"So is it okay? You know, if you come over my house tonight? I kinda just want to talk to you now."

Of course he wasn't going to turn him down. He couldn't. And although he was still a bit nervous about being alone with Taehyung, he wanted to be. He wanted to talk to him and tell him everything.

Taehyung took the boy's hand in his own boldly and led him to his house. The entire walk there was silent, but that was okay, it was intentional.

They arrived at the house and Taehyung knocked on the front door after discovering it was locked, and he had forgotten to take his key with him. And Tae strongly regretted that, because who should answer the door but his little sister, Youjin, who had been in the kitchen ever since her brother left earlier that night. She knew it would be him the second she heard that knock. What she didn't expect, however, was another tall, handsome boy with dark hair to be standing next to Tae, smiling shyly when he laid eyes on her.

Youjin's jaw dropped.

"Kim. Tae. Hyung."

"Yourin, just let us in-"

"What's your name??" She deliberately ignored her brother and gazed up at Jungkook, eyes sparkling. Jungkook stifled a laugh.

"Jungkook, but you might remember me as Rosa."

"Shut up. Shut. Up."

"Youjin, don't talk to him like tha-"

"Are you his boyfriend now?? Like, did you actually accept his confession? He did confess, right? I mean, he made it sound like that was what he was doing. Was it cheesy? Taehyungie can be really cheesy sometimes if he wants to be-"

"Youjin."

"Okay, okay, I'll let you in."

So she stepped to the side and allowed the two boys to enter the house, then slowly and quietly shut the door behind them. By the time she turned around again, Taehyung had grabbed Jungkook's wrist and was hurrying him up the stairs to avoid any further conversation with his little sister. They could talk later, he said to himself. Right now, he just wanted to be with Jungkook.

Two minutes passed and the two were seated comfortably on Taehyung's bed, legs crossed, just staring at each other. Jungkook could feel his face growing warm as he noticed Tae was deep in thought. The silence lasted for a solid minute. Then Tae suddenly leaned forward and took hold of Jungkook's hands. He swallowed his breath.

"So, uh...f-for how long-?"

"Since day one of freshman year."

Tae flinched. His cheeks reddened. "Seriously?"

"I told you if I ever passed by you in the hall at school, I'd fall in love at first sight, remember?"

"Oh my gosh, I do remember that..." He looked away for a moment, pupils darting around as a result of his embarrassment. "You...you were serious about that."

"Of course I was," Jungkook told him. "I saw you with Jimin that day and it just...I don't know, you stood out to me."

"Well, why didn't you talk to me more?"

"I was shy. I told you that, too. And you were with Jimin constantly so I didn't think I'd be able to win your attention, anyway."

Taehyung's shoulders drooped, and his gaze fell on their hands guiltily. He hesitated. "I-...Jungkook, I'm so sorry." Pursing his lips, he let out a long, slow breath and briefly closed his eyes. "I feel like such an idiot. And a jerk. I know I had an issue with, well, tuning other people out, so I didn't pay attention to you at all back then. Did I hurt your feelings?"

Jungkook could feel the shame emanating from Taehyung, and he felt bad for saying anything. But he shook that feeling off quickly. After all, he had decided that he wouldn't be beating around the bush anymore. Now was the time for pure honesty.

"You did," he confessed, "but I wasn't mad at you. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to do anything. So I kind of just...let things be. I didn't expect anything would happen, anyway. But then..." A smile slipped its way onto his face. "Last year. Overwatch." He giggled. "I recognized your voice, and your rage fits, Tae, I can't tell you how much willpower it took not to burst out laughing. I never knew you had the capability to yell like that. It was so funny..."

Tae pouted. "Glad my anger amused you."

"I'm glad, too. I'm also glad you contacted me that day. I never would have done something like that..."

"Well then it's a good thing I did," Taehyung announced with pride. "Honestly, it scares me a little to think where I'd be if I hadn't."

