Archive of Our Own

Beomgyu was tired.

It was a normal day. But at the end of the semester.

Choi Beomgyu was in his second can of an energetic drink in a spare time of four days. It wasn't healthy, but it was the end of semester and he had a million essays to do and exams to study due next week. He was used to the hectic pace of being a college student, but he got tired just like anyone else.

Majoring in communication was tiring, the whole major consisted of big projects and essays instead of exams. While people studied for weeks in a row to ace an exam, Beomgyu spent countless nights writing and researching for his fifteen-page essay. He literally couldn’t see straight after five hours on the computer writing and reading. 

It was two in the morning and he was halfway through one of his essays when he heard a loud noise coming from the kitchen. He just moved into a new apartment on the third floor and he still had to get used to it. The place was near his college, it would be easier for him to study, and the rent was cheap and better than dealing with his parents. Beomgyu got scared by the sound in the next room and he approached it carefully with a shoe in his hand.

Yes, a shoe to defend himself. Beomgyu wasn't that good at self defense techniques.

When he entered the kitchen, he found his fridge open and a little black cat messing around in it on the floor, its tail flowing around as the animal rummaged through it. He was confused, to say the least. How could a cat open a fridge? And moreover, why was he looking into his food?

Beomgyu carefully stepped closer to the open door and squatted to pet the kitten. "Hi, sweetie... How'd get up here into my place, huh?" He asked as he patted the animal’s head, which took his caressing without making a fuss.

Beomgyu loved cats, but he was waiting to adopt as soon as he got a job. Since he was a kid he wanted to adopt as many animals as he could afford, giving them the best treatment and so much love that they would get sick of him. As if anyone could get sick from over love.

The little cat leaned into his touch and made him smile. Beomgyu took it as a sign that the cat wouldn't attack him and he smiled warmly at it. Carefully, he took the animal in his arms and walked back to his room, putting the cat on his bed, seeing the kitten snuggle in his pillow, slowly closing his eyes.

Beomgyu smiled and sat back on his chair, ready to finish his essay.

(...)

Beomgyu didn't remember when fell asleep nor when he went to bed, but the first thing he noticed when he woke up was that the cat he found was nowhere to be seen. He just shrugged, thinking that he had an owner and left before he woke up to go back to his house. Beomgyu, then, just went along and started his morning routine.

He was in the middle of making his favorite recipe of pancakes when he heard loud noises from the hall. Beomgyu turned off the stove and went to see what was causing it. He opened his door and saw a boy with black hair carrying a big box to the door beside his own.

“Is everything alright?” Beomgyu asked, genuinely worried about the said person struggling with a big cartoon box. 

"Oh, you must be my new neighbor." The unknown boy said, waking Beomgyu from his staring session. "Nice to meet you, I'm Taehyun." He offered his hand clumsily and Beomgyu took it.

"Hi, my name's Beomgyu,” He shook Taehyun’s hand and Beomgyu gave him a little smile. "I didn't know someone was moving in here, I'm sorry... I would have helped." He scratched his neck a little embarrassed.

Taehyun was quick in denying it and saying it wasn't necessary.

"No, no, no! Don't worry about it, it's fine." He smiled as well. "I hope we can be friends of some sort, if that’s the case,” Taehyun added as he turned around to leave the box on the floor of the empty place. 

"Of course! Since you're the one moving in, if you need any help, you can just knock on my door and I'll gladly help you! Don't be shy, okay?"

Taehyun giggled and agreed before walking towards the stairs to get another heavy full box. Beomgyu just smiled and went back to the apartment to finish his breakfast before going to college.

Beomgyu's day was pretty normal: he went to college, handed two homeworks, went to dance class and then, went home. His routine was based on college and dance, basically.

Dance class was really hard and his legs trembled a little from the exercises he did. Because of that, he decided to take the elevator, which he rarely took, and when Beomgyu got inside, he saw a little person with a pile  of books in hands, begging someone to hold the door for him.

"Hey, there," Beomgyu giggled.

"Hi,” Taehyun answered, still panting a little.

"How's your moving so far by now?" Beomgyu asked as he pressed the button on their floor. “Oh, here. Let me help you!” Beomgyu took some books from the top of the stack. 

"Thank you!” Taehyun answered with a small smile, the dimple on his right cheek popping out. “It’s going better than I imagined, actually. I thought it would be more tiring, but I had less things to bring than I planned,” Taehyun replied as he leaned back on the elevator’s wall. 

“That’s good. Are you in college? Because if so, it’s good that the moving it’s less tiring,” Beomgyu gently asked, mapping around his features. 

“I am! I’m majoring in physiotherapy,” He answered proudly, lifting his chin as he spoke. “And you?”

“That’s great, it’s an interesting major. I’m majoring in communications,” Beomgyu replied. 

The door opened and they continued talking in the hall, being careful not to talk loud and disturb their other neighbors. It was a short walk from the elevator to their doors, but it was enough to make Beomgyu want to know Taehyun better. 

"Thank you again, Beomgyu." He said as Beomgyu put the books on the table inside his apartment. 

"No worries,” Beomgyu replied with a gentle smile, his eyes crinkling at the side. 

Taehyun smiled back and Beomgyu waved at him, entering his own apartment. His head was already hurting just thinking about the last essay he will need to do the entire night, but talking to Taehyun was like a fresh breath of air he needed. 

Beomgyu took a long bath, letting the warm water run through his back and wash away some of his worries. He could feel a knot of tension easing up on his shoulder. After he left, Beomgyu ate some ice cream and headed back to his room, ready to spend at least four hours writing straight as he had a huge project to hand in the following week. 

Beomgyu kept the same routine as the day before, taking a break once in a while to breathe and relax his mind and his eyes. He came back from another break and in the middle of his writing, Beomgyu heard a low meow on the balcony of his living room, making him almost flash to get there as soon as he realized the sound. 

"Oh, you're here again." Beomgyu said while caressing the animal's back, seeing him lean into the touch, closing its eyes. 

The cat meowed again and Beomgyu put him in the living room gently, closing the balcony, so the room wouldn’t become cold. He smiled and decided to anticipate his break and play around a while with the kitten.

Beomgyu could get used to it.

As long as the owner didn’t scream at him and accuse him of robbing his pet, he’d be fine. 

(...)

Two weeks later and the cat was still showing up at Beomgyu's apartment. It wasn’t everyday like he thought it would happen, but still with some frequency. During those days, Beomgyu discovered that he and Taehyun went to the same college, three blocks away from where they lived. 

Coincidentally, Beomgyu ran into Taehyun at the college’s library. 

They were both with some books in their hands and heads hanging low, thinking deeply about the end of the semester and the remaining exams they had. The duo bumped into each other and Taehyun quickly started apologizing to whomever he had knocked down the books as he heard them crashing on the floor. 

"Oh my God, I'm sorry, I didn't— Beomgyu?" Taehyun asked when he saw his neighbor's familiar face.

