Wait for the person who pursues you, the one who will make an ordinary moment seem magical. The kind of person who brings out the best in you and makes you want to be a better person. Wait for the person who will be your best friend. The only person who will drop everything to be with you at any time no matter what the circumstances.

-Unknown

I opened the door to see the person who had been ringing my doorbell incessantly. Peering through messy har and sleepy eyes, I groaned. 

Streamers popped all over me as I blinked at the messy-haired boy on the porch step. He was wearing his fluffy onesie, the hood over his chipper face. He bounced excitedly as the streamers fell to the ground like a punctured balloon.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEOKMIN!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the quiet neighborhood. He opened his arms. "Can I get a birthday hug?"

I stared at him with an unamused expression on my face.

He beamed even more. "A birthday kiss, then?" he asked, pointing to his cheek. I didn't respond, and he pretended to look disappointed. "You're always happy to see me."

"Can't I even get some sleep, Taehyung?" I mumbled, as he scurried in before I could slam the door closed.

He turned to me with a sad face. "I'm hungry. My parents didn't buy breakfast before they left," he told me, slipping into his house slippers, a fluffy one with UFO prints that he left over at my place whenever he wanted to crash.

I shuffled sleepily after him, yawning loudly. We entered the living room, him swinging himself over on my sofa, where I had been sleeping earlier. He stretched his legs out and sighed happily. "Thought your brother would be cooking something special today, so I decided to come over. I'm surprised he's not up yet."

"It's only ten in the morning, Taehyung," I told him groggily, walking over and slapping his legs so I could have some space. "Move over."

He didn't budge, instead reaching for some CDs on the coffee table, glancing at them before tossing them to the side. "Drama marathons again? Yah, Kim Seokmin! School break ends tomorrow. Do you want to be last in class again?"

I ignored his nagging, choosing to lie down on the fur rug instead. "I already have Seokjin-oppa harassing me about school. I won't have you barging into my house to do the same," I said flatly, grabbing my blankets and wrapping myself as I curled on the rug. "Now shut up and let me sleep. It's my birthday, let me do what I want."

"But I'm hungryyyyyy."

"I've got meatloaf in the fridge."

He let out a squeal. "Meat?" he echoed, his leg tapping my back, "Gimme, gimme!"

I kicked his leg away. "I'm not your mom."

"You're no fun," he said, hopping off the sofa. "Meeeeaaaaaaaat!"

In his absence, I crawled back onto the sofa, shutting my eyes, feeling my eyelids droop close.

***

Something warm pressed against my cheek, making me stir. "Seokminie...wake up," Taehyung's growly voice sang in my ear. In fact, I could feel his hot breath in my ear. "Wake UUUUUP!" he yelled, jolting me awake.

"Oh god, Tae!" I yelped, slapping his hand away, "Shove off!" 

"Your brother asked me to wake you up for lunch," he said with a grin, messing my hair all over my face, "We're gonna eat without you!"

"I'm not hungry," I grumbled, slowly opening my eyes, seeing Taehyung sitting right in front of me as he chomped on...wait, weren't those my cheeseballs?

My eyes widened. "Yah, where'd you get that?" I cried hoarsely, snatching the pack from him. 

"Your brother found it in the wine cabinet."

"That's cause I hid it-" I opened the foil and gasped. It was empty. "No, no. no. OF ALL THE THINGS TO EAT, KIM TAEHYUNG!" 

He managed to duck when I tossed the pack at him. Crumbs flew eerywhere, his laughs echoing throughout the room. "I AM GONNA KILL YOU!" I screamed, throwing off the blankets on me and jumping to my feet. Suddenly black spots clouded my vision, making me dizzy and faint. I fell back on the sofa as Taehyung guffawed from behind the curtains.

"Finally you're awake," came my brother's voice, and I saw him entering the living room, a pink mug in his hands. In fact, his woolly cardigan was pink too. What do you know, he might have been a walking candy floss, even in the way he gracefully draped himself at the opposite end of the sofa. "Welcome back to consciousness. It's almost three. Care to share your nightly pursuits?" he asked, passing the mug to me.

"I spent the whole night doing research!" Taehyung yelled from the curtains. "About the hows and whys of liplocking."

We both glanced at him, and he gave an innocent grin.

I shot him a glare, before snatching the mug from my brother. I won't let him change the topic. "You gave him my cheeseballs. You know I don't share my cheeseballs," I said in my angriest voice. It came out as a whiny warble.

Taehyung ran across the room, diving onto the sofa as he gave me a smug smile. "Don't you think I, your friend of eight years, know that by now?" he asked with a cheeky grin, leaning against my brother's leg with a self-satisfied expression on his face. They high-fived each other.

