❄ With you by my side ❄

🙤 · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ꕥ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · 🙦

- Two Weeks -

-·=»‡«=·-

When they were teenagers in high school, he remembered leaving his last class of the day, exiting through the main doors of the math building and finding Taehyung leaning against the post. He was usually talking to his upperclassmen friends as he waited, but when he walked outside, Taehyung always bid his goodbyes and walked straight towards him.

Countless times over, he would tell his best friend that he didn't need to wait, but Taehyung never listened. With it being his first year of high school, Taehyung just wanted to make sure he was never left out. That's what he had said each and every time the conversation was sparked. Eventually, he just accepted that there was no convincing him otherwise.

Every Wednesday, after he left the math building and met up with his best friend, they'd walk across the street to the café that had just opened up. It wasn't very popular at the time, so they'd usually have the entire place to themselves, plus or minus the occasional customer. Still, it was a good place to study and relax after school.

"Ooh, Kookie! Look! They have cakes!" He had said the first time they walked in. By the register was a huge display of all the cafe's desserts, which ranged from cakes, pies, some cookies, and different types of bread. That's the first thing that caught Taehyung's eye.

Excitedly, Taehyung purchased one too many slices of cake, and not too long after, he was asking for help to finish them. So there he was, that one random Wednesday afternoon, eating slices of cake with overly sweet frosting.

Since then, they kept coming back, and each time they did, Taehyung was right back to buying another dessert. Soon enough, he had tried every single one of them, but his favorite always seemed to be the Oreo cake.

"Oreo is the best cake, Kookie. Do you know why?" Taehyung had asked him through a mouthful of cake, to which he answered no. "It's not too much chocolate, but just enough to satisfy the craving."

Taehyung didn't know it at the time, but he had made a mental note to remember that. In the future, when Taehyung was having a bad day, or just as a fun surprise, he'd buy a slice of Oreo cake for him. There didn't seem to be many of those days though, up until now.

Sitting across from his childhood best friend, he was reminded of those days when he used to get overly excited for super sweet coffees and desserts. Almost every time it ended with some sort of sugar rush, but that never seemed to stop him. Maybe it encouraged Taehyung, but he never knew.

Even now, six years later, Taehyung was still that same teenager who grew overly excited for Oreo cake and hot chocolate. Sparing fond glances at his friend made that sense of familiarity return, and whether it was the furnace in the café or the feelings bubbling within him, he felt warm.

"So," he murmured, breaking the silence between them, "how's college?"

He hadn't really asked about that yet. They talked a little about what they've been up to, but not in great detail. Most of the time they'd spent at the café so far has been used apologizing or reassuring.

Taehyung glanced at him through thick lashes, chewing his bite of cake slowly. "It's been okay," Taehyung muttered after he swallowed, leaning his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his palm. "Recently, it hasn't been too great. I'm thinking of transferring back home."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. Taehyung loved home a whole bunch, but when they were younger, he always talked about moving out of state and never coming back. He wanted that chance to explore somewhere new, that's why he settled on a college away from home.

Guess that didn't last long. "Transferring? I thought you didn't want to come back," he said, staring at him with curious irises.

A sigh escaped from his friend, followed by his gaze shifting elsewhere. "That was the plan, yeah, but I don't like it there anymore."

Something about Taehyung's tone made him drop the topic altogether. Whatever had happened in college surely impacted his life a lot. Maybe it was the fact that his grandma had passed, or maybe it was the situation with his ex-girlfriend. It must have been bad though. Bad enough for Taehyung to want to leave.

His eyes trailed to his hands clasped together on the table. "Is that why you came home for the holidays? In addition to, you know, celebrating Christmas and all."

Taehyung hummed in response. It made him wonder what exactly happened. He had never been one to let things bother him, no matter how hard they were. For Taehyung to decide he didn't want to be in a place anymore must have meant it really dealt a blow.

His heart ached just thinking about it. So much had happened in the time that they had stopped talking. There was so much he didn't know. Now, they were living two different lives. While he was still himself, happy and humble, Taehyung wasn't doing his best. When was the last time he had truly smiled?

He sighed. Taehyung spared him a curious glance. But before he could question it, another question slipped out. "Did you move back in with your parents?"

