Archive of Our Own

⠀⠀Jacob pressed his books against his chest as he ran, laughing while his best friend, Kevin, shielded them both from the rain with his thin jacket.

⠀⠀"Hey! Stop pulling it towards yourself, Kev! I'm getting wet!" Jacob yelled, practically shoving himself into Kevin's body in an effort to protect himself from the rain. Kevin laughed harder.

⠀⠀"You're not the one holding the jacket, are you?! I can do what I want, Jay!" Kevin retorted mid-laughter, quickly covering Jacob again anyways.

⠀⠀The two sprinted as fast as they could to their neighborhood, taking a right before they made it to Jacob's doorstep. Breathing heavily, Kevin put down his aching arms and leaned against Jacob. "Ah, I can't believe it rained all of a sudden!" Kevin wailed, shaking the water from his jacket. Jacob sighed as he did the same with his messy brown hair.

⠀⠀"Ah, I was really looking forward to going to the park today," he pouted. "I was gonna crush you in basketball, Kev."

⠀⠀Kevin rolled his eyes. "I'm a band kid, Jay. Of course you, the co-captain of the varsity basketball team, will crush me. Don't even humor me."

⠀⠀Jacob laughed, punching Kevin in the shoulder. "Hey, thanks for running me home, though, even though you got me wet like a brat," he said with a wry smile. Running a hand through his now-sopping wet hair, Jacob held up his hand for their secret handshake, to which Kevin gladly obliged to. "Same time today?" he asked. Kevin considered it carefully before shrugging.

⠀⠀"I don't think we can do it like we normally do, but we can probably just open the window and chill that way, yeah?"

⠀⠀"Sounds good! You can watch me do my calculus homework," Jacob joked as he pulled out his keys from his pocket. Kevin raised a nice eyebrow.

⠀⠀"Sure. And you can listen to me bang on my drum set, probably shirtless," Kevin deadpanned, smirking as he watched Jacob suddenly go red in the face. He hit Jacob playfully on the arm. "I'm kidding, Jake," he chuckled.

⠀⠀Jacob frowned as he turned away. "You heathen; begone from my house!" he commanded. Jacob let out an oomph as he was suddenly tugged back into a hug.

⠀⠀"Sorry, that sounded weird didn't it," Kevin mumblsed into his shoulder. Jacob shrugged him off, ignoring the heat in his face.

⠀⠀"I've known you were weird since you moved next door, Kev. Doesn't faze me anymore," Jacob said. He waved at Kevin, smiling before going through his doorway and shutting the door behind him.

⠀⠀Slipping off his shoes, Jacob made his way to the kitchen. His mother spotted him from her place at the stove and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

⠀⠀"Ew. Jake, go take a shower; you smell horrible, son," she said dismissively. Jacob sighed as he grabbed an apple to munch on.

⠀⠀"I had a nice day, Mom, thanks for asking," he mumbled under his breath, whining when she reached over and smacked his head.

⠀⠀Twenty minutes later, Jacob was sitting at his desk, his books and notebooks open as he studied. His phone buzzed off to the side, and he hurriedly grabbed it and unlocked it, checking the message he had received.

moonboy
look up :)

⠀⠀Per the text's orders, Jacob looked up to see Kevin smiling at him from his own bedroom window, thankfully not shirtless like he had promised. Kevin began typing something furiously on his phone before looking back up at Jacob expectantly.

moonboy
open ur window!! got this rocking drum solo i wanna show you.

⠀⠀Jacob rolled his eyes, his lips quirking up into a small smile as he began to type back.

jay-b
you've showed it to me like twenty times already, kev. remember?

moonboy
...no?

jay-b
you've been working on it for, like, a month. you would've shown it to me by now.

moonboy
oooo u right u right ok

moonboy
but open up anyways!!! let's chat!! ur calculus hmwrk can wait a little bit and the rain is letting up.

jay-b
yeah yeah okay.

⠀⠀Jacob put his phone down, leaning forward and pushing his window open. He laughed as he watched Kevin scramble to open his own window, shaking his head. "How are you so bad at opening your window when we do this so often, Kev?" he teased once Kevin finally pulled his window open.

⠀⠀"Oh, shut up," Kevin snapped, no real heat in his words. He leaned forward. "So, what were we talking about before the sky decided to be a jerk and, quite literally, rain on our fun?" he asked, grinning widely. Jacob stared at him blankly before shaking his head.

⠀⠀"You're so normal during school but you're such an embarrassment when we're alone. I'm ashamed to be friends with you," Jacob deadpanned. He jokingly made a move to shut his window, prompting Kevin to desperately shout, "No, no! I'm sorry! No more bad puns!" Jacob propped his chin on his hand, snickering. "So easy to mess around with," he tutted. Kevin pouted.

⠀⠀"How can our friends call you an angel?" Kevin wondered aloud, tilting his head slightly to the right. "You're, like, the most evil person."

⠀⠀"I'm offended." Jacob pouted and crossed his arms. "I'm not that bad."

⠀⠀Kevin laughed. "Yeah, okay. Just 'cause you're cute."

⠀⠀Jacob already knew his entire face was rapidly turning a scarlet red, so he coughed and put on a smile. "So, Kev, what were we talking about?" he asked in an effort to divert the attention away from his reddening face. Kevin raised a brow before snorting.

⠀⠀"I asked you, but now I remember." Kevin leaned forward with a tiny frown on his face—most disconcerting for Jacob. "You were asking me for confessing tips, yes?"

⠀⠀Oh, shoot. He suddenly cursed his past self for such a rookie mistake. Jacob froze in his spot, eyes wide open. ". . . No?" he said, forcing the most unnatural laugh in the history of ever (and trust him—if he thought a laugh was fake, it was the fakest thing the world had ever seen). Jacob shrunk backwards as Kevin leaned forward, his eyebrows furrowed together, despite there being at least a solid ten feet between their windows.

⠀⠀"Yoojung?"

⠀⠀"What? No!" Jacob snapped, his voice sounding higher than intended.

⠀⠀"Doyeon? Yeoreum? Any other names with y-e-o?" Kevin pushed harder. Jacob frowned tightly.

⠀⠀"When have I even talked to them? You're just pulling out random names of girls in our class."

⠀⠀Kevin plopped back into his office chair and huffed, his arms folded together.

⠀⠀"Yeah, you're right," he relented petulantly. "Why won't you tell me who you like, though? We're best friends! We tell each other everything." he loudly complained, an eyebrow quirked. Jacob looked down at his hands, eventually shrugging.

⠀⠀"Dunno," he said honestly, chewing on his bottom lip. "I just. . . don't wanna, for lack of better words."

⠀⠀Kevin rolled his eyes, sighing. "Fine. It's your crush, do what you want. If you ever need any advice, though, I'm literally less than ten feet away." He gestured at his window sill. Jacob smiled warmly, inwardly heaving a deep, relieved sigh.

⠀⠀"Yeah, I know. Thanks for always being here for me, Kevin."

⠀⠀Kevin cast him a warm smile, making his heart suddenly work double-time. Suddenly, Kevin turned inwards towards his house before smiling apologetically. "My mom is calling me to cook rice cakes. Family's coming over," he sighed. Jacob wrinkled his nose.

⠀⠀"Is the shady aunt and her maybe-sugar daddy husband included?" he asked tentatively. Kevin nodded sadly, and Jacob sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. "Oh, man. Stay strong, okay?" he asked with a sympathetic smile. Kevin winked, grinning.

⠀⠀"Got it. Cheer me on, Jay! Love you!" He shot random finger guns. Ignoring the thumping in his chest from the simple words, Jacob laughed before waving back.

⠀⠀"Love you too."

⠀⠀Both windows were shut, and Jacob reclined back in his rolling chair. He put his hands on his cheeks—oh no, they were scorching hot—before sighing and looking up at the ceiling. This wasn't turning out so well, was it?

