Hullo sweeties!

Just a little heads up that you may wish to look up the English school system before you start so you don't get lost ;3

Enjoy ~

Taekwoon first met Taehyung on his first day of preschool. He was sitting in the corner gazing with wide longing eyes at the other children running around, shouting and playing but, although he really wanted to, he was too shy to join in. After a little while, he ventured forwards, tottering on little legs, wanting to play with the blocks but another little boy and a little girl suddenly rushed over and he backed away once more. He turned away morosely. He'd never get to play with those lovely wooden blocks because he wasn't the only one who treasured them. It wasn't that he was selfish, he was just far too shy. He retreated to the corner and sat back down, fiddling with the cuffs of his trousers. He didn't know how to approach the other children first. What if he asked them to play and they said no? Tears started to well in his dark eyes at the thought of never playing with the toys, always being lonely.

"Hello?" Said a soft voice and Taekwoon looked up in surprise, a single tear finally spilling at the sudden movement. Another little boy was kneeling in front of him, round face twisted in an expression of concern. Tiny fingers reached out and clumsily wiped away the tear whilst Taekwoon gazed at the other boy in wonder. "Don't cry." He placed a toy car in Taekwoon's lap. "My name's Taehyung! I'll play with you!" The boy chirped and his mouth opened wide in box smile. It was the brightest smile Taekwoon had ever seen and he couldn't help but tentatively return it. He gently picked up the little car and turned it over in his hands.

"Okay." He said, smiling wider. "I'm called Taekwoon." Taehyung positively shone.

"Tae-woon, let's be friends!"

Taehyung and Taekwoon became fast friends after that. Wherever you found one, you would surely find the other. Whether they were outside causing trouble, splashing in puddles or hiding from the preschool staff or inside, drawing on each other in favour of the paper provided or playing pretend. They were inseparable and the adults eventually gave up trying to keep them apart. They were a little confused though by how infatuated the quiet, reserved Taekwoon had become with the crazy and hyper Taehyung. But all the same, they looked very cute together and got along well. They saw no benefit from attempting to keep them apart.

One particular day, in the spring,  Taehyung decided that they ought to be together even in nap time. The little boy obediently lay down on his own mat to appease the supervising adult but, as soon as her back was turned, he shot up and onto Taekwoon's mat, sliding under the blanket and wrapping himself around the other boy. Taekwoon was, in fact, already asleep. He snuggled closer in his sleep, instinctively moving towards the warmth provided by another tiny body. By the time the staff member noticed, Taehyung too was fast asleep so she decided not to intervene.

From then on, they always slept together, refusing outright to sleep apart.

Of course, Taehyung and Taekwoon arrived together for their first day of primary school, hand in hand, wearing matching outfits and with Taehyung's mum and Taekwoon's dad in tow, chattering happily about how adorable their sons were and how nice it was that they already had such a strong friendship.

Taekwoon and Taehyung paused just before the open gate and gazed up at the building before them. It was tall, modern and colourful with lots of windows and lots of trees out the front. It looked so different to the small, quaint buildings of their preschool. Then their parents ushered them on, mindful of causing a blockage. The path took them round the side of the building to the playground, lined with exciting looking play equipment. Taehyung was just itching to go play on it! But he couldn't; it was time to meet their reception teacher and all their new classmates.

"Now Taehyung, I want you to look after Taekwoon like the good friend you are." His mum said softly, ruffling his hair.

"And I'd like for you to do the same, little man." Taekwoon's dad added, crouching down and hugging his son.

They took their backpacks with their lunchboxes from their parents, linked their fingers back together, and stepped into the new world that was primary school.

Neither of the boys particularly missed their parents at school. They were both used to leaving them for preschool and, although the school environment was very different, they had each other and that was more than enough.

They sat together, played together, made the same friends (although of course each was the other's best friend, ranking far above all the others). The day when Taekwoon had to stay home sick, Taehyung was inconsolable. As soon as he realised his best friend was missing, he became noticeably weepy and, as the day progressed, he became more and more upset, lost without the quieter boy constantly by his side. His young mind didn't know how to deal with it and not even his favourite activity - finger-painting - could cheer him up. Fat tears dropped onto the paper and when he tried to wipe them from his cheeks, he smeared dark purple paint all over his face.

As soon as school was over, his mother took the little boy to visit Taekwoon on the way home, worryingly mildly about how dependent he'd become. But, then again, he was only four and he had a lot of growing to do yet, both mentally and physically.

