel suffocating at times.

Once he’d gotten ready for bed, he crawled under the comfortable duvet and sighed. His mind kept running over today’s events: Yeonjun’s distracting text, Mrs. Choi’s failed bouquet, Kai witnessing his humiliating moment, and Choi Beomgyu being a menace.

The last kept his mind awake, unable to find some shut-eye.

There was something about Choi Beomgyu that Taehyun really didn’t like, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on it yet.

A notification lit up his phone’s screen, and Taehyun mindlessly opened the message.

It was yet another day at the flower boutique. Taehyun hummed the melody of a song, of which he couldn’t recall the title or artist, as he dusted off the counter. In half an hour, the shop would close. Although Taehyun hadn't necessarily had a hard day, he couldn’t help but count the seconds until he was able to leave.

Truth be told, he was still tired from the night he’d had with Yeonjun and Beomgyu. Even if he’d made it home before two in the morning, he didn’t sleep well, Choi Beomgyu occupying his mind and driving him insane. And, of course, when he woke up, he was once again reminded of the text that Beomgyu had sent him late the previous night.

Taehyun being Taehyun, he’d decided to not answer it.

For some odd reason he didn’t feel the need to connect with Beomgyu, at all. Something about the elder just wasn’t sitting right with him, though he truly couldn’t figure out what that was.

"Taehyun-ah! That counter isn’t going to dust itself, you know?” he heard Kai joke from behind him, snapping him out of his endless, spiraling thoughts about Beomgyu.

Right. The counter needed dusting.

He returned to his task, successfully distracting him from his thoughts. He still had a small to-do list to work through before the shop actually closed, offering him something to make time pass faster.

Once Taehyun had finished dusting and a few other, smaller tasks, he started sweeping the floor. Outside, rain began to fall. It grew from small drops pattering against the window into an angry rain shower. The music that always played over the speakers in the boutique was drowned out by the loud rain. Taehyun sighed, as he remembered he’d walked to work this morning and he’d also have to walk back. Still, his sigh was drowned out by the noise.

After he had swept all the collected dirt onto a pile in the middle of the floor, Taehyun put the broom away and grabbed the dustpan. He crouched down and easily swept the dirt onto the dustpan, not leaving a speck behind. Standing back up, he threw the filth in the trash can, and put the dustpan away.

The only thing he still needed to do was to close the shop together with Kai. Glancing over at the clock, Taehyun realized he’d still have to wait another ten minutes before being allowed to close. Trying to kill some time, he started softly singing along to the music playing. It was a song he’d heard a couple of times before at the boutique, and he’d somehow remembered the lyrics. Taehyun probably wouldn’t add a song of the sorts to his playlist, but he enjoyed singing along with it nonetheless.

He got so caught up in the music, he didn’t hear the bell signaling a customer entering the boutique. That was, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. In an instant, he shut up, and turned around. Facing the person that had just entered, Taehyun couldn’t help but let out a small gasp.

“Beomgyu-ssi? What are you doing here?”

Beomgyu laughed a little at Taehyun’s straightforwardness, letting his hand slide down from Taehyun’s shoulder to his wrist, before letting go.

“Such a warm welcome, Taehyun-ssi. I wasn’t expecting anything else from you.” he grinned.

Already beginning to grow annoyed with Beomgyu’s presence, Taehyun repeated his question.

“What are you doing here?”

Beomgyu groaned, not appreciating how Taehyun was being way too serious. They literally hung out last night, and both of them were good friends of Yeonjun. Beomgyu didn’t see why Taehyun absolutely rejected the idea of connecting with him, even if just a little. So far, every time the two had stood in contact with each other, the mood had been sour and unfriendly. Beomgyu knew one thing for sure: he wasn’t responsible for their uncomfortable atmospheres.

“I have a date tomorrow, thought I’d pick up a bouquet. I’m not really a morning person, which is why I’m here now instead of tomorrow.” Beomgyu explained to the younger one.

“Well, that’s too bad. The boutique closes in five, we don’t assemble bouquets at this time anymore. Also, if you were to pick up a bouquet right now, it wouldn’t be in its prime anymore by tomorrow. Your date probably wouldn’t appreciate that. You can try again in the morning.” Taehyun spoke, before turning back around and walking over to the employee’s locker room.

“Wait, stop! Taehyun-ssi, come back!” Beomgyu whisper-yelled from where he was left standing by himself.

“You know I’d love to help you with this issue of yours, but you see, I can’t. This is out of my control. You might as well just go home now, Beomgyu-ssi.” Taehyun looked over his shoulder, back at Beomgyu.

“Can’t you make an exception for me? I’m begging you, please.” Beomgyu was growing desperate. He hadn’t gone on a good date in a long time. It was safe to say all he wanted was for this date to turn out fine. Preferably, more than fine.

“Why would I make an exception for you? We’re not even friends. Just because we bumped into each other last night and you decided to text me, doesn’t mean that we’re friends. So, no, I will not be making an exception. Now, can you please go so we can close the boutique?” Taehyun hissed, before disappearing through the doors leading to the locker room.

In the locker room, Kai was gathering his things, already changed out of his work attire. After taking one look at his coworker, he immediately sensed something was wrong with him.

“Taehyun-ah, are you okay? Be honest with me.” Kai asked.

Taehyun trudged over to his locker, taking his apron off and stuffing it in the small space. He then took off his blouse, leaving the plain black t-shirt underneath it on. After neatly folding the blouse and placing it in his bag, he looked back at Kai.

“To be honest, I don’t know. Yeonjun-hyung introduced me to one of his friends yesterday, the one he is wanting to start a coffee shop with. Anyways, the guy is drop-dead gorgeous, but he’s just a giant dick. And he just showed up here.” Taehyun complained.

Kai raised an eyebrow at that, “A hot guy, huh?”

“Shut up. It’s not like that.” Taehyun grumbled as he jokingly elbowed Kai in the stomach, earning fake cries out of the other.

Once Taehyun had finished packing up his things as well, the duo switched off the lights and made their way over to the door. The second Taehyun stepped outside, a cold, biting wind struck him. The rain was still downpouring as well, making him shiver and his teeth chatter.
Kai locked the door and pocketed the key before wrapping a scarf tightly around himself. He too was struggling in the harsh weather, even if he usually claimed he was relatively good with extreme weather conditions.

Taehyun watched as Kai rubbed his hands together, trying to gain even the slightest bit of warmth.

“Will you be here on Tuesday, Taehyun-ah?” Kai stuttered, thrown off completely by the cold.

Taehyun shook his head, “I’ve got a long weekend. I’ll be back on Wednesday.”

“Lucky duck. Alright, get home safe!” Kai ended the conversation, dying to go to his warm, comfy house.

“Bye, Hyuka!”

Taehyun zipped up his coat as high as it would go, covering his chin and providing minimal warmth. He put his hands in his pockets as he started walking. It was only a fifteen minute walk from work to his house, but on days like these he wished he had a car. Logically, he knew he could call up Yeonjun. His hyung would pick him up and drive him home, no doubt. But Taehyun didn’t want to be a bother, and so, he walked.

After walking down two blocks, Taehyun took a right. Especially in the winter he strongly disliked this street. There were barely any lamp posts, all of them hardly working. Walls were covered in graffiti, always giving Taehyun the impression that rules weren’t usually followed in this district. Seoul might’ve held a title for safety and low crime rates, but these streets begged to differ, Taehyun thought.

Walking down the sidewalk, Taehyun heard a car behind him. He didn’t dare to turn his head and look, just hoping there weren't sketchy people in the vehicle. It seemed Taehyun was proven wrong, as he noticed a black car pulling up next to him from the corner of his eye.

He picked up his pace, hiding his face further in his coat. The car didn’t miss the change in speed, engine revving slightly as it caught back up with Taehyun. The florist felt beyond panicked now, but he wasn’t sure what to do. His breathing increased, growing faster and faster with each passing second. Simultaneously, his hands turned clammy in his pockets.

All of a sudden, the car passed Taehyun and drove ahead of him. Taehyun thought it was finally over, but he was once again wrong. It pulled over a few meters ahead of him, and the engine was killed. Out of pure fear, Taehyun halted in his tracks. His fight or flight response had never been optimal — seeing as he usually just froze, like now.

The door to the driver's seat was opened, and a tall, thin man climbed out.

Finally, Taehyun’s mind caught up with him. Alarm bells were ringing in his head, and his mind was telling his body to run. Run to safety. Yet his body couldn’t do anything but remain frozen in fear, rooted to its spot on the sidewalk.

The figure kept coming closer and closer, and — The man waved at him?

“Taehyun-ssi!” he called out.

Wait.

Was that—

“Beomgyu-ssi?”

Beomgyu had finally reached Taehyun, looking down at the younger man standing in front of him. Taehyun was soaked from head to toe, water dripping everywhere. His teeth were still clattering, and his breathing was still a little ragged from the whole scene Beomgyu just caused.

“Are you okay? You’re shaking.” Beomgyu said worriedly.

Taehyun stared down at the sidewalk, his mind feeling haywire from the emotional rollercoaster he had been experiencing in a short amount of time. Puddles formed around his feet, soaking his Converse and getting into his socks.

“Let’s go to my car, you’re going to catch a cold.”

Before Taehyun could even register what was happening, Beomgyu was dragging him towards his car, holding him by his wrist. He opened the passenger door for Taehyun, and might’ve pushed him just a little when the younger hesitated about getting in or not. Soon enough, Beomgyu sat down in the driver’s seat. He turned the engine on, and with that, the heater.

It didn’t take long for Taehyun to warm up. His clothes and hair were still soaked, but his body temperature had gone up significantly.

“Where do you live?” Beomgyu looked over at Taehyun.

“Oh. You don’t have to lik— drive me home or anything. It’s fine. I’ve warmed back up, I can walk.” Taehyun stuttered, taken aback by Beomgyu’s sudden gentlemanliness. He wasn’t used to this side of the older just yet.

“The interior of my car is wet already. It’d be stupid for you to get out now. Now let me ask you again, where do you live?” Beomgyu retorted with a low chuckle, which made Taehyun’s heart skip a beat.

Taehyun gave him the address, and the car started moving.

He wasn’t sure what to talk about with Beomgyu, so he just kept quiet. This was only their third time bumping into each other, after all. The two didn’t know more about each other than from the few hours they spent together at Yeonjun’s. And truthfully, Taehyun hadn’t made any move to connect with Beomgyu then. He felt he also messed up earlier today, when he snapped at Beomgyu in the boutique. Maybe it was better if he just shut up whenever he was around elder, afraid of hurting him again.

“I didn’t know you were a florist, Taehyun-ssi.” Beomgyu teased, breaking the awkward silence.

“Oh. Uhm, yeah. I’ve been working there since my first year of college.” Taehyun mumbled.

“I was just surprised. There’s like this certain softness to being a florist, I wouldn’t have associated with you.”

That comment offended Taehyun slightly. He let out a gasp and narrowed his eyes at Beomgyu, pointing an accusatory finger at him, “What do you mean by that? I can be plenty soft.” he huffed.

Beomgyu just laughed, his eyes crinkled like the moon.

“I guess I just haven’t seen that side of you yet.” he said softly once he’d come down from his laughter.

Taehyun knew he was going to say something stupid along the lines of “that’s because we’re not friends” if he opened his mouth, so he decided to let Beomgyu win this one and stay quiet. For the rest of the drive, he stared out the window, his eyes following the raindrops making their way down the glass.

Five minutes later, the two found themselves in Beomgyu’s car in front of Taehyun’s apartment complex. For the rest of the drive there, Taehyun had felt incredibly shitty about how he’d acted towards the older man earlier today, at the boutique. He’d gotten too caught up in his impression of Beomgyu that he’d gotten after seeing him once. It wasn’t really fair, he figured.

“Beomgyu-ssi, I wanted to apologize for my behavior at the boutique. I shouldn’t have been so mean, when you’ve been nothing but kind to me.” Taehyun apologized.

When he looked over at Beomgyu, he had a soft smile on his face and a spark in his eyes. Taehyun almost thought that he looked cute. Almost.

“Is this you being soft?” Beomgyu joked.

Taehyun was about to get mad again, but a finger held against his lips stopped him from spitting nonsense at Beomgyu.

“Don’t worry about it, Taehyun-ssi. You should probably go inside and take a shower.” Beomgyu said, barely above a whisper.

With a heavy heart, Taehyun nodded, reluctantly moving Beomgyu’s finger away from his lips and putting his arm down on the space in between them. He unbuckled his seatbelt — had Beomgyu put it on him? — and opened the door. Before he got out, he turned to face Beomgyu once more, being met with that enchanting smile once more.

“Thank you.” Taehyun whispered.

And with that, he got out of the vehicle and entered his apartment complex.

The memory of Beomgyu’s text message plagued him during his shower, during dinner, and when he was scrolling through Instagram his phone burned in his hand. Hesitantly, Taehyun opened the Messages app. His eyes skimmed through the chats: Yeonjun, Kai, his dad, Unknown.
He opened the chat.

Taehyun wanted to say something, anything. But he wasn’t sure what. Thank you? No, he’d already said that. I’m sorry I thought you were a giant jerk at first? Not very nice. Taehyun groaned and threw his phone on his pillow. Why did socializing have to be this hard? It’s not even like Beomgyu would mind receiving a text from Taehyun, him having texted Taehyun before.

After contemplating for something close to twenty minutes, Taehyun picked his phone back up and finally added Beomgyu to his contacts, before writing the text. His thumb hovered over the send button for a few seconds, until he sent the text.

His heart dropped as he received an answer almost instantly.

ofc!! we’d still love to have u there<3

With a smile on his face and the hint of a blush on his cheeks, Taehyun fell asleep surprisingly fast.

It was Tuesday morning, and Beomgyu was lounging on his old couch in his apartment. He’d texted Yeonjun to come over, knowing he usually didn’t work Tuesdays. Beomgyu worked at a children’s daycare, 4 days a week. Truth be told, he thought it was exhausting. He liked children to an extent, which was why he had chosen to major in Childhood Development a few years ago. But now, after some real experience in the field, he knew that kids tired him out. Don’t get him wrong, he still loved them, he just felt lifeless after work. It took a pep talk from Yeonjun to convince him his work was draining him, and he should probably find a different job.

Yeonjun worked as a part-time choreographer. He’d majored in Dance and absolutely loved it. Even his job he loved with all his heart. Unfortunately, the field was barely hiring. He managed to find a job as a part-time choreographer for an upcoming artist, but he’d rather stand in the spotlights himself. Something close to a year ago, he’d broken his foot after falling down the stairs in a drunken state. It healed well, and it never bothered him anymore, but he knew this history would lower his chances of being hired as a main dancer even more.

When the two of them discussed this matter, Yeonjun had jokingly proposed starting a coffee shop together. He never expected Beomgyu to be as excited as he had been. The younger man had practically jumped around the room at his words.

That’s how they ended up in their current situation.

A knock on the door sounded through Beomgyu’s apartment, overpowering the soft music he was playing over his speakers.

“It’s open!” he yelled.

The door swung open to reveal Yeonjun, in all his glory.

“Morning, Beoms.” Yeonjun smiled as he plopped down lazily on the couch, right next to Beomgyu.

“Be careful! This couch is old!” Beomgyu hit him on the shoulder, letting a mischievous smile slip.

Yeonjun just shrugged and grinned.

Not much later, they were discussing their plans for the shop, both sipping on Beomgyu’s cheap and instant coffee.

“Let’s just say our coffee will be better than this.” Yeonjun winced, but refused to pour it down the drain.

The duo kept exchanging ideas, their fantasies and dreams stretching far. They already knew they wanted to settle on a cozy vibe, something leaning towards vintage. Neither of them liked the super modern, industrialized coffee shops Seoul was covered in nowadays. It felt really inhumane and antisocial, they agreed.

A call lit up the screen of Yeonjun’s phone, showing Taehyun’s name as the caller ID. Taehyun didn’t call often, so Yeonjun instantly grew wary.

“Let me get this real quick.” he told Beomgyu as he answered the call and held the phone against his ear.

Beomgyu watched Yeonjun’s expression as he sat in his place on the couch, leaned back against the backrest and sipped on his coffee. The bitter taste lingered on his tongue, but it was a flavor he’d always loved. Coffee was bitter, yes, but it was somehow so loved, all over the world. On top of that, Beomgyu loved how people could connect so much more easily over a cup of coffee, as if it could take the sharp edges off of anything. The entire concept of coffee was almost poetic, he figured.

Yeonjun’s expression morphed from a confused one into an exhilarated one, catching Beomgyu’s attention.

“Are you free? Can you come over? We’re at Beomgyu’s.” Yeonjun spoke into the phone rapidly, his mouth barely catching up with his brain.

“Perfect! I’ll text you the address, see ya!” Yeonjun smiled, then hung up.

Yeonjun finally looked over at Beomgyu, his face split in a giant smile, eyes shining like stars.

Beomgyu just raised his eyebrows at his hyung in a silent question.

“Taehyun-ah came across an empty pawn that’s for sale. It used to be a coffee shop, so it has a good layout for one. He thinks it’d be great for our coffee shop!” Yeonjun rambled.

Beomgyu scoffed and shook his head, “He hates this idea, remember? I’m willing to bet that he’s just pulling a prank on us, to make fools out of us.” he bit out.

“Okay, he might not be a fan, but I know him. He wouldn’t do something like that, trust me. This is great!”

Half an hour passed and their conversation faded into different topics. More coffee was brewed and the sun finally started peeking through the windows, engulfing the living room in a warm, orange hue. Before they knew it, Taehyun was at the door. Beomgyu and Yeonjun welcomed him, offered him some coffee, and allowed him to take a seat before eagerly urging him to talk.

“There’s not a lot to say. The place used to be a coffee shop, but it got shut down because it wasn’t very successful. The location wasn’t the problem, but the employees were rude and kept customers away. So, that shouldn’t be a problem for you guys. You don't necessarily have to buy it, since it’s also available for rent. It has a classic coffee shop layout, with a seating area, a bar, and an employee lounge. It’s also not crazy expensive, I think it’d work.” Taehyun explained.

Beomgyu found himself drifting off as Taehyun spoke, not paying attention to the words coming out of his mouth. All he had on his mind was that Taehyun was really attractive when he acted this knowledgeable. He just sounded so intelligent, so mature. For an unknown reason it made Beomgyu feel giddy, and he inhaled sharply. This was not the time to be thinking about Taehyun’s hotness.

“Well, what do you think, Beomgyu-ya?” two pairs of eyes suddenly looked at him.

“Uhm. Yea— Yeah, it’s great.” he stuttered.

“Are you okay?” Taehyun asked, big boba eyes staring into Beomgyu’s soul.

Suddenly, the air in the living room felt too suffocating. Beomgyu knew that if Taehyun was going to be near him for a little bit longer, he was going to do something incredibly stupid. He wanted to kiss the younger boy so bad. And it was weird. It was weird because the two barely knew each other. Yet, somehow, Beomgyu already felt this attracted to him.

“I’ll be back.” he breathed out in a flustered panic, before fleeing the room and heading to his bedroom. He left the door slightly ajar, knowing he would lock himself in if he closed it completely.

With a heavy sigh, he sat down on his bed and ran his hands through his long hair. He shouldn’t be feeling this, not for a man who more than likely hated his guts. Not for one of Yeonjun’s best friends.

But the feelings in his stomach were butterflies for sure.

He groaned, letting himself fall back onto his king sized bed. It was a miracle he found a relatively cheap apartment that could fit a bed this big. But then again, the bedroom door couldn’t close properly, which probably compensated for the amount of space.

“Beomgyu-ssi?” a voice sounded through his room.

Beomgyu shot up from his bed, gripping at his chest.

“Wait! Don’t close the—”

Click.

Taehyun had closed the door behind him.

“Oh, fuck.” Beomgyu muttered, standing up.

Taehyun turned around and tried twisting the doorknob and pulling, but the door remained stubbornly in place. Scanning the room, all he found was a window. But Beomgyu’s apartment was too high off the ground to use it as an escape. The two of them were stuck together. Fuck, indeed.

Beomgyu’s breathing quickly turned labored. He had never enjoyed being stuck somewhere. Even better, it scared him shitless. It felt like the walls were closing in on him, and any oxygen in the room was dissipating. He let his back hit the wall, before sliding down to the floor. Like a fish out of the water he was trying to breathe. It must’ve been a while since he last took a reasonable breath, as spots began to dance in his vision.

A hand on his shoulder spread a warm feeling throughout his body, but it didn’t quite stop the panic.

“Beomgyu-ssi, breathe. Follow my voice. You’re okay, just breathe with me.”

Taehyun started counting softly in Beomgyu’s ear, hand never leaving his shoulder. All of Beomgyu’s previous thoughts about the younger were replaced by the undeniable need to be comforted by him, to be held by him. Beomgyu shut his eyes tightly, gripping Taehyun’s arm to stay grounded.

“That’s it. Keep breathing. You’re doing so well.” Taehyun’s honey voice sounded again.

His body shook and he was letting out trembling shudders, but he was breathing again. Taehyun was here with him and Beomgyu was breathing again. His fingernails dug into Taehyun’s arm, trying to calm himself down. He didn’t even realize he might be hurting Taehyun, but the younger one didn't complain, so Beomgyu hoped it was okay.

Soft hands cradled his face, tilting his head to make him look Taehyun directly in the eye. His vision was still a little blurry from unshed tears, but he could still tell that the blob in front of him, the one that was holding his face like water in his hands, was wearing a concerned expression. Thumbs wiped away any tear tracks left on his cheeks, and Beomgyu leaned into the touch. He was exhausted.

“I’m sorry.” Beomgyu croaked out, voice dry and broken.

Taehyun quickly shook his head at that, “Don’t apologize. Not for this.”

“I’m still scared. I don’t like being stuck.” Beomgyu admitted in a whisper, closing his eyes again.

Taehyun had never heard Beomgyu speak that softly before, and he had to remind himself that this was not the time to swoon over him. Beomgyu just recovered from a panic attack, after all.

“Are you guys okay in there?” Yeonjun’s voice came from the other side of the door.

Both Taehyun and Beomgyu perked up at the sound, realizing Yeonjun might be able to help them get out.

“Can you open the door? It locked us in.” Taehyun yelled back.

“One sec!” Yeonjun replied.

Only now Taehyun was realizing the proximity between him and Beomgyu. He was pretty much breathing the others’ personal space. With a soft gasp, he pulled away, letting go of Beomgyu’s delicate face. Hesitatingly, Beomgyu’s hand dropped from Taehyun’s shoulder as well, who instantly missed the touch. Taehyun tried to look away from Beomgyu, feeling overwhelmed with his feelings for him.

“Taehyun-ah?” Beomgyu called out softly, making Taehyun look back at him.

“Hm?”

“Hyung.”

Taehyun frowned, “What do you mean?”

“It’s okay if you call me hyung.” Beomgyu smiled at him.

A smile that could rival the fucking moon. Taehyun’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, and he nodded wordlessly, smiling a sweet smile back at his hyung.

The door swung open, revealing a panting Yeonjun.

“That fucking lock was jammed.” he breathed.

Taehyun got up from the floor and extended his hand out to Beomgyu, who gratefully took it and used it to get up as well. Yeonjun narrowed his eyes at the interaction between the two, them not having been this close only ten minutes ago. Beomgyu’s red eyes and puffy face told him all he needed to know, so he didn’t ask. All he did was give Beomgyu a pat on the shoulder, which didn’t go unappreciated.

The trio sat back down in the living room, Beomgyu’s lingering shakiness slowly disappearing.

Soon enough, the conversation drifted back to what they gathered for: Beomgyu and Yeonjun’s future coffee shop. The three discussed all kinds of things: interior, logo, name, attire, you name it. It didn’t take long for their stomachs to start growling.

“What about lunch?” Beomgyu proposed.

Yeonjun glanced at his watch.

“Shit! It’s one already!” he cursed.

Beomgyu and Taehyun blinked at him in confusion, watching as he got up and threw his jacket on, followed by his shoes.

“I was gonna meet up with my mom for lunch at one thirty! Why didn’t you guys remind me?” he panicked.

“Because we didn’t know?” Taehyun retorted, earning a snort out of Beomgyu.

“Whatever. Bye guys!” Yeonjun blew the two of them a kiss, before practically running out the door.

“And then there were two.” Beomgyu pouted.

The mood in the room instantly changed from something friendly to something different, something more awkward. Yet at the same time, it held many unspoken words. All it did was make Taehyun feel uncomfortable, and he fiddled with his fingers as he tried to break the unpleasant tension.

“So… How did your date go?” he blurted out.

He mentally facepalmed. How that was the first thing that came to mind, he wasn’t sure. What he did know, though, was that it was a god-awful question. If it had gone well Beomgyu would probably be all giddy right now, and Yeonjun would’ve teased him for the entirety of their meeting.

Beomgyu hummed, “It was fine. I just don’t think we’d work out.”

Taehyun nodded, showing Beomgyu that he was listening.

“How come?”

Beomgyu settled deeper into the couch, clutching his nth cup of coffee in his hands. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling, as if the words he was looking for would be displayed there. Then, he looked over at Taehyun, locking eyes.

“It’s just— The things he talked to me about on our date didn’t line up with the things he’d texted me? Does that make sense?”

Taehyun’s world paused. He?

Logically, he was aware of the fact that not everyone was straight. Hell, even he himself was a gay man. Yet, for some unknown reason, he’d never considered Beomgyu to be anything but straight. Now, looking back, it didn’t make any sense. It’s not like Beomgyu had ever confirmed anything. It’s not like it was any of Taehyun’s business.

“Oh— okay. That’s cool.” he blurted out.

Beomgyu was slightly taken aback at Taehyun’s reaction. He’d imagined Taehyun to be a supportive guy, therefore trusting him with this part of his identity. But this reaction almost made him feel judged by the younger man. Beomgyu was afraid he’d made Taehyun uncomfortable, so he quickly tried to cover it up.

“Uhm— I mean—” Beomgyu stuttered.

“I mean, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. It really is— cool.” Taehyun tried explaining himself, stumbling over his words.

Beomgyu just nodded, looking down at his lip as he bit his fingernail. An uneasy feeling creeped its way into his body, settling in his bones, dragging him down. It was an all-too familiar experience, Beomgyu having dealt with feelings of the like for years. Still, he never knew how to act when he felt like this. All he could do was to avoid the source of the problem, which was Taehyun in this case.

So, that’s what he did.

“I think it’d be best if you left now.” he mumbled.

Taehyun seemed upset, like he had more to say. Beomgyu didn’t want to hear it, though. So he shot him a look, effectively shutting Taehyun up. The shorter one quickly collected his things before making his way out the front door. His stomach still growled, but their lunch was long forgotten.

“I’ll see you around, hyung?”

“Mhm. Bye, Taehyun-ah.”

The door closed softly behind Taehyun. Plans for lunch long forgotten. Just when things were looking more hopeful, he’d messed up.

Later that night, Taehyun laid in bed. Cars could be heard driving down the street near Taehyun’s apartment, offering a steady background noise. Every now and then one honked, but it didn’t bother Taehyun much. His mind was occupied by only one thing after all: Beomgyu. Truthfully, he had been thinking about Beomgyu a lot recently. He was tired, and only half-awake, but thoughts about his hyung prevented him from falling asleep.

More specifically, he felt incredibly guilty about the way he reacted to Beomgyu’s coming out, if you could call it that.

He pondered and pondered, wracking his mind about why he had reacted the way he did.

Just as his eyes were about to close, and his mind finally drifted off, he realized something he wouldn’t remember properly in the morning. Maybe it wasn’t about Beomgyu’s sexuality, maybe it was about his own shifting feelings.

Taehyun quickly pocketed his phone as the bell at the door once again rang, notifying him about a customer’s entrance. There were only thirty minutes left in his shift, and luckily, he wasn’t on closing duty. He’d just have to keep himself entertained for the last stretch of his shift, and afterwards he’d go straight to Yeonjun’s — and Beomgyu’s — coffee shop.

The shop had somehow become a reality over the past few days.

After Taehyun told them about the empty pawn, the duo had done as much research as possible. They visited, made sure their finances were stable enough, and so much more. In the end, Yeonjun and Beomgyu had decided to rent the place. They were exhilarated. Taehyun, too, was happy for them. And ever since the deal was signed, Yeonjun and Beomgyu had been working on renovating the place.

Taehyun didn’t mind helping, but he had a full-time job himself. He helped whenever he could, but found himself at the flower boutique more often than not. Truthfully, he’d been nervous about showing up at the coffee shop as well. What if he bumped into Beomgyu? He hadn’t seen the older man since then.

“Good afternoon, dear.” Taehyun looked up to see Mrs. Choi standing in front of him with a soft smile.

“Hello, Mrs. Choi.” he gave her a light bow, making her chuckle fondly.

“Seems like you’ve got something on your mind.” she commented knowingly.

Confirming her suspicions, Taehyun nodded embarrassedly. He never liked it when customers saw the more vulnerable side to him, the soft side, like Beomgyu would’ve put it.

He just couldn’t stop thinking about Beomgyu.

“You know, honey. If you want, you can talk to me about it. Get that pressure off of your shoulders.” Mrs. Choi suggested.

Although Taehyun hated showing this side of him, Mrs. Choi had seen it before. The lady dropped by the boutique so often, she’d caught Taehyun at both the best and the worst times. If he’d have to pick one customer who he’d willingly be vulnerable with, he’d pick Mrs. Choi without a doubt. She was almost like a grandmother to him.

Which is why he almost immediately started rambling the second the old lady suggested he do so.

“It’s just— My best friend is opening a coffee shop with a friend of his. I’d never met the guy before, but then I did. And— It’s just so complicated. He’s so wonderful, yet so infuriating at the same time. Whenever I’m around him, I just don’t know what to feel? One second I'm happy, the next I’m annoyed to no end!” Taehyun explained, running his hands through his hair.

Mrs. Choi listened and nodded here and there.

“And they’re looking for employees, right? My best friend suggested I quit my job here and become a barista like them— Making me a coworker to that guy! How could he ever assume I’d say yes to that?” he finished, letting out an exasperated breath.

Mrs. Choi put a comforting hand on Taehyun’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. She smiled at him fondly, her wrinkles telling stories of wisdom.

“Honey, have you ever thought about why your mood swings back and forth so quickly whenever you’re around this boy?”

Taehyun nodded, then elaborated, “I have. I actually thought about it a lot, but I just still don’t understand.”

“Maybe he has made his way into your heart, but you’ve been having some trouble letting him in.”

Taehyun let her words sink in. He’d considered the possibility that he like-liked Beomgyu before, but he’d always denied it. How could he possibly harbor a crush on someone he hated from only a few interactions? But when Mrs. Choi put it like that — like he had been having trouble letting Beomgyu into his heart — it sounded awfully right. It sounded awfully right and he didn’t know what to do.

Noticing how Taehyun got stuck in his head, Mrs. Choi distracted him, “Would you mind getting my bouquet for me, honey?”

At the question, Taehyun snapped out of his thoughts and got back to work. He made his way over to the shelves where they kept their bouquets. One of them stood out, wearing a pink tag that said Choi Haneul. This week, the bouquet consisted of Chinese Asters, zinnias, and snapdragons. Overall, it looked lovely and colorful.

As he handed it to her, Taehyun didn’t fail to notice Mrs. Choi’s sparkling eyes. In just a heartbeat, anyone could see that she was a very loving person, just by looking at her eyes. It was if, somehow, she was able to appreciate anything and everything.

Her hands shook slightly as she took the bouquet from Taehyun and handed him a few bills in return.

“Oh, before I forget, my grandson is currently looking for a job. He was an English tutor for kids in junior high until a few weeks ago. Unfortunately for him, the school hired a better teacher, and my grandson wasn’t needed there anymore. Do you think he’d fit in with your friends at the coffee shop?” she asked.

Taehyun perked up at that, getting excited whenever he was able to help Yeonjun.

“They really need a coworker so I’m sure they’d be thrilled if he joined them! Do you mind leaving his phone number here so we can contact him?” he asked.

Mrs. Choi took a notebook and a pen out of her vintage purse and quickly scribbled something down. It looked almost indecipherable, but when Taehyun squinted really hard, he was able to make out the numbers. She also wrote down the boy’s name: Choi Soobin.

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Choi.”

“Don’t bother, dear. I should be the one thanking you for making me beautiful bouquets every week. You should reconsider what I mentioned to you about your feelings towards this boy.” she twinkled, and with that, left.

Taehyun looked at his watch, noticing about ten minutes had passed. Since it wasn’t busy at all, he decided to take off his apron and pack his things. Once he’d put on his jacket, he found Kai in the back.

“I’m leaving a few minutes early if you don’t mind. I’ve got Yeonjun hyung to take care of.”

Kai grinned, “Fine by me. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yup. See ya, Hyuka!”

“Bye, Taehyun-ah!”

Somewhere along the way, Taehyun ended up in a club. Together with Yeonjun and Beomgyu. Beomgyu who he hadn’t talked to in a few days. After his shift, Taehyun had made his way over to the coffee shop to help Yeonjun out. To his luck, Beomgyu had been there as well. The two danced around each other awkwardly, refusing to address the elephant in the room.

Taehyun had tried to stick to his task as much as possible: sketching ideas for the interior. Unfortunately, Beomgyu didn’t agree with everything he thought would look nice.

”You can’t just place a couch there! It’ll take up too much space!”

“Hyung, you were just begging me to make this place cozy!”

“Begging? I wasn’t begging you. Stop exaggerating.”

“Only if you stop overreacting. Yeonjun hyung picked me for this task instead of you, and for a reason it seems.”

“This isn’t your coffee shop!”

“You wouldn’t even have found this place if it wasn’t for me!”

The two had kept going back and forth, until Yeonjun eventually broke them up. He’d forced Taehyun to keep quiet and make a few more sketches, whereas he’d made Beomgyu clean up the employee lounge in the back. Yeonjun himself kept busy with repainting the cafe area.

Suddenly, Taehyun remembered what he’d been wanting to tell Yeonjun about, “By the way, I think I might’ve found you guys a coworker.”

At the mention, Yeonjun dropped his paintbrush and let out a surprised yelp.

“Say that again!” he’d practically yelled.

“Uhm. I found you guys a potential coworker?” Taehyun mumbled.

Yeonjun got off his ladder and ran over to Taehyun, enveloping the shorter one into an excited hug, “You’re kidding! You’re the best, Taehyun-ah!”

Giggling, Taehyun hugged him back, happy to see him so thrilled, “I’ll text you his number. His name is Soobin. That’s all I know about him, really.”

“Oh my god! We should celebrate this! Let’s go out tonight!” Yeonjun suggested, pulling away from the hug.

“Uhm—” Taehyun began, before he was once again cut off by Yeonjun.

“Please, Taehyun-ah?”

“Fine. Whatever. I’ll come.” he agreed.

It didn’t take long for Yeonjun to convince Beomgyu as well, slightly angering Taehyun. He was hoping to have fun if he was going out, but he doubted it’d be any fun with Beomgyu there. However, he’d do anything to see Yeonjun happy, so he kept his mouth shut and met the two at the club close to his apartment later that night.

As soon as they entered the place, bright lights blinded Taehyun. He wanted to complain, but the loud blaring of the music effectively shut him up. He didn’t feel like screaming just yet. Yeonjun immediately dragged them over to the bar, ordering the first round.

Not much later, three shots were placed in front of them. Taehyun clinked his glass against Yeonjun’s, then hesitantly against Beomgyu’s as well, and downed it. Time passed by in a blur. As more alcohol made its way into Taehyun’s system, the music started to sound better, the lights weren’t as bright, and Beomgyu’s presence wasn’t bothering him as much.

Soon enough, they’d lost Yeonjun. Taehyun had caught him flirting with a relatively attractive guy. They had been dancing and singing, then they ended up making out on the dancefloor. That was the last Taehyun saw of them, Yeonjun being nowhere in sight anymore. Taehyun tried to not be concerned, Yeonjun would be fine, he told himself.

That left him and Beomgyu.

Beomgyu tapped Taehyun on the shoulder, then leaned in to talk to him. Taehyun tried to shake the giddy feeling of the proximity between them, blaming it on the alcohol.

“Where is Yeonjun-hyung?” he had to yell in order to get the message across to Taehyun.

All Taehyun could do was shrug.

He’d rather leave, being alone in a club with Beomgyu making him feel awkward. But at this point, he knew Beomgyu was too far gone to care about the situation. The older man was swaying on his feet, just trying to stay upright. He’d downed drink after drink, making him significantly drunk. The cup he was currently holding was still full, Beomgyu had only gotten it about a minute ago.

A hand was placed on Taehyun’s waist, making him look up.

Next to him stood a stranger, a man with short dark hair and a slight hint of makeup. The man reeked of alcohol and smoke, making Taehyun’s nose scrunch up. If Taehyun somehow knew him, he wouldn’t be able to recognize the man for the life of him. All he knew was that he didn’t like the arm wrapped around his waist. He tried pushing the man off, but his grip only tightened.

“Hey there, sweetheart. No need to fight.” the stranger chuckled in his ear.

Taehyun frowned, and tried pushing him off again. He failed, again.

“Don’t touch me.” he hissed at the man, starting to feel panicked.

“C’mon, you know you want me. I’ll get you a drink.”

Taehyun tried to yank himself out of the man’s hold, making him stumble into Beomgyu. The drinks had made his mind fuzzy, and the room spun around him. He wanted to apologize to Beomgyu for collapsing onto him, but he couldn’t make out the words. A strong hand held him upright by his bicep. Taehyun looked up to see it was Beomgyu who had saved him.

The taller one placed his drink down on the bar and let go of Taehyun. He took a stumbling step towards the stranger, and gave him a strong push in the opposite direction.

“Keep your hands off of him.” Beomgyu roared, veins on display.

Finally, the stranger seemed intimidated. He backed off, shot Beomgyu one last nasty look, then turned around and disappeared out of their sights.

Beomgyu immediately turned to Taehyun, “Are you okay?”, he yelled over the blaring of the music.

Both of them had sobered up slightly because of the incident, their senses heightened.

Taehyun nodded breathlessly, “Thank you, hyung.”

Beomgyu just bit his lip, looking like he was pondering. After a few seconds he grabbed his drink back off the bar and continued like nothing happened. Suddenly, he held his hand out to Taehyun, who stared at it in question. Beomgyu stretched his arm out farther towards Taehyun, nudging the younger one to take his hand. Reluctantly, he did, wondering about what Beomgyu’s plans were.

He didn’t have to wait long to find out. Beomgyu held onto Taehyun’s hand tightly as he walked deeper into the heart of the club. People were surrounding them from every side, pushing them closer together. Beomgyu didn’t seem to mind, though. The older man looked happy, relaxed almost, as he moved along with the music. After a few minutes of the strange situation, Taehyun found himself loosening up as well. The incident was pushed to the back of his mind as he started moving with Beomgyu, feeling the music.

After Beomgyu downed his drink, neither of them had any more. Yet they seemed to be drunk nonetheless. Drunk in the music, or drunk in each other. Even after a long day of bickering, Taehyun couldn’t help but appreciate Beomgyu’s everything. The way the slope of his nose ran, his sweet fragrance that was so mesmerizing even in a pit full of sweaty people, his body that danced so gracefully yet so seductively to the music.

Consciously or unconsciously, their bodies inched closer towards each other. Taehyun was sure that what he was feeling on his face was Beomgyu’s breath. It happened in an instant. One second, their bodies were touching. The next, Beomgyu had his arms wrapped around Taehyun’s neck, pulling him in closer. In that moment, Taehyun decided to let go of the tension that had been building up between the two of them. He let his hands roam up and down Beomgyu’s body freely, not hiding his attraction anymore.

Beomgyu let out a shaky breath, stumbled here and there, and Taehyun could see a hazy look in his eyes. That was weird, he thought, Beomgyu hadn’t looked or acted this drunk all night. Especially after the stranger that had harassed Taehyun, he’d sobered up. Yet now he seemed far-away in his mind, almost disoriented. Taehyun pulled back slightly, concerned.

“Are you okay, hyung?” he yelled over all the sounds.

Beomgyu just stared at him blinking, letting out another shaky exhale.

Taehyun was really worried now.

He pulled away from Beomgyu’s body — against his own dismay — and took his hand to lead him out of the crowd. The same way Beomgyu had led him into it just half an hour prior. Once Taehyun had dragged him outside of the building, he could really look at Beomgyu. And he didn’t like what he saw.

