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Every friendship has its quirks, especially the longest ones. So, it was no surprise to say that a friendship as long as Jimin and Taehyung's—fifteen years, still going strong—would have a lot of those. Add to the mix the fact that they were also each other's soulmate, and you might start to understand why some people just didn't get their bond. That included their closest friends, of course, who would tease them for the silliest of things.
And you know what? Fair. Friends don't share toothbrushes even if it's an emergency. But soulmate best friends would never let each other go to bed with their teeth unbrushed just because they forgot to bring a toothbrush to their camping trip. Soulmates shared things much more profound than a small sample of DNA, after all, so was it even that big of a deal?
Yeah, friends might not cuddle each other most nights even though they have two separate bedrooms in their shared apartment, but what if Jimin felt alone in his bed? Couldn't his soulmate best friend make him company?
And friends definitely don't buy each other Valentine's Day gifts every year, but as soulmate best friends, Jimin and Taehyung did.
It all started in undergrad, sophomore year. The school dorm was covered in cutout hearts, and everywhere you went, there were couples getting on one knee and delivering all kinds of cheesy gifts: flowers, chocolates, red cards, the whole ordeal. Jimin felt exasperated. Though he had dated a few people, none of his relationships had ever overlapped with Valentine's Day.
Jimin was bothered to the point that he complained in the group chat about it, saying the holiday was stupid and overrated. Yoongi answered something about how capitalism shapes the way we show love, but Jimin didn't spare him much attention. All he wanted was for someone to comfort him and make him feel less lonely on that stupid day.
That evening, though, when Jimin arrived at his dorm after dance practice, he stumbled on something inconveniently positioned right in front of the door. He opened his mouth to yell at Taehyung for leaving his shoes thrown around again—it wouldn't be the first time this week—but stopped immediately when he saw the object that had almost killed him: a big teddy bear holding a heart that said "i luv u." Jimin's heart skipped a beat as he picked up the teddy bear for closer inspection. Had someone decided to ask him out for Valentine's Day? Had Taehyung helped them or had they broken into his dorm? Was this stranger hidden in his room somewhere?
Jimin looked around, spooked, but quickly concluded that the room was empty. There was nothing else worth noticing except for the jazzy song playing softly, which meant Taehyung had been in the room not too long ago.
As if summoned by the thought, the door opened behind him, and Taehyung entered carrying takeout bags and a large backpack.
When he noticed Jimin was there, he opened his trademark boxy smile. "Jimin-ah! Happy Valentine's Day." Then, his eyes zeroed where Jimin was clutching the teddy bear, and his smile seemed to grow larger. "Oh, did you like it? I bought it on the way here. Today they're selling this stuff all around town for people who forgot to buy their presents in advance."
Jimin moved so Taehyung could enter the room properly, still a bit shocked and not knowing what to say. He couldn't figure out what it meant for Taehyung to buy him a Valentine's Day gift, and nothing he could come up with made sense.
"We're both single," Taehyung explained, "so I thought we could keep each other company today. I bought your favorite chicken and beer. It's nothing fancy, but…"
"Taehyungie," Jimin interrupted him, eyes watering. He pulled Taehyung into a tight hug, almost crushing their dinner in the process. "I said I thought this holiday was stupid," he sniffled against Taehyung's shoulder.
"I know, hyung," Taehyung said softly. Jimin squeezed him tighter when he heard the honorific. Taehyung never called him hyung, despite Jimin's insistent demands. "I know you too well to fall for it, though. Next time, I'll do something better, okay?"
Jimin took a step back to look at his friend, taking in the look of absolute happiness Taehyung was giving him. The same feeling was soon reflected on Jimin's own face.
"I will definitely get you a better gift next time," Jimin challenged, raising an eyebrow.
Taehyung scoffed. "Well, if we're gonna keep score, the first win is already mine, since you bought me nothing."
After a lot of bickering, they ate together and laughed until it was late into the night. Jimin didn't feel alone for a single moment, and the bitterness he felt about not having a lover to spend that day with completely evaporated.
That was the first Valentine's Day Jimin shared with someone, and the first of many he shared with Taehyung. Every year, they got each other presents, and depending on how much time or money they had, they bought food or went out for dinner.
However, they never discussed what would happen if they were ever dating when Valentine's Day rolled around. But even when Jimin thought one of Taehyung's flings would stick around for long enough, it all ended a month or even a few weeks before. And sometimes, Jimin would be the one dating, and he would never admit to anyone how much he dreaded the idea of spending Valentine's Day with anyone but Taehyung. It had become a soulmate best friend tradition at that point, so sue him if he broke up a few relationships when the date approached. He hadn't found anyone who was worth it yet.
