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When Jeongguk was younger, he made a promise with the older kid living next door. Kim Taehyung, who later became his best friend, a naturally bright and loud boy who smiled when they swore that they would never keep secrets from each other again.
Jeongguk was five and Taehyung was almost seven then. They were sprawled on the floor of the Kim's living room, their toys scattered and making a mess around them as their own mothers watched them from a distance, fond look apparent on their faces. Taehyung's eyes were red, snot coming out of his nose even after he sniffed and his face turned pink and bloated from crying.
It had been Jeongguk's fault.
It started when the younger had gone out to the mall with his mother earlier that day with one goal in mind. Jeongguk had spent days asking his mother's help to get the perfect Christmas gift for Taehyung, who was also about to turn seven soon. Jeongguk wanted it to be a surprise because everyone likes surprise and surely, his best friend would as well. So he had lied and told Taehyung he would be going out on a playdate with a new friend he met in his class. Jeongguk felt proud of himself for making the perfect excuse.
But Taehyung, after hearing it, thought Jeongguk was going to replace him with a younger and a better friend, and then proceeded to cry for the next few hours.
Even when Jeongguk was young, he doesn't like seeing Taehyung cry. It hurts his chest and makes him feel weird, like someone is squeezing him real tightly. It's uncomfortable. It also makes him sad seeing his hyung sad. Jeongguk hates those feelings.
And so with tears still streaming down their faces, snot running down their button noses, and their little pinkies crossed together, they seal their promise with a tight hug and a contract poorly written in red crayon.
Sixteen years later and Jeongguk is facing a dilemma.
Before anything else, he needs to point out that no, this time it wasn't his fault that he's in this situation.
You see, he never asked to be bitten by a radioactive spider during a school trip when he was sixteen and then wake up being able to shoot webs from his hands. He never asked to be the friendly neighborhood hero Spiderman, fighting crime and saving lives when he was still an awkward teenager in high school. He never asked to bear a responsibility as heavy as this whilst struggling with algebra and biology. He even declined Kim Namjoon, Iron Man, who was his greatest idol, when he asked Jeongguk to be one of the Avengers two years ago because he can't leave his city alone.
(Turning down Namjoon hurt Jeongguk a lot that he cried and got blackout drunk the same night.)
Nevertheless, all Jeongguk wants in life is to graduate college with his photography degree and then get his dream job in that bigshot company downtown instead of the part-time he's got in the small studio three blocks away from his apartment so he could live and survive for the next seven decades or so.
He also wants to maybe, probably, hopefully , spend those next couple of years with Taehyung by his side. Because as cliché as it sounds, Jeongguk has been in love with his best friend for years. It's been a terribly long time of him pining and Taehyung not thinking anything more of his affection.
Sometimes, when his mind gets the best of him, he has dreams where he finally tells Taehyung what he truly feels. It's always so vivid that Jeongguk would wake up in cold sweat, feeling scared of rejection. But then every following morning, nothing's changed. Taehyung still treats him like a friend–nothing more than his best friend–and yet Jeongguk still pinned agonizingly after him.
It would have been fine if his only lie was his unrequited love and nothing else. But too bad Taehyung will obviously not be happy when he finds out that Jeongguk has been keeping a huge secret from him for about five years now.
And so, that is currently Jeon Jeongguk's dilemma.
He's torn between finally telling his best friend the truth about him being Spiderman or continuing to hide his secret to protect Taehyung.
Of course, there are pros and cons for each side. Telling Taehyung would, first of all, lift the thorn that has been stuck in Jeongguk's chest since the beginning and there would be no secrets between them again (except for the fact that Jeongguk is hopelessly in love with Taehyung). Second, he would finally have someone to talk to about all the superhero stuff like what he wanted all these years. There will also be someone to cover for him whenever he needs to temporarily disappear and excuse himself to go out and attend to his superhero duties.
It all seems too promising–too good to be true that it makes him take a step back and think twice. Aside from the fact that telling Taehyung five years too late will make him undoubtedly mad, it might also put him in a new kind of danger.
