Archive of Our Own

Good morning!

It’s time to wake up!

Rise and shine, sleepyhead!

Taehyung was pulled from his dreams by a soft voice laced with teasing giggles. He rolled to face the other side of the bed to reach for the voice only for his fingers to meet cold sheets. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find a lone pillow, puffed and primly lying by the headboard. He sighed as he rolled over to search for his phone atop the side table, shutting his alarm and the voice up.

Ten o’clock his phone indicated as he unlocked it to the face of the voice - a picture of someone caught mid-laughter with eyes scrunched shut and an arm outstretched, seemingly reaching out for him.  I can’t see when I’m laughing, Taehyung! Stop that!

“My mornings are never the same waking up without you next to me.” Taehyung thought as he stared at the picture before sluggishly rising off the bed. He stretched the kinks off his still-sleeping muscles and padded over to the kitchen to plug the coffee maker and remembered the time he used to detest the black liquid. He shook his head at how it seemed like a distant past, sighing as he remembered when things began to change.

It was when he took a gap year. Caught in a limbo of wanting to pursue too many things and nothing at the same time, he deemed it best to take a leave off of ‘life’ – to think and maybe find what he was meant to find.  He travelled for the first months but his then meager savings could only afford a few places.  He stayed at home then, poring over drama series and various video games until those too couldn’t entertain him. Lazily browsing through the internet one day, he chanced upon an ad for a short barista course at a nearby academy. He didn’t drink coffee but who was to say he wasn’t allowed to learn about it? And so he took a chunk off his remaining savings, signed-up for the course and secured the very last slot. “It was meant to be”, he thought to himself.

The course was limited to only a number of students and the modules were taught in a fun and lively manner that Taehyung believed he could definitely learn to like coffee. It didn’t matter that he only really took small sips off of the stuff they prepared. “Small sips are big leaps for me,” he justified.

They were learning about latte art, having progressed from the basics of brewing coffee and the intricate proportions of various coffee mixes. Their instructor thought it best for them to work in pairs and he was partnered with a guy slightly smaller than him. Cute guy had a petite but sturdy build, eyes that crinkled into tiny crescent moons when he smiled and full, lush lips that begged to be kissed. Cute guy had actually caught Taehyung’s eyes since the first day but he was not really looking for a relationship and so he didn’t do anything about his little crush. But now cute guy was here, clapping and encouraging Taehyung as he tried to make a heart off the froth on his latte.

Taehyung had dated a couple of times before, he was also known to be very sociable and so he really didn’t expect to flush at the attention he was getting from cute guy. He fumbled with his words and ended up pushing the coffee he just made to him.

“For me?” Cute guy asked.

“Ahh yes… I don’t drink coffee,” Taehyung reasoned and then promptly chastised himself for saying that when he was in a barista course after all.

“Uhhh?” Cute guy stared at him in confusion and Taehyung was about to explain when the other looked at him with puppy eyes and pouted and whined, “So now I have to drink two cups of coffee.”

And Taehyung was a goner even before he knew it as he reached out to grab cute guy’s cup and took a sip from it much to the surprise and amusement of the other. “Uhh.. I can always learn to drink it? Maybe you can teach me? Help me?”

Taehyung knew it was one of the worst pick up lines if one could even call it that, knew several years down the road, he would be embarrassed of what he said (“Yes, I am!” his present self confirmed). But several coffee dates later, because apparently cute guy loved his coffee a little bit too much and two cups was actually nothing to him, Taehyung had not a single ounce of regret about dishing those lines.

He found what he was meant to find. Cute guy didn’t even have to teach him to drink coffee, he learned on his own, because it follows that you naturally learn to love the things the person you love love. 

Taehyung pulled himself off of his memories and proceeded to go to the bathroom to shower while the coffee was brewing. He was to meet with his editor for lunch on the other side of the city. He had been working on his book for about a year and after several writer’s block later, the book was finally in its last editing. It was his fourth book and though he was too modest to call himself successful, his books had constantly been on display in the popular section with bookstores swamped with reservations for his new releases.

