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Namjoon opens his eyes, letting out a huff in frustration at his current situation. He’s laying in his bed surrounded by darkness, the only light coming from his clock on his nightstand which reads 3:32 a.m. He’s torn, wanting nothing more than to just close his eyes and immediately go back to sleep, but his body won’t let him to do that.
He has to pee.
Throwing his blankets off of him haphazardly, he swings his legs over the bed, stretching his arms out before standing up. His feet drag across the floor as he makes his way to the door, opening it slowly as to not cause any loud noises that might wake up the other members.
Before he can turn towards the nearest bathroom, however, he sees light peeking through from under a certain member’s door.
Shaking his head, he lets curiosity get the best of him, heading towards Taehyung’s room as opposed to the bathroom like he planned. He lightly knocks on the door, giving Tae a few seconds to become decent if need be before he opens the door.
“Tae..?” Namjoon whispers, poking his head into Taehyung’s room. What he sees is said member hunched over his desk, furiously writing something down in his notebook. He doesn’t respond to Namjoon. In fact, it doesn’t seem like he is even aware that his friend is standing at his doorway, too encompassed into whatever he is writing.
“Taehyung, why are you still awake? We have rehearsal tomorrow.” Namjoon says, making sure his voice was a little louder than before.
Tae scribbles over whatever he was writing before groaning, ripping the page out of his notebook and tossing it in the trashcan next to his desk.
“It has to be perfect. Why can’t I think of what to do?” Taehyung mutters, turning to a blank sheet of paper and immediately writing again.
Namjoon’s eyebrows furrow in concern as he closes Taehyung’s door, his leader senses telling him that this isn’t going to be a simple conversation. He walks up to Taehyung, pulling a nearby ottoman to use as a seat next to him.
“What are you working on? A song?” Namjoon asks, craning his head to try to peek at Taehyung’s notebook.
Taehyung sighs and lets his head fall onto his desk, letting out a drawn-out whine afterward.
“No hyung…A song would be much easier compared to this…”
Ok, now Namjoon is really confused. What in the hell could he be working on at this time of year? Right when they are about to finish their tour, and have a comeback and a new tour right around the corner.
“You’re gonna have to give me a hint Tae,” Namjoon smiles, resting one of his elbows on Taehyung’s desk.
Taehyung doesn’t lift his head from his desk, just simply turns it toward Namjoon. Once his head is fully facing him, Namjoon can see the genuine exhaustion and sadness in his eyes.
“I want to confess to him hyung…” Taehyung whispers.
Namjoon’s eyes widen a brief moment before he collects himself, not wanting to stress Taehyung even further. He’ll never forget when Tae first came to him 6 months ago, spilling his feelings about a certain other 95 liner. He can’t say he was too surprised. No one doubted that the two would end up together, it was just a matter of when. And after him and Taehyung talked, it seemed like Taehyung was ok with how their relationship was at the moment, wanting to let fate take care of the rest.
That is what makes Taehyung’s current position a shock to Namjoon. The obvious stress Taehyung is dealing with right now clearly isn’t how someone would look if they were leaving it up to fate.
“But when we last talked…” Namjoon starts, letting the rest of his sentence hang in the air.
“I know, I know. But I was stupid back then. Leaving it up to fate? Are you joking? How did I think I was going to last that long? Delusional, that’s what I was. I can’t go another minute without telling Jimin how I feel.” Taehyung says confidently, though his body position still reads despair.
Namjoon smiles admiringly at his friend, reaching over to ruffle his hair. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are ready to tell him. That’s very brave of you, Tae. I’m proud.”
“Brave? Seriously? If I was brave, then how come I am freaking out right now? I can’t think of how to confess!!”
“Tae, it’s just Jimin.”
Namjoon regrets those words immediately once he sees the look on Taehyung’s face. Taehyung slowly lifts his head up off of the desk, turning his body to fully face Namjoon.
“…Just…Jimin?”
Namjoon gulps, letting out a nervous laugh as he scratches the back of his head. “Umm…I mean, you know that’s not what I meant. It’s jus-“
“Just Jimin?!?” Taehyung interrupts him before he can even finish his sentence. “We are talking about the love of my life, hyung! The wind beneath my wings. The sun to my moon. My soulmate! Our love is one for the ages! The inspiration for all of the best love songs to have ever existed. Shakespeare himself couldn’t right a better love story than ours. I forced myself out of my mother’s womb just so I could be born in the same year as him. For Christ’s sake, the reason Jimin trips all the time is because I am so careless with our red string of fate that is tied around our pinkies, hyung! OUR PINKIES!” Taehyung yells, thrusting his pinkie into Namjoon’s face.