Being close to Spiderman seems fun at first. Imagine being friends with a superhero? Sounds cool, right? But it's not all that. Being associated with Spiderman is dangerous and risky. Knowing the identity that several people want to find out is a big burden and Jeongguk isn't sure if he would want to give something so heavy to someone he cares about a lot.
Not telling Taehyung on the other hand, first and foremost would make it seem like Jeongguk didn't care about the promise they made years ago. Five years and counting of hiding will only make Taehyung more disappointed in him. He might think Jeongguk doesn't trust him and that's not true. Not even close. But then, knowing nothing will not put a huge target on Taehyung's back. He will be safe from the claws of the enemies and that's the only thing Jeongguk really wants.
Heaving out a deep sigh, Jeongguk shakes his head to try and clear his thoughts. It doesn't really work but it helps him relax for a bit. Taehyung is still on his mind. He always is. But as he takes a deep breath, he feels his nerves calming down with every inhale and exhale of air.
Seated on top of his university building, his feet dangling outside the ledge and arms propped up on the metal railings, Jeongguk looks ahead to the clear view of the city. It's almost dusk, the sun about to hide behind the clouds again. There are few birds flying across him and he finds himself smiling at how free they seem.
A few minutes later and Jeongguk finally starts to feel relaxed, his thoughts slowly drifting off of Taehyung.
It's not quiet down below, not yet. Jeongguk peeks at the gigantic clock on the city hall building which was standing directly across his university. It's just about rush hour, that makes sense. He looks down and sees the bustling city life below him. The people are moving like ants. Busy. Fast. Tiny . Going on with their own lives.
No one sees Spiderman. No one notices Jeongguk even when he takes his mask off, the material suddenly becoming suffocating, but that's probably because he's almost a thousand feet above all of them. He's right there, but not really around–just existing somewhere in the same vicinity as them.
Sometimes, if he's being honest, Jeongguk prefers this. The solitude. He likes being alone and looking at the city peacefully, with no crimes to fight and villains to stop. Unfortunately for him, it rarely comes.
The familiar tune of Yes or Yes snaps Jeongguk out of his reverie. He jumps on his place as the happy beat continues to play, the song reaching its chorus. He turns to his backpack carefully propped on the floor on the other side of the roof. He didn't want it to fall from the roof so he had it safely placed all the way there. Shooting out a string of web, it sticks to leather as soon as it hits and Jeongguk tugs, pulling the bag close.
His phone is still ringing, loud and nonstop as if telling him to hurry up when Jeongguk manages to fish it out of his bag. He scrambles to answer the call, not even bothering to check the contact ID because he already knows.
Only one person has that ringtone set in his contacts.
"Jeonggukkie! Where are you?" A soft baritone voice asks as soon as he answers and Jeongguk could swear his heart skips a beat for a second.
It's Taehyung.
Jeongguk gathers his legs from the edge of the building and pulls himself up. He hops off the ledge and his feet lands safely on the concrete with a thud. Now standing and safe from falling, Jeongguk awkwardly clears his throat.
He needs to act normal.
"Hey hyung. What's up?" He says in an uncharacteristically cheery voice that makes even him wince.
He hears shuffling from Taehyung's side. His heart beats faster with each second that he hears nothing from the elder. Is everything okay with Taehyung? Did something bad happen? Just as when he's about to speak up again, Taehyung clicks his tongue, followed by a frustrated sigh.
"Jeongguk," he starts. Oh no. Jeongguk. Not Jeonggukkie. Not Gguk. Just Jeongguk.
"I've been standing outside your apartment for an hour now since you promised to go out with me today," Taehyung says and Jeongguk wants to smack himself in the head because how could he forget? How can he be this dumb? While Jeongguk hit his forehead against the railings, Taehyung continues. "And I know that your last class ended two hours ago so where are you?"
Taehyung doesn't sound angry. Not yet at least. Just exhausted and really disappointed, but Jeongguk can't blame him. He's probably tired of it all.
It always goes like this between them now.
Jeongguk goes out for patrols. Taehyung comes over for something they planned beforehand. Jeongguk forgets and won't be there when he arrives so Taehyung calls him. Jeongguk, needing to protect his secret, lies in gritted teeth.
It happens all the time like clockwork, and at this point, Jeongguk already has a long list of excuses prepared whenever Taehyung asks for his whereabouts.
