i love you
as a friend.

—

the two can never confirm their feelings for each other. their friends say it's love, but for them...it just feels so wrong.

they feel comfortable around each other. check. they feel safe and protected whenever they're together. check. they feel happy just by seeing the presence of one another. check. they fight over little things- well sometimes big, but they make up after and continue supporting one another. check. whenever they talk, they feel like they're in their own world and no one could ever bother them. check.

everything about them, everything they do just fits together like puzzle pieces, and the picture they are forming is looking beautiful, majestic, and wonderful. when others try to break it. the two would just help each other fix it again.

but they can never call it love. they can never see them together as a couple. as a romantic couple. everything would just be new to them. to the world where they can kiss, hug, cuddle, and shower each other with compliments almost every single day.

they never kissed. not even once. they never cuddled each other-- well, a little? but only when they need comforting. they feel awkward when they hug each other for a long time, they can never hug comfortably-- never? then what about when taeyong broke down and doyoung was there to hug him. to comfort him. vice versa. then maybe a bit. they never shower each other compliments-- well, maybe not. whenever one was feeling down, the other would do everything just to make the other feel happy again. one would shower the other compliments just to make the other feel happy again.

so what? what is their relationship?

"try saying 'i love you' to him, with your heart. full of sincerity. then see what's his reaction. see if you two would feel comfortable about it. do it almost everyday. and if nothing changed, or he feels uncomfortable. then stop. just stay as friends and live together forever happily."

taeyong has been doing what he's told, and did it for almost about a month or two. the first time he did it. he felt...normal. like, nothing. really. doyoung only replied with an 'i love you too' but the two never really thought anything about it.

he went back to johnny and yuta's dorm. to tell them about what happened. of course, his friends were confused when he told them about it.

"say, what do you feel about doyoung? don't you feel anything around him?" yuta asks. taeyong blinked twice and answered, "haven't i already told you guys about it? maybe two times already?"

johnny mentally face-palmed himself. "don't mind yuta, he's just being himself. a dumbo."

yuta glared at johnny but johnny only shrugged it off. he then looked at taeyong, saying, "what did he mean by his 'i love you' then? did he really mean it?"

taeyong thinks about it for a while and smiled, "yeah, i think he does. he smiles whenever he reply. so i smile back too. it feels comfortable. so, yeah...also we made it a routine!" taeyong smiled sheepishly. "now we say i love you to each other almost everyday!" the innocent male added.

johnny and yuta looked at each other then back at the smiling male infront of them.

"i'm confused. really." yuta stared at taeyong blankly. "do you guys really not feel anything romantic at all?"

taeyong shrugs the question and shook his head no. "i don't think so...? it feels pretty normal."

a smile suddenly crept up on johnny's face. "that's how love is!" he yelled, causing the two to flinch and give their attention to johnny.

"eh..?" taeyong muttered.

johnny gave yuta the 'look' and yuta somehow got the signal. it's like they read each other's minds.

"you never know when love will appear. it will just come silently." yuta starts and johnny nodded. "it's like...too invisible for anyone to notice. you don't realize that you've been admiring this person all the time. because all you thought was your significant other's happiness. all you want to see is their smile."

"it's the feeling of euphoria whenever you see that person too. though it's true that you might have 'arguments' and you both hate each other for a while. but then you'll find yourself missing this person over and over until you want this person back." johnny smiles, remembering every memories him and his significant other had. "you also think about each other's future. you already had a future with him planned inside your head. you get jealous whenever other people have interactions with this special someone of yours. you want that person to be yours and only yours."

taeyong's eyebrows furrowed. "but...i'm fine with him with others though?" he crossed his arms, laying his back on the backrest of the chair.

"oh really?" yuta smirked. "remember that one time when we were at a party. you couldn't find doyoung anywhere and when you saw him, he was talking with other people. you immediately grabbed him by his arms and excused him to be with you."

"but that's because i was afraid to be alone. i panicked, okay? he was the only one i'm close with and am comfortable whenever i get clumsy." taeyong huffed. his ears redden as he remembered what happened then. "i was tipsy as well. if i reach out for your guys' help, you would only joke about it. doyoung's...different." taeyong looks away to the both of them.

"alright. if you say so." johnny lays his back as well. "if you don't love him romantically. then do you have anyone in your mind?" johnny asks.