Namjoon’s eyes are as wide as saucers as he takes in the boy in front of him. Taehyung looks mad with his heavy breathing and one pinkie up in Namjoon’s face.
“Tae, do me a favor and just take a few deep breaths…” Namjoon says cautiously, slowly reaching over to pull Taehyung’s hand down to his side.
“Right…sorry..I’m just- I don’t know. I’m freaking out. I want it to be perfect. I’m talkin’ the greatest declaration of love in the history of the universe, hyung…” Taehyung whispers, head titled down as he looks at the ground.
Namjoon puts his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze before he takes it off. “I know, Tae. The love you have for Jimin, it seriously takes my breath away. I’m in love with your guys’ love. Even when army’s make memes of me looking like a third wheel with you guys.”
Taehyung laughs, scratching his head and muttering a quick apology.
Namjoon lightly punches Taehyung’s shoulder before he continues. “But just because the love between you two is the greatest the world has ever seen, doesn’t mean your confession has to be. The great thing about you two is that you know each other so well. I bet you’ll barely get two words out before he’s throwing himself in your arms. Heck, he probably knows what we are talking about right at this moment, using that weird soulmate telepathy you guys seem to have.”
Taehyung puts his hand on is chin, some ideas entering his thoughts while Namjoon is still talking.
“It could be something small, like a hand-written letter. You know how much he loved your letter from Hawaii. Or it could be a song. Oh! Or you could take him to that park that’s around the corner at night, confessing to him as you gaze upon the stars.”
Tae suddenly jumps out of his chair, making Namjoon yell as he falls out of his from the sudden movement.
“I’ve got it!” Tae yells, while Namjoon groans on the floor.
“You didn’t have to scare me like that…I mean, I know my star gazing idea was good and all…” Namjoon mutters, sitting up and rubbing his head, knowing a bump will surely be there when he wakes up in the morning.
“No no no no, forget the stars, hyung! I’ve got a much better idea!” Taehyung exclaims, extending his hand down to help Namjoon stand up.
“Better than the stars…really?” Namjoon says, tilting his head and cocking his hip out in disbelief.
“You said we can practically read each other’s minds right? And we’ve got the four shows coming up in Hong Kong. And you know at the end of Fake Love, when Jimin rests his hand on my back? Right before he does that, I’ll move my hand on my back, so that when he goes to put it there, I’ll hold his hand. And if he holds mine back, then that means he must love me too!” Taehyung smiles brightly, his mouth forming a box as he throws his arms up in the air in delight.
Namjoon gives him a look of disbelief. Is this seriously the idea he’s going to choose?
“I know I said it doesn’t have to be the greatest declaration of love, but you could put a LITTLE more effort.”
“No, you were right! Jimin doesn’t care about any material thing. Keeping it simple is best,” Taehyung responds, nodding his head.
“Tae…you’re tired and not thinking straight. Don’t you think you should be a little bit more direct and, I don’t know, use WORDS.”
Taehyung shakes his head, waving his hands in front of Namjoon. “No way, that’s way too overplayed. Jiminie will know what I mean by it. Trust me. This is fool-proof.”
Namjoon sighs, dropping his head in his hands. “Seriously, Tae, I don’t think that this is a good id-“
“Ok, I’ve got to finish out the details. Hyung, thanks for your help, but I’ve got this.” Taehyung says as he opens his door, pushing Namjoon out of his room.
“Also, it’s like almost 4 in the morning. Why the heck are you even still awake?” Taehyung asks, shutting the door in Namjoon’s face before he can even respond.
Namjoon huffs before turning around, walking straight to the bathroom. “This is why I hate when I have to pee in the middle of the night.”
Hong Kong- Day 1
One week later and BTS is backstage at AsiaWorld-Expo arena, in the middle of their 1st show of 4 in Hong Kong. Taehyung slowly breathes in and out, trying to calm the nerves making their way through his body. He always gets a little nervous before performing, no matter how big the crowd. But the stakes this time are much higher than a measly voice crack or wrong dance step. What happens tonight will decide the rest of his life. He either will walk out of the arena with Jimin’s hand in his, or he won’t. Suddenly, he feels like he could throw up all of the snacks he had before their concert started.
He feels a hand on his shoulder, and turns to see it’s Namjoon.
“How you holding up Tae?” Namjoon asks, giving a look of concern to the boy.
