The feeling was overwhelming. Just like every time he gets off the stage. Hearing his fans still cheer up for him even when he's no longer up there, the love they shower him with...he couldn't ask for more.

Being on stage, singing for thousands of fans who always listened was an amazing feeling, healing almost. That's why he kept doing it, it made him feel alive, free.

He had no idea what would happen next after this final concert of his tour ends. He had no idea whether he should start making new music and make another tour or finally give himself a break.

He knew he needed it, but he didn't want to fall into the sea of his endless thoughts again. The time spent off the stage didn't make him good, at least not during the past year. And keeping himself distracted with the tiring and hectic schedule was easier.

"Is Jiae here?" he asks once he gets off the stage and lets the staff take his mic and earpieces.

"No, she said she's still at the celebration," one of the staff answers and gives him a towel.

"Oh..." Jungkook stops, eyes pointing at the floor while drying his freshly dyed hair with the towel.

"You should go to the fitting room. You have someone waiting for you there," the man, whose name Jungkook remembers as Jihoo says, smiling at the singer.

He thanks and makes his way towards the fitting room. He's excited to meet up with Yugyeom, his best friend who's probably the one waiting for him. Jungkook got used to seeing him after almost every concert when he'd come to congratulate him and take him out for food and drinks.

However, once he makes his way to the room, he freezes on his spot at the hearing of familiar voices coming from the inside.

Hoseok hyung with Jimin, Jin hyung's laugh can be also heard in the background.

Jungkook stands there for what seems like hours when in reality it's only a few seconds. He doesn't really know why he considers going inside, it's his hyungs after all, the ones he spent more than half of his life with. Yet, he still feels his heart clutch, as if someone's pushing onto his chest, making it hard to breathe.

What if Taehyung's also inside?

His insecurities are strong, but his curiosity has always been stronger, and even now, it won at the end.

He finally opens the door but no one notices him at first. He can now hear their voices along with the sounds of their laughs clearly, a comforting melody to his ears.

It's been so long.

He sees Hoseok ruffling Jimin's head with big smiles on their faces while their leaning against each other, Namjoon watching them fondly. He sees Yoongi observing them from the other side of the couch with a small gummy smile, but he'd never admit that. He also sees a glimpse of red dyed hair behind the oldest.

The boys finally realise Jungkook's presence as he's watching them at the door and immediately jump from their seats and run to him. He's soon tightly engulfed by his hyungs, hearing the sound of their giggles in his ears.

"I literally can't breathe," Jungkook complains but can't hide the grin on his face.

"You wouldn't be talking if you couldn't breathe," Jin glares at the youngest, smashing his shoulder slightly too hard but he's being pushed to the side by Hoseok.

"You got so skinny. Have you been eating?" Hoseok starts squishing his cheeks which evidently got smaller.

"Yes, I have been eating, hyung," Jungkook rolls his eyes and takes the hands away from his face.

When they finally let go of him fully, Namjoon comes to give Jungkook a tight hug as the last one, and when he also lets go of him, and they finally stop blabbing about how skinny he is, he gets the chance to look around the room for the first time.

He sees Yoongi still sitting on a couch, expression empty but not cold. Then his eyes finally fall on the boy standing next to him, the boy he loved.

Taehyung is standing there, eyes looking at Jungkook as if they were made for him only, while he's nervously playing with his fingers. And Jungkook wishes he could let himself fall in love all over again because that would be the easiest thing to do at the moment.

So this is how they were gonna meet after all this time...

Eyes not leaving the other, the contact seems so deep and way too intense to look away.

It felt like forever.

Forever since their eyes met.

Forever since they've last seen each other.

Forever since they've fell for each other.

Forever yet still, it's surely been too long, but not long enough.

"Uhm...hi," Taehyung speaks first, gulping, voice softer than ever.

"Hi."

As the members jumped from the couch and ran over to the youngest, Taehyung also wanted to do the same. He got off that couch as if it suddenly turned into fire and his heart began racing and he immediately stopped himself as his eyes fell on Jungkook.

The Jungkook he used to call his. That Jungkook who used to fall asleep while holding him in his embrace.

That Jungkook who he promised forever to.

The same boy he fell in love with not once, but every single day, all over again.

And now it was just Jungkook. Somebody else's Jungkook.

"Nice hair," he says as they are standing at a safe distance.

"Thanks..." Taehyung mutters, noticing the extremely awkward situation they are in. "I didn't know, I am sorry."

"It's fine. You couldn't have known," Jungkook says in a soft voice with a little smile, calming the older.

"Yeah..." he looks at the floor, then back up at Jungkook, seeing how close he is after all this time, yet it's the farest he's ever been.

"How's mum?"

"Fine, she's a fighter. Thank you for asking."

"I'd never doubt her," he smiles warmly, Jungkook's expression mirroring Taehyung's.

"Say hello from me if you'll remember."

"I will. Thank you," the younger says sincerely, happy to see Taehyung's concern.

"What's up, cherries?" Jimin soon steps into the conversation, pulling the youngest closer and hugging him around shoulders.

"Please don't call me that ever again," Jungkook warns his hyung, eyes rolling, but the serious expression doesn't stay for long.

They joke around for a while until Jungkook finally asks.

"Why did you come?"

"You have been ignoring PD-nim's emails," Namjoon, being the leader he used to be, speaks first.

"I wanted to reply later," he tries to talk it off, poorly.

"For half a year, Gguk," Namjoon says now more seriously, a warning tone evident in his voice.

Jungkook doesn't talk back, only sighs.

"Look we made a promise. All of us are ready to fulfil it, we're only waiting for you," the youngest stares at his hyung, eyes also switching between the others and seeing Yoongi's focused look on him.

"I don't know..." he seems like he wants to continue but his mouth closes as he's interrupted by slightly high-pitched voice.

"Kookieee."

All the boys instinctively take a step back, eyes wide as they watch a black-haired girl run all the way to Jungkook.

She throws herself on him, hands going around his neck while Taehyung's left there to watch it all, and the other boys as well.

"This is Jiae, and these are the members," the youngest introduces his hyungs, finally being able to breathe normally as she lets go of him.

"Namjoon hyung, Jin hyung -" he isn't able to continue because his fiancee interrupts him the moment she sees a cherry-haired male standing next to the couch, eyes small and innocent, watching the scene in front of him.

"Oh, you are Kookie's ex. I see you on twitter all the time."

"My name's Taehyung actually," he's about to step up and offer his hand to the girl but Jin jumps in front of him and pushes him behind himself dramatically.

"He's not just ex. He is THE EX," Jin magnifies with a playful smile, slightly teasing the girl.

"Hyung..." Jungkook groans and gives him a warning gaze to what Jin puts his hands in front of his face in a self-protective manner.

"Just saying."

"How was America? You didn't call as much as you promised," she whines, snuggling even closer to the boy and completely ignoring the presence of the members.

"Great, but I was busy most of the time so I didn't see much," he scratches the back of his neck, nervously looking at the boys watching them.

"Then we need to go back together and see everything," she suggests with a huge ass smile.

"Yeah...that would be good."

"Okay we'll go now. Make sure to let us know soon," Namjoon unashamedly steps into their conversation and starts collecting the boys, gently pushing them towards the door.

"Hyung, I'll think about it," Jungkook looks into Namjoon's eyes, who gives him a grateful smile and then he's left to watch all of them leave again.

He feels dumb for waiting for Taehyung to turn around one last time but just like he already knew, he did. His eyes fall on Jungkook one last time and the younger waves at him with a bitter smile on his face. And so when Taehyung smiles back and turns back to the front, he's left to wonder for how long will this remain the last time they see each other.

—💫—