“Do friends kiss?”

First of all, I'm terribly sorry for the long delay in updates. I was quite busy with Finals. And hopefully, in the future, I can be more consistent with updates. Again, I'm very sorry.

Hoseok is looking at Taehyung expecting an answer but Taehyung doesn’t know what to say as he stares back into Hoseok’s eyes.

He can still hear claps from the people around them and that is when Taehyung realizes they are not dancing anymore and it’s time to step off the stage.

Taehyung steps down and Hoseok follows suit. People are smiling at them.

“You guys were so lovely up there,” a woman says shooting a smile in their direction.

“Thank you so much,” Taehyung says as his grip on Hoseok’s hand tightens. They make their way back to their table.

Their server shows up at their table with a smile on her face.

“Complimentary pannacotta from the restaurant,” she says in a thick Italian accent. “For your lovely performance”

“Oh...wow thanks a lot,” Taehyung says giving her a nervous smile.

“Is there anything else I can get you two?” she asks.

“No, thank you,”

“Okay, enjoy your pannacotta,” she says as she leaves their table.

Taehyung takes a spoon digging into his panna cotta before he takes a bite. It tastes just as heavenly as Taehyung had imagined it to be when Taehyung notices Hoseok is staring at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Taehyung asks.

Hoseok smiles at him.

“I can feel you’re happy,” he says. “So I’m looking at you being happy”

“Oh,” Taehyung says.

Hoseok’s persistent stare continues all along until Taehyung finishes his meal. He suddenly feels guilty for kissing Hoseok. It almost feels like that Taehyung was so overcome with emotions that he did not bother to even take consideration of what Hoseok must be feeling even though he knows that Hoseok is happy to comply with any of Taehyung’s wishes.

They leave the restaurant soon and Hoseok voluntarily holds Taehyung’s hands.

Taehyung looks at him and Hoseok blinks smiling at him.

“I liked kissing you,” he says.

Taehyung’s eyes widen at Hoseok’s revelation.

“You did?”

Hoseok nods.

“It made me feel a new wave of emotions,” Hoseok says. “The kind that I’ve yet to feel”

“What kind of emotions?” Taehyung asks.

“I think the humans like to call it attraction,”

“Oh,”

“Yeah, I think that I might feel attracted to you”

“Wow,” Taehyung says.

“Do you feel attraction for me?”

“I uh...I guess you can say that” Taehyung laughs nervously making Hoseok smile.

“It’s a complex emotion,” Hoseok says. “Much more complex than any one of the ones I’ve felt before”

“In what way?” Taehyung asks.

“It’s a very intense wave of various emotions all coming together when I look at you,” Hoseok explains. “That is the best I can do to explain it”

“You’re quite spot on,”

“Really?”

“Mmhm,” Taehyung says. “That is exactly what it feels like when you’re attracted to someone it’s like they are pulling you towards themselves...something like gravity...I guess”

“That is an interesting way to put it,” Hoseok says.

Taehyung smiles at him.

They walk some more before they finally reach the hotel and step into the elevator their hands still locked into each other.

Taehyung catches Hoseok looking at him and Hoseok smiles and before Taehyung can realize he is kissing Hoseok again and Hoseok is even more responsive his hands that tentatively touch Taehyung’s cheek before holding his face for good deepening their kiss and Taehyung wishes all of this could never stop because nothing has been more perfect than right now in this tiny elevator as he kisses Hoseok and the elevator door opens with a ding.

Taehyung sees an old couple looking at them and he immediately backs off realizing that he and Hoseok are on their floor already. Grabbing Hoseok’s hands he steps out of it and sees the couple still staring at them before the doors close off.

“Mast...Taehyung,”

“Yes?”

“You did not answer my question,”

“Which question?”

“I asked you,” Hoseok says. “Do friends kiss?”

Taehyung feels another surge of emotions as he thinks about how he can answer Hoseok before he finally shakes his head no.

“No, Hoseokie...they don’t,”

“So...are we not friends anymore?” Hoseok asks.

“We....we....are more than just friends Hoseok,” Taehyung says taking Hoseok’s hands into his who just nods.

“More than just friends...yeah,” Hoseok says. “That sounds fun”

Taehyung smiles at him his hands reaching towards Hoseok’s face tucking his chin up.

“May I?” he asks.

Hoseok answers by closing the distance between them wrapping his hands around Taehyung’s neck while Taehyung places his hands on Hoseok’s waist.

And nothing seems better at this moment for Taehyung.

Things were somehow the same and yet so different.

Hoseok had a new girlfriend-Hyoyoung who was a sophomore just like Taehyung. The even shared classes together and she seemed nice from the brief acquaintances they did have before Hoseok started seeing her and Taehyung liked her.

He couldn’t have said the same thing about Hoseok however.

It was as if Hoseok was forced to see her. He did not let go of any chance he got of staying away from Hyoyoung as strange as that seemed to Taehyung.

Instead, he spent most of his time at Taehyung's house.

Taehyung liked that part. He wasn’t exactly happy being alone every minute in the house and Hoseok’s company made everything so much better. Hoseok had even withdrawn himself from most of his friends and it was almost like Taehyung and Hoseok had gone back being kids when Taehyung didn’t have to share his best friend with anyone and as silly as it sounded Taehyung liked that a lot

They were in Taehyung’s bedroom. Taehyung was sat on the bed reading a book. Hoseok was lying on the floor playing catch with a basketball.