When his gap year concluded, he realized he wanted to pursue literature and to write books on his own. As much as he had difficulties voicing out his words at times, he discovered that he actually had a penchant for writing and that words flowed easily for him that way. It probably helped a lot that he had an inspiration then, one who made it so easy for Taehyung to wax eloquent.

He stepped out of the shower and rummaged through his closet to find an outfit his editor would deem decent enough for an upcoming bestselling writer. He had taken a liking to wide-legged pants and loose long tops recently, his go-to footwear a comfortable pair of sandals. He could already imagine his editor’s frown if he were to come in such ensemble and so he decided to forgo the wide-legged pants for black slacks, the pair of sandals for a pair of loafers. He kept the loose long dress shirt though; he was a writer, not a model and he wanted to be comfortable.

He saw the rising pile of laundry in the basket off the side of the closet and mused, “He would have definitely thrown a fit at that if he were here.”

After getting dressed, he went back to the kitchen for his coffee. A couple of mugs sat beside the coffee maker for convenience. They were hand-painted – one showed a creature with a red heart-shaped face and yellow-dotted long blue limbs and the other that off a cute yellow puppy adorably sticking out his tongue to one side. The mugs were a product of one impulsive weekend when he found out there was a ceramics workshop near their shared apartment. They had been dating for a couple of years then and moving in together had felt right.

Taehyung was not really that artistic but he had an appreciation for the arts and ceramics making seemed to be interesting. They named their creations Tata and Chimmy, taken after their own names.

Taehyung grabbed the heart-faced Tata and poured coffee in it, adding a couple spoonfuls of sugar and a good amount of milk. As much as he had learned to like coffee, he had never acquired the taste for drinking it black. He brought his mug to the table and sat himself on the stool. He was going over the last revisions his editor sent when something brushed past his legs.

He looked down to find a cat, their calico baby, and picked her up to cradle on his lap. He gently stroked her fur and she purred appreciatively in return.

They were rushing back home one rainy night when they heard a pitiful mewl as they rounded the corner of their apartment building. They were both drenched to the bones but he looked at Taehyung with such worry in his eyes that they ended up searching around to find the crying animal. One thing Taehyung found out and loved him more for was his soft spot for animals, something the both of them shared.

Taehyung couldn’t count the times they would be out and both of them would stop to pet a dog, a cat and even a sugar glider. They were planning to adopt and had made several visits to pet stores but they always came home empty-handed because they fell in love with all the animals and couldn’t choose just one. Taehyung thought Fate made the decision for them as he came face to face with a small kitten hiding under the bush, small body shivering and hunched over herself.

They named her Serendipity because we were meant to find her, Taehyung, just like how you and I were meant to find each other.

Taehyung glanced at the clock hanging on the wall to see that it was already a few minutes past eleven. He needed to leave now if he wanted to be on time for the meeting. He stood up and placed Serendipity on the floor and she followed him to the sink as he washed his mug, and to his room as he grabbed his satchel.

Before leaving, he filled her bowl with food and made sure her drinking fountain was full, already assuming he’d be coming home late tonight.

“Be a good girl, Serri. Dad's off to work now.” he told her as he scratched her head one more time before closing the door.

He decided to forgo taking his car today. He was really not in the mood to drive around with the passenger seat empty and no one to sing along with as he cruised through the traffic.

Instead, he took the subway. Seoul’s traffic was always heavy anyway and taking the subway would take him faster to his meeting. He started walking to the nearest train station. One thing that he appreciated a lot was the fact that one can practically be everywhere in Seoul and still find a station within walking distance.

It didn’t take long for his train to arrive and he stepped into the car as the flurry of passengers around him rushed to get in. He stood by the door, letting the ladies and elderlies grab the seats. The ride wasn’t long anyway, just around 40 minutes. 

Several memories formed at the back of his mind as the train rocked on the railway. Memories of running hand in hand to catch the last train before midnight struck, of stolen hugs as passengers jostled them closer during rush hours and of sleepy heads falling on tired shoulders after a long day. He smiled at the flashbacks of their younger selves.