In year one, they moved to a new class. There was less time to play and more focus on learning. Last year they had properly learnt the alphabet and numbers, the basics of reading and writing, colours shapes and so much more. Now, they sat together and learnt more and more one lesson at a time. Taehyung developed a habit of hanging onto Taekwoon's arm during lessons. Taekwoon who was am-bi-dex-trous as he sounded it out, quickly adapted to write left handed so he could keep hold of his friend's hand for comfort. The teacher made sure to tell their parents who honestly saw no need for concern; the boys were just closer than others. And truly, they were.

In P.E. they were able to try out new sports and both found an affinity for running. They even got to go on trips with all their classmates to further their learning.

It was a couple of years later, aged seven, that they discovered what it truly meant to be apart. They were put into different classes. When their parents first told them, Taehyung cried himself silly, unable to comprehend a world without his best friend right beside him. Tears streamed down his face, his nose ran and he began hiccupping. He didn't know what he would do. Who would he sit with? Who would he talk to about all his crazy ideas? Who would he swap lunches with? Taekwoon, shocked by his extreme reaction, pulled him into a tight hug and awkwardly patted his back.

"It's okay, Tae," he mumbled against the other boy's neck, "we can't be together forever. Stop crying, we'll see each other at break and lunch." To their parents' surprise, Taehyung stopped crying almost immediately. Wiping his nose and his eyes on Taekwoon's shirt in a snotty, dribbly, wet mess. Taehyung's mother was especially surprised by the wisdom shown by Taekwoon's words. That boy may be quiet but that clearly had no bearing on his intelligence.

Being separate was strange for both of them. They felt like something was missing without another person pressing up against them on the first day of the new school year. Taekwoon missed Taehyung's excited bouncing and Taehyung missed Taekwoon's comforting brand of silence.

They stood alone for the first time on the first day of school.

Taehyung bounced on his heels, nerves bubbling in his stomach as he looked over his classmates. He could see a few friends but it wasn't the same. He tried his best to push down his sadness and squeezed forwards in the line until he could stand beside a shorter boy with red hair who's name was Jimin.

"J-jimin?" He stuttered, nudging the other boy. Jimin jumped a little, but his characteristic bright smile came back onto his face when he saw Taehyung, chubby cheeks almost obscuring his eyes.

"Tae!" He greeted, then went on tiptoe, peering over Tae's shoulders curiously. "Where's Taekwoon?" He asked innocently, not used to seeing one without the other. Taehyung's lips trembled. He tried so hard to hold it together but he couldn't and burst into tears. Jimin looked panicked for a second before taking a deep breath and wrapping his arms tight around Taehyung.

"It'll be okay, I'm your friend!" Taehyung accepted the hug gratefully. He liked Jimin and his positive outlook. He liked Jimin a lot.

Taekwoon didn't talk to anyone in line. In fact, he kept to himself almost all morning until a lanky boy with wide eyes cheerfully asked if he could sit next to him. Taekwoon nodded warily, recognising him from the year before but not remembering his name.

"You're Taekwoon, right?  I'm Hakyeon. Did you and Taehyung end up in different classes?" Taekwoon nodded shyly. The boy's energy level reminded him of Taehyung and there was something warm and comforting about him. "Aw well you can see him at break time and lunch." Hakyeon enthused and Taekwoon nodded again. "You really don't talk much do you?"

"No." Taekwoon said and Hakyeon laughed. Taekwoon found himself smiling for the first time that morning. This boy seemed like he might make a good friend. A kind of substitute Taehyung although obviously no one could replace his best friend. Not really.

They met up religiously at break and lunch and even after school for the final three years of primary school, continually placed in separate classes, but just about able to cope. Sometimes they brought Hakyeon and Jimin along, sometimes not. It worked. They were still able to maintain the same level of closeness despite not being together for hours each day. And then, when they moved on to secondary school, something changed. They were put into different classes again and they began to drift apart. Unlike at primary school, they didn't meet up every single break and lunch anymore even though they used the same school grounds. They rarely went to each others' houses. Something wasn't quite the same. Instead, they spent more time with Jimin and Hakyeon respectively. Inevitably, eventually, their unbreakable friendship broke and fizzled out.

Neither was entirely comfortable with this, but there was something off about the air between them and neither felt able to reinitiate the friendship they had lost.

Taekwoon missed Taehyung's random ideas and crazy illogical inventions. He missed the way the other boy used to hang off him and insist on holding hands and matching their clothes for special occasions. Hakyeon was a good friend and fun to be around but he wasn't Taehyung.