“Could be better, a lot better actually. But, it’ll be worth it, right?” Taehyung asks him.
Namjoon contemplates his response before answering him. “Look, Tae, don’t you maybe wanna reconsider this plan of yours? I mean, you and Jimin hold hands all the time and I-”
“Oh, looks like we’re up. Wish me luck!” Tae yells before running towards the stage, leaving Namjoon behind.
Namjoon just lets out a sigh, shaking his head. “Why do I even bother?”
Four minutes later and BTS is about to finish Fake Love, getting ready to get into the final pose of the song. Taehyung is freaking out, to say the least. Thank god his body seems to do all of the choreography correctly, because his mind is running a full marathon right now. He feels Jimin coming closer to him, and he knows the moment is about to happen. He bends down slightly, and he twists his right arm to go behind his back. He locks eyes with Jimin, seeing him reach over to put his hand on his back. It’s at that moment that he chickens out, his arm frozen where it was halfway reaching over his back. Jimin gives him a questioning look, as if he can sense Taehyung’s inner struggle, but brushes it off, finishing the song as normal. The members run off the stage once the songs over, getting ready for the next part of the concert.
“Well? How’d it go?” Namjoon asks, running up to him.
“Chicken, I’m a big ass chicken. It’s his damn eyes. Damn you Park Jimin!” Taehyung yells as he walks towards the stylists, causing Jimin to lift his head up where he was standing a few feet away.
“What did I do?” Jimin asks Namjoon, eyes wide in curiosity.
Namjoon scratches his head, shrugging his shoulders in return.
Hong Kong- Day 2
“You can do this, Taehyung. You can do this. It’s just Jimin. You know he loves you. How can he not? Oh god, what if he doesn’t love you? Jesus I can’t do this. I can’t...” Namjoon claps his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, causing his little freak out session to end early.
“Still going for the same plan?” Namjoon asks.
Taehyung nods his head, trying to calm his breathing down to a normal rate.
“I still think you can do something better...” Namjoon says in a sing-song tone, hoping this time Taehyung will actually care to listen.
He doesn’t of course, letting Namjoon’s hand fall off of his shoulder as he makes his way to the stage.
“Seriously, why do I bother??” Namjoon asks himself, hitting his forehead.
Four minutes later and Taehyung finds himself in the same place he was the day before. He makes sure his eyes never meet Jimin’s, knowing that was the cause of his downfall yesterday. He moves into position, twisting his right arm to make its way to rest on his own back. He smiles, amazed that he was actually able to do it. He waits just a couple of seconds, knowing Jimin will be reaching over to his back at any moment. His face immediately falls, however, when he feels Jimin rest his hand higher than usual on his back, leaving about 2 centimeters in between their two hands.
He huffs as he walks off-stage, brushing past an awaiting Namjoon.
“His damn hand was too high. Damn you Park Jimin!” Taehyung yells, causing Jimin to stop right next to where Namjoon is standing with a bemused smile resting on his lips.
“Now what did I do?” Jimin asks, his look of curiosity from the night before replaced with a look of pure confusion.
Namjoon just shrugs his shoulders again, leaving Jimin to his own thoughts.
Hong Kong- Day 3
“Ok, for the last time, where are you gonna put your hand?” Namjoon asks Taehyung, watching the boy rehearse in front of him.
“Right here,” Taehyung answers, reaching towards the middle of his back.
“Good. Good,” Namjoon comments, nodding his head.
“Thank you, hyung. I know it may not seem like it, but I really appreciate your help throughout all of this,” Taehyung says, giving Namjoon a hug.
“Just stop making me look like a third wheel to Army and you won’t owe me a thing,” Namjoon laughs, putting his arm around Taehyung as they walk towards the stage.
Four minutes later and Taehyung is back in the same position, heart beating just as fast as it has the other two days. He doesn’t show it, though, his face reading determination rather than nervousness. He will get it right this time. He has to.
His arm reaches around to rest on his back, and he knows he has the perfect placement, he can feel it. He opens his hand, awaiting Jimin to place his hand on it. His heart drops when he feels Jimin’s hand fall somewhere around his wrist, staying there for a brief moment before letting it fall back to his side.
Taehyung lets out a bitter laugh, storming his way off the stage. Namjoon walks towards Jimin, knowing that based on the look on Tae’s face, he’s going to let out some comment about his fellow 95 liner. Taehyung doesn’t disappoint as he quickly turns around, walking toward the two.
“You changed the choreography!” Taehyung yells at Jimin.
