Work Text:
They’ve known each other for years. Juyeon and Eric became inseparable since the moment the younger moved next door when he was six years old, Juyeon was only a year older but he took the task to protect Eric from every possible evil he could encounter. Consequently, their parents became friends too, since their kids would spend so much time together.
The kids went to school together, Juyeon being in 2nd grade while Eric had just started first grade. The parents of both children worked early in the morning so it was decided that Juyeon’s older sister would walk them to school since it was on the way to her high school so every morning Eric’s parents would drop him at the Lee’s house and he would run happily to knock on the door and as soon as Juyeon opened it, the younger would embrace him with a hug, the kids would play while Juyeon’s sister would get ready. The three would leave the house, Juyeon grabbing Youngjae’s hand and never letting it go while his sister would be looking after them walking a little behind them to give them space. That was their routine for the rest of elementary school, both friends as happy as they can be until Juyeon reached 7th grade and had to move on to middle school.
Youngjae cried when Juyeon graduated elementary school because he could only think how the older would make new friends and replace him but Juyeon hugged him and reassured him he was always going to be his best friend. The summers were for both of them, they spend the days in each other’s houses, if one of them went somewhere the other one was always invited. Then the start of the school year arrived as it does every year, Juyeon starting middle school and Eric in his last year of elementary school, the older one was now allowed to walk school alone and of course, he took the task to still take Youngjae to school since it was on the way to his school anyway. Every day Juyeon would take Youngjae’s hand until they arrived at the school, then he would hug him and the younger would leave a small kiss on Juyeon’s cheek and leave him to go running towards his school friends. This was their routine for a year until Eric graduated.
Eric started seventh grade, Juyeon started eighth grade but Juyeon no longer wanted to hold his hand. They were both excited to be in the same school once again but the morning of their first day as they were walking to school and the younger tried grabbing Juyeon’s hand as he always did but it was different this time. Juyeon told him no, told him that he was no longer a kid so he didn’t need him anymore. Eric was a little sad, he liked grabbing the older’s hand regardless of the situation but he decided to not mind it too much, meanwhile, Juyeon had a mess going on in his head. Since last year he didn’t feel the same when he grabbed his friend’s hand, he felt the butterflies his friend had told him about when a girl had confessed to her that year but the problem was that he was feeling those butterflies with Youngjae! He didn’t understand why, they had been friends for years why did he have to feel like this?
Then Juyeon started high school, the school not even being near to his old middle school. Youngjae felt his heart sink in his sadness because his best friend would no longer walk him to school after years being together, it felt like the end of both of them. One night, not long after the new school year had started, Juyeon decided to surprise Youngjae by sleeping over at his house and of course Mrs. Sohn agreed because she loved Juyeon like his own son. It wasn’t too late but apparently, the younger has already gone to sleep but when Juyeon opened the door to his room, he could hear small sobs coming from the youngest. That night Eric opened up and confessed to his best friend that he was afraid of growing apart, all he wanted to do was grab Juyeon’s hand as they always did. The older quickly hugged his friend, reassuring him that they will always be together. Something changed that night, that night they stole each other's first kiss and went to sleep with a smile on their faces and a billion thoughts on their mind.
That day was the start of their new relationship, a new start of what would become their lives. Juyeon loved Eric and Eric loved Juyeon, they would fail, learn and win but they would do it together which was the most important thing.