He decides to pull out one of his best ones today.
"I'm doing a project with Yoongi hyung!" He's obviously not. He hasn't even talked to Yoongi since last week despite working in the same building. "I'm really sorry but I think have to postpone our plans because this is a pretty big project, Tae, and I'll probably get home late anyway."
Jeongguk may be lying about the project but it's true that he's feeling sorry, he really is. He's sorry for forgetting his plans with Taehyung. He's sorry for getting home late. He's sorry for always leaving his friend hanging like this. He's sorry for continuously lying to him
Taehyung, instead of giving him a proper response, hums. Jeongguk blinks.
"Tae? Did you hear what I said?" Jeongguk turns and grabs his mask from the floor. He looks at it, hands clutching it tightly.
"I heard you crystal clear, Gguk," Taehyung tells him. A huff. "But really? Yoongi hyung?"
There's a hint of suspicion, a trace of doubt in Taehyung's voice that Jeongguk could not afford. Not right now.
"Y-yeah. He's actually telling me to stop chatting and get back to working right now - Yeah hyung, I'll be right there!" Jeongguk calls out to no one, laughing nervously. He probably needs to call Yoongi after this and bribe him to get his story straight in case Taehyung tries to confirm, or else he's dead. Jeongguk can kiss his life goodbye.
There was, yet again, a few seconds of quiet from the other line. Jeongguk almost thinks Taehyung hung up on him when the elder speaks up again, drawing out the syllables of his words slowly. "That's interesting."
A skip of his heartbeat. Jeongguk licks his lips. He turns around and glances back down the city again. The noise is starting to dwindle down and the sky is getting darker now.
"What is?" he asks.
Static. A moment of deafening silence and then a sigh.
"I'm pretty sure I saw Yoongi hyung and he was out on a date with Jimin just about twenty minutes ago," Taehyung says, monotonous.
And just like that, Jeongguk's blood runs cold. Fuck. He's going to get found out like this. After years of being able to conceal himself, Taehyung will finally find out his secret because he was a dumbass who failed to make a believable excuse.
"W-well," Jeongguk stutters. Shit. Shit indeed. Jeongguk is so dead. He can imagine Taehyung on the other side of the line, eyebrows pulled together into a frown. He needs a new excuse. And fast. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jeongguk croaks out another burst of nervous laughter. "Haha, you caught me! I'm actually uhm, helping hyung with a surprise for their date! You know, setting the table with roses and all that."
Is that believable enough? Will Taehyung believe him? Jeongguk's palms are sweaty and his spider suit suddenly feels all itchy and hot inside.
Taehyung is quiet and Jeongguk's throat runs dry.
"Jeongguk," he says. Tired.
"Y-yes, Tae?"
Jeongguk's throat feels dry. He has never been this scared in his life before. Not even when he had to fight off the Vulture alone while everybody else partied a few miles away from them.
The effect Taehyung has on him is truly one of a kind.
"I lied," Taehyung admits. "I didn't see Yoongi hyung and Jimin on a date. I don't know about hyung but Jimin was held back in the studio and won't be home until later."
After knowing Taehyung for more than half of his lifetime, Jeongguk knows how smart and conniving his best friend can be sometimes. He knows that many people already fell into Taehyung's trap of acting dumb and clueless. Jeongguk had always been with Taehyung, laughing at them together for being easy and gullible afterward. He never imagined he would be at the receiving end of that act someday.
Attempting to save himself, Jeongguk tries to come up with yet again another excuse. "What I meant was, I was going to help hyung with a date for tomorrow. Not today. Tomorrow."
Jeongguk already knows he's dead meat when he hears a scoff from the other end.
"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"
Fuck. fuck. fuck.
Jeongguk isn't afraid of many things. He's brave. He's really really brave. But if there's one thing that can bring him down on his knees, it would only be Taehyung.
He tries to save himself only to get cut off in an instant.
"I'm not-"
"Bye, Jeongguk. Talk to me when you decide to tell me the truth," A pause. "Happy birthday."
The line goes dead and everything dawns on him.
Right.