⠀⠀Here was the deal: Jacob Bae liked his best friend, Kevin Moon. Very much. Probably a little too much. It was all a mess in his eyes, to be perfectly honest, and he kind of wished he didn't have a big fat crush on his best friend because it was kind of giving him a big fat headache.

⠀⠀It started out when Kevin moved into the house next door from Canada, about a year after Jacob had done exactly the same. Roughly about the same age and attending the same school, there was an instant connection between the two, laughing about the things they missed back home and how different things were in Korea. What aided the forming of this friendship was the fact that the houses were poorly designed to be nearly on top of each other, some roofs of various rooms overlapping and practically connecting the houses. Conveniently, there was one of the conjoined rooftops connecting the Bae's house and the Moon's house beneath both of the boys' rooms, so it eventually became a tradition for the two boys to open their windows to talk to each other and, when weather permitted it, to climb out of their rooms and sit on that conjoined rooftop and chat idly together. It was always a good time.

⠀⠀Jacob wasn't exactly sure when he started seeing Kevin differently. One day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the light seemed to be hitting his best friend in such a way that seemed to make Kevin glow like some sort of ethereal being. His hair seemed to shine, his eyes seemed to twinkle, everything just seemed. . . perfect. Kevin had thrown an arm around him that day while he was talking and Jacob had just sort of leaned into it and it was, quite possibly, the best thing in the world ever™. Jacob had promptly gone home and flopped onto his bed, staring mindlessly into the ceiling while literally thinking about everything he and Kevin had ever done together and blushing like hell.

⠀⠀Jacob considered Kevin's raven-black hair, always seeming to be coifed to perfection, the way his cheeks looked when he grinned widely, his kind and laidback personality, his soft voice with that perfect tone and his natural musical prowess. Then he slammed his head into his desk, groaning loudly from the dull stab of pain. He was nothing but a mess.

⠀⠀Despite the previous afternoon being particularly wet and dreary (he was still mad that he had to waste time to wash his pants and blazer because of that damn Moon), the day following that the sun was up and warmly shining with a cool spring breeze floating through the air. Jacob was up, bright and early and ready for school. Currently, he was downstairs, checking his phone while eating a nice bowl of cereal and some fruit. Jeff had come down at one point to make fun of his effort of being healthy by pointing at his bowl full of chocolate Krave cereal, to which Jacob immediately took a defensive stance. No one insulted the best cereal in the world, also known as Krave—not even his older brother.

⠀⠀After placing his bowl in the sink, Jacob hefted his backpack onto his shoulder. He grabbed the croissant sandwich he had made and a bottle of banana milk, shoving it into a plastic bag before sighing. He knew Kevin enjoyed sleeping as much as possible and frequently skipped breakfast because of it, so Jacob started a habit of making small breakfasts for his friend after nagging Kevin about it so much. It was his own choice to do it but still—it got tedious at times and Jacob just wished Kevin shared his enthusiasm for breakfast. As Jacob checked his hair in the mirror in the living room—messy and a little long, his brown fringe falling a bit over his eyes but he liked to think it gave him that boyish charm he hoped a certain someone liked—Jeff slung an arm around his shoulder.

⠀⠀"Hey, kid. You want me to drive you and Kev to school today? I'm gonna be going back home soon after I finish up that photography gig down in Busan in a few days. Wanna spend as much time with my baby brother as I can," Jeff said, grinning lopsidedly while ruffling Jacob's hair. Jacob scowled, swatting away his brother's hand before shaking his head.

⠀⠀"No, I'm okay, bro," Jacob said, smiling. "School's only, like, a twenty minute walk. Kevin and I made it a tradition to walk anyways," he explained. Jeff raised a brow, seeming to be closely examining Jacob's reflection in the mirror.

⠀⠀"Man, are you in love with him or something? I swear you don't do anything without him," Jeff asked curiously. Jacob immediately stiffened, his hand mid-running through his hair, his eyes the size of dinner plates. He didn't dare breathe until Jeff laughed heartily and messed his hair up again. "I kid. Do whatever you want with your friends. If you need a ride back or any money, just call me, okay?"

⠀⠀"Yep, okay." Jacob replied distractedly, too focused on the fact that Jeff had almost unintentionally freaking exposed him. He quietly let out the breath he had been holding in and place his hand over his racing heart, mentally begging it to calm down—the danger had been evaded, after all.

⠀⠀Jeff sighed melodramatically. "Ah, to be young and full of energy! How I wish I could turn back the clock and return to my own youth," he said theatrically as he pretended to wipe away a tear, laughing when Jacob rolled his eyes and lightly slapped his arm.

⠀⠀"Oh, be quiet, bro. You're only a few years older than I am," Jacob snorted. He slipped on his shoes and waved to his brother. "See ya! When mom wakes up, tell her that I washed the dishes already for her!" he said, smiling. Jeff gave him a lopsided smile.

⠀⠀"I swear, you're better at adult-ing than your actual adult brother," he sighed. Jacob shrugged.

⠀⠀"You say that like it's difficult to achieve," Jacob teased playfully, snickering as Jeff grimaced and shoved him out of the front door.

⠀⠀"All right, that's enough! Off with you, you damn scoundrel. Get to school."

⠀⠀Skipping happily to the next house over to the right, Jacob promptly knocked on the door and waited approximately ten seconds. As if on cue, a disheveled Kevin opened the door, his eyes still blurry with fatigue, his tie haphazardly done, and his black hair sticking up this way and that. Jacob might've considered Kevin's wild bedhead cute if they weren't pressed for time, but surprise—they were. Pushing past him and closing Kevin's door, Jacob looked him up and down once. Wow—he seemed more tired than usual. This concerned Jacob; Kevin wasn't as much of a morning person as he himself was, but Kevin was still a pretty put-together person. Currently, however, Kevin looked like he had pulled an all-nighter for one of his classes. Nonetheless, Jacob clicked his tongue and shoved the bag of food into Kevin's arms before immediately getting to work on Kevin's tie and hair, also shoving his worries into the back of his head.

⠀⠀"Sorry, sorry. . ." Kevin apologized. "Had to entertain my family for a long time and had to do homework too." He stifled a long yawn, then, promptly pulling out the sandwich from the bag, smiled tiredly. "Honestly, Jake—what would I do without you? You're so great," he murmured before immediately sinking his teeth into the croissant. Jacob shrugged, fighting down the dumb grin that was creeping up his face.

⠀⠀"Thanks, Kev, but I'm not that great. Start making your own breakfast soon, though. I don't wanna keep making it for you every morning."

⠀⠀Kevin rolled his eyes. "You're the only one that insists I eat breakfast. I actually prefer sleep to it, so that's why I don't make any," he reasoned after he had swallowed a few bites of the sandwich. "If it tires you out, then just don't do it. You know I don't mind."

⠀⠀Jacob stared at him hard in the eyes. Why did he care so much anyways? Kevin was okay before Jacob began making daily breakfasts for him, but the thought of Kevin being painfully hungry until lunch bothered him. He shook his head and looked away again. "And hear you complain about how you're hungry for half of the day? No thanks."

⠀⠀"Okay, I'm only like that once in a while. Give me some credit here. At least I'm not as bad as Haknyeon."

⠀⠀Jacob paused briefly to raise a brow at  Kevin. "No one I know is as bad as Haknyeon, Kev. That's not an achievement."

⠀⠀Kevin snorted. "Yeah, that's true. That kid has a black hole for a stomach," he mumbled through a mouthful of food. Jacob nodded, thinking of the time Haknyeon had eaten an entire large pizza by himself, leaving the other two for the eleven other boys to share. Joo Haknyeon definitely had a bottomless pit for a stomach and it honestly frightened Jacob about just how much food the younger was able to stuff into it.

⠀⠀Jacob slid up the tie and dusted off his hands. "Okay, let's go. My goal today is not to run into class the second before class starts, okay?" he asked with a sweet smile. Kevin stared at him for a second before he quickly nodded.

⠀⠀"Yeah, okay. Let me say bye to my uncle and grab my stuff. Then we'll go."