The man looked confused, and he was still swaying on his feet and blinking heavily.

It seemed almost impossible Beomgyu only got this drunk after he’d stopped drinking.

“Hyung? What’s wrong?” Taehyun asked softly, thankful that he didn’t have to scream anymore.

Beomgyu took an uncoordinated step towards him, immediately making Taehyun react by holding onto the elder’s waist. Beomgyu licked his lips and slurred his words, “I— I don’t feel good.”

Taehyun nodded worriedly, “Let’s get you home, hyung.”

It didn’t seem to register in Beomgyu’s mind that he didn’t live in this area. He blindly followed Taehyun, barely able to walk without his legs falling from underneath him. Taehyun sent Yeonjun a quick text, notifying him that he was taking Beomgyu to his own apartment because he wasn’t feeling well.

When his attention returned to the other, he saw him standing with his eyes closed.

“Beom—” Taehyun was cut off by Beomgyu gagging, then throwing up all over the sidewalk. He whined and heaved, clinging onto Taehyun with all the strength left in his weak body.

Taehyun pulled him away from the pile of vomit right before Beomgyu collapsed to the ground.

“Fuck.”

He was starting to panic and he knew it. Yeonjun was nowhere to be found, and now Beomgyu was lying on the sidewalk barely conscious. And Taehyun just didn’t know what to do. He wracked his mind over the possibilities, but there weren’t many. All he could settle on was that he had to get Beomgyu home and take care of him, somehow.

After taking a deep breath, he crouched down to Beomgyu’s level.

“Hyung, you have to get up. I’m gonna take you home with me. Tell me now if you don’t want to.”

All Beomgyu did was groan, as he curled in on himself more.

“No! Don’t do that, here.” Taehyun slid his arms under Beomgyu’s armpits and lifted him up from the ground. The older man whined and coughed, but didn’t say anything.

With one of Beomgyu’s arms slung around his shoulder, Taehyun wrapped his arm back around his waist. It was the easiest way to get him home, he figured. The walk was only five minutes long, it had to be possible this way.

Along the way, Beomgyu stumbled and fell once more. Taehyun quickly gathered him back up to keep going. The cold outside wasn’t helping either, he figured, as he noticed Beomgyu was shaking like a leaf. His apartment building came into sight fairly quickly, and Taehyun let out a sigh of relief.

He quickly took Beomgyu inside, up the floors using the elevator. As soon as they entered Taehyun’s apartment, Beomgyu started mumbling something again. Alarm bells went off in Taehyun’s head, and he practically dragged his hyung into the bathroom. Beomgyu immediately reached for the toilet, and puked again. It left him dizzy and disoriented, black spots dancing in his vision.

Taehyun watched it all happen. Beomgyu threw up anything that was left in his system, then promptly passed out, banging his head against the toilet seat.

Not once in his life had Taehyun experienced something like this. He’d dealt with plenty of drunk people over the years, and had been drunk plenty of times himself as well. He just couldn’t put his finger on how Beomgyu only got this bad about an hour after his last drink, whilst he had been decently sober as well.

But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

He carefully lifted Beomgyu up from the floor, awakening him again. He blinked up at Taehyun and grunted, “It hurts.”

Hearing his hyung that was usually so happy and lively speaking so crestfallen made Taehyun’s heart break in his chest, even if he kept telling himself that he didn’t like Beomgyu — not in the slightest.

“I know, hyung. Let me take care of you.” he comforted Beomgyu.

Beomgyu nodded drowsily, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

Taehyun was quick to wipe it away.

He managed to get Beomgyu to lay down in his bed and tucked him in. For a second he considered changing Beomgyu’s pretty clothes into more comfortable ones, but he didn’t want to overstep boundaries, so he left Beomgyu in the clothes he had been wearing. After putting a bucket and a glass of water on the nightstand, Taehyun waited until he dozed off again. It didn’t take too long.

Hesitantly, he left the bedroom, leaving the door open in case something happened.

Exhaling, Taehyun sat down on his couch in the living room. He was fully sober now, Beomgyu having scared him shitless. He knew that he wasn’t going to get shuteye any time soon, so he decided to do his own research on what just happened. When he pulled out his phone, he saw Yeonjun had texted him back. Taehyun’s text had worried him as well, so he quickly wrote up another one to calm Yeonjun down.

Taehyun closed the chat, thinking over Yeonjun’s words. The possibility of Beomgyu having been spiked sounded awfully imaginable. With some further thought, Taehyun realized his drink could’ve been spiked as Beomgyu was fighting off the harassing stranger. Neither of them had been paying attention to Beomgyu’s drink at that moment.

Taehyun ran his hand down his face. If that was true, it was pretty much his fault Beomgyu was as sick as he currently was. Taehyun didn’t stick up for himself enough after all, making Beomgyu want to step in instead.

He groaned, and fell back onto the couch. He was just glad that Beomgyu was still functioning, somewhat, and didn’t need a doctor. Taehyun had once read about an awful case where a girl was spiked and ended up in the hospital.

In the morning, he’d check up on Beomgyu again to make sure he was okay. For now, he wanted to make sure the elder got plenty of rest and recovery time. In the meantime, Taehyun wanted to try and get a little bit of rest for himself as well. He tried pushing away the worries about Beomgyu clouding his mind. It took way longer than it usually would, but Taehyun somehow ended up falling asleep. The ghost of Beomgyu’s arms around his neck haunted him in his dreams.

When Beomgyu awoke the next morning, his head was pounding and he had no recollection of the night before. His body felt sore and ached all over, making him groan as he rolled over in bed. Something registered in his brain, his bed feeling less spacious than it used to. Beomgyu’s begrudgingly opened his eyes, wishing he’d be able to get some more sleep later on that day.

When he did, he felt his heart drop. The bed he was in wasn’t his, and neither was the bedroom. He sat up in the strange bed to be able to take his surroundings in better. The door to the bedroom stood wide upon, showing a cozy living room connected to a small kitchen. It looked cute, but also unfamiliar. Thousands of questions arose in him as he realized he’d never been in this apartment before.

As if on cue, a figure appeared in the doorway.

“Taehyun-ah?” Beomgyu’s jaw dropped.

Taehyun carefully made his way over to the bedside.

“Good morning, hyung. How are you feeling?” the younger one asked.

Beomgyu was still baffled, at a loss for words. He didn’t have a single memory that could’ve led to him sleeping over at Taehyun’s place.

“Uhm,” he noticed his stomach was feeling uneasy as well, “hungover?”

“Do you remember anything that happened last night?”

Beomgyu truly tried, but only a few broken images came to him. He vaguely remembered taking many shots, then dancing with Taehyun. The thought made his face heat up, a light pink tinting his cheeks. Everything after that was a blur.

“Oh my god! Did we—” Beomgyu pointed back and forth between Taehyun and himself with wide eyes, indicating something he didn’t want to say out loud, too embarrassed.

“What do you— Oh, fuck no. No, we didn’t sleep together, hyung.” Taehyun stuttered.

The voice of a little demon in his head told him that he wished they did. Taehyun thought it sounded an awful lot like Kai.

Beomgyu whined and put his head in his hands, causing a sharp pang of pain, instantly making him look back up. He gently touched his forehead again, the radiating pain returning.

“Ow. What the fuck?” he pressed his palm against it one more time, just to make sure he wasn’t making things up, “What happened?”

Taehyun couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping at Beomgyu’s antics, momentarily forgetting about the seriousness of the situation. When he noticed Beomgyu’s piercing gaze on him though, he quickly returned to reality, giggles gone just as soon as they arrived.

“You got spiked.” he blurted out.

Classic Taehyun, always straight to the point. People often didn’t like it when he was this straightforward and honest. Many times he’d been told to be more considerate. And he’d tried, he really had. It just didn’t seem to work for him. To put it simply, he was a forthright guy. So, it shouldn’t have been a surprise really, when Beomgyu’s eyes practically popped out of his head at the explanation.

“I— Me? What? How?” he asked, taken by surprise.

“Uhm. First, we lost Yeonjun hyung. Then we were drunk, and this guy started harassing me. You got angry at him and scared him off. I’m not sure, but I think someone spiked your drink in the meantime.” Taehyun explained somberly.

A beat.

“Fuck.” Beomgyu cursed.

“You were really out of it. That’s why I took you back to my apartment, since it was much closer than yours.” Taehyun said, then added, “I hope you don’t mind too much.”

Beomgyu immediately shook his head, rejecting the insecure thought.

“I don’t mind. I’m actually insanely grateful. I’m sorry you had to save my ass, Taehyun-ah. Was I really bad?”

Taehyun just laughed, “You only threw up two times. That’s where that bruise came from, by the way. You passed out and hit your head on the toilet seat.”

Beomgyu dragged out a long groan, lightly punching the mattress.

“I’m such an idiot.” he whined.

“That you are,” Taehyun started, earning a nasty look from Beomgyu, “but this was out of your control.” he smiled.

The elder sighed, knowing Taehyun was right. That didn’t mean he liked it though. A sense of embarrassment about his extreme vulnerability settled in his bones, dragging his body down. He hated that Taehyun, out of all people, had seen him like that. So feeble, so weak.

Beomgyu usually carried an image of self-confidence and strength. He tried to always be all smiles, he tried to light up every room he stepped foot in. Taehyun had already seen the fragile side to him once before, when the two of them got locked in in Beomgyu’s bedroom. About that, he’d felt extremely ashamed as well. Now, Taehyun had seen him in a similar state once again. A state that didn’t match the image he wanted people to have of him.

Taehyun probably thought of him as a failure.

It shouldn’t matter to him, really. He kept telling himself that he couldn’t stand Taehyun after all. So why tears were suddenly rolling down his rosy cheeks, or why Taehyun seemed so concerned at the sight, he wasn’t sure of either.

Taehyun quickly sat down on the bed, facing Beomgyu.

“What’s wrong, hyung?” he whispered.

The concern in his voice morphed Beomgyu’s silent tears into a waterfall of sobs. There was no stopping it now. He cried and cried, he gasped for air. It wasn’t until Taehyun wrapped him up in a hug that he could breathe a little better. Still, he was crying, but this time into Taehyun’s shoulder. His mixed emotions crashed over him, confusing him extremely.

How could he possibly not like Taehyun when the younger one cared for him this much?

But then again, he doubted Taehyun actually felt something for Beomgyu. Maybe he was just doing this because it was the right thing to do, socially. Maybe he was just doing this to shut Beomgyu up faster.

He gripped onto Taehyun’s hoodie, holding onto it like it was a lifeline. His hands somehow had a good grip on the clothing item, despite their shakiness.

Through sobs, Beomgyu cried, “Don’t you hate me?”

Taehyun tried pulling back from the hug to look Beomgyu in the eye at his question, but the crying man wouldn’t let him. He stubbornly held onto Taehyun’s hoodie, keeping the two in a hug.

“Why would I hate you? There’s nothing to hate about you.” Taehyun whispered, even if his voice broke mid-sentence.

“T-That one time. At the boutique, when you said that—” Beomgyu began.

Taehyun had long forgotten about that interaction, but all of it came back to him the second Beomgyu mentioned it. He’d been so cruel towards him, and never felt guilty about it until now.

We’re not even friends, he’d told Beomgyu.

“Hyung, look at me.” Taehyun almost forced Beomgyu off of him, creating a distance between them.

Looking over his hyung, Taehyun’s heart shattered all over again. His eyes were red and puffy, sticking out painfully. Wet tear stains still covered his cheeks, fresh tears making their way down them every few seconds. He just looked so broken. Taehyun had a feeling that there was more to this than just the spiking.

“I am so sorry for what I said, hyung. I was unnecessarily mean to you, and I take it all back. You don’t have to forgive me right away, but please know that I didn’t mean it.” he apologized.

Beomgyu blinked at Taehyun, his lower lip trembling. He nodded at the younger’s words, really taking them in.

“I’m sorry.” Beomgyu muttered.

“What for?”

Beomgyu sighed as he dabbed at his eyes, the remnants of his tears disappearing slowly.

“For always making you take care of me.”

Taehyun grabbed Beomgyu’s hands, making Beomgyu look down at them. It was weird, only yesterday the two of them were fighting over a couch. Now, their hands were intertwined on a slow morning. Taehyun’s thumb ran soft strokes over Beomgyu’s hand, sending a shiver down his spine. He tried to push the feeling away, the feeling of attraction.

“You’re not making me do anything. Plus, you saved my ass back in the club. Even if you don’t remember it.” Taehyun smiled at him.

That finally got a smile out of Beomgyu, even if it was only a small one.

A few hours passed comfortably. Beomgyu’s headache was clearing up slightly, as was his stomach starting to feel better. He drank the water from the glass that Taehyun had provided for him, and even tried a piece of dry toast. He had been scared that it wouldn’t sit well on his empty stomach, but it ended up settling perfectly fine.

Conversation ran smoothly, and Beomgyu realized this was their first time being alone for a longer amount of time. It felt like his stomach was doing backflips, but he put the blame on the Tylenol Taehyun made him take after finishing up his toast. Definitely no feelings, he tried to dismiss those.

Keyword: tried.

Taehyun just looked so ethereal, almost unreal. The way his big brown eyes stared at Beomgyu whenever he spoke left the older one in awe. It was in the way his cute teeth showed every time he laughed at one of Beomgyu’s unfunny jokes. Beomgyu’s heart fluttered an embarrassing amount when Taehyun offered him a change of clothes.

Closing the door behind him, he looked around Taehyun’s bathroom. So this was where he hit his head, huh. The change of clothes in his hands felt heavy. Beomgyu slowly took off the clothes he had been wearing since last night, his body hurting from the movement. Once he was undressed, he looked himself over in the mirror. A couple of bruises on his arms and legs, it wasn’t anything too bad. Taehyun had told him he’d collapsed a few times, so it made sense.

He deliberately put on the clothes Taehyun had given him: a pair of gray sweatpants, a black tee, a green hoodie and a pair of fuzzy socks. When Beomgyu put his head through the hoodie, the smell of roses flooded his senses. It instantly reminded him of Taehyun, Beomgyu only now realizing the younger one often smelled like roses.

When he exited the bathroom, Taehyun was waiting for him in the living room. He watched as Beomgyu padded over towards the couch in his clothes.

“You look cute.” Taehyun smiled.

A faint blush creeped its way upon Beomgyu’s cheeks. He wasn’t sure if Taehyun was flirting with him or not, but it affected him nonetheless.

“Do not.” Beomgyu grumbled as he sat down next to Taehyun.

“Your clothes smell like you, though.” Beomgyu added after a few seconds of consideration.

“Oh? What do I smell like then?” Taehyun asked teasingly.

“Don’t make me say it.”

“Say it.”

“No.”

“I know you want to say it.”

“Ugh. You smell like roses. Happy?” Beomgyu gave in to Taehyun’s merciless and endless teasing.

“That’s actually my laundry detergent.” Taehyun quipped back.

Beomgyu groaned, playfully jabbing Taehyun in his side. The younger man just laughed and threw his head back, his eyes sparkling like a starlit sky. As the familiar feeling of a growing crush expanded in Beomgyu’s body once again, he decided it’d be best if he left. If he spent much longer with Taehyun, he knew he’d do something stupid. He’d done enough stupid things over the past week, he figured.

“Taehyun-ah, I think I’m gonna head home now. It’s almost four.” Beomgyu announced.

Taehyun looked at his watch, “You’re right. I didn’t even notice how much time had passed. You don’t have to go, you know? I don’t mind.” he said.

Beomgyu got up from the couch and collected his dirty clothes in a bag that Taehyun had put out for him earlier. He put on his jacket — that didn’t smell like rose-scented laundry detergent — and answered, “It’s okay. I don’t want to impose myself.”

“You wouldn’t be.” Taehyun replied as he walked Beomgyu to the door.

Not sure what to say, Beomgyu just pulled the shorter one into a last hug. He felt Taehyun stiffen up within his hold for a second, before relaxing and hugging him back just as tightly. They slowly swayed back and forth, relishing the moment.

Beomgyu pulled back first, but still held his arms slung around Taehyun’s neck. It reminded the younger an awful lot of last night, but he knew Beomgyu wouldn’t remember it, so he tried to play it off.

“I’ll try not to make a habit of crashing here.” Beomgyu joked.

Taehyun gave him a soft smile, “Let’s stick with emergencies.”

Beomgyu laughed, then slowly pulled his arms back from Taehyun’s neck, the touch lingering a little bit longer than it should have. His arms felt weird just dangling at his side. Useless, almost. Taehyun preferred their previous position much more, but he’d never admit it.

The older man opened the front door. He turned around, ready to leave the apartment. He’d said his goodbyes to Taehyun, and now it was time to find his way home, if he somehow managed to.

“Oh, and Beomgyu-hyung?” Taehyun’s voice sounded from behind him.

Beomgyu turned back around, facing the younger.

“Hm?”

“If anything ever happens again, you can call me.”

He meant it.

And Beomgyu felt it.

Another day meant another shift at the flower boutique. Though Taehyun wasn’t too upset since he liked his job and Kai was working as well. Even if they didn’t have a lot of tasks to work together on, conversation always flowed smoothly between the coworkers. Sometimes, when there weren’t any customers, they’d sing along to the music playing over the speakers together. Afterwards, they’d have the best laughs of their lives, having them wiping tears from their eyes.

This time, however, Taehyun couldn’t help but turn the conversation between them into something more serious. He had to get the heavy load that had been pressing on his chest for a while now off. The heavy load that was Choi Beomgyu.

“Kai-ya! I’m so confused! One second he seems to hate me, the next he’s really vulnerable with me. He— He’s messing with me, he has to be. I don’t know what to feel anymore.”

Kai snickered, ever the traitor.

“Taehyun-ah, have you ever considered that you like Beomgyu-hyung? I’m sure he’s not purposefully messing with your feelings, you might just have a little crush on him.” he teased.

“Wait— No. I’ll admit that he’s really attractive, like extremely. But, he’s so infuriating I don’t have time to have a crush on him. I spend too much time being annoyed with him.”

“Are you annoyed with him when he’s crying in your arms though?” Kai retorted with a shit-eating grin. It kind of pissed Taehyun off.

“No! Of course not! I’m not a bad person.”

“Well—”

“Shut up, Hyuka.”

Taehyun groaned and sat down in the old wooden chair that always stood in the corner of the shop. He could hear Kai laughing hysterically behind him, but didn’t pay any attention to it. It was hard to pay attention to anything at all when Beomgyu was occupying all of his mind.

“Listen. You should get us some lunch from the corner store. I’ll discuss your awfully platonic feelings about Beomgyu with you over a bowl of bibimbap.” Kai said, making Taehyun let out a frustrated sigh.

“You only ever think about food.”

“And you only ever think about Beomgyu.”

After throwing Kai one last nasty look, Taehyun got up out of the chair and left the boutique to get them some lunch. The corner store wasn’t far. Usually, Taehyun and Kai would pack their own lunches. They agreed that getting food from the corner store every day was quite expensive. However, every now and then, they’d go there for lunch anyway. Like today.

It was a small place, run by a man in his late forties. Taehyun didn’t know his name, but he knew the owner had a daughter. He’d seen her doing her homework at a table in the store pretty often. The girl had to be about ten years old. She usually nibbled on a sweet snack as she wracked her mind about math equations, or something similar, Taehyun assumed. It had been a while since he was in elementary school.

Upon entering the store, calm music registered in his brain. The bright lights almost gave Taehyun a headache, but he decided to try and ignore them. He was a man on a mission, so he immediately made his way over to the To Go! lunches, like he’d done so many times before. He got a bowl of bibimbap for Kai and took out a container of bulgogi for himself.

From the corner of his eye, bright packaging caught his attention. The candy aisle. God knew Kang Taehyun was a weak man. With their lunches in hand, he found himself in the candy aisle. He wasn’t afraid to admit that he had a sweet tooth. Whereas Yeonjun liked to drink his coffee bitter, in the form of an iced americano, Taehyun had always preferred something sweeter, like a caramel macchiato.

It wasn’t a surprise, really, that he found himself scanning over the sweets. After a moment of consideration, he’d made his choice. The strawberry suckers were going home with him. And so were two bottles of strawberry milk, to go with their lunches.

As he was rounding the corner, he bumped into a slightly taller man, causing him to drop his things. Immediately, Taehyun started apologizing for his foolish behavior. His mother raised him better than this, after all.

“I am so sorry, here.” he started picking up the items the stranger had dropped on the floor.

“Taehyun-ah?” the stranger — not a stranger? — chuckled.

Taehyun looked up, only to find Beomgyu standing in front of him. It took him a few seconds, Beomgyu’s beauty fascinating him, to realize there was another man standing next to Beomgyu. Taehyun observed him, but didn’t recognize him. The guy was tall, even taller than him, Beomgyu, Yeonjun, and possibly Kai.

Other than that, he looked happy. A little bit awkward, but happy. His black hair was slightly messy, bangs covering his forehead. He was wearing relatively thick-rimmed black glasses, matching his facial features well. Though he was handsome, Taehyun couldn’t help but look back at Beomgyu. Beomgyu who was enchanting.

“Hi, hyung.” he mumbled shyly, and embarrassed. He quickly grabbed Beomgyu’s dropped items and handed them back to the older, standing back up. Once again, Beomgyu let out a breathy laugh. It kind of made Taehyun’s blood boil. It kind of made his heart flutter.

Taehyun watched as Beomgyu handed some of the products to the tall, handsome stranger standing next to him. The guy smiled adorably, showing off his dimples. He might as well be begging Beomgyu for his hand-in-marriage, Taehyun thought. Something in his gut didn’t like it. It was supposed to be green, but it was red, and it set something off in him.

“Am I interrupting your guys’ date?” he blurted out without a second thought.

The stranger’s eyes practically bulged out of his eyes, an embarrassed blush turning his face a light shade of pink. Meanwhile Beomgyu doubled over laughing, clutching at his stomach and almost dropping his products again.

“A date?” the soon-to-be-barista giggled, wiping imaginary tears from the corners of his eyes.

Taehyun glared at him, leaving no comment.

“Ooh, someone’s jealous!” Beomgyu teased.

“Forget I said anything. I have to get going.” Taehyun ended the conversation and tried making his way over to the register. He didn’t get far, seeing as a soft hand latched onto his wrist and pulled him back. Taehyun let out a gasp, suddenly much closer to Beomgyu than he was only a few seconds ago. His heart was pounding erratically in his chest, and Taehyun tried to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth. This was totally normal, it was fine.

“I’m just kidding, Taehyun-ah.” Beomgyu’s voice turned into something softer, “This is Soobin-hyung. The coworker you found us.” he explained, whilst holding eye contact with Taehyun. Something in his eyes sparkled, like diamond rocks in the sun rays.

Oh.

Well, Taehyun had just totally humiliated himself.

In front of Beomgyu, out of all people.

A cough broke the two out of their trance, making both of them scurry to distance themselves from each other, even if they both hated it. Beomgyu awkwardly shuffled his feet, staring at the ground as if it held secrets. Taehyun looked over at Soobin to see him raising his eyebrows at him, shy behavior suddenly interchanged for something more bold, more daring.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Taehyun-ssi. I’m incredibly grateful for what you’ve done for me. I’d been looking for a job for a fat minute, but not a single place seemed to be hiring. Also, Beomgyu-ya and I just realized we literally live in the same apartment complex, but had never met until you introduced us to each other. So, thank you.” Soobin smiled at him.

“I’m glad you’re happy, Soobin-ssi. And I’m also glad you seem to get along with Beomgyu-hyung. God knows how hard it can be. The bruise on his forehead says a lot, actually.” Taehyun cracked a joke — was it really a joke? — to try and lighten the cumbersome mood.

“Hey!” Beomgyu was acting like Beomgyu again. That was good.

Taehyun and Soobin shared a laugh at the man’s dramatic behavior.

“You’re not one to talk Taehyun-ah! You always act so tough, yet I catch you only buying strawberry flavored sweets!” Beomgyu pretty much yelled.

The youngest just shrugged, not denying his love for the sweet flavor of summer strawberries. Although deep down, he was a little bit embarrassed at Beomgyu seeing this side of him. The soft side that came with being a florist, like Beomgyu had described it priorly.

“Okay, roses” Taehyun mocked him, giving Beomgyu a challenging look. He knew Beomgyu got annoyed quickly every time he acted stubborn. But now, Taehyun wasn’t sure if the tension rising between the two of them was playful or not. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to find out.

Beomgyu gulped, bobbing his Adam's apple. If Taehyun wasn’t attracted to him before, he definitely was now. The furrowed brows, the glint in his eyes. Fuck, Beomgyu was even more hot when he was mad. Unholy thoughts formed in his mind, and he had to try his best to drown them out. The things he wanted to do to Beomgyu—

“I’ve got to go.” Taehyun blurted out, the tip of his ears glowing a bright red.

He quickly made his way over to the register, not being pulled back by a strong hand this time. It disappointed him, even if only a little bit. He hurried to pay for the meals and snacks, then left the store. As he did so, he passed the table the little girl usually sat at. Taehyun gave it a quick glance and indeed, she was once again sitting there.

But this time, instead of sitting at the table bent over her homework trying to solve a problem, she was bent over it and trying to hide her giggles.

The second Taehyun re-entered the flower boutique, Kai asked, “What took you so long?”

All Taehyun could do was give him a look.

“You ran into Beomgyu?” Kai screeched.

Taehyun just groaned and put his head in his hands. Luck hadn’t been on his side lately.

After his shift, instead of his usual route home, Taehyun decided to take the scenic route. He was still pondering over his encounter with Beomgyu at the corner store earlier today, and knew he wasn’t fully paying attention to his surroundings. Which is why he chose the safer route home, instead of the ones past and through sketchy alleys, even if the safer one was a little bit longer. Luckily it wasn’t too cold outside.

He just felt so stupid. Every time he interacted with Beomgyu, he messed up somehow. Sure, they may have had their fair share of close and vulnerable moments with each other, but they both pretended those never happened. It seemed that no matter what, one of them managed to turn their small conversations into heated bickering.

It was messing with his head.

There was something about Beomgyu that plagued him. Every time the older one touched him, Taehyun felt like he was being electrocuted, in the best way possible. It felt like Beomgyu lit a flame in his heart every time they met eyes, but the second those eyes turned into glaring ones, the fire was extinguished aggressively.

Whenever he was around Beomgyu, he experienced extreme highs and depressing lows, angering, almost.

Taehyun took a right, entering the main park of the district he lived in. From here on, it was only a five minute walk to his apartment. The building wasn’t all that tall, so he couldn’t see it yet, but he knew he was getting closer. Enjoying the last few minutes of his walk, he took in his surroundings.

The sun was slowly going down behind the horizon, casting the park in beautiful orange and purple-ish hues. The trees above Taehyun’s head rustled their few remaining leaves ever so slightly, offering him a calm mindset. He continued strolling, breathing in the fresh air that smelled like pine. His steps barely made a sound on the paths of sand, silencing his mind with it.

On a curved hill, a person was sitting cross-legged. They seemed to be tracing patterns in the short grass, deep in thought. The rays of the sun were casted on the figure, outlining their figure. It was as if gravity pulled Taehyun towards the hill, and he walked a little closer.

Upon nearing the hill, humming could be heard. It was a melody Taehyun was unfamiliar with, yet enjoyed. The soft hums were carried away by the light gusts of wind, passing Taehyun by. Somehow, with each note that drifted away, the person seemed to be getting more and more out of reach. For a reason unbeknownst to Taehyun, he felt the need to collect all the notes, put them back together, and cherish the melody forever.

He stumbled up the hill, trying to go faster than his feet could carry him. And it shouldn't have been a surprise, really, when the humming stranger turned out to be Beomgyu. For the first time, Taehyun accepted his fate. He acknowledged he was drawn to the other man, and somehow always found him.

Without a second thought, he carefully sat down next to Beomgyu. Taehyun knew the other had seen him, but hadn’t said anything yet. Maybe that was okay.

Together, they sat there. They sat there as the colorful hues faded away and they sat there as Beomgyu ran out of melodies to hum. Neither of them talked, both appreciating the quiet between them for once. As the temperature dropped, Beomgyu’s head found its way onto Taehyun’s shoulder. The younger man had to suppress a shiver, but after a while, it felt awfully right.

His hyung that was always so loud, so outspoken, turned out to be incredibly soft. The way his cheek pressed into Taehyun's shoulder, the way his hair fell into his eyes, the sweater paws his fluffy jacket brought him. It was getting colder outside but Taehyun felt so warm.

Taehyun looked down to see a hand holding his, Beomgyu’s thumb rubbing circles on the back of it. He bit his lip, his heart fluttering at the gesture.

Time seemed to pass peacefully. The park continued to dance around them in silence, engulfing the two in their own bubble. The hill they sat atop offered them a breathtaking view of Seoul — the city that never sleeps. Thousands of lights glowed in houses and skyscrapers, thousands of lives being lived right in front of their eyes.

“Y’know, I don’t usually sit still like this. I’m too antsy to sit still, and whenever I do, it makes me think too much. Or people think I’m too much.” Beomgyu mumbled, his voice hoarse after having kept quiet for such a long time.

Taehyun looked down at him, something in his chest felt tight.

“Can I ask why you’re here today, then?” he asked, barely above a whisper.

Beomgyu sat up, taking his head off of Taehyun’s shoulder. It felt wrong, and cold, and Taehyun wanted him to lay his head back down where it belonged. But he’d never say any of those things, so he just observed his hyung. Their hands were still interlinked, anchoring him.

A breathless sigh slipped past Beomgyu’s lips before he looked up at Taehyun. It was the most insecurity Taehyun had ever seen in his eyes, and it tugged at his heart.

“Because— well I guess it’s not as bad when someone’s around. Sitting here, on this specific hill, it usually just makes my thoughts quieter. Even if only a little.” he admitted.

“Even with me?” Taehyun couldn’t help but ask.

A beat.

“Especially with you.”

Neither of them ever broke their eye contact, too lost in the unspoken galaxies the other’s eyes held. Unconsciously, they leaned in closer to each other. Taehyun could feel Beomgyu’s breath on his face. His stomach was doing backflips, his mind was going haywire, and his heart pounded in his chest.

It was at that moment Taehyun finally understood what Yeonjun had said all those weeks ago. He’s like the sun and you’re like the moon, he had said. Taehyun could see that now. Everything about Beomgyu was just so bright. He seemed to light up any room he walked in, any life he was a part of. And Taehyun, well, he sat back and observed. He only came out when he wasn’t really wanted— ending the sun’s glory.

Or maybe it wasn’t anything like that at all. Maybe Beomgyu was the moon, sheltering people from their overwhelming lives and offering them safety, even if only for a few hours. Maybe he was the moon because Taehyun just couldn’t stop staring at him, like a pearl floating in the night. And in that case, Taehyun would be the sun. Biting back whenever thrown a glance at, ruining things.

The feeling of something wet and cold on him broke his train of thoughts. Beomgyu was still sitting in front of him, as close to him as ever. He seemed to notice the rain as well.

“Shit.” the older one cursed as he scrambled to his feet, leaving Taehyun on the ground.

Beomgyu looked up at the sky to see the few raindrops morphing into downpour.

“I’ve got to go.” he said whilst looking down at Taehyun, holding a look of pity in his eyes, “I spent way too much time here than I was supposed to.”

He extended his hand for the younger, helping him get up.

“You could stay at my place, you know that. You won’t get all wet. It’s not far from here.” Taehyun said, desperately wanting to spend more time with Beomgyu.

But Beomgyu shook his head, “I brought my car. Do you need a ride home?”

“Oh— No, it’s fine. Thank you, though.”

Beomgyu started making his way down the hill, through the park, and towards the parking lot. He picked up a light jog, not wanting to get soaked. Taehyun kept up with him, his apartment complex being in the same direction anyway. Once at Beomgyu’s car, the two looked at each other one last time.

“Thank you.” Beomgyu said, in that same soft voice he’d used only a few times with Taehyun. It messed with his heart.

Everything in Taehyun screamed to hug the taller boy. To wrap him up in his arms, hold him close, feel his warmth. He’d done so before, he didn’t see why he couldn’t do it again. Even if they were standing in the pouring rain, even if Beomgyu just wanted to enter his car and leave. Taehyun wanted Beomhyu’s body close.

So that’s what he did.

In one quick motion, he hugged Beomgyu. The older remained stiff for a few seconds, and Taehyun got scared he’d made a bad decision. That was, until Beomgyu ever so carefully wrapped his arms around Taehyun as well. He could feel his soul jumping at the feeling, fireworks going off, as they held each other.

Taehyun breathed in Beomgyu’s cologne. It had a sweet smell. Something similar to baking cookies with grandma, running around in the yard with your childhood dog, getting shakes with high school friends. Nostalgic, in a way. But it wasn’t anything like that at the same time. It was flowers, and fruits. Hugs and morning kisses. It reminded Taehyun of love.

Beomgyu was the first to pull back, but he kept his arms around Taehyun’s neck. Taehyun kept his arms around Beomgyu’s waist.

“I meant it. Thank you.” Beomgyu whispered once again.

Ever so slowly, he slid his hands down Taehyun’s sides, before turning around and getting into his car. Taehyun watched as he drove off, feeling his heartbeat high in his throat. Although he felt a little bit scared at the development in their relationship, he felt thrilled with it as well. Not caring about the rain, he smiled as he half-walked-half-skipped home.

And if he was drenched from head to toe when he entered his apartment, it was worth it. Because as he was showering to warm back up, he remembered more of Yeonjun’s words.

His mom would love you, he’d said.

The thought was enough to keep Taehyun warm for the rest of the night until he fell asleep, where he found Beomgyu once more in his dreams.

“What do you mean you have a crush on Choi Beomgyu?” Yeonjun hollered the second Taehyun opened the front door to his apartment.

“Hush! I don’t think my neighbors heard you.” Taehyun hissed, beckoning Yeonjun inside.

It was the following day. Taehyun had spent all morning and afternoon at the boutique, stubbornly ignoring Yeonjun’s reply to his text that said something amongst the lines of: WHAT THE FUCK???? KANG TAEHYUN???? Later, Yeonjun had sent another text saying he’d be at Taehyun’s front door first thing after finishing things up at the coffee shop. So here they were.

Taehyun took a seat on the couch, grabbing a blanket for himself. He watched as Yeonjun rummaged through his kitchen, not surprised in the slightest. Yeonjun had always been a foodie, and always would be.

“Why do you not have a single pack of ramen in here?” he cried out.

“Because my meals are balanced.”

“Bullshit!” Yeonjun complained as he settled on a bag of plain chips he found stuffed away in a drawer, then joined Taehyun on the couch.

A moment of silence passed, but Yeonjun was too curious to keep waiting.

“So, Beomgyu-ya?” he broke the silence, popping a chip into his mouth.

“Hyung,” Taehyun whined, “I don’t know what to do. He’s so perfect when it’s just us. But then every time someone else is around, we fight. Or bicker, probably.”

Yeonjun gave it some thought, then, “So why the sudden text last night? What made you realize that you might have a minuscule, nanoscopic crush on him?”

“Promise you won’t make fun of me?”

“No promises.”

Taehyun gave him a look, before deciding to tell Yeonjun about what happened at the park.

“We sat there together, just the two of us. And then we watched the sun go down, and he put his head on my shoulder, and held my hand.” he sighed, “We barely talked but he opened up to me nonetheless. I feel so honored for him to feel safe enough around me for that.”

“Whipped.”

Taehyun smacked Yeonjun on the head, not necessarily lightly.

“Hyung, I’m trying to tell a story here!”

“Ouch! Okay, okay! I’m sorry! Go on.” Yeonjun snickered, rubbing the spot on his head that Taehyun had hit wearing a fake painful expression.

“I don’t know what happened but all of a sudden we were so close. And we were both leaning in and my brain just— crashed?”

“You guys kissed?” Yeonjun yelled at a volume that was way too loud since Taehyun was sitting right next to him and no one else was supposed to hear it.

“No! None of that!” Taehyun whined.

“You wish you did though, don’t you?”

Taehyun pondered. He stole a chip from the bag Yeonjun was holding and ate it slowly, going over the suggestion. If Beomgyu had kissed him, would he have kissed him back?

“Yes.”

Without a doubt.

Before Yeonjun could say anything, Taehyun started rambling.

“He’s just so stupidly endearing. He should really cut his bangs, but the way his hair falls in his eyes is the most beautiful thing ever. His hands are so soft, hyung, and so warm. And he can be so fucking loud, but whenever we’re alone he’s so quiet. And we hugged, and I didn’t ever want to let go. We fight, but I feel so safe with him. None of it makes any sense.”

Yeonjun was at a loss of words. He’d known Taehyun for a long time, and had seen him go through a lot. He’d witnessed the younger man having a crush for the first time, graduating high school, getting his degree, working his dream job, losing someone he held dearly, and so much more. Yet he’d never seen him like this. Taehyun looked and sounded like a new man, like a man in love, but too blinded by it to see it for himself.

“Maybe you’re in love.” he suggested in a whisper, trying not to scare Taehyun off.

But Taehyun looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His eyes went impossibly larger, brown irises on full display. He rapidly shook his head and stammered, “I— No. It’s not love.”

Yeonjun was smart, so he asked smart questions, “What is it then?”

“Hyung, I don’t— I don’t know. I hate feeling this way. I hate that he makes me feel happy, and wanted. I hate that I care so much about him, especially since we’re not even that close, and I haven’t even known him for that long. I hate that we somehow keep ending up fighting, I hate that he’s all on my mind these days,” then his voice broke, “I can’t do it.”

“Taehyun-ah, be honest with me here. Is this because of your mom?” Yeonjun asked softly.

Taehyun took in a sharp breath, his chest feeling a lot tighter all of a sudden. He always tried to push away the memories, he’d been doing so for the past three years. Every now and then the topic was inevitably brought up, but he always tried to divert it to something else as soon as possible. With Yeonjun however, that was a lot harder. He knew the whole story, and knew how much Taehyun was hurting. And he didn’t take that lightly.

With a short nod, Taehyun confirmed Yeonjun’s suspicions.

Yeonjun bit his lip, “Taehyun-ah—”

“Please, hyung. We’ve been over this before.” Taehyun begged him to stop.

“Tyun, we have been over this before, but nothing has changed. It’s been three years. I know it’s hard, but I promise you you can learn to love again.”

Tears welled up in Taehyun’s eyes, and his lower lip wobbled, “It’s not that easy,” he croaked out. He pressed his palms against his eyes, trying to stop the tears. They fall hot and relentlessly anyways, ignoring Taehyun’s efforts. The emotions he’d been trying to bury for years seemed to claw at him from inside, wanting to break free.

Yeonjun scooted closer to him and rubbed circles on his back, not hiding his concern. He’d been there when Taehyun’s mom passed away, he’d seen how depressed the younger one had been. Back then, Yeonjun practically had to force Taehyun to eat, sleep, move, and take care of himself in other ways. Slowly but surely, Taehyun got better. Although he never stopped missing his mom, understandably so, he returned to his regular life after almost half a year of depression. Logically, Yeonjun was aware of the fact that Taehyun still missed her immensely. But he hadn’t seen him break down like this over her death in almost two years.

“I’m sorry Tyun. I shouldn’t have mentioned it. It’s okay, you’re okay.” he apologized.

Taehyun gasped for air, and clutched Yeonjun’s knee with his right hand. He squeezed it then let go, squeezed it then let go. After a few minutes his sobs died down into shaky breaths. But his hands were still trembling and his heart was still hurting.

“You are right, though,” Taehyun wiped his eyes, growing frustrated when the tears wouldn’t stop flowing, “I’m terrified of losing someone again.”

He lowered his hands and put them in his lap, fiddling with the hem of his hoodie. His face was red and blotchy, his cheeks wet and salty.

“I know, Tyun. You’ve been through so much. But I’m telling you this now, you can’t spend your entire life hiding from love.” Yeonjun’s heart ached for his friend.

Taehyun didn’t answer. He just stared at his feet, eyes tracing over the patterns on his green socks. There were little pandas on them, eating bamboo. Taehyun had always loved fun socks, they cheered him up no matter what. Seeing the happy panda munching on a plant made his heart feel lighter, only if just a little.

“You care about Beomgyu, don’t you?”

Without hesitation, Taehyun nodded.

“And he cares about you. More than you realize. Don’t you think you guys deserve a chance to be happy together? Don’t you think you deserve to be happy?” Yeonjun pressed.

