cold confessions ❄️ — c.b
genre. fluff, friends to lovers (?), non idol au // pairing. beomgyu x fem!reader // cw. teasing, angst if you squint // wc. 1047 // synopsis. you and beomgyu take a late night walk and the cold brings out some unexpected feelings
you and beomgyu had been friends for a little over a year, and late night walks weren’t unusual. but, the the recently fallen snow and the crisp, cold air had made something about this walk different.
whether it was how you were snuggled up to beomgyu, your winter coat not being enough to shield you from the sharp, stinging cold, or how both of your cheeks were constantly flushed from the nights weather, neither of you being able to look at one another for longer than a few seconds.
walking further into the night, you and beomgyu found a small rest area, tall lamps and benches to complete it. “hey, n/n! take some pics of me for my insta,” beomgyu giggled, handing you his phone and bending down to pose.
“mmm okay,” you sighed, missing the warmth of your friend (you told yourself).
as you grabbed the phone and started to take pictures of your friend, you found yourself staring at his features. his eyes, his lips, his nose. since when was he so perfect?
“gyu, can we get going? the cold is doing something to me. i’m not thinking straight or something,” you murmured, sure that this was just the night breeze and lack of heating doing this to you.
“not yet, n/n! i need more pictures, please,” beomgyu pleaded, his lips forming an adorable and irresistible pout. (what the hell did you just think? irresistible?)
“fine,” you mumbled, focusing the camera back on your friend and snapping more photos of him.
“thank you, my precious n/n! now let me see! my handsomeness can never fully translate in pictures, but you’re my witness,” beomgyu teased, his finger poking your cheek before coming behind you to look at the photos you took.
you could feel his breath on your neck, a shiver running down your spine as he grabbed you hand and scrolled through the pics. “these looks really good, n/n. the ladies are gonna eat these up.”
you snorted, to which beomgyu backed up and look at you in mock shock. “what’re you laughing at? i’m very popular with women,” beomgyu pouted, his arms crossing almost instinctively as he turned his head away from you.
“sure, gyu. whatever helps you sleep at night,” you laughed, patting your friends shoulder.
“what do you mean? i’m telling the truth, n/n,” he whined, his hands grabbing your shoulders and forcing you to look at him. “my amazing looks along with my charming attitude make me a heartthrob. literally.”
“amazing looks maybe, but charming attitude? you’re lying to yourself, gyu,” you teased, your hands coming up to play with his hair.
before what you were doing could even process in your mind, beomgyu had backed away.
“so you agree i have amazing looks? don’t tell me you’re falling for me too, n/n,” beomgyu nervously chuckled, his air of confidence wavering.
“don’t worry about it, gyu. even if i were to ever catch feelings for you, i would never tell you. i couldn’t risk ruining our friendship,” you smiled, looking down at the ground feeling you had spoken too soon. the more you looked at beomgyu, the more you wanted to kiss him.
the more you wanted all your cuddles and movie nights to be not platonic. the more you wanted to hold his hand as a lover, and not just a friend.
but this was beomgyu. one of your best friends.
you couldn’t risk that relationship over something that might not even work. beomgyu as a friend was better than no beomgyu at all.
“that’s a shame. i don’t agree with that all,” beomgyu sighed, his hands making their way into his pockets.
“what do you mean?”
“if i had feelings for you, i would 100% risk our friendship,” beomgyu replied, stepping closer to you. “i think taking a risk to be more, and be happier, is better than being in a stalemate and having to live with that pain.”
“beomgyu,” you started, taking a step back, scared of what was to come. you were too emotionally constipated for this. “i don’t think either of us should be talking about this right no–”
“y/n, please don’t say that,” beomgyu pleaded, his hands reaching out for yours, the warmth of each other enveloping you both. “i like you, y/n. a lot. i don’t knew when it started. i don’t know how. i just know i like you. you can reject me if you want, but i know the way you look at me. it’s how i look at you.”
he pulled you closer to him, waiting for any sign of resistance or rejection from you.
“can i kiss you, y/n?”
“yeah…” your soft reply came out, barely above a whisper, but loud enough for beomgyu to hear in the dead night.
as his lips connected with yours, you felt something you had never felt before. like a piece of you was finally complete. since when did you feel like this? about your bestfriend? were you really denying yourself closure to hold onto whatever little bit of him you could have. an emptiness you hadn’t even realized was there was filled and everything felt brighter, warmer.
when you pulled away, the shock and lack of air getting to you, you looked up at your bestfriend, whose face was blushing a deep shade of pink.
“i think i like you too, gyu,” you confessed, a newfound assuredness in your voice.
beomgyu laughed, arms wrapping you tightly. “yeah, i know!”
you wiggled your hand loose and lightly pinched him, earning a hiss from him and another pout.
