before the kiss

-

When the boys have went back to their hotel rooms, Chani felt like he needed to do something when Taeyang had stayed to practice.

"Ah, I'm so tired." Chani stretched out his body as he looks over at Hwiyoung who agreed with him. 

"Me too." Hwiyoung yawned.

"Don't you think Taeyang hyung feel the same?" Hwiyoung frowned at Chani in confusion. The green-haired felt the younger was talking in a way he couldn't understand.

"Yeah, of course, what do you mean?" Hwiyoung's frown was still on his face as now, they are both sharing an a intense eye contact. 

"You like him, don't you?" Hwiyoung was taken aback when the younger asked him that question. "W-wh—"

"Hyung, I'm your friend," Hwiyoung nodded at that, "and it's only right for me to notice things between both my friends, right? And I guess if I asked you, you'd probably deny but. You shouldn't lie to yourself, your feelings, your—heart,"

Hwiyoung felt small and his heart was palpitating as he stared at the younger boy. He knew he liked the older man. He knew when he heard the man singing. It was heavenly and he would love to hear Taeyang's voice when he's waking up or if he can't sleep. Taeyang's voice—or his presence in general would make him feel calm and alive. That's when he knew. But he also knew he had to deny his feelings and he always have thought that Taeyang would never feel the same way like him. He was just an a ordinary boy, while Taeyang is like an angel—human in disguise. We couldn't be together, Hwiyoung thought.

"Taking a risk is good too, sometimes. Mostly if the ones you're fighting for is genuinely worth it." Said Chani as if he were reading Hwiyoung's mind.

"Never mind, I'm out of topic." Chani was only guessing what was on the older's mind but thought he was wrong when the older did not say anything and planned to alter the subject by saying he was out of topic.

"Since when did you get deep in life?" Hwiyoung asked, temporarily forgetting the younger's words, though his heart didn't as it was still pounding fast.

"I may or may not have been hanging out with Dawon hyung,"

Hwiyoung let out a loud, deep chuckle that almost made Chani shiver as his thought was: “My voice is still deeper, yes, of course,” and Chani absentmindedly nodded at his thought.

"You hung out with Dawon hyung too much,"

"Yeah. He tells me weird s I don't even want to know, but I like it anyway." Hwiyoung snorted. 

"Ah, right. I'm gonna talk to Youngbin hyung for some stuffs. And you," Chani pointed his index finger at Hwiyoung.

"Go talk to him. Kiss him, confess to him, I don't care. Happy Taeyang is happy me—and I know you wouldn't deny because happy Taeyang is happy you and happy us. Like all of us," Hwiyoung blinked, his head remembering their subject minutes ago that made his heart ache and palms sweaty.

Chani had said it with gestures, and drags Hwiyoung out of their room just after finishing his words.

"Go," When their feet have stepped outside, Chani was still pushing Hwiyoung's body but much more lightly as he continued to shoo the older away. "Go."

Hwiyoung had no choice and after all, Chani was right. He turned his back away at Chani, then started walking from Chani to go check on Taeyang. "You can do this, Hwi. You can, I believe in you. Be a man." Hwiyoung muttered to himself, with no one to hear as he kept wiping off the sweats that keeps coming from his palms.

-

after the kiss

“Ugh!! Why did I do that?” Taeyang's thought when he have quickly reached their hotel room's door after running. Although he was still panting, Taeyang opened the door, and was met with Chani's expectant face, though he ignored it and went on his bed to lay down.

"Where's Hwi hyung?" Taeyang closed his eyes as his heavy breaths from running filled the quiet room, with Chani's loud music from his earphones.

"I don't know." Taeyang replied. Chani's expectant face fell down as he were unsure if his expectations of his two friends being a couple went unsuccessful or Hwiyoung just chickened out and the confession didn't happen. Though Chani thinks it's the same thing, he erased the thought as the older man went to the bathroom.

Taeyang got up and went to the bathroom as he washed his face.

“I shouldn't have done it.. What if he thinks I'm crazy? And he might end our friendship—aish aish. I hope the kiss doesn't go that far” Taeyang thought as he looked at his own reflection in the mirror.

"This is your fault, Taeyang. If you hadn't kissed him, you both would still be friends and being friends is rather much okay than letting him know about your stupid feelings! He doesn't like you and never will be," Taeyang blamed himself, unshed tears threatening to fall down his cheeks, and he did not stop his tears. He let it fall as he continues to mutter “this is my fault” “you're an idiot Taeyang” “you make bad decisions” “it's all my fault” all to himself.

After minutes of crying and blaming himself, Taeyang had decided to go to shower before sleeping.

-

after the kiss pt. 2

“That hurts..” Hwiyoung brought his left hand over his chest. He could hear his heart still beating quickly. And he hates how it still beats so fast when the older man had already left him.