Taehyun stayed quiet for a long moment, his chest rising and falling as he tried to calm himself down. Finally, after a long time of consideration, he looked up at Yeonjun, “I guess so. But I don’t want to go through that again. I can’t lose someone again, hyung.” he said, exhaustion and heartbreak evident in his raspy voice.

“You don’t have to.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to go through that again, Taehyun-ah. You don’t have to lose your loved ones. That’s your fear speaking.”

Taehyun sighed, thinking it over, “I know it’s my fear speaking. But I can’t just push it away, I’ve kept it with me for so long now.”

“Too long.”

The florist launched himself into Yeonjun’s arms at his remark, not caring about his reputation of usual stoicness. They’d seen each other through thick and thin, known each other for years. He felt safe being vulnerable with Yeonjun. And so, he held onto the older’s hoodie as tightly as possible, blinking back sharp tears.

The two friends spent the rest of the night together, opting for a movie marathon of The Twilight Saga. Taehyun thought the acting sucked, and only watched for the soundtrack which he thought was undefeatable. Yeonjun, on the other hand, was convinced that the series was peak cinema. No matter, they both felt at peace and calm with each other.

After part two of Breaking Dawn Yeonjun decided to head home, not wanting to impose himself. Even if Taehyun told him he wouldn’t be. Before actually making his way out of the front door though, he suggested one last thing to Taehyun.

“How about we get together with Beomgyu and Soobin soon? You can bring Kai if you want. We could just hang out and have fun. How’s that sound?”

Truth be told, it scared Taehyun a little. He was afraid of facing Beomgyu again, afraid of accidentally exposing his feelings for the other. Nonetheless, he nodded yes after a moment of consideration. He was kind of dying to get to know Soobin better, especially after seeing him comfortable around Beomgyu. And it would be nice for Kai to have a little outing too, seeing as the fellow florist had an unhealthy addiction to his Nintendo Switch and watching bad anime, according to Taehyun.

With that, plans were made. In two days, the five of them were to hang out together. They’d hang out at Beomgyu’s place, to play board games, enjoy a couple of drinks, talk, laugh, and relax overall.

Taehyun wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be nervous or excited.

The days leading up to the hangout seemed to pass agonizingly slow, yet excruciatingly fast at the same time. When Taehyun had invited Kai, the taller one had been incredibly excited. ”I finally get to meet the love of your life!”, he’d yelled, instantly making Taehyun regret all of his decisions in life.

Out of anxiety, Taehyun wracked his mind with lame excuses in order to try and dip out. He considered telling them he was sick, but he knew Yeonjun would show up at his doorstep if he did that. He also imagined telling them his fish died, but that didn’t sound serious enough to cancel plans. Plus, he didn’t even own a fish.

And so, he ended up at Beomgyu’s front door.

Taehyun silently thanked the heavens he and Kai showed up at the same time unplanned, too nervous to spend time with Beomgyu one-on-one. After knocking, it didn’t take long for the brown door to swing open and reveal a face Taehyun knew all too well. He still had that stupid bruise on his forehead, but it had mostly faded away.

“Taehyun-ah! You’re here! And you must be Kai-ssi. It’s nice to meet you.” Beomgyu beamed at seeing the two florists at his doorstep.

“Oh, please. No need for formalities. It’s nice to meet you too.” Kai smiled.

The two entered Beomgyu’s apartment, and Taehyun only then realized it was his first time at the older’s place. As he took off his coat and shoes, he let his eyes roam the space. Even though Beomgyu could be a bit careless at times, his house was very organized. Picture frames littered the wall at the entrance, and a plush bear sat next to a potted plant in the living room. Strangely enough, it felt right. It felt like Beomgyu.

“You’re late, by the way. Yeonjun hyung and Soobin hyung are here already.” Beomgyu teased them as he showed them to the living room, revealing Yeonjun and Soobin sitting on the couch. There were bottles of soju and beer placed on the coffee table, as well as a bag of chips and a bowl of popcorn. A small television glowed, showing a Mario Kart game going on between Yeonjun and Soobin, both engulfed in it immensely.

“Well, Soobin hyung also lives in the same apartment complex.” Taehyun bit back.

After rolling his eyes at Taehyun’s remark, Beomgyu was quick to fetch more soju. He handed one to both Kai and to Taehyun. As he did so, Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s hands brushed together briefly, making sparks fly between them. Their eyes locked for a moment, holding unspoken tension. In the background, the other three started screeching about Yeonjun having lost the Mario Kart game, breaking them out of their trance.

When Taehyun sat down on the couch, he made sure to sit all the way at the end, furthest away from Beomgyu who was seated at the other end. Yeonjun smiled at Taehyun when he noticed the younger one joining him, and raised his own bottle of soju at him. The two clinked their glasses together, before gulping some down. It was nice to unwind like this, Taehyun thought, as long as he was able to ignore Beomgyu’s presence that was doing things to his poor heart.

A few hours passed and a blur started to edge Taehyun’s vision. He’d been so caught up in their Mario Kart matches, he didn’t realize how much he drank in the meantime. Now, though, he definitely wouldn’t be able to walk in a straight line anymore. Five minutes ago, Soobin had offered to take all the empty bottles on the coffee table to clear the space. The emptiness only lasted a minute, before Yeonjun had yelled it was time for more drinks and none of the other four had disagreed.

Once all soju had been drunk, the young men moved to the few canned beers that were in Beomgyu’s fridge. There weren’t a lot, but it didn’t seem to be an issue. Because Kai, ever the lightweight, decided to call it a night. During the entire time he was over, he’d bonded with Soobin suspiciously fast. It didn’t surprise anyone, really, when that made Soobin call it quits as well.

After sharing their goodbyes, the two left Beomgyu’s apartment, leaving three of them.

In a silent agreement, they all popped open another can of beer. The Mario Kart game had been shut off, their drunken minds too hazy to catch up with the speed and sounds of the game. Yeonjun was lounging on the couch, taking up its entire space. In the meantime, Taehyun had somehow found his way onto the floor. And Beomgyu had found his way over next to Taehyun, their knees digging into each other as they both sat cross legged.

The entire night, Taehyun had felt Beomgyu’s gaze on him, burning a hole into his skull. He’d been trying extra hard to ignore and avoid Beomgyu, his feelings starting to bubble up every time they locked eyes. But Taehyun knew he wouldn’t be able to run away forever, so when Beomgyu had plopped down right next to him, he quietly admitted defeat and prayed Beomgyu would just behave, instead of messing with Taehyun’s feelings like usual.

When drunk, Taehyun realized, it was even harder to pretend he was fine when he was close to Beomgyu.

“And I’m just so thankful for you guys. I’m so glad to have you both in my life, and I’m glad you’re in each other’s lives as well. You both deserve happiness. I’m so grateful.” Yeonjun slurred, for the nth time that night as he drew patterns in the air with his left arm. Ever since the first drop of alcohol had entered his system, the oldest wouldn’t shut up about his gratitude.

Beomgyu let out a tired laugh at hearing the same speech again, before carelessly putting his head on Taehyun’s shoulder, nuzzling into the fabric of his hoodie. It reminded Taehyun of that time in the park, except this time, neither of them were thinking much, acting on instinct and minds clouded with the buzz of alcohol.

Which was also why Taehyun decided to sling his arm around Beomgyu’s shoulder.

Only seconds later a warm hand held his, their fingers threading together and resting on Beomgyu’s chest. Beomgyu hummed a soft melody as he snuggled even closer to Taehyun, breathing in his everything. Taehyun didn’t have it in him to be afraid or nervous, simply relishing the moment for once.

All of a sudden, Yeonjun sat up from his spot on the couch and he narrowed his eyes at the two men snuggling on the floor.

“Aww. You guys! I’m so happy for you!” he cheered, and then, “I have to go use the bathroom.”

Both Taehyun and Beomgyu watched and giggled as the oldest struggled to get to his feet and stay on his feet. He then made his way down the dimly-lit hallway, only stumbling and crashing into the wall twice. When the bathroom door clicked shut behind him, the atmosphere between them shifted, despite the drunkenness that had seemed to dissolve any previous tension before.

“Taehyunie?” Beomgyu slurred.

The nickname made Taehyun’s heart flutter, not having heard it come from Beomgyu’s mouth before.

“Hm?”

The feeling of Beomgyu’s hand holding his faded, and Taehyun felt disappointed for a second. That was, until he felt two warm hands cup his face instead. Beomgyu moved him ever so gently, positioning him so that he was actually facing Beomgyu, instead of trying to pretend he didn’t exist like before, other than holding his hand.

Then, Beomgyu shifted. He sat up, taking his head off of Taehyun’s shoulder. If they hadn’t been close before, they definitely were now. They were practically breathing each other’s nervous and shaky exhales. Beomgyu’s hands were still cupping his face, and Taehyun felt him starting to move his thumbs in circles on his cheeks. It all sent electricity down his spine, but he tried to hold his composure.

An early 2000s Spotify playlist had been playing in the background obnoxiously loud all night, but seemed to fade away as Beomgyu and Taehyun got lost in each other. Despite their blurred visions and lowered senses, they felt it all. The tension, the caring, the attraction.

Subconsciously, both men leaned in closer. Taehyun’s eyes unwillingly flickered down to Beomgyu’s lips. They rested there for a split second, but he immediately regretted it. Or maybe he didn’t. Because there was no rush, only certainty between them. Beomgyu had noticed the shift of his eyes, giving Taehyun a lazy yet happy — looking like it could rival the moon, really — smile.

“Taehyunie,” that nickname again, “Please kiss me.”

Not leaving any room for doubt, Taehyun closed the distance between them. The kiss was uncoordinated and clumsy, but thrilling nonetheless. Beomgyu’s lips felt soft against his, and Taehyun couldn’t help but let out a small whine at the thought and feeling of it all. He’d been craving this for so long.

His hands moved to rest on Beomgyu’s slim waist, holding onto his soft hoodie with a death-grip. Beomgyu moved closer into Taehyun, their noses bumping together. It caused them to drift apart for a second, and they shared shy laughs. Then, they were back at it.

This time Beomgyu leaned in first. He moved his hands from Taehyun’s face to properly wrap around his neck, feeling his body’s warmth against his own. Taehyun hummed at the feeling, and tilted his head to bring them closer together. It was messy and lustful, and everything Taehyun ever dreamed of. He unintentionally squeezed Beomgyu’s waist, making the older let out a soft gasp against his lips.

Somewhere in the motions, Beomgyu’s hoodie rid up ever so slightly, exposing his bare skin to Taehyun’s hands. The younger felt the heat radiating off of Beomgyu, and let his hands freely slide over the smooth expansion of Beomgyu’s lower stomach. Said man let out a shaky exhale against Taehyun’s lips at the feeling, before kissing him back even harder.

It might’ve been filled with lust, but the kiss was pure at the same time. Both men giving into their desires, yet trying to fulfill each other’s needs as well. They made out for what felt like hours, no words spoken. Taehyun sighed contentedly when he finally felt Beomgyu’s tongue enter his mouth, and he quickly followed suit, his hands roaming over Beomgyu’s body more desperately now, earning him whines from the other.

The sound of the bathroom door opening shook them out of it, and they scrambled out of each other’s holds, sitting farther apart now than they were before.

“I’m back. Did I miss anything?” Yeonjun asked as he wobbled back into the living room, before he plopped down on the couch again.

Both Beomgyu’s and Taehyun’s lips were kiss bruised, their hair a mess and breathing unlabored, but it all seemed to go unnoticed by a very drunk Yeonjun. The two shared a look, before quickly redirecting their gazes to Yeonjun.

“Nothing, hyung. Taehyun was just bothering me about his passion for flowers.” Beomgyu made up the worst lie Taehyun had ever heard.

“You’re impossible.” he muttered, earning an amused look from Beomgyu. He ignored it.

Yeonjun barely seemed to register the interaction, almost drifting off. “Taehyun-ah, take me home?” the man whispered. It was enough to let Taehyun know his hyung was well past his limit, and about to pass out on Beomgyu’s couch if Taehyun didn’t take him to his own house right now. And Taehyun was supposed to sleep over at Yeonjun’s place, so that wouldn’t be ideal.

And so, on shaky legs, Taehyun took a stuttering step towards the couch. He regained his balance fairly quickly, and was able to pull Yeonjun to his feet as well.

“Uhm. We’ll be going too then.” he muttered awkwardly to Beomgyu.

The man was still sitting on the floor, looking dumbstruck, but nodded lightly at Taehyun’s words nonetheless. He got up as well, and made an effort to escort the other two to the front door. It didn’t go very well, as he seemed to trip over nothing and fell to the floor again.

“Fuck.” he cursed from his spot on the floor, rubbing his leg with a painful expression on his face.

Without thought, Taehyun held his hand out to the man on the floor. Beomgyu looked at it for a second, almost as if puzzled, as if it was a trick. Then, hesitantly, he put his hand in Taehyun’s and allowed the younger one to pull him back upright. The speed of the movement caused Beomgyu to stumble into Taehyun, and he instantly latched onto the younger’s shoulders for support.

They were close again, just like they had been only a few minutes ago. Their faces were almost touching, and they could feel each other’s heartbeats. Dazed, they stood there and stared into each other’s eyes. It might’ve been the alcohol talking, but Taehyun could’ve sworn there were galaxies swerving in Beomgyu’s.

“Taehyun-ah.” Yeonjun whined, tugging on his sleeve.

Right.

Even if Taehyun wished to stay with Beomgyu even longer, he knew he couldn’t. He had to get a drunk Yeonjun home, and himself with that, also significantly drunk. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he was too far gone to even think that far ahead.

Beomgyu struggled to open the front door for them, but succeeded in the end.

“Be careful, don’t get hurt.” he slurred, showing his concern, “Text me when you get home?”

Taehyun nodded, then got caught by surprise when Beomgyu almost tackled him in a hug. Despite his drunkenness, his hold on Taehyun was strong, and he squeezed the shorter tightly. Not thinking anything of it, Taehyun hugged Beomgyu back just as firmly. As he was about to pull back and finally take Yeonjun home, Beomgyu whispered and slurred something in his ear.

“I don’t think I’ll ever want anyone the way I want you.” his lips brushed against Taehyun’s ear, sending shivers down the younger’s spine. It took everything in him to not kiss Beomgyu again, right there and then.

“Let’s go!” Yeonjun whined, already outside and standing in the cold night air. Beomgyu and Taehyun broke their hug, sharing one last look, before parting ways. Taehyun felt something close to disappointment when he heard the door to Beomgyu’s apartment click behind him, but he shouldn’t have expected anything else.

The walk to Yeonjun’s place wasn’t too bad, seeing as it wasn’t far from Beomgyu’s and Yeonjun seemed to be vaguely aware of his surroundings still. That’s how, against all odds, Taehyun and Yeonjun made it there safe and sound surprisingly fast. Neither of them ate shit on the way, either.

“You really like Gyu, don’t you?” Yeonjun teased as they entered his apartment.

“Hyung, I’m too drunk to have this conversation again.” Taehyun complained, kicking off his shoes with difficulty.

At that, Yeonjun dropped the topic. The two got ready for bed as best as they could, but they ended up only changing their clothes and brushing their teeth way faster than they were supposed to. Once they were ready, they both got into Yeonjun’s bed. Luckily, it was big enough for two people. Sharing a bed wasn’t weird for them, they were best friends and had done it plenty of times before. Sleep quickly started pulling at Taehyun’s consciousness.

The last thing he heard before drifting off was Yeonjun slurring, “I think he likes you too, you know?”

When Taehyun woke up, it was to a pounding headache that felt like his head was going to burst and an extreme uneasiness in his stomach. Saliva pooled in his mouth, he knew the feeling all too well. On shaky legs, he made his way over to Yeonjun’s bathroom. There, he quickly sank to his knees in front of the toilet before immediately throwing up everything he’d eaten and drank the night before. He heaved and groaned, but knew he himself was the only one to blame.

Once he was done, he flushed the toilet and stood back up. His legs were still shaky and his body weak, but his stomach felt a lot better now. He made his way over to the sink and gently cleaned his face. When he looked at himself in the mirror, his heart dropped to his stomach.

Not only did he look extremely hungover, his lips were swollen. And he couldn’t remember why. Taehyun brought his hand up to his lips, touching them lightly. It barely hurt, so that was a good sign. His mind went back over last night’s events, trying to find the cause of his little issue.

He remembered playing Mario Kart, drinking, eating, talking, having fun, and then— Oh.

He and Beomgyu had kissed.

Taehyun felt his world crumble down. He was going to lose Beomgyu now, he was sure of it. The boy he cared about so much, against his own will, was going to slip from his grasp right when things were getting better between them. Taehyun felt awfully panicked at the idea, and scrambled to Yeonjun’s room to go find his phone and contact the man.

Yeonjun was still sleeping peacefully on his side of the bed. Taehyun’s eyes scanned the room, stopping when he saw the device he’d been looking for laying on the bedside table. He picked up and unlocked it. The phone only had four percent battery left, but what really caught Taehyun’s attention was the notification on his home screen.

A text from Beomgyu.

Scared, but too curious to ignore it, he opened the text.

Flustered, he tried to write up a reply. However, it seemed the universe wasn’t on his side. As his thumbs rapidly hit the buttons on the keyboard, the screen went black. His phone was dead, and now he’d left Beomgyu on read.

“Fuck!” Taehyun cursed as he mindlessly threw his phone onto the bed, stirring Yeonjun awake. Taehyun watched as the older man sat up, then squeezed his eyes shut tightly. It brought him the slightest bit of comfort to know he wasn’t the only one with a hangover.

Yeonjun dragged out a long groan, before letting himself fall back onto the bed again. He pulled the warm blankets back over his head, sheltering himself from the light in the bedroom. How he didn’t seem to be nauseous was a mystery to Taehyun.

“How much did I drink last night?” his voice was muffled in the blankets.

“You really shouldn’t be asking me. I vomited the second I woke up, I don't remember a thing that went down last night.” Taehyun only partly lied.

Yeonjun threw the blankets off of himself again and sat back up, looking at Taehyun with wide eyes, “You threw up? In my beautiful toilet?” he gasped, pointing an accusatory finger at Taehyun.

“Stop being so dramatic, hyung. I didn’t make a mess.” Taehyun grumbled.

Taehyun sat back down on the bed, still not feeling good. His head felt like it was being split apart and any strength had left his body. To top it off, he felt shitty about having left Beomgyu on read as well. His phone laid next to him, seemingly mocking his inner turmoil. For a brief moment, Taehyun considered asking Yeonjun to text Beomgyu instead, but that would make him seem too caring, which would lead to Yeonjun asking questions that Taehyun didn’t have the answers to just yet.

The two sat there for a while, simply breathing in and out as if that would scare off their hangovers. It never worked, but they tried it every time.

Yeonjun broke the silence first, “We reek of alcohol.” he complained.

“Correction: you reek of alcohol.” Taehyun defended himself.

Yeonjun glared at him, about to retort, when he noticed Taehyun’s appearance. With a dramatic gasp, he moved closer and forcefully grabbed Taehyun’s face. Taehyun sat there looking like a deer caught in the headlines, unable to say anything, knowing exactly what Yeonjun was looking at.

“I— What did you do?” Yeonjun shrieked, flabbergasted.

“Uhm, nothing. I mean— I don’t know, I don’t remember.” Taehyun lied. He was well aware of the fact that Yeonjun saw straight through his lies every time, the two having known each other for years. It didn’t hurt to try though, he figured. Even if he could feel the tips of his ears start to burn red.

“You liar,” Yeonjun was pointing that accusatory finger at him, again, “Who did you make out with?”

“No one!” Taehyun panicked. He wasn’t sure why he was so afraid of Yeonjun finding out he and Beomgyu had kissed — no, made out, like Yeonjun had put it. After all, Yeonjun knew about Taehyun’s pathetic, ever so nanoscopic, crush on Beomgyu. The older man would be supportive, Taehyun was sure of it, but he still didn’t want to tell him. Maybe because they had been drunk and it didn’t mean anything. Or maybe because it scared Taehyun shitless, making him afraid of losing Beomgyu.

Yeonjun was about to speak up again, but his phone ringing cut him off. He glanced at the lit-up screen, showing gyu<3 as the caller ID. Yeonjun’s eyes darted between his phone and Taehyun for a second, making the younger one feel extremely exposed, before he answered and put the device on speaker, allowing Taehyun to listen in as well.

“Morning, Gyu-ya. You’re on speaker, I’m with Taehyun-ah.”

”Oh. Uhm, hi.” Beomgyu’s voice crackled over the line, awkwardness seeping through.

“Why’d you call Gyu? Something happen?” Yeonjun asked.

”No, no worries, everything is fine. I was just wondering if you guys made it home safely. I texted Taehyun but he— Anyways, I’m sure you guys are home by now. You sound well.” Beomgyu explained the situation, trying to crack a joke to distract them all from the fact that Taehyun had ghosted him.

“Ah, I see. Yes, we got home safely. Don’t remember how, though.” Yeonjun laughed, seemingly not realizing the tenseness surrounding Beomgyu and Taehyun.

“Have you heard from Soobin hyung and Kai?” Taehyun blurted out before he could stop himself, desperate to know what the air between him and Beomgyu was currently like.

Beomgyu seemed taken aback at Taehyun speaking, ”Oh, Taehyun-ah. Hi. Uhm, yeah. They texted earlier this morning, said they were pretty hungover.”

“Okay, that’s good. Not that they’re hungover! That they’re— Alive?” Taehyun stuttered, feeling incredibly shy talking to Beomgyu all of a sudden. Yeonjun eyed Taehyun suspiciously, but didn’t say a word.

“Well, we’ve got to go Beomgyu-ya! We ordered takeout for breakfast and it should be here soon, so we’re gonna dig in. Bye bye, you should eat too! Mwah!” Yeonjun quipped, then hung up the second Beomgyu said his goodbyes as well.

Immediately, the mood in the room changed. It wasn’t necessarily intimidating, or scary, but Taehyun could feel he wasn’t getting away with this any longer.

“You didn’t order breakfast, hyung.” Taehyun mumbled, still stubbornly trying to avoid the elephant in the room.

“And you and Beomgyu made out.”

Silence.

Taehyun bit his lip in anticipation. He didn’t know what to say, and frankly, he had no idea how Yeonjun felt about this — what should he call it? — development between him and Beomgyu.

“Why aren’t you over the moon right now?” Yeonjun asked softly, catching Taehyun off-guard.

“Huh?”

“You like him, don’t you?” earning a nod from Taehyun, “And you guys kissed. So why aren’t you jumping up and down in excitement?” the older one asked.

Taehyun sighed, and he fiddled with a loose strand on his sweatpants, avoiding Yeonjun’s gaze, “Because we were drunk. And it messed us up. And now I’m going to lose him.” his voice broke in the end.

“Hey, hey, hey, none of that. What makes you think that?”

Taehyun sniffled and threw his head back, trying to blink his tears back as he stared at the ceiling. His lower lip was wobbly and he tried to keep his composure, but it was proven incredibly difficult when it felt like everything was at stake.

“Because we kissed, and we haven’t talked since, only over the phone just now. He texted me, and I was going to answer, but then my phone died. So I accidentally left him on read, which isn’t a good sign, so he probably thinks I hate him now. And I doubt he even remembers we kissed. Or he does remember, but I scared him off and he won’t ever look my way again.” Taehyun rambled.

“You know that’s not true, Taehyun-ah. Just explain to him that your phone died, he’ll understand. And I’m sure he won’t run away because of a kiss. This is Choi Beomgyu we’re talking about.” Yeonjun tried comforting the younger one.

“Exactly! It’s Choi Beomgyu. He’s impossible, and unpredictable. His favorite ice cream flavor could be strawberry but he’d still get a chocolate cone if you were to take him to a gelato shop right now.” Taehyun ran his hands through his hair, trying to convey his desperation.

Yeonjun rolled his eyes at Taehyun’s dramaticness, before a question came to mind, “Who initiated the kiss anyway?”

Taehyun groaned loudly, giving Yeonjun a pathetic look, “I don’t remember, hyung. All I know is that we made out. I have this very vague image in my mind, like a screenshot with a pixel deficiency. That’s all I recall.”

“I think the swollen lips tell you something more.”

“Hyung!”

Yeonjun cackled as Taehyun slapped him, before turning more serious. He looked at Taehyun, noticing his crestfallen posture. Yeonjun wasn’t unfamiliar with Taehyun’s fear of losing people, but it ached him every time nonetheless. To watch his friend — practically a little brother at this point — deal with such anxiety over the smallest things was never fun. Yeonjun wished he could just take all of Taehyun’s hurt and keep it for himself, but even if that were possible, he knew the florist wouldn’t let him.

Because that’s what Taehyun was: stubborn and independent. Even at the time of his mother’s passing, it had taken a long time for him to accept help. He’d been dealing with the grief all alone, refusing any comforting words or acts of service. It wasn’t until he got so depressed about it that he barely ate anymore, he realized he wanted and needed help.

Over the years, he’d gotten a lot better at asking for help. However, that didn’t mean he liked to do so.

“Taehyun-ah, I think you and Beomgyu should talk.”

“What if it messes things up?”

“What if things get messed up because you both avoid the topic?”

Taehyun sighed, knowing Yeonjun was right. That didn’t mean the suffocating and ever so heavy feeling of fear didn’t cling to him. In fact, he felt his body almost shut down with the amount of anxiety it was bearing. Somewhere along the way, Beomgyu had made his way into Taehyun’s heart, and now every little action between the two of them sent a pang of dread through Taehyun’s chest.

The feeling was so different from being friends with Yeonjun, Kai, and Soobin. He knew they wouldn’t leave him anytime soon, he trusted them greatly. And he trusted Beomgyu as well, of course he did. But with him, it always felt like there was so much more at stake. Their bond felt more delicate, almost fragile, as well. It was a feeling that he’d never experienced in a regular friendship.

Because it wasn’t a regular friendship, and Taehyun was only actually wrapping his mind around that now.

Nausea brewed in his stomach again, except this time Taehyun wasn’t sure if it was from his hangover or from his anxiety surrounding the kiss. Either way, he blurted out a “Fuck” before dashing back towards Yeonjun’s bathroom. As he was emptying his stomach — or trying to, since there wasn’t much left in it — he felt a warm hand rubbing circles on his back. With great effort, Taehyun suppressed a whine and blinked back small tears burning in his eyes. He just felt so bad, about everything.

“Let it out, Taehyun-ah.” Yeonjun whispered sweetly, hand still rubbing Taehyun’s back. Taehyun gagged one last time before flushing the toilet. Out of exhaustion, he leaned his head on the toilet seat, not caring if it might be gross or not. It reminded him of Beomgyu and his stupid forehead bruise, making his heart feel a little heavier.

“How are you not throwing up, hyung? You were as drunk as a lord as well.” Taehyun complained, his voice echoing in the toilet.

Yeonjun let out a small laugh, “Comes with years of practice.”

After a few more minutes, Taehyun had collected himself enough to leave the bathroom floor. Yeonjun helped him up, and the both of them took a seat in Yeonjun’s living room. The older one’s stomach growled, reminding them of their hunger. Although Taehyun was a little bit unsure whether he should eat or not, seeing as he just threw up all of his stomach’s contents.

“You’ve got to eat something. I’m sure I have something plain, wait here.” Yeonjun said, then made his way over to his kitchen and started looking through the cabinets.

Soon enough Yeonjun returned and handed Taehyun a sleeve of saltines with an awkward smile, “Sorry. That's all I’ve got.”

Taehyun took it gratefully, “It’s okay. Thank you, hyung.” He opened the pack and took out a saltine. The cracker looked as plain as any other saltine. It shouldn’t upset his stomach, Taehyun figured. And so, he popped the salty snack into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully, considering Yeonjun’s words once again. Maybe he should talk to Beomgyu.

His stomach made weird noises as it finally got some food inside of it again. Saltines first, Beomgyu crisis later, Taehyun told himself.

He looked over at Yeonjun, who was happily munching on a bowl of oatmeal, presumably made the day before. Yeonjun had once told Taehyun oatmeal was his go-to hangover breakfast. Taehyun snorted, realising Yeonjun had lied about not having a hangover. The older man was just lucky enough to not be experiencing nausea. Though he was sure Yeonjun would be complaining about his headache later today.

With the thought of what was to come, Taehyun took another saltine from the sleeve and ate it.

The coffee shop looked ten times better than the last time Taehyun stepped foot in it. Most of the furniture had been placed around the seating area thoughtfully. The counters looked clean and were already covered in the necessary appliances for a coffee shop. Even the employee lounge had been started on, although it was still far from finished.

Yeonjun showed Taehyun around with a proud grin, but didn’t fail to point out the things that still needed fixing. A few lamps weren’t working, a carpet had yet to be placed at the cozy seating area that had a couch, not all supplies and appliances were in just yet, and the whole place could use some more decoration.

As a florist, Taehyun would call himself relatively creative. Which was why Yeonjun put him in charge of decorating the place. There were a lot of fake plants, lights, signs, and more in the back which he could use to his liking. Tasks like these usually entertained Taehyun, Yeonjun was aware of. It would be a good distraction for him, which was the main reason why Yeonjun had taken him back to the coffee shop after a long time.

Yesterday, he’d noticed how much Taehyun was worried about the kiss he and Beomgyu shared. It seemed to weigh more on him than his hangover, but only once he’d had breakfast. Yeonjun hated seeing Taehyun so downcast, so worried. And so, he’d ended up dragging Taehyun out of his apartment and towards the coffee shop today.

At first, Taehyun had protested. He was afraid Beomgyu would show up, and Taehyun was anything but ready to face his crush. But Yeonjun had reassured him, Beomgyu was supposed to work the Sunday shift at the daycare this week, so he’d be occupied all day. That was enough to get Taehyun to budge, almost excited to be able to help out at the coffee shop.

Whilst Taehyun worked on decorating, Yeonjun kept busy with drink recipes. He, Beomgyu, and Soobin had all followed a short but effective barista training. However, all of them could still use some practice to master the art which was coffee. On top of that, they wanted to create a few original drinks. It would make the shop unique, and stand out.

As Taehyun was moving one of the fake potted plants into the seating area, he noticed something he hadn’t noticed before. One of the customers’ tables was a mess. There were napkins all over it, presumably from a brainstorm session. Taehyun put the plant down before making his way over to the round table. Upon closer inspection, his heart skipped a beat. The napkins were covered in little doodles of teddy bears, hearts, and maltese puppies.

Only one person could possibly be behind this: Choi Beomgyu.

Trying to get rid of the overwhelming thoughts of Beomgyu, Taehyun hurriedly grabbed the napkins and stuffed them in the nearest trash can. He returned to his task of making the shop look cozy and nice, but his mind was somewhere else.

From behind the counter, Yeonjun noticed the shift in Taehyun’s behaviour. The younger one had been working diligently, then seemed distracted and frustrated all of a sudden, manhandling a potted plant. Not wanting to turn a blind eye to this, Yeonjun spoke up.

“Hey Tyun, you okay?” he asked worriedly.

Taehyun snapped out of it, looking over at Yeonjun. He knew lying to Yeonjun would be useless, since his hyung would see straight through him and Taehyun would feel even more shitty afterwards. So, he started rambling about what was on his mind.

“Hyung, I can’t stop thinking about Beomgyu hyung and it’s the most frustrating thing ever!” he complained, giving up on manhandling the plant and sitting down on the couch instead.

Yeonjun was about to answer, but Taehyun continued before he could, “Every little thing reminds me of him. It’s like his existence has captured my prefrontal cortex and now all it’s good for is — I don’t know — Choi Beomgyu thoughts? My rational thoughts are out the window!”

“Choi Beomgyu thoughts? Really, Taehyun-ah?” Yeonjun snickered.

“Shut up!”

Yeonjun laughed as Taehyun grew embarrassed, a blush on his cheeks.

“Just talk to him, I’m begging you. You know he’s an overthinker, just like you by the way, so he probably thinks you’re purposefully avoiding him right now.” Yeonjun suggested.

“Maybe I am.”

“Kang Taehyun, I will personally drag you to Beomgyu’s apartment if you don’t talk to him on your own terms.” Yeonjun threatened.

Taehyun scoffed, “You wouldn’t.”

Yeonjun raised his eyebrows at his friend, challenging him. Taehyun sighed, admitting defeat. He knew Yeonjun well enough to know that he actually would drag Taehyun’s ass over to Beomgyu’s place. He wasn’t sure if that was something he ever wanted to experience. So, he gave in.

“Fine. I’ll talk to him.”

“Tonight.” Yeonjun added.

Immediately, Taehyun went into protest again, “What! Hyung, that’s not fair! I won’t have time to prepare. I need like— A minimum of five workdays to prepare for this mental war!” he objected, making wild gestures with his hands.

Once again, Yeonjun shot him a look.

Taehyun knew Yeonjun meant no harm, the older man only had good intentions. Even if he got a little pushy, like now, Taehyun knew he could trust him. Anytime he was too blind to see something, Yeonjun was able to snap him out of it effectively. Which was why Taehyun decided to put some trust in his hyung, even if it meant he was going to be a nervous wreck for the rest of the day.

The two finished up things at the coffee shop fairly quickly after the conversation. Taehyun added a final touch of fairy lights to the slowly improving atmosphere, and Yeonjun made them both a delicious drink as a reward. He made himself an americano, and Taehyun had suggested a chai latte.

As they walked in the direction of Beomgyu’s and Soobin’s apartment complex, Yeonjun wouldn’t stop rambling about some panda he’d seen online, Fu Bao was her name. Every now and then he’d pause to take a sip of his americano, then he’d continue talking about the animal with heart eyes. He wasn’t trying to be rude, truly, but Taehyun just couldn’t pay attention to what his hyung was saying. His mind was clouded with nothing but of what was to come, the conversation with Beomgyu.

Much to Taehyun’s dismay, they reached the building eventually. Yeonjun was going to hang out with Soobin, so he’d be close nonetheless. The thought comforted Taehyun, in a way.

“You’ve got this, Tyun.” Yeonjun smiled as he wrapped the nervous boy in one last hug before parting ways.

“I feel like I’m gonna die, seriously.” Taehyun squeaked.

Yeonjun pulled back from the hug and ruffled Taehyun’s hair with a fond smile. Taehyun hurried to fix it, worried about his image in front of Beomgyu.

“You’ll live. Hyung promise.” Yeonjun smiled.

Then, Yeonjun made his way over to the elevator, leaving Taehyun by himself. Soobin lived on the third floor, whereas Beomgyu lived on the ground floor. Taehyun took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this nervous, he couldn’t remember the last time he needed something to go well this bad.

Hesitantly, Taehyun made his way over to Beomgyu’s front door. He’d only been here once before, when it happened. Still, the door felt oddly significant to Taehyun. Deciding he should just get it over with, he quickly knocked on the wood three times, hoping Beomgyu had heard.

One.

Two.

Taehyun held his breath as the door opened, a familiar head peeking around the corner. Beomgyu’s eyes widened as he took in Taehyun, not having expected him. Beomgyu opened the door wider, then moved to lean against the frame. He was wearing a pair of red-and-black plaid pajama pants and a dark blue hoodie. He must’ve gotten changed the second he returned home from work. Taehyun had to keep himself from thinking the older one looked cute, now was not the time.

“Oh— Hey.”

“Hi, hyung.”

Neither of them spoke for a moment, awkwardness suffocating the air around them.

“What are you doing here?” Beomgyu asked.

“I was hoping we could talk.” Taehyun managed to say without stuttering. It was an accomplishment, really.

Beomgyu seemed to ponder for a moment, then moved out of the doorway and beckoned for Taehyun to come inside, “Okay.”

Taehyun entered Beomgyu’s apartment, carefully taking off his jacket and hanging it up. He then took off his shoes and placed them by the door. Beomgyu silently offered him a pair of house slippers, which he took with a smile of gratitude. Upon entering the living room, Taehyun couldn’t help but see the image in front of him again. The one, single image of the kiss that he was able to remember, even if it was vague. A shiver crawled down his spine, but he suppressed it.

Beomgyu led Taehyun to the couch, both of them taking a seat on it. Unlike previous times, they didn’t sit close together this time. It sent a pang through Taehyun’s heart, but he knew how to keep his composure.

“So,” Beomgyu began, his voice uncertain yet cold at the same time, “you wanted to talk.”

Taehyun fiddled with his fingers in his lap, his palms were sweaty and he suddenly felt exposed. He hesitated, but knew there was no turning back now, “Yeah… I did.”

Beomgyu exhaled sharply, “Let’s hear it, then.”

Taehyun’s head shot up at the defensive edge in Beomgyu’s tone. He couldn’t help but feel betrayed at the sound of it, as if Taehyun was wasting his time by being here. As if he wanted Taehyun gone. His insecurities crashed over him immediately, his fear of losing Beomgyu forever taking over.

“Do you remember?” he asked, his voice already breaking on the simple question.

“Remember what?” Beomgyu remained stubborn.

“The kiss, hyung. We kissed.” Taehyun exclaimed, almost desperately. He ran his hands through his hair, his emotions overwhelming him. Beomgyu’s attitude wasn’t exactly easing his panicked thoughts, and he could feel his chest tighten.

“Oh, I’m glad you mentioned it. Yes, I do, in fact, remember that we kissed. But, I also recall you immediately leaving afterwards and then proceeding to ghost me.” Beomgyu snarked.

Taehyun bit his lip, “Can I explain?”, he asked, barely above a whisper.

“Go for it.”

With a sigh, Taehyun explained his side of the story. How terrified he’d felt, terrified that he’d messed up and was about to lose Beomgyu. And then, when Beomgyu texted, he was relieved — to say the least — to not notice any anger or distancing in the message he’d sent. Of course, he also told the most important part of the story, where his phone died, leading to him accidently leaving Beomgyu on read.

Once Taehyun was done talking, Beomgyu sighed, “Did you really think you were going to lose me over a mere, drunken kiss?”

The words, implying that the kiss meant nothing to Beomgyu, sent daggers through Taehyun’s soul. He stuttered, trying to find words to bite back and defend himself, but he simply couldn’t find any.

“I thought I’d scared you off. I thought that I was too much, like I am for most people, and that you never wanted to speak to me again. You did a great job at proving that train of thought wrong, by the way, when you barely said a word to me over the phone the next morning. Especially after I opened up to you that night at the park. And you still didn’t take my feelings, that you were aware of, into consideration.” Beomgyu bit out, voice laced with venom and feelings of betrayal.

“Was it just a drunken kiss to you?” Taehyun blurted out, eyes filled with hurt.

Beomgyu threw his head back in annoyance at the question. He was growing frustrated with the conversation, which wasn’t really going anywhere, “You’re not listening, Taehyun-ah!”

“Okay, okay,” Taehyun backpedalled, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I never contacted you properly afterwards, even if I knew about your insecurity of being too much. And that you said that you tend to think too much. But I need you to know that I was convinced you never wanted to see me again, which is why I started distancing myself from you!”

Beomgyu frowned at that, then asked in an almost angry tone, “Why are you so terrified of losing me?”

“Hyung, that’s not something I want to talk about. Not now.”

“So when?”

“Why are you so terrified of being too much?” Taehyun retorted.

The remark seemed to hit a nerve. Beomgyu stood up from the couch, spinning on his heel so he was looking directly at Taehyun. He was fuming. Taehyun had never seen Beomgyu this angry before. To make himself less small, Taehyun stood up as well. They were standing close to each other, but instead of an exciting tension like the last few times that happened, it was fueled with anger this time.

Beomgyu took a deep breath. Taehyun was fully expecting to be yelled at, only to be caught by surprise when Beomgyu’s voice came out barely above a whisper, “You’re really not making this any easier, Taehyun-ah.”

Taehyun found himself quickly adapting to the calmer, yet still tense, atmosphere. He never liked yelling, which shouldn’t be strange.

“As if you are.” he mumbled back, looking up at Beomgyu.

Beomgyu’s eyes seemed to have lost their rage, the emotions having turned into something softer along the way. He looked at Taehyun almost as if he was puzzled. Deep down, he knew he cared for the younger man a lot. His thoughts just got jumbled anytime Taehyun was around, and he stopped acting rationally. For a while now, Beomgyu had been telling himself that Taehyun deserved someone who actually knew how to deal with their emotions, but his feelings for the man never faded.