"Hi there, Taehyun." He laughed at the odd coincidence, grabbing his books from the floor.

He gave Beomgyu a shy smile before getting his own books from the floor as well. Beomgyu stuttered for a second, having mixed feelings if he should invite Taehyun to grab some food with him or just ignore their awkward encounter. He really wanted to be friends with Taehyun, but it's not like he was going to knock on his door out of nowhere and randomly invite him to hang out. Unfortunately, they barely knew each other.

Before Taehyun could walk further away from him, Beomgyu threw his worries in the air.

"Umm... Taehyun?" Beomgyu called the other a little low as they still were in the library.

"Yes?" Taehyun whispered back. 

"Do you wanna grab some food with me later? That cafe near our house is really good!” Beomgyu asked, trying to sound nonchalant and friendly. 

Beomgyu was nervous, but something twisted inside Taehyun's eyes, soon turning into a soft gaze as he nodded in agreement with him. 

“Sure! We can study together, if you want to,” Taehyun shyly prodded, receiving a wide smile from Beomgyu, who nodded at him and made his fluffy hair bounce. 

They sat together quietly at a far back table at the end of the library. It was duster than the others, but it was a perfect spot for studying without interruptions. Beomgyu opened his laptop and started to type diligently as he ran through annotations he made on the book he was using. Taehyun was silent by his side and Beomgyu took upon it to admire him. 

Taehyun’s face was handsome, gorgeous even if Beomgyu were to be honest. His lips were soft plump, the lines of it almost traced by a brush. His nose was tall, sculpted perfectly to frame his face. His cheeks were like his lips, soft and adorned by a dimple on the right side. His eyes were alluring, lile entering another dimension by merely looking at it. They were big, rounded and soft around the edges, making anyone entranced by it. 

Beomgyu shook his head after contemplating Taehyun's features and they kept studying for two hours in a row. They only stopped when they heard Beomgyu’s stomach growled loudly. 

“Guess someone’s hungry,” Taehyun teased as he lifted his eyes from his notebook to look at the other, who grimaced at himself. 

“Sorry, it’s just the time I usually eat, so… biological clock and stuff,” Beomgyu sheepishly admitted, tilting his head to the side. 

“It’s fine! I guess we could use some break bow, we’ve been studying for a long time already,” Taehyun said and started to arrange his things on his bag, putting the pens and books away inside it. 

The duo got up and Taehyun motioned for Beomgyu to lead the way towards the cafe. They asked questions back and forth during the entire walk, getting to know each other more as time passed. Beomgyu got to know that besides Taehyun's majoring, he really liked to sing and sometimes try to write some music. He also discovered that Taehyun was a good cooker and loved cats. Soon enough, they started to talk about animals as Beomgyu was the number one puppy person anyone could ever meet.

Taehyun found out that Beomgyu loved dancing, was a really good drawer and loved to craft things. Taehyun also discovered that Beomgyu cried while watching Peter Pan when he was younger, one of his favorite movies. Beomgyu really loved 80's music because of his dad and Taehyun was happy to know it since he was a sucker for that specific decade of music as well.

They entered the cafe and Beomgyu headed to the counter directly to make their order. Taehyun had told along the way that he didn’t like coffee and would always go with a caramel macchiato instead. Beomgyu got a espresso shot for himself and a piece of strawberry for them to share, receiving an amazing reaction from Taehyun as he told him it was his favorite flavor. 

"I think it's an amazing idea if you cook some breakfast for me before we go to college someday. You know, just to prove that you're really good at it,” Beomgyu suggested smugly, faking innocence in his tone. He winked and Taehyun just rolled his eyes.

"Spare the proof thing! Just come to my apartment Monday morning and we'll have breakfast together,” Taehyun countered, taking a piece of cake to eat. 

"If you insist that much,” Beomgyu smirked and they both laughed. “No, but seriously why did you start learning to cook? Don’t give me the living alone bullshit,” Beomgyu asked and sipped his coffee. 

“I don’t think there was an exact reason. I just see things that interest me and I try it out,” Taehyun shrugged. 

“So you’re one of those people that are good at anything?” Beomgyu joked as he quirked an eyebrow.

“You could say that,” Taehyun stated as he grinned widely.

Beomgyu scoffed at him. “Unbeliveable!”

They talked for more than an hour without even noticing and they were both shocked to see the sun was long gone. The chatting got them both carried away that they lost track of time. Beomgyu was the first one to get up and pay for the food he consumed, Taehyun quickly followed and waited in the line to pay the cashier after they fought about not splitting the bill.

As they lived next door, they didn't need to part ways and continued talking till they reached their building. It was comfortable and nice to get to know each other as they were, calmly and with no rush. It was dreamful to think about how they didn’t run out of topics. In the hall, they exchanged numbers and Taehyun gave Beomgyu a short hug before entering his apartment.

Taehyun was a nice person to have around. He was that type of person that you have endless talks about everything at any time of the day. He would help you with his eyes closed and try as best as he could if he didn't know how, and Beomgyu was eager to discover every bit of him.

Even though they weren't that close yet, Beomgyu was looking forward to spending more time with the boy.

During the meantime, he and Taehyun got closer.

After that day at the cafe, they started texting each other a lot. Taehyun indeed made breakfast for them on Monday morning and they started to walk together to college. (Beomgyu couldn't shut up about how good Taehyun’s pancakes were.) It was their last two weeks of the semester and they agreed to walk together, so they wouldn't be alone.

They were chatty as hell, again discovering a hundred facts and stories about each other. Beomgyu discovered that Taehyun had an older sister and he learned to cook to help her as their mother was a flight attendant and traveled a lot - when Taehyun moved out, his sister was long gone living abroad. Beomgyu also discovered that Taehyun loved old movies, just like him, hated tomatoes and wanted to learn how to sew because he wanted to sew along with his grandmother.

In addition, Beomgyu was full of surprises. Taehyun found out that he broke an arm and a leg a few days before his graduation ceremony because of a stupid bet. Also, Beomgyu was scared of the depths of the sea and couldn't swim in deep places, even though he took swimming classes for almost five years. He really liked to read and to try to write his own ones and his parents were overprotective, making him lost most of his teen years as he didn't got to experience the majority of the stupid things that mattered to teenagers.

He never went to a party, he never drank, he never smoked, he never kissed anyone, he never skipped class, he never played stupid party games, like truth or dare.

Taehyun gasped and said in an incredulous tone. "You're kidding, right?"

"Oh my dear, Taehyun, I wish I was," Beomgyu laughed dryly. They were laying on Beomgyu’s couch as they watched Grease, one of Beomgyu’s favorite movies. "But, it's okay, though. I don't miss it that much because how can I miss something I never had or tried? I don't know how it feels, so I don't miss it!"

"Fair point," Taehyun agreed, his lips twisted in a pout. Taehyun grabbed Beomgyu’s wrist and soothed it while rubbing his thumb at the soft skin. “Still, it’s sad that you had to stay inside your house, forbidden from living. What are you? Rapunzel?”

