iv

“happy birthday,” his voice is small, gentle, plain soft just like the smile he gives him.

a smile that’s reserved only for kim taehyung.

“thanks, man!” the older enthusiastically replies, burying his nose in the crook of jungkook’s neck.

he isn’t sure what prompts the gesture, and he certainly doesn’t ask.

mostly because he’s terrified of both possibilities,

afraid of how this is suspended on the common ground of friendship,

afraid of how he’ll be shocked both if it’s a platonic gesture or if it’s not.