“Huh? No I didn’t...” Jimin says timidly, looking to Namjoon with questioning eyes, to which he just responds with a sigh.
“It was higher than usual. Higher! That’s not where it was supposed to be. This is a two-way street, and I’m doing all of the work!” Taehyung spins around, walking away from Jimin and Namjoon.
Jimin looks concerned, eyes following Taehyung’s figure as he disappears around a corner.
“Just...ignore him. He didn’t eat his breakfast this morning,” Namjoon comments casually, leaving Jimin alone to his thoughts again.
Hong Kong- Day 4
“Ok, this is it. Now or never. You ready?” Namjoon asks, walking up to Taehyung who is leaning against the wall, a dejected look resting on his face.
“I’m not doing it...” Taehyung mutters, a pout working its way onto his lips.
Namjoon’s eyes widen, as his mouth drops in shock. “Wait, what? But...the plan! You’ve worked so hard!”
“Yeah, and look where it’s gotten me!” Taehyung comments, arms open in front of him. “Nothing! No Jimin, that’s for sure.”
“Tae...”
“No, I don’t wanna hear it!” Taehyung walks away, making his way towards the stage.
He gets through most of the performance with no change of heart. He just doesn’t feel up to dealing with another failed confession. He’s convinced himself that he isn’t going to do it, until he gets towards the end of Fake Love, when him and Jimin walk up to each other. He looks up at Jimin, and sees him staring back with a look Tae has never seen before. It’s a look of nervousness, mixed with determination. Tae doesn’t know for the life of him why Jimin is looking at him like that, but he doesn’t care. All he knows is that he needs this man. He needs to tell Jimin how he feels, right now. They wrap their arms around each other's shoulders, turning in a circle to walk away from each other.
Taehyung gets himself ready for the final time, breathing steadily as he twists his arm to rest his hand on his back. He’s not sure if the placement is perfect, but at this point he doesn’t care. He’ll make it work. His heart is racing as he waits for Jimin to finish the choreography. He feels Jimin rest his hand where it’s supposed to be on his back. But instead, Jimin finds Taehyung’s hand, and their hands finally meet. It’s not quite the right placement for Taehyung to get a firm grasp, or to interlock their fingers. But Taehyung holds Jimin’s hand as best as he can, giving it a small but firm squeeze. Time seems to slow down, and Taehyung lets himself think of the reason why he’s put himself through torture the past few days. The past few months, really. All of this for Park Jimin. And every second of it proves worth it when he feels Jimin squeeze his hand back, holding on to Taehyung’s hand firmly.
They let go of each other’s hands to get out of formation, and a giddy smile rests on Taehyung’s face as he slowly saunters off of the stage. Namjoon is waiting there for him, ready to offer comfort, but he tilts his head in confusion upon seeing the look on his face.
“Tae...you good?”
“He loves me...” Taehyung whispers, throwing his arms around a confused Namjoon.
“Wait, you did the plan? And it worked? He said he loves you??” Namjoon asks, pulling Taehyung out of his arms to get a good look at him.
“He held my hand back,” Taehyung sings, a lovesick look swimming in his eyes.
“Taehyung, listen to me. Did he say that he loves you??” Namjoon asks, trying to get Taehyung to focus on him. It doesn’t work, as Taehyung just sighs dreamily.
A quiet cough is heard behind Namjoon, and he spins around to see Jimin standing there, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.
Taehyung’s signature boxy smile makes its way onto his face as he runs up to Jimin, throwing his arms around him. Jimin laughs, lifting Taehyung up and spinning him around.
“Do you really, Jiminie?” Taehyung asks, using his hands to cup Jimin’s face. Jimin responds with a beaming smile, quickly nodding his head.
“Of course, TaeTae. I always have. You’re my soulmate. I love you so much...”
“I love you too,” Taehyung whispers back, rubbing his thumb across Jimin’s cheek before he leans down, meeting his lips to Jimins.
Jimin quickly reciprocates, deepening the kiss as he wraps his arms around Taehyung’s neck, pulling him further down to be closer to him. Their bodies meld together like they were always meant to be this close as they kiss each other senseless, making up for all of the lost time.
While all of this is happening, Namjoon stands to the side, mouth dropped open in complete shock.
“It’s about time, isn’t it?” Jin asks, walking up to stand next to Namjoon.
“I...what...how...”
“Namjoon, you ok?” Jin asks, looking at Namjoon with concern.
Namjoon just shakes his head, throwing his arms into the air. “Seriously, why do I bother?!?”