"Are you calling me a princess? Wow, thank you," Beomgyu joked, speaking in an overly formal tone.

"You’re ridiculous,” Taehyun rolled his eyes. “I'm still shocked about it, you know? It's not like I've done all of the things you said, but never went, at least, to a party? Your parents were so wrong." Taehyun was trying to maintain himself calm, but it got on his nerves how Beomgyu’s parents prohibited him from living like a normal person.

“Tyun-ah, it’s fine, I swear,” Beomgyu said and patted his head, making Taehyun almost melt under his touch.

After that, Taehyun started to ask Beomgyu everyday during their way if he chooses 'truth or dare' in a way of trying to make the older make up for his lost little teenager days. They were walking through the streets after having dinner together, Beomgyu just finished one big seminar at the end of the day and Taehyun waited for him, so they could celebrate together. 

"Beomgyu hyung, truth or dare," Taehyun asked as he popped a bubblegum inside his mouth. 

"What?" He said confused at the sudden question.

"Truth or dare. You said you never played, so we're going to play when we're going home,” Taehyun explained softly, making the other roll his eyes.

"Kang Taehyun, don't start this,” Beomgyu whined with a pout. 

"Too bad, I already did,” Taehyun had a teasing grin on his face that only made Beomgyu roll his eyes again, but failed to hide the smile that appeared on his face.

"Ok, truth,” He replied defeated. 

"Hmm... What was the most embarrassing situation you went through in college?" Taehyun asked, their steps slowing down without noticing. 

"Ok, I guess I never told anyone this but... I accidentally sent to one of my professors a picture of me crying with a piece of meat next to my face because I was going to send to my mom and ask for help to make dinner,” Beomgyu confessed, his cheeks flushing red at the retelling of the story as he was very aware of Taehyun’s cooking skills. 

Taehyun laughed. And laughed. And laughed. His eyes literally got teary by how much he laughed. Beomgyu joined him middleway and they were both laughing.

"Oh my God! And what did they say? Please, don't tell me they started calling you 'the meat guy' after it,” Taehyun breathed out, his cheeks hurting from the intense laughter.

"They literally send me a recipe to make dinner! I was lucky it was my design professor and she's an angel on earth, even though she still laughs at me sometimes remembering it,” Beomgyu answered with a fond smile. 

"C'mon, who wouldn't after this?" Taehyun pointed out, making Beomgyu look at him with utter disbelief.

"I trusted you!" Beomgyu whined loudly with a fake annoyed face.

Taehyun just hugged his shoulders and giggled, telling him he was kidding. "If it makes you feel better, once I emailed my professor a file of one of the mangas I was reading instead of my final essay and didn't notice until he called me in the class in the morning. He explained very carefully that it wasn't an arts nor an animation course. I had to contain my laughter and say I sent the wrong email from my arts course,” Taehyun explained, making Beomgyu laugh harder at his own story. Beomgyu’s laugh was enough to make Taehyun follow him along. 

He was laughing so hard that his eyes were disappearing into crescents and his nose scrunched up, just like a tiny kitten's face.

"Did you pass his class? It would be so fun if you hadn't,” Beomgyu asked, wiping a tear from his eyelashes. 

"Hey! I did, okay? When he saw I didn't know what he was talking about, he said I could send the right one till the end of the day,” Taehyun finished. 

"Aw, not a funny ending." Beomgyu pouted and it made Taehyun coo a little inside, who pinched his cheeks. 

"No, wait for the best part. I sent the right one and my professor rated it, just like every other essay. But at the end of the e-mail, there was a PS and he asked the name of the manga because he found it really good and wanted to finish it,” Taehyun heard Beomgyu’s loud laugh again and smiled softly. He was really happy to become friends with him and now, furthermore, to be capable of making him laugh with so much ease.

(...)

"Gyu hyung, truth or dare?” Taehyun asked, looking away from the paper he was writing at. 

"Again?" He asked, dropping the piece of paper he was playing with. Taehyun just nodded. "Truth."

"You're no fun, always picking the truth. But, I forgive you." Taehyun bumped their shoulders, startling him slightly.

"It's not my fault I'm scared of your dares! Your mind is evil,” Beomgyu poked Taehyun’s forehead as he spoke. 

"I'm not that meanie!” Taehyun used a fake innocent tone, batting his doe eyes. "Okay, what was the longest you have liked someone and who was it?"

Beomgyu tilted his head, thinking hard about the question, even dropping the pencil by his side. Before he could answer, Taehyun made sure he wasn’t uncomfortable with the question. "You don't need to answer, though. I didn't mean to be invasive."

"No, it's okay. I just dropped this," Beomgyu stated with amused eyes, holding his laughter in after seeing the real concern in Taehyun’s own. "I guess it was my childhood best friend, I liked them for about 4 years? Around that."

"Fuck, that's too long,” Taehyun mumbled with wide eyes. 

"Yeah, I know. But I never told them and we lost contact when we got into high school. I think they moved to another school or something like that,” Beomgyu wasn't scared to tell Taehyun that he liked a boy. He was sure Taehyun wouldn’t mind it, but he prefered to use the neutral terms just in case. They never talked about sexuality before and Beomgyu prefered to test the waters first. "And you? I mean, I know this is not how the game works, but I'm curious."

"Hmm, I guess it was a mutual friend between me and my ex-best friend. I met him at high school and liked him for one year and a half,” Taehyun replied nonchalantly. Beomgyu tried to ignore the little twist inside his chest when Taehyun used masculine pronouns, but it was hard not to notice the relief that went through his body. "I had my first kiss with him just to discover a few days after that it was a dare."

The good feeling that filled Beomgyu was washed away and replaced with anger. "Wait, what?"

"Yes, it was a dare,” Taehyun said matter-of-factly. “I'm glad I moved out from that city because I hate everyone that lives there, especially the ones I studied with."

Even though Taehyun had moved on with it, it still hurt to know that he was an object of dare and that his best friend was involved in it. Due to that, he had trust issues due to this problem and his self-esteem dropped drastically since then. Taehyun closed himself off from everyone and always got inevitably suspicious when it came to his romantic life. 

"I'm still trying to get over the fact that they bet on you. Why would someone bet to kiss you? That's fucking stupid,” Beomgyu hissed out in anger. “You’re so beautiful, it doesn’t make sense.”

It wasn't new that Beomgyu was a bit... too forward. He was really honest with everything and didn't hold back what he thought. His comment made the confident Taehyun drop his face and a tint of pink spread on his cheeks.

"Stop. Don't. Start. It." He tried to threaten Beomgyu who was with a sly grin after seeing that he got Taehyun to blush.

"It's true, though. You can't change what I think,” Beomgyu commented cheekily, Taehyun clearly avoiding his gaze. 

"Whatever." Taehyun rolled his eyes and Beomgyu laughed.

(...)

"Beomie, truth or dare?” Taehyun asked as they walked back to their apartments. 

