Maybe Even Forever [Vmon/Junghope/Yoonmin]

home is where the heart is

Hoseok had just gotten bored with playing around on his phone and was pondering going to the dance studio to pass the time when the ringtone he set for Jeongguk blared through the room.

"Hello?"

"Hobi-hyung!" Jeongguk sounded hysterical. "Can you come over?"

"What happened? Are you okay?" Concern leaked into Hoseok's voice and he sat up on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Jeongguk sounded breathless. "Please?"

"Sure! I'll be there in ten?"

"Alright."

"See you then."

Hoseok hadn't known what to expect.

Jeongguk had sounded kind of urgent over the phone, and Hoseok had thrown on a jacket and some shoes, rushing over in his sweatpants. He wasn't sure if they were inside out or not, but it didn't matter.

As it turned out, Jeongguk had wanted to bake cookies and upon looking at the recipe realized he didn't know how to bake.

"God, Jeongguk, I thought you were dying."

"I was. Just not for the reason you think. Now." He looked up from the recipe and at Hoseok, who couldn't be annoyed, not when Jeongguk had pulled his bangs up into a tiny little ponytail on top of his head. "What's vanilla extract?"

Hoseok sighed. "Why did you think baking was a good idea when you don't even know what vanilla extract is?"

Jeongguk shrugged. "They're for Seokjin-hyung."

"That's not an answer, but okay."

So Hoseok got to work, more or less doing everything while Jeongguk hung back and watched.

Hoseok looked so cute when he was focused. It was hard not to watch, especially when he kept pouting at the lock of hair that wouldn't stop falling into his eyes. Eventually Jeongguk left to find another hair tie and when he got back he stepped right up behind Hoseok, who was humming loudly, and gathered his hair into a little ponytail just like Jeongguk's. It looked adorable, and Jeongguk took a picture when Hoseok turned around.

"New lock screen," Jeongguk grinned, trying to hide the fact that he was screaming internally.

Hoseok only rolled his eyes fondly and turned back to the mixing bowl.

"Can I eat some of the dough?"

"Hoseok, you're the one making the cookies. You could literally eat the entire bowl if you wanted to," Jeongguk said easily, leaning on the counter. Hoseok's eyes followed him, drinking in the sight of his best friend, smiling so comfortably and so beautifully. And then he turned around to the bowl of cookie dough, scooping up a handful and popping all of it into his mouth, stuffing his cheeks. Jeongguk could see his dimples.

"You should try some," Hoseok said, picking up the bowl and pushing it towards Jeongguk.

And Jeongguk probably would've protested, because of a bad experience as a six-year-old involving a raw egg and a worried mother, but then Hoseok smiled and Jeongguk decided maybe it was time to get over that fear. It was so old, anyway. And it had nothing to do with—okay, who was he kidding? He'd gladly live out the rest of his life not consuming another raw egg if it weren't for Jung Hoseok asking him not to.

So he dug a finger into the cookie dough.

"This is really good, Hobi," he mumbled through his mouthful, which earned him a blinding beam, one that eventually turned down a couple hundred watts until it melted into a soft grin.

And suddenly Hoseok had pulled him into a hug. It was tight and warm and his arms felt like home. Jeongguk's frame dissolved into him.

"I'm really glad we're friends, Jeonggukie." It was muttered into Jeongguk's lemony hair. "You're just nice to be around and nice to talk to and quite honestly nice to look at and I hope you know you're appreciated."

Jeongguk was used to random bouts of affection from Hoseok. They came quite often, at the very least once a month. (And up to six times a day if he noticed you were feeling down; that was just the sort of angel Hoseok was.)

"And," he continued, pulling back slightly, voice measured. "I hope that this won't change things for the worse."

"What?"

Jeongguk experienced the briefest bout of fear (Was Hoseok leaving? Was he ill? What could possibly change anything with Hoseok to be anything less than wonderful?) before Hoseok pressed him back a couple inches until his back was against the counter and hooked his fingers into the belt loops of Jeongguk's jeans. He was so close. Jeongguk could see everything about him from here; he wanted to, he could stay here forever—

"May I kiss you?"

Jeongguk's heart stopped, and his eyes snapped up to meet Hoseok's, then glanced down to his mouth. He nodded, just slightly. "Yes," he breathed out, looking back up, words brushing against Hoseok's mouth. "Yes, you may."

Hoseok did just that, leaning forward ever so slowly until his nose brushed the soft skin of Jeongguk's cheek, pulling their chests flush until they were heart to heart. And pressing forward ever so slightly.

The moment their lips met was unbelievable. Jeongguk sighed at the sensation and slid his hands up to lazily drape around Hoseok's neck and pulled Hoseok down so he was closer.

Hoseok tasted like cookie dough and something else, something Jeongguk couldn't identify. Something good.

Really, really good, Jeongguk thought giddily, tilting his chin up until his head was filled with sunshine and shooting stars and a soft static, all of which were so purely Hoseok that he never wanted to let go of them.

He didn't plan on it.

And judged on how Hoseok's eyes were so filled with affection when they fluttered open and the two boys parted by a centimeter, Hoseok didn't plan on it, either.

Jeongguk smiled, because his emotions were flooding out of his chest and he didn't want to stop them, to stop the feeling of saturated content flowing through his body, and Hoseok smiled back.