“you’re no fun! i was gonna ask you to be my girlfriend, but you’re too mean,” he scoffed, looking away from you once more.
“okay. will you be my boyfriend, beomgyu?”
“not fair! i wanted to ask. but, fine. i guess,” beomgyu huffed, his eyes rolling.
“stop being so dramatic. you’re too pretty,” you retorted, your own arms wrapping around beomgyu.
“man, you’re right. come on! let’s get my girlfriend home before she freezes,” beomgyu smiled, eyes closed as he tilted his head towards you.
“finally. i feel like my toes are gonna fall off,” you whined.
“stop being so dramatic,” beomgyu chided, taunting his finger at you.
authors note - i spent like 50 mins writing this 😭 i just couldn’t get beomgyu’s ig pics out of my head… it’s 1am rn so ignore any mistakes..
© sanrikis 2024 do not repost, translate, or plagiarize
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Description. Now armed with a new support system, you're ready for anything that'll be thrown at you. That is, until your world starts to shift out of order. And unfortunately, Taehyun is taking this way harder than you.
Pairings. Kang Taehyun x Female Reader
Genre. Angst, Fluff Kinda, Comfort. (This is a self ranting again lol.)
Warnings. Pregnancy (Not MC), Everyone's an emotional wreck, Taehyun's pushing everyone away, MC is confused half the time.
Word count. 6.7K (Why do I keep doing this?!)
Note. This is Part 2 of Free Somebody. I don't recommend reading this a stand alone, as you'll be very confused. Also this is once again based on real events, and I tried to convey my thought process as best as I could but.. LMAO. Some things end up unresolved but that is real life so, bear with me and enjoy.
IN THE FEW MONTHS YOU SPENT TOGETHER, YOU FIGURED OUT KANG TAEHYUN WAS HARD TO READ. Not that you held it against him or anything, but he kept you at a sizable distance and rarely shared his emotions with you.
It felt kind of embarrassing at first, seeing as you opened yourself to him so early on. Sure, it wasn't on purpose but it still happened.
So for him to call for you in such a frantic mood, said a lot about the his state of thinking right now, and you didn't know what to make of it.
Meanwhile, Taehyun felt like his world spinning out of control. All of this was happening, too much too fast.
You stood by his door, him having called you a couple minutes prior. He was scared, and he didn't want to be alone right now. Sure, the two of you weren't suddenly the best of friends. But right now, he just needed a set of ears to listen, and you were fine to oblige.
One of the perks of not being super close was that you wouldn't judge him for his reactions. You didn't expect him to hold it together or be something he's not. No, you caught the rawest sides of him, as he had seen yours. He had tried his best to keep you at arms-length when concerning his emotions, but right now was different. You knew when he pushed his pride aside to pick up the phone and call you, that this was a big deal. Though, didn't that just mean you were closer than you thought?
"I feel sick." Taehyun mutters, motioning for you to enter his room.
"What's wrong?" You question, noting the silence in the apartment. "And where are your roommates?"
His face goes pale at that. They were the last thing he wanted to talk about right now, or for lack of better words, one of them.
"I don't know what to do." Taehyun says, not looking up. His minds fleshing out a million thoughts and solutions, all written neatly side by side. Something of a white board in a science class, formulas drawn all across the expanse, but instead of equations it was just his bleeding problems.
"About what?" You say, growing anxious at the lack of explanation. He was clearly bothered by something, but his resistance in remaining secret was off putting.
"I'm supposed to be the rational one, the problem solver, but I have no idea what to do." He sighs, staring down at his hands.
"That's normal." You respond, moving to sit on the chair by his desk. Trying to collect your thoughts on what would be best to say next, though first you'd like to know what's shaken him up like this.
"Sakura's pregnant." He blurts out, your head whipping around to meet his. He almost flinches back as he said it, not expecting to be so transparent with you. Taehyun also knew it was none of his business to share, but he couldn't help it. It was like you had suddenly turned into a magnet that pried all this information out of him.
He felt his resolve slipping away and he hated it. For once he felt like he couldn't tighten his grip on his emotions.
"What?!" You whisper-yell, dumbstruck. "How do you-"
"I saw the test in the trash." Taehyun reveals. "Beomgyu's the father."
You run your hands through your hair. "This can't be happening." Taehyun had just dropped a huge bomb on you and was talking like he was discussing his lunch plans. One would think, how is he so collected? But you knew better, by the slight shake of his hands and his drawn out breathes, he was scared.
"Are you sure its her's?" You ask, maybe this was a misunderstanding.
"Soobin hasn't been with a girl in months. And he'd never be stupid enough to trash a positive test. Plus Beomgyu's straight in love with Sakura, it's not possible to think he would cheat." Taehyun says, recalling how he saw the stick sitting upright in the bin.
