I'm Here

1

"Dude, Chloe is here," Taehyung yelled as he opened the apartment door, letting the petite girl inside.

"Hey, Tae," Chloe smiled, looking up at him through dark lashes.

Taehyung gave a tight lipped smile in return. There was something about his best friend's not-quite-girlfriend that he didn't quite like. He didn't know her well, admittedly. But he couldn't help the feelings of wariness when it came to her.

A voice called from behind him. "I'm in the living room, Chloe!"

She shook her head. "Doesn't even greet me at the door." She plastered a smile on her face and walked past Taehyung, leaving him to stare at her retreating figure.

He went back into his bedroom, running his long fingers through his dark brown hair. The strands curled slightly and fell in front of his eyes, and he knew he was overdue for a haircut. With a few quick movements, Taehyung arranged his locks into place. Eyeing his appearance in a mirror, he noted a small stain on his white button down.

"Shit," he murmured, deftly unbuttoning the shirt and tossing it on his bed. He opened his closet and stared at his options, not knowing what to put on. His clothes were crammed into the right side, the left side bare.

His bedroom door opened behind him, but he didn't bother to look. He knew it was Jungkook.

"How long until you go meet Shireen?" Jungkook asked, staring at his friend's back. His muscles moved elegantly as Taehyung reached up and pulled down a black shirt.

Taehyung shook his head in mock annoyance, turning to face Jungkook. "I'll be out of here shortly so you can have your alone time."

Jungkook rolled his eyes. "I wasn't asking because of that." He watched as Taehyung smoothed the shirt over his lean frame. "A t-shirt? Really?"

Taehyung tucked the shirt into his black jeans before looping a leather belt through the loops. "Is this too casual?"

Jungkook looked his friend over, running his eyes from the top of his brown head to the tips of his loafers. "No. I really like it."

Taehyung nodded, checking himself out in the mirror one last time. "I don't know why I'm so nervous," he admitted.

Jungkook came farther into his friend's room, sitting on the queen sized bed. "You'll be fine. You have nothing to worry about."

"What if she says -"

"She won't say no. You guys have been together for what, two years now?" Jungkook smiled. "Tae, it'll all work out."

He smiled back. "Thanks, Kook. And thank you for agreeing to all this."

"Yeah, yeah. You two just better not keep me up in the middle of the night." Jungkook arched an eyebrow, earning a playful shrug from Taehyung.

"Consider it payback for me having to deal with your and Chloe's antics. And if it gets too loud, I can recommend a great brand of earplugs."

Taehyung ducked as a pillow was thrown at his face. "Hey! Don't mess up my hair."

"It needs to be cut."

"Look who's talking," Taehyung said, pointing to Jungkook's head. His jet black hair was down to his jawline. "You look like a mushroom."

Jungkook scooped up his long hair into two pigtails. "But a very sexy mushroom."

"What am I going to do with you?" Taehyung asked. "You're just such a fun guy."

Jungkook groaned. "A mushroom joke, Tae? What are you, twelve?"

Taehyung laughed. "Sometimes I feel like it."

Jungkook smiled. "Me too. Now get going, give Shireen my best, and tell her she better be the most considerate roommate ever. Or else."

Taehyung waved him off, grabbing his keys and heading out the door. His heart hammered in his chest, but he felt better after Jungkook's pep talk.

Back in the apartment, Jungkook joined Chloe on the couch.

"What was that all about?" She asked.

"Tae is asking Shireen to move in."

"Oh. When are you going to ask me to move in?" She questioned, running her hand up along Jungkook's thigh.

"We're done with questions for tonight," he replied, grabbing her hand and placing it where he wanted it most. "No more talking either."

Chloe complied and Jungkook leaned his head back against the couch. There was no better Friday night than this.

• • • • •

Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook met when they were fifteen and thirteen years old, respectively. They were placed on the same competitive track team, Taehyung because of his age and Jungkook because of his talent. Jungkook was a running prodigy, surpassing his peers quickly and being renowned as one of the best runners in the county.

Despite his skill, Jungkook was a shy teenager. He was afraid to talk to the older boys and avoided direct conversation in general. But Taehyung, who was a social butterfly, refused to leave the younger alone. He brought Jungkook into his friend group and helped him open up. The boy was still shy, but he had great friends.

All thanks to Taehyung.

The boys became the best of friends, with Taehyung often paving the way for Jungkook. When he got his first girlfriend, he filled in the blushing Jungkook on everything he learned, in exact detail. He also helped the younger take his schooling more seriously, making sure his grades were as good as they could be.

When Taehyung and his other friends left for college, Jungkook counted down the days until he could join them again. And finally, when he graduated, he went to the same university as well.

These boys were his family, and Taehyung his closest brother.

After his freshman year, Jungkook moved off campus into an apartment complex with Taehyung. His other friends lived in the same building as well, making it easy for them all to hang out daily.

Jungkook won the lottery when it came to his friends, his family, and he'd never take them for granted.