“Hyung…” Jungkook’s voice is broken and desperate. “…Are you really leaving?”

Taehyung gulps down a huge lump of saliva, nodding apologetically. “I have to go, Jungkook.”

Jungkook feels like his body has been splashed by cold water. He feels numb. And cold. And scared.

“B-But you told me you’ll stay. You told me you’ll talk with your parents didn’t you?” Jungkook’s eyes have begun to water now. “You told me you’ll not go anywhere leaving me behind.” He realizes that he’s crying when he feels the tears streaming down his cheeks.

Taehyung feels something akin to being stabbed continuously with a spear. No, Seeing Jungkook’s tears is worse than being stabbed. He swears it hurts a billion times more.

But he has no courage to wipe those tears away. Not anymore.

“I’m sorry.” Taehyung mutters, guilt running up and down his body. “I tried. But I can’t stay. My family has to move.” His gaze falls onto the ground for a moment before he steps forward and takes Jungkook’s trembling hands.

“But I won’t leave you, Kookie. No matter how far we are, I’ll always talk to you. I’ll always call you. Don’t worry.” He says, hugging Jungkook as the younger hugs him back so tight that it seems as if he’s going to break Taehyung.

And that night, like a gust of wind, Taehyung disappears from Jungkook’s sight, leaving him shattered into pieces.

Jungkook wakes up to a rainy morning, to the sound of numerous droplets furiously striking onto the streets, taking away the peace of the usually quiet neighborhood. He lazily sits up on the bed, blinking heavily, feeling his eyes still exhausted after sleeping for all those hours. When he touches his face, he feels the streaks of tears dried up on his cheeks, and a pang of agony hits his heart when he realizes that he has seen that dream once again.

It may be a dream that has tortured Jungkook for a whole of two years, but that dream has once been a reality for him.

That rainy night when Taehyung has left is still as clear as crystal in his mind.

And so, every time it rains, Jungkook falls into a state of complete depression, crying and lying on his bed all day, missing Taehyung so much that he feels as if he’s going to die from that awful feeling.

Jungkook knows Taehyung hasn’t forgotten him, because no matter how busy the latter is with his life in America, he calls Jungkook as much as his daily schedule allows him to. Sometimes it may be once every three days or even once a week, but Taehyung calls; and he is still that same cheerful person that Jungkook has had right beside him, at his sight and close enough for him to touch. Taehyung still says that he can’t wait to return and see Jungkook, and he still confesses that he misses the younger boy very much.

So does Jungkook. If not, much more than Taehyung ever could miss him.

Because there isn’t a single second in Jungkook’s life that passes by without him craving for Taehyung. He wants to feel Taehyung’s hand in his, hug Taehyung and absorb his warmth. He wants to feel the bliss of Taehyung lovingly his hair and holding him close to the latter. He craves Taehyung’s presence desperately, he is so in need for the elder.

Jungkook loves Taehyung. Although the latter doesn’t have an idea about Jungkook’s feelings since their first days of friendship, the younger has loved him for a long time.

And that’s what hurts the most.

The fact that he isn’t even able to tell Taehyung that. He hasn’t been able to do it before the elder has moved to America, and now Jungkook has zero courage to confront Taehyung with his true feelings because he is sure that Taehyung is living a much better life away from him with other people who he sees every day.

Who knows? Maybe Taehyung has found himself someone he likes. Maybe Jungkook has lost his chance a long time back.

It’s more painful to Jungkook than any pain he has felt in the world. Even the thought of Taehyung being happy with someone else makes Jungkook’s heart smash into pieces.

Jungkook falls back onto the bed, an invisible magnetic power pulling his body towards the mattress. He feels lazy and tired. He doesn’t feel like getting up- he feels sick.

But he can’t be lying around. Tomorrow is Taehyung’s birthday, and just like how he has done the previous year, he wishes to celebrate it; with just himself and Taehyung’s voice. Jungkook knows that it isn’t very smart to prepare a birthday party for someone who’s miles away from him and won’t be able to even attend it, but ever since he and Taehyung has known each other, Jungkook hasn’t missed even one of Taehyung’s birthdays.

So even though he has to eat the cake he bakes for Taehyung all by himself, Jungkook still wants to do it.

Because when it comes to Taehyung, Jungkook doesn’t really believe that he needs to only do sensible things.

Jungkook doesn’t call Taehyung that day. And unlike most other days when Jungkook would be just lying on the couch doing nothing after he’s back from college, he becomes active and starts preparing for the little celebration he is going to hold for invisible Taehyung just like he has done the previous year.

