Needing A Spring Day

17. Celebration

Namjoon took a deep breath and stared at the ground as a chunk of cake slid down his cheek and onto the floor. He wanted to yell, to find whoever caused this mess and make them wish they were never born, but the sound of laughter erupting around him instantly ceased any need he had for aggression.

Slowly opening his eyes, Namjoon lifted his head and licked his lips, the sweet vanilla taste soothing the internal fire within his chest. "I'm guessing confetti was too hard to find?" He remarked, wiping his face and looking up as the group of boys rushed forward and pushed him to the side.

"You're never allowed to leave me again!" Jimin shouted, leaping into the air and colliding against Tae's chest, his legs instantly wrapping around the younger boy's hips.

Dropping his bag and attempting to find his balance, Taehyung hugged his best friend back. Burying his face against the older boy's chest, Tae held back a sniffle as he felt a hand rub against his shoulder before embracing him as well.

This feeling was better than he remembered. The warmth and strength he felt as the group wrapped him up in a tight hug, squeezing him until the air was lost from his lungs, was like a prayer had been answered. He wanted to take advantage of this moment for as long as he could, never wanting to let go of them ever again.

But eventually, when one arm after the other disappeared and Tae saw one face still across the room, the atmosphere shifted altogether.

Jungkook stood awkwardly by the sofa, his eyes wet as he stared towards the ground. It was heartbreaking, now knowing what had happened between his two best friends in his absence.

Thankfully, Namjoon had briefly filled him in on a few things that had happened while he was away, preparing him for any possible awkward moments that awaited. But the one thing he felt the worst about missing was the breakup, or whatever it was, between Jimin and Kook. If he had been here for them, maybe things wouldn't be as awkward as they currently were. Maybe they would still be happy together.

The moment Jimin's arms released him, Tae crossed the room and stood in front of the younger boy. Tilting his head to get a better look at the hidden tears, Tae brushed his fingers along Jungkook's cheeks, knowing the damp droplets held more reasons other than his return.

"I'm home now, Kook." He spoke low, just loud enough to be shared between them. "Can I have a hug?"

Without hesitation, Jungkook wrapped his arms around Tae's waist and instantly buried his face into the older boy's shoulder, allowing his silent tears to coat the other's shirt. He hadn't realized just how much he missed his best friend until he was finally in front of him again.

"Whose bright idea was it to throw a fucking cake?" Namjoon questioned, breaking the silence as he was finally able to see the group of guys around him after wiping enough cake off his face.

Noticing that all eyes had shifted to him, Yoongi gave a straight smile as a response to their disappointed looks. "Next time, don't leave me out of the fun." He replied flatly, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the couch.

"But the cake?" Jin shouted, finally realizing what had happened. "Seo spent hours on that!"

Licking his fingers, Namjoon nodded his head and smiled. "Well, you can tell her she did a good job. It's pretty good."

Jin let out an exasperated groan and moved towards the front door. "I'll be back with a new one in a minute" He grumbled, pulling his keys off the hook and disappearing from the apartment.

"To be fair, I thought Tae would be the first to walk through the door," Yoongi remarked, ignoring the look of disapproval on Namjoons face.

"I guess that makes this whole situation better then," Namjoon replied sarcastically, turning away and heading for the bathroom.