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The door creaks as it opens, slowly. It's a different door, of course, a different sound. But Taehyung shivers just the same.
He hears two, three steps—tentative yet bold at the same time. Then, the mattress dipping under a very familiar weight.
Taehyung’s heartbeat spikes.
“Koo… we can’t,” Taehyung whispers without facing him.
He knows the battle is already lost, but seeing him will only make it more real.
“Please?”
“Hyungs will be mad,” Taehyung says to the wall, knowing it's a lame excuse at this point.
He feels the tossing of the sheets, and suddenly his skin meets a long-lost warmth—a familiar tingling coursing all the way down his spine at the barely-there touch.
“They’ve never minded, Tae, it was all in your head.”
“Yes they have, Koo.”
Taehyung can already feel Jungkook’s body radiate that addicting heat behind him. He wants to be able to reject him so badly, to knock some sense into him and save them the pain that will inevitably come afterwards. But he knows himself well enough to know it will never happen.
He tries anyway.
“Don’t do this to me, Kookie.” Not now, not again.
“Please, I… We don't have to do anything, just—I’ve missed you so much.”
A soft hand travels along the curve of Taehyung’s hip, and he feels a broad, warm chest flush behind him. It’s a bit awkward now, their bodies fitting differently, but Jungkook’s smell is the exact same—sweet and intoxicating, even if Taehyung hasn’t even faced him yet.
Accepting his defeat, Taehyung allows himself to relax and bask in the familiarity and comfort of the boy who built a home inside his heart.
Jungkook sighs, resting his forehead where Taehyung's shoulder blades meet. It’s a quiet, content sigh, the kind reserved for when he finally gets what he wants. Taehyung would know, because how could he not?
He knows this boy inside and out, always has and always will.
“I’ve missed you too,” Taehyung's admission surprises them both, Jungkook letting out a soft whimper against the fabric of Taehyung’s shirt.
He takes Jungkook's hand resting on his waist to bring it closer to his chest, and Jungkook takes the hint and envelops him whole, burying his face in the crook of his neck.
Taehyung shivers at the feeling of hot breath against his skin. Electricity curses through his every nerve, and the closeness and the intimacy are already making him delirious. He knows he shouldn't allow this. They've already gone through this countless times. And every time—every single time—Taehyung falls. Over and over again.
“It's awesome, to be all together again,” Jungkook interrupts his thoughts suddenly.
“Yeah, I can’t believe we’re all here,” Taehyung admits, a wave of nostalgia and fondness filling him to the brim. It was a dream come true. A promise—their shared dream becoming a reality all over again. Together, the seven of them, like they were always meant to be.
“You excited?”
Hands that feel bigger than they should keep caressing Taehyung’s chest, and it’s both making him feel at ease and restless at the same time. He tries not to let it show, though.
“Of course I am, the sample that Yoongi-hyung showed us sounds amazing.”
“It does! It’s going to be so awesome,” Jungkook concludes, voice child-like and excited, as he tightens his hold on Taehyung. He doesn’t need to see him to know that his nose is scrunched, and that his eyes look like half moons when he says it.
But he decides to check, just in case.
When Taehyung turns around, he’s met with dark, doe eyes and his favorite smile in the whole world. Taehyung’s breath catches in his throat at the sight, feeling his heart flutter as if it was the first night they hid in each other’s beds.
He wraps his arms around Jungkook’s waist, noticing how well they fit together, even if their arms are twice the size they used to be.
“Time really flies, huh?” Taehyung says, their breaths mixing from how close they are.
It’s silent for a moment, and suddenly, Jungkook tightens his hold on him, his Adam apple bobbing.
“Have you… During the service—did you…? With anyone?”
A heavy sense of dread settles in the pit of Taehyung’s stomach. He really doesn’t want to talk about this now.
“Koo…”
“Okay—No, okay, yeah, you don’t have to answer,” Jungkook says, trying to sound nonchalant.
A heavy pause follows. Their intertwined legs shift, making space for each other. Jungkook’s body heat feels comforting against his, bathing Taehyung with a sense of rightness he’s missed more than he’d like to admit.
He brings his hand to Jungkook’s face—looking relaxed and content, although his previous question brought a slight furrow to his brow. Taehyung smooths it with his finger before resting their foreheads together.
He shouldn’t do it, he knows he shouldn’t.
But he does it anyway.
He brushes their noses together first—a silent ask for permission—even if he very well knows he doesn’t need one. And of course, Jungkook responds to the touch, closing his eyes and moving slightly closer.
Their lips meet, and suddenly it’s 2014, and they’re backstage after their first show in LA. It’s like a full-circle moment—Jungkook’s taste is still as intoxicating, innocent, pure.
It’s old and new at the same time, but he still tastes like coming home, and Taehyung knows nothing will ever compare.
Taehyung cups the back of his neck, pulling him closer, their tongues slow dancing to the familiar rhythm they’ve built together through the years. It’s muscle memory at this point, second nature.
They part for air, and even if they’re already pressed together, Jungkook brings Taehyung even closer by his hip. He’s always been greedy like that.
“I will always love you the most, you know that, right?” he whispers in Taehyung’s ear.
And he knew, Taehyung knew this very well. Jungkook had always had a unique way of loving—in earnest, unapologetically. There was no way he could ever doubt him.
“Yeah, I know.”
Being the object of Jungkook’s love had always made Taehyung feel weightless and invincible, like he was something precious—golden. An incredible sense of fondness washes through his whole body at the realization.
Being with the members had always had that effect on him. He’d always felt like he was the best version of himself when he was by their side.
“I’ll always love you the most, too, Jungkook,” Taehyung confesses, as truthful as he’s ever been, before he kisses him again.
“You promise?”
Taehyung thinks that he doesn’t need to promise anything, Jungkook knows him well enough to know he means it. But then again, he’s always been the most insecure out of the two.
“Yeah, I promise,” he says for good measure, as he presses soft kisses all over Jungkook’s face. His nose first—always a favorite of his—then his forehead, his cheeks, his eyelids, the mole under his lips. Jungkook lets himself be pampered as he keeps holding Taehyung close.
“Good night, love,” Jungkook murmurs sleepily, hiding his face in the crook of Taehyung’s neck.
Taehyung’s heart does a somersault, and a thousand memories from when they called each other that invade his mind. A tingling, sweet warmth courses through his veins, and he allows himself a smile in the dark as he holds Jungkook close.
“Good night, my love, sleep well,” he replies, his voice barely a whisper.
And eventually, Taehyung falls asleep holding the boy he knows will always be the love of his life, knowing that it’ll be alright as long as they remain together—however that together might be.
He’s always known that fighting this was a losing battle, after all.