Taehyung loved Jimin's optimistic and trusting nature and the way the boy flung himself at every opportunity, not even dreaming of the possibility of failure. But even he couldn't bring up Taehyung's mood when he was thinking about Taekwoon. And sometimes, all Taehyung wanted was someone who would sit calmly with him, talk seriously with him and understand him almost better than he understood himself. The only person who could do that was Taekwoon.

Each feared that as the other had matured, they had lost their desire to remain friends. Both hoped for something to change alone and did nothing to change anything.

Their friendship groups became well and truly separated. Taekwoon became more introverted and Taehyung more extroverted, both covering the slight pang of sadness from seeing the other so happy with their new friends. Both mourning the empty space at the sides. The space that no new friends could fill.

Weirdly, despite being isolated from each other, many of their interests overlapped. They excelled in the same subjects, often set in the same classes but sat on opposite sides of the room. Each took up new hobby; Taekwoon started fencing whilst Taehyung decided to learn to play the saxophone. But the area that they both truly lined up in was singing. Every Thursday, around midday, they had a strange moment of acknowledgement pass between them as Taehyung left his singing lesson and Taekwoon arrived for his. They would pause and gaze at each other, faces blank but each yearning to say something, anything, until the singing teacher called Taekwoon in and they snapped out of their daze.

And then, in year 10, their penultimate year at that school, their friendship groups suddenly collided. Both were more than a little perplexed by the sudden merger of their groups of friends. Taehyung supposed it mainly happened because of the friendship between his friend, Seokjin, and Taekwoon's friend, Jaehwan.

Despite the unlikely convergence of their friendship groups, Taehyung and Taekwoon still remained apart. Taekwoon seemed aloof and they barely interacted. They weren't cold to each other, but neither were they overly friendly. All their friends would describe them as polar opposites and very few remembered a time when something more than perfunctory communication passed between them. They no longer knew how to talk to each other and allowed their other friends to bridge the gap instead, somehow managing to avoid each other within the same group. Although both dissatisfied, they were resigned to allowing the rift to remain. Until, one day, they were called to see the head of the music department together. Taehyung arrived first and was about to knock on the door when Taekwoon showed up. They gazed at each other in shock for a moment before Taehyung spoke.

"I'm here to see the head of department." He saw a flash of surprise in Taekwoon's eyes and noticed how tall the other boy had gotten. He had a strong, almost intimidating presence and Taehyung wondered if the sweet, affectionate Taekwoon he had known still existed.

"So am I." Taekwoon said, eyes flickering away from Taehyung's. He still felt like the other boy could read him like a book. He gently moved Taehyung aside and knocked on the door, pushing it open when a voice called for them to come in.

Taehyung followed him in, hovering behind the taller boy. He'd always found the head of department mildly intimidating and Taekwoon made a good shield with his strong aura and unshakeable calm. But they weren't in trouble, nothing was wrong. In fact they were being given a rare opportunity to take part in a composition course. The only catch was that the course demands participants to work in partnership. The music department had selected two of their best students and had already (successfully) applied on their behalf. Those two students were Taehyung and Taekwoon. The course would end with the opportunity to professionally record and produce their song.

Neither of them could turn down such a golden opportunity. Taehyung hoped in the depths of his heart that this will provide an opportunity for them to recover... something. Some semblance of their previous friendship in whatever form.

The composition course worked wonders for them, both in improving their musical knowledge and skill and in renewing the strong bond they had as small children. They worked incredibly well together, exceeding the expectations of their own school's music department and  even the organisation running the course. The first song they wrote together is bittersweet. Uplifting after their reunion and yet recognising those years during which they barely interacted. It was beautiful.

And so was their friendship.

They went to the same sixth form, of course, seemingly destined to end up together at every stage of their lives. They had similar subjects and almost the same timetable. Two of their subjects were the same - music and music technology - and they ended up in the same classes for them which meant eight lessons together every week. Even when they weren't in lessons, they could pretty much always be found together. Usually on a particular secluded sofa just separate from the main social areas. Taehyung could normally be found singing to himself or drawing for his art class with his legs rested up across Taekwoon's lap. The older boy, now with long dyed blonde hair, spent most of his time writing lyrics or poems or the music to go along with them, his notebook balanced on his best friend's shins or thighs.

Sometimes they were surrounded by their friends - especially large numbers would turn up at lunch time - or other times they would be joined by fellow music students. If you wanted to find Min Yoongi or Lee Hongbin from music tech for example, asking Tae and Taek, as they were nicknamed, was the most efficient way.