Getting off the train, it only took a few minutes to arrive at the restaurant he was meeting his editor at. At the thought of food, his stomach grumbled in response as he remembered he only had a cup of coffee. He hastened his pace.

His editor had made a reservation and he was ushered to a more secluded spot where they could discuss matters while they eat.

“Here’s your menu, Sir. Kindly call me when you are ready to order.”

Taehyung looked up to find a pink-haired waiter handing him the menu. He smiled at him and nodded affirmation at his request. Glancing down at the menu, his smile widened as he remembered a certain pink-haired guy.

“Do you like it?”

Taehyung stared wide-eyed at the mop of pink hair that was revealed after the other pulled off his beanie.  He couldn’t find his words, to say that he was dumbfounded was an understatement.

“Taehyungie… don’t you like it?” he asked again at the lack of response from Taehyung, head bowed low and unsure fingers running through the newly-dyed strands.

“No, baby… I mean, yes! I like it! It’s beautiful!” Taehyung rushed to assure him.

“Are you sure? You know how I’ve been planning to dye my hair in something interesting. I passed by a hair salon earlier and told them I wanted to try something different. The stylist told me that pink would look good on me and that it would match the season with all the cherry blossoms around… I wanted to surprise you too for our trip this weekend. Uhmm.. I hope you like it.”

“Yes, baby! It’s beautiful! Really beautiful! With that hair, you look like a fairy and you have enchanted me with your magic dust I couldn’t speak there for a while. It’s beautiful, baby! You are beautiful.”

Melodious giggles echoed off his chest as he hugged the smaller to him, running his hand appreciatively over the soft locks.

That weekend was filled with memories of a pink-haired guy in striped sweatshirt with sleeves long enough to cover his tiny hands playing catch with the waves and of Taehyung lifting him up bridal-style pretending to dump him into the freezing waters. Peals of laughter and cold hands trying to find purchase on equally cold skin filled their days as they created a small world of their own.

They needed this getaway. Taehyung was in the middle of writing his second book and was facing a stump. He was at a loss for what to write and his schedule became erratic as he chased after every bit of inspiration. He would walk into the kitchen to see a lone meal set aside for him and would come to their bed long after the other had fallen asleep. He knew of Taehyung’s working style and respected it but Taehyung was not insensitive to the longing glances and the fleeting touches so he proposed the trip.

With that book, Taehyung was finally able to etch his mark as critics acclaimed of how beautiful, magical and heartfelt his writing was. Taehyung shook his head at how foolish he was for running after other things when magic was already in his hands and with him, inspiration would never run dry.

“Taehyung, have you been waiting long?” he was taken out of his reverie as his editor approached the table. “I’m sorry it took some time for me to find a parking spot."

And Taehyung was glad he didn’t take his car today. “No, it's okay, I’ve only just arrived a few minutes ago.” he responded in kind.

“Have you ordered yet? Let’s order first so we can discuss while we wait for the food.” his editor, who ever since the first day they met seemed to be always in a hurry, proposed.

Taehyung raised his hand to catch the attention of the pink-haired waiter. They placed their orders and started to discuss his book as soon as the waiter left their table.

“Have you reviewed the last draft I sent you? I think we still have to work on the final chapter. I feel like there is something lacking about the conclusion. Maybe if…”

After three hours and a cup of coffee for his editor, tea for Taehyung (because he still could only drink one cup of coffee a day), the meeting was concluded. They agreed for Taehyung to submit the revision for the last chapter by next week and to include the draft for the synopsis as well. There were only minor revisions left and they were looking at sending in the book for publishing by next month. His editor said he had a good feeling about this book.

Taehyung walked him to his car as he unlocked his phone to call someone.

“Hello? Can I still come over? I’m sorry the meeting with my editor just ended. I could be there in thirty if you could wait for me.”