Taehyung's head shook back and forth. "We had some... creative differences not too long after my grandma passed away. I haven't really spoken to them since. I'm staying with a friend from high school that I barely kept in touch with. He had a room available."

In truth, hearing that didn't really surprise him. Taehyung's parents always seemed to prioritize work over family, and while he understood it to some extent, it practically made them neglect him. That's why his grandma was such an important person to him. He had been raised by his grandparents, even once he had officially moved in with his parents.

They were busy people, and Taehyung's mom wasn't always the nicest. Although, he always assumed that was because she was busy and tired. Eventually, as Taehyung was about to leave for college, the truth came out that she never wanted a kid. Looking back, that was probably why his parents always tended to stay away.

"Oh," he whispered, "I'm sorry about that." The loss of words made him feel like a horrible person. When Taehyung needed the reassurance the most, he didn't have the words to give him.

Although, Taehyung just waved off his apologies. "You know it's not that big of a deal. It was bound to happen. It was just shitty timing when it did."

He expected it, honestly. The day where Taehyung and his parents would officially split apart. But he was better off without them anyway. They were never really in his life to begin with.

The realization made his eyes widen. That meant Taehyung didn't really have anyone to celebrate Christmas with this year. With his grandma's passing, and his fallout with his parents, that left little to no options. Unless he was celebrating with his grandpa, but that didn't seem like the case.

"And you?" Taehyung asked after he finished his hot chocolate, eyes finding his own. "How's life in Korea? Do you have a special someone yet?" He watched Taehyung wiggle his eyebrows suggestively, which made him roll his eyes in response. But he smiled anyway.

He leaned his chin on his palm, lips twitching into a grin. "I do not. That's not my focus at the moment."

Taehyung's eyebrows raised. "Then what are you focusing on? School? Work?"

Making you happy, he thought, but it was pushed aside before he could say it aloud. Instead, he nodded, leaning back in his seat and exhaling deeply. "Right now, my focus is on work and friends. I finished school a year ago."

The snowfall outside made his attention shift to the window. It had picked up again, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been on Friday. In the light from the lamppost, he could see the snowflakes cascading down until they landed on the asphalt. It was mesmerizing.

Snow was definitely something he loved during the holidays. Even when it grew to be several inches high and made the roads turn dangerous. It was beautiful to admire. Like a white blanket that covered the earth, decorating the houses.

Taehyung's attention had shifted to the snowfall outside as well. When his gaze returned back to his friend, he froze for a moment, dark irises staring at him. There he was, looking exactly like he had all those years ago, just six years older and more mature.

It was like deja vu, in some sense. Staring at Taehyung like this again, taking in all those little details. Spotting the way his eyes glimmered, imitating the twinkling Christmas lights just outside the café. Detecting the joy flashing through his irises, causing his lips to stretch into a small grin.

This was how Taehyung deserved to look. He deserved to look carefree and relaxed, entranced by the beauty of winter outside the window. For a second, his heart rate quickened.

"The café is closing soon," he murmured, breaking his gaze away to glance at the time. It had already been an hour. "Do you want to take a walk?"

Taehyung turned to look at him, and as their eyes met, he swore his breath hitched in his throat. The way he looked, especially right now, made him feel a certain way. Taehyung's dark eyes, which had softened tremendously, were staring into his own.

He hummed again. "Sure," he mumbled, "that sounds nice."

A few minutes later, they were bidding a few goodbyes and happy holidays as they left the café, stepping into the cold winter night. The snowflakes fell gracefully, dusting their hair and clothes white once more. Immediately, he reached for a few, lips tilting upwards in an excited smile.

In times like this, when the snow was falling and his self-control was thrown out the window, he felt like a kid again. And for a second, he almost grabbed Taehyung's hand, like he used to do when they were children, and ran through the thick snow to make snowmen and snow angels. He stopped himself, though. They weren't kids anymore.

As they began to walk down the sidewalk, hands shoved into their coat pockets, snow crunching beneath their feet, he couldn't help but steal a glance. Despite what Taehyung had gone through, he could still see bits of his usual self pushing through. All he needed was a little more joy to bring back that overly excited boy he knew all too well.

Taehyung shifted his gaze to meet his own. "When you say make the most of it, what exactly do you mean?" There was curiosity in his eyes, displayed clearly by his slightly knitted eyebrows.

