“Are you ready to get faced?” the male asked, talking large steps.

 

“Not really, you dragged me here, remember?” the girl next to him rolled her eyes.

 

“Who would want to be alone in their apartment on New Year’s Eve when they could be out partying?” he questioned.

 

“Some people like being alone, Kim Taehyung,” she replied, pulling her jacket closer to her chest.

 

“Yes, but being alone all the time isn’t healthy, Ahn Dahui, and as your best friend, it’s my job to make sure that you go out and have a social life. You’ve been cooped up inside your apartment avoiding me, you never come out anymore with me,” Taehyung replied, taking off his coat to place on her shoulders. “Why aren’t you wearing something warmer?”

 

“Well I wasn’t going to go out to this club looking like I just woke up,” Dahui said.

 

“You couldn’t have picked a longer skirt?” he muttered quietly, eyeing the girl’s long legs as they walked.

 

“Huh?” she asked, looking up at him.

 

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “Make sure that you stay close to me. There are going to be a lot of people drinking, which means a lot of creepers,” he took a step closer to her, taking her smaller hand into his much larger ones. “Any time you feel uncomfortable or feel sick, let me know, and we’ll go home right away,”

 

“I’m not a baby,” she rolled her eyes, but still appreciative of his sentiment.

 

“As your best friend, it’s my job to be worried about you and look out for you,” Taehyung shrugged. “What kind of best friend would I be if I let my best friend be unhappy the night before her birthday,”

 

“Well, you are the same best friend that is forcing me to go out to a club, so…”

 

“Oh, look!” Taehyung pointed up ahead. “There’s the club, c’mon!” He tugged on her arm slightly as he increased his speed, nodding to the bouncer that was standing at the door. “I’m friends with the owner, Park Jimin.” The bouncer spoke into the ear piece he had, and moments later, Taehyung was escorting Dahui inside.

 

“How do you know the owner?” Dahui asked, taking her jacket off and allowing another bouncer to take it along with Taehyung’s.

 

“I went to college with him. We weren’t exactly friends, but he was a chill guy and we still keep in touch from time to time. He told me that he was having a huge party here, so here I am with my plus one,” he winked at her, guiding her further into the club. The music was loud enough that Dahui could feel the bass vibrating against the bottom of her heels, and she was already regretting this. “Don’t make that face, Dahui,” Taehyung said.

 

“I’m not doing anything!” she exclaimed, shrugging her shoulders as she took one step closer to the taller male. “It’s just very loud in here,”

 

“It’s a club,” he said, intertwining his fingers with hers as he pulled her further inside. “Let’s get some alcohol into our bodies,” he guided her towards the bar, ordering shots for them, placing two in front of her. “Happy Birthday, Dahui!” he cheered loudly.

 

“Happy birthday to me,” she said, downing the shots, chuckling a little when she heard some other people at the bar cheer a happy birthday to her. “If you want me to have more fun, I’m going to need more than this buddy,” she said to Taehyung.

 

“I like the way you think,” he smiled at her, gesturing for the waiter.

 

Approximately two hours later, Dahui found herself in a tipsy state of matter, although if you had to ask Taehyung, she was probably straight up sober in comparison to how drunk he was. “It was my birthday, yet it seems like you had more fun than me,” she muttered under her breath, struggling with Taehyung’s drunken body as they waited for the Uber outside the club. She was shivering in the cold December air, her only source of heat were the thin jacket and Taehyung’s body heat radiating off him. She was just glad that she managed to drag him out of the club when it was only 11 PM, managing to make it out before the midnight rush.

 

“The party is inside, Dahui,” Taehyung mumbled, his breath against her neck causing goosebumps to rise.

 

“And the Uber to go home is almost here. I went out like you asked Taehyung, but I want to go home now, and so should you. You’re so drunk,” Dahui replied, checking her phone screen to see how far her requested car was. Two minutes away.