The words entering your head as you think. There could be another explanation right? Taehyun wasn't even fully sure, how could he be reacting like this?
"This is my fault. I led her straight to him. I never thought they'd be so reckless." He confessed, the words coming straight from his heart.
"Are you serious? They're adults Taehyun! This was their responsibility ok?" You speak, still a bit shaken by the news.
Your best friend was pregnant? How far along was she? When did she find out? What was she going to do now?
"But she's not ready for a baby, much less with Beomgyu."
This was truly a terrifying situation.
"Do you think she has a plan?" You ask, chewing your nail.
"I doubt she has one. Probably hasn't thought it through that far."
"We're not even sure that's what's going on." You attempt, trying to clear his thoughts.
Though you found it kind of hard to understand Taehyuns worry, it was a baby. This was not the end of the world, it wasn't even happening to him. Sure, things would change. But change is good, right?
Though, you'e determined to be there for him. So you try to comfort him the best way you know how. By distracting him.
You clap your hands together. "Okay, why don't we do something?"
"What?" He groans, not believing you had just said that.
"Lets watch a movie, something to take your mind off of things."
"I don't need to take my mind off of things." Taehyun maintains. "I need to figure out a solution."
"So then you called me for no reason? 'Cause we don't know shit right now, Kang." You fire back, not fond of his attitude. Though you were unsatisfied with your suggestion as well, what other choice did you have? He needed to calm down before he blew up at Beomgyu, or worse, Sakura.
He knew why he had called you, not for you to just pop up with a solution. He called you cause you're the only one who can ever manage to get him to stop overthinking so damn much.
"Pick whatever you want." He gives in, patting the seat next to him on his bed before handing you the remote to his TV.
You smile at his compliance and grab the object before flipping the screen on. "It's okay to be worried, I'm scared shitless too. But let's relax for a minute."
He lays back on his bed as he pulls the covers over the two of you, "What? I'm cold."
You just giggle as you press play on a movie, the previous qualms forgotten in favor of the crappy Netflix Original you had picked.
...
You stir awake as you begin to hear hushed voices. Oh, had you fallen asleep? Obviously, by the lack of light shining through Taehyun's window, you two had indeed knocked out. He still lays beside you comfortably, head resting on his arm as he remains napping. The end credits of the subpar movie you had put on rolled, indicating you two slept for around two hours.
You lean up and rub your eyes, throwing the blanket off of you. You really had to pee, which must've been the reason for your sudden awakening. Or maybe it was the small whispers that crept in from the living room, you didn't know. Were his roommates back? Was Beomgyu here?
Quietly, you patter over and open the door slightly. Making a beeline for the restroom, you sigh as you finally get to empty your bladder. After washing your hands, you attempt to silently make your way back to Taehyun's room, hoping to avoid confrontation with whoever was home. Sure it's not like anything happened, but it'd be awkward to explain why you were cuddled up with Taehyun in said boy's room.
Unfortunately, you don't get so lucky this time.
You hear the question of your name as you turn around. Beomgyu standing in the hall to see you, Sakura right behind him. Her face lights up as she see's you. "Hey! What're you doing here?"
Though you fear her tone is a bit too loud, and are scared of the two possibly waking Taehyun. He wouldn't exactly be thrilled to see the two of them anyways, so you figure you're doing them a favor as well.
"Taehyun's asleep." You whisper quietly, gesturing for them to lower their voices.
"Asleep?" Beomgyu blinks. "You were with him in his room?"
You just nod your head slightly. "We fell asleep while watching a movie."
"Yeah right." The male snorts as Sakura elbows him. She gives him wide eyes before telling him to knock it off.
"Well I'm glad you're here. I need to talk to you both." She says, a huge smile on her face.
"Me?" You feign, pretending like you didn't have a clue. You can practically feel your face draining of color. So it was definitely hers.
"I was going to text you earlier, but I wanted to wait till we saw each other in person! But this is perfect!" She squeals, "I'll go wake Taehyun."
"I'll do it." You stop her, before catching yourself. "He's kind of grumpy today."
"Oh okay!" She says, not giving it another passing thought as you walk into Taehyun's room.
To your surprise, his eyes flutter open as you open the door. "Where did you go?" He grumbles, still somewhat asleep.
"Bathroom." You brush off. "But you need to get up."
"No."
"Sakura and Beomgyu are here."
And he shoots up, all signs of tiredness gone from his face. "What do they want?"
"I think she's going to announce her pregnancy." You say, eyes darting around. "She said she wanted to talk to us."
"Tell them I'm not in the mood."
"Taehyun." You reason. "She's your sister, and he's your best friend. Can't you at least pretend to be happy?"
He sits up as he slides off the bed, mumbling an annoyed "Fine." As he slips his shoes on. Clearly unready to look the two in the face.