"Stop being an idiot, Hwiyoung, you know he doesn't like you." Hwiyoung said to himself and hits his chest when it was still palpitating fast. Though a part of his mind says, he has no accurate sign that Taeyang doesn't like him. Another part of him replied; neither does he have an evidence that he likes him.

"It's like, fifty fifty," Hwiyoung sighed softly. Glad that the fluttering in his chest have calmed down unlike minutes ago.

"I should eat ramen before I go back," Hwiyoung's stomach growled as he his, now, dry lips and remembered their kiss. His lips slowly –and unknowingly– turned into a small smile and thought: “It's like we were meant for each other. His lips tastes like strawberry, so soft-”

"..err sir?" Hwiyoung jumped at the voice. "We will be closing the stage for now, it's past midnight." A random man made Hwiyoung's mind go back to reality as he forget about Taeyang's lips for a while.

"Ah. Yes. Thank you for your hard work," Hwiyoung bowed down several times as he left to go on a nearby convenience store before going back to their hotel room.

-

​​​​​​Hwiyoung had came back with a full stomach as he entered their hotel room. Seeing Taeyang sleeping peacefully, his mind suddenly starts to wander for answers.

“Does it mean nothing to him? If so, then why did he kiss me? Didn't he think that will left me confused and mad? But then, why did he think of kissing me then just run—”

"Hyung?" Someone's whisper interrupted his thoughts as he looked over at the voice.

"Chani?" When Hwiyoung was about to ask why he was still awake, "Where were you?" Chani had asked first.

Chani was rubbing his eyes, "Didn't you confess to him?" Hwiyoung sighed softly at the question while walking to his bed.

"I didn't." Instead of being disappointed, Chani was confused because Hwiyoung's face was saying something else he couldn't decipher. And Hwiyoung noticed the look so he continued, "He kissed me, then ran away."

Chani's face then softens after hearing his explaining then let out a ‘pfft’ from his mouth before speaking, "I guess he followed my advice then. Did he confess?" The confused look from Chani before, came to Hwiyoung as the green-haired raised his eyebrow.

"He didn't? What? What are you talking about?"

"He likes you."

"No, he—" 

"Oh, please. He talks about you every time our conversation goes dead then asks for my advice," Chani almost rolled his eyes when Hwiyoung tried to deny. "Don't you see it?"

"He won't like me—"

"Stop. He likes you and that's final. Go talk to him before the concert or stuff— Ah! I know!" An idea popped into Chani's mind as he asked Hwiyoung, "You guys didn't confess to each other right?" Hwiyoung shook his head.

"Right, so before the concert starts I'll talk to the other hyungs that we will leave you for a while and you should be talking to him."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Shut up. You'll make him sad."

"But he ran away!" Hwiyoung replied in a shout-whisper way.

"So? That's just normal, he was nervous." Hwiyoung sighed, there was no way he could argue with Chani, knowing the younger boy would fight for what he believed in.

"Okay, so, it's final? Talk to him before the concert?" Hwiyoung softly nodded. "Great. I shall see my friends kissing." Hwiyoung lightly throws a pillow at the younger boy's words as he lets out an a quiet laugh.

"Brush your teeth before going to sleep."

"I'm not a kid but thank you for your reminder,"

"No worries. Love you hyung, night."

"Goodnight, Chani." Hwiyoung sees the boy falling asleep as he went to think about what he said earlier and looked over at Taeyang.

“Confessions seems to be harder than what I thought it would be. I should do my best,” Hwiyoung encouraged himself to confess as he made Chani's words noted on his mind.

-
after the concert

"Wooooo! Today is so great, I'm so happy we made it successful!" Said Zuho with a happy grin on his face.

"Me too!" Jaeyoon and Youngbin said it in unison, but Youngbin continued, "Like I'm really happy, should we do something after this?" Jaeyoon agreed with him.

"That sounds great! Let's celebrate for our continuous achievements and eat Korean pork, yass!!" Said Dawon, waving his towel, in the air, he used to wipe off his sweat.

Rowoon made an agreement hum at Dawon's words. "We could do that!"

Inseong smiled at them before speaking. "We should ask our manager first and if he'd let us,"

"He should." Chani spoke and everyone laughed at his savageness.

"And we're gonna be celebrating for the new couple too," Zuho coughed at Hwiyoung and Taeyang as they were holding hands while Taeyang blushed at the attention everyone was giving them and Hwiyoung could only look at him with pure admiration on his face.

"Awwwwww," Dawon cooed. "They will beat the Jaesong ship down now," Dawon faked an dramatic heart clench on his chest as Jaeyoon threw him his towel at Dawon.

"Stop it, you're just jealous."

"They are honestly cuter than the both of you." Dawon argued. "True." Rowoon agreed with him and laughed at the reaction Inseong and Jaeyoon gave them.