 

“But I don’t want to go homeeee,” the boy whined. “I’m all alone,”

 

Dahui sighed, knowing that a drunken Taehyung required more affection (and attention) than sober Taehyung. “Alright, alright. You can come over,”

 

“You’re the best Dahui,” his familiar boxy smile appeared, quickly pressing his lips against her cheek. “Oh, the Uber is here!” he said as the white car stopped in front of them. The two quickly got in the back, Dahui settling next to the window as Taehyung took the middle seat, slouching enough to lean his head against the back of the seat. “Dahui?” he whispered.

 

“Hm?”

 

“I think I drank too much,”

 

“No , you did Tae,” she sighed. “Excuse me? My friend here drank a little too much, and I really don’t want him to throw up. Is it okay if I open the window back here?” The driver nodded, opening the window himself from the controls up front, Dahui thanking him. Taehyung had moved closer to the girl, the heat from his body a huge contrast from the cold air that was blowing in from the window. “I told him I wanted to stay home tonight,” she muttered under her breath.

 

“I’m sorry,” Taehyung whispered, his words slightly slurred together as his head lay in the crook of her shoulder. “I should’ve listened to your wishes,”

 

“It’s fine,” she patted the top of his head, letting her fingers run through his soft black locks. The rest of the car ride was in silence between the two, the light wind blowing outside accompanying the muffled sounds of music playing, and moments later, she could feel his steady breath against her neck as he softly snored. “Tae,” she nudged the older boy. “Wake up,”

 

“Are we home?” he asked, his voice slightly raspy. ‘Calm your stupid little heart, Ahn Dahui,’

 

“Home,” she nodded, helping him out of the car, thanking the driver. The two trailed into the apartment building slowly, the taller man leaning against the girl as they stood in the elevator, waiting for the lift to get to the eleventh floor. They walked in silence to her apartment door, Dahui typing in the code in the key pad and letting Taehyung enter first. “I think you have left some clothes, check the top left drawer,” she called behind her as she walked into the bathroom, stripping her clothes to take a quick shower. 20 minutes later, she stepped into her room, clad in a pair of shorts and an old shirt that she had stolen from Taehyung years ago, using a towel to dry her hair, only to see Taehyung lying on the bed in starfish formation. His clothes from earlier were thrown on the floor as he was clad in his boxers, no shirt in sight. “Clothes, Tae,”

 

“Hot, Hui,” he complained, turning onto his tummy.

 

“It’s literally winter time, you’re gonna get sick,” she rolled her eyes, combing her hair as she eyed him from the mirror.

 

“You‘ll keep me warm,” he threw his signature boxy smile. Dahui scoffed at the boy, but couldn’t hold back her smile. She stood up, brushing away the lint off her leggings before getting into bed next to Taehyung, lifting the covers over their bodies. He had instantly wrapped his arms around Dahui to bring her closer, tucking her head into the crook of his neck, shifting until his cheek was comfortable on top of her head, throwing one leg over hers. “Much better,” he mumbled, more to himself than the girl in his embrace.

 

“Night, Taehyung,” she mumbled, softly, too much energy running through her body to fall asleep. She was well aware of Taehyung’s arm around her body, his fingers unknowingly drawing patterns on the skin of her wrist. ‘He does this every time. It’s not fair,’ she thought to herself.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his deep voice laced with sleep.

 

“Nothing,” she replied.

 

“Something is wrong,” he pushed.

 

“It’s nothing,”

 

“It’s your birthday in like 10 minutes and this is no way to start it,” he blinked his droopy eyes a few times before they were wide open. “So now tell me, my love, what’s wrong?”

 

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Dahui replied.

 

“Dahui, I know there is clearly something wrong. You’ve been avoiding me for weeks, and I just want to help you. Is it something I’ve been doing?”

 

“That’s the problem! I don’t know!” Dahui exclaimed, closing her eyes to prevent the tears she felt building up from escaping. “I don’t know,” she repeated, much softer this time. “Every time I’m near you, I just feel weird. My heart feels so light andI I feel happy, but the minute I see you with another girl, my heart just feels so heavy, and I hate it. I hate how you make me love you so much, and I know that no matter how much I want to be yours, you could never be mine,”

 

“Dahui,” Taehyung said softly.

