"Jeongguk, what's wrong?"

    "Promise not to freak out and to just listen."

Taehyung fumbles for the switch to turn on his lamp, his eyes squinting against the light as he sits up in bed.

    "Are you crying?" He asks, pulling the phone away from his ear for a second to check the time. "You can't just call crying at three in the morning and tell me not to freak out."

    "It's not a big deal, Taehyung. If you freak out I'll freak out that's why I'm asking you not to." Jeongguk says, the strain in his voice making it clear that he's holding back tears.

    "What's wrong?" Taehyung asks, trying to breath even though his heart felt like it was going to explode in his chest from worry.

    "Okay, so..." Jeongguk clears his throat before continuing. "I just woke up from this dream, well, I guess it was kind of a nightmare. In the dream I was back inside that parking garage, laying there after...after I got shot."

Taehyung closes his eyes at the mental image of Jeongguk laying there fighting for his life.

    "As I was laying there I remember just begging for a second chance, y'know? Praying for more time." Jeongguk says, his voice cracking. "I knew I needed to be here for you and the kids. I had to make it. I don't think I fully realized that I got a second chance until now. I could've died, I almost died. And that didn't feel real until now."

    "Jeongguk..." Taehyung starts, tears pricking his eyes.

    "I got a second chance at life and now I have to figure out what the hell to do with it." Jeongguk says. "I know I'm crying, but I'm not sad, Tae. I'm happy, I'm really fucking happy right now."

Taehyung chuckles softly, trying to swallow his tears.

    "I think I was just in shock before and I didn't want to even think about that day. But now that I have it's all hitting me at once." Jeongguk sniffles. "I'm alive, I'm literally alive. Almost dying made me realize that life is too short to take any time for granted. I don't want to waste anymore time, Taehyung."

    "I understand." Taehyung chuckles.

    "I know you, and I know you won't jump into a relationship with me just because I ask you to." Jeongguk continues. "But I love you, and I know that you're the person I want to spend my life with. I'm willing to wait until you're ready but I just want you to know that I've already made up my mind. I can't see myself with anyone else but you. You're my forever person, Taehyung."

Taehyung pouts endearingly, a new wave of emotions washing  over him. They weren't anxious or sad emotions, they were warm and happy. "That's really sweet, Jeongguk."

    "You don't have to be my boyfriend right now. You don't have to be my boyfriend ever, honestly. I just want to do life with you and the kids." Jeongguk sighs. "I just want to take care of you and I want to make you happy. Because you make me happy every day."

    "You do make me happy, Jeongguk." Taehyung says. "I'm glad you're telling me how you feel. And I want to do life with you too. I want to just pick up where we left off and move forward from everything, I do."

    "But?"

    "But...I'm scared. And I don't want to jump in before either of us are ready."

Jeongguk hums thoughtfully on the other line. "I'm ready whenever you are. I've been ready this whole time, I've just been waiting for you."

Taehyung laughs a little at that. "I'm not the same person you fell in love with, Jeongguk. Life's changed me a lot since we first met."

    "I've fallen in love with every version of you, Taehyung." Jeongguk says. "I fell in love with you when you were just some random guy at a club looking for a hook up. I fell in love with you when you turned into a stone-cold, asshole after you found out about my family~"

    "Please," Taehyung laughs.

    "I'm serious." Jeongguk chuckles as he continues. "I fell in love with you when you were at your lowest after Jihyuk brought you back to me. And I've fallen in love with you now as this driven person who knows what they want out of life and knows what kind of life they want for their kids. I just keep falling in love with you. Every single version of you, every single time."

Taehyung presses his palm to his cheek as he feels his face flush. "Why do you do this to me?"

Jeongguk chuckles. "Because I love you. Haven't I made that clear?"

    "You know I love you too, Gguk." Taehyung says a bit shyly. "Every version of you."

    "I know its three in the morning and I called you mid-breakdown," Jeongguk starts, making Taehyung laugh a little. "But I want you to think about it."

    "About what?"

    "About us. About trying us again."

Taehyung nods even though Jeongguk can't see him, fighting the giggle forming in his chest as he responds. "What's there to think about?"

    "You're an over-thinker, you always have something to think about." Jeongguk chuckles.

    "If I overthink I'll just end up talking myself out of wanting to be in a relationship." Taehyung says. "So I'm just not going to think about it and I'm going to say yes."

    "Wait, seriously?" Jeongguk asks, his tone completely serious now. Taehyung can practically hear the shocked expression on his face.

    "Seriously," Taehyung says. "I'm saying yes."

    "So, what, you're my boyfriend now?" Jeongguk asks.

    "Do you want me to be your boyfriend?" Taehyung asks teasingly. "Or did I misinterpret your monologue before?"

    "No, shut up. I can't believe you're actually saying yes." Jeongguk chuckles ecstatically on the other line.

    "Now I'm second guessing~"

    "I want you to be my boyfriend, Taehyung." Jeongguk says. "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

    "I do." Taehyung chuckles. "I trust you enough to not have to think about it."

    "It's settled then." Jeongguk says, sighing contently. "Wow, I have a boyfriend now. You're my boyfriend. Isn't it insane how one second you can not have a boyfriend and then the next you just have one."

    "You're going to lose one in another second if you don't stop freaking out." Taehyung laughs. "It's not that big of a deal."

    "It's a big deal for me. I've been hopelessly in love with you for two years now." Jeongguk says. "I'm literally on cloud nine right now."

    "You do know that I've never stopped loving you, right?" Taehyung asks as he lays back down, turning his lamp off but keeping the phone to his ear. "I was hurt, and I let that take over too much."

    "I don't blame you, Taehyung. And I probably would've reacted the same way if the tables were turned." Jeongguk sighs. "None of that matters now."

    "If we're going to make this relationship work you have to promise me one thing."

    "What?"

    "No secrets."

Jeongguk falls silent on the other line. "What if I wanted to throw you a huge surprise party and I had to keep it from you. Does that count as a secret?"

Taehyung laughs even though he wants to be irritated by the question. "No hypotheticals, just promise me. No secrets and no lies."

    "I promise, Taehyung. No secrets or lies, I swear. I have nothing to hide." Jeongguk says. "Just so we start off on a clean slate, I will say this. That time Jaehyung got sick around Christmas it wasn't because he went outside at daycare. I took him outside without his coat on because I thought it was warm enough."

    "You got my baby sick and lied about it?" Taehyung asks in shock. "What was the point?"

    "I didn't want you to think I was an idiot!" Jeongguk defends. "We were only outside for ten minutes."

    "Well since we're clearing the air," Taehyung starts. "When I was pregnant with the twins and I told you I was meditating every morning, I was really just on my phone while the video played on the tv."

"You shady bitch." Jeongguk says making Taehyung laugh. "And I thought you were glowing from the meditation."

"Nope, just prenatal vitamins." Taehyung sighs. "I guess we're both liars."

Jeongguk chuckles. "On a serious note though. I do promise to do my best to be honest and to share all my secrets with you."

"Thank you." Taehyung chuckles, sighing as he closes his eyes. "I should go back to sleep, Gguk. I have to take the twins to daycare tomorrow."

"Okay," Jeongguk sighs reluctantly. "Come see me tomorrow please?"

"I'll come." Taehyung promises. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight. I love you, Taehyung."

"I love you too, Jeongguk ."