"Dare,” Beomgyu replied right away, not missing a beat. 

"Ok, what was— Wait, what?" Taehyun asked after realizing what the other had just said.

Beomgyu laughed at his reaction and shrugged. "Just felt like it."

"Ok, I'll be gentle then." Taehyun started looking around to find something that the other could do. They were close to their building and Taehyun saw the huge maison they always walked through while coming back from college on the other side of the street. Suddenly, an idea popped in Taehyun’s mind. "I dare you to ring the bell of that house and run away."

Beomgyu looked at him with disbelief. Now that he got him to accept the dare, Taehyun chickened out? He was a bit disappointed with Taehyun’s imagination.

"Ugh, okay." He agreed to a fake struggle and went to the house, crossing the street. 

He stopped at the door and looked at Taehyun on the other sidewalk, waiting for him at the corner of where they lived. Taehyun looked at the huge place in front of him and just shrugged his shoulders, ringing the bell and running away, just like he was told. 

He grabbed Taehyun’s wrist and ran into their building. "Sweetie, I jumped off a tree. That was easy peasy," Beomgyu said when they stopped and entered the elevator.

"It was just to warm up, don't worry." Taehyun winked at him, making him roll his eyes.

(…)

On the last day of classes, Taehyun texted Beomgyu excitedly inviting him over for movies to celebrate the beginning of the vacation. Beomgyu agreed without missing a beat, class far forgotten as his attention got stuck on his phone and a boy with black hair. It was fine, though, nobody really taught something on the last day of class.

Because of that, Beomgyu's class ended an hour earlier and he couldn't be more grateful. He hated the class and the professor, so he was really glad he wouldn't have to see him ever again. Beomgyu decided to wait for Taehyun at the hall of his department, but before, he bought a mini chocolate bar for both of them to cheer them up.

When Taehyun said he was on his way out of his class, Beomgyu answered that he was at the entrance of his building, waiting for him. Taehyun's chest felt a funny tickle inside, but just ignored it and bid his two friends goodbye before finding Beomgyu.

"Gyu hyung, hi." The black-haired boy called from behind him as he looked around searching for something.

"Oh, hey, Tyunie,” Beomgyu smiled and hugged him briefly. "You’re out early! I thought you had another class now."

"My professor canceled it, thankfully. What are you doing here, though?” Taehyun asked, tilting his head to the side. 

“My professor finished the class an hour earlier and as we always walk together, I thought I could come pick you up,” Beomgyu bumped their shoulders and they started walking towards the gate of the college. "Also, this is for you." Beomgyu handed him the chocolate, loving the way his eyes lit up seeing the candy.

"Oh my God, Beomgyu, thank you!" He thanked excitedly, his eyes almost sparkling at the sight of the candy.

Taehyun was like a child that won a big toy on Christmas, all just because of a chocolate. Well, you couldn't blame him for liking sweets and for being spoiled. On the way to their house, they stopped at a convenience store to buy ice cream and a real chocolate bar to eat during their movie session.

Both of them were excited about their plans and as soon as they got to Taehyun's apartment, they immediately grabbed pillows and blankets and threw them on the couch. Beomgyu left the food at the kitchen's table and both boys went to change to more comfortable clothes to spend the entire night laying down. 

Taehyun’s favorite movie was Dead’s Poet Society and Beomgyu quickly agreed to watch it, without even knowing what was the plot of it. Taehyun laughed at the other's reaction and they made a deal to watch Beomgyu’s favorite movie after and call it a movie marathon.

At the end of the first one, they were almost sprawled over each other, sides pressed together, Taehyun's head on Beomgyu's shoulder, who was hugging the younger without even noticing. They finished the popcorn during the first half of the movie and between the time to put Beomgyu’s one, Taehyun melted the chocolate bar for them to eat with ice cream.

Initially, Beomgyu thought about putting Peter Pan as his film of the night, but he quickly changed his mind as he remembered a new rom-com that was released on Netflix. "Hyung! Can we watch To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before? That movie from Netflix? It's not my favorite, but I wanted to watch..." Beomgyu asked timidly, afraid of sounding silly. 

"Of course! I was procrastinating watching it, but it seems to be good,” Taehyun said as he came back from the kitchen with the desserts.

The night ended up with some tears — from Beomgyu — by the end of the movie, making Taehyun slightly laugh at him and pinch his cheeks, calling him cute for crying because of a rom-com. 

“What are you talking about? You’re cuter,” Beomgyu shoved Taehyun’s hands away from his face and pinched his cheek, making Taehyun whine and hide his face on Beomgyu’s neck.

"I'm not a baby!" He mumbled.

"I didn't say that, though. I just called you cute,” Beomgyu replied with a chuckle, wrapping one arm around Taehyun’s frame and the other going instantly to his head to scratch and caress his scalp. 

Taehyun could feel the smile on Beomgyu's face just by the way he spoke.

"I'm not!" Taehyun huffed, trying to ignore Beomgyu’s fleeting touch. 

"Sure thing, honey," Beomgyu answered and scratched his head again.

The way Taehyun's body reacted to the action betrayed him. He leaned into the touch and almost purred at the touch, his features turning into a soft mess. Beomgyu’s smile widened on his face and he continued to scratch gently Taehyun's head, the boy increasingly snuggling closer.

They stayed like that for a while until the clock on the wall hit midnight, waking Taehyun from the hypnotized state he was. "I gotta go, hyung," Taehyun said, voice dropping with sadness and laced with sleepiness. 

"It's okay. We can continue tomorrow after I work," Beomgyu removed the bangs that were blocking Taehyun's eyes.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot! You have to teach early in the morning tomorrow,” Taehyun quickly got up onto his feet and searched for his phone in the messy blanket to run back to his apartment. "Why didn't you throw me out earlier, hyung?" He whined loudly.

"Taehyun, sometimes you forget that I have a shitty sleep schedule and besides that, I don't mind spending time with you,” Beomgyu answered after giggling, giving Taehyun his hoodie that he left on the couch.

"But still! Ugh, see you tomorrow, hyung. If I hear you or find your lights out two hours from now, I'll punch you to sleep," Taehyun gave him a tight, quick hug and quickly vanished from his apartment.

"Oh, I'm scared, Taehyunie. Good night,” Beomgyu waved at him from his door. 

Beomgyu was trying to sleep early, he really was, but sometimes he couldn't help, but wait to see if the little black kitten would appear again on his balcony. When he was brushing his teeth to sleep after bidding Taehyun goodbye, he heard a soft scratching on his balcony's door.

He washed his mouth in a hurry and went back to the living room. Beomgyu quickly opened the door and the cat immediately hopped inside, soon purring between Beomgyu's legs as his tail tangled around him.

The smile on his face was unconscious and Beomgyu carefully held the cat in his hands and went to his bedroom. Since the animal became a regular visitor, Beomgyu made the effort of buying some cat chips for him, tucking into an empty drawer of his table. 

