The seven of them were finally together. They had 4 completely sold out concerts ahead of them. For the first time in a while, to all of them, life seemed...great.

It was peaceful. The boys have reserved a cottage near the forest away from home, silence surrounding them. There was no one who would disturb them. Even their staff was left back at Seoul to let them clean their heads and spend some time alone.

It felt like good old days, those they all missed. Jin cooking on a terrace with Namjoon walking around and getting screamed at for not knowing how to hold a knife. Hoseok jumping around the place with Jimin and Yoongi lying on the couch and endlessly complaining about the two while he kept smiling at them fondly when they weren't watching. And lastly the two youngest; Jeongguk, who was playing some new game with Taehyung and let him win every second round just to see the bright boxy smile on the older's face.

It didn't matter how far away from home they were, because at that moment they felt at home right there, together.

"Taehyung-ah, Jeongguk-ah!" Hoseok calls for the two youngest to get them to the kitchen where the others are already waiting for them.

In a few seconds, the two get to the kitchen, giggling around with Jeongguk's arm around Taehyung's shoulders. No one said a word.

Namjoon, along with the others laugh at the maknaes bitter expression once they see beers and other bottles of alcohol placed on the table.

They start with a beer, Hoseok bringing up memories of their rookie days. They all laugh at the memory of Jin screaming in the middle of the night when he found kiwi in the freezer. Or the time when the three youngest dyed Jin's dog pink on his birthday.

Those really were the times...

Once their laughs fade away and the room fills with silence, they sigh. And at that moment they all know, no matter how much time they spent crying, they were always there for each other for the memories to just fade away. And those years they spent together, were the most beautiful years of their life.

[💫]

moments of today

Earlier that day...

[💫]

About two hours later, Jeongguk is nowhere to be found.

He excused himself to go get some fresh air but no one questioned it, knowing that he's been going through the hardest time of his life and just needed a while to be alone.

As ten minutes pass, the members are laughing around in the kitchen but Taehyung is uneasy. He quietly leaves the kitchen and goes upstairs to look for Jeongguk.

His room is empty with Jeongguk nowhere around until Taehyung sees a figure leaning against the railing on the balcony.

He wonders whether he should leave him alone or keep him company but he knew how Jeongguk is when he's alone and it never ends well.

Stepping on the balcony, he coughs slightly, just to bring Jeongguk's attention to him. However, he doesn't need to turn around to know exactly who's standing behind him.

"Hi," he mumbles, eyes never leaving the forest beneath them.

"Hi."

Taehyung leans against the railing just like Jeongguk, watching his eyes scanning the dark.

"What are you thinking about?" Taehyung interrupts the silence after a minute.

"The future," Jeongguk answers straight away, lifting his chin up to see the stars

which are shining brightly tonight.

"What about it?"

The younger sighs.

"What I want to do and who I want to become," he stays silent for a while.

"I want to be a dad, have my own family. Have a job that makes me happy and friends to have a drink with in the evenings."

Taehyung gulps down at the sight of Jeongguk's rambling, remembering him exactly like this every time he had something to drink.

"That sounds re- really nice, Gguk," he shutters. "You can have that."

"Happy. I want to be happy..." Jeongguk's quiet whisper fades away with the breeze, a single tear escaping and shining under the stars.

It's quiet again. None of them knows what to say. They both know neither of them is truly happy.

For the first time Jeongguk's eyes fall on Taehyung, making him feel vulnerable.

"Are you happy, hyung?"

Taehyung doesn't answer at first, instead lets himself stare at Jeongguk, watching the stars reflect their light inside the younger's eyes. The starry eyes.

"I am. As long as you are."

And it was true. Taehyung's main priority was Jeongguk, and seeing him smile was the cause of his own euphoria.

Jeongguk looks at Taehyung, eyes shiny and glassy.

"It's been so long Taehyung..."

"18 months..." they both say at the same time.

Year and a half.

You would think they lost the track of time after so long, but both of them still kept counting.

They sigh, looking at their feet rather than having to face the other's broken stare.

"What happened to us?" the younger asks, tears already rolling down his cheeks.

Taehyung only gulps, staring down at his feet, hiding his guilt behind his long hair that covered his face.

"The Taehyung I fell in love with is standing in front of me," he starts and Taehyung tries to stop him but he doesn't let him. He finally needed to let it out.

"Jeongguk..."

"You are still the same and I can't do anything," he takes a step closer, lifting Taehyung's chin with his index finger to make him face him. He sees the tears in his eyes just like in his own.

"It was for the best, Jeongguk. What I did was unforgivable," Taehyung whispers with a broken voice, sobbing.

"You know for fucking sake that it wasn't supposed to happen!" raising his voice, he surprises not just Taehyung, but also himself.

He's been hiding it for so long.

"It wasn't, Taehyung. It wasn't because it was you," he screams, hot tears continuing to roll down his face.

"God damn Taehyung if you just said 'choose me' I'd choose you. No matter what you've done. I would choose you all over again."

"Jeongguk, don't say that...You are getting married."

Jeongguk turns the other way, hiding from the older, getting rid of his tears with the sleeves of his hoodie.

"It was you I should have married," he whispers.

They both break down right there, faces hiding from the other as if Taehyung hasn't held crying Jeongguk in his arms for whole nights before. As if crying Taehyung didn't fall asleep in Jeongguk's arms before. As if they never dried and kissed away each other's tears.

But as Jeongguk turns around and stares into Taehyung's sincere eyes, he's reminded of all of those moments. Kissing Taehyung's cheeks, his sweet cherry lips...holding him close for whole days and nights...It wasn't over. It couldn't be.

Facing each other, their tears mirror in the eyes of the other, shining under the stars.

Jeongguk takes a step closer, warm hand caressing Taehyung's wet cheek.

"If our story was a book, don't you think they would want us to get the happy ending we deserve?" he whispers, foreheads pressed together. They are so close.

Taehyung shakes his head, palms hiding inside the long sleeves of his sweater.

"Jeongguk, If you kiss me right now I won't be able to stop."

It's silent for a second, only the two of them staring into each other's eyes until one dares to speak up.

"...please don't."