Taehyung’s favorite cake flavor is vanilla. Although that’s what Taehyung has told Jungkook when they both had still been in elementary school, Jungkook had never forgotten to get Taehyung a vanilla cake for his birthday for a single following year. Jungkook has learned to bake a cake and decorate it himself during middle school, all for the one he loves the most.

All for Taehyung.

And now that Jungkook is fated to be alone, he regrets from the deepest of his heart that he hadn’t made use of the chance that heavens had given him to tell Taehyung how he really feels about him back then. Jungkook had thought that he had time. He had thought that the world is going to wait for him to be ready.

And now he wishes that he could turn back time and go back to the old days once again. Then he swears that he wouldn’t make that same mistake twice. He’d never hold back.

As Jungkook writes the words ‘Happy Birthday Tae hyung’ on the cake, his hand shakes so much that he has to grab it with his free hand to stop it from trembling. He tries to concentrate on making the words appear as perfect as possible, but Jungkook’s attempts doesn’t go well because his vision is now all blurry and he cannot see anything except for a blob of white in front of him on the table.

The icing pump falls off his hand when he collapses onto a chair, burying his face in his hands as the tears start wettening his palm.

“Do I have a birthday cake for tonight?” Taehyung’s playful voice sends a wave of contentment down Jungkook’s body. He hasn’t heard his voice for almost four days, he has missed it so much.

“Yeah. How did you guess?” Jungkook murmurs while putting on three candle one by one onto the beautifully completed birthday cake. The younger glances at the clock. It’s almost eleven forty five- about ten more minutes to start the lone celebration.

“Do I even have to guess? You’ve never missed any of my birthdays have you?” Taehyung chuckles softly, and Jungkook wonders if it’s just his imagination that he is hearing something similar on the phone to that he’s hearing right now. The sound of rain.

“Tae, is it raining there?” Jungkook asks, a bit taken aback, and there comes a small pause from the other end.

“Yeah. Why?” He asks, and Jungkook gasps over the coincidence.

“It’s raining here too.” He half-whispers. He hears Taehyung’s quiet laughter of excitement.

“That’s awesome!” He exclaims, and Jungkook doesn’t know why he feels as if Taehyung is really happy. He doesn’t ask the elder about it.

“Kookie, is it vanilla?” Taehyung asks.

“Yeah.” Jungkook says. “Out of all the cakes I’ve baked for you, it tastes the best.” He chuckles hysterically at his own boasting. “Too bad you’re gonna miss it.”

Taehyung returns a laugh, and much to Jungkook’s confusion he says, “Miss it? I’m never gonna miss it.”

And just as Jungkook’s about to question him what he has meant by that, he hears knocking on his apartment door. Jungkook frowns in shock. He has never got guests at this time of the night. He doesn’t have guests at any time of the day.

Why would he hear knocking on his door at almost midnight?

“Hyung…” Jungkook clutches onto his phone, his heart racing in panic. “Someone’s knocking on the door.”

Taehyung doesn’t seem surprised. “So? Go open it.”

“B-But…” Jungkook’s voice shakes a bit and the latter knows that he is very scared. “Who would even visit me this late at night? I live alone and I don’t have friends, hyung.”

“What if it’s someone in need?” Taehyung asks. “Go and open the door, Kookie.”

“No.” Jungkook protests. “I’m scared.” He notices that the knocking has come to a halt before it starts again, making the boy jump.

“Hyung!” Jungkook feels like crying, but Taehyung just giggles humorously.

“Come on. I promise you it’s not anyone dangerous.” The elder says.

“How would you know, hyung? You’re not even here.” Jungkook whines.

“I just know.” Taehyung’s voice is nowhere near panicked as Jungkook’s. “Now open it, quick. It’s almost twelve and we have to cut my birthday cake!” The younger glances at the clock and realizes that Taehyung is right. There’s only five more minutes left.

So even when his heart is thrumming against his chest at the fear and suspicion that a bad person is knocking on his door, Jungkook still slowly makes his way towards his door, grabbing his baseball bat on the way just for an emergency self-defense.

After fitting the bat into his palms and clutching onto the phone in his ear that has gone silent, Jungkook sighs heavily before he cautiously opens the door to whoever is creeping the freak out of him.

A huff of breath escapes Jungkook’s lips. The baseball bat falls out of his grip and lands on the floor with an echoing thud, but the boy doesn’t even notice it as he just stares ahead at the figure standing in the dark, holding a something against his ear just like Jungkook is.

Jungkook blinks, because he thinks he is imagining things at the most unsuitable time.