He gave the cat two of them and put him on a separate pillow at the end of his bed. That way Beomgyu wouldn't get fur on his own, a fact that didn't prevent the cat from climbing close to him on the bed and laying next to his head. 

Beomgyu drifted to sleep rather faster than normal and he'd thank the cat for it. It gave him a strange sensation of comfort and a warm feeling on his chest whenever the kitten was around, as if he was sent from heaven. He really wanted to adopt him or at least, find out who was his owner to warn him of his animal’s escapades, but to no avail. 

When Beomgyu woke up, he saw the cat walking out of his room. Beomgyu followed him behind, trying not to make as little noise as possible and see, at least, if the animal lived in his building.

What surprised him was the cat going out of his balcony and jumping on the emergency stairs, jumping again inside Taehyun's apartment.

Beomgyu didn't know Taehyun had a cat.

Taehyun had a cat?

It was strange, but he made a mental note to ask him about it later. 

Later on that day, Beomgyu was by Taehyun’s side in his kitchen as he tried a new recipe for them to dinner. 

"I don't have a cat,” Taehyun defiantly defended himself as soon as Beomgyu asked him about it. 

"But I saw one getting inside your apartment in the morning,” Beomgyu tilted his head in confusion, but seeing no sign of cats in his friend's apartment.

"The kitten may have confused himself and got out after I could even see him,” Taehyun shrugged, not lifting his eyes to look at Beomgyu, instead focusing on the pan at the stove. 

Taehyun was nervous and Beomgyu could notice it by the way he averted his eyes around and played with the hem of a cabbage. "Maybe… Let's watch a movie later, by the way. I saw some comments about it and I'm really curious about the ending,” Beomgyu changed topics, seeing the way Taehyun’s featured softened. 

And again, there they were, sprawled on the couch, cuddling together to watch the movie. Beomgyu's fingers were already back on Taehyun’s head, who hummed in delight, snuggling closer to Beomgyu like a kitten.

In the middle of the movie, Taehyin fell asleep and Beomgyu didn't notice. He went to the bathroom and when he got back, he found Taehyun sleeping curled up in a little ball on the couch, making him melt at the sight. Beomgyu cooed in a whisper and took his phone out of his pocket to capture the cute moment that was right in front of his eyes.

The movie finished, long way forgotten as Taehyun was sleeping and Beomgyu focused solely on caressing his head and his hand. Beomgyu slowly woke up Taehyun by poking his sides softly just to call his attention. Taehyun opened his eyes lazily and yawned, not even realizing the curled position that he slept in and how small he looked.

Beomgyu thought he'd get up and crack his back because of the uncomfortable position, but Taehyun seemed to be used to it and did nothing, but excuse him and walk towards the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth quickly.

It wasn't new that they got really close to each other, but Beomgyu was having mixed feelings recently. He'd always look forward to Taehyun's texts, he loved making Taehyun laugh just to see his cute nose scrunched up and his wide smile, teeth sharp and pointy just like sharks teeth, he loved to experience new things with him and see his eyes lighting up.

Beomgyu always  got all giddy inside whenever he spent time with the other, not because of nervousness, but for excitement. Beomgyu felt at ease with Taehyun, a sense of relief and comfort spreading through him like he never experienced before. That's how he knew he was liking Taehyun, even before he could put a name on his feelings.

As Beomgyu got to know him more, the more he liked Taehyun.

However, he didn't show any sign of his crush as he was too afraid to lose Taehyun. Even though Beomgyu knew him for over six months, he grew attached to him too quick and too hard.

The tricky part in their relationship was that Taehyun was clingy by nature and he didn't mean his actions romantically, making Beomgyu lose hopes that he didn't even have. Even though Taehyun had somehow flirted with him before, Beomgyu never knew what he meant. When he told him about his non-existent first kiss, Taehyun soothed him down and comforted him saying nothing was wrong with it, and maybe a tiny part of Beomgyu wished that Taehyun kissed him to get through it. Anyways, Beomgyu prefered to have low expectations, this way he wouldn't be hurt.

"How was work today, hyung?" Taehyun asked, sitting by his side on the couch after coming back from the bathroom. “I forgot to ask you earlier.”

"It was good! Class went fine like always, but one of the little girls I teach came to me today with a little card in hands inviting me to her birthday party,” Beomgyu said with sparkling eyes, a big smile on his face, instantly making Taehyun mirror him. “It was so cute, she even asked for me to save a dance for her when the day comes. She said she'll be dressing like a princess and wanted to dance with a prince." Beomgyu started talking excitedly and happy about it. He loved his work with his entire being and when things like this happened, he couldn't forget. "Taehyunie, I swear I almost cried right there."

When he looked back at Taehyun, he had a fond look on his face and a small smile hanging on his lips, his doe eyes bright and shiny as he focused on what Beomgyu said. He found the look a bit strange, but he brushed it off.

"I would too, it's not everyday people call you a prince. She's not wrong," Taehyun said and giggled, earning a semi glare from the other, feeling his cheeks flushing and burning bright red at the compliment. "You're going, right?"

"Of course I am!” Beomgyu exclaimed loudly. “I can't say no to something like this," Beomgyu had puppy eyes and unintentionally, he pouted as he stared at the wall. "Once we're home, I'll show you her card."

Beomgyu widened his eyes at what he said, how he implied that he and Taehyun lived together and averted his gaze to somewhere else in Taehyun’s apartment. Taehyun just laughed at his reaction and acted like nothing happened, which Beomgyu was really glad about.

"Tyun, you..." Beomgyu gestured for him to wipe his mouth, but the boy just tilted his head in confusion and the other cleaned it with his thumb. "Here, you had toothpaste on your mouth."

He couldn't help but giggle when he saw Taehyun with a light tint of blush on his cheeks. "What?" Taehyun asked, not directly looking at Beomgyu’s eyes.

"You never blush when I'm around,” Beomgyu stated, with amused eyes and a smug smile.

"I wasn't blushing”" Taehyun quickly defended himself, crossing his arms in front of his torso.

"Oh, c'mon. You were!" Beomgyu poked his cheek, earning a smile from him.

"Ok, maybe. But it's because of the heat,” Taehyun explained, using the shittiest excuse he could come up with at the moment.

"Tyunie, that doesn't even make sense,” Beomgyu giggled. Taehyun just shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

Beomgyu yawned and Taehyun watched as he got up from the couch and started to gather his belongings to go to his own apartment.

"Just sleepover." Taehyun whined, eyes heavy from sleepiness and almost closing. Beomgyu felt Taehyun shifting his position on the couch and that feeling of worry went back in as Taehyun's eyes fell a bit. 

"Is everything okay?" Beomgyu asked gently as he sat back on the couch, taking Taehyun’s hands on his own.”

"Hyung," His face was serious and he gulped down before continuing. "I need you to promise you won't run away in the morning."

"What? Why would I run away?" Beomgyu was confused, he didn't know what was going on, and for a moment he got worried about Taehyun.