Today is his birthday. His fucking birthday. He and Taehyung made plans tonight to celebrate like every other year but Jeongguk forgot. He forgot then proceeded to lie and get caught.
Jeon Jeongguk is utterly screwed.
As if his little dilemma isn't enough, his problems just got worse. It's like the universe is making a way and forcing him to make a decision soon before it becomes too late.
Putting his mask back on, Jeongguk throws his phone inside his bag without second thought. He grabs it and then he jumps.
It doesn't take him much time, webs and swinging before he spots Taehyung down the street somewhere close to his apartment.
It's easy to find him. He stands out in the dull gray area with his yellow sweater and mint blue hair. The streets are quiet and empty as the night falls. Jeongguk takes one last swing before he pauses, sitting crouched on top of a lamppost and head cocked to the side as he watches his best friend make his way home.
The first thing Jeongguk notices that moment while he stares is the way Taehyung is stomping his feet, grumbling with every step forward and an occasional kick to a poor tin can by the sidewalk. He seems angry. No . He's definitely angry. Normal Taehyung would be walking with a bit of a skip in his steps and a smile on his face. Not this.
The second thing he sees is the car fast approaching Taehyung from the other end of the street. But he's not moving away – Taehyung doesn't stop to let it pass through before he can walk down the street again. He doesn't see it coming and Jeongguk's body moves before he could even think.
He swings down with his right arm and shoots a string of web with his left at Taehyung, pulling him away from the street. Taehyung yelps in shock as Jeongguk - Spiderman, slides an arm around his waist, lifting him off the ground and swinging them both back to the other side of the road.
As soon as Taehyung is back in safety, Jeongguk crosses arms in front of his chest, eyeing his friend for any kind of injury as subtle as he can. When he finds nothing, he almost sighs in relief but stops himself just in time.
"You should really pay more attention to your surroundings," Jeongguk says, his tone in a bit of a scolding manner.
Taehyung, however, squints his eyes at Spiderman and then scoffs. "Don't tell me what to do."
Jeongguk blinks. What? Does Taehyung not like Spiderman? Jeongguk frowns behind the mask. But Taehyung used to praise Spiderman. He used to talk about how great he thinks he is.
So what's the case? Why does he not like the friendly neighborhood superhero tonight? Is it still because Jeongguk ditched him? Is Taehyung that angry at Jeongguk that he's even snapping at Spiderman?
"I mean a thank you would have sufficed," Spiderman says, trying his best not to sound disappointed.
Taehyung is dusting off his clothes but he looks up, snaps his head up, and looks back at Spiderman like he just can't believe he said that. "Yeah, and an apology would have sufficed too like ten chances ago."
Noticing how confused Spiderman must have been, Taehyung lets out another scoff in disbelief, placing both hands on his hips. "I'm still mad at you."
Spiderman blinks. "What?"
"What do you mean what? You left me! Again!"
Jeongguk heart rate starts to pick up. Taehyung's words don't make sense to Spiderman. Spiderman would never understand what Taehyung was talking about and why he's so angry.
Spiderman wouldn't but Jeongguk would.
And Taehyung knows about it.
Taking a few steps back, Spiderman clears his throat. He must be kidding himself. Taehyung doesn't know his identity. He must have been that worried about telling him that his mind is already conjuring up these theories
"What? You're not going to make another excuse?"
There's a glint in Taehyung's eyes and Jeongguk finds himself gulping, resolve breaking as his voice cracks. "I-I don't think I know what you're talking about."
Jeongguk is sweating inside the suit. It's supposed to be comfortable. It's made to be comfortable, light, and easy to breathe through, and yet for some reason, it's suddenly the tightest and most suffocating thing Jeongguk has ever worn tonight.
Taehyung opens his mouth to speak–
"I can't believe you Jeommfh!"
And Jeongguk is running to cover his mouth before he could even finish his sentence.
"Shhh! Don't say it here!"
He knows. He knows. Taehyung knows.
"Remuff yo haf!" Taehyung yells, words muffled.
"I am not removing my hand here," Spiderman tells him. Taehyung huffs and rolls his eyes but doesn't try to fight anymore. "We need to talk and we need to be somewhere private."
And he's got the perfect place in mind.
"Really? Your apartment?"
