raspberries and mocha | heejake ✔

57

The wedding reception was winding down, and people were starting to say their goodbyes. Jake and Heeseung found themselves standing near the bar, quietly observing their friends who were gathering at one of the tables. The night had been perfect in every way, and the weight of everything that had happened—good and bad—seemed to be lifting from Jake's chest. But there was still one thing that needed to be done. It was time to tell their close friends the truth.

Heeseung turned to Jake, his fingers brushing against his arm, and whispered with a mischievous grin, "You ready?"

Jake took a deep breath and gave him a small nod. "Yeah. Let's do it."

They walked toward the table where Jay, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Jungwon were sitting, laughing and joking like they always did. As soon as the two of them arrived, the group fell into a brief, curious silence. There was something about the way Heeseung and Jake had been looking at each other throughout the night that had caught everyone's attention. It wasn't hard to guess something was different.

Sunghoon was the first to speak up, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on with you two? You've been acting all... different since the ceremony."

Sunoo nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, you're both super touchy now. What's up?"

Jake exchanged a glance with Heeseung, both of them momentarily silent as they prepared themselves for the big reveal. Jake's heart pounded a little in his chest—he wasn't used to making these kinds of announcements, especially not in front of his friends. But Heeseung squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Alright," Jake started, his voice calm but carrying the weight of the moment. "So... here's the thing. We're together. Officially."

There was a beat of stunned silence.

Sunghoon blinked. "Wait... what?"

Jay's face was unreadable for a second, but then he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a slight smirk. "Well, it took you guys long enough."

Sunoo's jaw dropped, his eyes widening. "Wait, seriously? You two are...really back together?"

Heeseung grinned, a playful gleam in his eyes. "Yep. We've been dancing around it long enough, but now it's official. Jake's stuck with me."

Jungwon let out a soft laugh, leaning forward in his seat with a mischievous grin. "I think we all saw this coming. You two are like magnets."

Jake could feel the tension in his shoulders easing, hearing the laughter from their friends. It was weirdly... comfortable. They weren't judging him or Heeseung. They were just happy.

Sunghoon raised his glass, tilting his head with a smirk. "So, when do we get the big announcement party? You two have been holding out on us for too long."

Jake laughed. "Yeah, maybe after all this wedding stuff dies down, we'll throw something together. But for now, we just wanted to let you guys know. We've been through a lot, and we're finally on the same page."

Jay nodded, his eyes softening slightly. "I'm happy for you two. You've been through a lot to get here, and it's about time you two figured it out."

Sunoo let out a dramatic gasp. "I knew it! I told you, Heeseung's always been a softie for Jake. You two were meant for each other."

Jungwon grinned. "I just want to know who made the first move. Was it you, Jake?"

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's not go into that right now."

Heeseung laughed along, his arm sliding around Jake's waist. "But seriously, we're happy. We didn't want to hide it anymore."

The group all nodded in understanding, and Sunghoon clinked his glass again. "Well, I can't say I didn't see this coming. But still, I'm glad to hear it from you guys."

Sunoo leaned forward, his eyes twinkling. "I bet it's gonna be all cute and cheesy now, right? You two are gonna be all lovey-dovey in front of us now."

Jungwon grinned. "It's about time. You two deserve to be happy."

Jake looked at Heeseung, a content smile spreading across his face. Heeseung leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek, his hand squeezing Jake's.

"We're not hiding anymore," Heeseung said quietly, only for Jake to hear.

Jake smiled back, the weight of everything finally feeling lighter. "No more hiding."