"Just promise me,”  Taehyun looked at him and Beomgyu could swear he was close to crying, the thought of it making Beomgyu's heart clutches in his chest.

"Taehyun, I promise. I won't run away." He held Taehyun’s hands, drawing circles on the back with his thumb and trying to calm him down.

Even though the promise, Beomgyu could feel Taehyun still tensed up in front of him and worry still on his eyes. Then, he pulled Taehyun closer and hugged him, who shyly wrapped his arms around Beomgyu's waist. His hands caressed Taehyun's head in an attempt to ease and calm him down, which in fact worked out and helped the other.

They walked to Taehyun’s bedroom to sleep. His bed was king sized, big enough to fit both of them perfectly. Beomgyu's mind was a mess, he just couldn't even imagine why Taehyun was like that and what could be so bad that he needed to promise him he wouldn't run away from him. Was Taehyun that bad sleeper and roommate for such a thing?

As they both got comfortable on the bed, Beomgyu laid on the wall side of it and waited for Taehyun to lay down. He was sitting at the end of the up in some of the internal debate, Beomgyu could literally hear the engines on his head working.

"C'mon, Taehyunie... I'm sleepy." Beomgyu whined and made grabby hands towards his friend. Taehyun looked back, taking a deep breath, and climbing up the bed, laying beside Beomgyu, both of them facing each other. 

Up close like that, Taehyun could see every detail of Beomgyu's face. He could see his bright, shiny eyes, his full rounded cheeks, his soft and attractive lips, his small nose with a little mole on the tip of it. Taehyun could stay up all night mapping around Beomgyu’s features.

He didn't realize he was staring until Beomgyu leaned in closer, making him a little panicked. Beomgyu smiled softly at him and hugged his waist, pulling him closer and snuggling to him, hiding his face on Taehyun’s neck.

"I hope this is okay," He whispered quietly, feeling Taehyun relax in his arms.

"It's more than okay," Taehyun reassured and hugged him back, putting his chin on top of Beomgyu’s head.

Beomgyu hummed in contentment and they both drifted off to sleep, comfortable in each other's arms.

When Beomgyu woke up, he found Taehyun nowhere to be seen. His face fell as he thought the other had gone away in the middle of the night. Instead, by his side, a little black fluffy ball slept with no problems. His mind was still sleeping, so Beomgyu didn't really connect the dots, he just softly patted the animal's head, waking him up gently.

The cat had a strange look on his face and Beomgyu was confused, wondering where was Taehyun and how the cat entered his house. He didn't notice when the little cat started to change, but to say that Beomgyu was shocked was an understatement.

He watched the cat slowly turn his small self into the strong body of Taehyun. Beomgyu's mouth was hanging open and something clicked on his mind, pieces finally falling into place and everything suddenly making sense.

Taehyun yawned and stretched his body, sitting on the edge of the bed after. His face was plastered with fear and worry. Would Beomgyu go away? Would himnever look at him again? Would he still want to be his friend?

"Good morning,” Taehyun greeted, voice merely above a whisper.

"You stole from my fridge!" It was the first thing Beomgyu said, pointing a finger at him and laughing.

"What?" Taehyun asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. 

"The first time I saw you, well, the cat you, you were almost inside my fridge, do you remember?" Beomgyu explained softly, sitting by his side and trying to ease the other's worries.

"Oh. OH! Oh my gosh," Taehyun hid his face on his hands from embarassment, hearing Beomgyu's giggle by his side. "In my defense, I was starving because I hadn't eaten all day and was arranging the moving." He laughed lightly, feeling the tightness on his chest disappearing.

"Okay, I forgive you, then. It was for an honorable cause,” Beomgyu ruffled his hair and Taehyun almost keened, still feeling sleep taking over his body. 

They stayed in silence for a while until Taehyun spoke again. "You're not... mad, disgusted or anytging like that?" He asked carefully, searching for any sign of the feelings isted in Beomgyu's gesture or behaviour. 

"Tyun-ah, why would I be?" Beomgyu grabbed the boy's hand and looked straight into his eyes.

"I don't know,” Taehyun mumbled, taking a deep breath before continuing. "When I was young, people used to laugh at me because of it as I was still learning how to shift. Sometimes my ears or tail would be out and the normal people at school made of fun of me saying I was a freak, and the other hybrids already knew how to shift, so they called me dumb,” Taehyun explained softly, gaze falling to the ground as he spoke. 

Beomgyu couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt his chest burn with something he couldn't exactly pinpoint. He didn’t know if it was pure anger or agony, Either way, those feelings were enough to mess with him. 

He opened and closed his mouth several times and he couldn’t come up with words to answer Taehyun. He, instead, continued talking about his past to Beomgyu, opening his heart like a book.

"Because of that, I grew scared. My mom always said to me to be careful and don't let people know I was an hybrid, even though it's normal. I spent the rest of my school life without no one knowing about it, but my old best friend. He was a puppy hybrid and suprisingly, we got along really well. It's sad he's studying abroad and we aren't as close as we were, but I'm proud of him for studying what he dreamed of." Taehyun paused and took a deep breath. It was hard for him to talk about it, old memories coming back into his mind and also the feelings he felt for a long time. "Well, now you know," He smiled softly.

"Why?" Beomgyu whispered, eyes studying Taehyun's face, trying to read his expressions. "I mean, why me?" He asked earnestly. 

"I don't know. I just felt like I could be the real me with you. I didn't need to hide any part of me because you'd still see me as me and don't freak out over it,” Taehyun confessed sincerely, looking straight into Beomgyu’s eyes. “But, hyung, I really didn't mean to keep coming to your house, even after we became friends. I just couldn't help it! The scratches and the chips were really good," Taehyun joked and giggled, making the older giggle as well.

"Well, now you don't have to sneak into my apartment to get those. Just ask me and I'll do it,” Beomgyu squeezed his hand and leaned in a bit closer to Taehyun. 

The room was back to the usual peaceful aura and the tension and worry that once weighed on their shoulders dissolved as they talked through it. Beomgyu really calmed Taehyun and told him he didn't have to worry about anything related.

"Tyun-ah, it's okay. You didn't change because that is also a part of you and it makes you who you are. You’re not changing and you’re not different. You're just showing your real self and I still have no words to thank you for trusting me with this,” Beomgyu smiled and caressed his cheek, letting his fingers wander to Taehyun’s chin, scratching it like he'd do with a cat. "You're still my little cute Taehyunie."

And again, there he was blushing at Beomgyu's words. It was happening more often than Taehyun would like to admit. Taehyun just closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the soft fingers of Beomgyu on his chin.

Taehyun could get used to it.

(...)

It was getting close to Christmas Eve and Beomgyu was decorating his apartment peacefully. He loved the holiday and the way the streets and people prepared themselves for the specific time of the year. Beomgyu was a sucker for Christmas decoration and that’s how he found himself putting up his little tree. 

Beomgyu thought Taehyun was going away for the holidays as everyone else did — the thought of spending days or even weeks without him made his chest hurt —, but Taehyun told him his parents were in a couple traveling to celebrate their 25th marriage anniversary.