Taehyung snorts as he stares at Jeongguk shutting the windows where they came through. Jeongguk doesn't say anything though. He walks past Taehyung, drops his bag on a desk near the door then turns to sit down by the edge of his bed.
Jeongguk sighs as soon as he's sat and grabs the base of his spider mask by the neck. Without much effort, he pulls it off and takes in a deep breath the moment the material is on the floor.
"Why? Can you think of any other place?" Jeongguk asks when he looks up, dark eyes now staring right into Taehyung's own after removing his mask.
Suddenly, it hits him. It's real. This is really happening. His mask is off. He took it off. Taehyung is in front of him. He let Taehyung see who Spiderman is behind the mask and he doesn't even look a bit surprised.
With his side leaning on the wall, Taehyung shrugs. "I don't know. I thought maybe you have a secret hideout or something."
"I do not have a hideout. I declined Kim Nam–"
"You declined Kim Namjoon's offer of joining the Avengers and therefore any possibilities of having a hideout besides your apartment. Yes, I know."
Jeongguk freezes.
Taehyung cocks his head, blinking at him as Jeongguk stares right back with mouth agape.
How did he know that? How long was Taehyung aware of the truth? Why did he never tell Jeongguk that he knew? How did he manage to keep it to himself that long? How did Jeongguk never notice?
Questions fill his head, his mind bursting with thoughts and confusion. Jeongguk hides his face behind his hands and groans in frustration. Taehyung knows about his identity. He knows about Namjoon's offer. He knows.
After all this time of losing his mind over making a decision if he should tell Taehyung or not, it turns out he doesn't even need to. Not anymore. He didn't even do anything and yet Taehyung already knows.
Jeongguk also knows that a part of him should be happy. He should be happy that they don't have any secrets between the two of them anymore. He had a lot of things planned when he thought Taehyung didn't know about him yet. He wanted to show him a lot of things and share a lot of stories. He should be glad–he should be, and yet he's not.
"You really didn't know I knew, did you?"
Taehyung's voice is softer now, less bite and anger than when he saw him on the street. He doesn't look disappointed anymore too. Just confused. His brows are furrowed and his lips are pulled down into a frown.
Jeongguk sighs and shakes his head. "No, I really didn't. I was losing my mind thinking if I should tell you because I hate lying and keeping secrets from you," I hate it and yet I haven't told you about what I feel. "I was going crazy about it but I didn't even have to. I'm just, I think I hate that it wasn't me who told you."
It was their promise–promise to never keep secrets from each other. Jeongguk had always been true to his word. He tells Taehyung everything and Taehyung does the same to him. It's how it works. They tell their own secrets to each other. And yet, what could be the biggest secret in Jeongguk's life, was not shared with his best friend by himself.
"But Gguk," Taehyung pushes himself off the wall. He steps forward. Closer. Until he's standing in front Jeongguk. "You were the one who told me about it."
Jeongguk snaps his head up. "What?"
Taehyung sighs, walking slowly to the other side of the bed and sitting down on the space opposite Jeongguk. "You did. Two years ago."
Two… years ago?
"But I don't remember anything?"
How is it possible that he told Taehyung and he had no memory of it? How careless can he be?
"You were drunk," Taehyung says, sounding a bit amused now as he takes in the bewildered expression on Jeongguk's face. "It was here in your apartment too. I came over for a movie night and found you drinking alone. It was when you're wasted that you told me that you're Spiderman. Of course, I didn't believe you at first," He pauses and laughs. Jeongguk loves the sound of his laughter. Taehyung licks his lips and goes on. "But then you started crying and telling me about how you rejected Kim Namjoon's offer of officially becoming an Avenger."
Taehyung stops again but when he finally continues, he's looking at Jeongguk. "You said you can't say yes and leave everything you have here just like that. You said you can't leave me," A deep breath. "Not when you love me."
"Oh."
Blood rushes to Jeongguk's ears. It feels hot. Like if he's a character from a cartoon show, they would probably be smoke coming out of his face.
The vivid dream. Jeongguk's vivid dream of telling Taehyung his feelings wasn't a dream. It was a memory. Not a complete one, but a part of it.