The artist affirmed that he could wait for Taehyung.  Now that the book was in its final phase, Taehyung had contracted a designer for his book cover, a friend he knew from his university days. Taehyung had talked with him about the book and how he wanted to portray it. Trusting his friend’s creativity and intuition, Taehyung had given him the liberty over the design. Yesterday, he called to tell that he had finished the initial design and Taehyung was excited to see it. As rush hour was approaching, Taehyung walked faster to the nearest subway station.

“What do you think of it?” his friend asked as soon as he showed Taehyung the design he had created. 

The design was that of a pearly white butterfly in mid-flight, casted in a backdrop of sapphire and midnight blues and made more iridescent by the moonlight that seemed to light its journey. It was breathtaking and Taehyung was reminded of an equally arresting sight one moonlit night.

They had gone out for dinner one evening when they chanced upon his old friend, a member from the same dance group he had been a part of when he was younger. The friend was shocked to learn that he had stopped dancing as he was one of their star dancers – someone everyone was so sure of to make a name on the stage. He had brushed it off with a smile saying that life was unpredictable but he had remained uncharacteristically quiet on their way home.

Taehyung didn’t interrupt him and allowed him to brood. He knew how much the other loved dancing – they had talked about their younger days and he had a certain glow to him when he talked of his days on the stage. And even though Taehyung had never seen him perform, he knew that he had been a sight to behold.

“Baby, do you miss it?” Taehyung had asked as they settled in bed.

“Honestly, yes…” was the quiet response and in those two words Taehyung could feel the deep longing.

“Why don’t you try dancing again then?”

“Are you kidding me?” he stared at Taehyung, appalled.

“Of course I don’t mean that you should drop your job and pick up dancing instead.. I mean, just try dancing again on the side. Like you can just dance here in our apartment if you want to… We can move some stuff and make room for you to dance.”

“It’s been so long Taehyung, I don’t think I can do it anymore. It’s been years…” he told Taehyung hesitantly but Taehyung detected a hint of excitement beneath the words.

“You can, baby. I know you can. Besides, we can never easily forget something we loved so dear. I also want to see you dance, baby. I never had the opportunity to see that side of you. I want to see you, to know all about you, even the you you were before we met. “

One night a few weeks later, he surprised Taehyung. He asked Taehyung to help him move the coffee table to the side, had him sit on the couch as he dimmed the lights and pressed play on the soft music.

And there right in the middle of their apartment, with the moonlight filtering through the windows, Taehyung witnessed the most spellbinding stage he had ever seen. He was art in motion and with every spin, every leap, every pirouette and graceful landing of his lithe body, Taehyung fell deeper in love. He didn’t think it could be possible with how much love his heart already contained for him but as he was entranced, captivated by the enchanting sight, Taehyung realized that with him the possibilities are infinite.

“It is entrancing… captivating… enchanting.” he told his friend as he kept staring at the design. More than the memories it evoked in him, there was really something spellbinding about it. “You have definitely outdone yourself on this one. I like it! It's perfect.”

Taehyung and his friend agreed to use the design and Taehyung requested for a digital copy to send to his editor for suggestions. Whatever his editor was going to say though, Taehyung was sure he’d push for this design to grace the cover of his book.

He thanked his friend for the amazing job and walked out to a darkening sky. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was already well past six o’clock and remembered that he still had to do the groceries. He decided to visit the supermarket near their apartment so he wouldn’t have to carry them halfway across the city, and rushed to the subway station.

Taehyung greeted the guard on duty and picked up a small cart from the entrance. He pulled up the grocery list on his phone and went from aisle to aisle to tick each item off. He was standing in the sauces section when something caught his attention, a bottle of arrabiata sauce, and he chuckled at a certain memory.

“Shit! Ah! Ahhh! Ouch!”

A string of screams and curses followed by a loud clatter disrupted the quiet of their apartment. Taehyung hurriedly rushed to the kitchen to find the pan on the floor with its charred content splattered around. Ladle in hand, he pitifully stared at the mess while sucking on the reddening spot on his hand.