He opens the door as Taehyun dons a bored expression on his face. Beomgyu doesn't miss a beat. "What took so long? Was she helping you pull up your pants?"
Taehyun doesn't respond, instead choosing to look over at his sister. "What's up?"
She smiles for the millionth time as she looks at Beomgyu. He grabs her hands in his, giving her reassurance. "I'm pregnant."
Taehyun just looks back at you. "I know."
Well that was anticlimactic.
"What?!" Sakura exclaims, taken aback.
"Genius here left your test out in the open." Taehyun says, pointing his head towards Beomgyu.
Sakura death glares her boyfriend before looking back at Taehyun. "You don't have anything to say?"
"What do you want to hear Sakura?" Taehyun begins, his attitude about to slip through.
"Congratulations!" You squeal, interrupting the tense atmosphere. "I'm so excited! How are you feeling?" Someone had to be the bright one around here. You know the pair was expecting some kind of celebration.
"I'm going to be a mom!" Sakura gushes, holding onto Beomgyu's shoulder. The fake smile remained plastered on your face, did she know what was coming? Had this been on purpose?
"Wow , a mom with an over demanding desk job, and a dad who acts like a child himself. Your baby will be a real kicker!" Taehyun remarks sarcastically. The grin is wiped off your face as you pull back on his arm.
Shaking your head, you notice the two in front of you stayed silent.
"Aren't you happy for us?" Beomgyu questions, caught off guard.
"Happy?" Taehyun says, looking between them. "Happy that you ruined your lives?"
The silence speaks for itself. Your heart growing heavy as you watch the upset look on the couples face.
"Okay," You interject, eyes looking from their dejected ones. "Taehyun and I are going to get some food before he can say anything else he'll end up regretting."
Sakura just nods as you grab onto Taehyun, angrily dragging him out the door as he mutters something about the situation. How could he be such a rainy cloud on their obviously sunny moment?
You could talk out other things later, but right now you were just focused on helping him get his coat on. Giving him harsh looks as you can't believe he really said that to them.
"That was insensitive." You speak as you close the door behind you two. Walking out of the apartment complex with a frown.
"What's insensitive is them thinking they can provide a suitable lifestyle for the baby." He says with his head hung low.
"That's not our business to worry about." You respond, shrugging. "We just have to be there for them anyway we can."
He just scoffs. "Easy for you to say. You don't have to be 'Uncle Taehyun' all of a sudden."
"You'll be a decent uncle." You tease.
"Does this mean Beomgyu will be my brother-in-law soon?" Taehyun's jaw drops.
"Woah, who said they were getting married?"
"No one." He shrugs. "But the two are so in love that it'll probably happen."
"See, they love each other." You point out, opening the door to the restaurant the two of you frequented. "They'll make it work."
"Love doesn't pay the bills." He replies as you two enter.
"No." You agree. "But it helps."
"You're so naive."
"Maybe." You say, dropping the topic as you two sit down to eat. "Oh, but before I forget.."
"Yes?"
"You have to apologize."
"For what?!" Taehyun speaks. "For telling the truth?"
"It wasn't your place!" You say back, careful to mind the volume of your voice. "You really hurt their feelings."
And he rolls his eyes before muttering a small fine as he looks over his menu. He was convinced you were the only person in the world who could get him to see the fault in himself sometimes. It was a weird trait, but he couldn't say it was bad. You kept him grounded a lot and he appreciated it. He hoped he had made as much of a difference in your life as you did his.
-
Standing in the grocery aisle, you looked over the several different types of jams and jelly's on the shelf. Which one would Taehyun like anyways? I mean, you were only really buying it for him. He was the one who came over and complained (About three different times) about your lack of ingredients for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Goodness, he took a lot out of you, but it was worth it if it meant cheering him up. You knew something this small could make his mood a little better. And right now, anything would help.
You pull out your phone, contemplating calling him when you hear the sound of your name called out. You lower your phone and turn around quickly, met with a face you hadn't seen in months.
"Yeonjun." You squeak out in surprise. Your eyes drift to where he has about four liquor bottles in his hands, eyebrows raising.
"Oh, these?" He says, noticing your eyes. "Old habits die hard, I guess."
You offer a meek smile. "Big party coming up?"
"No." He shakes his head, before quirking it to the side. "..And yes?"
You just giggle lightly. "Nice."
"It's my birthday next week." Yeonjun states, averting his eyes. You remembered, of course you had. This was one of your closest friends just mere months ago. The memories were forever etched in your mind though, you'd never associate that day with anything else.
"Well, happy early birthday." You nod, not really sure what else to say.
"I want you to be there." He blurts out.
Your eyes widen at that. "Yeonjun-"
"Wait, before you shut me down." He starts, his brain gearing into overdrive. "There will be no drinking or weed, and it'll just be a couple of people."