"We didn't ask." Inseong argued back at Dawon as they continue to bicker around.

The newly formed couple just looked at each other as Hwiyoung squeezed the older man's hand to say that their attention wasn't at them anymore with a soft smile. He could sense the older was still uncomfortable with them being openly together and he wanted to try to comfort Taeyang off his comfort zone, which it did as Taeyang returned the smile back. They both looked at their other members, Jaeyoon, Inseong, Dawon featuring Rowoon still bickering.

"Okay, everyone! Let the argument die and I have some good news." Youngbin announced.

"Spill."

"You guys can go out, celebrate, and eat pork." Their manager, popped out of nowhere as he informed them.

Loud happy noises came from some, but Chani let out a sound of disapproval, "I just wanna rest,"

"You can't be celebrating achievements by just resting. Plus, it's only one time anyway." Zuho pouted at Chani's disapproval.

Chani just huffed, "Fine." Everyone in the room made happy noises as Dawon hugged Chani out of happiness.

"You guys just got to behave and we're on it," Their manager warned them as they all nodded and their manager had left them after reminding them to finish their activities before going.

"I'm so happy we're going to eat together as a couple and not some kind of friends with unanswered feelings." Taeyang whispered sincerely to Hwiyoung and the boy smiled at him and whispered, "Me too." and kissed his forehead.

-

"You guys can go to our room first."

"Why?" Taeyang asked Chani with a worried look on his face as the two of them stopped their walking to their hotel room when Chani spoke.

"Because— as you see, I'm a good friend—and a good friend lets their now-a-couple friends have their own private time, right?"

"I don't know if you're concerned of us or you just wanna compliment yourself," Chani glared at Hwiyoung who shared his thought. "Maybe he's doing both?" Chani then glared at Taeyang who also spoke and defended himself when both of them laughed.

"I'm just being considerate. I'm happy you guys are happy but like—I'm bitter and I don't wanna see you guys being sweet to each other. I'm going to be sad,"

"Aw. Sad Chani is sad us too. Go to Rowoon hyung," Hwiyoung comforted the young boy as he patted the younger's head.

"How did you know? Anyways, yes, I'm going. See you guys later." Chani walked on a different path away to their room as Hwiyoung just shrugged his shoulder when he could notice the confusion on the elder's face.

"Let's go." Hwiyoung guided the both of them and Taeyang silently brought his arm over to cling onto Hwiyoung's and Hwiyoung secretly blushed at the action and smiled shyly.

-
late night talks

"So when did you like me?" Hwiyoung asked the older as they were sitting down, side on side, on Taeyang's bed.

"When you cried," Hwiyoung scoffed but smiled softly when Taeyang continued. 

"That time, I wanna protect you from all the bad things—and then I think it's just a friendly feeling, I think it's just that—until it all became unclear to me. I've even thought about ignoring you but it would be impossible because we literally see each other every day and I realized— I can't run away from the feelings that keeps developing each time," Taeyang paused as they were both looking at each other, desires and love flaming up in their eyes.

And suddenly Hwiyoung went closer to him to cup his face, "I love you. I love you a lot." He whispered, two of them feeling their warm breaths and Taeyang just softly nodded and closed his eyes when Hwiyoung slowly leaned over to kiss him. Suddenly everything was in a slow motion as they became one together, feeling each other's soft lips, moving in sync. Hwiyoung nibbled on his lips, gently asking for his permission. 

"Are you guys done now?" A voice suddenly interrupted their moment together and when they looked over, turns out it's Chani.

"What a er," Taeyang looked down to mumble something under his breath to himself and Hwiyoung just adjusted his position and sit back to where he was sitting before with a cough.

"Hey, I can hear you! It's not my fault I have to go to sleep in a room with couples—and you don't even have to worry because I won't be blocking your through Hwiyoung's —" Hwiyoung choked on his own spit while Taeyang had his throat lumped down and cannot speak.

"Today's just not the perfect time for the both of you as you can see." Chani continued and went to their bathroom and left the older boys, flushing hard and unable to speak.

"Why is Chani like this." Taeyang asked Hwiyoung. Though more like he asked himself and it's a statement than a question. But Hwiyoung answered anyway.

"Chani's always like this."

"I can hear you all!!" The two boys widened their eyes as they both looked at each other then giggled after seeing each other's wide eyes.

-

"So you guys gonna be sleeping in one bed?"

"Yeah."

"That's nice. I just hope I don't see one of you ,"

"Stop!"

"Haha, yeah, well. In your dreams."

—The End.

this is an a fiction only. ps: excuse my grammatical errors ;; thank you for reading! <3 pps: chani was just kidding when he says he can hear them both in the bathroom, when in fact he doesn't but he has a feel that they were both talking about him so he just, followed his instinct.