“What happened, baby? Come here, let’s wash your hand.” Taehyung took the ladle from him as he guided him to the sink. “Hold your hand under the water while I look for the burn ointment.”

Returning from their medicine cabinet, Taehyung turned the tap off and examined his hand.  “What happened, baby?” He repeated as he pressed a soft kiss over the red spot and gently dabbed the ointment on it.

“I was trying to make our dinner, I wanted to stir it but the oil kept jumping off and the food was fast burning so I tried to remove the pan from the heat but then this big splatter of oil jumped at me causing me to drop the pan.”

“What were you trying to make here?” Taehyung asked as he picked up the pan from the floor and deposited it on the sink.

“I saw this chicken recipe on the internet. It seemed easy, doable but then…” he trailed off as he looked sheepishly at Taehyung.

“But then to a kitchen dummy it wasn’t?” Taehyung teased and got a soft hit on his chest in retaliation.

“The audacity of someone whose kitchen efforts only include decorating the food. At least I try to actually cook. Who’s the dummy here, huh?” he challenged as he pushed his face closer until they were almost nose to nose.

Taehyung laughed and pecked at his nose as he acquiesced, “Both of us. I guess it’s takeout dinner again tonight then. Can you call delivery while I mop the floor?”

“But I should clean up…”

“No baby, your hand is hurt. Don’t worry I got this. Now go, I’m starving.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Anything you want. I’m too hungry I could eat a whole cow.” Taehyung joked as he proceeded to get the mop while he called the delivery service.

“We really should do something about this. We can’t keep on ordering takeout or eating ramen all the time.” He brought up while they were eating their takeout.

“Well, we can also dine out.” Taehyung suggested around a mouthful of chicken. They did get to eat chicken for dinner, after all.

He pouted at him while saying, “Seriously, Taehyung. How long can we continue eating and living like this? What if time comes when we cannot afford takeouts? Should we be eating ramen everyday then? We are fine now that we are younger, we can eat anything we want but how about when we get older? We really need to learn how to cook, you know.”

Taehyung understood his worries but his heart fluttered and latched on to the unspoken promise of a future together, one that seemed to last until they were old and gray.

Several weeks later, the two of them found themselves with aprons wrapped around their waists, listening attentively as their instructor discussed the different cooking methods. They were having fun in class, the both of them reminded of the barista course that brought them together.

It was smooth-sailing until one fateful day that almost ended in a messy fiasco. They were learning how to cook pasta, Taehyung’s favourite, and the instructor assigned the two of them to make arrabiata sauce.  

They were doing fine until it was time to blend the ingredients together and they dumped them into the bowl of an unlidded stand mixer. They were told to mix them together in this French sounding tool - blenche?  They didn't exactly know what it was and they were both too proud to admit that they were that ignorant in the kitchen and so they grabbed what to them seemed to be the appropriate equipment.

Taehyung's finger was poised over the switch ready to send it whirling when they heard a frantic scream followed by equally frantic footsteps and then their instructor was upon them. She looked at them with horror on her face as she asked them why they were using the stand mixer instead of the blender (oh! so that is what it is called). They looked at her innocently, muttering apologies without actually addressing her question.

Nonetheless, their instructor saw the kitchen dummies in then and hovered around them throughout the remainder of the course. Her presence provided both assurance and annoyance - assurance because further disasters were thwarted and annoyance because it meant more cooking, less flirting.

Taehyung cracked up at the memory and grabbed a bottle of the sauce. They might have learned to cook without burning the food but Taehyung still had an appreciation for convenience. “A couple of passes wouldn’t hurt”, he thought as he went to grab a pack of pasta noodles to pair the sauce with.

He paid for his purchases and decided to walk the remaining distance home.

Home was right at the heart of Seoul where all types of establishments lined the streets – restaurants, cafes, convenience stores, drug stores, book stores, etc.  The proximity to almost all the things they needed was what attracted them to the neighbourhood when they were scouting for an apartment. They agreed that they would move to a much quieter area when they were older though.