Of course. Those two always worked against me.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Whose friend are you?" I muttered, sipping the hot chocolate. 

My brother pouted. "He's not just a friend. He's part of our family," he argued, ruffling Taehyung's hair, before cooing, "Aren't you, Taetae?" 

My best friend smiled angelically back, and they began cooing at each other, much to my disgust.

I huffed. "Fine. You two do your yucky bromance skinship," I said, getting up, "Go all out and carry him bridal style and twirl him around or something. I don't care."

Taehyung sat up. "Aww, come on, Seokmin. You know I'd rather you carry me."

Seokjin burst into nasal laughter as my cheeks blazed red. "Don't you make fun of my arms!" I whined, as the two of them burst into fits of laughter. I hugged myself, trying to hide the significantly stronger-looking biceps that I had been proud of.

My brother had the sense to look guilty, and he hid his laughs behind his hand. "You have to admit," he said in between gasps of giggles, "That your workout sessions paid off."

Taehyung's eyes were tearing up. "What's the gym motto? Train like a beast? Well, now you look like one!"

They laughed even harder.

I lunged and landed on top of him, slapping his body while he shrieked in laughter and pain. "Take that back, Kim Taehyung," I growled.

"Never!"

My brother watched, amused, as my friend struggled under my body weight. "I think I'm going to check on the cake," he said conversationally, "Don't forget to wear something nice. I want everything on Instagram. Taetae, hang in there." He got up, walking to the kitchen.

I turned to my victim.

"Hyung!" Taehyung cried. "Don't leave me! The beast is gonna rip me to shreds!" He squealed as I pulled at his hair. "Hyung, help me!"

I grinned. "No one's gonna rescue you," I said with a maniacal grin, leaning closely over his face, as he gasped.

"Get off, you're heavy!" he cried, "I'm gonna die!" 

"This is for eating my cheeseballs!" I yelled, jabbing at his most ticklish spot: his armpits. He howled, quirming wildly, as we both fell to the rug with a crash, this time, our positions reversed. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, as I rubbed my head.

"I'll live," I muttered, pushing him away.

He realized the predicament he was in, and I watched with dread as he smiled, all his teeth in display. "Look who has the upper hand here," he commented, "Get it, upper hand?" He chuckled, his giggles low and throaty as he leaned forwards. 

"Don't even try, Taehyung," I said, my hands resisting his shoulders, "I'm not ticklish, remember?"

"I know," he said, taking my hands away and lowering them down to my sides. "Whoever said I was going to do that?" he said, as his face hovered right over mine. His eyes were directly in my line of vision, glinting slyly. He didn't speak, making me flustered.

I struggled against his hands holding down mine. "Taehyung, you're not supposed to kill me on my birthday," I said breathlessly, "You're freaking heavy."

He still didn't move. Letting go of my hand, I felt it against the side of my face, and exhaled softly at the warmth.

"You look crazy cute even when you wake up," he told me.

"Huh?" I blurted at the sudden randomness. I frowned. "Are you sick, Tae?" I asked with a laugh. 

The near distance was killing me, both physically and mentally. He was still smiling at me, with that faraway look in his eyes. Suddenly it seemed like there was a change in the room, like how a silent room is after a group of noisy students leave. Their voices ring in the emptiness, the air is humming, and an unexplainable feeling lingers in the aftermath.

That was exactly what was happening right now. Except, you know, my dorky best friend was staring at me like he was having a staring match. With a faint smile on his lips.

Which, I must add, were a dangerous distance away from mine.

"Taehyung-" I began, the moment his face neared even more.

I felt his lips at the corner of mine, and my eyes widened as I gasped at the sudden contact.

His hand tilted my face upwards slightly, caressing my lips in achingly slow motion, his lips on mine, but never more than soft touches. I, on the other hand, was merely paralysed with the shock in my system, merely shutting my eyes as goosebumps erupted all over my skin while he kissed me.

This was all so very new. In all my eighteen years of existence, never had I any intention of seeing Taehyung differently as someone other than my best friend. But I realized I liked it. Very much. Why hadn't he done this sooner?

Taehyung stopped abruptly and moved away from me, before helping me to sit up. He gave me that smile again, interlacing his fingers with mine. "I guess my research went well," he said with a laugh, as I turned into a tomato next to him.

"You taste like chocolate," he added, before making a face, "And morning breath. Ew." 

I in a breath. "You started it first!" I said, my voice suddenly higher pitched. 

He grinned. "I know, right?" He said excitedly,pecking me on the cheek.

I slapped him away. "Taehyung!" I cried.

He shook his head, and got up. "Come on, I'm hungry. I need food."

And off he went to the kitchen, leaving me staring at him like a blubbering fish.