 

“It’s not fair that you can make me feel like this while it doesn’t seem to affect you at at. You don’t get to call me sweet names like ‘my love’, come home with me and get into bed with me, hold me like it doesn’t mean something because while my mind knows that, my heart doesn’t. And my heart,” she let out a sigh, “my heart is in a battle against my mind, and it’s winning,” Dahui sat up, shifting so her feet were hanging off the bed, her back to Taehyung. “I think you need to leave now,”

 

i don't usually say this

i don't usually play this game

yeah, i know i’m not faded

but it kinda feels that way

i don’t usually say this

but i think i should let you know

that baby, baby i don't, i don't wanna go

 

“No,” Taehyung replied, his voice still raspy due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed and how tired he was, but his voice was still loud enough for the girl to hear. He moved too fast for Dahui, sitting up and moving his arms so he was hugging her from behind, his arms resting at her collarbones as his words hit the side of her neck. “You don’t get to decide what my actions towards you are supposed to feel like. And if you haven’t gotten the message by now, that’s my fault for assuming that it was obvious. Ahn Dahui, I’m in love with you,”

 

Dahui’s eyes widened, her breath hitching. “What?”

 

“I am madly in love with you. I love you more than all the raindrops that fall in a thunderstorm. I love you more than there are stars at the starry night. I love you more than there are flowers in a field. I love you more than anything in the universe and outside it. Darling, I love you more than the words themself. I love you more than I did yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow but always forever. Dahui, I love you,”

 

“No, you’re lying,” Dahui pulled his arms off her body to face him. “Tell me the truth,”

 

Taehyung reached for her hand, holding it as if it were glass, bringing it towards his chest, lying her hand over his chest. “You may think that my words are lies, but my heart,” he sighed. “My heart cannot lie,” he whispered, the room filled with silence as the two sat on the bed, Dahui’s fingers feeling the rapid beating of his heart, her eyes meeting up to meet his. Even in the dark room, the moonlight poured in to allow the boy to shine.

 

Taehyung was always the most beautiful sight Dahui had ever laid her eyes on.

 

“I’m sorry,” Taehyung whispered when minutes had passed and the girl still hadn’t said anything. He let her hand drop down as he shifted, turning away from her. “I’m sorry, I’ll leave,” he whispered once again, the bed already feeling colder knowing that Taehyung was about to leave.

 

“Please, don’t leave,” Dahui said, throwing herself on his back so her arms were wrapped around him. “I don’t want to be alone,” she whispered.

 

“You’re never alone when you’re with me,” he whispered back, his body shifting so he was facing the girl, his hands guiding her so she was sitting in his lap. “No matter how alone or small you may feel, I’ll always be there for you. Always,” he pressed a small kiss against the crown of her head.

 

“Can you please kiss me?” Dahui’s words were almost so soft that if he were breathing any louder, he would not have heard her. He wasted no time pressing his lips against hers, his arms quickly weaving around her waist as her arms wrapped around his neck, the two moving even closer together only pulling away due to the lack of air. “Oh God, I’m terribly in love with you,”

 

“I prefer to be called Taehyung,” he chuckled, his deep voice sending goosebumps down the girl’s arms.

 

“Again,” she said, already moving closer to press her lips against her. This kiss felt different, Dahui knew it the minute she felt her back hit the mattress and Taehyung’s body weight settled on top of her, his arms supporting him as she looked up at him.

 

“I love you,” he pressed a kiss on her forehead. “I love you,” another kiss on the top of her nose. “So,” a kiss against her right cheek, “much,” kiss on her left cheek. “More than you’ll ever know,” he whispered before gently pressing a kiss against her lips. “Happy birthday, my love, and Happy New Year,”

 

“Thank you for loving me,” she whispered, pulling him closer to her.

 

“Thank you for letting me love you,” Taehyung replied, his eyes closed as his forehead was pressed against hers. “I’ve never loved someone as deeply as I’ve loved you, and I don’t think I will be able to,”

 

how could i go home when i feel like i belong?

in your arms it's like champagne

feel it pouring in my veins

yeah i got myself too drunk on you to drive

so i’m crashing here tonight