⠀⠀They were unable to meet that goal, the bell ringing the very second they burst through the door which led to them both apologizing profusely to their exasperated teacher. Jacob grabbed Kevin by the neck and pulled him down to their neighboring, only managing a sigh when Kevin grabbed his hand and held it tightly whilst mouthing "sorry" over and over again. He couldn't even have the simplest things, could he?

⠀⠀Fast-forward to lunch. The duo were sat at a large table with their other nine friends (it would've been ten but Changmin was running late for some reason). Juyeon was hanging onto Jacob tightly by the neck, asking why Jacob hadn't come to the basketball court like they had promised previously. Jacob stared at Juyeon, his jaw dropped.

⠀⠀"Don't tell me you waited in the rain like that, Juyeon!" Jacob said in a disapproving tone, frowning when Juyeon shrugged.

⠀⠀"Okay, I won't tell you that."

⠀⠀"Juyeon. . . It was cold and wet out there and you just stood there? I know for a fact you only had that hoodie too," Jacob chided, hitting Juyeon in the arm and causing Juyeon to chuckle.

⠀⠀Hyunjae pulled Juyeon back towards him. "Don't worry about it! I came to go get him once I figured out where he was so he wasn't out there for too long," he reassured while tightly hugging said boy. Juyeon crossed his arms, trying to pull off the annoyed look despite the tiny smile forming on his face.

⠀⠀"I still want Jacob to play me!" he complained lightly. "We ended on a tie and didn't have time for a tiebreaker. . ." Juyeon pouted while Jacob ruffled his hair.

⠀⠀"Juyeon-ah, we can play soon. Promise?" Jacob asked gently, holding out his pinky to Juyeon. The other boy nodded, rolling his eyes with an easy smile while linking his own pinky with Jacob's. Sunwoo shook his head, his chin propped up on his hand.

⠀⠀"To think that these soft hyungs are the aces of our basketball team!" Sunwoo said dramatically as he waved his hand around for extra emphasis. He gestured to Jacob and Juyeon. "You two play so intensely on the court yet you act like this off of it? Unbelievable!"

⠀⠀Haknyeon wrapped his arms around Sunwoo, squeezing him a bit too tightly for it to be considered a hug. "Don't bother the hyungs, Sunwoo," he chided lightly, crushing his friend in his arms. Sunwoo groaned in pain, slapping Haknyeon's arms.

⠀⠀"Ah, ah! You're fucking crushing my ribs!" Sunwoo swore as he did his best to wriggle out of his older friend's iron hold. While Hyunjoon laughed at the interaction, Sangyeon tutted, shaking his head.

⠀⠀"Sunwoo, that foul mouth of your's really needs a fix," Sangyeon said cheekily, ducking his head in laughter while Sunwoo grabbed a banana milk carton and chucked it in the older's general direction to the best of his ability.

⠀⠀Kevin slung his arm over Jacob, smiling brightly at him which caused Jacob's heart to skip a beat or two. "Today's supposed to be a nice night. Wanna meet on the roof at usual time? Been a while since we last went out there. . ." he suggested slowly. He stared at Jacob for a second, almost seeming to be lost in his own thoughts before poking Jacob's reddening cheek. "What's up? You don't wanna?" Kevin asked curiously, laughing a bit as Jacob rubbed his cheek.

⠀⠀Please. Just, end me now. Don't tell me he's figuring it out. Jacob gulped as he rubbed his nape nervously. "Nah, it's not that, just—"

⠀⠀"Come on!" Kevin sang. He pulled Jacob closer. "I'll make you an offer you can't refuse." He winked, which was definitely giving Jacob heart problems. "I'll bring blankets, pillows, hot cocoa, the whole shabang. How can you not, Jay?" he asked with wide eyes.

⠀⠀Jacob shrugged, averting his eyes down at his food so Kevin wouldn't see the pink dusted across his cheeks. Wow, Kevin was making his life so—damn—hard. He glanced at Kevin through his peripheral and saw him staring back with expecting eyes and that stupid gummy smile. Ah, man. He really was whipped, just as Eric said.

⠀⠀"Yeah, sure. That's chill." He coughed, still turned away from Kevin as he nodded. Kevin whooped loudly and ruffled Jacob's hair furiously, laughing as Jacob whined.

⠀⠀"Knew you couldn't refuse! That's my boy~"

⠀⠀"Hey! This is a no-English period, you guys," Younghoon said, mid-chew with a raised brow. He swallowed his food, then made shooing gestures towards the duo. With his arms crossed, he said, "You guys can do that on your own time. I don't know about the others but I kinda like it when I can understand what you're saying."

⠀⠀Kevin snickered quietly. "What, do you think we're making fun of you?" he teased. Younghoon rolled his eyes, softly scoffing as he flipped his hair.

⠀⠀"That's the only thing you can do when I'm this handsome and charismatic, huh?" he mock-taunted back, a cocky smirk on his face. Chanhee shook his head from one end of the table.

⠀⠀"I don't know where you're getting the 'charismatic' part from when I've seen you say thanks, you too to a waiter that told you to enjoy your meal more times than I have fingers to count on," Chanhee said dryly with a tiny smile. Younghoon pouted, his smirk and crossed arms immediately dropping.

⠀⠀"Chanhee," Younghoon whined, "that's bullying. We don't talk about that here. . ."

⠀⠀Jacob had started to get lost in his head when Changmin ran in from seemingly nowhere and slammed his hands on the table, shocking Jacob out of his thoughts and causing him to jump from the startle.

⠀⠀Kevin burst into laughter but pulled Jacob into his side almost automatically. "Changmin, what's up?" he asked, still laughing from Jacob's reaction. Changmin smiled apologetically, tilting his head to the side.

⠀⠀"Sorry, hyung!" he said, laughing. Jacob sighed and waved Changmin off, mildly saying that it was fine. He could've chided the younger for scaring him so badly but it would've hardly been effective from how hard Changmin was bouncing on the balls of his feet. Must be something really important for him to be that excited, Jacob thought with an amused smile.

⠀⠀"What's up, Minnie?" Chanhee asked, suddenly warmly smiling at the table's newcomer. Changmin rubbed his nape awkwardly, seemingly flustered before diverting his attention to Kevin. He lightly began tugging on Kevin's blazer, still smiling brilliantly and practically shaking with excitement for something.

⠀⠀"Kevin! Mrs. Kang is gonna have us do the piano duet for the pianist that's coming for next week's Spirit Week like we asked!" he nearly shouted. Kevin immediately shot to his feet, leaving Jacob—who had begun leaning on him after a few moments—to flail his arms around until he regained his balance on the bench.

⠀⠀"No way!" Kevin said, sounding absolutely stunned. Changmin nodded excitedly, laughing loudly when Kevin engulfed him into a tight hug and twirled him around.

⠀⠀Jacob gazed at them but eventually turned back to poking his food. When someone slid into Kevin's spot, Jacob looked over to see Eric, the youngest member of their group. Jacob smiled and threw an arm around Eric, bringing him close in a brief side-hug.

⠀⠀"Hey, Eric. You usually talk a lot during lunch," he teased in English, messing up the youngest's dyed-brown hair. "What's up?"

⠀⠀Eric pouted, running his hands through his short hair. "I was talking to Juyeon-hyung a lot," he protested lightly before jerking his head lightly in the general direction of Kevin and Changmin, both of which were grabbing their stuff to go off together, presumedly to meet the music teacher. "It's way more interesting to see you struggle with your crush, Jacob," Eric explained, winking. Jacob cocked a brow before heaving a solid fist at the younger's shoulder, letting out a satisfied hmph at Eric's quiet whine of pain.

⠀⠀"That's for being a sadist that likes to watch me suffer," Jacob huffed.

⠀⠀Eric rolled his eyes, still rubbing his sore arm. "All I've been saying is that you should do something. What's the worst that can happen?" he asked with wide eyes. Jacob tilted his head, then shook it in disbelief. Wow, this kid really knew nothing.

