"if you feel uncomfortable in any way, tell me. Immediately."

Throat tightening as if a knot was forming in it, Taehyung found himself unable to release his eyes from Jeongguk. What he said was enough to take him so much off guard, if he was standing on a cliff, he would've fallen by now. Yet the words, the request that held a demanding undertone which had Taehyung's head swirling, wasn't the only thing that pushed him off that cliff.

Jeongguk's eyes. The small glister of worry in them, the same worry Taehyung had seen every time Jeongguk used to tell him not to walk through the dark and rather sleep over when they were younger.

It was genuine worry and it enlightened this releasing feeling inside of him, that made him feel warm and secure, but ready to cry at any moment. He never thought he was ever going to see Jeongguk look at him like this again.

Quickly, he pried his gaze away from the ravenette and looked down, before his emotional being took the best of him. "I will..."

He shouldn't feel like this, it's too early. Weird stuff is happening, he doesn't know if Jeongguk acting like this is going to be permanent or if it's just temporary and Taehyung will once again be left with sorrow and a broken heart, while he hasn't even overcome the first time.

"We're here," Jeongguk's voice ripped through his head, he gave no response though, just stopped walking when Jeongguk did..

Now standing face to face with a brown door, a golden 22 in the center of it which was obviously Yoongi's house number, Taehyung's light excitement intensifies. Yoongi's house was smaller compared to his own home, but the warm brown of the door and the creamy white color of the walls made it look inviting, almost cozy.

If it weren't for the wild LED lights changing their colors visibly through the windows and the damped beats of music resonating from the inside. It was obvious a party was going on.

"Can you please maybe press the doorbell? My hands are kinda occupied," Jeongguk suddenly said, gesturing with his chin towards the present Taehyung wants to give Yoongi, but Jeongguk carried for him. It was still a mystery to Taehyung why he even insisted on doing that. Something so nice.

"Ah, of course." Awkwardness seemed to linger in the air when Taehyung passed Jeongguk with his eyes trained to the ground, only lifting them when he was sure he was standing in front of the door. He pressed the door bell, courtly wondering if someone inside could even hear it, due to the loud music.

But it seemed like it did, when the door opened and a brightly smiling Jimin got revealed. "You're here!" He squealed, pulling his younger soulmate into a hug. His eyes landed on Jeongguk though and he pulled away, eyebrows pulling together in confusion. "You came together?"

"This is coincidental! We just arrived at the same time." Taehyung denied the truth as quickly as possible. He didn't spare Jeongguk a glance, not being sure if he could, now that he had lied to his best friend about the current situation. He was thankful he didn't say anything though.

"I'm going inside," the ravenette just spoke, causing relief to settle inside of Taehyung. "I'm carrying your gift to Yoongi inside for you, Shortie."

Too early. Taehyung felt relieved and thankful too early.

"Your gift?" Jimin asked confused, while Taehyung stared daggers into a smirking Jeongguk who now was gone behind the door. "It was heavy, okay? He was just being nice."

"You never put Jeongguk plus nice into one sentence and he would never carry something for you, so what's going on?" Jimin demanded, knowing his best friend too well to let him pass like this.

"It's nothing big," Taehyung tried to save himself. He wasn't sure why he didn't want anyone to know about that Jeongguk picked him up from home, carried his heavy stuff the whole way and made a promise to take care of him. It was too much information at once.

Too much overwhelming information.

"I was struggling with my present for Yoongi 'cause it was heavy and he lend me a hand when we coincidentally met halfway to Yoongi's house." Please, Jimin buys this, please, Jimin buys this, please—

"I don't believe you." He doesn't buy it. Great. "But it's my boyfriend's birthday party right now and we're gonna go dancing and talk about Jeongguk and you another time. Let's go~"

Taehyung let himself get dragged inside by Jimin with no protests.

An hour of dancing already passed and Taehyung was surprisingly having the most fun he's had for a long time. He got to know the other guys, who fit Jeongguk's description so well. Seokjin, who wants to be called Jin, was a loving person who made sure Taehyung was feeling comfortable around him, which the blond appreciated wholeheartedly. He is so nice, but his patience seems to be running short because of Namjoon, his boyfriend, who was too clumsy too hold a glass and not spill his beverage. He was pretty cool though and Taehyung had enjoyed talking to him. Hoseok is the epitome of sunshine, his smile brighter than the sun itself. Jeongguk was right when he said that Hoseok is the life of the party. Yugyeom and BamBam (apparently that's how he wants to be called, because his real name is too long and impossible to pronounce) are the same age as Jeongguk, both nice. Taehyung didn't have the chance to talk to the two a lot though, as they got distracted so fast by the music and their dancing.

Jimin made sure to check up on him a few times, but Taehyung couldn't blame him for mostly having his attention on his boyfriend, rather than on his best friend, especially when it's said boyfriend's birthday. What surprised Taehyung the most though, was when Yoongi had approached him alone and asked him if he was enjoying himself, to which Taehyung had nodded with a bright smile.

He really did enjoy the party.

Deep down he knows though, that if that certain person, that was rather standing in a corner the whole party, not dancing, not socialising and looking at his phone, wasn't as distracting as he sadly is, Taehyung would've enjoyed himself even more. Just like Taehyung had imagined, Jeongguk had put the white hoodie he was wearing earlier off, leaving him in a tight black tee, that hugged his biceps so well, the fabric holding onto that last tiny thread before ripping to shreds because of the size of his biceps. Generally, the concept of Jeongguk with dark tight clothes and long parted black hair spoke for itself. Taehyung's cheeks heated up the longer he looked at the ravenette and as realisation settled upon him, he internally panicked, not knowing how long he had been staring at Jeongguk and wether someone had noticed him.

This was definitely going out of hand.

There was no way Taehyung allowed himself to think about Jeongguk this way. He can't, or he was for sure going to get hurt again which he still wasn't ready for, not having even overcome the first time. He hates Jeongguk for many things, one of them being the fact that Taehyung was developing this annoying swirling emotions because of him. He knows what they mean and he fears them, seeing them as his biggest enemy in this current time. There was no future to this, everything ended into nothingness and rather than having himself suffer again, he wishes he could just delete Jeongguk out of his life.

Or is that really what he wants?

The music suddenly stopped completely. "Let's open presents!" Jimin announced.