mixed together in the cool night air of the beach. the atmosphere was pleasant and amiable with the small group of people socialising.

hoseok and taehyung were running around, yelling. jimin was sipping on a bottle of beer as he laughed at his friends goofing off. namjoon was talking to seokjin excitedly, showing him the tiny crab he'd just found. yoongi had his head on a log of wood, cap pulled over his eyes, arms crossed over his chest.

jeongguk glanced over at summer who was chatting with a girl, thalia. he remembered because summer had mentioned her several times as one of her closest friends since childhood.

her feet were buried in the sand, knees pulled up so that her head rested on them. her wild hair fluttered in the wind and her face was lit up by the glow of the bonfire. he felt like he would never not be mesmerised by her in his entire life.

"you've been staring at her so long, i'm sure you know her every detail by heart already." the deep voice pulled jeongguk's attention from summer. raheem ashford's olive eyes seemed to pierce through jeongguk when he met them.

he was someone jeongguk knew even before the boy knew he existed. he could vividly remember the first time he'd seen him. it was at this very beach when he'd lifted summer into his arms and ran off with her like he was being chased. he was summer's best friend. her platonic soulmate as she called it.

jeongguk's mouth stuttered open but no words came. raheem's hard countenance eased as a smile found its way to his face. "you like her. anyone with eyes and a brain can see that." he remarked, eyes moving up to the sky.

"i-i uh..." jeongguk stuttered out. raheem's head fell forward as he laughed at the younger boy's flustered state. "man, you really got it bad." he ran a hand through tightly curled hair.

his expression suddenly became serious. "summer and i have literally been together since we were in diapers. she was my first friend, first kiss, first love. she means the entire world to me. i love her with all my heart. she's the sister i never had. and i would go to the ends of the earth for her." his olive eyes seemed to glint in the light the fire provided.

"through thick and thin, we've been there for each other. i will always have her back no matter what. i'll do literally anything to keep her happy. she is delicate and needs the utmost care. so your intentions with her better be pure, because if you ever hurt her, i'll have your head on a stick."

jeongguk's eyes were wide with alarm. his head bobbed slowly in a nod. "i understand." the words came out as though he was still learning how to speak. his finger drew a line across the sand. "d-do you still love her?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"of course. just not in that way. i'll always love her but as a brother. it's better that way." the afro-arab boy responded, eyes landing on the girl in question. "she's a tough girl but she's fragile. please, look after her when you're together."

"i will." the younger boy's voice was full of conviction. he stared at summer, feeling his heart palpitate irregularly.

the orange glow of the flames danced across her features, making her look like magic. and maybe she was. jeongguk had never met anyone with a soul like summer's and he was completely drawn to hers. and he remembered what he'd thought about her voice the first time they met. it might have been true. summer was like a siren's song, drawing him in, pulling him closer. perhaps to his doom.

she looked up and their gazes locked. her face warmed in a wide smile that he couldn't help but reciprocate. whispering to thalia, she got on her feet. slowly, she approached him. he glanced to his side to see raheem was gone and now next to yoongi, his eyes shut, lips moving in an unheard conversation with the man.

"hey," she grinned, plopping down next to him. "hey," he smiled back. "having fun?" he asked, watching her pull her knees up and rest her head. "yeah, this is nice." she smiled softly. her lashes fluttered as she blinked slowly.

he nodded like a person enchanted. without thinking much on it, his fingers danced across her arm. she watched his action, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "i like that our friends are hanging out." his voice was quiet, eyes following his fingers. "me too."

neither of them spoke for a long breath, eyes on jeongguk's fingers as they blazed a path down the skin of her arm.

"have you ever wondered what it's like to burn?" summer broke their silence. his eyes flickered to hers in question. "not literally. but with strong unsuppressed emotions. to feel without restraint, letting it take over your being like flames licking at your skin. like when people say they're burning with passion."

her gaze shifted to the large bonfire. "i don't think i have felt that way." she muttered, eyes fluttering to the sand. jeongguk stared at her for a minute before shaking his head. "no, i don't wonder." he answered softly. "why?" her gaze met his.

"because i don't have to." he shrugged almost nonchalantly. her head lifted off her knees, eyes regarding him with interest. her eyes reflected the vibrant orange of the flames. his lips pulled up in a smile, sensing her curiosity.

it was true. ever since she came into his life, he didn't have to wonder what it felt like. because all he ever did when he was around her was burn.