It had been building up inside him ever since they met. A drip, drip, drip effect of everything Taehyung had ever said and done for him. The way the boy had taken care of him when Jimin had first joined the company. He had offered his smile, wide and unreserved, and with it his whole soul up for Jimin to inspect and Jimin's own responded by latching on. Thick as thieves, joined at the hip, a two for one deal, and other cliché phrases have been thrown at them over the years but Jimin didn't mind because it was all true. He didn't care who saw. His soul had chosen Taehyung and he had no intention of questioning it.

Here, in the dark of their shared bedroom with Hoseok, under Jimin's thick duvet was their haven. Taehyung clambered in at the wee hours of the morning like he always did, Jimin automatically moving aside in his sleepy haze to make space for the taller boy, wrapping an arm around his waist and breathing in his warmth. He wondered what the skin against his lips tasted like, what noise Taehyung would make as Jimin kissed down every vertebrae.

Jimin wasn't sure at what point platonic feelings had developed into romantic but he didn't spend much time figuring it out either, he just accepted his fate. Being allowed to love Taehyung secretly and watch him blossom was more than Jimin could have hoped for. He usually ignored the sharp jabs to his heart when Taehyung looked at him, when Taehyung touched him, when Taehyung relaxed into his body, skin against skin and smelling of home.

Tonight however, Jimin couldn't sleep. Tonight Taehyung's steady breaths didn't lull him into sleep like usual, instead keeping him awake counting every beat of  the boy's heart. He dared to trace a finger along one wide shoulder blade, hearing the instant change in Taehyung's breathing. Curiously he tried again, drawing for longer this time, again Taehyung's breathing changed, louder and quicker. That was it, he couldn't stop. Addicted to this new reaction Jimin traced his finger along Taehyung's back in a continuous pattern. It took him a few moments to realise he was spelling 'I love you' over and over on the smooth skin and he withdrew his hand in shock, staring at the offending appendage as if it had betrayed him.  Then Taehyung whined quietly and Jimin's whole body stiffened in panic as a whisper floated out of the supposedly sleeping boy next to him.

"Jiminie, don't stop, please."

A hand reached for his own, guiding it back to Taehyung's skin squeezing ever so slightly.

"Keep going, Jimin."

"Taehyung... I-"

Taehyung turned to face him slowly, guiding Jimin's hand to his chest.

"Here. Write it here."

Taehyung's breath was warm against his cheek and Jimin's head felt fuzzy. He didn't know what to do. What did Taehyung mean? Had he been awake the whole time? His heart leapt and squirmed, overwhelmed tears filling his eyes. Still, Taehyung's hand was firm on his own, his heartbeat steady under his palm.

"Jimin. Please. Write it here. Please."

He took a shaky breath as his finger started to move on its own. Writing his confession onto Taehyung's skin right above his heart. He swore he could actually hear Taehyung's smile. His finger finished its work but he couldn't bear to move his hand away and a moment of silence stretched between them.

"I love you too, Chim." Taehyung's husky voice filled the gaps.

"Taehyung. No. I-"

"I know, Jimin. I love you. Really."

Then he was pulled into his friend's chest, his face in the crook of Taehyung's neck and he allowed himself to breathe in, long and deep. A kiss was planted on his forehead before his face was tilted upward. A kiss landed on his nose, another on his cheekbone, his eyelid, the side of his mouth.

"Jimin, please. Can I kiss you?"

And finally, finally Jimin allowed himself to hope for more. Allowed himself to move onto Taehyung. Allowed himself to press their lips together and drink the other boy in. Taehyung repaid every move of lips, every swipe of tongue in kind, clouding Jimin's mind and making him clutch on tighter. Slowly their movements relaxed and quieted, kisses turned to soft pecks, wandering hands found each other and stilled.

"I love you, Park Jimin. Be my non-platonic life partner?"

He laughed against Taehyung's lips. "Stupid. You mean a romantic partner."

"That's what I just said. Don't ruin the moment."

Taehyung's whine was betrayed by the wide smile Jimin could feel against his skin and his chest filled with warmth.

"Fine. I'll be your non-platonic life partner. I'll be as non-platonic as you want. I love you, Kim Taehyung. Always have, always will."

Their reverie was broken by a quiet groan from the other side of the room.

"As lovely as this all is - and I'll be sure to congratulate you two idiots tomorrow morning - I would really like to continue sleeping, so if you don't mind could you please keep the talking and kissing to a minimum, I'm begging you."

"Sorry hyung." They said in unison, sharing quiet grins and one last kiss before settling back to sleep, bodies entangled just like their hearts.