"Yeah. And I probably would have graduated without ever telling you how I felt."

"You still haven't, you know."

Jungkook froze. Taehyung was staring deeply into his eyes now, even more so than before, and Jungkook could feel him squeezing his hands. He was waiting.

"Uh...y-yes, I have."

"Haven't. I told you, but I haven't heard you say it back."

"But you obviously knew, because you kissed me."

Tae's cheeks flushed. "Doesn't count. You still didn't say it."

"Actions speak louder than words."

"Well speaking is an action, so I wanna hear it. Or have you changed your mind?"

"No! No, I-...of course I haven't changed my mind..."

"Then won't you say it?"

Taehyung tilted his head, slowly, and leaned just a bit closer to Jungkook, who could hardly bear the rapid beating of his own heart. Tae's eyes were so...captivating. He felt himself melting into them as the boy squeezed his hands yet again.

"I love you, Tae." Jungkook stared back at him unblinkingly. "A lot. Like...I really, really...really love you. You have no idea...how happy I was talking to you. Even though it was just...I mean, even though it wasn't in person, and you didn't know it was me you were talking to, it made me so happy. You were so friendly. And funny. And...really sweet. And it just made me...fall for you all over again."

He had been smiling without even realizing it. And Taehyung had been blushing the entire time, because he was honestly just so stunned hearing Jungkook describe his feelings in detail, and the cute little smile on his face as he spoke warmed Tae's heart and made him feel like he was falling for Jungkook all over again.

"...Tae?"

"Gimme a minute, it's a lot to take in."

It truly was. And it didn't help that he could tell, so easily, that Jungkook was being completely honest, pouring out his feelings that he no doubt had bottled up for so, so long. To think, someone had ever felt this way about him, and someone like Jungkook, no less. The longer he gazed into the boy's eyes, the more he wanted never, ever to break eye contact. He couldn't help but think, this, this is the best thing that ever happened to me.

"Jungkook?"

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted you to know that I don't think I've ever been happier in my life."

Jungkook's eyebrows twitched in surprise. He wanted to say something, but instead, laughter spilled out of his open mouth and he turned his head, finally breaking that prolonged gaze. He wasn't doing so in mockery of Taehyung, nor did believe that the boy was joking around when he said what he did. But Jungkook just felt this strange elation in his chest that fought its way up his throat in the form of soft, quiet chuckles.

"Your laugh is really cute..."

The corner of his mouth tilted upward. Jungkook looked at Tae again, only to find the boy's complexion even redder. Tae scooted closer to him.

"Can you kiss me?"

"H-huh?" Not, 'can I kiss you', but 'can you kiss me'?

"Sorry, are you not comfortable doing that yet?" Tae soon asked, his voice low, but gentle, and it made Jungkook's ears tingle. "I'd really like you to, but if you don't want to, that's okay."

"You...you really want me to?"

"Kinda, yeah." He ran his thumb across Jungkook's fingers. "I mean, my face will probably catch on fire if you do, but it'll be worth it."

"Y-...You're so dramatic, Tae."

He smiled. "I know."

Jungkook drew in a deep breath as he eyed Taehyung's expression. He pulled his hands away, gradually, and lifted them to rest on the boy's neck, soon to pull him closer, and closer, until he was close enough to press his lips to Tae's. And he kept them there for a short while.

So soft and warm.

Jungkook dropped one of his hands to take Tae's and intertwined their fingers, then held onto it lovingly as he kissed him again.

Not a moment after it was broken, Taehyung hugged Jungkook, placing his hand against the back of the boy's head and running his fingers through Jungkook's soft black hair.

"Not to be dramatic again but, um...I kinda don't want you to ever leave."

"Deal."

"Sick."

"Do you have Mario Kart?"

"Yeah. You wanna play?"

"Only if I can be Yoshi."

"Anything for you, Kookie."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"Call me Kookie more often, then."

"Deal."

"Hey, Tae?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."