"It's okay, though, we can spend it together,” was Taehyun’s reply. 

At the moment, Taehyun was out doing grocery shopping for their Christmas dinner and ingredients to make cookies. Beomgyu had told him that if he got back without his cookie supplies, they would divorce.

"Didn't know we were married, Beomie hyung,” He teased and smirked, earning a glare from the other before he left the apartment.

Things kinda changed between them.

Well, more for Taehyun.

After telling Beomgyu his secret, he started to look at him more fondly. The way Beomgyu treated him like he was the most precious thing made his heart race like crazy. Besides, the blushing became a common thing for Taehyun. Beomgyu always spoiled him with free scratches and cuddles on the weekends, always made sure Taehyun was being treated right by people around him, and he always worried about his health and his schedule, even though he was busy.

It was almost impossible for Taehyun to not fall for Beomgyu.

They also got even closer — as if it was possible — and Beomgyu almost died because of it. It was hard for him to put his feelings aside when Taehyun blushed because of his compliments and when they walked home hand in hand just because. 

Beomgyu finished cooking the rice when Taehyun knocked on his door, back from the market. "Sweetheart, I'm home," Taehyun greeted him with a grin, laughing afterwards.

Beomgyu was going to help him with the bags, but he could do it on his own. Taehyun wouldn't shut up about how strong he got since he started working out and his arms got bigger. 

They worked together, finishing the main dinner and baking the cookies, Beomgyu knowing the recipe by heart. It was close to 11 pm when they finished eating. It was a simple dinner; no turkey, no big chicken, just rice, some heated vegetables, fried chicken and along with some simple side dishes. 

It was their Christmas dinner. In their own unique way.

The duo let themselves rest a little before midnight to exchange gifts. Initially, both of them agreed on not buying gifts for each other, but they knew they would give in and buy something for each other. 

"What did you buy for me, hyung?" Taehyun asked, laying on his stomach.

"If I tell you now, then it won't be a surprise anymore," Beomgyu poked his cheek and stared at him.

"Just give me a hint, please,” Taehyun pouted and made the other's inside a mess of butterflies in his stomach.

"Ok, it's something that you've been saying you want for a long time. Also, it's more than one gift,” Beomgyu sat up on the couch, staring amusedly at him. 

"Hyung!” Taehyun quickly protested, sitting just like him. "We agreed on no gifts and now you give me not only one, but two,” He crossed his arms in front of his torso.

"Too bad, I was made to spoil you,” Beomgyu grinned and pinched his cheeks, seeing him flush red.

"Shut up," Taehyun took off Beomgyu's hand from his face, feeling the soft palm that he likes to hold on his hand.

Beomgyu heated some cookies and brought them to the living room as the clock was almost hitting midnight. Taehyun got up and went to his apartment to grab Beomgyu’s gift.

Beomgyu eft the cookie plate on the center table and went to his room to get his own package, hidden in one of his drawers. When he went back, Taehyun was back on the couch, his legs crossed and a big smile on his face. 

"Ok, hyung, you go first,” Taehyun said, almost bouncing on the couch from the excitement.

"Fine. Remember that perfume you said you wanted this month?" He nodded and Beomgyu continued. "Okay, so I thought for a long time on what to give you because nothing seemed good enough and I couldn't think of something to surprise you enough. I'm sorry I couldn't think of something better for you, but I hope you like it anyways as you talked about it non stop,” Beomgyu handed him the gift and Taehyun took it carefully, afraid of breaking it in his hold

As Beomgyu handed him the package, he received a giggling Taehyun in his arms, hugging him tight. Some of the worries Beomgyu had about their relationship were quickly shoved away by the embrace of Taehyun’s arms.

"Hyung, you know that if you gave me a rock from the streets, I'd put it on my neck to expose it," Taehyun whispered with his face next to Beomgyu’s neck. "Thank you so much, hyung, I really liked it, but…”

"But what?" Beomgyu inquired with big eyes, worry crawling back to him.

"But you said it was two gifts, what's the other?" Taehyun tilted his head in confusion, holding the gift gently on his lap. 

"Oh. I forgot, please, don't give me another heart attack like that,” Beomgyu leaned into the couch with his hand clenched around his chest, a dramatic face on. "It's here, this one I'll be silent, just open it."

Beomgyu gave him a little velvety box that the younger was sure there was some jewelry inside and it made his heart race. He opened it carefully and found a little shining bracelet with a cat and a sun pendant.

Taehyun let his mouth drop and was speechless. It was beautiful, shiny under the yellowish light of the living room. The gift seemed to be expensive, making Taehyun slap Beomgyu's arm lightly. "Choi Beomgyu, I'm gonna kill you," He glared at the other.

"Oh, really? Then, make sure to put this on my grave, please,” Beomgyu tilted his head in fake innocence and showed his wrist with a similar bracelet. Instead of the pendants on his, it had a dog and a moon pendant.

"Choi Beomgyu, I'm so gonna kill you,” Taehyun had teary eyes and pouted. He hugged him way tighter than before, both of them laying back on the couch in each other's arms.

"I hope you liked it," Beomgyu whispered, wiping away a single tear that fell from Taehyun’s eyes. "Please, don't cry."

He didn't know why the other was crying, but he just soothed him by drawing circles on his back and scratching lightly his scalp.

"I loved it, I don't know how to thank you," Taehyun mumbled as he hid his face on Beomgyu’s neck. They stayed in each other’s arms for a while before they sat back up. Taehyun put his gifts in one bag and got the one he left at the table with Beomgyu's gift. "Ok, let me breathe first."

He took deep breaths and eased his heart. No one ever treated him like that and he felt really overwhelmed. Taehyun knew he liked Beomgyu for real, but he didn't know if the way the older treated him was normal or if he was flirting. 

"I know you'll kick me out or something like that, but I don't care. Merry Christmas, hyung,” Taehyun handed him the bag after taking a deep breath. 

Beomgyu took the bag, opening it and seeing the content inside. Then, he understood when Taehyun cried from his gift. His nose burned immediately and he saw his vision get blurry. Inside of the package, it had a ticket informing him the date of a cinema course with one of his favorite professionals who would teach a workshop.

Beomgyu couldn't buy it because it had sold out before he could even think of going. How Taehyun got it for him was the only thing he could think of.

Beomgyu was shocked, catatonic and happy. He stared at Taehyun with the ticket in his hands and found the boy looking at him with a side smile on his face.

"H-How?" Beomgyu asked, eyes bright and shiny like he found gold.

"A friend of mine also commented about it a long time ago, so I thought you'd wanna go and I bought it. If you already had it, I'd go with you with the extra ticket,” Taehyun answered, feeling his cheeks flushing crimson red.

"You would?" Beomgyu asked, tilting his head in confusion, widening his eyes in hope. 

