Just Friends

Chapter 15

The next day, after the last few stragglers have slept off their drunkenness and left safely for home, Taehyung and his friends set about cleaning up the cabin, taking down decorations, and rearranging the furniture back to it's original interior design.

As they needle down the task-list of work, Hoseok goes on and on about his party, swearing it was the best night of his life (so far, Namjoon is sure to remind him), spending the whole morning buoyantly thankful to his closest friends for how fun and smooth everything went the whole night.

Delighted by the bachelor's over-expressed happiness, they let him go on.

By all means, the other six also had a great time. Even after deciding to limit their alcohol consumption to a more moderate amount. Which they've only just now come to truly appreciate at this very moment, as they can spend their last vacation day at the cabin free of any pesky hangovers.

Taehyung is especially relieved. That one bad hangover after the night at the club was enough to make him never want to drink again. His stomach is still in recovery.

As for his heart, there seems to be a different type of hangover happening. A bittersweet aching as what happened last night toils with his entire being. He's since been blissfully swept up in Jeongguk. And all the pretty little feelings and sensations that come with it.

Because seriously, it's such an unexpected twist in his life! He likes Jeongguk. And Jeongguk likes him.

Or, at least Taehyung assumes he does. Jeongguk never actually did say those exact words. But that kiss. . .it's pretty obvious his feelings are reciprocated. . .

. . .Right? 

In any case, he replays it over and over again in his head.

The whirlwind confession.

Their kiss in the locked bedroom.

The other super sneaky kiss later on in the kitchen, ironically just seconds after Jeongguk approached him with the request to keep things between just them. Again. Of which Taehyung agreed to immediately, inhibitions flittering on the allurement of those curvy pink lips. So encumbered by the butterflies taking residence in his stomach that he'd have smiled and nodded at anything Jeongguk said.

Obviously logical thinking is at a standstill for Taehyung. Even still, on this day, he's inundated by the sound of his own singing heart, his subconscious repressing that inkling of curiosity to know the answer to certain concerns.

Concerns like, why Jeongguk is once again asking for secrecy, especially from their own judgement-free group of friends.

No. Don't go there, Taehyung.

That's just too much to think about right now. It's exhausting enough trying to focus on his cleaning duties—and that's not anymore from trying to fight the fact that he'd developed real feelings for his best friend at a time when the dark cold waters of the ocean sustained his lifeless being. No, instead, now he's trying to figure out how he's supposed to be productive when he's this wrapped up in Jeongguk's magic—the prettiness, the sweetness, the excitement he brings to Taehyung like rays of warm sunshine, beaming down, making an impossible reach through the surface of the cold water to dance enchanting glimmers over Taehyung's skin.