"no. i'm planning on focusing on my career, you know? also keeping our friendship stable as i work. since i know that i wouldn't have much time with him due to my busy schedule." taeyong fixes his hair and looks at the two. he suddenly remembers something.

"you also think about each other's future. you already had a future with him planned inside your head."

taeyong groans. "argh- this is so confusing!" he blurts out, making johnny and yuta confused as well. "it's just a friend thing th--"

"hmm? what's confusing?" yuta asks. obviously cutting taeyong off.

"o-oh. nothing. i'll get going now. i also promised him that i'll buy donuts on the way home." taeyong stands up, getting ready to leave. "thank you for your time. take care here." taeyong bows at the two and leaves immediately.

"we're just friends." taeyong muttered under his breath. "just friends." he echoed his voice and started to walk away. "all friends do that with each other right?" he asks himself. "right...?"

he slouched his back as he walk, losing energy from all his thoughts. he looked down and sighed, "why did i even ask them more about it anyways?"

—

doyoung just finished taking a shower and went to the living room to find an exhausted taeyong lying on the sofa and donuts on the coffee table, waiting to be eaten.

"taeyong! you're back!" doyoung greets as he sat down on the other sofa. "with donuts!" doyoung smiles as he took the box of donuts and opened it. he was obviously happier with the donuts rather than taeyong being there.

"hey-- i bought that you rascal. not even a thank you?" taeyong sits up. glaring at the younger.

"thank you. mr. taeyong. now, shall we ingest these donuts before they get cold?" doyoung takes a chocolate flavored one and put the box near taeyong's side.

"ingest? geez, stop doing that. it's kinda...weird." taeyong shrugged. "but anyways, sure." taeyong said, taking a barbarian flavored one.

doyoung handed his donut up. signalling to cheers. and taeyong successfully got the younger's signal. after bumping both of their donuts, the two started eating theirs.

"hey taeyong." doyoung spoke, looking at his donut and taking a bite of it before casually saying, "i love you."

taeyong smiled. "i love you too." he giggled. but he suddenly got serious. doyoung looked at the older and worry consumed his entire body.

"taeyong? you alright?"

"isn't it weird too?" taeyong blurts out. his eyes widened and he quickly covered his mouth using his free hand. "nevermind th--"

"no?" doyoung raises a brow. "i love you as a friend. like a sibling too maybe. what's weird about that?"

taeyong put his hand down slowly and took a bite from his donut. "yeah. right."

"perhaps, you have been saying that to me romantical--"

"no! god no." taeyong shouts before doyoung could complete his sentence. "remember when our friends shipped us? i kinda got curious about that 'ship' thing and asked them more about it."

"oh." doyoung was blank for a while. but he started laughing slowly. "that's okay, i guess."

"hey. johnny told me to say i love you to you and see if anything happens! but nothing. it just feels normal!" taeyong stated. finishing his donut as an ending scene for his 'speech'. "but it kinda confuses me a bit though..." taeyong mumbles after. but doyoung heard it clearly.

"me too." doyoung says. catching the attention of the older. "but let's just stay as friends. let's wait for the future. who knows? maybe we haven't met our soulmate yet."

"right." taeyong takes another piece of donut, without processing doyoung's words. "wait-- you believe in soulmates?!" he beams, as the words doyoung said finally processed in his mind.

doyoung ignores the question and takes another donut as well. "that's really- no offense- weird." taeyong held in his laughter. and he succesfully did it.

doyoung rolls his eyes. "whatever."

"speaking of soulmates and love, are you seeing someone lately?" taeyong teases playfully. "i bet it's j--"

doyoung throws a pillow at taeyong consecutively two times in a row (he has 2 pillows beside him). "i hate you!"

"i thought you love me?" taeyong 'whines'. "oh, right. of course you'll only love him truly." taeyong laughs. he put the donut down, not wanting to waste the almighty donut.

doyoung finally stands up, ready to beat the hell out of taeyong.

"don't get me started with your love intere--"

taeyong hit doyoung with a pillow. "you copycat--" he was hit once again.

and that's how they spent the whole hour. teasing each other about their so-called 'soulmates'.

•°☆ —end

—

another dotae fanfic cos why not?
ight. i'm sorry-