However, the image in front of him doesn’t change.

“Hey, Jungkook.” That voice sends an impulse down Jungkook’s body as he suddenly regains consciousness from his previous consternation. “You’re sure late opening the door. You thought I’m that dangerous?”

It’s that voice. It has been two years, but he still knows that voice when it speaks right in front of him. He still knows that voice like he knows his own.

Taehyung’s voice.

Jungkook’s breath hitches in bewilderment as tears start pricking his eyes immediately. Taehyung’s bright smile also slowly starts fading after seeing the latter’s reaction.

“What’s wrong?” Taehyung asks but the next moment, Jungkook is hugging him, arms tightly wrapped around Taehyung’s torso.

“I… I missed you...” Jungkook sobs noisily into Taehyung’s shirt which is slightly wet, as he lets his tears soak his shirt further. “I missed you s-so freaking m-much…” Jungkook could barely finish his sentence before he breaks down again.

A soft smile spreads across Taehyung’s face as he gently hugs Jungkook back, pulling the latter as close as he possibly could. He cannot blame Jungkook crying like this at their first meeting in two years. He knows how immense the shock Jungkook has gotten would be. He knows how mixed up Jungkook’s feelings would be at such an unwarned encounter.

“I missed you too, Kookie.” He says, and pulls Jungkook away to give him a chaste kiss on his forehead. “A lot.”

Jungkook is still a sobbing mess, sniffling so adorably that Taehyung wants to squish him so bad.

“B-But why did y-you come back… so suddenly?” Jungkook questions in between his weeps.

Taehyung wipes his tears away gently, the younger’s face while he takes in every inch of skin there that he has missed touching.

“Because I love you.” He whispers.

“Yeah.” Jungkook breaks into an elated smile, which in an instant disappears as he realizes what Taehyung has said just now. Jungkook’s eyes grow wide. “Wait, what?” He breathes is disbelief.

Taehyung grins toothily before pulling Jungkook into a crushing hug.

“I said I love you.” He murmurs into Jungkook’s hair. “I love you, Jungkook.”

Jungkook’s still stiff in his hold with the revelation he had gotten after longing for years. “But…” He murmurs, face buried in Taehyung’s chest. “I was supposed to say that first.”

“Nevermind who’s first to say it.” Taehyung pulls away and inches so close to Jungkook that he could literally feel the warmth radiating from Jungkook’s rapidly blushing face. “They’re the same words, after all.” Then he kisses Jungkook as if he’s the most precious and the most treasurable being existing on the earth.

Another tear falls out of the corner of Jungkook’s eye as he shuts his eyes tight, melting into the kiss that he thinks is probably an ecstatic dream.

If it were a dream, Jungkook never wishes to wake up, ever.

And after they pull back after kissing to their heart’s content, Taehyung grabs Jungkook’s hand and takes him inside, smiling widely.

“It’s already my birthday. Let’s cut the cake quickly because I’m starving for a slice.” He says as Jungkook hands him the knife, which he takes together with the latter’s hand. They hum a harmonious birthday song as they cut the cake, and Jungkook still can’t believe that Taehyung is right there with him, beside him when Jungkook is supposed to be just talking on the phone with him while cutting the cake alone.   

He thinks it’s amazing how a situation could change just over a few minute’s time.

After they’ve fed cake to each other, Taehyung lets out a gasp of what seems to be delight.

“You really weren’t kidding when you said it’s the most delicious.” The elder says.  “I can eat it whole right here I swear.” He notices Jungkook staring at him as if he’s lost into a deep thought and not really paying attention to him. So he waves his hand in front of the younger’s face.

“Kookie?” He raises an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m wondering…” Jungkook sighs. “It’s your birthday, but I’m the one who got the surprise.” Taehyung smiles at that as he presses their foreheads together, gazing into Jungkook’s eyes.

“What are you saying? I got the best birthday present ever.” He says, and Jungkook blinks.

“What is it?” He only remembers preparing a cake for him and that’s not even a present.

“It’s you, idiot.” Taehyung pokes Jungkook’s button nose and the latter can’t help but blush deeply.

And when Taehyung hugs him again and kisses him passionately, Jungkook gets the feeling of belonging somewhere. Somewhere where he’ll never regret being in.

He realizes that he has found home in Taehyung’s welcoming arms.

A home that he could always return to, without any pain or misery.

A/N: 

I'm sorry if there are mistakes I was in an extreme rush so... 

But I hope you still like it :D 

By the way please comment what you think. I love comments! <3 

Love you all! <3