⠀⠀"You're not shy like I am, Eric," Jacob mumbled after a few moments of silence as he looked back down to his food. "I only wish it were that easy," he sighed. Eric frowned sadly, remaining mute for a few seconds before pulling Jacob down onto his shoulders for a tight hug.

⠀⠀"If you ever need my help, you have my number. Your little bro is always here, you know?" Eric asked, sounding suddenly concerned. Jacob nodded but sighed deeply into Eric's shoulders.

⠀⠀"Yeah. Thanks," he murmured, his chest feeling particularly heavy and his head full of images of Kevin's smile.

⠀⠀It was about 7PM when Kevin had thrown a rock at Jacob's window, violently motioning for him to open it.

⠀⠀Kevin clambered out of his window, a variety of blankets and pillows in hand which he promptly laid out on the flat, conjoined roofs of their rooms. Kevin looked up at Jacob from his spot beneath Jacob's windowsill, a playful smile on his face.

⠀⠀"I'm gonna go get the hot cocoa. You coming out?" he asked. Jacob smiled.

⠀⠀"Yeah. I'm coming."

⠀⠀After grabbing his slippers, Jacob scrambled onto the conjoined roof while Kevin went back in to grab the hot cocoa. Jacob folded his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky to count the stars briefly. The night was quite pretty tonight even though the amount of stars he was able to see didn't surpass ten. Jacob made himself comfortable on the thick blankets and pillows right as Kevin came out of the window holding two metal thermoses.

⠀⠀"Hot cocoa with extra whip cream on top, just how you like it," Kevin said as he passed one thermos to Jacob before settling into the pile of blankets and pillows himself. He smiled as Jacob scooted closer to him and began leaning on his shoulder. "What, am I that irresistible, Jakey?"

⠀⠀Jacob snorted, taking a sip from the almost-scalding hot drink in his hands. "Yes. Irresistibly hittable." He rolled his eyes as he slapped Kevin's stomach lightly. Kevin laughed, then rested his head against Jacob's.

⠀⠀"You love me, Bae," he teased.

⠀⠀"Whatever, Moon."

⠀⠀They stayed in a comfortable silence as they drank their hot cocoa, simply leaning on each other. It was really nice, for lack of a better word, and Jacob couldn't help but think that staying like this forever wouldn't be that bad. Kevin put an arm around him, which prompted Jacob to lean in closer until he was practically buried in Kevin's side. Jacob couldn't help the rising blush on his face, but he did his best to stifle the embarrassed (or was it from excitement? Jacob had no idea, frankly) giggle that was quickly forming in his throat.

⠀⠀It was only a matter of time before both of them had finished the hot cocoa, after which they playfully wrestled a bit since they had begun slugging each other in the shoulder for fun (very lightly, of course—neither of them wanted to be accidentally pushed off the roof again). Eventually, Kevin managed to pin Jacob down onto the roof, his long black hair falling over his squeezed-shut eyes and the dumbest, widest grin on his face. While he laughed, Jacob stared at his lips and mulled over the idea of grabbing Kevin by the neck and pulling him into a kiss, but the very idea of it had his entire face feeling hot. Absolutely not. What am I even thinking? Jacob wondered. Instead, Jacob settled for grabbing Kevin's neck and pulling him down into the spot next to him. They laughed together, ever-so-slightly breathless before they returned to silence.

⠀⠀"Hey, Jacob?" Kevin asked after a minute.

⠀⠀"Yeah, Kev?"

⠀⠀"I've. . ." Kevin trailed off. "I've been thinking about something as of late. Can I ask for advice?"

⠀⠀Jacob frowned. Kevin had sounded so uncomfortable, so nervous, so un-Kevin from what he had just said. What was going on with him? Jacob rolled onto his side to look at his best friend, who was currently firmly keeping his eyes fixated on the black sky overhead.

⠀⠀"'Course. What's up?" he asked, his brows furrowed together in worry. "Something wrong?" he added tentatively. Kevin gave no reply for a second, only shrugging.

⠀⠀"I think I like someone."

⠀⠀Jacob did his best to keep a neutral face, but he could almost feel his heart burst in the worst way possible. He had the sudden strongest urge to make up a lame excuse, flee back through his window, slam it closed, and flop onto his bed and reconsider this absolutely miserable and stupid crush he had on Kevin. He immediately cringed at the idea—come on, he's not dramatic and petty enough to do that kind of dumb stuff—and squeezed his eyes in an effort to forget it. Why did it hurt so much anyways for him to want to do something so irrational? It wasn't like Jacob had claimed Kevin. Jacob let no sign of this inner turmoil show on his face, only tilting his head in feigned curiosity.

⠀⠀"Oh? Who?" he asked in a voice that sounded far tighter than his own. That's also weird. He did his best to remain natural, but his voice sounded fake even in his own head. Kevin chuckled lowly, shaking his head.

⠀⠀"It's. . . uh, this guy. I don't wanna tell you who, though," Kevin said. Jacob whacked him in the chest with the palm of his hand, frowning.

⠀⠀"What? Why not?"

⠀⠀Kevin turned his head to briefly look at him, a tiny playful smirk playing on his lips. "Because you wouldn't tell me who you like. Or maybe I just don't wanna, for lack of better words." Kevin made air quotations with his fingers, laughing when Jacob smacked him again for the callback.

⠀⠀"You're the worst," Jacob grumbled, settling back into the blankets anyway without a fight. "Fine, carry on. What do you want advice for? And I didn't know you liked guys, Kev. How long?"

⠀⠀Kevin shrugged again. "I dunno. This guy is the only guy I've ever liked, so maybe it's just him? I guess? And now that I think about it, maybe it's been around. . . six or seven years?" He seemed to be getting lost in his thoughts, quiet for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Anyways, I want your advice on how to approach him," Kevin mumbled, his voice suddenly soft as he began playing with his fingers unconsciously.

⠀⠀Jacob raised a brow. "You do know who you're talking to, right? I'm not exactly an expert on talking to people. . . Do you really think I can give you good advice on this?" he asked, unbelieving of his best friend's question. Kevin nodded slowly, as if Jacob were a stupid kid that hadn't processed his words correctly.

⠀⠀"I really do. I, uh. . ." Kevin trailed off into a soft mumble again. He sat up and pulled Jacob into a seated position as well before gingerly taking hold of Jacob's hands. "'Kay. Uh. . . Let's act this crap out. Metaphorically, okay? So, metaphorically, if I were to ask you out, what would your response be, Jay?"

⠀⠀What the hell do you mean?! Why are you freaking torturing me like this when you don't even like me?! Jacob wanted to scream as he flushed red from all the way down to his neck. Running away was sounding really appealing right about now, especially to his clammy hands and burning face but Jacob stood (or rather, sat) his ground and did his best to be as nonchalant as possible. "I-I, uh. . ." Ah, damn it, Jacob Bae. You were never good at being nonchalant. "I mean, I'd probably say yes," he stammered out. Kevin's face was devoid of emotion for a second before his eyes widened.

⠀⠀"Really? You. . . you mean that?"

⠀⠀Jacob nodded, confused and also ever-so-slightly jealous of the guy that was lucky enough to be confessed to by such a handsome, talented, and funny guy (albeit Kevin's. . . weirder tendencies and jokes). "Yeah." He rubbed his nape awkwardly, which was also burning hot. "I mean it."

⠀⠀"What do you think would be a good way to confess?" Kevin suddenly asked, his eyes practically glittering in excitement and his the corners of his lips twitching as if he was trying to suppress a grin. Jacob's chest clenched, but he couldn't help but smile at seeing Kevin so happy. He squeezed Kevin's hands tightly.

⠀⠀"I don't know what the guy likes, but personally, I think stuff like this—" Jacob gestured to the empty hot cocoa canisters and pile of blankets and pillows "—is honestly pretty nice. Something simple and chill. Just the two of you hanging out in peace. Pop the can I be your boyfriend question then, I guess." He shrugged, then curiously tilted his head again. "You seem to know the guy pretty well after that many years. You got a game plan?"