"I don't want you to change things for me." You respond, waving him off in an attempt to deny the invitation. "Enjoy your birthday."
"You could bake me a cake." He begins again, not letting up. "Like old times. It'll be a calm thing, like a peaceful parting."
You feel uneasy about it. "I don't know."
"I promise I'm not trying to make this weird. I would just like us to celebrate this last birthday together." And Yeonjun sounds sincere, looking down at the basket he held in his hands, awaiting an answer.
"I have your number." You smile, and he caught onto that you'd think about it. Though you knew what your answer would be the moment he had asked. So after grabbing the most appealing brand of jelly, you went straight for the baking aisle.
By the time you got home, you were ready to crash onto a pillow. Loading groceries and putting them up had taken forever. Though you had made plans with everyone this afternoon, wanting to ease the tensions lately. Beomgyu and Taehyun weren't really on speaking terms, and Sakura was going to have a meltdown if they didn't get it together.
Taehyun was arriving soon, planning to help you cook. He had been mostly compliant with the idea, not wanting to cause his sister anymore stress, though you knew he was having a hard time. Still, you had appreciated his effort.
You groan as you hear the knock on your door, you figured you should just give the boy a copy of your key anyways. Him and Sakura could share with how often they came over.
You let him in and watch as he slips his shoes off. Hanging his jacket as he places a few bags on your counter, mostly last minute stuff like drinks and cups. He stretches his arms as he begins opening your cabinets, taking things out as you sit down in a chair by your counter.
"Get to work, Taehyun." You smirk.
"That's Chef Taehyun to you!" He rolls his eyes and you laugh.
You help cut a few vegetables and season a few things as you make mostly light conversation. It felt good to talk about mindless things like new tv episodes and office gossip. Definitely a change in the usual topic of conversation lately, and you were thankful for that.
Taehyun finished dinner right on time for the others to arrive, both of them giving him a shy smile. Tensions completely obvious, but he was keeping it together.
And he did just that. For a while, it seemed like it was just the four of you, normally eating a dinner together. Conversation was mostly cut short though, no one really speaking up besides complimenting the food. You all did this pretty often, so it was almost like nothing had changed.
Nothing had to anyways. Right?
"You know," Sakura begins. "I was really thrilled when you invited us all to dinner."
You can tell shes itching to say something, so you play along. "Mhm, why's that?"
"Well, I have something I want to ask the two of you."
You go cold, what could she possibly need to ask you and Taehyun? It felt like everyone just wanted to drop bombs on you lately. So you held your breath.
"I want you guys to be the baby's Godparents."
Taehyun visibly stiffens at that, even allowing his fork to fall onto his plate with a loud clank. His eyes never leaving the table.
"Me?!" You question. You understood Taehyun, that was her brother. But you? You had only known Sakura for about six or seven months now, but she trusts you with her child? This was huge.
"Yes you!" She says, offended that you seemed so surprised. "I trust no one else more in the world than you. And I know that if anything were to happen to Beomgyu and I, that you would take that baby in with no hesitation."
You sit back in your seat, this would a lot of responsibility. What was even included in being a baby's Godmother?
"Taehyun." She continues. "You are my brother, the most responsible person I know. And Beomgyu and I trust you so much as well. I have no doubt that you two could work together in the future for this baby."
"Well, if we die, that is." Beomgyu attempts to lighten the conversation.
"I'd like time to think over it." He responds, grabbing his fork and resuming eating, seeming indifferent.
You know Sakura wants to say more but she backs off for the sake of keeping everyone off edge.
"I accept." You say, causing Taehyun to whip his head around. Sure, this was a lot of process in a few days, but you love Sakura. You'd like to think she had helped change your life for the better, so you'd be there for her. If roles were reversed, you know she wouldn't hesitate to do the same for you. Even if it was for something kind of far fetched, more of a title than anything. If it made her happy, then you would do it.
"Well, I was thinking we could make it official on Friday."
"I can't Friday, it's my friends birthday." You mention as you pout.
"Awe," She responds. "Ok, we'll do Saturday then?"
"Sounds good." You say, looking beside you. "Maybe Taehyun will have decided by then."
"Who's birthday is it?" He asks, changing the subject. "Can we come?"
"Oh, it's not a big party." You say. "Just a few of his close friends."
Beomgyu nods in understanding. "Sounds nice."
"You seem nervous. Something you're not telling me?." Taehyun pipes up again, you bringing a spoon to your mouth. He's onto you.
"What're you talking about?"
"Can we please just eat?" Sakura interjects, you and Taehyun looking shocked to her outburst. Even Beomgyu had an unexpected expression.
You just nod and offer an awkward smile. Everything was happening way too fast, so you couldn't blame her for snapping.
You nudge Taehyun on his arm. "So, how's the food?"