Taehyung shifts from behind him. He toes off his boots and pulls his legs up the bed, hugging them close. "But then the next morning when I wanted to talk to you, you brushed me off and told me to stop thinking about what you said because according to you, you always say shit you don't mean when you're drunk. That you don't ever want to talk about it again. So I never brought it up," he sighs softly and glances at Jeongguk. "I didn't know you forgot about the things you said."
Taehyung lays back and lets his body fall on the bed, still curled into himself and only taking up half the space. His hair is so strikingly bright against the dark bed sheets and Jeongguk can't help but stare. As if on reflex, Jeongguk turns, reaches out and runs his fingers through the soft blue locks just beside him. Taehyung, like always, leans into his touch with a quiet hum.
"I'm sorry. I didn't even mean to get angry today. I guessed that you were probably doing patrol like any other time you weren't able to meet me as soon as I arrived and realized you were gone," Taehyung sounds so small, so sad. Jeongguk feels a pain in his chest. The same feeling he loathes ever since he was a kid. "But it's your birthday, Gguk. It would have been okay if it was just another day but it's not. We always celebrate our birthdays together."
Jeongguk's hand stops and Taehyung glances up to look at him. Propping an arm on the bed, Jeongguk slowly lies down. His legs are awkwardly hanging off the bed but he doesn't mind. He turns to look at Taehyung. They were in a bit of an awkward position. Both lying on the bed, facing each other though upside down. Jeongguk purses his lips and lets out a shaky breath.
"I'm sorry too, Tae. I didn't mean to hurt you by lying and making up excuses all the time. I was just scared about what would happen if I told you."
Taehyung shakes his head. "It wasn't really your fault. You were being a superhero and I was being selfish."
"Hey, no. That's not true. You're not selfish," Jeongguk reaches out again, finger touching Taehyung's face. "You just had enough. It's not the first time I ditched you with a shitty excuse, and besides, you were right. We always celebrate together but my dumb ass forgot it was my birthday today. I got too caught up playing hero I didn't even notice. I hope you could at least forgive me for that."
A small smile creeps up on Taehyung's face, slowly washing the frown away and Jeongguk almost sighs in relief. "You forgot your birthday?"
"Yeah. I only remembered after your call," Jeongguk smiles back, brushing away a stray strand of hair on Taehyung's forehead.
He watches as Taehyung's face slowly scrunch up into a smile, his eyes disappearing as his cheeks bulge out. He lets out the softest giggles and Jeongguk swears his heart stops.
God. He's so in love.
"Wow Jeongguk, I can't believe I didn't see that coming."
"You should expect nothing less from me, Tae and besides, I'm a dumbass," he says, nonchalant.
They both lie right there in the dim lights of Jeongguk's bedroom. They bask in the comfortable silence as they stare into each other's eyes. It feels strange. They had been in the exact position several times. Sometimes even facing each other with Jeongguk's arm draped over Taehyung's waist. They had been physically closer much more than they are now and yet, today feels more intimate–more nerve-wracking for Jeongguk's poor heart in love.
Jeongguk fights the urge to trace Taehyung's features with his finger. He stops himself from touching each and every little mole on his face–moles that he somehow has in the same place too. Taehyung doesn't say anything. He's looking at Jeongguk through his lashes, fluttering them every now and then. There's a smile on his face, a beautiful and peaceful one that Jeongguk couldn't help but mirror.
At times like these, Jeongguk's heart grows fonder. His want to be with Taehyung grows tenfold.
"Jeonggukkie?"
His heart yearns. He needs. After years of being in love, Jeongguk thought he would somehow learn to control it.
But he was wrong.
"Yes, Tae?" He doesn't even have to try and yet his voice sounds so fond.
Taehyung shifts his weight on the bed, moving closer towards him. Jeongguk could feel his breath against his forehead with their position. It was warm.
Taehyung is warm.
"I never got to ask you this, but," Taehyung trails off, biting at his lower lip. He takes a long pause and stares scrutinizingly at Jeongguk. "What you said before, about the reason for not wanting to leave me? Is it true?"
Jeongguk holds his breath.
He knew it was coming. He knew someday Taehyung would find out. But the funny thing right now is that Taehyung already knew about it years ago and kept it to himself while Jeongguk thought he was being subtle.