⠀⠀Kevin seemed so starry-eyed that he hardly heard the question, judging from the few seconds it took for him to respond. "Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I got one," he finally said, sounding completely over the moon and his voice filled with adoration. Jacob felt his heart clench again but he smiled anyways.

moonboy
hey jay!! im going to school early to practice w changmin for the piano thing! dw about making me breakfast or anything :) when u see this, just wanted to say i hope u slept well!! i'll treat u to chicken after school ok?? love u sm jakey boi, xoxo kev

⠀⠀It was a couple days or so later after their talk on the rooftop. There were practically rays of light emitting from Jacob with Disney-like birds singing on his shoulders as he skipped down the stairs, fully dressed and a bright smile on his face. Jeff looked up at him from his place at the kitchen counter and smirked a bit.

⠀⠀"You woke up significantly later than you usually do, yet you look awfully chipper today," he commented mildly, putting his phone face down on the counter. "What for, little bro?"

⠀⠀Jacob clenched his phone in his hands, his thumb still poised over the send button on the screen. Then he smiled a bit to himself before rubbing the back of his neck shyly. "I, uh. . . the guy I like sent a really nice wake-up text," Jacob murmured softly. His face was already flushed red with the thought of Kevin's text message, but it only grew redder when Jeff suddenly rushed in front of him and snatched the phone clear out of his grasp. "Jeff, what the—" Jacob yelled, sprinting after his fleeing older brother with the intent to kill (or at least very mildly injure).

⠀⠀"Who is this boy?!" Jeff half-shouted in amusement, his laughter booming through the house as he scrolled through Jacob's phone as he ran. No, I'm so screwed. I'm never gonna hear the end of this, Jacob thought with a wince.

⠀⠀Jeff suddenly stopped, causing Jacob to crash into him and send them both sprawling onto the hallway floor. Jacob took the opportunity to grab his phone back and shut it off before slapping his brother's shoulder. He promptly stood up and grabbed his bag, preparing to leave the house in embarrassment before Jeff grabbed his wrist to stop him.

⠀⠀"Dude. . . You like Kevin? Best friend, Kevin?!" Jeff gasped theatrically. Jacob fought the urge to roll his eyes too hard—most likely, Jeff hardly gave a damn and was only acting like this to embarrass and antagonize Jacob further, as he had been both before and after Jacob coming out—and only heaved a deep sigh.

⠀⠀"I'm never gonna hear the end of this, am I?" he asked sulkily.

⠀⠀Jeff made a face, dropping the act. "What kind of sibling would I be if I didn't, little bro?" he asked, seeming genuinely puzzled at Jacob's question. He pulled Jacob into a headlock and began rubbing his knuckles into the younger's skull. "I'm happy for you, though I didn't know band geeks were your type," Jeff said, laughing as Jacob struggled against his hold.

⠀⠀"Let me go, you barbarian!" Jacob snapped, finally pushing Jeff's arms off of him. "And Kevin's more than a band geek. He's funny, he's talented, he's nice—" Jacob began to add defensively, pausing with a defeated look when Jeff began to fake-gag in front of him.

⠀⠀"Ugh, spare me the details, baby bro. The last thing I need is you fawning over your best friend like a fan of an idol." Jeff rolled his eyes. He ran to the kitchen before coming back, shaking his keys in Jacob's face. "Want a ride today? Doesn't seem like you're walking with your boyfriend today—"

⠀⠀"Jeff, I swear if you talk like that, I will go grab my volleyball from my room and spike it straight into your face—"

⠀⠀The older put his hands up as a surrender. "Just a question! Geez, I just want to take my adorable little brother to school and you act like I'm gonna assault you or something," Jeff said with a (probably fake) sad frown. Jacob groaned, covering his face from embarrassment.

⠀⠀"Yes, I'd like a ride. And we're not talking about this for the rest of the day, okay?" Jacob asked as Jeff began shoving him out of the door, Jeff grabbing his phone from the counter on the way out.

⠀⠀"Hm," Jeff hummed. "We'll see."

⠀⠀"Did you ever know that you're kind of a lame big brother?" Jacob asked innocently. Jeff smiled widely as he popped open the trunk.

⠀⠀"Yep. You're about twenty years late on that one, bro."

⠀⠀After Jacob had buckled himself into the passenger's seat, he hurriedly checked to see if his message had accidentally been sent from the little tussle between him and Jeff. Thankfully, his reply to Kevin remained perfectly unsent, and he heaved a deep sigh of relief. Glancing in the rear-view mirror and seeing Jeff putting some camera equipment into the trunk, Jacob then returned his gaze to his unsent text, silently thanking God that Jeff hadn't hit the god-forsaken send button on accident.

jay-b
awwww, kev! :') god what did i do to deserve you??? ur the best in the whole world hahaha

⠀⠀Jacob pressed the screen of his phone into his chest, his face already red from the thought of Kevin's reaction, had he sent it. He was never this open, and definitely never this embarrassing (he honestly found it kind of cringeworthy whenever he saw others verbalize this kind of stuff), and he had just written exactly that in the heat of his emotions that morning. In hindsight, it was stupid, strange, and too affectionate for it to be seen as friendly—even for him. Kevin would've definitely found it weird. Jacob quickly deleted the message and shut off his phone without sparing the screen another glance in an effort to forget about the near-disastrous event.

⠀⠀Fast forward. While Jacob was in the school library after school studying for an upcoming science test, Changmin slid smoothly into the seat across from him, a toothy grin on his face. Jacob tilted his head curiously and gently smiled.

⠀⠀"Hey, Changmin," he said pleasantly. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand, propped up by his elbow as he drummed the end of his pen on the table. "Shouldn't you be with Kevin practicing some more for that piano thing?" he asked. Changmin shrugged, snagging one of the chips Jacob had brought along with him.

⠀⠀"I would be, but Kevin seems kind of out of focus." Changmin wore a thoughtful look as he loudly crunched on a chip. "It's weird. He was the one that made he proposition to the teacher in the first place," he added as an afterthought. Jacob scrunched his brows together in confusion. Strange—Kevin had seemed really excited when he heard the news yesterday. It wasn't like Kevin to slack on something he really wanted to do. Jacob frowned. What's up with him today? He wondered.

⠀⠀"Do you have any idea why?" Jacob asked, leaning forward a bit in his seat with a worried expression.

⠀⠀Changmin shrugged again. "Beats me," he huffed with crossed arms. He sighed, "I asked him about it and he just said he was super happy about something? I don't even know." Changmin gave Jacob the side-eye, raising a brow. "You got any idea? You're the one Kevin is closest to," he asked suspiciously. Jacob rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

⠀⠀"No, I don't know anything," he deadpanned. Changmin let out a whine and slumped into his seat.

⠀⠀"Ah," he moaned with a delicate hand over his eyes. "It's next week and Kevin's lovesick?! Of all times!" Changmin wailed, immediately recoiling when the librarian gave him the stink eye and shushed him harshly. "Sorry!" he loudly whispered.

⠀⠀Jacob reached over and patted Changmin's hair. "I'll do my best to get him back to normal, okay, Min?" he assured with a smile. Changmin heaved a sigh but gave a relieved half-smile back.

⠀⠀"God—I'm so stressed about this performance because we're playing in front of a famous pianist but you just make me feel like everything's gonna be perfectly fine," Changmin confessed, seemingly all in one breath. Jacob laughed.

⠀⠀"Anytime," he said simply. "I'm always here if you need anything."

⠀⠀"Ah! You're the best," Changmin proclaimed, rushing over and enveloping Jacob in a tight hug.

⠀⠀Jacob's phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. With a curious look, Jacob fished it out and checked the message that flashed on the screen.

moonboy
hey jacob~ i'm waiting outside!!! imma treat you to that chicken i promised u! xx kev

⠀⠀Changmin craned his long neck to see the text message, frowning tightly once he did so despite Jacob's efforts to immediately shove it back into his pocket. "That little jerk! He has time to go out with you but he can't even focus for piano practice?" Changmin grumbled under his breath. Jacob patted Changmin's head before gathering his things into his backpack.