"Fine." He responds through gritted teeth. You sigh, he always loved talking about you two's meals. Saying how he wish he did things different, or that he loved the spices you added. But even that couldn't get him to speak again.
You're about to say something else when he suddenly stands up. Everyone looking up at him as he abruptly grabs his jacket.
"Taehyun?" You call out.
"I'm going home." He says, not even sparing you another look.
And you'd had it up to your ears with his attitude, your blood practically boiling. "Okay, then go."
And he looks back at you with a twinge of surprise evident on his face. You weren't going to ask him to stay? Or ask why he was so upset?
No you weren't. He wouldn't either after the way he's acted.
"I'm sick of all of you acting like this is normal. Like I don't have a right to be upset that my best friend knocked up my sister! Two of the most important people are starting a life that has no room for me!" He bursts, emotions pouring out.
"It's incredibly selfish of you to try and make everyone else miserable with you!" Sakura fires back. "I'm a grown adult, and I love Beomgyu. You are trying to make my baby all about you! I won't have my child around an uncle that sees them as an obstruction!"
"Then don't." And he walks towards your door. Slamming it on his way out, causing you to shrink in your seat.
It's silent for a couple seconds as Beomgyu runs his hands over his face. Sakura sitting back in her seat, obviously hurt.
Well this went to shit fast.
"He's taking this really hard." You speak up, attempting to defend him, when you're not even sure why.
"I know but I didn't expect him to react like this." Beomgyu says.
"He was so supportive of us dating too.." Sakura adds.
"Having a baby and dating are two different things." You remark, the two chuckling lightly.
"You can go after him, you know? We won't be mad." Sakura says, and she can tell that you so badly want to. But you surpress the feeling as you shake your head.
"He doesn't deserve it."
"He doesn't deserve you defending him either."
And you know she's right.
..
You don't talk to Taehyun for the rest of the week. Nothing so much as a text or phone call from him either. You feel somewhat hurt. You thought you two had grown an actual friendship, but it seemed so easy for him to cut you off. Like you had meant nothing.
It was all too familiar.
So it was ironic that you were slipping on your shoes to head to Choi Yeonjun's little birthday party. You had iced the cake that morning, taking extra long too, wanting to make a good last impression. That's right, last. You figured you really should just close things out on a good note. Seeing as you were struggling elsewhere, you figured you could do good with the one thing you had control over.
You put the cake in a little stand and headed straight for the front door. By the time you settled into your car, you see an incoming call from.. Taehyun?
"Hello." You say blankly as you bring your phone up to your ear.
"Can we talk?"
"Not unless you're ready to apologize."
"I am, please, can I come over?" He pleads.
"I'm busy tonight, remember?" You respond quietly.
"Then after?"
"Taehyun.." You trail. "I'm going to see Yeonjun."
You couldn't see him, but you could see his expression now. This would be like a slap in the face to him. Though, you knew your true intentions.
"Why?"
"I don't owe you any kind of explanation." You speak as you start your engine. Your stern take surprising even you. "I don't know when I'll be home, talk to you soon." You hang up the phone before he can get another word in. This night was going to take a bit out of you, and you didn't want Taehyun's intrusion to sour your time even more.
You just shake your head to yourself as you pull out of your driveway. The drive to Yeonjun's house is a short, familiar route. You wonder if this will be the last time you ever drive here.
You park next to what you recognize as Chaewon's car, wondering if she's aware that you're coming. Was Wooyoung? You throw the thought out of your head, it didn't matter if they knew or not. This was Yeonjun's day, and you were only here to make your last amends.
You can feel your hands somewhat shaking as you carry the cake to his front door. You couldn't believe you were back here after months. Would this change things? Would you fall back into them without the support of the others? And with the tornado that was your other group of friends? No, no you wouldn't. You would be strong, you got here through your own realizations. You were just here to suffice a last wish to one of your oldest, yet dying, friendships.
You knock gently on the door, unable to really ring the bell considering the cake that took both of your hands to hold.
The door swings open to reveal Wooyoung, the smile fading from his face as he see's you. He comes to a realization as he thinks out loud. "So that's why he said no booze."
Looking down at the cake in your hand, he moves to take it from you. But you're quick to brush him off as you smile awkwardly. "I got it."
And as you follow him into the house, you had confirmed the suspicion you had before. They hadn't known you were coming, and now you feel weird as everyone else might just think you decided to drop by.
Wooyoung moves some things off the kitchen counter so you can set the cake down, his hand grazing yours as he helps you put it down. You realize in that moment, that you felt nothing. It was a reassuring feeling, closure that your feelings had faded away. You weren't sure what to do with that information, but it did help anyways.
"Yeonjun, look who's here!" Wooyoung yells out to the living room.