He smiled. "I would tell you, but that kind of defeats the purpose of surprises." As they sat in the café, his mind went over the endless possibilities of things they could do. In a matter of minutes, he already settled on what he wanted to do tomorrow with Taehyung.

He watched his friend's eyes roll, exasperated. It was like him to do that, and that made his smile widen even more. "Can I at least have some sort of hint?"

In a poor attempt to suppress the smile, he pressed his lips together tightly, shifting his gaze to the snow-covered sidewalk in front of them. "Well," he started, "just think of it as a way to make memories. For two whole weeks."

"That doesn't exactly help me out here, Kookie." The use of his nickname brought a sense of wild, untamed joy to him. It invaded without resistance, shooting throughout his body with ease. This time, he was sure it was the feelings that made him feel warm and tingly.

A laugh rumbled through him. "That's the point." He paused for a bit, letting out a deep exhale. His breath turned into mist in the frigid night air, puffing out in front of his face for a second before it disappeared. "It'll be fun, though."

The rest of their walk was quiet and peaceful. The snow fell onto their hair and clothes, wetting it a little, and crunching beneath their feet with every step. Before he knew it, they were in a neighborhood he didn't really know, turning down a random street. It was still really close to the café, however.

But apparently it wasn't so random after all, considering Taehyung seemed to know where he was going. When they stopped in front of a one-story house, their gazes met again. "I'm staying here with my friend Jin. I'm not sure how long I'll be here before I move out, but for now this is my home."

It was weird to think about. If he had never left for Korea, and if Taehyung did come back home, they probably would have been roommates. Much like this, they would have had a place to call theirs, paying rent like actual adults and living their life.

It made him miss home just a tad bit more. "I see," he whispered. "At least I know where to find you now."

That made Taehyung chuckle breathlessly. "I guess you do. I don't really have anything planned for the upcoming weeks, so don't hesitate to call or text if you want to hang out."

That was reassuring. At least he wouldn't be interrupting Taehyung's plans. At the same time, though, it meant they had even more time to make memories in his jam-packed activity list. Just thinking about it made him excited.

Another deep exhale made his chest fall slowly. He didn't want to say goodbye, but he still needed to do a little shopping before returning home. That's what he told his mom, after all. "It was fun," he murmured, staring at Taehyung.

"It was," Taehyung agreed, grinning a little. "Thank you for inviting me out."

He couldn't stop himself from staring. Just looking at him now brought everything back. The late nights playing video games, the endless days of outdoor fun, the countless giggles and laughs, and the big smiles. He could never forget those days.

I missed you, he almost whispered, but he pressed his lips together to stop it from escaping. As the snow fell around them, he thought, just for a moment, that Taehyung looked beautiful. Maybe not just in looks, but just in what he was. A childhood best friend. A person he wanted to have in his life forever.

"Anytime," he said finally, shaking away the thoughts with a grin. Taehyung mirrored his expression, gently murmuring, "Goodnight, Jungkook." And slowly, he began to walk up the driveway and toward the door. He stared at him all the way up until he reached the front doorstep.

Just as he was about to walk away, Taehyung called out. "Oh, and thank you," he said, sparing another glance his way.

His eyebrows furrowed, displaying the confused look on his face. But Taehyung only smiled from his place at the front door, looking happier than he had when they first ran into one another. "For what?" He asked.

"For the Oreo cake," Taehyung chuckled, "and for remembering me."

He watched the front door close behind his best friend. His eyes lingered on the house for a moment, collecting his thoughts, and trying to settle his racing heartbeat. The smile on his face went unnoticed as he began to walk away, making another mental note of Taehyung's new address.

He had two weeks to make Taehyung smile like he used to. With everything that had happened to his friend over the years, it wasn't going to be easy, but he deserved the joy. If anyone deserved it, it was definitely him.

His hands fell into his coat pockets, curled into tight fists as the snow continued to dust his clothes. But he didn't pay attention to it. Not while his mind was preoccupied with other matters.

To making the most of it, he recalled from earlier. Their little promise to one another after six years.

Starting tomorrow, that's exactly what he'd do.

🙤 · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · ꕥ · ┈┈┈┈┈┈ · 🙦

Will he be able to make Taehyung happy?

I'm excited to show y'all what's in store :D

I purple you💜

~Pisanthrophobia.