He turned to a side street and heard loud, blaring music and was reminded that today was Friday and Seoul took its TGIF (Thank God it’s Friday) seriously. The bright signs of the club blinked in time to the music and Taehyung swung his grocery bag to the beat. He imagined it would later be packed with young, attractive people looking to put behind the stress of the passing week – sweaty bodies and hazy minds losing their inhibitions as they danced to the music.

The two of them were no strangers to the scenario, they had had their fair share of wild days but clubbing to them was just a preamble, a foretaste for a different dance in the privacy of their own bedroom.

Goosebumps broke on Taehyung’s skin as memories of those passionate nights rushed through his veins.

Shaky hands fumbling to press the right code, the door slammed shut and a body pressed against it as hungry mouths devoured each other in a frenzy, bumbling steps and discarded clothes crafting a path to the bedroom, a body caged underneath, the meeting of eyes burning with passion and unbridled lust, lips connecting together in a wild tango that slowly ebbed into a tantalizing waltz as the carnal fever tempered down to the soothing heat of adoration and worship. 

Mouths lazily traveling down the jaw, up to the sensitive spot behind the ear, down the neck and then further down below leaving behind purple bruises in their wake, hands skimming over heated flesh, a desperate pull in the hair, soft gasps intermingled with loud moans as their bodies became one fitting together perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle, a crescendo of Taehyung, Taehyung, Taehyung and then a broken Tae.. on the final note, a sated smile and soft, swollen lips peppering kisses on his face urging him on to keep riding the rhythm until he hit his own final beat.

And as breaths were chased and hands intertwined across rumpled sheets in the afterbliss, it felt like two souls finally coming home after a long journey.

Spurred on by the vivid memories as his skin tingled with desire, Taehyung walked home with hurried steps. He just had to make one final stop, a flower shop.

The chimes jingled as he opened the door to the shop.

“Oh it’s you, Taehyung! I was just about to close the shop.” the owner greeted him with enthusiasm.

“But you would have opened up for me anyway”, he bantered with her. Taehyung had been a regular customer throughout the years and despite the age difference, had made a friend in the old lady.

“Ahh this kid..” she doted on him even as she shook her head at his antics. “How are you still so devotedly in love? The light in your eyes burn with the same intensity every single time you come here. Not even once has it dimmed. I am old and this shop has witnessed so many couples come and go. Yours is a love that is pure and rare, the kind of love that graces us once in a lifetime but lasts for eternity… What is it you want prepared tonight?”

“The normal one, please,” Taehyung told her. The normal one was what he always bought on days void of any occasion, the “just because days“ when love itself was reason enough. The normal one – a bouquet of blue flowers.

Blue irises, the Greek Goddess of Love herself, the blooms carrying the message of “I love you more and more each day, you take my breath away.” Blue hyacinths, the only flower that really comes in the true shade of blue, untainted like the promise of fidelity and loyalty they bring. The constancy of love, his assurance that his love for him would remain pure and true. And forget-me-nots, a reminder of an authentic, undying love brimming with memories.

A rare combination but one that Taehyung had personally chosen. Blue had always been the color of their relationship. It depicted a beautiful balance between the burning passion of the hottest flame and the serenity of a steadfast and faithful love – a romantic fire whose great strength could never be put out. 

“Here you go, Taehyung” the old lady said as she handed him the bouquet, her years of experience evident in the exquisite arrangement she had made.

“Thank you so much!” he said as he paid for the flowers, “Till next time!”

Holding the dainty bouquet with utmost care, Taehyung walked more carefully as he rounded the last corner to their apartment building. He patiently waited for the elevator to get to the ground floor and watched the numbers steadily rose until it reached his floor. He punched in the code and pushed the door open to a quiet apartment.

Serendipity rose off her bed to greet him and he bent down to give her a scratch on the head. He placed the bouquet on a side table and ambled towards the kitchen with the cat on his trail. Serendipity looked on curiously as he sorted the groceries, seemingly waiting for her share of treat and gave Taehyung a loud meow when he showed her her new bag of food.