The aforementioned is quick to stumble into the kitchen, eyes widening at your form. "You came!" He says, moving to look at the cake, almost like he didn't think you would. "It looks so good."
"That's what she said." Another voice remarked from behind him as they entered the area. It belonged to a male you'd never seen before, and a girl followed behind him on his arm. Were these new friends?
Yeonjun's quick to introduce you as a friend, to the new additions to their group, Mingi and Yunjin. Yunjin seems surprisingly ecstatic as your arrival, "Chaewon has told me so much about you! I've been wanting to meet you!"
"Yeah, Wooyoung say's you're the one who dyed his hair." Mingi speaks up.
"That was a long time ago." You say, you had only bleached it months ago. His new color was all due to his own touch ups and such.
"You got me something?" Yeonjun asks, looking at the bag hanging from your wrist. You had somewhat been at a loss of what to get him, only being able to use something your friend liked as reference.
"Uh," You stammer. "Taehyun say's they're like trending right now, so I picked one up for you."
Yeonjun smiles before taking the jacket out of the bag, his face lighting up. "I love it!"
And you grin, "I'm glad!"
"Taehyun? Like Kang Taehyun?" Yunjin qualms, quirking her head to the side. "Is he your boyfriend?"
You're about to shake your head when you stop yourself. "We're friends, I think."
"You think?" Wooyoung repeats.
"I-" You pause. "I don't know."
You really didn't, sure you guys could probably chalk up to close friends. But was that true? You looked out for each other a lot, but would Taehyun ever call you his friend? Would he?
But feelings were confusing. 'Cause at the same time, you felt maybe he could be something more to you. Something past the line of friends.
"He used to go to school with Mingi and I, super cool guy." Yunjin explains, smiling at you.
"Really?" Yeonjun says, sounding somewhat skeptical. "When I met him he was a sqaure."
"Hey," You say sternly. "He's fun."
Yeonjun backs off, quickly trying on his jacket. "Just saying."
"How do you not know what he is to you?" Wooyoung teases.
"I guess I never thought to ask."
"Yeonjun! I swear if I have to- Oh." Chaewon stops herself as she walks into the room. Spotting you as she all but gasps. "Hey."
"Hi." You manage to get out quietly.
Chaewon crosses her arms, "So are we like.."
You shake your head slowly. "Yeonjun just asked me to be here, to say bye, I guess?"
"Bye? Are you moving?" Yunjin asks.
"Something like that." You smile reminiscently. It would be easy to word it that way. You were moving, away from this life.
"Did you bake the cake?" Chaewon looks over at you.
You nod softly.
She smiles.
...
The night went better than you had imagined. You guys did stupid things like playing board games and telling stories. You warming up to everyone rather quickly. Nothing was awkward either, no one mentioned anything about your fight or sudden distance. It was just a normal hangout, minus the drugs of course.
The boys were currently playing a round of some video game on Yeonjun's tv when the girls huddle in the kitchen. Chaewon drinking sprite and Yunjin taking hits from her vape as you spot the tattoo donning her arm.
"That's badass." You say, her tilting her inner arm towards you so you can see it better.
"Thanks, Mingi has a matching one."
"You have couple tattoos?" You ask.
"Yup. We were wasted when we got them though, don't recommend."
And you just laugh. "That's.. admirable."
"Her and Mingi have been dating for like 6 years." Chaewon explains, your eyes widening.
"That's so cute." You grin, and it genuinely was.
"So what about you? Anyone special?" Chaewon smirks.
You sigh. "I'm not sure."
"Is it Taehyun?" Yunjin questions.
"Why do you say that?"
"I can tell by the way you've been talking about him like all night." Yunjin states. "Like earlier when Wooyoung brought up that new restaurant and you said you and Taehyun had already tried it. Or when you talked about the time you two went bowling. Or how about-"
"I think she gets it." Chaewon interrupts, laughing at the expression on your face.
Had you really talked about him that much? "I guess we just spend a lot of time together." You shrug.
"More like all your time." Yunjin winks.
Realization might as well have slammed you in the face. Maybe it would be more gentle to get by a bus than this. Did you like Taehyun? Is that why this was all so confusing?
You open your mouth to respond when Mingi comes barreling into the room, "Who want's to watch scary Youtube videos since it's midnight."
"Midnight?!" You exclaim, and as you check your phone, it confirms it is indeed about ten past midnight. "I should get home."
"Awee," Chaewon pouts. "But we're having so much fun."
"I'm sorry. I have something I need to do." You apologize.
"When will we see you again?" Yunjin pouts as she leans into her boyfriends side.
Chaewon grows silent as do Wooyoung and Yeonjun when they approach. All awaiting your answer, those three being the only ones who know why you're hesitating. Yeonjuns eyes light up expectantly. "You're welcome anytime."
You nod. "I don't know, when I have time, maybe."
