The first time it happens, it’s 3AM. The second time it happens, Taehyung has G-Dragon’s Who You bursting through his earphones. The third time it happens, Taehyung’s bed turns into the most comfortable place on Earth. The fourth time it happens, they both know it already. The fifth time doesn’t happen.

This time, they both have stars in their eyes.

Daehyun is four. Youngjae is three. They both live in close, but not quite, neighborhoods in the outskirts of Seoul. The year is 1998, and their lives are about to change- probably for good- and it all starts when Daehyun hits Youngjae over the head with his lunchbox in preschool, and Youngjae starts to cry.

"This is the last time I’m skipping biology for this," Taehyung whispers frantically, her hands busying themselves with trying to flatten down the many stray hairs in her short haircut.

The first time Daehyun sees him, it’s on the first day of twelfth grade. 

In which Jungkook is the king of hell, Taehyung is the Grim Reaper, Jimin gets a second chance and Namjoon is in charge of costumes.

After their escape from the facility they were held in for years, Baekhyun and Jongdae struggle to regroup with their friends, who are all scattered across the globe.

Daehyun doesn't feel like he's home- until Youngjae comes for a visit.

It’s not the first time this happens; anxiety attacks visited Youngjae once a month at least, and every time they did Daehyun did his best to help Youngjae fight through them, because he promised to stick to him in sickness and in health, and he’ll stay true to his word, goddammit.

The door to the roof is already slammed open when Taehyung finally reaches it, a panting and sweaty mess of a human being. It’s windy and the sky’s a mix of pastel pink and baby blue bleeding into each other and Jungkook’s sitting with his back to the door, leaning against the wall with his knees pulled to his chest and his jet black hair shining in the slowly dimming light.

A lot can happen in five days.

Yoongi likes cacti, so Jungkook gets him one.

Time may be cruel to Jungkook, but love is being a to Taehyung.

Green light hits the white covers and draws small patterns on Youngjae’s skin, and Daehyun breathes in and smiles. It feels like spring in his ribcage.

Confetti falls down like rain and everything’s too bright and so incredibly loud for a change.

Daehyun has learnt from experience that Youngjae can be pretty frightful when truly mad, and he doesn’t want to awaken the beast. 

In which Daehyun spends the entire night blogging and Youngjae is literally done with everything.

Cicadas drone on and the air conditioning’s on full force, huffing through the vents in the walls like a careful whisper. 

There are three things you should probably know about Yoo Youngjae: 1. He is prone to forgetting his keys inside his apartment, often choosing to stay at his (unbelievably stupid) best friends’, Moon Jongup, until the locksmith arrives to help . 2. He hates messes. 

Jongup splutters. “Shouldn’t you be following the instructions, dad?” He asks hesitantly, glancing at his twin. Junhong just looks horrified. "I don’t need them." "You’re not even using the hammer right!" 

"What," Daehyun starts as soon as he’s in front of his petrified son, his eyes menacing and his hands on his hips, "the hell happened?"

It’s a clear Sunday morning and they’re all sitting together when Jongup drops the question.

The door to room 269 is shoved open and Daehyun walks in, nearly sobbing at the sight in front of him.

Daehyun thinks that this is, by far, the happiest he’s ever been in his entire life.

It's become a game of sorts; Jongdae leads, and Baekhyun follows.