When all the items were properly stored, Taehyung went to get the bouquet from the table and with anticipation, walked to the bedroom.

He took a peek and then cautiously pushed the door open.

And there curled up on their bed was the foundation of his thoughts, the eternity in his heart, and the axis with which Taehyung’s world turned, Jimin.

Taehyung walked closer and sat on the bed. He thought of the old lady’s question “How are you still so devotedly in love?” and as he looked at the sleeping man he answered to himself, “How can I not?”

Jimin. He was his compass when he was lost, his saving grace when he was losing faith in humanity, his anchor when insecurities and uncertainties fed at him, his magic when everything else was dull, his fire that kept him blazing, his light and happiness, his constant in the ever-changing world.

“How can I not be devotedly in love when he is my everything?”

Taehyung carded his hand over the soft strands, now a normal black as the frivolities of youth gave way to the stability of adulthood. He watched as a pair of eyes fluttered open slowly and stared at him blinkingly as a radiant smile formed, “Taehyung”

“Hi baby”, he said as he helped the other sit on the bed before handing him the bouquet.

“For me? You didn’t have to…”

“I know but I want to. I’ve missed you.” He said as they shared a sweet kiss.

Taehyung missed Jimin a lot when he was away that week but he missed him all the time – he missed him when they were apart and missed him still even when they were together. He filled his every waking moment and enchanted his dreams.

“Thank you. I’ve missed you too. Ahhhh. I wish I didn’t have to do these week-long out-of-town trips but the company wanted to expand and they needed me to meet the potential partners.”

“I understand, baby. Of course they’d need the best, smartest and most cunning executive to charm unknowing partners into an agreement.” Taehyung teased and a fist landed lightly on his chest.

“But these trips take me away from you for so long. I’ve missed you.” he pouted as small fingers played with the collar of Taehyung’s shirt.

“I’ve missed you too, baby.” Taehyung said as he leaned down for another kiss. “I always miss you and I want you here with me all the time but I also understand why you need to leave. Maybe next time I can visit you in one of your trips, would you like that?”

“I’d love that.” Jimin said as he pulled Taehyung in for another kiss, this one much longer as the both of them tried to convey the longing and love.

“Have you eaten dinner?” Taehyung asked after they parted.

“Not yet. I fell asleep as soon as I got home. It was an exhausting week and my charm took long to wield its magic.”

“Awww. My poor baby. Come on let’s cook pasta. I’m craving for some arrabiata. Don’t worry, I bought a ready-made bottle of the sauce.” He winked at him.

And both of them broke out into laughter at the memories of that day. Hand in hand they walked back to the kitchen with the bouquet carefully clutched in Jimin’s other hand as he stole a few sniffs off the flowers.

They cooked the pasta at their own pace as more flirting ensued, stolen kisses while Taehyung cheered for the water to boil, back hugs and a chin on the shoulder as Jimin heated the sauce with Serendipity brushing past their legs.

Jimin picked her up to cradle on his lap while Taehyung was plating their dinner. Serendipity purred at the attention as even she missed him. Jimin cooed at her and gave her a final scratch on the head before putting her down on the floor as Taehyung brought the food to the table.

They talked about their week as they ate. Taehyung congratulated Jimin on yet another sealed deal and Jimin was excited for Taehyung as he relayed that the book was set to be published next month. A beautiful blush bloomed on Jimin’s face when Taehyung showed him the book cover design and told him what it reminded him of earlier.

They settled on the couch, the blue bouquet had been arranged on the vase by the coffee table and soft music was playing as moonlight was filtering through their windows. Taehyung had one arm around Jimin’s shoulder as Jimin leaned his head on his chest, their other hand intertwined together. They talked about anything and everything – about the past they shared, the present they indulge in and the future they foresee together.

And as Taehyung glanced at the blue bouquet, he once again thought, “How can I not be devotedly in love when the fire that burns within us is meant to last steadfastly for eternity?”

- End -

🐯🐥💙