It wasn't long after Taehyung dyed his hair blonde as well that he first became aware of the rumours. He heard some fellow lower sixth students talking in one of the hallways as he walked behind them.

"Oh my gosh, have you seen the music couple!?" One of the girls exclaimed and her friend turned to her with an almost worrying gleam in her eye.

"Dude, they have matching hair now, did you see?"

"Yes!" A third girl practically shouted, "Tae looks so friggin' cute! Do you think he did it to match Taek?" It was at this point that he finally cottoned onto the fact that the girls were talking about himSelf and Taekwoon. That they were this 'music couple'. He gasped out loud at the realisation and ducked through a well placed arch to avoid being seen by the people he'd just been eavesdropping on. Admittedly, it would have been funny to see their faces as they realised that they'd just said all of that in front of him. Another day perhaps.

For now though, he was busy trying to avoid hyperventilating. He'd heard one more comment before the girls turned off into another corridor.

"How long do you think they've been dating? They don't look like they've ever been apart."

Dating? Taehyung has always been somewhat oblivious and even with his friends constantly teasing them about their closeness he'd never consciously thought of Taekwoon like that. Or had he? He leant against the wall as his mind went into overdrive. He wanted to spend time with Taekwoon, to be close to Taekwoon. Now that their friendship was back and stronger than ever, he hadn't dreamt of a future in which they were apart. What was it that he wanted? Taehyung didn't know.

Taekwoon, in contrast, found out about the rumours a long time ago, he just never said anything. He didn't know if Taehyung was homophobic, let alone gay. Certainly he'd never shown any interest in girls, but then again he'd never shown much interest in anyone. Taekwoon thought about it a lot. Was he fated to eke out his existence by his friends side but never in the sense that he hoped for? Of that was so, life could be incredibly cruel. He thought about what it would be to silence Taehyung's endless bubble of chatter with his own lips, but he never brought it up.

Eventually though, he realised that he would have to come out to Taehyung regardless of everything. It was only a month into upper sixth, now having died his hair midnight black, that he met Wonshik and he knew immediately that there was some kind of spark between them, something he wanted to explore. So after sixth form one day, he found himself trailing behind uncharacteristically slowly, knowing that when they reached his house he would have to say it. Taehyung noticed how jittery he was and kept asking what was wrong, gazing up at him sincerely through his newly dyed purple fringe. Taekwoon just kept waving him off. When he finally unlocked his front door, he bolted upstairs to his room and sat on the floor by the bed with his eyes closed, thinking. He didn't know how much time passed before a gentle hand was laid upon his shoulder and a low voice asked him once more what was wrong.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes to face Taehyung, his stomach turning.

"I have something to tell you." He said softly. To his surprise, Taehyung replied with a 'me too', eyes flickering away around the room. Taekwoon took another deep breath, nit sure how to say it. He supposed it was best to be direct.

"I'm gay." He blurted out, then gazed at Taehyung in shock; the other boy had said the exact same thing at the exact same time. "What...?" They stared at each other wide eyed for a moment longer before simultaneously bursting into laughter. Neither of them could believe that they both had been concealing the same thing, worrying about being judged or being hated. They should have realised that, despite the differences they had on the surface, they were incredibly alike beneath.

Taekwoon covered his face in embarrassment as he laughed and Taehyung playfully pulled his hands away.

"Aw, Taekwoon-ah!" He cooed. "I want to see your pretty, gay face!" Taekwoon snorted in response to that but didn't complain.

Soon after Taekwoon started a tentative relationship with Wonshik. The younger boy shared his passion for song writing and there was something about their personalities that just matched perfectly. Taehyung would have been lying if he said that it didn't bother him somewhat, but he'd rather see Taekwoon happy and if he couldn't do that, he'd force himself to move on. Which was why he accepted the offer of a date from a lower sixth boy called Jungkook. He was tall and fit with quite long black hair, stretched ears and a baby face that didn't match anything else about him. Taehyung found him intriguing.

The boy was everything he was not. He was athletic and an amazing dancer - even better than Jimin who now attended a dance school rather than main stream school. He wasn't excitable like Taehyung or boundlessly optimistic like Jimin, but he was insatiably curious about everything. He lived alone and had a job. He smoked. There was something refreshing about him that drew Taehyung in. But at the same time, the thought of leaving Taekwoon behind held him back and there was something fundamental missing from their relationship. He felt it the first time they kissed.