"Of course! I like to learn and all, and the communications field is really interesting. Of course I’m not like you, as you’re majoring, but, yeah, I would,” Taehyun softly replied, looking at Beomgyu’s sparkling eyes. 

"Oh my gosh. I love you,” Beomgyu breathed out, surging forward to hug Taehyun.  

He tackled Taehyun on the couch with a tight hug. The meaning behind his words were deeper, but he was relieved that he could mask it with their friendship.

Taehyun's heart was going burst out of his ribcage, picking the pace up and making his chest clutch. He wanted to say it back to him, the words were prickling at the tip of his tongue, but he was afraid. 

Taehyun buried his face on the crook of Beomgyu's neck and he could smell the sweet, flourish scent of his musky perfume. Beomgyu shivered slightly when Taehyun breathed so close to his neck as it was his biggest weakness.

They sat back on the couch and began to eat the forgotten cookies at the center table, both of them ignoring their own blushes. "Hyung, you know something I always do at the end of the year?"

"No, what is it?" Beomgyu asked, wiping some chocolate that was at the corner of Taehyun's lips with his thumb.

"I always try to speak with people I have something to tell. Like, trying to talk to someone that drifted away from me without dialogue, or someone that I met and I'm really glad because they made a big difference in my year, or also I try to tell people I had a crush that I liked them just to get it out of my chest. You know, just taking out unsaid things,” Taehyun gently explained, puzzling Beomgyu, who didn’t understand why he was telling him that. 

"That's a nice thing to do. You’re brave for doing it. I wish I had the confidence or the courage you have in this kind of situation,” Beomgyu pouted childishly and Taehyun chuckled. Beomgyu’s gaze dropped to his lap and he took another bite of his cookie. He really wanted to tell Taehyun about how he felt, but he couldn't. Words got trapped on his throat and he always got stuck in the middle of the phrase.

"So, that's why I'm doing it now,” Taehyun said, nonchalantly.

"Doing what?" Beomgyu asked dumbly. 

"This talking thing. I need to talk to you,” Taehyun deadpanned, rolling his eyes fondly at the other. 

"Aww, Taehyunie. I'm also grateful for having you in my life,” He joked, tickling Taehyun’s chin with the tip of his fingers.

"Hyung, I didn't say it was because of that," Taehyun said, really nervous about telling him about how he felt. What if Beomgyu never looks back at him? What if Beomgyu decides to end their friendship? What if he lost him? His mind was racing and he was really reconsidering to do it, but he pushed those thoughts aside and went back to his mission. "I had a crush on you."

The past tense in the sentence broke Beomgyu's heart. So, does this mean that if he confessed earlier could he and Taehyun maybe have had something? Damn, world's really unfair.

"Y-You what?" Beomgyu stuttered, his breath shaky and his heart racing.

"Well, I kind of, still have? Yeah, I do" Taehyun dropped his gaze to his lap and he suddenly found his hands more interesting than ever. "I hope you don't leave me like everybody did."

Beomgyu felt a single tear fall from his eye and he wiped it fast before Taehyun could see, taking Taehyun's hand on his. He felt like exploding, there were so many feelings running through his body just at once that it almost made him dizzy.

Taehyun took the courage left in his body and lifted his eyes, finding Beomgyu's eyes filled with tears, but refusing to cry. "What? Why are you crying?" He didn't know why Beomgyu reacted that way. It was so simple to like him. 

"One, I'm not crying. Two, I'm overwhelmed because I like you too, idiot." Beomgyu almost screamed, slapping Taehyun's arms.

"What?" Taehyun blurted out, eyes bulging on his face. 

Taehyun didn't know what was going to explode first: his mind or his heart. He couldn't believe in what he just heard.

"Don't make me say it again,” Beomgyu shyly whined, intertwining their fingers in the middle of them. 

"But, are you serious, hyung?" Taehyun got closer to him on the couch, squeezing his hands.

"Why would I be joking about it?" Beomgyu stared deep into his eyes and if Taehyun didn't know him well, he'd swear the other was mad at him. But, it was the soft and adoring gaze taking over all of his face that gave it away. 

"I don't k-know,” Taehyun mumbled back, scrub Chinese his eyebrows. Before a comfortable silence could lay around them, Taehyun spoke again. "Since when?"

"Hmm, maybe some time before you told me you were a cat...?" Beomgyu smiled shyly at him.

"Hyung! That was three months ago." Taehyun called him out, revenging the slap he received a few minutes before. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"The same reason you didn't before,” Beomgyu deadpanned, staring defiantly at the other. 

"Touché,” Taehyun admitted with defeat and a wide smile spreading through his face. 

They finished eating the cookies with big, goofy smiles, giggling and talking like they didn't just confess. When they were getting out of the kitchen after leaving the plate on the sink, Taehyun held Beomgyu's cheek and left a gentle peck on him.

"Aw, that was quick, come back," Beomgyu held Taehyun by his waist and chased for his lips.

"Hyung, look up,” Taehyun said, giggling and pointing at the door frame. 

They were under a mistletoe and Beomgyu shoved Taehyun away, rolling his eyes. "Hey, don't be silly, we still have all night and winter to cuddle and kiss." He back-hugged Beomgyu as they walked to his room.

As soon as they got inside, Beomgyu held Taehyun close by his waist, flushing their bodies together against the door. His other hand held his cheek softly, soothing soft circles on Taehyun’s cheekbone. The other had his arms wrapped around Beomgyu's neck and played with some strands of hair that were growing on his nape.

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, but soon, they leaned in closer in sync and their lips met in the middle. 

Their mouths moved together in a choreographed rhythm, as if they had done it hundred times before. It was calm, sweet and laced with feelings. Beomgyu could feel his heart ringing in his ear and he wondered if Taehyun could hear it too. 

Beomgyu nipped at Taehyun’s bottom lip, sucking and biting lightly before licking at the seam of his lips. Taehyun conceded him entrance and their tongues met halfway, Beomgyu whining in delight at the touch. Their kiss burned, Taehyun could feel flames reaching the tip of his fingers, and Beomgyu swore there were sparks buzzing out of their mouths. 

They broke the kiss when their lungs craved for air and Taehyun analyzed Beomgyu’s beauty up close again, wondering what he did to deserve someone like him.

"Just so you know, earlier when I said I loved you, I meant in another way. I think you deserve to know that and hear it everyday," Beomgyu said lowly as if he was sharing one of his biggest secrets.

"I know. I mean, now, I know, my babe,” Taehyun left a gentle peck on his boyfriend's nose, right on the spot where he had a cute mole. "I love you, Beomie. I love you very much."

He widely smiled and the other realised that he would never get used to it. He wouldn’t get used to having Taehyun loving him and by his side. "I love you, my cute little cat. I love you, Taehyunie."

Beomgyu left a long peck on him and Taehyun snuggled closer to him, hiding his face on Beomgyu's neck, purring as Beomgyu scratched his favorite spot. Taehyun’s fluffy, soft hair. 

Beomgyu was safe as long as he had his kitten in his arms.