He swallows the lump in his throat.
"Yes."
He could hear nothing but the sound of his own heart beating in the middle of the quiet room.
"Oh."
That sounded like a rejection if he ever heard one.
Taehyung's eyes soften. He smiles, a faint one. Just a small tug of the corners of his lips.
"Jeonggukkie…"
"Taehyungie?"
"I want to give you a present for your birthday, is that okay?"
It takes Jeongguk a few seconds before he could take in Taehyung's words. He furrows his brows, puzzled. Jeongguk just admitted that he's hopelessly in love with him and yet, Taehyung thinks giving Jeongguk a present right now is the proper response?
Still, Jeongguk nods. It's a present from Taehyung, how can he say no?
"Oh. Sure, I guess?"
Taehyung hums. Jeongguk is still looking into his eyes. It's a beautiful color of a rich brown. They're shining. Like the stars are trapped inside them.
Jeongguk wants to drown in them.
"Close your eyes."
Jeongguk's heart beats in anticipation.
He follows Taehyung and closes his eyes. There's nothing but darkness and his senses kick in in an instant. He hears the almost quiet shifting on the other side of the bed. He hears Taehyung's deep breaths.
He hears a loud beating of a heart that isn't his.
And he feels something soft press against his forehead.
Jeongguk's eyes fluttered open. It's still dark. They never turned on the lights. It's just the dim yellow light of the small lamp by the bedside illuminating the room. It's quiet but Jeongguk still hears the sounds of both their hearts going crazy in their chests
Taehyung is looking at him. His face is flushed pink. He's still smiling. He's so beautiful, so so beautiful and Jeongguk almost forgets how to breathe.
"I'm glad you stayed, Jeonggukkie. I wouldn't know what I'd do without you."
It was left unsaid–the words that Jeongguk has been aching to hear–and yet somehow he hears it loud and clear.
"I don't know what I'd do without you too, Tae."
They find each other in the dark–fingers intertwining as they clasp their hands together. Jeongguk pulls himself up to move on the bed and shift his position so he could finally face Taehyung.
There's a moment of silence where Jeongguk takes his sweet time to look at his best friend laying beside him. It feels different now that Taehyung knows–now that he's free to do so. He doesn't even notice how much his jaw is starting to hurt from too much smiling.
He's so happy.
He can't believe he's this happy.
Taehyung pulls his hand away and Jeongguk almost whines at the loss of the warmth but then Taehyung is holding out his pinky and locking it with Jeongguk's own.
"Let's promise to trust each other more next time, okay?"
He doesn't even need to ask.
"I already trust you with my life. What more do you want, Tae?"
Jeongguk will give him anything he asks for.
"I want you to stay with me."
His heart skips a beat. He couldn't leave even if he tries.
"I'll stay with you forever."
(Jeongguk–Spiderman hears his phone ring the moment he hands the bank robber wrapped in his web to the police. He was just about to swing away and go home when the bubbly tune comes from the bag hooked on his shoulder. It's loud and even the sirens of police cars didn't do anything to muffle the sounds.
It keeps ringing and everyone is staring at Spiderman now, eyebrows raised and amused looks on their faces.
" Fancy? So even Spiderman likes Twice too."
Jeongguk's eyes widen when he realizes that fuck, it's Taehyung's custom ringtone and everyone, including the police and the bank robber, heard it. The ringing stops a few seconds later and Jeongguk runs, swinging himself away from the scene before he's scrambling to fish his phone out of his bag.
There's one missed call and a new text message from Taehyung.
From: taebabe
jeon jeongguk, i'm reminding you that it's my birthday tomorrow and i swear to captain america's ass if you stand me up i'm breaking up with you (not really, but please don't forget!)
p.s. be safe. i'm glad you didn't leave me.
Jeongguk grins and sighs dreamily. Why is Taehyung this cute? How did he get so lucky to fall in love with his best friend who loves him back?
He smiles as he types down a reply.
To: taebabe
i wouldn't dare forget or else you'd come running to america just for his ass
and you can stop worrying now cause i'm done for the night
p.s. love you too
Jeongguk is really really glad he didn't leave too.)