⠀⠀"I'll figure out what's up with him. You can make up for lost time tomorrow, okay?" Jacob asked kindly as he slung his bag onto his shoulder. Changmin groaned but nodded nonetheless, only slightly glaring at Jacob when the older began to depart. "I'll see you!" Jacob said cheerfully with a wave.

⠀⠀Jacob rushed to the outside of the school as fast as he could where he found Kevin waiting right where he said he would be. Kevin immediately rushed over to him and grabbed his hand before pulling him in the direction of the chicken place.

⠀⠀"Woah, what's with the urgency?" Jacob asked, surprised as he followed Kevin's lead. Kevin flashed him a pearly-white smile, his eyes turning into crescents.

⠀⠀"Ah, just wanted to treat you something good because I ruined our whole walking to school together everyday thing. Felt real bad about it," Kevin said, turned away. Jacob considered this reason for a brief moment before rolling his eyes.

⠀⠀"Kev," he began in a light chiding manner, "you know I don't mind. You had something to do that was important. It's no reason to take me out and buy me something."

⠀⠀Kevin raised a brow before shrugging. "Well, then think of it as partial pay-back to all of the times you made me breakfast," he suggested. Jacob frowned.

⠀⠀"You don't have to pay me back for those though," Jacob said, confused with his brows furrowed. "I wanted to make those for you—"

⠀⠀"Just like I want to buy chicken for you," Kevin cut in. He looked back at Jacob, an eyebrow quirked and an exasperated half-smile on his face. "Man, you're too nice," he sighed. "I should treat you out more often because you deserve it."

⠀⠀"But you don't have to—"

⠀⠀Kevin stopped and spun around to face Jacob, suddenly gripping both of his hands. Woah, when did that happen? With a tight squeeze of Jacob's hands, Kevin said firmly, "I don't have to, but I want to. Very different things. Just let me buy you something, please?"

⠀⠀Jacob stared at him blankly. Blinked once, twice, thrice. This wasn't how Kevin usually behaved and it was ever-so-slightly off-putting, if Jacob had to be honest. Kevin was never so insistent on buying something (not that Jacob minded paying or being paid for but still—it was weird). Jacob nodded dumbly, his brows still pressed together in confusion. "I mean, you can. I'm just saying I don't know why you'd wanna when I do my things on my own free will—"

⠀⠀"Okay, that's settled!" Kevin cheered, letting go of one of Jacob's hands and spinning around again to continue pulling Jacob towards the nearest chicken shop.

⠀⠀The two fell into a comfortable silence, Jacob eventually falling into step beside Kevin. Their hands had sadly unclasped, but they were still walking close enough that they would bump shoulders every few steps. Kevin whistled a tune to a Bruno Mars song Jacob couldn't quite name—something sweet, so maybe Marry You or Just The Way You Are. Jacob couldn't help the dumb grin that came into his face. Despite there being no verbal communication, this time somehow felt intimate and personal to Jacob, like the two of them were growing even closer, if that was even possible. It was nice.

⠀⠀"Hey, Kev?" Jacob asked softly as he leaned into Kevin's arm after a while of silence.

⠀⠀"Yeah?"

⠀⠀"Changmin said that you weren't focusing during your piano practice, which is weird because I know you were really excited for this. . ." Jacob inquired. He could feel Kevin's arm tense up in a split second, and he cast a worried glance at the boy next to him.

⠀⠀"Ah, you worry too much about me," Kevin eventually said, waving Jacob's curiosity off. "Makes me feel bad. And I'll apologize to Changmin tomorrow."

⠀⠀They continued to walk, but Kevin's strange and almost dazed behavior continued to bother Jacob, like a splinter he couldn't get rid of. "Hey," he murmured gently, "is something up? You're acting kinda weird today." He pulled Kevin to a stop on the sidewalk as he tilted his head in curiosity.

⠀⠀Squeezing his hand once, Kevin nodded with a reassuring smile. "Do I seem that dazed? I'm kinda stressed about the whole performance thing, and I guess it's not the best that I've been thinking of confession lines too," he laughed lightly, seeming embarrassed from his own words. Jacob could've sworn he saw the faintest shade of pink on Kevin's cheeks. Perhaps, was Kevin. . . blushing? Kevin Moon never blushed—a side-effect from having close to no shame at times—but then, Jacob thought about it more and became pretty much convinced it was just weird lighting from the sun.

⠀⠀"I thought you said you had something in mind already?" Jacob asked with a raised brow, slightly amused despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach he got from imagining Kevin shyly confessing to someone. Kevin shook his head.

⠀⠀"I mean, I know what I wanna do—just not what I wanna say. Y'know, the finer details," Kevin said. He reached forward and lightly tapped Jacob on the nose, causing Jacob to immediately stiffen in surprise and Kevin to chuckle at the reaction. "I was hoping you'd help me out. You and him could practically be the same person, so I was thinking you had ideas."

⠀⠀Wow, that stung, Jacob thought with a mental grimace. Was there something the other guy had that he didn't? It's the cereal, isn't it, Jacob wondered before mentally noting to himself to cut down on his Krave or to start making sure he put his cereal before the milk (he and Kevin had had a full-blown text argument on that once with caps lock and everything, Jacob saying that it really didn't matter what came first and Kevin saying it was criminal to put milk first). Jacob put on a barely noticeable smile and shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

⠀⠀Kevin stared at him for a second. Then, he chuckled. "You're cute," he remarked in a factual tone. "And the best in the whole wide world," he added before engulfing Jacob in a tight hug all of a sudden. "I love you," Kevin mumbled into Jacob's shoulder, muffled. Jacob winced at Kevin's iron hold on his ribs, but returned the hug just as tightly and patted the other's back.

⠀⠀"Yeah, I love you too, you big baby," he murmured quietly.

⠀⠀They began to walk again, Kevin animatedly talking about what he was thinking about for an appropriate time (maybe after the festival? Kevin laughed that two stressful things he wanted to do well on top of each other we're going to kill him) and confessing tactics—maybe cheesy pick-up lines,  some charismatic one-liners, perhaps a few strums of the classic guitar and a song. The new, excited spring in his best friend's step and the the adoration in his voice made it easier for Jacob to ignore the uneasy rolling in his stomach and helpfully input his ideas.

moonboy
ITS D-DAY BABY

jay-b
oh, are you doing it tonight? i thought we were gonna hang out on the roof tonight

moonboy
fear not: im gonna chill w you first :)

moonboy
and!! i got the whole thing scripted in my head and the novelties to give him for when he says yes ;))

jay-b
lmao i don't think you need to be THAT thorough though! just chill out and do it naturally, kev. no need for a script :)

moonboy
dw jacob i was just kidding about the script... kinda

jay-b
it's so funny watching you stress over this, not gonna lie... but you're gonna do fine, 100%! there's no way he's gonna turn you down, kev!

moonboy
i really hope so... damn i might be joking around but tbh im so anxious now but u talking to me is calming me down, jacob. i love you so much ur rly my angel :')

jay-b
lol do u think u should be saying that when ur about to ask someone out??

moonboy
absolutely!! he won't mind im sure :)

jay-b
meet u out on the roof in 10?? i wanna finish up my homework! i'll bring some leftovers from dinner if u want cuz i know you like chicken haha

moonboy
YES PLEASE YOU PERFECT HUMAN BEING

⠀⠀Jacob rolled his eyes at his friend's text before rolling out of his bed to pack up the leftovers like he had promised. After finishing up his history homework, he climbed out of the window, containers of chicken and a big Pikachu plush in his arms. Jacob silently laughed at the sight of Kevin faced away from him, busily setting out pillows and blankets on the rooftop while humming a merry tune. He clearly hadn't noticed Jacob yet, so Jacob decided to take advantage of this. Jacob set down his things quietly on the roof before creeping up on Kevin from behind.