The taller boy's face had been so so close. From this distance, Taehyung could pick out each individual eyelash, could, he liked to think, see into the younger boy's soul. Jungkook had asked if it was okay to kiss him and Taehyung had said yes, wondering how it would feel. He closed his eyes as Jungkook ducked closer, pushing him further into the wall he was leaning against. It was anticlimactic. The boy's lips against his own were soft and warm. He could taste the remnants of the last cigarette on those lips. He enjoyed the kiss but he felt no connection to the person he was sharing it with. He squeaked in surprise when a stray hand tugged at the hem of his t-shirt.

"No," he'd said, "Dont ruin this moment." Jungkook had laughed and kissed him some more. It was pleasant but he could tell this relationship was going nowhere. So he ended it a couple weeks later, realising that it was unfair to string someone along. Jungkook accepted it. Perhaps he'd felt it too, the lack of connection. Either way, he seemed content to be a good friend instead, often gatecrashing the music couple's sofa. It baffled Taehyung that that nickname stuck even when he and Taekwoon clearly both had boyfriends but stick it did.

Taekwoon's relationship with Wonshik barely outlasted Taehyung's relationship with Jungkook. Just three weeks later, Wonshik told him that he didn't see the point in continuing when Taekwoon was so clearly infatuated with Taehyung. He stepped aside graciously and urged him to pursue his purple haired best friend instead.

"I'm so sorry Wonshik." Taekwoon murmured, pulling his now ex-boyfriend close, kissing the side of his face one last time. "If it wasn't for him I know you'd be perfect for me." Wonshik disentangled himself gently.

"The perfect person doesn't come at the wrong time." He said with a pained expression and walked back out of Taekwoon's life.

Taekwoon didn't follow Wonshik's advice at first. He didn't know where to start.

He confessed one night when they were having a sleepover. They decided a Disney marathon was in order (so that they could analyse the music obviously) and ended up sprawled across the sofa in Taehyung's mother's apartment. She had supplied them with snacks and then gone out for the night with her own best friends. It meant they could watch undisturbed. At some point they switched from Disney to cheesy romcoms, nit entirely sure how they'd got there but content to continue watching anyway.

Taehyung relaxed back and laid his head in Taekwoon's lap. Long fingers slid into his now rather faded but still purple hair and he sighed in appreciation.

"I can't believe we ever weren't friends." He said. Taekwoon paused for a moment to get his head around the sentence before humming in agreement. They listened to the movie playing in the background for a little bit before Taekwoon spoke.

"Tae?"

"Yes?" Taehyung's eyes slipped closed as the older boy played with his hair.

"I think I like you."

"Me too Taekkie~" He chirped.

"No Tae, I really like you. I-I suppose I love you." Taehyung sat up abruptly narrowing his eyes.

"You... suppose?" He asked and, for a moment, Taekwoon couldn't place his tone. "Well I hope you do because I'm pretty sure I love you." Taehyung continued and Taekwoon let out a breath he hadn't even realised he'd been holding, his eyes starting to sting. He swiped the remote and turned if the tv. It was little more than a distraction now.

Taehyung moved closer, suddenly straddling Taekwoon's lap. He'd done it before, but in light of the words that had just passed between them, such a simple movement suddenly held a different meaning to Taekwoon. This boy that he had now known for over thirteen years was now, after all that time, perhaps something more than a friend, more than his best friend even. He was someone he loved. The tear that had been threatening spilled. And Taehyung clumsily wiped it away.

"Don't cry." He said sweetly and Taekwoon remembered their first meeting, at preschool. A four year old Taehyung comforting him when no one else would. Look how far they’d come. He cupped Taehyung's face in his hands.

"It's because I'm happy." He whispered and leaned up to press his lips against Taehyung's. It had taken nearly fourteen years for them to get to this point but he was so glad they did. It was worth all the time apart, all of it was worth it for this, for the prospect of a future together.

Taehyung's lips fit against his perfectly, so soft and wet. The younger boy slid his arms around Taekwoon's neck and hummed in contentment. Taekwoon could taste salt tears but this time it wasn't him crying.

"Don't cry." He whispered against Taehyung's lips. "I love you."

Annyoung lovelies!

I hope you liked reading that as much as I loved writing it ;3 Aww I don't write enough fluff ;3

This particular pairing was suggested by the fabulous writenow753 <3 Thanks for the awesome suggestion :D

Thank you for reading <3 Please tell me what you think <3

~ Ally