Beomgyu started pacing the room, needing some distance between him and Taehyun in order to breathe, “I just— I don’t get it.” His voice broke, and he gave Taehyun a pleading look, “You left like I’m some kind of burden. How am I supposed to feel about that?”, he asked brokenly.

“I was scared, hyung. I am still scared! What if I ruin everything between us?”

Beomgyu froze mid-step, the situation suddenly dawning on him. He paused for a moment, then made his way back to Taehyun. He gave the younger man an insecure, wobbly smile, before speaking back up, “What are we doing? It’s like we’re both trying to push each other away, and beat the other to it.”

Taehyun’s lips parted, but no sound came out. He just stood there, taking in Beomgyu’s crestfallen composure. The older man looked so tired of fighting, of his inner turmoil. With hesitance, Taehyun reached out to him, carefully placing his hand on Beomgyu’s shoulder. It hurt him when he felt Beomgyu tense up beneath him for a split second, but he tried to ignore the ache.

Taehyun wanted to say something, anything, but Beomgyu beat him to it.

“Do you ever imagine what life could be like if we just got along?” he didn’t give Taehyun time to answer, or even think of an answer, “Because I do. All the time.”

Taehyun’s breath hitched as Beomgyu locked eyes with him. The taller man gently took Taehyun’s hand off his shoulder, then intertwined their fingers. Their hands dangled in between their bodies, perfectly, as if it was what they were made for. It felt warm, and right, and both of them could think a lot more clearly.

“Can we start over, hyung? We should do things properly.” Taehyun asked, never breaking eye contact

The smile Beomgyu gave him told him he did the right thing, “I’d like that, Taehyunie.”

Both Taehyun and Beomgyu agreed they should spend some time together in order to make up for the time they lost over the past few days. Beomgyu invited Taehyun to spend the night, and Taehyun happily obliged. His decision turned out to be even better when Beomgyu offered him a change of clothes, since Taehyun didn’t bring any. In the bathroom, he changed into a pair of sweats and a band shirt. They fit him loosely, and smelled like the cologne Taehyun had smelled that night in the park.

When Taehyun asked Beomgyu about the clothes he’d lent him after the spiking incident, Beomgyu embarrassedly admitted that they were still somewhere on his pile of laundry. Taehyun found that he didn’t really mind.

The two men sat on Beomgyu’s couch into the late hours of the night, staying up talking about everything and nothing at the same time. As the hours passed by, they found themselves inching closer. Soon enough, they were cuddled up together and content. Although some things were left unspoken, it felt awfully right.

It wasn’t until the entire apartment was completely covered in darkness, Taehyun started yawning into Beomgyu’s shoulder, subconsciously snuggling closer. Beomgyu’s heart was rabbiting in his chest, in the best way possible, and he bit back a lovesick smile as he watched the younger man drift off.

Beomgyu nudged him, “This is no place to sleep, Taehyun-ah. Let’s go to bed.”

With great effort, Beomgyu managed to drag Taehyun towards the bedroom. He learned that the younger was an incredibly heavy sleeper, even when he wasn’t fully asleep yet. Beomgyu scoffed playfully at the behaviour, “You’re really something else.” he whispered.

Once Beomgyu had tucked Taehyun into his bed, the man seemed to realize his whereabouts, “Wait, hyung. This is your bed.” he protested weakly.

“Do you mind sharing?” Beomgyu asked hopefully.

Taehyun sat up and blinked at Beomgyu sluggishly, “I don’t. But I also don’t want to impose myself.”

Beomgyu shook his head with a soft smile, “You won’t be. Don’t worry.”

Too tired to argue, but also secretly happy, Taehyun shut up. He laid back down. His heart skipped a beat when he felt the bed dip underneath him a few seconds later. A warm body joined him under the covers. To make the situation even worse for Taehyun’s poor heart, he felt an arm carefully snaking around his waist, pulling him closer.

He could feel Beomgyu’s heart beating against his back, and their legs tangled together. When Beomgyu asked, “Is this okay?”, Taehyun could feel his breath on his nape. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright. Slowly but surely, he relaxed into Beomgyu’s hold again, just like he had when they were on the couch.

“More than okay.” he whispered into the darkness.

With the weight of Beomgyu’s arm draped across his body and no space between the two of them, Taehyun drifted off quickly. He was already halfway in a world of dreams when he felt something soft on his cheek, the ghost of a kiss lingering there, safely escorting him into a deep slumber.

Rays of sunlight fell through the gaps of the curtains, casting Beomgyu and Taehyun in golden warmth. The light on Beomgyu’s face made him stir, and he slowly woke from his peaceful slumber. He couldn’t remember the last time he slept this well. When he opened his eyes, he found the reason why. Taehyun was next to him, arms wrapped around Beomgyu’s waist, somehow still strong and stubborn in his sleep.

That’s when Beomgyu remembered last night. The mention of the kiss, the fight, both of them opening up about their insecurities, and then it somehow led to them cuddling and falling asleep on Beomgyu’s bed.

He didn’t mind, though. He loved every second of it. Sighing contentedly, he watched as Taehyun breathed softly with his head on Beomgyu’s chest. His hair looked like a mess, and his lips were parted slightly. That didn’t stop Beomgyu from thinking he was the most beautiful man he’d ever laid eyes on.

The room was quiet save for the rhythmic sound of Taehyun’s breathing. With every passing second, Beomgyu became more and more aware of their proximity. Last night, before their talk, he would’ve never guessed they’d ever end up like this. Taehyun’s body heat radiated off of him, keeping Beomgyu warm as well. The cold chill in the air of the bedroom seemed to dissipate as they laid there together.

Not wanting to hold back anymore, Beomgyu gently traced Taehyun’s jawline with the tip of his finger. It was a light touch, really, as if Taehyun was something fragile that needed gentle handling. His skin felt like silk, and the touch felt like brushing over the smooth edge of porcelain. Beomgyu’s hand then ran along Taehyun's palm, feeling the faint ridges of his calluses, tracing the lines on them and wanting to remember them forever. He gently brushed Taehyun’s hair back, exposing his forehead. Beomgyu’s heart fluttered at the sight. Everything about Taehyun just seemed so unnecessarily perfect, like he was sculpted by the gods themselves.

As Beomgyu was admiring the man, his mind raced with endless possibilities. Although he hadn’t truly admitted it to himself, he couldn’t deny his romantic feelings for Taehyun anymore. Sure, he always knew he’d been attracted to the younger one from day one. But as they grew closer, Beomgyu started to realize he might be falling in love with him as well, and that it wasn’t just a silly crush anymore.

Not that he’d ever tell him.

Because in Beomgyu’s eyes, that was just unfair. Beomgyu was aware of Taehyun’s attachment issues. If Beomgyu ever confessed his feelings, and Taehyun didn’t feel the same, he wouldn’t be able to continue being friends. That was just who he was. Even if Taehyun was a lovely friend, out of pure embarrassment, and maybe heartbreak, Beomgyu wouldn’t want to show his face around the other ever again.

But he couldn’t possibly leave Taehyun like that, especially not since he knew of Taehyun’s fear. Which was why Beomgyu settled on denying his feelings. To himself, to Taehyun, and to their friends. With every passing day it got a little bit harder, he could feel himself falling harder. Trying to keep his confident slash funny guy composure, Beomgyu told himself it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Surely, his feelings would fade with time.

Taking it all in, the warmth, the feeling of safety, the feeling of belonging, Beomgyu couldn’t help but think he and Taehyun were more than just friends already. Like they always had been just a little bit more than that. But, much to Beomgyu’s dismay, there wasn’t a true label to it, either. They weren’t lovers. He just felt that his relationship with Taehyun was so much more intimate, raw, and deep than all of his relationships with his friends, even his closest ones. Sure, Yeonjun was his best friend and knew pretty much everything about him, more than Taehyun did. But his bond with Taehyun just ran deeper somehow, and all Beomgyu could do was hope that Taehyun could feel it too.

When Beomgyu let his fingers run through Taehyun’s hair, the younger man stirred underneath his touch. Beomgyu felt the soft tickle of Taehyun’s breath against his nape, and his hair brushing against his neck as he moved. With a soft — lovesick, would be more like it — smile, Beomgyu watched as Taehyun awoke. Big and round doe eyes looked up at Beomgyu, making him have to bite his lip in order to act normally.

“Morning, sleepyhead.” Beomgyu giggled at the tired look on Taehyun’s face.

Taehyun shifted slightly, trying to get even closer, like he could hide away from the rest of the world in Beomgyu’s embrace, “It’s too early,” he complained, although it was muffled by the fabric of Beomgyu’s hoodie.

“It’s late morning, Taehyunie.” Beomgyu said with a soft laugh, ever so gently. It had become a nickname for Taehyun at this point, Taehyunie, but that didn’t stop Taehyun’s heart from skipping a beat every time Beomgyu called him by it.

The younger man sat up slightly, arms on either side of Beomgyu. They were close, fully taking each other in. Taehyun’s eyes ran over Beomgyu’s face. From his tousled hair to his eyebags and from his eyebags to his dry lips. Unexpectedly, Taehyun lightly hit Beomgyu on the chest, then complained, “How are you so handsome even early in the morning?”, before dropping back down to wrap his arms around Beomgyu again.

Beomgyu could feel the tips of his ears burning pink, but he cleared his throat and tried to play it off, “Years of practice.”

“Dork.”

Neither of them spoke much after that, just resting in each other’s presence. Beomgyu drew patterns in the fabric of Taehyun’s — Beomgyu’s — shirt, his touch lingering for a moment too long at times. Almost drifting back to sleep, Taehyun hummed in enjoyment here and there, clearly basking in all of the attention he was receiving from his hyung.

He broke out of his almost-slumber when the hand on his back stopped moving. Confused, Taehyun looked up at Beomgyu, only to find the other man already looking at him. Taehyun’s breath hitched, and he felt exposed to the bone for some odd reason, but he didn’t have it in him to break eye contact. Not that he wanted to.

It seemed Beomgyu had something on his mind. The way he was looking at Taehyun with wide eyes, wider than usual. He seemed something akin to nervous, almost. On top of that, he slowly retracted his hand from Taehyun’s back. Taehyun watched as Beomgyu took in a shuddering breath, then whispered with a wobbling lower lip, “Taehyunie?”

“What’s wrong, hyung?” Taehyun asked, immediately sitting up to properly face his hyung, no longer sleepy. He reached out for Beomgyu’s hands, holding them in his own.

Beomgyu looked down at that, seemingly at a loss of words at the sight of their intertwined hands. It was supposed to be warm, like a hug. Instead, Beomgyu’s hands felt cold and distant in his, Taehyun noticed.

“Hyung?”

“Oh,” Beomgyu looked back at Taehyun, blinking at him a couple times before remembering that he wanted to say something, “Right.”

He bit his lip, then decided to just get it over with. He felt like he needed some sense of security between him and Taehyun, an idea of how real this was. Beomgyu felt like he couldn’t live if he didn’t know how Taehyun felt about this, about them.

“Taehyun-ah, what are we?”

Taehyun froze, leaving Beomgyu’s words lingering in the air, heavy and fragile. He may have acknowledged his crush on Beomgyu, to himself and to Yeonjun. He may have imagined things, from the two of them fooling around to them being boyfriends. Yet, when Beomgyu’s question registered in his mind, he didn’t have an answer. Because there were many names for what they had been: strangers, quarreling, friends of a friend, acquaintances, friends. Their current situation, however, was hard to describe.

Deep down, he wished he and Beomgyu could just date. Life could be so simple, so wonderful. But something in Taehyun stopped him from ever making a move in that direction.

Right now, as he was looking at Beomgyu, the insecurity and vulnerability in the older man’s eyes seemed to almost absorb him.

Taehyun was at a loss for words, “Hyung, I—”, he stammered.

“Forget it. Forget I said anything.” Beomgyu mumbled, voice laced with nothing but disappointment, and he forced a fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes in the slightest. Beomgyu started to pull his hand away from Taehyun’s grip, making alarm bells go off in the younger one’s mind.

Frowning, Taehyun watched Beomgyu’s composure change. He looked like he was retreating, building all of his walls back up, the ones which Taehyun had tried to tear down over the past few weeks. The cherry on top was the way Beomgyu fiddled with his fingers in his lap, instead of having them interlinked with Taehyun’s. All Taehyun wanted was to reach out, hold him again, feel him again. However, this probably wasn’t the right time for that, so Taehyun allowed the cold feeling of being this close to Beomgyu, yet still so far apart, to settle in his chest.

“You don’t get to ask me a question like that and then tell me to forget it.” Taehyun whispered.

Beomgyu’s head shot up at that. He looked taken aback for a second, flustered. It took him a few moments to find the courage and the words to say something in return, “If that’s the case, you don’t get to leave my question unanswered,” The words might’ve sounded harsh, but his tone was nothing but gentle, laced with a certain type of heaviness, a need for reassurance.

Taehyun’s heart sank at the vulnerability in Beomgyu’s words. He wanted to say something — anything — to soothe him, but he also felt that familiar knot of doubt in his own chest. He understood Beomgyu’s fears because they mirrored his own. It didn’t make a difficult situation like this one easier. However, Taehyun didn’t want to let their fears ruin what they had, what they could have.

And so, Taehyun shuffled a little bit closer to Beomgyu, closing the gap between them that had been growing during their conversation. Their knees were now touching, offering back the warmth that they lost before. Beomgyu’s eyes grew impossibly larger at Taehyun’s movements, but he didn’t comment on it.

Ever so gently, Taehyun’s warm hands cupped Beomgyu’s delicate face, making his breath hitch. Taehyun slowly started rubbing his thumbs over Beomgyu’s cheekbones, the tension it created between the two of them could be sliced with a knife.

Growing more bold, Taehyun swung one of his legs over Beomgyu’s lap, making him straddle the older. Beomgyu audibly gasped in the change at positions, but didn’t complain, he was loving every second of it. Out of instinct, he immediately put his hands on Taehyun’s hips and squeezed, as if the shorter one was going to slip away anytime soon.

“Beomgyu hyung, I don’t know what we are,” Taehyun started, his voice husky from the intimacy of it all. It sent shivers down Beomgyu’s spine, and he squirmed a little underneath Taehyun.

The younger man let out a shaky exhale, before continuing, “But what I do know, is that—” loud knocking on the front door cut his sentence off.

Taehyun paused, his words getting caught in his throat. He heard the front door opening and then, “Beomgyu-ya?”

Shit. It was Soobin.

Hurriedly, Taehyun scrambled off of Beomgyu’s lap, trying to ignore how Beomgyu groaned in frustration as he threw his head back against the headboard of the bed. Of course, of all the times Soobin could show up unannounced, he chose today to do so.

Taehyun quickly created a distance between him and Beomgyu, every inch too far away for his liking. He tried to keep a stoic expression on his face, although his cheeks were slightly flushed from the adrenaline, or maybe their earlier proximity. Panicked, he looked around Beomgyu’s room for a possible escape, but there were none.

“Beomgyu? Are you here?” Soobin’s voice sounded again, this time closer.

“Shit,” Beomgyu cursed under his breath. He shot up from the bed. In his chest, he could feel his heart hammering. Whether it was from his previous excitement with Taehyun or the panic Soobin’s interruption caused, he wasn’t sure.

His voice sounded different than usual when he finally answered Soobin with a, “Yeah! One sec!”

Beomgyu gave Taehyun a quick, yet desperate look, as if begging him for an excuse. Taehyun, however, looked just as flustered as Beomgyu, if not even more. His cheeks were rosy, as well as the tips of his ears, and he wouldn’t stop picking at his own nails.

“Act natural.” Beomgyu whispered hurriedly, running his hands through his hair as if it would help their case.

It wouldn’t.

“I am acting natural.” Taehyun hissed back, even if his antsy behavior told a different story.

About to retort again, Beomgyu was cut off by the door to his bedroom opening, revealing Soobin. The man was dressed in a pair of dark jeans, topped with a light-colored flannel under a black vest. The expression on his face was neutral. That was, until he realized Beomgyu wasn’t alone in his bedroom.

His eyes darted between Beomgyu and Taehyun. Beomgyu, then Taehyun. Double-check. Just to make sure that he wasn’t imagining things.

Beomgyu and Taehyun watched as Soobin’s expression shifted from neutral into something akin to confusion, which was weird. It was just Beomgyu and Taehyun in the same room, what was so confusing about that? Not weird. Definitely not a weird occurrence, at all.

Then, Soobin’s eyes widened. His voice was high-pitched when he shrieked out an, “Wait! Did I interrupt something?”, using his hands to make gestures between the other two in the room, whose faces were beet-red.

Standing beside the bed, trying not to squirm, Beomgyu stuttered out an unbelievable, “No?”

Ignoring Beomgyu’s answers, Soobin’s eyebrows shot up and his jaw dropped. The sparkle in his eyes showed extreme excitement about the whole situation. Like an excited puppy, he exclaimed, “Oh my God! Are you guys finally a thing?”

Taehyun wished Soobin would just sprinkle his stardust somewhere else. Not here, not now.

Because the question made Taehyun’s mind all mushy. And when Taehyun’s mind gets mushy, he says stupid things.

“Beomgyu-hyung and I are not a thing.” he deadpanned, surprising himself with how nonchalant he sounded.

However, Beomgyu’s demeanor was less nonchalant. At Taehyun’s comment, his breath audibly hitched. Even though it’d be a smarter move for Taehyun to not look at him, to not bat an eye in Beomgyu’s direction, he did anyway. Because when was the last time he made a rational decision? (Answer: a long time ago.)

It made Taehyun’s heart sink when he noticed how Beomgyu remained frozen, caught somewhere between shock and hurt. His shoulders were stiff, and he kept clenching and unclenching his hands into fists at his side. The man was stubbornly staring at the floor, eyes wide, as if something about it was fascinating. Maybe the wooden planks had shifted overnight.

Soobin tsked, not noticing the tension, “You can admit it, you know? You two have been dancing around each other forever now! Plus, you both know I don’t mind.”

“Soobin-hyung, Beomgyu-hyung and I are not a thing,” Taehyun repeated himself in the most monotone voice he could manage. Before Soobin could argue again, he continued, “And honestly, it’s kind of infuriating how you won’t drop it. Sure, your teasing got a laugh out of me at first but it’s getting old now, hyung. Beomgyu-hyung and I are nothing, just friends. Can we please not make that weird? You’d also get uncomfortable if I read too much into your platonic relationships with Kai-ya or Yeonjun-hyung every single day.”

Soobin blinked at Taehyun, taken aback by his outburst, “Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep, truly.” he mumbled.

Looking up from the floor, Beomgyu spoke up, “Why are you here, Soobin-hyung?” His voice was soft, barely audible, but the light tremble in it was unmistakable. His face was pale, but he didn’t show any decipherable emotions.

The sight was slightly unsettling, Taehyun realized. His Beomgyu hyung who was always so full of life, love, and laughter, who was now nothing but downcast. Taehyun knew that the change in Beomgyu was his fault, he hated that it was his fault. He bit his lip, the fact that he’d messed up severely once again creeping in.

“Uhm. You left your skincare products.” Soobin answered, awkwardly holding up a pink toiletry bag. When neither Beomgyu nor Taehyun showed any reaction, he tried lightening the tense atmosphere with an unfunny joke, “Didn’t want you blaming me after you freak out, or break out, tomorrow morning.”

With shaking hands, Beomgyu reached out for the bag and took it from Soobin, muttering a small thanks. Soobin seemed to be finally noticing the tension in the room. He lingered in the doorway for a few more painful moments, then awkwardly chuckled, “I should go. Bye guys.”

“Oh— Bye, hyung.” Taehyun bid him farewell.

Beomgyu didn’t say anything, still staring at the pink bag in his hands, as interesting as the floorboards were only minutes ago. Neither Soobin nor Taehyun mentioned it, and Soobin quickly fled the apartment.

The room was awfully quiet, filled with nothing but their soft breathing. Taehyun felt like he was going to die soon if he didn’t do something now. He squirmed, and his clothes rustled. Still, Beomgyu’s attention was on his toiletry bag. The older man seemed like he was in a trance, almost, entranced by anything and everything as long as he didn’t have to face Taehyun.

“Beomgyu-hyung, I didn’t mean it like tha—”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

Taehyun’s words died in his throat at Beomgyu’s venomous answer. He opened and closed his mouth, gaping like a fish out of water, desperate to say something in return, to fix things. The weight of his mistake pressed down on him like a heavy stone as he realized he had no clue on what to say.

Beomgyu let out a sigh, then gently placed the toiletry bag with his skincare products on a chair standing in the corner of his bedroom.

“Is that what you were going to tell me before Soobin-hyung interrupted? That we’re nothing?” he bit out, trying to blink away the tears burning in his eyes.

Taehyun desperately shook his head, “No, no! Hyung, I—”

“What, Taehyun-ah? I think you’ve made it pretty obvious where we stand.”

Hesitantly taking a step forward, Taehyun said with a shaky voice, “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

A chuckle. Beomgyu was giggling. The older man was finally looking at Taehyun again, and even though he was laughing, his gaze was burning with a fury that was covering for sadness. Hurt. That’s what it was.

“Why are you laughing?”

Beomgyu took a moment to collect himself, then answered, “I don’t actually know if you meant it like that or not, because you never talk to me about your expectations, or feelings whatsoever.”

The accusation made Taehyun quickly grow frustrated as well, his mind turning 180 degrees as he switched from wanting to fix things with Beomgyu to feeling the need to defend himself, like one would feel the primal need of survival.

“I’m the problem? You adapt your personality to whomever you’re around at that moment and I’m supposed to believe you’re being real with me? Every time I think you’ve shown me your soft and vulnerable side it’s like you switch up and turn back into an asshole overnight!”

“So I’m an asshole now?” Beomgyu repeated Taehyun’s words, dumbfounded by the cruelty of them.

Groaning, Taehyun ran his hand through his hair, “No! I’m just saying that I never know whether you like me or hate me!”

There it was again. That feeling that gnawed at Beomgyu all the time. The one he told Taehyun about. Trusted Taehyun with. He felt like he was too much, once again, around the one person he specifically didn’t want to feel that way. The anxiety that came along with it crashed over him like a wave, making him unable to properly think through his next words.

“At least I try to convey my feelings! You’re always hiding, pushing everyone away. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Anytime I try to be real with you, you pretend to support me, then the next second you avoid me. You’re so afraid of being seen you keep trying to protect yourself from that, but really you’re just turning into a lonely hermit! At the end of the day, it seems you only care about yourself even when I try to get closer to you!” he fumed, no longer caring about potentially hurting Taehyun’s feelings.

Before Taehyun could process Beomgyu’s outburst, the older man added, “But you know what hurts the most? I thought you were different. I thought you’d actually care enough to stay. Turns out, you’re just as fake as the smile you use to keep everyone at arm’s length.”

That struck a nerve.

Taehyun’s fingernails dug into his palms as he tried to keep his cool, regardless of the hot tears now spilling from his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. He wanted to cry, scream, possibly punch Beomgyu at the man calling him fake. Yet none of that came out, Taehyun dumbly staring at the man before him instead.

He was at a loss for words, never having expected Beomgyu to be able to say such vindictive things.

“You should leave my apartment now, Taehyun.”

For the first time, there was no fondness in the way Beomgyu said his name. And it might’ve hurt more than all of the other words he just spat at Taehyun. He felt ice cold to the bone, ashamed of himself, and appallingly exposed by Beomgyu right when things were starting to look up.

It hurt even worse when Beomgyu wasn’t trembling or crying like Taehyun was. Instead, the man looked detached from the whole situation. He might as well have been standing in a metro station looking the way he did, so unbothered. Not a twitch in his facial expression, nor a lack of confidence. The sight felt like a dagger to Taehyun’s heart.

And he wasn’t sure why, maybe something inside of him didn’t want to leave Beomgyu like this, but Taehyun heaved through sobs, “I'm still wearing your clothes, hyung.”

Beomgyu’s gaze flicked briefly to Taehyun, taking in the younger boy wearing his sweatpants and band shirt. The shirt hung loosely off his shoulder, showcasing his honey skin. It used to be one of Beomgyu’s favorite shirts, but turned into a sleep shirt as it wore down over the years. Not that he’d ever tell Taehyun that, either.

His gaze lingered for a few more seconds, before Beomgyu started staring at the pink toiletry bag on the chair in the corner again. He still hadn’t said anything, pondering. The silence hung heavy in the air, making goosebumps stand up on Beomgyu’s arms. He couldn't fathom what just happened. All he knew is that he wanted Taehyun gone, possibly for the first time ever.

It felt like they were sharing quite the firsts today.

Taehyun could feel his desperation mounting, terrified that today his fear of losing Beomgyu was officially becoming a reality. He didn’t want to just stand there and let it happen, watch it all go down the drain as if Beomgyu never meant anything to him.

Because he did. Beomgyu meant so much to Taehyun. The younger man had realized that when he woke up in his arms this same morning. That he wouldn’t mind being awoken like that every day. It had felt so right, the domesticity of it all. He would’ve never guessed that the moment would slip through his fingers like sand.

With a sharp exhale, Taehyun decided to shoot his last shot, “Hyung—”

Tears were still streaming down his face, and even if Beomgyu had torn his gaze away from Taehyun moments ago, it was evident in the way his voice cracked by just saying that simple word.

“You can keep them,” Beomgyu finally answered, “But it doesn’t change anything.”

Beomgyu closed his eyes as he tried to suppress the sea of emotions trying to drown him. He listened as Taehyun’s footsteps slowly made their way out of the apartment, and the door shut faintly afterwards.

With a heavy sigh, Beomgyu sat back down on his bed. Unwelcome tears pooled in his eyes, but he was quick to deny them with a wipe of his sleeve. It didn’t make sense that he was crying when he was supposed to be angry. Yet, he could feel his heart shatter into a million tiny little pieces when his mind replayed the words Taehyun had given Soobin. Did he really never mean anything to Taehyun?

The room was quiet except for Beomgyu’s sobs, muffled by the sleeves of his hoodie in which he tried to hide his face. Even though he was alone now, he was ashamed of himself for crying like a baby over Taehyun. He should’ve never gotten his hopes up, it was obvious from day one, that time where they first met at Yeonjun’s apartment.

Taehyun didn’t like Beomgyu.

His apartment felt cold, much colder than it had when Beomgyu first woke up holding Taehyun. Much colder than when they were cuddled up on the couch, sharing unrealistic dreams and childhood core memories. The sheets and added blankets on his bed stared at Beomgyu, seemingly mocking him. They might have looked like they offered warmth, but Beomgyu knew he’d still be cold even if he tucked himself in now.

Because Taehyun was in the past.

Because they were like the sun and the moon.

For the following weeks, Taehyun avoided Beomgyu and Beomgyu avoided Taehyun. It was simple like that. Neither reached out, neither made any effort to fix things. Even if it caused a shift in what could now officially be considered as their friend group, together with Yeonjun, Soobin, and Kai. All of them had grown a lot closer since their first time hanging out as five at Beomgyu’s apartment. It was nice, even if group hangouts turned from five people into four. If Beomgyu was going, Taehyun canceled, and vice versa.

Yeonjun, of course, didn’t like this new arrangement. Even better, he strongly disapproved of it, and he made sure both Taehyun and Beomgyu were well aware of this. Although he had no idea what happened between the two. They never told him.

It was a cold Wednesday, and Taehyun had just finished up his shift at the boutique. He neatly folded up his apron and put it in his locker, shutting it softly. A hot pink post-it note on the door caught his attention, not having seen it before. He peeled it off the locker, and read what was written on it, ”Game night tonight at 7, Yeonjun-hyung’s apartment, bring snacks!!!<3<3”

Taehyun sighed as he crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the nearest trash can. Kai, like Yeonjun, had been desperately trying to make Taehyun and Beomgyu see each other again. He’d practically beg Taehyun to go to their hangouts, follow him to the coffee shop to help out, and engage in more activities which Taehyun all refused. This wasn’t the first hot pink sticky note Kai had put on his locker.

But it was hard for Taehyun to even consider hanging out with his friends when his days had turned into a blur. He’d wake up, work, and go back home. Simple things like doing his laundry or going grocery shopping drained him. Dust was starting to collect on all surfaces in his apartment, and the particles would float through the air as if they were mocking Taehyun.

Occasionally, his friends would drop by at his apartment and all would be good. But Taehyun would rather not visit one of them at their apartments, because he was scared shitless of possibly bumping into the man he was trying so hard to avoid.

The thought of facing Beomgyu again made his chest tighten, and his hands clammy. No matter where he went or how flawlessly his bland days passed, there was a lingering knot of guilt in his stomach, slowly expanding and eating him alive from the inside. It served as a constant reminder of what had happened, and how Taehyun had majorly messed up.

After locking up the flower boutique, Taehyun trudged home. The world surrounding him was cold, dull, and lifeless. It felt awfully symbolic to the thoughts and feelings swerving inside of him every day, so he tried not to pay much attention to it. Instead, he blasted music through his earbuds and counted every step he took.

When he reached his apartment, he fumbled with the keys for a moment, the feeling in his hands long gone after being out in the cold for so long. Once inside, Taehyun kicked off his shoes and took off his winter coat, hanging it on the rack.

He walked past the kitchen, not having an appetite, and lay down on the couch in the living room instead. He should probably change out of his work clothes, take a shower, and have a meal. But it was all too much. Everything felt so overwhelming lately.

As the silence of his apartment enveloped him like an empty hug, the weight of his thoughts grew heavier. Taehyun could still very clearly recall the words he’d spoken to Soobin and Beomgyu that night. Could still recall the look of pure hurt on his face, and his downcast behavior while he usually lit up every room he walked into. But also, the moment they shared just minutes prior to their fight. The intimacy that felt so real it had Taehyun hoping one of them was finally going to make a move.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him out of his thoughts. With a sigh, he grabbed it and glanced at the caller ID. It was Yeonjun. Taehyun knew from experience that if he didn’t answer, Yeonjun would just keep calling him until he did pick up. And so, he answered the phone.

”Taehyun-ah! Game night starts in half an hour. You’re coming, right?” Yeonjun’s voice sounded over the phone.

Taehyun hesitated, feeling the pressure to go but not really wanting to. All he wanted was to rot away in his apartment, then pretend he was fine at work the following day.

“I don’t know, hyung. I literally just got back from work and I’m kind of tired.” he made up an excuse.

He could hear a sigh on the other side of the line, followed by incomprehensible mumbling. Kai and Soobin were probably there already. Maybe Beomgyu was there too, then.

Yeonjun spoke back up, his voice softer than before and laced with something that sounded an awful lot like concern, ”Tyun, you know this isn’t healthy. We haven’t seen you in forever,” a bit of an exaggeration, “Kai only ever sees you at work and Soobin and I only ever see you when we break your door down.” The topic of Beomgyu was danced around, avoided.

Taehyun pressed his lips together, blankly staring at the ceiling for a few seconds as Yeonjun’s words washed over him. He knew Yeonjun was right, they barely saw him anymore. It wasn’t fair to them, but all Taehyun had been thinking about were his own feelings. Never did he take his friends’ feelings into consideration. They missed him just like he missed them.

Stuttering, he said, “I don’t know, hyung. I don’t want to ruin your guys’ fun with my grumpiness.”

”Stop bullshitting, Taehyun-ah. You won’t ruin anything. We want you here, all of us do. Please, just come.”

With a sigh, Taehyun ran a hand through his hair at Yeonjun’s plea. The fact that he was actively avoiding his friends, upsetting them, all because of Choi Beomgyu pressed like a heavy weight on his chest, the guilt almost consuming him whole. He wanted to ask his friends why they didn’t hate him, why they still put up with his pathetic behavior.

“Who’s all going to be there?” he asked instead.

”Just me, Soobin, and Kai. Beomgyu can’t make it tonight. He’s busy wrapping up his final days at the daycare.”

The mention of Beomgyu was enough to have Taehyun’s breath hitching in his throat. Also, final days at the daycare? Beomgyu mentioned quitting before, but Taehyun never knew it had been finalized already. He hated how he didn’t know anything about Beomgyu’s life anymore. He hated how he wasn’t a part of it anymore.

His grip on his phone tightened, letting Yeonjun’s words sink in. They echoed in his ears, striking him harder than he’d like to admit. It was even more proof of how far he and Beomgyu had drifted from each other since their fight. An unwelcome feeling of agony settled in his stomach, brewing nausea.

“Final days?” Taehyun croaked out, not bothering to hide his despair.

Yeonjun hesitated for a moment, before confirming, “Yeah. The coffee shop is looking really good. If all goes well, we’ll have our opening in a month. So, Gyu finally quit his job at the daycare in order to work at the coffee shop.”

Taehyun should’ve known that the coffee shop was opening soon, should’ve known that Beomgyu finally quit the job that stressed him out. He should’ve known all of these things, but he didn’t. He didn’t, because he kept isolating himself from the others. Like a hermit, as Beomgyu had put it all of those weeks ago. The realization didn’t make him feel better. Not at all.

“I see.” he muttered, voice low and hollow.

A pause followed, neither Taehyun nor Yeonjun saying anything for a few moments. The longer the silence stretched, the more Taehyun cringed. It was painfully obvious something had happened between him and Beomgyu. He could picture Yeonjun on the other side of the line, probably biting his lip and considering whether or not he should mention it.

It seems he decided to mention it anyway, ”Taehyun-ah,”, his voice was tinged with hesitation, ”I don’t know what’s going on between you and Beomgyu, but— Just know that you guys don’t have to go on like this. You’re obviously not happy without him.”

Taehyun squeezed his eyes shut at the words, hurting him more than he’d like to admit. His mind scrambled to find the right answer to Yeonjun’s words, but all he found was a dead end.

”Whatever is going on between you two, you don’t have to keep pushing us away because of it, too.” Yeonjun’s voice sounded again.

In a panic, afraid of his emotions boiling over, Taehyun blurted out, “I can’t make it tonight. Sorry,” immediately hanging up the phone after.

Sobs wracked his body now, yearning for no one but Beomgyu. He needed him here with him, and he had been so incredibly stupid to push him away once again. The man was everything that Taehyun wasn’t: loud, funny, charming, comforting. Anytime they were together, Taehyun felt a little bit less imperfect. Like they completed each other.

Without him, Taehyun was an empty soul, haunting his own house and causing drifts wherever he could. It wasn’t healthy, like Yeonjun had told him, but he couldn’t help himself. It seemed being self-destructive was the only thing he managed to do without messing up.

There, on his couch, he cried his heart out. Tears of heartbreak combined with self-hatred streamed down his face for what felt like an eternity. The weight of his self-inflicted loneliness dragged him down, Taehyun now crying into the sleeves of his sweater. His shoulders shook with the force of his sobs, leaving him trembling and breathing jagged breaths. The facade that he had so carefully constructed in order to look fine was crumbling beyond repair, and he knew it.

He couldn’t pretend anymore.

In that moment, as he ugly cried all by himself, he wanted nothing more than his friends. No, he needed them. He needed Soobin’s blunt yet reassuring words, Kai’s infectious happiness and warm hugs, Yeonjun’s gentle understanding and sparkling eyes, and most of all, he needed Beomgyu. He needed Beomgyu’s everything.

The ghosting memory of their unconditional love made his sobs increase, sounding raw and unrestrained throughout his empty apartment. He desperately needed his friends, but he’d pushed them away. The realization that he didn’t have anyone left dawned on him, and his eyes widened.

“No,” he whispered, his stomach churning with the thought of having no one left. He tugged at the strands of his hair, desperate to feel anything other but the guilt he was drowning in.

His scrambled thoughts were gradually spiraling out of control, making him feel more terrified with each passing second. It was like his fear of losing loved ones was taking over his body like a parasite, moving by the limb. As he was about to give into his fear, and have a full-blown panic attack, the soft melody of the doorbell broke him out of his haze.

For a split second, Taehyun thought it was his imagination. His desperation manifesting into something audible. He took a deep, although shaky, breath, trying to shake the hallucinations.

But when the chime sounded again, he knew it hadn’t been a hallucination.

Taehyun walked towards the door. Right before he could twist the knob and open it, a thought stopped him. What if it was Beomgyu on the other side of the door? His hand hovered over the doorknob, before he slowly retracted it, unsure of what to do. If it really was Beomgyu behind that door, he wouldn't know how to react. Probably wouldn’t know how to breathe properly, either.

“Taehyun-ah!” a voice sounded, making Taehyun jump back in surprise, “It’s us! We know you’re in there, open up!”

It was Yeonjun, Taehyun recognized the voice. And with ‘us’, he probably meant that Soobin and Kai were there, too.

Ever so slowly, Taehyun’s hand reached out for the doorknob again, hesitating once more. He needed his friends, he truly did. But he wasn’t sure if they were mad at him or not. The cherry on top would be his appearance. Taehyun was painfully aware that he looked like shit after bawling his eyes out. If they weren’t mad, they were worried, and he didn’t want to worry them even further with his red-rimmed eyes.

“We’re not leaving until you open this door,” came a softer, less intimidating voice. Soobin.

Exhaling, he swung open the door, revealing no one other than Yeonjun, Soobin, and Kai. Their faces were etched with concern, not anger, Taehyun noted. There also seemed to be a hint of determination in their eyes, as if they would refuse to let Taehyun wallow in his isolation and self-destruction any longer.

“Oh, Taehyun-ah…” Yeonjun whispered at the sight of his distraught best friend. Without saying another word, he stepped forward and wrapped Taehyun up into a tight hug that left no room for doubt.

The embrace was grounding, and warm. And it made Taehyun feel safe, so awfully safe the waterworks started again. He hugged Yeonjun back, clutching the older man’s shirt with his hands, as small sobs wracked his body. It wasn’t too much like it had been a few minutes ago, before his friends came, but it was still too much.

“Hyung.” Taehyun gasped out, voice broken and wet with tears.

Yeonjun patted him on the back in a comforting gesture, offering his support without having to verbalize it. It took a few minutes for Taehyun’s tears to stop flowing, and for his heart rate to drop back to normal. The hug was exactly what Taehyun needed, full of love and security. It was the first time in weeks that he didn’t feel so alone.

“I’m sorry,” Taehyun mumbled as he pulled back from the hug, finally acknowledging Soobin and Kai as well. They were quick to dismiss him, telling him it was okay, and that he had nothing to worry about.

“Let’s go inside, Tyun-ah?” Yeonjun gently guided Taehyun back into his own apartment by putting his hand on the small of the younger man’s back. Soobin and Kai followed, quietly slipping off their shoes at the front door.

The four of them settled in Taehyun’s small living room, the air tense. It seemed no one knew what to say, or how to say the things they wanted to say properly.

Only a small lamp flickered in the corner of the living room, barely offering any light at all. Yeonjun was quick to turn on a few more lights scattered around the apartment, to make the place feel less depressed. If those had been Taehyun’s intentions, he wouldn’t ever tell them.

Soobin was the first to break the silence.

“Taehyun-ah, what happened after I left you and Beomgyu alone that morning?”

Taehyun let out a shuddery breath when Soobin finally popped the question. He knew it was coming, it had been coming for a long time now. But to actually live the moment, the moment in which he’d have to face his friends after trying to push them away, was harder than he ever imagined. Truthfully, Taehyun had hoped they’d hate him. That they’d all hate him so much they’d leave him to rot and die.

But they didn’t hate him. Of course not.

He choked out a breathless, “Nothing happened, hyung.” It was an obvious lie, and everyone knew it. Didn’t hurt to try, though, Taehyun figured.

It wasn’t weird for Yeonjun to see him like this. They’d been through thick and thin together. However, having Soobin and Kai’s caring eyes on him, it felt strange. They’d grown closer over the past few months, sure. But being so vulnerable, so weak, in front of them? Kai was his goddamn coworker. And he’d only known Soobin for so long. It made a shiver crawl down Taehyun’s spine, and he felt uneasy as they saw his side that no one loved.

“You know Beomgyu-hyung has been feeling down, too, right?” Kai said, voice barely audible. It seemed as if the youngest was extremely touched by the whole situation, a light blush covering his cheeks as if he were about to cry. Taehyun couldn’t wrap his head around why Kai would possibly care so much.

“I don’t care about Beomgyu-hyung,” was what Taehyun said. He didn’t know what spurred him on to say those exact words, because they weren’t true, not in the slightest. He’d never even imagined saying those words, solely because he didn’t have any reason to. The others knew this, probably. More than likely.

“That’s not true,” Yeonjun said from beside Taehyun. He reached over to give Taehyun’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. It was supposed to be a loving gesture, but Taehyun wasn’t buying it. He never asked for this interrogation, he wanted it to stop. So, he forcefully pushed Yeonjun’s hand away.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” he bit, the words biting Yeonjun.