⠀⠀"Boo!" Jacob yelled while jabbing Kevin's sides with his fingers, prompting a surprised shout and a jump from the boy in front of him. Kevin's hands flew to his own chest before turning to Jacob, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

⠀⠀"Jake! Don't do that, oh my god. . ." Kevin trailed off into a sulky mumble, barely smiling when Jacob shoved his shoulder lightly.

⠀⠀"How were you scared?" Jacob teased as he fought down a fit of laughter rising from his chest. "You watched Annabelle, like, three times and you barely screamed at all," he added with a smile. Kevin rolled his eyes, plopping himself down onto the roof and pulling his legs to his chest.

⠀⠀"That's different," Kevin insisted. "There are certain scenes in horror movies that you can just sorta guess when the scary parts are coming so you can prepare yourself. You just grabbed me out of nowhere so why wouldn't I be scared is the better question," he continued on, crossing his arms petulantly. He pat the spot in front of him with the palm of his hand. "Come here. Sit, Jake."

⠀⠀Jacob complied, letting a few giggles fall as he grabbed his things and put them down in front of them. "That was too funny, Kev," he teased. Kevin let out a whine and smacked Jacob in the arm.

⠀⠀"You suck," Kevin deadpanned. Jacob lightly pushed his sulking friend's shoulder, smiling softly.

⠀⠀"Hush, you love me, don't you?" Jacob asked gently, a playful lilt in his voice. Kevin raised a brow at him before heaving a theatrical sigh, shrugging his shoulders.

⠀⠀"I don't even know nowadays." Kevin looked up at the dark sky wistfully, his face perfectly stoic until Jacob began to lean on him. At this, Kevin spared a glance at his friend against his arm and rolled his eyes before smiling. "I think it's more you're in love with me, no?" he jested.

⠀⠀"Shut up. You're the worst," Jacob mumbled, no real heat in his words. Kevin smirked and poked him in the shoulder.

⠀⠀"I think you're lying to both me and yourself, Jakey. Come on."

⠀⠀Jacob shot him a glance, raising a brow. "No, I don't think I am," he said innocently with a half-smile. He began to engage in a staring contest with Kevin, looking up at his best friend for an infinite amount of seconds until tears began to well in both of their eyes. Eventually, Kevin blinked and groaned, his hands flying to his eyes to rub them. Jacob did the exact same, except he cheered loudly immediately thereafter.

⠀⠀"Okay, okay. I surrender, Mister Bae," Kevin said theatrically with an awkward half-bow and a flourish of his hands. Jacob couldn't help laughing, nor the butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the whole situation. Wow. This guy really makes me happy, Jacob silently mused to himself.

⠀⠀Kevin wrapped his arm around Jacob's neck and leaned his head against Jacob as well. He began to say, "Y'know, this stupid-ass rooftop is probably half the reason we're so close, isn't it, Jake? How much crap have we done up here?"

⠀⠀Jacob thought about it for a second, recounting all of their shenanigans they had gotten up to while on their poorly designed roofs. They had wrestled until they had rolled off and landed in the bushes in front of their houses. They had shot water balloons at drunken college students, earning them such violently slurred threats and hand gestures that had scared them so bad they had gathered their things and immediately bounced to Kevin's room. They had done full-blown photoshoots with one of Kevin's expensive cameras, which resulted in Kevin slipping off of the roof and bending the gutter from grabbing onto it suddenly  (both of them had gotten quite the earful from their parents shortly afterwards). They had sparred with meter sticks and buckets on their heads after their Wii Sports Resort had decided not to work. And those were only a few, Jacob grimaced as he tried to repress some of the more embarrassing things that had happened on the roof.

⠀⠀". . . Too much?" Jacob finally offered after an unusual length of silence, bringing his knees to his chest. Kevin eyed him carefully before chuckling quietly.

⠀⠀"Yeah. Definitely," he said, seeming to pull Jacob just a bit closer into his body which made Jacob's face burn and his heart almost burst right out of his chest. There was a bit of silence that was different than normal before Kevin spoke again. "This roof," Kevin began slowly, "it's kinda like. . . our secret happy place, you know. I hope we can keep making memories up here, as long as possible." He looked down at Jacob, shaking him a bit. "What do you think, Jake?"

⠀⠀Jacob raised a brow. "Of course it's the same for me, you idiot," he said in a quiet duh voice. "It's not like I'm going to stop being friends with you for a while. Even when you ask that guy you like out, or when you get your first job, anything. I'm here for you, Kev. Always."

⠀⠀Once again, silence. But it wasn't a comfortable silence, where both were simply enjoying being in each other's presence. It was tense, like someone wasn't completely comfortable with the other. Jacob noticed his friend shifting an unusual amount in his spot, then put a fist on Kevin's chest, watching as Kevin tensed and frowning deeply at it.

⠀⠀"Kev?" Jacob asked softly, eyes full of concern. "Is something up?"

⠀⠀Kevin looked at him, something confused and unreadable in his face before turning away and sighing, "I'm just. . . trying to figure something out." He pulled his arm away from Jacob's shoulder, pulling his legs close to his chest and resting his chin on his knees. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine, Jake."

⠀⠀"I'm your best friend," Jacob said, a wry smile on his face despite his heart aching a bit from Kevin's moody behavior. "It's kinda my job," he added gently, placing a light hand on Kevin's shoulder. "I can't help worrying when you seem so off, Kev."

⠀⠀Kevin was silent until he straightened a bit and looked at Jacob. "Can I just. . . like, talk about the guy I want to confess to?" he asked quietly. He slumped again to bury his face into his knees. "I was planning on doing it tonight, as you know, but I kinda wanna chicken out now. I'm too nervous," he mumbled.

⠀⠀Jacob clenched his jaw at the idea of Kevin swooning over the guy he liked but relaxed a bit when he took in the whole situation. Kevin was still his best friend of several years, and it was stupid to put his even stupider crush over Kevin's own feelings. It hurt him to see Kevin so unsure of himself and so tense, more so than the prospect of Kevin's new boyfriend could ever be. So, Jacob smiled brightly.

⠀⠀"Yeah, of course."

⠀⠀Kevin took a deep breath. "This guy. . ." he began. A tiny smile began to form on his lips, and he started to chuckle slightly and shake his head. "I'm really a loser for this guy. I've never been so. . . so in love before, and I didn't even realize that I was in love with him until not too long ago, even though we've been friends for so many years. I'm stupid."

⠀⠀"Oh, I know," Jacob teased, laughing as Kevin smacked his arm while grumbling something incoherent to Jacob's ears.

⠀⠀"Anyway," Kevin shot a pointed look at Jacob, the two of them staring at each other until they both collapsed onto each other in laughter. Kevin straightened, then cleared his throat. "Anyways, this guy is shy, kind of awkward, quiet. Yet, somehow, he's one of the funniest people I've ever known. He's so endlessly kind and generous, too. I can't count how many times he's made me something because I was too tired to make breakfast or how many times he's paid for little somethings that I wanted. I always offer to pay him back or buy him things, but he always insists that he never wants anything. He almost gets mad when I buy him stuff, and he always says things like, 'Kevin, don't waste your money on me. It should be spent on something worthwhile.' Kinda makes me mad and sad at the same time because he never wants anything from me, and I don't think he understands that I just want to. . . treat him, you know? He deserves so much but he never wants to accept it."

⠀⠀All of this information caused the cogs to begin turning in Jacob's head. This all sounded familiar. He briefly began to speculate a far-fetched idea, then immediately dismissed his idea after. No, it couldn't be.

⠀⠀"Hm. . . I get it."

⠀⠀Kevin stared at him, a strange look on his face before biting his lip and smiling. He shook his head. "No, I don't think you do, Jakey," he chuckled slightly.

⠀⠀Jacob rolled his eyes. "Okay, yeah, whatever," he scoffed. He nudged Kevin in the shoulder, saying, "Go on. You look happy talking about this guy."