“Hoseok,”

“Yeah,”

“Its 6 pm,”

“So?”

“Didn’t you say you had to see Hyoyoung at 6:15?”

Hoseok groaned.

“You can still make it if you rush,” Taehyung suggested.

“I don’t wanna go,” Hoseok said in a tone that usually meant he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

Taehyung didn’t say anything just like he usually did. Hoseok was too stubborn sometimes so Taehyung just went back to his book when Hoseok tossed the ball aside and climbed up on top of the bed.

He sat down next to Taehyung resting his head on Taehyung’s shoulder. Taehyung froze up but tried not to react as Hoseok peered into his book.

“What are you reading?” he asked looking up at Taehyung.

“Wuthering Heights,”

“Oh,” Hoseok said. “Is it any good?”

“Yeah, it's great,”

“Okay,” Hoseok said as he moved closer his hair tickling Taehyung's neck and it was getting harder for him to focus on the words that were in front of him.

Hoseok’s hands were on Taehyung’s chest fingers dancing on the bare skin of the one button that was ed.

Taehyung’s breath hitched a little as Hoseok’s hands moved further up to his neck touching so lightly that he could feel goosebumps on his skin.

Taehyung was clutching the book so hard the papers crumpled under his hand as Hoseok’s hands reached to his jaw tracing the outline before his hands reached towards Taehyung’s cheek. Hoseok looked into Taehyung’s eyes before he leaned in. Taehyung closed his eyes instinctively as Hoseok’s lips touched his slowly at first before he started kissing Taehyung who kissed him back.

Things had changed a lot.

They did not like to talk about it. They both knew nothing could come out of it if they talked about it. It was much better to let things be the way they were.

The night when Hoseok was drunk and he kissed Taehyung all Taehyung had in his mind was do friends kiss too?

“Maybe we are more than friends Tae Tae,” Hoseok had said before he had fallen asleep on Taehyung’s lap.

That was the closest he had ever gotten to Hoseok actually admitting what feelings he had for Taehyung.

But now all he got was kisses, spontaneous and quick in the safety of Taehyung’s empty house away from the eyes of the world. It was like a safe haven of sorts where they knew they wouldn’t be judged for what they did.

Hoseok deepened their kiss and Taehyung felt the book slide from his hands down to the floor with a soft thud as Hoseok moved on top of him his hands digging into Taehyung’s hair.

It felt so good, an indescribable pleasure that ran throughout Taehyung’s body each time they were so close that Taehyung wished they would never stop because it was so addicting.

When they did stop their foreheads were touching each other and Taehyung’s heart was beating rapidly as Hoseok gazed into his eyes before he ran his thumb on Taehyung’s lips gently and Taehyung’s lips were parted open

Only a second later he moved away and Taehyung tried to collect himself gulping as he sat up straight.

“Taehyung,”

“Mmhm,”

“I think...I think I’ll go see Hyoyoung,” Hoseok said.

“Oh,” Taehyung said. “Okay”

Hoseok smiled a little as he stood up and picked up his jacket that was still lying on the floor before putting it on.

He then picked up Taehyung’s book that had fallen down on the floor and handed it back to Taehyung.

“See you tomorrow in school yeah,”

“Yeah uh sure,” Taehyung said with a nod.

With that Hoseok left and Taehyung was all alone as he straightened the crumpled pages of his book one by one trying not to think too much as hard that was.

It was easier to just pretend that they were friends and not address the obvious elephant in the room because that way neither of them were threatened to actually be open about what they were feeling for other.

Some things were, after all, best kept hidden.

Taehyung and Hoseok are walking in the middle of the crowded airport hands still locked with each other as if it’s the most natural thing ever. It feels good. Hoseok’s hands are surprisingly warm and snug fitting perfectly into Taehyung’s large hands as he curiously looks around at each detail.

It’s adorable that he is still fascinated with the outside world and the chaos of people rushing to catch a flight.

“Hoseokie,”

Hoseok looks at Taehyung.

“Yes,”

“Nothing,” Taehyung says and just smiles at him. Hoseok seems confused at first but just smiles back at Taehyung and holds his hand tighter.

They board the plane soon and Hoseok has found himself a new book to read.

“Jane Eyre huh?” Taehyung asks. “Another classic”

“I’ve read it is a very famous book,” Hoseok says. “And you had a copy in the house have you read it as well?”

“Yes,”

“Do you like it?” Hoseok asks.

“Yeah, it’s a great book,”

Hoseok nods at Taehyung with a little smile.

“We can talk about it when you finish it,” Taehyung says. “Like our own little book club”

Hoseok nods as Taehyung yawns.

“You are sleepy,” Hoseok says. “You should sleep”

Taehyung nods. He doesn’t really want to sleep because he doesn’t like to miss out on the time he spends with Hoseok but he is only a human after all.

“Good night,” Hoseok says as he edges in towards and surprisingly enough kisses Taehyung out of his own volition. Taehyung is taken aback but he kisses him back.

“You just kissed me,” Taehyung says when Hoseok moves away.

“Were you troubled?” Hoseok asks.

“No...I...liked it,” Taehyung says.

“I know,” Hoseok says. “You like it when we kiss”

“Do...you...like it?” Taehyung asks.

“I like everything we do,” Hoseok says with a little smile.

Taehyung can hardly hold the grin back as they kiss again before the plan gets to ready take off and suddenly Hoseok holds Taehyung’s hand really tight. Taehyung looks at him raising his eyebrows.

“I know you’re scared of flying,”