Soobin and Kai seemed shocked as well, never having seen Taehyun like this before. They weren’t sure on what to say, or do for that matter. So, they kept quiet, and nervously watched the interaction between Taehyun and Yeonjun.

Yeonjun’s hand recoiled, but he didn’t fully move away, insisting on comforting Taehyun. His eyes softened as he looked at his younger friend, so full of hurt. He wished he could just take all of his pain and carry it for him, instead of having to watch him suffer like this. The way Taehyun’s big eyes glistened made his heart ache, and he was determined to make the younger man feel better, even if only a little.

“Taehyun-ah, you’re hurting,” he said, “I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re hurting.”

Taehyun looked up at Yeonjun, big doe eyes slowly shedding more tears. They rolled down his cheeks, and fell into his lap, but neither of them was paying any attention to it. Taehyun needed Yeonjun right now, and they both felt it.

Yeonjun continued speaking in the most gentle voice he could manage, “You don’t have to tell us exactly what happened. But remember what I told you over the phone? You don’t have to keep pushing us away because of it. We’re here for you, whether you like it or not, and we’ll stay here.”

Trying to remain stubborn, Taehyun shook his head, “Nothing happened.”

Letting out a sigh, Yeonjun pressed his lips together into a thin line. He exchanged a desperate look with both Soobin and Kai, but it didn’t seem like they knew what to say or do, either. Hopelessly, he tried one last time, “Not to be rude, Taehyun-ah, but you’ve always been a bad liar.”

Finally, Taehyun’s facade crumbled. The sound of his sobs filled the room. Instinctively, Yeonjun moved closer to hug the younger, but he pulled away before he could do so, just in case Taehyun was still refusing comfort. And so, Taehyun just sat there crying, surrounded by his friends.

After a few moments of being painfully miserable, his cries died down. With a trembling voice, he spoke through his tears, “I— I’m a bad friend,” he began, “First, I’m so mean to Beomgyu-hyung. And— And then I push you guys away. It’s not fair to any of you.”

“Hey, none of that,” Soobin spoke up from his place on the floor before anyone else could, since both Kai and Yeonjun had looked like they were ready to give Taehyun a piece of mind as well, “You’re a great friend. Why do you think you can’t get rid of us? It’s because we’re fond of you, Taehyun-ah. You’re so much fun to be around, and you’re so lovely. Anyone who’d think you’re a bad friend would be a fool. Really.”

Blinking his tears away and furiously wiping at his eyes, Taehyun shook his head again, his insecurities making Soobin’s words sound like lies, “I don’t recall being a great friend, or lovely.”

It was Kai who spoke up this time, “Take the boutique for example. Just because I love my job as a florist, doesn’t mean I feel like going into work every morning. I’m sure you feel the same way. But then I remember you’re going to be there as well, and all of a sudden I don’t dread my day as much. You make each one of my shifts a whole lot more enjoyable, you probably just don’t realize that yourself.”

With big eyes, Taehyun stared up at Kai in disbelief. His tears had stopped as he let his friends’ words sink in, which were slowly starting to get through to him.

“Really?” he muttered.

Kai nodded earnestly, face open and sincere, akin to excited, “Of course, Taehyun-ah! And if it’s not my day you’re making better, it’s the customers’ days. You know Soobin’s grandma loves you,” he added that last part with a chuckle, earning him a slap from Soobin.

“It’s still weird referring to Mrs. Choi as Soobin’s grandma,” Taehyun let out a small giggle.

“Agreed,” Soobin chimed in, wearing a serious expression on his face.

The light jokes eased the tense atmosphere, offering a calmer setting. Although Taehyun’s isolating behavior and breakdown weren’t forgotten about, the conversation naturally drifted into something more friendly. Both Kai and Soobin started sharing anecdotes about Mrs. Choi, Soobin’s grandma, allowing the four of them to have a good laugh. From their stories, it appeared the lady could be incredibly stubborn at times.

“She once told me to stop calling her Mrs. Choi, and call her Haneul instead. Of course, I refused, but then she got mad at me!” Kai cackled.

Soobin snickered, “Sounds like her.”

“You know, I’m surprised she lets Soobin-hyung call her grandma at all,” Taehyun joined in, finally wearing a genuine smile on his face. He felt a bit of the weight lift from his shoulders, as if evaporating into thin air.

“Oh my god, she’s tried to get me to stop,” Soobin admitted with an exaggerated sigh, “I won that one, though.”

Yeonjun, the only one who didn’t know Mrs. Choi, tried to follow their conversation. In the end, he settled on adding, “I don’t know her, but she sounds amazing.”

The laughter that followed allowed Taehyun to relax further, his tense muscles slowly unraveling, easing both his mind and his body. He silently realized how grateful he was for his friends, for the way they refused to leave his side and for the way they distracted him from the bad things occupying his mind.

Somewhere along the escalation of their conversation, Yeonjun had excitedly pulled out a board game from one of Taehyun’s cabinets. It seemed that game night had moved to his apartment, but Taehyun didn’t have it in him to complain. He secretly loved the coziness of it all, even if he was missing his favorite person. He wouldn’t allow his mind to wander that far, focusing on the present instead.

As the board game progressed, the room was filled with laughter and friendly banter. Taehyun found himself smiling more than he had in weeks, which didn’t go unnoticed by the other three, although they didn’t mention it.

The rest of the night was spent at ease, ignoring the part where Yeonjun cheated in the game and Kai tried tackling him for it. The laughter that filled the room steadily grew louder. Taehyun silently made a promise to himself: he’d try harder. Not just for himself, but also for his friends. And maybe, eventually, for Beomgyu as well.

But that goal seemed impossible to reach when the ringing of his doorbell broke him out of his slumber the next morning. Last night, the other three had gone home and left Taehyun alone in his apartment. He’d put himself to bed feeling more content than he had in weeks, even his sleep seemed to have improved in just one night. So who had the nerve to wake him from that peaceful rest?

Groaning, he dragged himself out of bed. The doorbell rang again, as if urgent.

Not remembering his sleepy appearance, Taehyun swung the door open with a soft sigh. However, the breath was stolen right from him when before him stood no one other than Beomgyu, holding a plastic bag. The older man was dressed casually, his outfit consisting of a pair of light blue jeans and a hoodie, paired with white tennis shoes.

“Beomgyu-hyung?” Taehyun blurted out, not believing the sight.

“I came to return these,” Beomgyu cut to the chase, not bothering with greeting Taehyun, as he held out the plastic bag to him.

“Uhm. What?” Taehyun was confused, as he hesitantly took the bag from Beomgyu.

Looking annoyed, Beomgyu put his hands in his pockets, “They’re your clothes I borrowed. Figured you wanted them back.”

“Right.”

It remained silent between them for a moment, the tension so thick one could cut it with a knife. Taehyun couldn’t help but feel awkward yet desperate at the same time. Beomgyu was standing right in front of him, yet it felt like they could not be more far apart.

When Beomgyu cleared his throat, it snapped Taehyun out of his trance.

“I should go.” Beomgyu announced, as he turned on his heel to walk away.

“Wait!” Taehyun yelled.

Beomgyu stopped in his tracks, but made no move to turn back around. The tension grew, but remained unspoken of.

“Don’t you want your clothes back as well?” Taehyun’s voice dropped into something close to a whisper, the load of his emotions making him feel conflicted. He wanted Beomgyu gone after their fight, sure. But he also wanted nothing more than the man to just simply be with him. Like old times.

“I already told you, you can keep them.” Beomgyu said. Taehyun was fully expecting him to be mad still, or again, but his voice had dropped significantly. It came out almost as a plea, the man wearing a sad expression on his face.

With that, Beomgyu walked away and disappeared around the corner of the hallway. Taehyun was left staring at the space where the man had stood just a moment ago, feeling desperation washing over him once again.

He’d promised himself to try harder, but now it seemed he’d need a serious plan of approach in order for him to fulfill his own promise, all whilst trying to deal with his overwhelming feelings of guilt, anger, and desperation. With a heavy heart, he returned to his bed in an attempt to sleep off the hopelessness that was eating him alive.

Although he’d promised himself to try harder for Beomgyu as well, he never made a move to see the older man again. It wasn’t until the grand opening of the coffee shop, ultimately named Choi’s, that the two shared another encounter.

Taehyun had dreaded this day. He knew that coming to the opening of the coffee shop would mean seeing Beomgyu again, but Yeonjun had asked him for his help, and he couldn’t possibly say no. The shop had to look lively with plenty of bouquets to make a good first impression on curious customers.

And so, he ended up at the front door of Choi’s, together with Kai. Both of them were carrying a few bouquets, carefully picked by the florists. Most of the flowers had dark colors to try and match the old-styled and cozy feeling their friends were trying to set with their coffee shop.

“You’ll be fine, Taehyun-ah.” Kai gave him words of encouragement as he patted Taehyun’s shoulder as best as he could with his hands full of flowers.

Taehyun didn’t acknowledge it, but still felt grateful to have such a good friend by his side supporting him at all times.

Together, they walked into the shop. Yeonjun, Soobin, and Beomgyu were already there. Their eyes quickly landed on the duo of florists at the chime of the bell. Yeonjun and Soobin seemed excited, and quickly made their way over to Taehyun and Kai. Beomgyu stayed rooted to his spot, surprising, really.

“Guys! You’re here!” Yeonjun exclaimed, a big smile on his face.

Soobin approached more calmly, but his happiness was evident as well, “Are these the flowers you brought for us? They’re perfect, they’ll fit right in. It’s really coming together now, I honestly can’t believe it.”

Taehyun smiled weakly, “Yeah, we’ll put them up for you. The opening is in an hour, am I right?”

“Yup!” Yeonjun said, popping the p, “Thank you guys so much!”

A few minutes later all of them got to work. Looking around the seating area, where Beomgyu had been just a few moments before, Taehyun realized the man was nowhere to be found. That didn’t make him feel better, at all. Trying to ignore the thoughts about a certain brunette, he picked a large bouquet and placed it on a wooden shelf.

Once it looked neat, he moved on to the next bouquet. Just like that, he got lost in his work. He had always been passionate about flowers, but seeing them brighten up a space like this never failed to put a smile on his face.

Half an hour passed and he only had one bouquet and a vase left, not sure of where to place it anymore. Kai had decorated the front of the shop and the counter. Since Taehyun had already done the seating area, there wasn’t much space left for the last bouquet, or it would get too overwhelming. Shrugging, Taehyun decided he might as well put it in the employee lounge to brighten up that room as well. There was no other use for it, anyways.

Humming along with the tune playing over the stereo, Taehyun made his way through the kitchen and to the employee lounge. He pushed open the swinging door, and looked around to find a nice spot for the flowers. His train of thought and melody immediately halted when his eyes landed on a familiar brunette lounging on the sofa.

Trying to ignore him, Taehyun sucked his feelings up and strode right past the man. He had a job to do, so that was what he was focusing on.

“Aw, Taehyun-ah, you brought me flowers?”

There it was again. That infuriating feeling, those infuriating words coming from that infuriating person. All of Beomgyu was just infuriating, and Taehyun was seething. Without second thought, he strode over to the coffee table placed next to the sofa Beomgyu was sitting on. As harshly as he could, seeing it was made off glass, he put down the vase. Then he carelessly plopped the bouquet into it, even if the bad treatment hurt his florist heart.

“They’re so pretty! Thank you!" Beomgyu exclaimed in fake gratitude.

“Yeah, they’ve got thorns to pop the balloon that is your ego and deflate it.” Taehyun bit back.

Beomgyu scoffed, “Corny.”

Annoyed to no end, Taehyun rolled his eyes at Beomgyu and fled the room. He needed some time to clear his head. Unfortunately, he never got a chance to do so. In the kitchen, he bumped into Yeonjun, who looked all too antsy and excited, not picking up on his best friend’s sour mood.

“I’m so nervous. I feel like I’m going to die.” he rambled to Taehyun with wide eyes the second he spotted the younger.

“I’m sure you’ll be just fine, hyung.” Taehyun answered with a smile that was all too fake. Luckily, Yeonjun didn’t notice.

“I have to go put on my apron, the opening is so close. I’ll be right back!” he said, before dashing through the door that led into the employee lounge.

Managing a slight snicker at his hyung’s behavior, Taehyun made his way over to the seating area to wait until the grand opening. He found Soobin and Kai already there, chatting away in a booth. Without hesitation, Taehyun slid in right next to Soobin. Although he still felt embarrassed about Soobin having witnessed his breakdown the other night, it made him feel closer to the older man as well.

“You joining us, Taehyun-ah?” Soobin asked with a soft smile, dimples on display as always.

“Yeah, I just finished placing the bouquets. Figured I’d wait here with you. Are you nervous?” he asked, turning to Soobin.

Soobin shrugged, seeming at ease, “I’m fine. I think it’s Beomgyu and Yeonjun you should be worried about.”

Taehyun did not want to worry about Beomgyu. Said man was on his mind enough already these days. Instead, he hummed, getting lost in thought as Soobin and Kai had a gentle conversation. He focused on the interior of the shop. It had come a long way in just a short time, and Taehyun couldn’t help but feel a sense of achievement as he had helped out in the process. The final result was wonderful, and he could just pray it’d be successful after all the hard work that had been put into the place.

In just half an hour, the shop’s doors would open for the first time, and Yeonjun’s dream would officially become a reality. As his best friend, Taehyun felt incredibly proud and happy for him. He’d been there when Yeonjun became unable to pursue a career in the field of dance, and he’d seen how dejected it made him. Now, though, he had finally found something else he could enjoy, probably for the rest of his life.

Shouting coming from the kitchen snapped him back into reality. Looking up, he saw Yeonjun and Beomgyu walking out the kitchen doors and heading over to the booth in which Taehyun, Soobin, and Kai were sitting. Yeonjun was laughing like a maniac, wiping away tears, whereas Beomgyu looked grumpy. He had this stupid pout on his face, and Taehyun had to look away in order to calm down his spiraling mind.

“What’s going on?” Kai asked.

“Yeonjun-hyung tied my apron so tight I could barely breathe but he made these crazy knots in it, basically a fucking puzzle, so I couldn’t undo it either!” Beomgyu whined, before plopping down next to Kai in the booth.

“You’re exaggerating, Gyu-ya. It was literally a simple knot, you’re just not smart enough to know how to undo one.” Yeonjun quipped back, still giggling.

“I almost died!” Beomgyu cried out, then wrapped his arms around Kai, as if to seek comfort after a traumatizing experience.

Kai, patting Beomgyu’s head, and Soobin were laughing with Yeonjun now. Taehyun felt a small smile creep up on his face, but he tried to suppress it. Beomgyu was not going to get him to laugh. He simply refused to. Yet he couldn’t help but feel entertained by the whole fiasco.

Across the booth, he locked eyes with Beomgyu for a split second, and he felt the world stop spinning. Although the older man had been pouting and whining, his eyes shone with something akin to admiration as he looked at Taehyun. The second they locked eyes however, Beomgyu looked away, the tips of his ears peeking through his hair burning pink.

Taehyun tried to ignore it, but found that he couldn’t.

His feelings were conflicting, like a cognitive dissonance. He hated Beomgyu, he was sure of it. So why did he still have such a soft spot for the elder? Why did eye contact with him still make his heart flutter?

“Five more minutes guys. Are we all ready?” Yeonjun then announced, referring to the grand opening. He seemed more nervous than before, understandably so. He was about to open his very own coffee shop, after all.

“Yeah, I think I am.” Beomgyu said, playing with his fingers. Even he looked slightly nervous, Taehyun noted, which was an uncommon sight.

Soobin, ever the calm one, tried to lighten the tense mood, “So, we’re all ready. That’s great! Nothing can go wrong guys. Plus, if anything happens, Taehyun-ah and Kai-ya are here to fight fires.”

Taehyun snickered, and playfully jabbed Soobin in his side, “I don’t think I’ll stay long, though. Just to see if you guys can make it through the first hour of officially being coworkers without murdering each other.”

The joke earned him a glare from Beomgyu, but he shrugged it off.

When Yeonjun exhaled with a shudder, Taehyun thought it was time to clear his best friend’s racing mind.

“Yeonjun-hyung?”

“Hm?”

“Stop worrying so much. You’re going to do great, I know it. You’ve been preparing for this moment for months now, nothing bad is going to happen. Just enjoy today while it lasts, okay?” Taehyun comforted him.

Yeonjun bit his lip at his friend’s words, then, “You’re right,” he sighed, “I just can’t help but feel nervous, I guess.” Taehyun nodded in understanding.

“Hey, where’s my words of comfort?” Soobin joked.

Finally, Taehyun smiled again, “You’re going to do great as well, Soobin-hyung,” he giggled.

It was painfully obvious how Taehyun was ignoring Beomgyu, who was also a part of the barista team. The tension in the air wasn’t acknowledged by anyone, but they could all feel it, the others’ eyes darting between Taehyun and Beomgyu nervously. Not being able to take it anymore, Taehyun shyly said, “You too, Beomgyu-hyung. Good luck.”

Beomgyu seemed taken aback at the soft words, his mouth falling open slightly in surprise. It took him a few seconds to process what just happened, before he softly smiled at Taehyun and nodded, looking awfully flustered, “Thank you, Taehyun-ah.”

The brunette’s mind was racing with thoughts and questions: had Taehyun just made peace with him? Or was he just playing tricks? Beomgyu desperately wanted to find out, but found that he couldn’t when Yeonjun announced it was finally time for the grand opening. Snapping into work mode, he got up and ready, trying to push any thoughts of Taehyun away.

The opening wasn’t anything spectacular, but impressive and emotional nonetheless. Taehyun and Kai watched it all go down from where they were still seated in the booth. The three Chois nervously opened the front door to the public for the first time together. Fortunately, there was no instant rush of people. Yet slowly but surely, curious customers trickled in. Although it wasn’t anything compared to a true rush hour, it kept the three baristas busy.

At around eleven a.m., about an hour after the opening, Taehyun decided to go home. He’d observed the way things were going for a while, but all seemed fine. On top of that, Kai kept trying to turn the conversation to his relationship with Beomgyu, and he desperately wanted to go somewhere else. There were a few customers chatting on the lounge sofa, already sipping their freshly made drinks. Since there was no line at the counter, Taehyun decided he’d support his friends by getting a coffee from them before actually leaving.

He walked up to the counter, meeting Soobin there.

“I’m about to head out, do you guys need anything before I go?”

Soobin shook his head, and smiled a smile of gratitude, “You’re good to go, Taehyun-ah. I’d just really, really like to thank you once again for all of your help.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, slightly flustered, Taehyun answered, “It’s no biggie, hyung. I didn’t support this idea at first, but I’ve grown to like it. Plus, I enjoyed being able to help in any way I could.”

As he finished his sentence, Yeonjun appeared behind Soobin, drying off a glass cup with a towel. He noticed Taehyun’s presence and asked, “You’re leaving?”

Nodding the affirmative, Taehyun said, “I am, but I’m dying to try one of your guys’ coffee before I do. Mind if I order?”

“Of course not, Taehyun-ah! What would you like?” Yeonjun grew excited.

Soobin furrowed his brow at his friend’s behavior, only in play annoyance. Being the sassy man he could be, he mumbled, “I'm taking orders right now. How about you try and dry that cup within ten minutes?”

Grumpy, Yeonjun made his way back into the kitchen, disappearing behind the double doors. Both Soobin and Taehyun couldn’t help but laugh at their hyung’s whiny behavior. It was really fun to mess with him, always providing a good reaction.

“So, what would you like?” Soobin asked Taehyun once their laughter had subsided.

“Just a macchiato please, and make it hot.” Taehyun smiled, taking out his card from his wallet in order to pay.

Before he could, Soobin’s hand stopped him from doing so, “I’m not letting you pay. You’ve helped us tons, don’t worry about the coffee.”

Knowing better than to argue with Soobin, Taehyun sheepishly slid his card back into his wallet before pocketing it.

“Beomgyu-ya! One to-go hot macchiato for Taehyun-ah!” Soobin yelled at Beomgyu, who Taehyun hadn’t seen standing behind the coffee machines. The man seemed surprised for a moment, before dropping his task of cleaning the espresso machine to brew some more coffee.

Taehyun watched as Beomgyu worked carefully, as if treating expensive diamonds. He moved in a way that seemed like floating, almost, as he put Taehyun’s coffee together. It seemed his barista training had paid off, watching how he gently yet professionally made foam art on the drink. Then, he carefully placed the coffee on the counter in front of Taehyun, before fleeing to the kitchen. That was weird, Taehyun thought.

His heart skipped a beat, however, when he looked down at the drink he’d been given. The sight explained Beomgyu’s antsy and shy behavior from just moments ago. There was something in the foam art looking back at Taehyun, a figure which was unmistakable, a heart.

That godforsaken heart in foam couldn’t leave Taehyun’s mind. The days passed and the cold gradually faded away into something more lively, but Taehyun felt cold to the bone nonetheless, ashamed. He’d treated Beomgyu horribly over the past few weeks. And he couldn’t help but hate himself for it, ignoring the fact Beomgyu didn’t really treat him right, either.

On his way home from work, he once again decided to take the scenic route, considering the fact the weather was slightly more tolerable now. Trying not to get his hopes up, he walked through the park he’d sat with Beomgyu all of those weeks ago. Back when they were still close and vulnerable with each other. Not being able to look away, his eyes darted over to the hill where they had spent time together.

Of course, Beomgyu wasn’t sitting on the hill today.

It stood there, lonely. Seemingly mocking Taehyun.

He picked up his pace and buried his hands in his pockets, a gust of wind hitting him in the face. He was tired of denying his feelings for Beomgyu: he looked for him everywhere he went, and even if the older man wasn’t there, Taehyun was able to find slivers of his lingering presence. Although he was still pretending to be mad at Beomgyu, he couldn’t help but find comfort in the thought of him. Beomgyu occupied his mind everywhere he went, as if tagging along with him.

If only he had the real thing.

It sounded like a dream, really, being able to call Beomgyu his. But if Taehyun kept up this behavior, he knew nothing would ever change. Even better, things would only get worse. They’d drift apart even further, causing a ruckus to their friend group, and would probably never see each other again considering both of their stubborn personalities.

The heart in the foam art had done something irreversible to him. Maybe Beomgyu had been joking, or mocking, Taehyun when he created it and handed it to the younger one. Nonetheless, it gave Taehyun the idea that Beomgyu felt something for him, positive or not. And who was Taehyun if not curious? He simply needed to find out Beomgyu’s reason behind the heart.

A faint buzzing coming from his back pocket snapped him out of his thoughts momentarily. Thoughtlessly, he reached for his phone and turned it on to see who had disturbed his walk. A gasp escaped past his lips as he saw the name of the culprit on his home screen: Choi Beomgyu.

He quickly opened his Messages app and opened the chat with Beomgyu, reading over his text as his confusion and guilt started to grow.

What?

Taehyun read over it a couple of times, just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Then, he made a split-second decision. He spun on his heel and walked into the opposite direction, the direction of Beomgyu’s apartment, even if he wasn’t sure whether the older man was home or not. Frankly, he couldn’t care. It was worth a shot, considering his confusion and desperation.

Once he’d arrived at the apartment complex, he stared up at the building towering over his small figure, casting a shadow over him. Anxiety suddenly overtook his senses. What was he even doing?

Hesitantly, he entered the lobby. He knew Beomgyu’s apartment was on the fourth floor, all it took was a press to the button in the elevator. It would take him right to Beomgyu’s apartment, leaving him to finally talk to the man that had been all on his mind.

Instead, Taehyun pressed the button that took the elevator up to the third floor.

He found himself knocking on Soobin’s door, praying the older man was home. Taehyun reasoned that it was pretty late, the coffee shop should be closed by now, he had to be home.

He was proven right when the door swung open, revealing Soobin. The taller man was dressed in jeans, probably still from work, and a black hoodie. On his feet were plain white socks, although they were slightly stained.

“Taehyun-ah? What are you doing here? Come in,” Soobin beckoned him inside, even if he was confused about Taehyun’s sudden visit.

Disoriented, Taehyun entered the apartment. He took off his shoes and coat, leaving them by the front door. When he turned to face Soobin, he was met with a curious expression. Soobin probably had an inkling about why he was here, but wouldn’t let it slip in case he was wrong.

After Soobin beckoned him once more, Taehyun followed him into the living room. Both men took a seat on the coach, which was covered in blankets. It felt comfortable, but Taehyun didn’t have it in him to appreciate the feeling.

“So, what’s going on?” Soobin asked softly, smiling at Taehyun.

Taehyun let out a shuddery breath, before scoffing at his own behavior, “I’m not even sure. I was walking home from work, then Beomgyu texted me, and I wanted to go see him. But, when I got here I chickened out. That’s why I went to yours instead,” he rambled.

Offering him a pat on the knee, Soobin gave him a knowing look, “You know that I know, right?”

“Know what?” Taehyun squeaked nervously, fiddling with his fingers in his lap.

“That you’re in love with Beomgyu.”

A beat.

Taehyun didn’t know what to say, it felt like the breath had been stolen from his lungs. He’d realized his feelings a long time ago, but calling it love felt like so much more, it felt like a catastrophe shattering his perfect world.

“It’s okay,” Soobin continued, “You don’t have to feel guilty, or embarrassed whatsoever. I knew from the day I first met you in the corner store when you got jealous of me for hanging out with him,” he ended with a soft smile.

Trying to keep his emotions under control, Taehyun looked up at Soobin, “It won’t work out, will it? He hates my guts,” he mumbled.

Sensing the younger man’s conflicting emotions, Soobin carefully scooted closer and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, “He could never hate you, you know? I don’t think you realize how much he cares about you, cherishes you, even.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

A few moments of silence passed, Taehyun letting Soobin’s words sink in. If they were true, that meant he actually stood a chance with Beomgyu. But no matter what, he’d have to face the older man first. Which seemed almost impossible, giving their recent fights. He bit his lip, looking around the living room.

Soobin’s apartment was tidy, even if there were a few things scattered around here and there. For example, the couch which was drowning in blankets. Aside from that, it seemed almost flawless. Little picture frames holding precious memories were placed on flat surfaces, and a few plants made the place feel lively. Taehyun tried to let the coziness distract him. It never worked.

“Soobin-hyung, I am so sorry,” Taehyun croaked.

“What? What for?” Soobin grew alarmed at Taehyun’s broken demeanor. He quickly cupped the other man’s face, finding nothing but hurt in his big eyes. He could’ve sworn he felt his heart breaking a little at the sight, hating to see his friend in such a crestfallen state.

“I’m such a mess— And then I ruin everything. It’s because of me we never hang out with the five of us anymore, and when we do, I just make it awkward by fighting with Beomgyu-hyung because I don’t know how to deal with my feelings. I am so sorry, Soobin-hyung,” Taehyun apologized frantically, trying to ignore Soobin’s worried eyes.

Hearing such self-neglecting words coming from his friend’s mouth made Soobin’s chest feel tight, and he wanted nothing more than to let Taehyun know he was appreciated no matter what, “And none of us blame you. We know you just need some time and space, which is okay. We just want you to be okay.”

Taehyun sighed, pondering over Soobin’s words for a couple of seconds, then, “I think you’re right.”

“About what?”

Hesitantly, Taehyun gulped, admitting this felt like jumping off a cliff without a harness to keep him from hitting the ground and splattering into a million pieces. Still, he was trying to be better. Not just for himself, but for his friends and Beomgyu as well. And so, he took a deep breath before he confessed to Soobin.

“I am in love with Beomgyu-hyung.”

Neither of them said anything after Taehyun’s confession, but his words hung heavily in the air. Both men knew how big of a step it was for Taehyun to admit his love for someone, and they slowly progressed what he’d just said.

The soft and gentle ticking of a clock sounded throughout the apartment, counting the seconds of silence. It wasn’t a bad nor an uncomfortable silence, it was one full of unspoken acceptance and progress. Slowly but surely, a small smile creeped up on Soobin’s face, and he wasn’t able to keep quiet any longer.

“That’s so great! I can’t believe it! I mean, I kind of knew all along, but still! I’m so happy for you, Taehyun-ah! This is unbelievable, I’m watching my two close friends get together, finally!” he exclaimed, overly excited.

All of Taehyun’s anxiety faded away with the happiness in Soobin’s tone. He realized, maybe it was okay to love, maybe love wouldn’t kick him right in the butt the second he committed to it. Perhaps, it might even work out. He let out a small giggle at Soobin’s behavior, as a warm feeling of contentedness spread throughout his chest. He hadn’t felt this optimistic in a long time.

“Stop being so dramatic, hyung,” he scolded Soobin jokingly.

“Nope! I’m so happy for you!” Soobin laughed as he finally threw himself onto Taehyun, wrapping the younger man up into a tight hug.

Laughter bubbled from Taehyun’s chest as he hugged Soobin back just as tight, feeling safe in his embrace. Their hug lasted a few moments longer before Soobin pulled away, leaving his arms on Taehyun’s shoulders. His carefree expression turned into something more serious, yet teasing at the same time, “Are you finally going to make an actual move now?”

Taehyun gasped and pushed Soobin’s arms off of his shoulders, “Hyung! Let’s not move too fast, shall we?”

“You’re no fun! At least text Beomgyu back then,” Soobin pouted.

Taehyun was about to refuse, but seeing Soobin pouting only meant one thing: the older man wasn’t giving up anytime soon. With a sigh, Taehyun pulled his phone from out of his pocket and opened his chat with Beomgyu, his last text burning through the screen.

He pondered over what he wanted to say, unsure of anything at all. Soobin watched him, but decided not to intervene with his thought process. Taehyun typed out multiple responses, but deleted them all again right away. Finally, after a few minutes of consideration, he’d written something he felt he wanted to send to Beomgyu.

It only took him a few more moments to grow balls and actually press the ‘send’ button. Immediately, he threw his phone across the room and hid his face in one of the many blankets that was on the couch. He was sure his face was beet-red, and he tried his best to hide it as he heard Soobin laughing from beside him.

Interrupting his laughter was a notification sound that sounded awfully familiar.

Jumping up from the couch to retrieve his phone, Taehyun saw it was Beomgyu who had texted back. He hurriedly opened the chat with the other man, and upon reading his reply, his heart stuttered in his chest. After re-reading the answer multiple times, Soobin yelled at Taehyun to tell him what Beomgyu had texted back.

Squealing, Taehyun shoved the phone in Soobin’s face. The way his expression changed from curious to flabbergasted was priceless, and Taehyun wished he’d snapped a picture so he could frame it.

“Taehyun-ah, looks like you got your man!”

After Beomgyu’s quick response, asking Taehyun to meet him, a sudden confidence took over Taehyun. Only a few hours ago, he’d been wanting to see Beomgyu but backed out at the last minute. Now, after talking to him over text, he was standing in front of Beomgyu’s front door. Although there was still a sense of lingering anger, he now felt determined to fix things with Beomgyu. For once and for all.

Before Taehyun could even raise a hand and knock on the wooden door, it swung open, creaking in the process. There, right in front of him, Beomgyu stood. The man was dressed comfortably: sweatpants topped off with a hoodie and fuzzy socks. He looked tired, defeated almost, and it hurt Taehyun to see him this way.

“Hey,” he mumbled.

“Hi, hyung,” Taehyun returned.

The two stood there in the doorway, truly taking each other’s presence in for the first time in a while. Beomgyu put an end to it, though, when he gently beckoned Taehyun inside.

“You got here fast,” Beomgyu smiled, trying to lighten up the atmosphere that was neither tense nor awkward, yet somewhere in between.

Taehyun followed Beomgyu into his apartment, “Yeah, I was at Soobin-hyung’s,” he explained.

“You were?” Beomgyu turned around to face Taehyun, the expression on his face unreadable.

Taehyun fidgeted where he stood, afraid of ruining things already. What if Beomgyu felt betrayed that he'd been hanging out with Soobin but not him, when the two literally lived in the same apartment complex? He stuttered out a shaky, “yeah,” struggling to look Beomgyu in the eye.

Not knowing whether it was a good or a bad thing, Taehyun watched as Beomgyu took a seat on the couch and patted the empty spot next to him, asking Taehyun to sit down as well. The younger man hesitantly took his seat, confidence dissolving little by little, making sure to leave plenty of space between him and Beomgyu.

Beomgyu didn’t feel like unnecessarily stretching the silence, so he immediately blurted out, “What I texted you, I meant that.”

“Meant what?” Taehyun asked. He knew exactly what Beomgyu was referring to, but maybe he just needed to hear him say it.

“That I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for being mean and rude and pushing you away. You didn’t deserve any of that, and you still don’t,” Beomgyu said softly.

Taehyun swallowed, gripping his hands together in his lap. He'd imagined this moment so many times: Beomgyu apologizing, admitting fault. But now that it was happening, he didn’t know what to do with it. He’d spent so long holding onto his frustration, his hurt, that letting it go felt unnatural, uncomfortable almost.

But he’d told himself he’d try and fix things, and so, he apologized as well, “If that’s the case, I’m sorry too, hyung. I hurt you over and over again, then expected you to just tolerate that. It wasn’t right, and over the past few weeks I realized I truly fucked up. I’m genuinely so sorry.”

Across the couch, Beomgyu gave him a teary smile, one that held many emotions. They flickered across his face like fireworks, but in the end, only a sad smile remained, crumbling his facade of pretending to be mad at Taehyun. Sadly, he admitted, “I’m going to be honest with you, Taehyun-ah. After our last fight I actually was mad at you, but it didn’t last long. I just kept pretending to still be mad in order to not be vulnerable. Soobin, Yeonjun, and Kai tried to get me to budge a million times, and I now regret that I didn’t listen to them sooner,” he inhaled sharply, “because, truth be told, I missed you a lot. I’ve come to realize that you mean a lot to me, which is why I drew the heart on your coffee,” he looked up at Taehyun nervously.

Taehyun was at a loss of words, trying to process what Beomgyu had just confessed. He couldn’t possibly mean a lot to Beomgyu, there simply was no way. Right?

“Taehyun-ah, I mean it,” Beomgyu added, desperately wanting to reach out and hold Taehyun, but deciding against it in case Taehyun didn’t feel the same way.

“I—” Taehyun stuttered, flustered with the affectionate words coming from Beomgyu.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way,” Beomgyu mumbled, looking down at his lap.

Beomgyu was retreating, and it was making alarm bells go off inside of Taehyun’s head. Quickly, Taehyun decided to just get over himself and fight for the boy who his heart was beating for, “You mean a lot to me too.”

Beomgyu's head snapped up, eyes widening slightly as he processed Taehyun’s words. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

The silence that followed was heavier this time, but not in a bad way. It felt charged, full of things unsaid but understood. He blinked a few times, his breath hitching slightly, “I do?” His voice was quiet, hesitant, like he was scared to believe it.

Taehyun gave him a small nod, a genuine smile growing on his face, “You do,” he exhaled, feeling the weight of his own confession settle between them. His heart was still racing, but he didn’t regret saying it.

Subconsciously, Beomgyu shifted a little closer to Taehyun. Seemingly out of nowhere, he let out a small laugh. It confused Taehyun, evident in his face, but Beomgyu was quick to speak, “I’m sorry, I’m just really happy we’re not at each other’s throats anymore.”

Finally, Taehyun let out a genuine laugh as well, “Me too.”

A few moments passed in which the two men just sat there, staring at each other like they were seeing the other for the first time. Like everything that had happened before had been leading up to this exact moment. Both of them were aware of their own growing feelings for the other, and Beomgyu had to try his very best to not do something reckless.

Instead, he asked, “So… What now?”

Taehyun’s fingers twitched where they rested on his knee, resisting the urge to reach out. "I don’t know," he admitted honestly. "But we can figure it out, right?"

Beomgyu’s smile softened, his shoulders relaxing for the first time that night. "Yeah," he said, voice quiet but sure, “we can.”

Growing more bold at how well things were going, Taehyun moved over on the couch, taking place right next to Beomgyu. Their legs were touching and their faces were flushed, but neither of them mentioned it. In a swift motion, Taehyun grabbed Beomgyu’s hand and intertwined their fingers, butterflies raging in his stomach.

Ignoring his doubt and insecurities, he put his head on Beomgyu’s shoulder, “For now, can we just be like old times again?” Taehyun whispered into the cloth of Beomgyu’s hoodie. It came out muffled, but Beomgyu seemed to understand nonetheless.

With his free hand, Beomgyu reached out to card his fingers through Taehyun’s soft locks of hair. He hummed approvingly, “I’d like that, Taehyunie.”

The hours passed and somewhere in between the television had been turned on, playing a movie. Although both men were pretending to be focused on the cinematic masterpiece playing on the screen, neither of them actually were. They were basking in each other’s presence, their familiar and warm touch, but most of all, the feeling. Being back together like this, like old times, felt awfully right. It almost felt like the two were made to hold each other, love each other.

Taehyun yawned, then sighed as he drifted off, face still buried in Beomgyu’s hoodie. His eyes were drooping, but he didn’t even notice until Beomgyu shifted underneath him, pulling Taehyun up into a sitting position.

“I think it’s bedtime,” Beomgyu whispered with a fond chuckle.

Groggily and disoriented, Taehyun asked, “What? What time is it?”

“Around two in the morning.”

That woke Taehyun up, even if only in the slightest. He yawned as he pulled away from Beomgyu, against his own dismay. He knew he had to work the opening shift tomorrow (today?), which would be in a little less than six hours. Groaning, he got up from the couch, standing on weak legs.

“Guess I should head home,” he said, voice thick with sleep.

“No.”

“Huh?”

Beomgyu looked embarrassed, as he faced Taehyun, “It’s too late for you to be going home now. You can spend the night, you know? I won’t mind,” he smiled at the younger man standing before him.

Taehyun was equally as flustered as Beomgyu at his suggestion. He loved the idea of spending the night with Beomgyu, but the memories of the last time they spent the night together haunted him. The last thing he wanted was for their relationship to be ruined again. But also, he didn’t want to reject Beomgyu. He stood rooted to his spot, hesitating as he fiddled with the hem of his own hoodie.

“I work the morning shift in a few hours,” he stuttered, a light shade of pink dusting his already rosy cheeks.

Shifting on the couch, Beomgyu came up with a solution, “That’s okay. We’ll set an alarm and I’ll drive you home so you can retrieve some clean clothes, and then I’ll drive you to work. I’m free tomorrow anyways, you won’t be bothering me, I promise,” he said.

Taehyun still felt hesitant, not wanting to overdo it only moments after making up with Beomgyu. It seemed he didn’t have to worry about that, though, when Beomgyu spoke up again.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to spend the night here, I understand. But at least let me drive you home. It’s too late to be walking all the way back to your place,” the older man basically pleaded.

Giving in, a soft smile graced Taehyun’s features, “Okay, I’d like to spend the night, hyung. Just please don’t oversleep tomorrow morning, I can’t afford to be late to my shift,” he chuckled.

The smile Beomgyu gave him in return told Taehyun he did the right thing. Together, they moved through Beomgyu’s cramped bathroom as they went through the motions of their night routines. Every now and then, they’d bump into each other, their touches lingering for just a little bit too long, before pulling away again with the tips of their ears burning red. Neither of them mentioned it, but they both knew they loved having each other around again.

As they got under the duvet on Beomgyu’s bed together, Beomgyu didn’t hesitate to immediately wrap his arms around Taehyun’s small waist. He put his head on the younger man’s chest, and pretended to not hear his heart rabbiting. When their legs tangled together, Beomgyu sighed contentedly, “Thank you for staying.”

Shifting as close as he could, Taehyun wrapped his arms around Beomgyu as well and tightened his hold. He was sure Beomgyu had drifted off at the sound of his steady breaths, as he stared up at the dark ceiling, feeling Beomgyu’s warm body close to his. His mind kept repeating today’s events, making him feel happier than he had in the past few weeks.

Gently, he tucked Beomgyu’s hair behind his ear, admiring his sharp features.

It felt so right.

Just as he was drifting off, ready to dream, he heard Beomgyu mumble something against him. The vibrations against his chest made him shiver, and he tried to stay calm underneath the press of Beomgyu’s body when he actually processed the other man’s words.

“I missed you.”

The following morning, Beomgyu woke first. The bedroom was still dark, considering the early hour, but a few birds could be heard chirping outside nonetheless. He tried to roll over and get some more sleep, but an arm around his waist prevented him from doing so.