⠀⠀"You don't mind that I'm sort of just. . . going off about the guy that I wanna date?" Kevin asked, something expectant in his voice. Jacob thought about it for a second. The real answer was yes—it left him with a sinking feeling in his stomach, but the idea of Kevin being so happy just talking about the guy overpowered any disappointment he could've had.

⠀⠀He shrugged. "Short answer? Not really. What makes me happy is you being happy, so if this guy is what does it, then so be it."

⠀⠀Jacob watched Kevin's face fall a bit before turning away, and that sneaking suspicion came back to the forefront of his head. He needed to confirm it. Curiously, Jacob asked gently, "Let me hear it, Kev. What's so great about this guy?"

⠀⠀". . . He has a really nice voice," Kevin mumbled after a bit of silence, sounding a bit depressed. "Like, Chanhee has a nice voice too, but his voice is really powerful. This guy's voice? It's so soft and gentle, kind of like him, I guess. I feel like I can just fall asleep whenever I hear him sing. He's sung me to sleep over the phone before when I was having bad dreams."

⠀⠀It suddenly clicked in Jacob's head, and his heart began pounding even harder than ever before. There was a little bit of doubt, but he probability of his hunches being correct overpowered his unsureness. He suppressed his smile as best he could before asking, "Anything else?"

⠀⠀Kevin hummed. "He's good at sports and really competitive. You'd never think he was if you saw him anywhere else, but on the court? It's like he turns into a whole new person," he mused. He heaved a deep sigh. "I wish I had the balls to confess to him," he said, disappointed.

⠀⠀"What are you worried about, Kevin? That he'll reject you?" Jacob asked, his head tilted as he did his best to keep the playfulness out of his voice. Kevin's head whipped around to him, alarmed with eyes wide.

⠀⠀"Yes!" Kevin said, sounding completely aghast. "He'll probably think I'm so disgusting and weird for liking him because we're friends! He's gonna stop being friends with me and he's just gonna drop me forever and. . . I don't wanna lose him ever. He means so much to me, Jake, you have no idea. I. . . I don't know how I could keep going if he left me because of this and he doesn't return the feelings. He's my support system, he's my best friend, he's my whole world—"

⠀⠀Screw it.

⠀⠀Jacob grabbed his best friend by the neck, pulling Kevin towards him before pressing his lips against Kevin's, shutting his eyes. There was a sense of anxiety for a brief moment, wondering if this was a mistake that would ruin his friendship—maybe he had been wrong about him being the subject of Kevin's adoration—but at this point, it was too late. There was no point in regretting anything now. He had been wanting to do this for so long now, and he could hardly believe it was actually happening.

⠀⠀Finally, Jacob pulled away, flustered and a bit out of breath. He found Kevin in a similar manner with his mouth agape, and his nerves began to go into overdrive. The kiss was a mistake, wasn't it? He had been wrong, and now, Kevin was going to avoid him for the rest of their lives. Jacob nervously ran a hand through his brown hair. "K-Kev?" he asked timidly.

⠀⠀"Oh my god. . ." Kevin said after several seconds of stunned silence. He touched his lips, seeming to be in a daze. "That. . . that didn't happen, did it? I'm dreaming."

⠀⠀Jacob bit his bottom lip anxiously. "I—uh. . . this is real life, Kev," he said quietly, playing with his fingers. Kevin stared at him for a second, face completely blank and unreadable besides the red blush across his cheeks.

⠀⠀Suddenly, Kevin shot up onto his feet. "Give me a sec, Jake," he muttered before turning and jumping back through his window and shutting it.

⠀⠀Jacob sat there, devastated. His heart felt like it had dropped into his stomach, and he had the sudden urge to cry. He really had fucked it all up. Kevin was never going to talk to him again, right? Jacob buried his head into his knees, fighting down tears as he imagined his best friend deserting him.

⠀⠀All of a sudden, he heard a slightly muffled Kevin scream, "Oh my fucking god! That did not just happen! He kissed me! Oh my god! No fucking way!" followed by an ear-piercing shriek. Jacob clenched his teeth, still set on the idea that Kevin was furious or disgusted (probably both).

⠀⠀Kevin, his hair slightly disheveled, suddenly opened the window again, climbing through with something in his hands behind his back. He was grinning wildly, however his smile faltered when he saw Jacob on the verge of crying. He rushed to Jacob, dropping to his knees before enveloping the older in his arms. "Jake? You're shaking. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, worried.

⠀⠀Jacob sniffled, his eyes downcast. "B-because you th-think I'm disgusting for d-doing that," he stammered out. A tiny sob escaped him. "Y-you're gonna leave me b-because I k-kissed you, Kev."

⠀⠀"Jake, what are you talking about? I'm not gonna leave you."

⠀⠀Jacob gripped Kevin's arm tightly. "Kevin, p-please don't leave me—"

⠀⠀"Jacob! Here, take this. You got this all wrong," Kevin finally said, handing the bag to Jacob while he wiped a tear from Jacob's cheek with his thumb. "Please stop crying. I'm gonna start crying and I'm literally the happiest person right now so I don't wanna."

⠀⠀His hands shaking, Jacob flipped the bag over and dumped out all of the contents, including a bunch of Jacob's favorite candy, a mini-box of cereal, and two small pieces of thick, folded paper—one white, one black. Jacob opened the white piece of paper, which turned out to be a letter written in Kevin's nice, loopy handwriting. He began to read it.

⠀⠀Jacob Bae, I don't know when you'll get this because I might never get the courage to confess to you, but hello! My name is Kevin Hyungseo Moon, and I'm writing this to say that I love you. I don't know when I realized I loved you, and frankly, I don't care. What matters is that I do. I'm not gonna go into specifics about what I love about you—I'm probably gonna be writing for hours if I do and my hand is already cramping—but what matters is that you mean the whole world to me. I've never met someone who meant so much, and I can't help but feel blessed that I have you in my life. If you're reading this, then  that means I've gathered the balls to formally ask you to be my boyfriend. Finally. That cool with you? I hope so. I love you. Sincerely, your best friend (and hopefully boyfriend), Kevin Moon.

⠀⠀Jacob looked up at Kevin, his jaw dropped in shock as Kevin smiled prettily. "Open the other paper," Kevin suggested happily. Jacob couldn't help the smile that rose onto his face as he did so, sniffing once more as he wiped a stray tear away.

⠀⠀The black paper was a drawing of two boys sitting together on a rooftop. One had his arm around the other, and the other leaned against the first as the two looked at the stars. In the sky, it read in beautiful lettering, To Jacob, the stars to my Moon.

⠀⠀Jacob began to shake with laughter before he threw his arms around Kevin's shoulders. "God. . . Kev. That's so amazing," he said, still in a daze over the past three minutes. Kevin laughed before holding a bouquet of sunflowers out to Jacob.

⠀⠀"These too. Sunflowers are your favorite, so I bought some." Kevin rubbed his nape with a free hand in embarrassment while Jacob took the flowers. His face went bright red as Jacob quickly pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before he whined, "Jacob, my heart won't be able to handle it if you do it again. I need, like, a few minutes to calm down because this all seems so surreal—"

⠀⠀Jacob pulled Kevin forward again and pressed his lips against Kevin's one more time briefly, retracting and snickering as Kevin groaned loudly while gripping at his sweater. "You're killing me, Jake!" Kevin complained.

⠀⠀"Well, I don't think you have the courage to do it, so I might as well—"

⠀⠀Kevin suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Jacob by the neck before kissing him deeply. He sat back, satisfied with Jacob's stunned face.

⠀⠀"Hah. You thought."

⠀⠀"You're lame."

⠀⠀And like that, Jacob and Kevin spent the rest of the evening on the roof, their legs dangling off the edge and their hands clasped tightly as they watched the stars together. It was like Kevin's drawing had come to life. Jacob grinned so widely to the point his face hurt, but that was more than okay with him. There was no suppressing the joy in his heart, now that he could call Kevin his.