But the three know what that means. "Thank you for coming. I had a good time, and I hope you did too."
"I did." You ease, grabbing your purse. You bid them goodbye, and Yeonjun pulls you in for a hug. Wooyoung follows as well, with Chaeown practically crushing you with her embrace.
"Until next time." Yeonjun nods, you trying not to notice the tears forming on his face.
"Yeah." You mutter.
Now, in the safety of your car, in your apartments parking lot. You want to bang your head against the steering wheel. Were you a fool? A fool for abandoning your closest friends? Or a fool for reuniting with them after you promised yourself you were done? You won't cry, you won't cry, oh. You're crying, but only a little.
You push all thoughts to the back of your mind, ready for a hot shower and bed. Just wanting to be freed from your thoughts for a little while.
Though that's all thrown out the window when you spot Kang Taehyun waiting at your front door. You just stop in your tracks, scoffing. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk."
"So you waited here the whole time?"
"The whole time." He confirms, pacing back and forth.
You step to unlock your door, him waiting outside as you step in. You turn and gesture for him to follow you, giving him permission to enter. In all honesty, you were drained and did not have to deal with whatever it was that Taehyun was so upset about.
Especially now that you felt you didn't know where you stood with him? Yeah this was a wreck.
"So," You begin. "What did you come all this way for?"
"I've been thinking, a lot. About a lot of things, like my sister and my best friend. And about you." He stops. "We haven't talked in a while."
"It's been a few days." You tsk, annoyance taking over. "This couldn't wait until tomorrow?"
Taehyun ignores you as he continues. "I've been miserable these past couple of days, and not just because of everything else that's been happening."
"Go on." You sigh.
"I think I love you." He reveals, eyes blown as he looks up at you.
"Don't say that." You whisper, avoiding looking at him. He couldn't be serious, how could you not have seen it? Because he couldn't be. No, Taehyun was just confused. He was trying to cope, and he was confusing his platonic appreciation for you as romance. That was the only viable explanation.
"Don't say what? The truth?" He speaks up, looking almost offended. He had just bared his heart to you, and you won't even hear him out?
"You're upset." You breathe. "You're upset and you're deflecting."
"What does that have to do with-"
"You're just happy I'm here." You cut him off as you fumble with your hands, scrambling to rationalize this."Your life is changing, and I'm just a constant. If it had been anyone else, you would have confessed too."
"That's not true." Taehyun speaks out in denial. "If you want to reject me just do it, but don't say my feelings aren't real."
"Oh c'mon!" You throw your hands up. "You don't love me! Do you even remember what you said to me when we met?!"
"You're not that person." He responds, exasperated. "I was an asshole to you because I thought I knew you. Nothing can excuse that but-"
"So what?" You interrupt once again. "You know me for a few months and now you think you've got me all figured out?!"
"Why won't you just accept it?!" He fires back. "I love you."
You stay silent, throwing your head back as you listen. He said he loved you, and you hated how your heart skipped a beat.
"And don't say it's not real because it is. I'm in love with you, not the person you've pretended to be. I love the way you care for me, the way you know how to cheer me up, the way you force me out of my shell. I love simple things like your hair, your smile, your sense of humor, and everything else." He pauses as he stares at your silent figure. "I've never felt this way about anyone."
You won't even face him, opting to look towards the ground. This was all too much for one night.
He stands as he fights back tears. "Are you going to sit here and tell me you don't feel it too?"
You have to lie. You can't accept his confession. You can't be in love with Kang Taehyun. You won't allow yourself to be.
The last time you fell in love with a friend, you ruined everything.
"We're too different-" You calmly start.
"No we're not, you said it yourself." He speaks truthfully. "And so what if we are? We could work through differences because that's what people in love do."
People in love?
"What if this ruins everything?" You tear up. "What if we don't work?"
"Then we worry about that later." Taehyun responds.
You take a seat on your couch, head in your hands. "There's just so much going on right now."
He cuts in before you keep going. "I know, and not having you by side made me realize how much I need you."
"Why? You're the strong guy here, I'm just the weak one who keeps falling back into her old-"
"Hey," He stops you. "I understand why you went to see Yeonjun. He was your friend for a long time, it can be hard to say no. I don't care if you hang out with them, as long as you're staying true to who you are."
You grab his hand from where it sits beside you on the couch. Holding it between yours as you wipe your tears with your other hand. "We can do this right?"
His eyes flicker to yours as he nods softly.
So you kiss him, and it feels right. Like you were meant to be here, kissing Taehyun at one in the morning. The both of you with tears in your eyes, but no care in the world besides each other.
There were still problems, yes. But they weren't going to be solved right now, you couldn't do anything, so you'd leave it up to the universe to worry about that. It's incomplete, yet you know everything will be okay in the end.
Much like real life.
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