For a moment, he was confused. Blinking, he looked down at the warm figure still sleeping next to him.

Taehyun.

The memories of the previous night came flooding back to him, as well as a feeling of happiness. Beomgyu’s heart clenched in a way that was both familiar and foreign, as he watched Taehyun’s chest rise and fall with each gentle breath the younger took. It had been so long since Beomgyu was allowed to see Taehyun like this, see him with his guards down and at peace. The fact that he got this back, that he got Taehyun back, was enough to make him feel over the moon.

Suddenly hyperaware of how close they were, Beomgyu swallowed thickly. Their legs were still tangled, and Taehyun was holding onto Beomgyu like he was a lifeline. The younger man’s forehead was exposed, and it would be so easy to just bend down and place a soft kiss on the velvet skin.

But then, Taehyun shifted. It was only a subtle movement, but it was enough to get Beomgyu’s eyes on him. His breath hitched when he found Taehyun already looking back at him.

“Hyung?” he rasped, blinking the drowsiness away from his eyes.

Offering him a gentle smile, Beomgyu tucked a strand of hair behind Taehyun’s ear that had fallen into his face, “Morning.”

About to snuggle closer to Beomgyu and revel in the feeling of being so close to him, Taehyun suddenly shot up from his place on the bed as he remembered something: his shift.

“Shit! What time is it?” he asked, already getting up from the bed and pacing the room.

As if on cue, the alarm began blaring from Beomgyu’s nightstand. The older man groaned, trying not to miss Taehyun’s body against his, and ran his hands over his face at the commotion before turning it off, “Relax. It’s six thirty, you still have an hour to get there.”

“Well, let’s get going. I’m not going to be late,” Taehyun said as he hurried into the bathroom that was connected to Beomgyu’s bedroom.

Letting out a small laugh, Beomgyu swung his legs over the side of the bed. He tried to shake the giddy feeling in his stomach, but it was no use. Every moment he spent with Taehyun just felt so surreal, like they were meant to be together. He couldn’t help but imagine a future together where all of their mornings were spent in the same bed, maybe even sharing lazy kisses.

He squeezed his eyes shut, now was not the time to think about that.

As Taehyun went through the motions of his morning routine, getting himself to look presentable for work, Beomgyu poured the both of them a bowl of cereal. Since Taehyun felt rushed, he only ate a few spoonfuls, before wanting to leave for work. Still, he felt incredibly grateful for Beomgyu’s way of taking care of him.

The sun started rising as the two men made their way out of the apartment complex and towards the parking lot, where Beomgyu’s car stood. About to get in the passenger seat, Taehyun was stopped by an arm blocking him. Confused, he watched as Beomgyu opened the car door for him. The older man looked shy, but beckoned Taehyun to get in.

Muttering a soft, “Thank you,” Taehyun got inside, sure that he was blushing.

When Beomgyu got in the driver’s seat, he didn’t say anything, feeling too embarrassed about how he’d just held the door open for Taehyun. Nonetheless, the drive was still comfortable, even in the silence. Driving through Seoul, the two men watched as the city woke up and sunlight started coloring the streets.

Taehyun fiddled with his hands in his lap, a nervous habit. Once Beomgyu caught sight of it, he wanted nothing more than to use his right hand to hold Taehyun’s, and calm him down. Instead, he gripped the steering wheel tighter and focused on the road, telling himself it wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t going to risk ruining their friendship, again.

The car pulled into the parking lot near Taehyun’s apartment complex. Beomgyu put the vehicle in park and relaxed. Muttering a quick, “I’ll be back,” Taehyun got out of the car and ran inside to fetch his clean work clothes.

Without Taehyun’s presence, Beomgyu leaned back into his seat, sighing heavily. With each passing moment he spent with Taehyun, the urge to make a move grew. It felt almost impossible to ignore. God, he was so screwed, he thought to himself.

Only a few moments later, Taehyun returned to the car and got back in. He was wearing his work uniform, and his hair was styled a little bit better than before. Beomgyu tried to not stare, but he couldn’t stop himself. Taehyun just looked so good, breathtaking even. The apron he was wearing looked so stupid, yet it hugged his waist in the best way possible. How Taehyun was able to pull any clothing item off, remained a mystery to Beomgyu.

Snapping himself out of it, Beomgyu started driving again. The drive to the boutique wasn’t spent in silence, unlike the drive to Taehyun’s apartment. Since Taehyun was now more awake, he told Beomgyu many stories about the flowers, the customers, and his average workday. Listening intently, a small smile grew on Beomgyu’s face, barely noticeable. The way Taehyun spoke so passionately about his job just made him feel very happy, fond of the younger man.

Which was why he felt disappointed as he pulled up on the curb by the boutique.

Taehyun unbuckled his seatbelt, but didn’t get out of the car immediately. Instead, he lingered, secretly not ready to leave Beomgyu again so soon. He looked at the other man with nothing but stars in his eyes, “Thank you so much, hyung. For driving me here. I appreciate it a lot,” he smiled.

Shyly, he reached for Beomgyu’s hand which was still resting on the gear stick in between them. Taehyun intertwined their fingers carefully, handling Beomgyu as if he was made out of gold.

“I can’t even begin to express how happy I am that we’re okay again,” he said, too shy to look Beomgyu in the eye at his confession, but wanting to speak it out loud despite that fact.

Beomgyu squeezed his hand, then answered, “No need to thank me. You know I’m always here for you.”

Taehyun finally looked up at Beomgyu, heat creeping upon his cheeks as he noticed their proximity. Even though they were sitting in a car right in front of his workplace, it felt strangely intimate. Everything with Beomgyu made him feel so much at a time, as if enchanted.

“And I’m glad we’re okay again as well,” Beomgyu whispered, caressing the back of Taehyun’s hand by gently rubbing circles on it using his thumb.

Gulping, Taehyun locked eyes with Beomgyu. The two held their gazes, admiring each other, for God knows how long. It wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward, instead, it felt safe and full of love. Trying to stop himself from doing something stupid, like impulsively kissing Beomgyu and then running away, Taehyun hesitantly pulled back, “I’ve got to go now. But I meant it, thank you.”

Beomgyu seemed slightly disappointed, but nodded nonetheless, aware of the fact that Taehyun had to clock in. He blinked at the younger man, then said, “Have a good shift, Taehyunie.”

Taehyun reluctantly got out of the car, still looking at Beomgyu, “I’ll try,” he smiled, “Take care of yourself, hyung,” he added, before closing the car door behind him. As he walked up to the employee entrance of the boutique, he couldn’t resist looking behind him one more time. Beomgyu still stood there, parked, waiting for Taehyun to enter the building safely. With butterflies dancing in his stomach, Taehyun waved at the man one last time before unlocking the door and disappearing out of sight.

Beomgyu stayed parked for a few seconds longer, watching the spot where Taehyun had just disappeared. His fingers still tingled from where Taehyun had held them, warmth lingering like an echo. With a quiet sigh, he let his head fall back against the seat, staring at the ceiling for a moment before finally shifting the car into drive.

As he pulled away from the curb, he caught himself smiling, it was small and barely there, but it was real.

Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as screwed as he’d thought.

Taehyun’s shift felt like it was lasting an eternity. When he clocked in, he tried to not think about Beomgyu the entire time, which was proven difficult when the man was all on his mind. So, he tried focusing on his opening tasks instead. Unfortunately, there weren’t many, since he’d closed well the night before. He silently cursed himself.

Half an hour later, when the boutique finally opened its doors, Taehyun was hoping to be met by many customers to distract him. Luck didn’t seem to be on his side, as none came in until an hour into the opening. In the meantime, Taehyun tried to stay busy. He did the most useless chores: changing the water in the vases, rearranging the pre-made bouquets, and dusting every flat surface in sight.

He sighed heavily as he put down the duster, ready to find another pointless task. However, he didn’t have to when the chime of the bell by the front door signaled the first customer coming in. Taehyun wiped his hands on his apron, ready to greet the person. As he made his way behind the counter, his eyes fell upon no one other than Mrs. Choi.

“Good morning, Mrs. Choi,” he said politely, bowing slightly.

The elderly woman chuckled, greeting him as well, “Hello, dear. How have you been?”

Taehyun smiled at her, always loving it whenever she came to visit, “I’ve been doing good, Mrs. Choi. I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while, how have you been?”

Mrs. Choi made her way further into the shop, her gaze flickering over the various flowers and bouquets. She’d always loved every single one of them.

“That’s good to hear. I’m doing as wonderful as always. Has Soobin-ah been bothering your friends yet? I heard the grand opening was only a short while ago,” she said, eyes fixed on an arrangement of peonies.

Giggling, Taehyun shook his head, “No, Mrs. Choi. Soobin-hyung has been wonderful. He can be a handful, sure, but over the past few weeks he’s become a very good friend of mine.”

“That’s Soobin for you,” the woman smiled, nearing the counter.

“How may I help you today?” Taehyun asked.

Deciding against commenting on Taehyun’s politeness, which Mrs. Choi had never been a fan of, she gestured towards the roses, “Will you be so kind as to help me pick something out? Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’d love to surprise my husband with one of your wonderful bouquets. He won’t be home that day, so I’d like to surprise him this afternoon instead.”

Taehyun nodded, excited to have some actual work to do, “Of course. What’s his favorite color?”

The lady told him that it was red, and Taehyun instantly got to work. Skillfully, he picked out roses in different shades of red. His fingers moved with practiced ease as he cut off the long stems, making all flowers an even length. Then, he arranged the flowers by placing the larger ones first, placing the smaller buds in between right after. Ever so carefully, he wrapped the arrangement up in the shop’s special Valentine Day’s ribbon, securing them with a white bow.

He looked it over once more to make sure there weren’t any imperfections. Once satisfied with the result, he proudly handed the bouquet to Mrs. Choi, who took it with admiration in her eyes, “Beautiful as always, Taehyun.”

“It’s nothing,” Taehyun smiled at the praise, secretly feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride for making Mrs. Choi happy.

Mrs. Choi stared at the bouquet for a moment longer, taking in all its details, before gently placing it on the counter. She asked Taehyun what she owed him, and then paid the full amount, even leaving a generous tip.

“Who’s your valentine?” the woman asked, curious and teasing as always.

Taehyun stammered, scratching the back of his neck. There was someone he desperately wanted to be his valentine, but he wasn’t. So, he settled on saying, “I guess it’s just me this year.”

“Don’t give me that, I’m sure there’s someone. I didn’t want to mention it at first, but you seem distracted. Is there someone on your mind?”

Taehyun’s awkward chuckle confirmed her suspicions.

“Is this about the same boy you told me about once?”

Sheepishly, Taehyun admitted, “It is.”

Giving him a knowing look, Mrs. Choi said, “If this boy has been on your mind for so long, he must be special. It might seem scary, but why don’t you give it a try? This might or might not surprise you, but back in the day, I actually made the first move on the man who is now my husband as well. You never know it until you try it.”

The worst part of all was that Taehyun knew she was right. Logically, he knew Beomgyu was bold enough to make a move if he really wanted to. But then, knowing Beomgyu, he was also probably scared of offending or losing Taehyun somehow, considering their fights. Which was why the older man probably wouldn’t make a move anytime soon, if he even felt the same way, that was.

“Think about it,” Mrs. Choi winked at Taehyun. She thanked him once more for the lovely bouquet, then left the shop. The bell chimed at her departure, and Taehyun let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

The rest of the day passed slowly. Barely any customers came in, so Taehyun was forced to do all of the pointless chores. When he’d run out of those, he settled on mindlessly scrolling through his phone. Something inside of him had hoped Beomgyu would have texted him, but he hadn’t.

Around five hours later, the coworker that was closing came in. She had a decently long shift ahead of her, so Taehyun briefly explained to her how things had been going, and what still needed to be done. The girl, a university student, nodded excitedly. She took over Taehyun’s shift, and he was finally able to go home.

In the locker room, he took off his apron and stuffed it in his locker. He lingered for a few more minutes, before actually taking his leave. Unlike this morning, there was no car to pick him up. He tried not to let it get to him, but deep down he knew he missed Beomgyu, especially in small moments like these. The thought of being together with Beomgyu and him picking Taehyun up from work every day warmed his heart.

If Mrs. Choi had been right, maybe, someday his fantasy would become reality.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out to see what the occasion was.

It was a text from Yeonjun, asking him to come over in a few. Frankly, Taehyun was tired. He’d gone through an emotional rollercoaster the previous night, and now he wanted nothing more than a good nap. But at the same time, he loved hanging out with his friends. He could always nap later. Typing out a quick response, he told Yeonjun he’d be there after having dinner and getting ready.

He picked up his pace, burying his hands in the pockets of his winter coat. Although it was now February, and getting slightly warmer, Taehyun still didn’t find the weather enjoyable. A cold chill engulfed him, nipping at his skin, and he shivered. Not looking where he was going anymore, instead staring at the pavement, he rounded the corner to his apartment.

What he wasn’t expecting, was to bump into someone.

The person had a familiar warmth to them, a familiar scent, as well. Before Taehyun could put the pieces together, he heard a voice, an unmistakable one at that.

“Careful,” Beomgyu smiled, steadying Taehyun by the shoulders.

Taehyun blinked up at him, momentarily caught off guard. The sight of Beomgyu’s face, barely illuminated by the dim streetlights, made his heart stutter. The orange glow made him look more ethereal than usual, if that was even possible. Taehyun’s breath hitched at the sight before he could stop it.

“Beomgyu-hyung?” was all he managed to stutter out.

Beomgyu’s hands lingered on Taehyun’s shoulder for a split second too long, before he hesitantly pulled back, stuffing them in his pockets. The man looked smug, giggling at Taehyun’s disbelief, “Nice to see you too, Taehyunie.”

Taehyun playfully jabbed him in the shoulder, finally coming to his senses, earning a dramatic gasp from Beomgyu.

“Why would you hit me?” he fake-cried.

“Because you’re roaming around my apartment whilst it’s dark outside like some kind of creep. What are you, a stalker?” Taehyun joked.

Beomgyu rocked back and forth on his heels, wearing a sheepish smile on his face, embarrassed to have been called out by Taehyun on roaming the younger man’s neighborhood. Put in that perspective, he did sound like a creep or a stalker.

“Can’t I just wander the wonderful streets of Seoul?” Beomgyu chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

The comment earned him an unamused, yet playful, glare from Taehyun, “This neighborhood isn’t so wonderful, you very much know so, hyung. Did you miss me that badly?”

At that, Beomgyu’s eyes snapped to his, and for a second, something flickered in them, something Taehyun couldn’t quite place. Then, Beomgyu huffed, feigning exasperation, “Shut up.”

Yet, he never denied it.

As Taehyun picked up the walk to his place again, Beomgyu fell into step with him, an unspoken agreement. Every now and then, their shoulders would brush, but neither pulled away. It felt strangely domestic, walking home together, but Beomgyu thought he wouldn’t mind always being like this. The thought made him warm and giddy, and he wore a stupid grin on his face for the rest of the walk to Taehyun’s apartment.

“You’re going too Yeonjun-hyung’s too, right?” Taehyun asked as he unlocked his front door, looking over his shoulder to face Beomgyu as he asked the question.

Beomgyu followed him into the apartment, softly shutting the door behind them.

“Yeah. Since I was around, I figured we could get ready together.” he answered, although the last part came out like more of a question, filled with hope.

“So that’s why you were lingering around my apartment,” Taehyun accused Beomgyu, narrowing his eyes at him. It was only to play mockery, but Beomgyu felt put on the spot anyways.

“What if I was?”

Oh.

At the confirmation, Taehyun looked up at Beomgyu in shock, their eyes locked. He wasn’t sure of what to say, feeling awfully in love. He felt something shift inside him, like the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving only the rapid pounding of his heart. It wasn’t just a fleeting feeling, it was something deeper, something that curled hot and heavy in his chest, tightening around his lungs until he almost forgot how to breathe.

Taehyun’s fingers twitched, and he tried to suppress any obvious movement. His hands grew clammy in the pockets of the coat he was still wearing, desperately wanting to hold onto something, to ground him.

And then there was Beomgyu, still just standing there and looking at Taehyun with an admiration in his eyes. He looked just as caught up with whatever this moment was as Taehyun, which made the younger feel slightly better, even if it felt like his knees were about to buckle.

Panicking slightly, Taehyun blurted out, “Okay,” before pulling his gaze away from Beomgyu.

The two got ready in relative silence, dancing around each other as the tension grew. Neither of them were ready to talk about it yet, but they knew they both felt it. It was especially obvious when in the bathroom, Beomgyu gently, almost caressingly, put his hand on Taehyun’s waist to move in the cramped space behind him without knocking into him.

As Taehyun was in the kitchen, gathering snacks for the hangout, he heard a groan coming from the bathroom, followed by the clang of something being thrown.

Growing worried, he yelled out, “Beomgyu-hyung, are you okay?”

Another groan followed, then Beomgyu answered in a whine, “I dropped my lipgloss but I can’t see shit because I’m not wearing my contacts, which I also dropped in your sink! Now I’m blind and bad-looking!”

A small smile grew on Taehyun’s face as he made his way over to the bathroom. Upon arrival, he found Beomgyu in a state close to despair. His hair was ruffled, his eyes were red, and he was searching the bathroom desperately for his dear lipgloss.

When he noticed Taehyun’s presence in the room, he visibly lit up, “Taehyun-ah! Help me, please,” he pretty much begged.

Instantly spotting the lost lipgloss on the floor, right in sight, Taehyun chuckled as he bent over and picked it up. He handed it over to Beomgyu, suppressing a shiver as their hands touched.

“Seriously, hyung, how can you be so blind?” he joked, trying to get rid of the tension that was piling up inside of his body.

Beomgyu whined once more, “No need to be so rude about it,” he huffed, “I can see perfectly fine whenever I’m wearing my contacts,” he defended himself, “It’s a shame they’ve gone down the drain of your bathroom sink.”

Taehyun smiled, deciding to not argue any further. He watched as Beomgyu carefully turned over the lipgloss in his hands, before opening the product. He shuffled a little closer to the mirror above the sink, raising the gloss to his lips. Before Taehyun could get lost in the look of Beomgyu’s lips and the way the older man applied it, another impatient whine coming from Beomgyu snapped him out of it.

“I can’t see what I’m doing!” he complained.

“You know you don’t need that, right?” Taehyun remarked.

Beomgyu shot him an overly dramatic offended look, before bursting out into his typical antics, “I do need it! I refuse to leave the house without my lipgloss, I look like a walking corpse without it! It’s a miracle I’ve never gotten reported to the police before for going out without pretty lips.”

Rolling his eyes at Beomgyu’s behaviour, Taehyun replied, “You’ll be fine. Now, hurry up, we don’t want to leave Yeonjun-hyung waiting.”

“Then help a guy out,” Beomgyu grumbled below his breath.

Taehyun caught it nonetheless.

He didn’t know what caused him to not think twice, but before he knew it, Taehyun had pried the lipgloss from Beomgyu’s warm hold. Breathing in sharply, he cupped Beomgyu’s jaw with his free hand, nudging his face to face Taehyun. It felt like a blessing that Beomgyu was barely able to see anything at all in that moment, since Taehyun physically couldn’t wear a nonchalant expression anymore.

Beomgyu’s breath hitched at Taehyun’s action, but he didn’t fight them. Instead, he found himself leaning into Taehyun’s touch, revelling in the feeling of his soft skin on his jaw, his eyes fluttering shut at the movement.

Taehyun took the applicator out of the tube, the smell of sweet vanilla mixed with something fruity filling the air around them. It felt heavy, and dense, and perfect.

Ever so gently, he raised the applicator to Beomgyu’s bottom lip, carefully. The first touch was hesitant, as if his lips were made out of glass. Then, Taehyun precisely moved it, coating Beomgyu’s lips in the enchanting smell and a glossy look. It shouldn’t have spiked his adrenaline, it was just lipgloss. But it did.

His breathing picked up as he watched Beomgyu smack his lips together, getting the gloss on his upper lip as well. Subconsciously, he took a step forward, leaning in closer. His body was moving on auto-pilot, Taehyun having lost all his control.

Then, Beomgyu opened his eyes. Upon noticing their proximity, he let out a shuddering breath, but didn’t move away. Instead, his hand latched onto Taehyun’s wrist, which was still floating in the air from applying the lipgloss. Beomgyu felt hot all over, his mind running a mile a minute. Was Taehyun thinking the same thing he was?

Against Beomgyu’s dismay, Taehyun slowly pulled away, even if only a little.

“There. All pretty.” the younger man said, barely above a whisper.

“Thank you.”

A moment of silence passed as the men locked eyes, holding thousands of unspoken words between them.

When Taehyun cleared his throat, it snapped both of them out of it, “We should probably head over to Yeonjun-hyung now,” Taehyun mumbled.

“Right,” Beomgyu said, pretending he hadn’t completely forgotten about their hangout at Yeonjun’s, lost in Taehyun.

The two put their coats and shoes back on, and headed out the door. Despite the cold, they settled on walking to Yeonjun’s apartment, both craving some fresh air. The streets were already dark and awfully quiet, yet neither of them felt unsafe as long as they were together.

Beomgyu dug his hands into his pockets, only for his right hand to be met with an object. Confused, he took it out, realizing they were his glasses. They were a little dirty from being in his coat pocket — who even puts their glasses in there? — but unharmed nonetheless. The man practically cried in relief.

“Taehyunie! My glasses, I found them! I won’t have to be blind anymore!” he cheered as he cleaned off the lenses with his sleeve.

“You had glasses with you all this time?” Taehyun gasped, dumbfounded.

“Hey! I wasn’t aware of it either,” Beomgyu feigned offence as he put the thick-rimmed black glasses on.

As Taehyun looked over to take in Beomgyu with his stupid glasses, his heart stuttered. Yes, he looked stupid, but God did he look adorable. His mind went haywire as he tried to think of something to say, ultimately failing.

“What? Do you think I look cute? Is that it?” Beomgyu teased him.

“I think you look like a dork,” Taehyun playfully scoffed.

The comment was enough to have Beomgyu rambling about his cuteness and about how his glasses only added more to that for the rest of their walk. He said that maybe Taehyun was the blind one, for being unable to see how adorable Beomgyu was. Taehyun found that he didn’t have it in him to argue, enjoying how Beomgyu got so worked up over a single remark. He listened to the entire rant, chuckled here and there, but never argued back, enjoying the moment instead.

Soon enough, they arrived at Yeonjun’s apartment. Instead of knocking, they let themselves in, the commotion of Beomgyu still rambling enough to notify the others of their presence. He was still complaining about how Taehyun had called him a dork whilst taking off his shoes and coat, and as he made his way over to the couch as he plopped down dramatically right next to Kai.

Taehyun followed, although more calmly, and sat down next to Yeonjun. The older man turned to face him with a questioning look, asking him, “Since when have you two been at peace?”

Shrugging, Taehyun answered, “It’s just a ceasefire. As you can see, or hear, I hurt his feelings whilst getting ready.”

“You two got ready together?” Yeonjun shrieked, grabbing Taehyun by the shoulders. His outburst drew the attention of Soobin, Kai, and Beomgyu as well, all looking over at them.

“Yes?” Taehyun said, unsurely, “Is something wrong?”

Kai chimed in, wearing an assuming look on his face which Taehyun didn’t like one bit, “Taehyun-ah and Beomgyu-hyung acting civilized around each other?” he gasped as his eyes darted between the two men, “There’s simply no way.”

Soobin’s eyes darted back and forth between the two as well, but wasn’t as surprised as the Kai and Yeonjun. He knew this had been a long time coming, especially since he practically forced Taehyun to go see Beomgyu the other night. It was new, sure, but a good development nonetheless. A happy feeling spread throughout him, already imagining how much more crazy things would get when Taehyun and Beomgyu finally got their acts together and would start dating.

“Anyways, what got Beomgyu’s knickers in a twist this time?” Yeonjun asked, dropping the previous topic. In an instant, Beomgyu perked up again, jumping at the opportunity to complain about how mean Taehyun had been.

“He said I look like a dork wearing these glasses!” he whined, pointing at his glasses to try and prove a point.

Yeonjun and Soobin both chimed in, telling Beomgyu that he did look like a dork, and that Taehyun had been right, making the younger feel proud. Since Kai was the only one who hadn’t called him a dork, Beomgyu pouted as he latched on to the youngest of the group.

“I think you look cute, hyung,” Kai comforted him, patting his long brown hair. Taehyun hated how comfortable Beomgyu looked in Kai’s hold, but he didn’t want to ruin the mood by his jealousy over someone who wasn’t even his, so he willed himself to look away.

“Thank you, Kai-ya,” Beomgyu whined, hugging him even closer.

Taehyun caught the movement from the corner of his eyes and his hands got sweaty. Quickly, he got up from the couch, excusing himself to the bathroom. He pretty much sprinted there, unable to watch any longer.

Once he’d closed and locked the door behind him, he let himself slide down to sit on the floor, sighing. Who was he kidding? He knew Kai would never make a move on Beomgyu, especially since Kai was aware of Taehyun’s feelings. Still, it didn’t hurt any less to see Beomgyu so carefree and happy in someone else’s hold. Taehyun put his head in his hands, trying to get himself together. It wasn’t a big deal, it really wasn’t.

The realization dawned on him that he wanted Beomgyu to be his, and his only. And he could make that happen by simply asking him out — if Beomgyu said yes, that was. Taehyun had realized that he was hopelessly in love with Beomgyu a long time ago, but actually making a move had always seemed impossible. Now, though, pathetic on Yeonjun’s bathroom floor, he realized that maybe it wasn’t so impossible after all.

All it would take was a simple question.

And if he got rejected? Well, he didn’t want to think about that just yet.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door, interrupting his little crisis, “Taehyunie? Are you good in there?”

It was Beomgyu.

“Yeah! One sec!” Taehyun said as he scrambled off the floor and fixed his hair in the mirror. He unlocked the door and opened it, finding Beomgyu standing right in front of him. Nerves built up inside of him as he remembered his plan of asking Beomgyu out. It must’ve shown, because Beomgyu’s brow furrowed in concern.

“Are you really okay?” he asked.

Taehyun took a deep breath, then nodded the affirmative, “I am.”

Beomgyu smiled, carelessly grabbing Taehyun’s hand and dragging him back towards the living room, “We’re playing Monopoly! Don’t cheat, and you might win!” he said that last part with a wink, which went straight to Taehyun’s heart.

Beomgyu and Taehyun settled down on the floor by the coffee table next to each other, the other three already seated and waiting. The board game lay on the table, and Kai was distributing money amongst them. When Taehyun shifted slightly, his knee dug into Beomgyu’s. He’d expected Beomgyu to pull away, but he never did. Instead, the older man shuffled a little bit closer, making their thighs touch as well.

When Taehyun looked over at him, questioning his actions, Beomgyu whispered his question so softly so that the other three wouldn’t hear it, “Is this okay?”

Taehyun bit his lip, then nodded, “You know it is.”

It’d be safe to say that Taehyun did not pay any attention during the entire game of Monopoly. He was so focused on Beomgyu’s body touching his, on Beomgyu’s warmth next to him and the way Beomgyu clutched his stomach as he laughed when Soobin ended up in jail, his mind felt like haywire.

“That’s it, Kai you’re fired from being the banker. You’ve been hiding the money, you cheater!” Yeonjun yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Kai.

“No I have not! Maybe you just suck at Monopoly!” Kai argued.

The two kept arguing, gradually growing more hilarious to listen to. Soobin, Beomgyu, and Taehyun were all in tears as Yeonjun and Kai kept accusing each other of the dumbest stuff, just to save themselves. Gasping for breath, Beomgyu threw himself onto Taehyun, laughing uncontrollably.

If it made Taehyun stop breathing for a second, no one noticed.

Deciding against his nerves, Taehyun leaned into Beomgyu as well, latching onto the older man to try and ground himself. Slowly but surely, Yeonjun and Kai’s argument died down and so did the wild laughter. Yet, Beomgyu and Taehyun didn’t move away from each other.

The weight of Beomgyu pressing against Taehyun was solid and grounding. Even though the laughter had died down, Taehyun didn’t want to move away from the warmth and safety. The Monopoly game continued, but neither of them were really playing anymore. A few rounds later, Taehyun bailed, using the lame excuse that he was too bankrupt to continue playing — he wasn’t.

It didn’t take much for Beomgyu to call the game quits as well, dramatically throwing his cash onto the board in front of them. Yeonjun, Soobin, and Kai didn’t seem to notice when Beomgyu snuggled even closer to Taehyun, breathing in his perfume.

Then, Beomgyu tilted his head, barely enough for his lips to brush against Taehyun’s ear as he whispered, “You’re warm.”

Taehyun’s throat closed up as he tried to say something, anything. He turned to face Beomgyu, only now realizing how close they actually were. It was a miracle their friends hadn’t pointed it out yet, but they were too busy with the board game.

“I—” he stuttered, feeling his face burning.

Beomgyu’s eyes searched his. In the dim light of the living room, his eyes looked dark and unreadable, but breathtaking nonetheless. Beomgyu’s voice dropped into something lower, something more cautious, as he murmured, “Taehyunie—”

A yell from Yeonjun cut him off. They looked over to see their hyung fist bumping the air, awfully excited.

“I win!” he exclaimed, all too proud of himself.

“Alright, game’s over. I’m headed home,” Soobin said, sleepiness evident in his drooping eyes.

Beomgyu shot up at that, scrambling upright and away from Taehyun, “I’m coming with. I need a good night’s rest,” he said.

Yeonjun complained about the two leaving, but still understood. The coffee shop was set to open early the following day, and both Soobin and Beomgyu had to be there. As well as Yeonjun, but he didn’t have to travel home anymore.

“Kai-ya? Taehyun-ah? You two need a ride home as well?” Soobin asked, raising his eyebrows at the two florists.

“Yes, please,” Kai immediately answered, getting up from his spot on the floor.

Taehyun hesitated for a moment, even if he wasn’t completely sure why. He loved walking home, taking in the fresh air and the rare calmness that Seoul carried at night. Still, a ride sounded very good right now, since his body was practically shutting down from the long day he’d had.

“Sure, I’ll ride with you,” he answered.

After saying their goodbyes to Yeonjun, the four men squeezed into Soobin’s car. Powering Taehyun’s nerves, Beomgyu just had to sit beside him in the backseat, where Soobin and Kai couldn’t see them.

The drive started out normally, Soobin and Kai chatting softly as Beomgyu and Taehyun remained quiet. However, things changed when Taehyun felt a hand on his knee. He looked over to see Beomgyu staring out the window, lost in thought, as if he wasn’t riling Taehyun up at the same time.

Panicking slightly, Taehyun went over his options. He could push Beomgyu’s hand off of his knee, but that would only give Beomgyu the wrong idea. He could also not do anything, and try to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth as if this was the most normal thing ever, totally bestie behavior. The decision was made fairly quickly.

The hand stayed.

Maybe Taehyun could live if Beomgyu didn’t move for the rest of the drive, but of course, he didn’t. A few minutes after Beomgyu had placed his hand on Taehyun’s knee and Taehyun had agreed to keep it there, Beomgyu started gently squeezing it, stealing Taehyun’s breath right from him.

If it was only meant to be a friendly and assuring gesture, Taehyun didn’t feel it. The tension that had been piling up between the two of them felt sky-high, like it was about to burst anytime soon. He tried to remain calm under the weight of Beomgyu’s squeezing and warm touch, but his breathing was definitely a little labored.

Taehyun’s apartment was the first stop, the man almost sighing in relief when his apartment complex came into sight. He unbuckled his seatbelt and thanked the others for the fun night, sliding out of the car and away from Beomgyu’s prying hand.

He quickly made his way inside of the lobby, then over to his apartment. As he was about to unlock the door, he heard a commotion behind him. At first, he thought it had been his imagination, but he was proven wrong when he heard it again.

“Taehyun-ah, wait!”

Spinning around, Taehyun saw Beomgyu coming towards him, almost out of breath. He looked disheveled as if he had just sprinted here, even if Taehyun knew Soobin’s car was parked right outside of the building.

“Hyung?” was all he managed to say, confused on why Beomgyu was here.

“I told the others I left something at your place,” Beomgyu said, still not explaining the real reason behind why he was here.

“Did you?” Taehyun asked.

Beomgyu ran his hand through his hair and sighed, “No.”

If Taehyun wasn’t confused before, he definitely was now. Beomgyu’s intentions weren’t clear to him. The older man had complained about his morning shift the following day, yet he was procrastinating on getting some sleep by following Taehyun into his apartment complex. The pieces didn’t seem to line up into a puzzle, and Taehyun just stared at Beomgyu, unsure.

“I actually wanted to give you something,” Beomgyu whispered, taking a step closer to Taehyun.

“What is it?” Taehyun questioned, ignoring the pounding of his heart.

Before Taehyun could process what was happening, Beomgyu took a gentle hold of his face, cupping it with both hands. Despite the chilly air that hung outside, his hands were as warm as always, and Taehyun found himself melting into the touch no matter his surprise.

Then, Beomgyu leaned in. He placed the softest kiss on Taehyun’s cheek, his lips barely touching the skin, but definitely there. He held it for a moment — One, two, three — before pulling away.

Taehyun looked up at Beomgyu in shock, the ghost of Beomgyu’s soft and plump lips against his cheek lingering. He stammered, desperate to find words that would tell Beomgyu that he didn’t hate this, that he loved it instead. Nothing came out.

Beomgyu swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing, then he smiled.

“Good night, Taehyunie.”

Before Beomgyu could turn and walk away, Taehyun caught him by the wrist. He surprised himself by doing so, but couldn’t stop it. Caressingly, he tucked Beomgyu’s hair behind his ears, making the older man's breath hitch. Then, Taehyun whispered back a sweet and unspoken agreement, “Good night, Beomgyu-hyung.”

A few days passed, and Taehyun and Beomgyu didn’t mention the kiss again. In fact, they barely contacted each other at all. Both of them were busy with their respective jobs. Beomgyu found himself at Choi’s more often than not, and Taehyun still worked his full time job at the boutique.

Which was the place where it happened.

It was just another day, just another 9 to 5. Except, it was Valentine’s Day. The shop was flooded with customers who requested arrangements for their loved ones, pink and red flowers flying out the door. Taehyun sighed to himself as he wrapped up another romantic bouquet, thinking about a certain someone.

Kai, who was also on shift that day, didn’t fail to notice Taehyun’s sour mood.

Around four thirty, when it was a little quieter in the boutique and most previous customers were probably on dates, he made his way over to Taehyun.

“What’s up?” the younger one asked.

Taehyun shot him an unamused glare, “I think you know what’s up,” there was no point in hiding it anymore. All of his friends were aware about his feelings for Beomgyu, except for Beomgyu himself, it seemed.

Kai chuckled, fondly ruffling Taehyun’s hair, which earned him a whine from the man, “I have a feeling you two will work out, you know? Sooner than you might think,” he gave Taehyun words of comfort.

Looking defeated, Taehyun sighed once more, “I don’t know, Kai. I doubt Beomgyu-hyung returns my feelings.”

Scoffing, Kai argued, “You’re a blind fool, that’s what you are. You two have been dancing around each other since forever now, honestly, it’s getting kind of exhausting to witness. I’m telling you that he likes you just as much as you like him, trust me on this one.”

Before Taehyun could argue back and deny Kai’s accusation, the bell chimed to notify the two florists of a new customer. Taehyun quickly made his way over to the counter to help them, desperate to flee from his conversation with Kai and get his mind somewhere else.

Just as expected, the customer asked for a bouquet for her Valentine. She specifically asked for lush red roses combined with soft pink peonies, held together by a white ribbon. Taehyun got to work. He collected the requested flowers, then cut their stems. Neatly arranging them, he decided to improvise by adding a few baby’s breaths in the bouquet to fill the empty spaces. Last but not least, he wrapped the arrangement up in a champagne-colored tissue, adding the white ribbon as a final touch.

Proud of his work, he handed over the bouquet to the girl. She seemed ecstatic at how lovely it had turned out, thanking Taehyun. With a swipe of her card, she paid for the flowers, thanked Taehyun once more, then left the shop bouncing on her feet and wearing a lovesick smile on her face.

Taehyun looked at the clock, which told him there were ten minutes left until he was allowed to take his leave. Kai was the employee who had to close that day, since he came in later, meaning Taehyun didn’t have to worry about closing duties. He silently prayed that the last ten minutes would fly by.

But it seemed like time came to a halt when the bell chimed again and Taehyun took notice of the new customer.

Beomgyu.

Taehyun desperately wanted to flee to the back in order to not have to face him. He looked around, only to find Kai nowhere, meaning he was probably in the back already. To make matters worse, the policy of the boutique said not to keep customers waiting. It only meant one thing: Taehyun would have to be the one to help Beomgyu.

“Hi, Taehyunie,” Beomgyu spoke softly as he made his way over to the counter.

Swallowing, Taehyun returned the greeting, “Hey, hyung.”

The tension between them was obvious, the air that hung between them was thick with it. Obviously, both men remembered the way Beomgyu had kissed Taehyun on the cheek the last time they saw each other, but it remained unspoken about, just a memory lingering between them.

“Could you do something for me?” Beomgyu asked as his eyes scanned Taehyun, instead of the flowers like most customers would do.

Trying to suppress his nerves, Taehyun forced himself to snap into his customer service personality, “Sure, what is it?”

Beomgyu looked nervous to speak back up, and Taehyun had an inkling about where this was going. He didn’t like it one bit. Desperately hoping he’d be proven wrong, he awaited Beomgyu’s answer in anticipation.

“I kind of need a bouquet for my Valentine,” Beomgyu finally admitted, smiling sheepishly.

Taehyun’s heart sank.

He could feel tears burning behind his eyes, but this was not the place nor the time to cry. Rapidly blinking them away, he managed to keep a stoic face, looking at Beomgyu, “Of course, what would you like?”

“Uhm, well, you see, I’m not good at these kinds of things? Just please arrange me a bouquet that you would think is romantic as a florist,” Beomgyu mumbled.

“Got it,” Taehyun answered curtly, turning his back towards Beomgyu to hide his hurt feelings and work on the bouquet.

Although he hated that he was arranging flowers for Beomgyu’s Valentine, who wasn’t Taehyun, he still tried his best, wanting to show off. He gathered deep burgundy dahlias and creamy ivory ranunculus, trying to engulf himself in the work. Then, he reached for a few vibrant coral garden roses and lilac sweet peas, adding them to the arrangement. He touched the flowers up a little, to make them look neat, before wrapping them in a blush-colored linen.

For a moment, he hesitated about whether he should add a ribbon or not. Since they were typical for a romantic bouquet, he decided to just go with it. Might as well give Beomgyu a memorable Valentine’s Day, he thought to himself bitterly. Carefully, he attached a dark red ribbon, finishing up the piece.

Taehyun calmed himself down before turning to face Beomgyu again, who was still waiting patiently. Upon seeing the finished product, his eyes visibly lit up, reminding Taehyun of the stars which he loved so much.

He handed over the bouquet, their hands brushing in the movement, but Taehyun forced down any sparks he felt at the touch, “Here you go.”

Usually Taehyun wouldn’t let his friends pay the full price, if he let them pay anything at all, but today was different. He entered the sum in the cash register and took Beomgyu’s money, making him pay the full price. Sue him, for feeling betrayed and hurt.

But it seemed like Beomgyu didn’t mind, happily paying the price and thanking Taehyun over and over again. The older man beamed with happiness, all previous nerves had seemed to fade away. The sight made something in Taehyun’s gut twist, and he could feel his blood start to boil, remembering all of their close and intimate moments together.

Had it all been a joke to Beomgyu?

“I hope your date goes well, hyung. But I’m clocking out now, Kai will still be here if you need him,” Taehyun said with a hint of venom in his voice, not bothering with Beomgyu’s endless ‘ thank you '’s. He forced himself to turn away and make his way over to the locker room, feeling his tears coming back full force.

Once Beomgyu was out of his sight, he couldn’t stop them. The tears fell from his eyes like a waterfall, staining his rosy cheeks. Hiccuping, he tried wiping them away, but to no avail. They wouldn’t stop falling.

The emotions crashed over him like a wave, drowning him. Every shared moment with Beomgyu that had felt so special to him went down the drain, like they never happened at all. He felt hurt, useless, betrayed, and stupid. Stupid for believing he stood a chance, stupid for letting himself hope.

It didn’t take long for the sound of Taehyun’s cries to alarm Kai, who quickly made his way over to his friend. Concern was etched upon his face, mixed with surprise. He knew that Taehyun was bitter that day, but never expected him to break down, at work out of all places, over it.

“Taehyun-ah? What happened?” he asked, trying to get Taehyun to look him in the eye, but Taehyun wouldn’t budge.

“It’s nothing,” Taehyun gasped through sobs, desperately wanting Kai to go away so he could be miserable in peace.

“You’re crying,” Kai said, as if Taehyun wasn’t aware of that himself, “so it’s not nothing.”

There, Kai had a point. Taehyun wasn’t one to just randomly burst into tears over nothing. But still, he didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe he would in five years or so, but not now. So, he did what he always did, and pushed Kai away.

“Not now. I’ll be fine, just head back to the workfloor, Kai,” he snapped.

At this point, Kai knew there was nothing to change Taehyun’s mind, having known him for long enough. Reluctantly, he took a step back. Taking one last look at this version of Taehyun which he wasn’t used to seeing, he whispered, “Okay,” before leaving the locker room and heading back into the boutique.

It took Taehyun a few more minutes for him to calm down and wipe his tears, because they wouldn’t stop falling. Eventually though, they did, and Taehyun let out a shuddery breath. All of a sudden he felt exhausted with the many emotions he was feeling, none of them positive. Wanting to get away from the boutique where Beomgyu just broke his heart, he yanked on his apron to take it off and then stuffed it in his locker.

Unlike usual, he didn’t bother to bid Kai goodbye, bursting out the backdoor as quickly as he could instead. Outside, he leaned against the wall of the building for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He didn’t even realize he hadn’t been breathing well up until this point. Once he felt the slightest bit okay, he pushed himself off of the wall and forced himself to begin walking.

The backdoor of the boutique led to a sketchy alley. Taehyun never found himself paying much attention to it, but now. Its darkness felt like it was strangely resembling how he was feeling, cold and empty. Refusing to let the feeling take over him even more, he shrugged it off and rounded the corner, into the lively and light streets of Seoul.

As he took in the view, he didn’t fail to notice an awfully recognizable man leaning against a lamppost, just a few feet away from him, holding a big bouquet of flowers.

Of course, that man was no one other than Beomgyu.

The second Taehyun realized this, he turned around. He’d already arranged the bouquet for Beomgyu’s lover, he didn’t want to witness the confession as well. Picking up his pace, he tried to ignore the strong urge to look behind him.

He didn’t have to, when a strong hand locked around his wrist and spun him back around after a couple of big strides.

“Taehyun-ah, you walk fast,” Beomgyu smiled, still not letting go of Taehyun’s wrist.

When Taehyun finally processed what was happening, he yanked his wrist out of Beomgyu’s hold, his eyes glaring daggers at the older man. All he wanted was to lay down on his bed and curl into himself, possibly cry some more, and ponder over the man who just hurt his feelings in the worst way possible. Not talk to him.

“What do you want?” he snapped, letting down his mask of nonchalance.

Beomgyu seemed taken aback at the attitude, looking nervous again. He slowly retracted his arm, which was still floating in the air from where he had been holding Taehyun. Beomgyu shuffled on his feet as he mumbled something unintelligible.

“What was that?” Taehyun asked, growing more angry with each passing second.

“I– I wanted to ask you something,” Beomgyu stuttered, hesitantly looking up at Taehyun.

“Well, spit it out,” Taehyun hissed.

With shaking hands, Beomgyu held up the bouquet, as if Taehyun needed to be reminded of it even more, its flowers staring into Taehyun’s soul. Beomgyu licked his lips, unsure of how to ask whatever it was he wanted to ask. In the end, he decided to just pop the question.

“Taehyun-ah, will you be my Valentine?”

Oh.

Oh.

Taehyun couldn’t believe his own ears, staring up at Beomgyu with big doe eyes, all traces of his previous anger long gone, instead replaced with confusion. He couldn’t believe this was happening, this couldn’t be happening.

“But the flowers, hyung, they’re for—” Taehyun managed to say weakly.

“They’re for you,” Beomgyu said, holding them out towards Taehyun, hoping the younger man would take them.

“You’re joking,” Taehyun assumed, not taking the flowers. His mind couldn’t comprehend why Beomgyu, out of all people, would be gifting him a bouquet and asking him to be his Valentine. Not in this world, that wasn’t possible.

“I’m not.”

“Say it again,” Taehyun blurted out, taken aback by his own defensiveness. He’d imagined he’d be ecstatic and a ball of sunshine if Beomgyu ever asked him out, not — whatever this was.

“Kang Taehyun, will you be my Valentine?” Beomgyu repeated himself, not leaving any room for doubt about his intentions, and his anticipation building up as his hands were still shaking.

A moment passed, then another, and—

“Yes!” Taehyun squealed, grabbing the flowers from Beomgyu before pulling the older man into a bone-crushing hug. He held on tight, grabbing the fabric of Beomgyu’s jacket in his fists, hoping to convey to Beomgyu how happy this made him. When he felt Beomgyu hugging him back just as tightly, a big smile grew on his face, and he buried it in Beomgyu’s shoulder.

A hand reached out to pat Taehyun’s hair, the younger man giggling in contentment. He couldn’t believe this was truly happening, Beomgyu just asked him out.

The two hugged for a few more seconds, before ultimately pulling away. Beomgyu kept his arms around Taehyun’s waist, and Taehyun kept his arms around Beomgyu’s neck. Except, this time, there was no guilt or insecurity attached to it.

“Are you free tonight?” Beomgyu whispered huskily.

Nodding enthusiastically, Taehyun smiled, “I’m all yours.”

“Good, because I have a date night planned, just the two of us,” Beomgyu said as he took Taehyun’s arms and intertwined their fingers. Their hands dangled between their bodies, like connected by a magnetic force.

Although Taehyun was still surprised, he decided to just go with whatever Beomgyu’s plans were. First, though, he had to go home to change into some decent clothes and shower. He couldn’t stop a laugh from escaping him when Beomgyu dragged him towards his car, holding the door to the passenger side open for him.

Not complaining, Taehyun got into the passenger seat, watching as Beomgyu gently shut the door after him. He made his way around the car and got into the driver’s seat. Before he knew it, their hands were intertwined again, this time initiated by Taehyun.

During the drive to Taehyun’s apartment, their hands rested between their seats, interlocked. Every now and then Beomgyu would have to let go in order to change gears, but he’d latch back onto Taehyun right away. Their conversation was carefree and lively, better than ever before. Taehyun found himself smiling more than he had in what felt like ages.

Much to Taehyun’s dismay, the drive ended sooner than he wanted it to. Keeping up the gentle and shy conversation, the two men made their way into Taehyun’s apartment. Once inside, Taehyun made a quick job of putting the bouquet Beomgyu had given him in a glass vase with clean water.

“I can’t believe you made me arrange my own bouquet,” Taehyun grumbled, no real frustration behind his words.

Beomgyu giggled as he stepped closer to Taehyun, putting his hand on the small of his back, “What can I say? I’m full of surprises.”

“That you are,” Taehyun said, fondly shaking his head as he looked up at Beomgyu.

Only when he turned, Taehyun realized their proximity. They were close, practically breathing each other’s oxygen. Neither of them said anything for a moment, their gazes scanning over each other, finally realizing they were about to go on a date, a real one.

Then, Beomgyu leaned in, and placed a loving kiss on Taehyun’s forehead.

“Go take a shower, Taehyunie,” he whispered as he pulled away.

Breathless, Taehyun nodded dumbly. He made his way over to the bathroom with a change of clothes. Inside, he took off his clothes and turned on the shower, making sure it was hot. Since he didn’t want to keep Beomgyu waiting, he started scrubbing his body with a loofah covered in body wash the second he got in. Next, he washed his hair with shampoo and conditioner. Once he’d rinsed that out, he turned the shower off and dried himself off with the towel he’d hung over the rack in advance.

After he’d put on his new outfit, he brushed his hair and applied the slightest bit of make-up, enough to make him look stunning yet natural at the same time. Shyly, he made his way out of the bathroom, his eyes immediately falling on Beomgyu who was lounging on his couch.

“I’m ready,” Taehyun announced.

Getting up from the couch, Beomgyu made his way over to Taehyun, his eyes sparkling as he took in the younger man’s appearance.

“Wow, you look—” he considered his words for a moment, “beautiful.”

Taehyun felt his face grow warm, and couldn’t suppress the urge to duck his head. The way he got flustered had Beomgyu giggling, and Taehyun could’ve sworn it was the best thing he ever heard. Instead of mentioning it, he said, “Let’s go.”

Beomgyu was still snickering as he grabbed Taehyun’s hand again, like it was the easiest thing in the world, and dragged him out of the apartment and towards his car. The drive was spent in a comfortable silence, but Taehyun’s mind was running a mile an hour. He kept glancing at their intertwined hands between their seats, unable to believe how any of this was real. Shuddering, he decided to just live in the moment while it lasted.

In the end, they ended up in the parking lot near the park where they’d spent time together before. Except, this time, they would both try to make it absolutely perfect, no hidden feelings.

Taehyun’s stomach growled as they got out of the car. Embarrassed, he looked the other way, pretending that that sound didn’t come from him. Unfortunately, Beomgyu was a smart guy, and didn’t fail to notice.

“Wanna grab some food from that food truck over there?” he asked, pointing to a yellow food truck that stood parked at the entrance of the park.

“Sure,” Taehyun smiled, falling into step with Beomgyu.

When they came to a halt at the truck, both men read the menu, pointing out things that sounded good to each other. Once their decisions were final, Beomgyu ordered one portion of cheese tteokbokki for both of them. The worker took Beomgyu’s card for a moment, then handed it back after the payment was made. About to protest, Taehyun was shut up by a finger being pressed against his lips.

“It’s on me. It would've been an awful date if I had made you pay,” Beomgyu said.

Grumbling, Taehyun answered, “Then let me get us dessert.”

“Deal.”

A little while later, the worker handed the two men their food. They thanked him, then turned around and headed into the park. Happily munching on their steaming hot tteokbokki, Beomgyu showed Taehyun his favorite places in the park, revealing that he came here quite often. It felt intimate that he genuinely wanted to take Taehyun to a place that he held so dear, and Taehyun almost drowned in the feeling of it all.

Finally, they settled on the hill they’d met on before. Both of them took a seat in the grass, not caring whether it was damp or not. Without hesitation, Beomgyu leaned his head on Taehyun’s shoulder like he’d done so many times before. Taehyun swallowed nervously, resisting the urge to just kiss the older man right there and then.

They talked about everything and nothing, allowing for them to get to know each other better. Conversation topics drifted from work to their friends, from favorite foods to music, and from bucket lists to family. Although the last topic affected Taehyun deeply, he tried to not let it show, putting on a brave face for Beomgyu.

Unfortunately, Beomgyu didn’t fail to notice.

He lifted his head from where it had been resting on Taehyun’s shoulder, looking him in the eye instead, “Are you okay?,” he whispered, as he gently cupped Taehyun’s cheek and stroked his thumb over the velvet skin.

“Yeah— It’s nothing, hyung,” Taehyun tried to say stoically, but his voice cracked anyway.

Now sitting more upright, Beomgyu frowned. He was an intelligent man, even if he sometimes acted like he wasn’t. It wasn’t a surprise, really, that he saw straight through Taehyun’s lie. He exhaled, pondering over how to comfort Taehyun in the best way possible, before softly saying, “It’s okay to be vulnerable, you know? It’s also okay if you’re done talking about family, we can talk about something more fun. I promise you, it’s not a problem.”

Gulping, Taehyun blinked at his hyung, already feeling his body starting to tremble and his throat starting to close, “Actually,” he hesitated whether he should go there or not, but decided it was about time he finally opened up to Beomgyu, “there’s something I haven’t told you about yet. Only Yeonjun-hyung knows.”

Beomgyu seemed flustered that Taehyun was willing to share something so personal with him, but still wanted to let the younger man know that he didn’t have to talk about certain things if he really didn’t want to, “Are you sure you want to tell me? I won’t be offended if it stays between you and Yeonjun-hyung.”

“I trust you,” Taehyun whispered, his lower lip trembling.

He shuddered when Beomgyu brushed his thumb over it, causing it to still. Beomgyu looked at him whilst holding the universe in his eyes; the stars, the planets, the sun — everything. Because that was what Beomgyu meant to him, Taehyun finally realized. Everything.

“It’s my mom,” Taehyun began, hesitating.

Beomgyu’s eyes widened, his mind already running wild with millions of assumptions and possible scenarios, but he decided to keep quiet, to let Taehyun tell him his story. So, when he noticed the younger man hesitating, he nodded encouragingly, to show him that he was listening and that he was there for him.

“I grew up in Gangnam,” Taehyun continued, “and it had always been my mom, my dad, my older sister, and me. My sister moved out before me to travel the world. Once I went off to college and moved out as well, my parents moved to Busan together.”

Beomgyu listened intently, carefully grabbing Taehyun’s hands in his and holding them like they were worth his weight in gold.

“Since I was still in Seoul and my parents were in Busan, I didn’t get to see them a lot. Especially since college was kicking my ass, and I was busy more often than not. At the time, I already had my job at the boutique, but it was only part time,” Taehyun took a deep breath, already blinking upcoming tears away.

Upon seeing tears in Taehyun’s eyes, Beomgyu gasped softly, and let go of the younger one’s hands in order to gently wipe them away, mumbling endless words of comfort. It took everything in Taehyun to not break down on the spot. There was a lump in his throat, but he’d already started telling his story, making him determined to finish it as well.

Ignoring the overwhelming feelings of grief swirling inside of him, he continued his story, “One day, when I just got off my shift, I noticed my phone had blown up with messages and missed calls from my dad and my sister. The texts didn’t explain anything, they only told me I had to call them back as soon as possible.”

“So, I called my dad back on my way home, and—” Taehyun got choked up, his tears falling down freely now even if Beomgyu tried his best to wipe them away and soothe his mind. Taehyun gasped, not nearly getting enough oxygen into his lungs as his mind replayed the events of that awful day in his life.

“Taehyunie,” Beomgyu’s voice caught his attention, “You’re okay, just breathe. Take your time, I’m not going anywhere,” he comforted Taehyun as he breathed with the younger one, trying to get him to calm down and breathe.

A few beats passed, Taehyun trying his best to breathe along with Beomgyu, holding his hand on the other’s chest, living in his heartbeat. It turned out Beomgyu had a wonderful effect on him, seeing as his breaths turned steady sooner than he’d expected them to.

“You don’t have to continue if you’re not comfortable,” Beomgyu offered, not wanting to push Taehyun.

But Taehyun shook his head, “It’s okay, I’m okay,” he reassured.

Taehyun took a few more deep breaths, steadying himself, before continuing his story, “As I was saying, I called my dad back and he— well, he told me that my mother had gotten into a car crash,” he hesitated, “which was fatal.”

He surprised himself by not bursting into sobs again, hell, he’d surprised himself even by opening up about it to anyone who wasn’t Yeonjun. And as if that wasn’t enough, it felt strangely nice to get such a heavy weight off of his chest for once. When he looked over at Beomgyu, he grew even more surprised to see the other man with tears brimming in his own eyes.

Beomgyu didn’t try to wipe them away or hide them, instead he just let them be, as if he wanted Taehyun to see how much he cared. His lips parted slightly, like he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he just grabbed Taehyun’s hands and squeezed them, grounding them both in the moment.

“I’m so sorry,” Beomgyu finally whispered, his voice thick with raw emotion, “that must’ve been— God, I can’t even imagine how hard that must’ve been for you.”

Taehyun swallowed, nodding slightly, “It was,” he admitted in a small voice, “For the first couple of months I lived in this state of disbelief, almost, like I couldn’t truly grasp that she was gone. I stopped taking proper care of myself and Yeonjun-hyung tried everything in his power to keep me functioning, but every time he came over I was just reminded of the fact that my mom was really, truly gone.”

Beomgyu let out a shaky breath, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing soft circles over the back of Taehyun’s hand. “And you’ve been carrying all of that alone? This whole time?” His tone wasn’t accusatory, but rather filled with quiet heartbreak.

Nodding again, Taehyun confirmed Beomgyu’s suspicions. However, he spoke up about it before Beomgyu could, “I mean, Yeonjun-hyung knew, but I never really wanted to talk about it. I just didn’t see the point in talking about her death, it wasn’t going to bring her back, you know? And I didn’t want to burden anyone with my sob story, so I mainly kept it to myself.”

Deliberately intertwining their hands, Beomgyu frowned as he looked down at them, “That’s not the point of talking about it though, bringing her back, I mean. I think talking about heavy things makes them more bearable, or easier to carry,” he sat up straighter, “you might not feel this way, but you don’t have to go through this alone, even if it’s been a while. You deserve love and comfort from the people around you, that’s not a burden.”

Taehyun didn’t know why those words got to him so much, but they did. Maybe because it was the first time that he was actually willing to believe them, instead of pretending to. Or maybe it was because the words came from Beomgyu, who always seemed to know the way to his heart. Whatever it was, Taehyun couldn’t stop it from letting a small smile grow on his face.

“Hyung,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Beomgyu looked up from their intertwined hands and hummed in acknowledgement, awaiting Taehyun’s answer.

“Thank you, for listening and for being so good to me,” he paused, “I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Taken aback at the meaningful words, Beomgyu stared at Taehyun, processing what he’d just said. He shifted a few inches closer to the point where their knees were digging into each other, then returned the heartfeltness, “I don’t know what I’d do without you, either.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them had shifted into something thicker, heavier, clearly charged with a tension that neither of them dared to speak out loud. Beomgyu’s fingers were still laced with Taehyun’s, his grip as warm and grounding as always. But now, as the cherry on top, there was something more meaningful to it.

Taehyun felt it too, he felt it in the way Beomgyu’s thumb was rubbing over his skin in slow, languid circles. He felt it in the way Beomgyu’s gaze softened, almost unbearably tender. The realization hid Taehyun all at once, how close they were, and how easy it would be to just lean in and get a taste of those soft lips once more.

And God, Beomgyu wasn’t making it any easier to resist. His breath was uneven, hair tousled by the gentle breeze, and his eyes dark as they flickered between Taehyun’s eyes, his lips, and their intertwined hands. It seemed as if Beomgyu, too, was holding himself back.

“Hyung,” Taehyun whispered again, as his fingers curled around Beomgyu’s even more instinctively, like he was afraid that the older would let go.

Beomgyu froze, inhaling sharply, “Yeah?,” he murmured back, stuck in the middle of the daze between them and reality.

“I—”, Taehyun hesitated, stopping himself from doing something stupid and ruining their special moment. He decided on letting out an awkward chuckle, “I’m sorry if I ruined our first date with my, well, this.”

Immediately, Beomgyu’s attitude changed, “You didn’t ruin anything, Taehyunie,” he began rambling, “Actually, I’m so glad you trusted me enough to open up to me about your mother. I couldn’t be more grateful, and I promise, cross my heart, that you didn’t ruin a thing.”

His earnestness made Taehyun’s breath get caught in his throat, deeply moved by Beomgyu’s words, but also mesmerized by the way he spoke. It was so full of sincerity, and something more, that Taehyun didn’t dare to name just yet. But no matter what it was, it brought him warmth, and it made his heart stutter.

Taehyun let out a small, shaky laugh, tilting his head as he looked at Beomgyu, “You’re so unfair,” he didn’t know what caused him to say that.

“Huh?” Beomgyu let out a confused noise, taken off-guard by Taehyun’s comment. He blinked in confusion at the younger man, but still smiled fondly.

“You just always know exactly what to say,” Taehyun sighed, not looking away from Beomgyu once, “You always say the right thing, do the right thing. It’s kind of frustrating.”

Beomgyu let out a small laugh, wiping imaginary tears from his eyes with his free hand. Trying to say something to Taehyun, his own laughter cut him off in the midst of it. Taehyun felt like he was being laughed at, and stubbornly took his hand away from Beomgyu’s in order to cross his arms over his chest.

“Are you laughing at me?” he asked, pretending to be offended but doing a miserable job at it. Secretly, he loved seeing Beomgyu laughing this way.

“No! No!” Beomgyu gasped through his laughter, trying to catch his breath, “I’m not laughing at you, I’m just— Laughing for you?”

“That doesn’t even make any sense, hyung,” Taehyun grumbled.

And then, before Taehyun knew it, Beomgyu had flung himself onto him, taking the both of them down. They landed on their backs in the damp grass, laying side by side. It was hard for Taehyun to keep up his grumpy act when his heart was practically bursting through his ribcage with how fast it was beating.

Beomgyu’s laughter eventually subsided, and he shifted to once again lean his head on Taehyun’s shoulder. With sparkling eyes, he looked at the younger. He couldn’t stop himself from tucking a strand of hair, that had fallen into Taehyun’s eyes, behind his ear. At the touch, Taehyun looked down at Beomgyu. They were closer than before, much closer, and Taehyun froze.

Cupping Taehyun’s cheek with his right hand, Beomgyu murmured, “I wasn’t laughing at you, Taehyunie. I just thought it was funny when you got grumpy. But before that, I was laughing because you said that I always say and do the right things— I really don’t.”

“In my eyes, you do,” Taehyun whispered.

A soft breeze rustled through the grass, but neither of them cared, lost in each other’s eyes. The world around them faded into a blur, the distant hum of the city being drowned out by their gentle breathing, although slightly uneven. Beomgyu’s hand was still cradling Taehyun’s cheek, his thumb absently stroking over the smooth skin, as if he was trying to memorize all the curves and pores.

Taehyun was hyperaware of the touch, and felt a desperate need for a change of topic before he lost himself in the feeling of Beomgyu’s thumb resting near the corner of his mouth every now and then.

Seemingly picking up on Taehyun’s nerves, Beomgyu was quick to offer him an escape, “Have you thought about where you want to go this summer?”

For a moment, Taehyun was caught off-guard, the gears in his mind turning rapidly to catch up with the new conversation. Truthfully, he hadn’t even remembered that summer would be coming up in only a few months, let alone consider going on a vacation. Although, he admitted to himself, it sounded nice to leave hectic Seoul for a while.

He hummed in affirmation, “I haven’t thought about it, really. I might just stay in Seoul. But if I do leave, I won’t be going far. Busan, at most, probably.”

“Busan is pretty far,” Beomgyu eased the lingering tension with a joke.

Playfully batting him on the shoulder, Taehyun hissed, “Shut up, hyung.”

They rested in silence once more. Beomgyu had let go of Taehyun’s cheek, and had made himself comfortable on the younger man’s shoulder again instead. He sighed heavily and his eyes drooped, unintentionally snuggling closer to Taehyun as the events of the day caught up to him.

“What about you? Do you have plans?”

Beomgyu groaned into Taehyun’s shoulder, half muffled by the fabric of Taehyun’s clothes, causing the younger one to giggle. Beomgyu ran his hand through his hair, “Yeah, I’ll be visiting my family in Daegu,” he ultimately answered the question, “I’ll be there for three weeks.”

Just like that, their conversation melted into something lighter, more carefree. It continued on like that for what felt like eternities, yet neither of them wanted it to end anytime soon, praying that the clock would stop ticking somehow.

Unfortunately, the sun started setting on the horizon after a few hours, casting the park in darkness, only lampposts offering light. Against their own wills, the two men decided to get up and head home. They walked side by side until they found Beomgyu’s car still waiting in the parking lot.

“I didn’t get us dessert,” Taehyun mumbled as Beomgyu started the car.

Beomgyu looked over at him from the driver’s seat, not looking offended in the slightest. Truth be told, he’d totally forgotten about the deal they’d made, “Save it for our next date?”, he asked shyly.

“You want to go on another date? With me?” Taehyun asked in disbelief, as if he’d expected Beomgyu to dump him right after today.

“Of course I do! If you do?”

Beomgyu started driving towards Taehyun’s apartment, his playlist playing through the speakers of his car. One of his favorite songs was playing and he gently hummed along, awaiting Taehyun’s answer as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel along with the beat.

“Yeah,” Taehyun said eventually, “I’d like that.”

It made Beomgyu’s heart flutter, and he tried to keep a lovesick smile from showing on his face. He tried focusing on the road, but found himself looking at Taehyun sitting right next to him more often than not. The younger man seemed equally as affected, and bit his lip at the thought that they might actually work out, no more fighting with each other, but loving.

When the car pulled into the parking lot by Taehyun’s complex, Beomgyu killed the engine and undid his seatbelt. He turned to Taehyun, holding a look that meant everything on his face. He took a deep breath, then said, “Thank you for today. I really enjoyed it, and it meant a lot.”

Taehyun looked back at him, drinking in his every word.

“It meant a lot to me as well, hyung, thank you,” he said, barely above a whisper.

Although they were both aware of the fact that it was time they parted for today, neither of them moved, not wanting to go just yet. They looked at each other, feeling tension build up between them like it had so many times before. And then—

Beomgyu had always been the more bold one between the two of them.

He leaned in slowly, feeling Taehyun’s uneven breaths on his face. Contrasting his usual chaotic energy, he left the softest of kisses on Taehyun’s lips. It was just a peck, nothing more, but it sealed the deal.

Taehyun’s eyes grew wide, looking at Beomgyu as he pulled away. Beomgyu’s cheeks were pink, even noticeable in the darkness that the car offered. The ghost of Beomgyu’s lips swirled through Taehyun’s body, and it felt so much better when they were both sober. Taehyun felt like he was on cloud nine.

A car honking in the distance snapped him back into reality, and he unbuckled his own seatbelt.

“Text me when you get home?” he asked carefully, as if he might break their spell.

“Okay,” Beomgyu answered.

The dome lights of the car turned on when Taehyun opened the door, casting a yellow hue on Beomgyu. It perfectly showed the outline of his jaw, and the slope of his nose, and accenting his dark eyes. Taehyun cast one last look at the breathtaking sight before getting out of the car and shutting the door behind him. He waved with a small smile, before turning and making his way over to his apartment.

Once inside, he kicked off his shoes and plopped down on his bed, running his hands over his face. He shut his eyes tightly, not believing everything that just happened. Squealing like a high school girl in love, he contemplated his life for a few minutes. It seemed that everything that had happened in the past few months had led up into this, like fate.

His phone chimed with a notification, and he mindlessly grabbed the device from his back pocket to check it out. Butterflies danced in his stomach as he caught notice of who had texted him.

Taehyun awoke from a deep sleep, filled with dreams of a certain brunette man. Upon waking up, he felt warm all over. Not in the physical sense, necessarily, since his apartment was as cold as always. But he felt warm in the way his chest didn’t feel heavy for once, and in the way a kaleidoscope of butterflies had made itself at home in his stomach since last night.

The second his mind caught up with being awake again, the memory replayed in his mind over and over again; Beomgyu’s careful questions and his comforting nature, feeling safe and understood, and, of course, the way he’d kissed him in the car.

It wasn’t their first kiss, and even if it had only been a light and quick peck last night, it meant more than their previous drunken shenanigans.

He should text Beomgyu, his mind supplied, but he also didn’t want to come off as pushy or impatient.

Instead, he pushed the covers off of him, exposing his body to the cold air that lingered in his apartment. After stretching, he got up and made his way over to the shower. He’d text Beomgyu once he felt clean and refreshed, he promised himself.

It turned out that he didn’t have to, when his phone started ringing the second he’d dried himself off and put on a casual outfit right after taking his shower. The caller ID showed: Choi Beomgyu.

Without any hesitation, Taehyun answered it, holding the phone against his ear.

”Taehyunie?, Beomgyu’s voice crackled over the line.

Taehyun inhaled sharply, as he felt the warm feeling inside of him increasing, “Morning, Beomgyu-hyung.”

”About last night,” Beomgyu began.

Taehyun could’ve sworn he felt his heart drop to his stomach. Was Beomgyu already regretting everything that happened? Was he going to break his heart, and leave him miserable? Or maybe, was he going to act on it? Infinite possibilities flooded Taehyun’s mind, and he held his breath as he awaited whatever it was Beomgyu wanted to say.

”I can’t stop thinking about it,” he admitted, ”Can I see you today?”

It took Taehyun a moment to process the question. Beomgyu wanted to see him again? Today?

“I— Yes,” he croaked out, “of course. Meet me at mine?”

”I’ll be there in a few,” Beomgyu said, excitement evident in his voice. Then, he hung up, leaving Taehyun listening to the beeping of his phone, serving as a reminder of what was to come.

Shit. It suddenly dawned on him. Beomgyu was actually coming over. As in, he was currently getting ready and he’d be on Taehyun’s doorstep within the next hour. Shit.

Hurriedly, Taehyun snatched his make-up bag from one of the drawers underneath his bathroom sink. He wanted to look as pretty as possible for Beomgyu, but it was deemed to be harder than usual when his hands were shaking with nerves.

He cussed when he smudged his mascara, wiping it away with a cotton pad before reapplying it, the right way this time. Then, he applied just the lightest layer of blush. It was his go-to look, except this time he felt like it wasn’t nearly enough, like Beomgyu would see straight through it and notice all of his imperfections.

Shaking the thought off, he grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste to rapidly scrub his teeth. When he spat out the foam, he noticed bits of blood from his harsh work, but he didn’t have it in him to care for the state of his gums. Styling his hair with a brush, he shuddered, realizing he didn’t have a single clue on how Beomgyu was going to act today.

Right after he’d styled his hair and applied his favorite perfume, he heard knocking on his front door. A feeling of doom loomed over him, but he couldn’t place why. He and Beomgyu had spent plenty of time together before, just them. Like the good friends that they were. Total bro stuff.

Taehyun forced himself to calm down as much as he could before opening the door for Beomgyu.

There he stood, in all his glory. Even though he looked like he’d rushed here, he looked as breathtaking as ever. His outfit was simple: light-washed jeans and a white shirt topped with a brown cardigan. He was wearing his usual tennis shoes, but shrugged them off as he entered Taehyun’s apartment.

“Hi,” Beomgyu greeted him with a soft smile.

“Hey,” Taehyun returned in a trembling voice.

Beomgyu didn’t acknowledge it, only made his way over to Taehyun’s couch and plopped down on it like he belonged there. Maybe he did.

“So,” Taehyun began as he took a seat next to Beomgyu, keeping a little bit of distance between them, “What’s with the sudden visit?”

“Sudden?” Beomgyu gasped, dramatic playfulness seeping through, “You agreed to it!”

Taehyun laughed, feeling the tension slip off from his shoulders into something more comfortable, more free. He was incredibly glad that the atmosphere between the two of them wasn’t tense, only kind and relaxed.

“I did, didn’t I?” he giggled, scooting closer to Beomgyu without even realizing it.

Their knees brushed, which wasn’t much, but it was enough to get Beomgyu’s eyes on him. Taehyun noticed how his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, and how his eyes flickered between Taehyun’s eyes and his lips.

Swallowing nervously, Taehyun spoke, “What?”, feigning innocence.

Beomgyu didn’t answer right away, instead, he shifted, turning his whole body towards Taehyun to face him properly. One of his legs folded onto the couch, making his knee touch Taehyun’s thigh. Beomgyu’s arm draped over the back of the couch, his fingers so close to Taehyun’s shoulder, but not touching it just yet.

“I meant what I said,” Beomgyu murmured, “I can’t stop thinking about last night.”

Taehyun’s throat suddenly went dry, his heart hammering against his ribs. He was painfully aware of how close they were, practically able to count all of the freckles that dotted Beomgyu’s soft skin. Close enough to smell his vanilla shampoo, and the perfume which Taehyun loved so much. Close enough to kiss.

“In a good way or a bad way?” Taehyun asked, deciding against acting on impulse.

Huffing out a quiet laugh, Beomgyu shook his head. For a moment, he just stared at Taehyun. Taehyun could see the debate flickering in his eyes, but remained rooted to his spot like a living statue. The push and pull of Beomgyu’s emotions were swirling inside him, and then, he made a split-second decision.

Beomgyu moved, lifting his hand to graze Taehyun’s cheeks with his knuckles, before fully cupping his jaw. He was taking his sweet time with whatever was on his mind, holding Taehyun like water in his hands. Then, his thumb brushed against the corner of Taehyun’s lips, making the younger man let out a small gasp.

He instinctively wrapped his fingers about Beomgyu’s wrist, not pushing him away nor pulling him closer, just holding him there, savoring. The touch was light and hesitant, but the contact still made a shiver run down Taehyun’s spine, feeling goosebumps starting to rise on the back of his neck.

Taehyun felt like he was standing at the edge of a cliff. Breathless, weightless, and waiting to fall.

Then, Beomgyu’s eyes darkened, as if something shifted behind them. His fingers curled just slightly against Taehyun’s skin before he finally did what they had both been waiting for; he closed the distance between them.

Their lips met softly at first, cautious, as if testing the waters. But when Taehyun exhaled into the kiss, then kissed back with even more longing as his free hand reached up to tangle in Beomgyu’s cardigan, something inside the both of them seemed to snap.

The kiss deepened, Beomgyu’s other hand snaking to meet Taehyun’s waist, and squeeze it. He pulled the younger man closer until there was no space left between the two of them, no space for doubt. As a respons, Taehyun let out a small gasp into the kiss, before kissing Beomgyu back even harder.

He tilted his head to let Beomgyu in, growing impossibly closer. Without realizing it, his hold on Beomgyu’s cardigan grew even stronger, holding onto it like it was the only thing keeping him sane at the moment. Because the feeling of Beomgyu’s lips on his, of Beomgyu’s body warmth against his body, and the touch of Beomgyu’s hand on his waist sent his mind reeling.

Unintentionally, Taehyun bit down on Beomgyu’s lip, earning a shudder from the other man, and a harsh squeeze to his waist that had Taehyun letting out another small gasp.

Beomgyu then sighed into the kiss, his fingers tracing lazy patterns against Taehyun’s waist as he slowed down. Their lips met briefly a few more times, before they parted slightly, leaning their foreheads against each other’s. Their breaths mingled in the small space that was created between them.

Once Beomgyu had caught his breath, he smiled sweetly at Taehyun, “Is that a good enough answer to your question?”

Nodding breathlessly, Taehyun answered, “Yeah, I— Yeah, it was,” still dazed by what just happened.

Beomgyu chuckled, his fingers still resting against Taehyun’s wrist, and his other hand brushing over the fabric of Taehyun’s shirt absentmindedly. The weight of the moment settled down on them, warm, comforting, and electrifying all at once.

It was Taehyun who broke the silence first.

He exhaled sharply, blinking himself back into reality, truly taking in a blushing Beomgyu with kiss-bruised lips sitting right in front of him. His fingers had yet to loosen from Beomgyu’s cardigan, and his lips still tingled from the kiss, but he felt a desperate need to know where they stood.

“Hyung, what now?” he asked in a small voice, afraid that all of this had somehow been platonic.

Beomgyu pulled away from Taehyun at the question, just enough to look Taehyun in the eye, their foreheads were no longer touching. Taehyun searched his eyes for something like regret or humiliation, but couldn’t find any. Beomgyu hummed thoughtfully, before answering, “Can I take you on another date?”

“I thought we already agreed on that last night,” Taehyun said, confused.

“We did,” Beomgyu affirmed the positive, not making a point whatsoever.

When Taehyun looked at him with a furrowed brow, it seemed that Beomgyu finally caught onto what Taehyun really meant, referring to their relationship. Sighing heavily, Beomgyu took both of Taehyun’s hands into his.

“I really don’t want to ruin this,” Beomgyu whispered, voice laced thickly with layers of insecurity.

“Then don’t,” Taehyun pleaded, squeezing Beomgyu’s hands.

Beomgyu sucked in a deep breath, his insecurites coming to the surface as he tried his best to be open and vulnerable with Taehyun, just like the younger had been with him the previous day, “I’m just afraid that I’ll be too much, or that I’ll scare you off,” he mumbled.

Feeling his heart clench at the confession, Taehyun’s fingers tightened around Beomgyu’s. He had noticed this fear of Beomgyu’s before, but then he’d only caught glimpses of it, nothing more and nothing less. It took a sharp eye to notice how Beomgyu hesitated when things got too real, mainly found in the way he’d deflect with jokes or teasing when his emotions ran too deep. Now, hearing him speaking his mind out loud for the first time, Taehyun’s heart ached.

“You wont,” Taehyun reassured him, “All of our quarrels couldn’t scare me off, what do you think will push me away for good?”

Beomgyu’s shoulders dropped, letting go of the weight that had been resting on them, “I don’t know, I’m just afraid because I can be clingy, or loud and annoying, or I overthink and overcomplicate things too much. You shouldn’t have to deal with that,” he confessed.

“Hyung,” Taehyun started, “you’re not too much. At least, not for me, and you’ll never be. I like you so much, hell, I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you. And I’ll always be here to remind you of that. It’s okay to need reassurance sometimes, that does not make you high-maintenance.”

Blinking, Beomgyu was speechless, as if the thought had never occurred to him before. As if no one had ever offered him reassurance and comfort the way Taehyun did. His lower lip trembled, and he chuckled sadly, “Don’t make me cry, Taehyunie.”

Seeing Beomgyu so vulnerable and insecure was new to Taehyun, but not unwelcome. He felt incredibly honored that Beomgyu felt safe enough with him to open up, and tell him about the troubles that plagued his mind daily. Once Taehyun caught sight of Beomgyu’s crumbling facade, he whispered, “Come here,” before taking the older one into his arms and holding him tight.

Beomgyu immediately returned the hug, breathing in Taehyun’s scent that lingered on his shirt. It brought him down to his senses, and he found himself able to blink his tears away and calm down.

“For the record, I like you too. So much,” he whispered into the fabric of Taehyun’s shirt.

After holding each other for a while, Taehyun reluctantly pulled back. With his left hand, he cupped Beomgyu’s face and tilted his head to make the older look up at him. Upon locking gazes, his heart stuttered, but he didn’t want to act on it just yet. First, he needed to make sure whether Beomgyu was okay or not.

“How are you feeling?” Taehyun asked, his thumb brushing circles over Beomgyu’s cheek, the soft skin radiating warmth under his touch.

Beomgyu sat up straighter, a genuine smile on his face, “Better than ever,” he answered, making Taehyun let out a humorous scoff.

“I doubt that,” the younger muttered, before losing himself to the temptation and closing the gap between them once more.

The kiss was more confident this time, and both men leaned in like they had been waiting for this moment all their lives. Although there was no rush, Beomgyu kissed back eagerly, leaving no time for oxygen breaks. He kissed Taehyun like his life depended on it, and Taehyun returned it just as desperately, letting out small gasps here and there.

Growing more bold, Beomgyu crawled on top of Taehyun without ever breaking the kiss, straddling him. Taehyun’s hands immediately found their way onto his small waist, and he ran his hands up and down the surface of Beomgyu’s body, earning him small whimpers.

Then, Beomgyu’s tongue entered his mouth. Taehyun could feel himself growing more desperate and worked up, and allowed for his own tongue to explore Beomgyu’s mouth as well. He leaned back onto the couch until he was lying down, taking Beomgyu with him.

Beomgyu’s hands were in his hair, tugging and holding on. Then, the kiss was broken. Taehyun was about to regain his breath, until he felt Beomgyu shifting on top of him. The feeling of Beomgyu’s wet lips on his neck had him gasping, and his hands instinctively shot up from Beomgyu’s waist to his head, pushing him impossibly closer to his neck.

Leaving a trail of kisses on Taehyun’s neck, Beomgyu groaned as he felt Taehyun’s hand push him even closer towards his body. Heat was radiating off of them, there wasn’t nearly enough oxygen, but neither of them cared.

When Beomgyu bit down on the junction between Taehyun’s neck and his collarbone, Taehyun couldn’t stop a low moan from falling out of his mouth. For a moment, he felt mortified, but the horrifying feeling soon melted away as Beomgyu only grew more eager.

“Jesus, hyung,” Taehyun whined as he felt the other leaving a hickey on his neck.

Beomgyu moved to properly face Taehyun again, leaning over him, “That good?”, he asked cockily as he raised an eyebrow. Wanting to wipe the smug look off of his face, Taehyun kissed him again, their tongues intertwining.

After a few more sloppy kisses, Beomgyu pulled away, breathing heavily. His hair was a mess from the way Taehyun had grabbed it, but he knew that he himself didn’t look any better. Smiling at the man on top of him, Taehyun reached up to tuck Beomgyu’s long hair behind his ears.

“How are we going to tell the others about this?” Taehyun asked.

Beomgyu laughed, throwing his head back carelessly, “I just gave you a goddamn hickey and all you’re thinking about is our friends?”

Taehyun shrugged as best as he could underneath Beomgyu’s body, “Can you blame me? They’re always all up in our business.”

Looking down at the man underneath him, Beomgyu smiled softly. Taehyun’s looks were a total turn-on, but now wasn’t the time. There was plenty of time for stuff like that in the future. For now, he gave his full attention to Taehyun’s question.

“They’ll figure it out sooner or later,” he answered.

“And what about that second date you mentioned?” Taehyun continued.

Giggling, Beomgyu ran his hands up and down Taehyun’s side, sending shivers throughout Taehyun’s body. Then, in a husky voice, Beomgyu whispered, “You’re free today aren’t you?”

When Taehyun nodded the affirmative, Beomgyu grabbed his hands to drag him into a position that made the younger man sit upright underneath him. Putting his arms around Taehyun’s shoulders, Beomgyu leaned in to leave a last peck on his lips.

“Let’s go then.”

They spent the rest of the day together, doing everything and nothing. From wandering the streets of Seoul, to watching a movie at the nearest movie theater, and ending the night with dinner at a small and cozy restaurant. Like promised, Taehyun bought the both of them dessert: settling on bingsu.

Every now and then they’d share a fleeting touch or even a kiss, like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like they were something. Although Taehyun wasn’t too sure about not having put a name to their relationship yet, he couldn’t possibly complain, reveling in the date instead.

And just like the previous night, they bid each other goodbye at Taehyun’s apartment complex, seeing as Beomgyu had his car parked there. Except, compared to the day before, things had changed drastically. Both men felt warm and happy unlike ever before.

“Can’t you spend the night?” Taehyun asked, not ready to let go of Beomgyu just yet.

Beomgyu smiled at him sadly, “I’m sorry, Taehyunie, but I’ve got the opening shift at Choi’s tomorrow. But I promise you, I’ll spend the night at your place sometime soon.”

For now, that was enough for Taehyun. He accepted Beomgyu’s reasoning before leaning in, kissing him sweetly on the mouth. Their lips met like they had done so many times before that day, both men sighing happily into the kiss.

Eventually, they both pulled away, mesmerized by their shared moment.

“I’ll see you soon?” Beomgyu asked shyly.

“Of course, hyung,” Taehyun said.

After leaving one last peck on Taehyun’s lips, Beomgyu turned away and walked over to his car. Taehyun watched as the man got in and started the engine, refusing to enter his apartment before seeing Beomgyu driving away safely. A beat later, the car started moving, and Beomgyu departed.

Letting out a small sigh, Taehyun turned to head into his apartment. If Valentine’s Day didn’t drain him, today did. In his bedroom, he shrugged off his shirt. When his eyes landed on the hickey that Beomgyu had left him, a blush covered his cheeks. It was very much real and very much there, and Taehyun smiled to himself like a lovesick fool.

That night, he fell asleep wearing that same, stupid smile, happier than he’d been in what felt like ages.

The morning rush had finally died down, leaving the coffee shop in silent peace. The scent of coffee and pastries still filled the air, wrapping the place in a comforting atmosphere. Yeonjun, who had come in after Beomgyu had opened for the day, sighed dramatically as he wiped down the counter. He was already feeling exhausted, even though he’d only clocked in an hour ago.

Beomgyu, on the other hand, was as happy and energetic as could be. All morning, he’d been thinking about Taehyun, even through the morning rush. Unaware of the lovesick smile on his face, he wiped down the espresso machine, humming a familiar melody.

Although Beomgyu was never extremely serious at work, opting for playful jokes and banter during their tasks instead, Yeonjun couldn’t help but notice how he seemed even more lively today than usual. The way he carried his body with such carefree demeanor only told Yeonjun one thing: something was up.

“What time is Soobin-hyung coming in today?” Beomgyu asked, turning to Yeonjun after tossing the dirty rag onto the laundry pile.

Yeonjun frowned, not having expected Beomgyu to ask him about Soobin, given his current state, “Uh, at noon, I think? Why?”

“Nothing, just curious,” Beomgyu smiled, then started whistling out of all things.

Watching as Beomgyu happily strode through the seating area and started wiping off the tables, Yeonjun only grew more confused. Now, of course, Yeonjun was happy that his friend was overly joyful, but he just couldn’t put his finger on why he was. And he was desperate to find out.

“What’s up with you today?” Yeonjun snorted as he leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his body.

“Huh?”, Beomgyu looked up from where he was bent over a table, “Nothing?”

He tried. But it didn’t work on Yeonjun.

“Don’t give me that, Gyu. You’re all smiley and practically skipping throughout the shop, and don’t even get me started on that stupid smile on your face. Something happened, spill,” Yeonjun pushed.

Beomgyu laughed, “What can I say? I’m just really happy. Like, extremely happy. Like, over the moon—”

Yeonjun cut him off, “Okay! I get it, you’re happy. But why?”

Having wiped down all the tables, Beomgyu made his way back to the counter, putting the cleaning products away. He sighed dreamily at Yeonjun’s question, his smile only growing wider, “Can’t a guy be happy?’, he smiled.

“Nope. Not until you tell me what’s up,” Yeonjun snorted.

“Fine,” Beomgyu sighed, leaning against the counter next to Yeonjun. He absentmindedly traced patterns on his jeans as he got lost in his thoughts, wondering how he should break to Yeonjun that he and Taehyun finally kissed, soberly. Logically, he knew that Yeonjun would freak out no matter how he told him, but he still wanted to try and prevent Yeonjun from causing a whole scene about it.

“It’s Taehyun,” he began, “I may or may not have asked him out on Valentine’s Day, and we may or may not have gone on a date. And then yesterday I really wanted to see him again, so I did, and—” he paused, “we may or may not have kissed?”

“You— What!?” Yeonjun screeched.

“Shush! I don’t think the neighbors heard you!”

Yeonjun was in disbelief. Even though he knew it had been a long time coming, he couldn’t believe it was actually happening. Or had happened. Taehyun and Beomgyu finally got their acts together, he’d been waiting for this moment for months, at least.

“Oh my God, took you long enough,” Yeonjun exclaimed. Beomgyu was about to interrupt and protest, but Yeonjun cut him off, “I need to know everything. Right here, right now. Come on!”

“Over coffee?” Beomgyu suggested meekly.

Yeonjun groaned, but immediately got to work nonetheless. He made quick work of brewing two shots of espresso, adding water and ice to create two iced americanos. He hurriedly took them over to the nearest table, seating himself. Beomgyu made his way over, sitting down as well. Since there were no customers, they had some time.

“I need to know everything,” Yeonjun whined, before taking a sip of his coffee.

Beomgyu took a long sip of his americano as well, trying to kill some time. When Yeonjun groaned, he decided it was no use, and swallowed the big gulp he’d taken.

“Fine, fine,” he started out, “I asked him out on Valentine’s Day, and he said yes. Then we went to the park near his work and got street food and we just sat there and talked all night. Nothing happened,” he gave Yeonjun a look.

“And then?”

“Well, since the both of us really enjoyed that date I showed up at his place yesterday, in the morning. We were talking and then, I don’t even remember how it happened, I was so ecstatic, we ended up kissing.”

“Just kissing?” Yeonjun wiggled his eyebrows.

Beomgyu hesitated, “Uhm. I may have accidentally left a hickey on his neck.”

Yeonjun almost spat out his coffee, covering his mouth with his hand as he choked on the sip he was taking. He coughed it out, then stared at Beomgyu with wide eyes, as if he’d seen a ghost, “What?”

“You asked!” Beomgyu defended himself, holding his hands up.

Once Yeonjun had freaked out about the hickey enough, and calmed down, he urged Beomgyu to continue the story.

“So, that happened. Then we went on another date. We spent all day together, and he bought us dessert because he promised. And that’s that.” Beomgyu ended the story, not bothering with hiding his giddiness anymore.

Yeonjun, still recovering from his near-death experience from choking on his drink, almost choked again at the words, “What do you mean ‘And that’s that’? It can’t be, aren’t you guys like, I don’t know, finally dating now?”

When Beomgyu looked at him whilst biting his fingernail, Yeonjun knew everything that he needed to know. He gasped dramatically, and slammed his hands down on the table, making Beomgyu flinch, “Choi Beomgyu! Don’t tell me you did all that with Taehyun but you’re still not dating!”

Shrugging sheepishly, Beomgyu mumbled, “We just haven’t talked about it yet.”

“God,” Yeonjun sighed, running his hands through his hair, “your relationship hasn’t even begun yet and yet you’re already miscommunicating.”

“How is this considered miscommunication?” Beomgyu defended himself, shooting Yeonjun a questioning yet insecure look.

Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu like he’d gone insane. Then, he face-palmed, although with slightly too much force, causing him to whine about the pain he’d inflicted on himself. Once he’d recovered and shot Beomgyu a mean look for giggling, he started rambling.

“Are you seriously this dumb? You guys are acting like a married couple, for fuck’s sake, but you still haven’t asked him out? This is Kang Taehyun we’re talking about, God knows how insecure he gets about his relationships with people. You’re probably giving him the wrong message right now, Beoms.”

Beomgyu’s smile faltered a bit at Yeonjun’s words. He opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. The worst part was that deep down he knew that Yeonjun was right, more than likely even. Beomgyu knew how Taehyun tended to second-guess things, how hesitant he was when it came to feelings. Even though things were going well between them, that didn’t mean Taehyun felt sure of himself in the situation, given nothing was official yet.

Beomgyu exhaled, slumping in his chair, “I guess you’re right.”

“Why are you acting like you don’t want him to be your boyfriend?” Yeonjun asked, raising his eyebrows.

Twirling his straw around in his cup, watching the coffee swirl, Beomgyu mumbled, “I do want him to be my boyfriend. It’s just— What if it’s too soon? What if I scare him off?”

“The only way you could scare him off is by not making things official. By now, you should know that he’s head over heels for you. I promise you, Gyu, he wants this too.” Yeonjun explained, his voice dropping into something softer.

Beomgyu let out a quiet groan, resting his forehead against the cool surface of the table. He knew Yeonjun was right, he always was when it came to important things like this. That didn’t mean Beomgyu liked admitting to it. But Beomgyu could already picture it, how Taehyun would be overthinking and considering the possibility that Beomgyu had just been fooling around, like he wasn’t serious about Taehyun.

He lifted his head from the table and sighed, “Why doesn’t Taehyun just make this move?”, he whined.

When Yeonjun shot him another look, it shut Beomgyu up immediately. He realized that Taehyun was probably overthinking things too much, and that it was truly Beomgyu’s job to ask him out. But the thought of actually being with Taehyun, being boyfriends, made him giddier than ever, even if he’d have to make the move that made things official.

He bit his lip, trying to contain his smile, “Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll ask Taehyun to be my boyfriend soon.”

But he didn’t.

Not immediately, at least.

A few days passed, and Beomgyu and Taehyun spent as much time together as possible. They would fall asleep on the couch together, run their errands and even went on another date, this time to the aquarium that Taehyun wouldn’t stop talking about. Any free time they had, they spent together.

Since they had been acting like this, like a couple, Taehyun had been hoping that Beomgyu would officially ask him out. But it never happened. With each passing day, he grew more and more insecure about their relationship. Although he felt like Beomgyu would never play with his feelings, his mind was playing tricks on him. He slowly grew afraid that Beomgyu didn’t have any real feelings for him, and just liked the attention.

It was almost March, and Taehyun found himself on Beomgyu’s doorstep once again. He hesitated before knocking on the door, overthinking every little thing. He liked Beomgyu, and Beomgyu told him that he liked Taehyun back, so why were they still in this ‘situationship’?

Don’t get him wrong, he loved every part of finally being able to kiss Beomgyu, touch him, and hold him freely. He loved it even more when Beomgyu returned those actions, the hickey on his neck that was slowly fading away always serving as a reminder of their daily fun.

However, Beomgyu was an emotional guy. People who weren’t close to him probably wouldn’t see it, but Taehyun did. There was so much going on inside the older man’s head, 24/7. He felt every little thing immensely. For example, the time where he almost cried when Taehyun put on a documentary on wildlife and a lion cub was killed.

So why did it seem like he didn’t feel that much for Taehyun?

Before his thoughts could spiral out of control, the door swung open, although Taehyun hadn’t even knocked yet.

“Taehyunie!” Beomgyu exclaimed happily, beckoning the shorter inside.

Taehyun managed a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He hoped Beomgyu didn’t notice. Stepping into the other’s apartment, he let the familiar warmth settle around him. The atmosphere was as comfortable as always as Beomgyu dragged him along to the kitchen, but something still felt off. Taehyun tried to push his nagging thoughts away and focus on Beomgyu, and whatever baking disaster he had planned out for them.

“I hope you like muffins,” Beomgyu said shyly, gesturing to the ingredients splayed out on the kitchen counter.

Taehyun forced a chuckle, “Of course I do.”

Beomgyu didn’t seem to notice the strain in his voice, nor the insecurity in his eyes. He was already moving around in the kitchen, humming to himself as he gathered the measuring cups he needed before measuring out the right amounts of flour and sugar. Taehyun leaned against the counter, watching him with his arms crossed as he unintentionally built walls around him.

It was just another day. Another day where Beomgyu didn’t acknowledge the situation they were in. Another day of Taehyun being too insecure to mention it first.

Taehyun knew he was being ridiculous, seeing as he and Beomgyu had been inseparable lately. They’d kiss until they were breathless, but no meaningful words were ever exchanged, instead settling on small talk. It felt like their first sober kiss had been their only high, leading to an anti-climax. Taehyun couldn’t stop the negative thoughts from creeping in, whispering harmful doubts into his mind.

Not wanting to upset Beomgyu, ever the people pleaser, Taehyun reluctantly helped him make the muffins. It was clumsy, chaotic, and everything Taehyun could ever pray for — except for the fact that Beomgyu still wasn’t his. He shook his head to get rid of the nagging thought.

“Are you okay?” Beomgyu asked, putting his hands on Taehyun’s shoulders.

Usually, the touch would make Taehyun’s breath hitch and butterflies swarm in his stomach. However, this time, it felt different. He looked away from Beomgyu, mumbling a soft, “I’m fine.”

Beomgyu finally caught on to Taehyun’s mood and frowned, but didn’t comment on it. Instead, he offered Taehyun the task of picking a good movie for the two of them to watch whilst eating their muffins, hoping it would distract the younger man from whatever it was that was bothering him.

Once Taehyun had quietly padded off into the living room, it hit Beomgyu like a mega truck. Yeonjun’s words from a few days ago replayed in his mind, how he’d said Taehyun was probably feeling insecure, and how Beomgyu might be scaring him off with acting like, well, this.

In that moment, he decided to put an end to their mutual suffering and yearning.

Although he’d tried to confess to Taehyun before, he felt it was different this time. He was going to go through with it, for real. He just didn’t know how. There were so many things he could do or say to try and win Taehyun’s heart, the most simple one being just asking.

But Beomgyu wasn’t simple. Plus, whenever he was a nervous wreck like he was now, he wasn’t good with words. Awful, would actually be a better way to describe it.

When the timer of the oven went off, signaling that the muffins were done, he suddenly had an Eureka moment. Quickly snatching the muffins from the oven, almost burning himself in the process, he placed them on the kitchen counter. Then, he took the bag of icing they’d prepared earlier, although not for what Beomgyu was thinking about right now.

It seemed as if all the previous nerves had melted away, replaced by something akin to excitement. Messily, he wrote out his message for Taehyun with the icing, spread out over all of the muffins. The end result was messy, heartwarming, and undeniably them.

Putting the icing bag down, reality crashed down on him. He was actually doing it, he was going to ask Taehyun to be his boyfriend. Oh God, this time it was real.

On shaky feet and holding the tray with muffins with shaky hands, he shuffled his way over to Taehyun, who was seated on the couch and wrapped in a blanket, mindlessly scrolling through Netflix. Standing in front of Taehyun with the tray, Beomgyu realized there was no turning back now, and he felt like he was teetering off the edge of a cliff.

“Taehyunie?” he whispered in a soft voice, so soft.

“Hm?” Taehyun answered, turning his attention to Beomgyu.

He didn’t register the tray of muffins at first, looking at Beomgyu instead. When he noticed how nervous the older man looked, he scrambled to sit more upright, thinking something was wrong. It wasn’t until Beomgyu held out the tray of muffins to Taehyun that he realized there was something written on them. Beomgyu held his breath as he watched Taehyun’s eyes grow impossibly larger as they scanned over the chocolate iced writing.

In messy letters, the icing on the muffins spelled out, be my boyfriend?

After a few moments, the message finally registered in Taehyun’s brain. His breath audibly hitched at the realization. For a couple of dangerously long seconds, he just stared, trying to process whether this was real or not. The insecurity that had been gnawing at him for days, weeks even, suddenly felt ridiculous. He looked up at Beomgyu, searching his eyes for any traces of this all being a joke. There weren’t any.

“Tae?” Beomgyu’s voice was quiet and hesitant, “You— You don’t have to say yes. I just— I wanted to put that out there.”

Then, Taehyun surged forwards, standing up from the couch in order to tackle Beomgyu into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around the other man, causing the tray with muffins to wobble dangerously between their bodies. Taehyun found that he didn’t care.

Beomgyu let out a surprised laugh before quickly placing the tray on the coffee table. Once his hands were free, he melted into the hug, assuming the action meant something good. He sighed happily, patting the hair on the back of Taehyun’s head.

“You idiot,” Taehyun muttered against his shoulder, “Only you would ever ask someone out by writing on poorly-made muffins.”

Beomgyu pulled back just enough to look at Taehyun, wearing a shy smile, “So, is that a yes?”

Taehyun rolled his eyes, but his smile was soft nonetheless. With a fond gaze, he left a soft peck on Beomgyu’s lips, “Of course it’s a yes, dummy.”

Before he could say anything else, Beomgyu leaned in, kissing him sweetly. Their lips melted against each other, feeling better than ever before. It was different from all of their other kisses, more meaningful, deeper, and finally filled with relief and certainty. Taehyun sighed into it, allowing himself to sink into the warmth.

When they finally pulled away, Beomgyu couldn’t help but ask, “Does that mean you’re my boyfriend now? And I’m yours? We’re dating, like for real?”

Snickering softly, Taehyun smiled, “Yes, dumbass. We’re boyfriends, and we’re dating.”

The confirmation was enough to have Beomgyu surging forward again, Taehyun already there to meet him halfway. Their tongues entered each other’s mouths, dancing around each other. Beomgyu let out a quiet groan, moving impossibly closer as he wrapped his arms around Taehyun’s neck. In return, Taehyun wrapped his own around Beomgyu’s waist, never intending on letting go.

Eventually, the kiss broke, leaving both men breathless. They stared at each other full of longing, cheeks and ears flushed pink. Beomgyu broke the silence first.

“And, by the way, those muffins are not poorly-made, Kang Taehyun,” he said in feign offense.

“Whatever you say,” Taehyun giggled before throwing himself onto Beomgyu once again, hugging him and feeling content like never before.

They stumbled back onto the couch, Beomgyu falling on top of Taehyun as they laughed carelessly. Instead of making out wildly like they did last time, Beomgyu lets himself rest. He takes his time making himself comfortable on top of his boyfriend, holding him tight.

Just like that, they spent their time together, watching the movie that Taehyun had chosen. They cuddled, munched on their muffins, shared lazy kisses and loving touches. Every now and then, Beomgyu would take one of Taehyun’s hands to pepper kisses all over it, showing him how much he truly cared. Both of them would laugh in the mess of limbs and giggles. Through all of it, Beomgyu’s face was still flushed. But it didn’t matter, not when he was right where he wanted to be.

As Taehyun stroked his hand up and down Beomgyu’s back, trying to ignore the fact how his shirt would ride up slightly at the motion, he muttered, “You know, I was scared. I really wanted to ask you out as well, but I thought that it was all in my head, our moments together. That they didn’t truly mean anything. So, I’m sorry if I acted distant sometimes, or if I made you feel like I didn’t return your feelings.”

Beomgyu’s heart skipped a beat. He brushed a finger across Taehyun’s cheek, lifting his face slightly so their gazes met.

“Don’t apologize. I’d been wanting to ask you to be my boyfriend for a while now, but every time I tried, I chickened out. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea,” he whispered.

They both shared a quiet moment, just breathing in each other’s presence, the weight of the words settling between them. Taehyun leaned up to kiss Beomgyu slowly, tangling his hands in the other’s hair. After a moment, they pulled away, and Taehyun said, “No more apologies, okay? We’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

Beomgyu nodded, feeling a warm sense of contentment spreading throughout him. He let himself fall back onto Taehyun’s chest, focusing on the movie once again. It was slow, intimate, and everything they ever needed.

With a soft smile, he allowed for his eyes to fall shut at the feeling of Taehyun drawing patterns on his back. The hand was warm, and so was the atmosphere. Eventually, his breathing evened out, signalling Taehyun that he’d fallen asleep. With a soft chuckle and a fond gaze, he pressed one last kiss onto Beomgyu’s forehead before allowing himself to drift off as well, the movie offering comfortable background noise.

It felt like everything had finally fallen into place, like they had been waiting their whole lives for this. And maybe they had. Maybe they’d finally met under the circumstances they were supposed to, offering ultimate happiness.

Because neither of them had ever felt this happy and loved before, only in each other’s presence.

It went like this: Beomgyu and Taehyun never felt awkward around each other, not even a few days into their new dynamic. They’d seen the worst sides of each other when they first met and breathed their hot-and-cold behavior. Now that they were dating, all they could learn about each other were the little, lovely, and good things.

Beomgyu learnt that Taehyun was an absolute sucker for sweets, strawberries specifically. He’d had his assumptions that time when he caught the younger man stacking up on strawberry flavored goods in the corner store, but never achieved more evidence than that. One day, when Taehyun came over to spend the night at Beomgyu’s, he came bearing a plastic bag containing tons of snacks. When Beomgyu peeked inside of it, the color pink overflooded his vision. Later, when he was nibbling on the various things Taehyun had brought, the unmistakable flavor of strawberries flooded his taste buds.

Maybe it was Taehyun’s soft side showing, that came with being a florist, like how Beomgyu had described it months ago.

Taehyun learnt that Beomgyu was even softer than he’d expected. Of course, he knew how emotional and sweet the other man could be, but when he received a call from Beomgyu at one in the morning, he realized just how much Beomgyu depended on others. He’d called Taehyun up because he was feeling anxious, like he did fairly often. When Taehyun had calmed him down and had whispered sweet nothings, Beomgyu wouldn’t stop thanking him, wouldn’t stop mentioning how incredibly grateful he was for his boyfriend.

That didn’t mean Beomgyu couldn’t still be a brat.

Before the blossoming of their relationship, the two men would fight like cats and dogs. But just because they were dating now, didn’t mean Beomgyu stopped getting into Taehyun’s hair. Although this time, it was for fun. Instead of fights, they’d have playful banter. Doing their groceries, running errands, going on dates, Beomgyu loved playing pranks. And Taehyun found that he loved it too.

They’d sleep over at each other’s apartments, cuddling as close as humanly possible, practically melting into one being. Whenever they couldn’t rest in each other’s arms, due to early shifts or other obstacles, they’d spend their nights texting each other until the typing bubbles disappeared and their eyes had drooped down, both men experiencing peaceful slumbers and dreams about each other.

It had been a busy week for the entirety of their friend group. Yeonjun, Soobin, and Beomgyu all drowned in the success of the coffee shop. A local radio station had mentioned Choi’s, causing a flood of new and curious customers to come check their coffee and pastries out. Although the feeling of their self-built shop thriving was incredible, it left the three men exhausted after their overwhelming shifts.

For Taehyun and Kai, things were a little bit different. March didn’t bring many customers into the boutique, given how there were barely any special occasions. Instead, their boss had ordered them to renovate the place during the calm period. The store closed temporarily, but Taehyun and Kai still had to clock in to freshen the place up, seeing as it hadn’t had a makeover since it was first given shape about thirty years ago.

The one thing March did bring, was Beomgyu’s birthday.

Taehyun was ecstatic to spend it with him as his boyfriend, but considering their busy schedules, Beomgyu didn’t want to go overboard whilst celebrating. Instead, they settled in Beomgyu’s apartment with Soobin, Kai, and Yeonjun there as well. The plan was to play board games, have a couple of drinks, and generally enjoy their time together.

No matter how fun and carefree it sounded, Taehyun couldn’t help but worry about one thing: they hadn’t told their friends about their relationship yet.

Logically, he knew they’d be supportive. All of them had been there for him when he’d freaked out or crashed out over Beomgyu, whether it was about his presence, his personality, or his looks. All of them knew that Taehyun had feelings for Beomgyu, yet he couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous nonetheless.

Beomgyu’s birthday finally came. All five of them were settled on the floor in Beomgyu’s living room, surrounding the coffee table that held a game of Scrabble and a couple of bottles of soju, differing in flavors.

It was no surprise that Beomgyu and Taehyun were seated next to each other, closer than they would have been a few weeks ago. During the game of Scrabble, they’d exchange meaningful looks, resisting the urge to kiss right there and then, in front of their friends. Even if they wanted to drop the bomb, they didn’t want to do it like that.

The hours passed, and Taehyun could feel himself getting drowsy. His eyes started drooping and he was paying less attention to the game happening in front of him. Beomgyu’s shoulder on his right side looked all too comfortable. Deciding against his overthinking mind, he casually rested his head there, sighing in content. Beomgyu’s arm was around him within seconds.

At first, the others didn’t notice, too caught up in their game. But when Kai looked up from the board to take a sip of his soju, his eyes fell onto the couple, looking as relaxed as ever. He squinted, blinked a few times, then squinted again.

Then, he screeched, “Oh my God, are you guys finally happening?”

His exclamation was enough to get Yeonjun’s and Soobin’s attention on Beomgyu and Taehyun as well, the couple looking like deer caught in the headlights. For a moment, neither of them said anything, staring like they’d been caught committing a crime. Finally, Beomgyu spoke up.

“We are,” he said shyly, hiding his face in his hands to hide his blush.

“Wait, what!?” Yeonjun half-yelled, making Soobin cover his ears, “Debrief, now.”

Beomgyu came out of hiding and looked at Taehyun, who looked equally as amused as Kai and Soobin. His nerves were long gone, instead replaced by laughter and pride. When he saw how furiously Beomgyu was blushing, he couldn’t help but ruffle his hair, earning even more whines from Yeonjun.

“Fine, fine,” Taehyun started explaining, “We’d been— Trying things out for a while now. But we’ve officially been dating since the end of February,” he said, not hiding his lovesick smile anymore.

As Yeonjun freaked out in the background, Soobin calmly said, “Well, I don’t know why he’s freaking out. This has been a long time coming. I’m happy for you both though, really.”

Before Beomgyu or Taehyun could thank him for his supportiveness, Yeonjun broke the millisecond of silence, “The end of February? Why didn’t you guys tell me sooner?”, he complained, ever the dramatic one.

“Couldn’t be bothered,” Beomgyu quipped, his playful personality shining through. Yeonjun looked flabbergasted at the comment, but it only made the couple laugh even harder.

“Stop complaining, Yeonjun-hyung. You introduced them to each other, this is probably your karma,” Kai laughed with them.

Eventually, the chaoticness died down, but the men stopped playing their game. Instead, they talked. Not just about how Beomgyu and Taehyun got together, although it really was the main topic, but also about work, summer, family, and the future.

When the night came to an end and Soobin, Kai, and Yeonjun all left Beomgyu’s apartment, leaving him and Taehyun alone, all of a sudden Taehyun didn’t feel so tired anymore. He loved having his friends over, but he appreciated his time alone with Beomgyu the most.

In Beomgyu’s cramped bathroom, they got ready for bed together. There were now two toothbrushes in the holder, two towels on the rack, and two pairs of pajamas in the drawers. Taehyun’s heart fluttered at how domestic it all was, and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing Beomgyu the second they were covered under his faux satin sheets.

Beomgyu responded eagerly, not showing any traces of exhaustion either. His fingers tangled in Taehyun’s hair as they got lost in each other. Like so many times before, Taehyun ran his hands up and down Beomgyu’s body, causing the older man to shiver.

When his shirt rode up, both men paused. After a moment of hesitation, Beomgyu whispered out a hurried “please” against Taehyun’s mouth. Immediately, Taehyun tugged the shirt off of Beomgyu’s body, throwing it somewhere to the side. It was the first time he’d seen Beomgyu like this, and it turned him on more than he ever could’ve imagined.

Beomgyu’s body was so perfect, like it had been hand-sculpted by the gods themselves. Not bothering with hiding his want, Taehyun leaned down to place kisses all over his chest, running from his collarbone to his bellybutton. By the end of it, Beomgyu was whining underneath him, tugging at Taehyun’s shirt as well.

Not wanting to deprive his boyfriend of something he desperately wanted, Taehyun quickly took off his shirt, throwing it in the same direction as Beomgyu’s. Within seconds, Beomgyu’s hands were on him, roaming the surface of his toned chest.

“Fuck, you’re so gorgeous,” Beomgyu groaned as he tweaked one of Taehyun’s nipples, making him groan as well.

Then, their lips crashed back onto each other. It was messy, considering how Beomgyu was drooling through it all. Their tongues collided and the room grew impossibly warmer, both men feeling the need to get rid of their clothes.

When Taehyun disconnected their lips, a string of saliva was attached to them. He greedily licked it up with his tongue and swallowed it. Beomgyu watched with wide eyes, throwing his head back into the pillow as he let out a moan high in his throat. The sound was heavenly in Taehyun’s ears, and their combined spit in his mouth had his mind reeling.

Cursing, Beomgyu started tugging at Taehyun’s pants, wanting nothing more than for them to come off. Taehyun snickered, but complied. He shimmied the jeans off until he was left in just his boxers, the outline of his hard cock making Beomgyu’s mouth water.

Lifting his hips underneath Taehyun, Beomgyu tried taking his own pants off as well. It went with more difficulty than he’d expected, and he groaned in frustration when they wouldn’t come off right away. With skillful precision Taehyun helped, lifting his own body up so that he could tug Beomgyu’s pants off with ease.

He stared down at the sight below him. Just from making out, Beomgyu already looked like a mess. His lips were kiss-bruised and his hair was tousled. The haze in his eyes showed nothing but horny desperation, there was an obvious tent in his boxers, and Taehyun swallowed heavily at the sight of it.

Within seconds, they were back at it. Taehyun was practically pounding on Beomgyu, kissing him like there was no tomorrow and shoving his tongue inside of his mouth as deep as he possibly could. Beomgyu was a whining mess underneath him, but he loved it in every way possible.

But it wasn’t enough. Beomgyu started bucking his hips up, desperate for some friction on his cock. When their erections brushed against each other, he moaned needily, immediately repeating the action to get more of that rewarding feeling.

Taehyun was just as desperate, grinding down in order to give Beomgyu more pleasure. His underwear already had a wet spot in the front of it, stained by his precum, and the desire to fill Beomgyu up and fuck him until he was screaming took over.

Before either of them knew it, their boxers had come off. Beomgyu stared at the cock in front of him, he couldn’t wait for Taehyun to split him open. Without thinking twice, he reached out to stroke Taehyun’s cock.

It earned him a low growl, Taehyun having thrown his head back in pleasure as Beomgyu started off slowly. The drag felt so fucking good, like heaven on earth. After a while of stroking Taehyun’s cock, Beomgyu’s hand sped up, giving Taehyun more friction.

The precum spurted out of his cock in small bursts, Taehyun moaning unabashedly now. Beomgyu’s hand felt so good on him, too good. He could already feel warmth pooling in his stomach, signalling his orgasm to come. But he didn’t want to come just yet, not without having his cock inside of Beomgyu.

With a strong grip, he took Beomgyu’s hand off of his cock. He moved down to Beomgyu’s lower body, parting his legs. The sight in front of him had him drooling. Beomgyu’s cock stood proudly against his stomach, a blob of precum at the tip. His hole was fluttering, begging to be filled up.

“Are you sure about this?” Taehyun asked in a husky voice, sending shivers down Beomgyu’s spine.

“God, yes, please fuck me already,” Beomgyu moaned, closing his eyes.

Although it felt incredibly right, neither of them had planned for this to happen so soon. Hence, why they didn’t have any lube on hand. To improvise, Taehyun spit in his hand before reaching it down to Beomgyu’s hole.

He entered him with two fingers, Beomgyu immediately clenching around him and moaning like a cheap whore. Taehyun started off slow, pushing his fingers in and out. Once Beomgyu had gotten used to the sensation, he started making scissoring motions.

Beomgyu’s legs fell open wider, offering all of him to Taehyun, “More, please,” he begged.

Taehyun added a third finger, pumping them in and out of Beomgyu with a harsh force now. His eyes were set on Beomgyu’s face and how it contorted in pleasure. It took everything in him to not jerk himself off at the sight of it, and at the sound of Beomgyu’s loud and needy moans.

When he added a fourth finger, Beomgyu gasped, his back arching off the bed as he clenched the bedsheets underneath him, his knuckles practically turning white.

“Right there, right there!” he screamed.

Taehyun kept going, speeding up the movement of his wrist until he couldn’t go any faster. He knew he was hitting Beomgyu’s prostate head-on by the way his boyfriend was screaming and arching underneath him, his hips bucking desperately.

“Come for me, hyung,” Taehyun groaned, as he tried to increase the force of his fingers even more.

It took a few more thrusts and whispered compliments for Beomgyu to come with a pretty scream, his entire body tensing as his dick shot out spurts of cum all over the sheets, his stomach, and Taehyun’s hand.

Taehyun slowed his movements down before pulling his fingers out. Beomgyu was panting underneath him, trying to come down from his orgasm. With a mischievous look, Taehyun deliberately sucked Beomgyu’s cum off of his fingers. He took it slow, savoring the taste, licking each finger one by one.

At the sight, Beomgyu moaned once more.

“Jesus, Taehyun-ah,” he whined.

“Can you handle more?” Taehyun asked, not wanting to cross Beomgyu’s boundaries.

Still heaving slightly, Beomgyu nodded, “Yeah, just— just give me a second.”

Using his hand, Taehyun scooped up the cum that was pooled on Beomgyu’s stomach. He spread it over his cock, masturbating it as he threw his head back in pleasure. When he looked back down at Beomgyu’s body, he could feel himself only growing harder.

Once Beomgyu had stopped shaking and had caught his breath, he spread his legs open wider as an invite. With a trembling breath, he pulled Taehyun closer to him, kissing him needily. Another moan forced its way out of his throat when Taehyun bit down on his lip.

“Fuck me,” Beomgyu gasped.

Not having to be told twice, Taehyun positioned himself in between Beomgyu’s legs. He grabbed the pillow Beomgyu wasn’t resting his head on and lifted his boyfriend’s hips up, placing it underneath to give him easier access. Then, he breached Beomgyu’s hole with the head of his cock.

Slowly pushing inside, Taehyun groaned. The slide felt too good. He could feel Beomgyu’s walls clenching around him, adding pressure to his hard and neglected cock. Already he could feel precum dripping out of him, and the thought of painting Beomgyu’s walls white had him bottoming out sooner than he’d intended to.

Beomgyu moaned heavily, scratching Taehyun’s back with his fingernails as he arched into him. The feeling of Taehyun’s cock throbbing inside him had him moaning like a virgin. He could practically feel the veins dragging against his insides, and he didn’t know what to fucking do except just lay there and take it.

“Move,” he heaved out.

Taehyun started rolling his hips, slowly at first. With each thrust, he could see, hear, and feel Beomgyu crumbling underneath him. It took everything in him to not fuck him like a ragdoll right from the bat.

When Beomgyu hurriedly tapped his shoulder, indicating that he wanted more, Taehyun snapped his hips forward. He buried himself deep inside of Beomgyu, before pulling back out almost all the way and slamming right back in.

“Fuck, FUCK!” Beomgyu screamed underneath him, mind long lost in pleasure.

Feeling himself starting to lose his sanity as well, Taehyun snapped his hips forward even harder, desperate to make Beomgyu feel good. It seemed like he did a good job at that, when Beomgyu moaned out high and loudly when Taehyun hit his prostate.

“You feel and sound so good, hyung. Just for me,” Taehyun groaned, his thrusts speeding up.

The sound of skin slapping against skin was loud, and the squelch of Taehyun’s cock sliding in and out of Beomgyu’s hole almost beat it. Taehyun’s balls slapped repeatedly against Beomgyu’s ass, and Taehyun couldn’t contain his moans anymore.

“Just for you, Taehyun-ah! Just for you!” Beomgyu moaned, the drag of Taehyun’s cock being the most delicious thing he’d ever felt.

Changing the angle of his hips, Taehyun thrust back in even harder. Beomgyu arched his back underneath him, digging his fingernails into the skin of Taehyun’s back, probably drawing blood with how fucking good it felt.

“I’m so close, I’m close, oh God!” Beomgyu screamed, trying to be as close to Taehyun as possible.

Wanting to see Beomgyu come undone underneath him once more, Taehyun put all of his remaining energy into hitting Beomgyu’s prostate with each thrust. It seemed he did a good job when he noticed tears forming in Beomgyu’s eyes, and when he heard his moans turn into screams.

“Nghhh, Jesus! I’m gonna come!” Beomgyu cried.

At the sight of Beomgyu so fucked out underneath him, Taehyun could feel his own orgasm building up as well. He squeezed Beomgyu’s waist harshly, trying to hold on to any remaining sense of reality as he kept bucking his hips into his boyfriend.

“I’m coming! I’m coming! I— FUCK!” Beomgyu screamed out as he teetered over the edge, his second orgasm washing over him.

Taehyun watched as Beomgyu’s eyes rolled to the back of his head in pleasure, his cock spurting a pathetic last amount of cum, practically milking itself empty. The tears kept rolling down Beomgyu’s cheeks, and the combination of it all was what made Taehyun come undone as well.

With a deep grunt, he released his cum inside of Beomgyu. Stars danced in his vision, and he could hear Beomgyu moan weakly underneath him even through the ringing of his ears that his orgasm brought him.

After a couple of seconds, he came down. He was still panting as he pulled out of Beomgyu, watching as cum trickled out of the older’s hole. Beomgyu whined at the loss, suddenly feeling emptier than ever.

“I’m sorry,” Taehyun smiled sheepishly as he allowed himself to fall down onto the bed right next to Beomgyu.

Within an instant, Beomgyu’s arms were engulfing him. He sighed happily as he snuggled closer to Taehyun, breathing in his familiar smell, although it was now mixed with the scent of sweat and cum as well.

“Thank you,” Beomgyu whispered sweetly, bending over to kiss Taehyun on the mouth lovingly.

They stayed like that for a few moments, kissing and hugging, growing even closer after the intimate moment they’d just had. Although they should probably wash up, and clean the sheets, neither of them felt urged to do so, instead basking in each other.

“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Beomgyu mumbled, sleepiness starting to overtake him.

Taehyun giggled softly at his drowsy hyung, although he couldn’t deny that he himself was starting to feel the exhaustion creep back in as well. With a fond smile, he tucked Beomgyu’s messy long hair behind his ear, “What is it?”

Beomgyu peeled his eyes open to look at Taehyun, not having realized that they had closed. Their faces were only inches apart, and they could almost taste each other’s breaths.

He inhaled sharply, before clearly whispering, “I love you, Kang Taehyun.”

Taehyun’s eyes widened, not having expected for that to come out of Beomgyu’s mouth. His world stopped spinning for a moment, trying to process the words. It felt so unreal, almost too magical, but the way Beomgyu hugged him and the way he could feel Beomgyu’s breath on his face reminded him of the fact that he was not dreaming.

Locking eyes with Beomgyu, he noticed a nervous and insecure gaze, probably from the meaningful words he’d just said. Yeah, definitely. Taehyun didn’t know what to say for a second, he felt so overwhelmed with his feelings. But when Beomgyu looked at him like he held the universe, he smiled back softly.

“I love you too, Choi Beomgyu.”

Maybe it was messy, and maybe it may not have been storybook perfect. But it was undoubtedly Beomgyu and Taehyun. They made sense in the weirdest, most perfect way possible. Even when they’d seemed out of reach for each other, gravity pulled them together, like that was its sole purpose. It wasn’t simple nor easy, but it was still beautiful just like that.

Because they were like the sun and the moon.