But despite their peculiarities, Jimin and Taehyung were just friends. Purely platonic, and Jimin had no doubt of where they stood.
Until…
It was Valentine's Day again, and Jimin woke up snuggled against his friend under Taehyung's new weighted blanket. It was supposed to be his Valentine's Day gift from Jimin, but it ended up being revealed the night before and put to good use. The sensation of it was amazing, and Jimin felt almost guilty for buying something he would also be using frequently, but he didn't have much time to prepare for this year's celebration of their singlehood because Jimin had been tangled with some guy up until a few weeks ago. Worst regret of his life, but it was thankfully all in the past.
Taehyung, however, seemed to have something really big up his sleeve, because usually he would give Jimin some hints, but this time it was radio silence. Every time Jimin asked or threw hints of his own gift, Taehyung would say something cryptic about it, which frustrated Jimin more than anything. For the entire week that predated Valentine's Day, Jimin had bothered all of their friends, asking if anyone had any idea of what Taehyung was planning. A part of him was scared that it'd be some sort of prank or something to spook Jimin (it never happened on Valentine's day, but last Halloween, Taehyung had scared the shit out of Jimin by lying a hundred little plastic spiders around him as he slept, so Jimin was still a little bit wary). The other part was worried that the gift would be so elaborated that Jimin's store-bought blanket would pale in comparison, putting Jimin even further away from winning their Valentine's competition. That prospect scared him more than being eaten alive by actual spiders.
So, as the competitive little demon he was, Jimin woke up earlier that day, intending to take a little peek at his gift and perhaps try and get something to complement his own present if needed. It didn't take too much of snooping around before he found a gift-wrapped package in the bottom of the pile of Taehyung's messy clothes.
Jimin skillfully opened it without tearing the paper, revealing a big, bulky book that started playing a soft piano tune as soon as he opened it. Jaw dropped, Jimin flipped the pages slowly, seeing dozens of pictures of Jimin and Taehyung, spanning from high school to their early adult years. In the last page, there was a selfie Taehyung took of them just last week, when Taehyung stole a cheek kiss from Jimin and captured it with his phone. It made Jimin's heart beat funny.
Then, Jimin noticed that at the page opposite to the picture, there was a glued envelope. He didn't think twice before opening it, finding a handwritten letter. He debated whether he should read it or not, but curiosity took the best of him, and he managed to actually open it without tearing the paper.
That was when the confusion started. Jimin's heart tightened at the message, thinking it could only be a tasteless joke. He quickly put it back and poorly re-wrapped the photobook, placing it back in the bottom of Taehyung's closet. His heart was beating so loudly and his mind racing so fast that he almost missed the little black box hidden in the same place he was now stuffing the photobook in. Jimin didn't even dare to open it, instead just closing the closet door shut and thanking the fact they slept in Jimin's bedroom that night, because that would've definitely woken up Taehyung otherwise.
Still astonished, Jimin made his way to the kitchen and downed a full glass of water. Then another. Then half of another, but his stomach was starting to hurt, and he still couldn't force his brain to rebut.
Just what did that mean?
There was only one way to know.
Carefully, Jimin entered his room to grab his phone from his nightstand, trying not to look at how Taehyung slept softly, wrapped in Jimin's gift. Once he was back in the living room, Jimin created a new group chat.
Then, he looked at the hour and cursed. No one would see his messages this early! He had no choice. He called the group chat only long enough for it to ring a few times, then turned it off. He waited for a couple of minutes before answers came rushing in.
Jimin giggled at his friends' panic.
The answers took longer to come this time. Jimin bit his bottom lip anxiously.
Jimin blushed, feeling guilty for waking up two of his hyungs, but they didn't know how urgent the matter was.
Jimin breathed in deeply. He woke up three of his friends and interrupted Namjoon and Jungkook's morning meditative Valentine's biking. He couldn't back out now, especially since he needed help before Taehyung woke up.
Jimin's mouth fell open immediately.
Hesitantly, Jimin typed roughly what he remembered of it.
At that, Jimin let his phone fall to the ground, hissing before picking it up quickly to look for any damage. Then, he looked towards the bedroom door to see if Taehyung had awakened. All clear. So…
What the fuck? In what world would Taehyung actually want Jimin like that?They've been friends for a decade and a half! If he wanted to be more, he would've said it eons ago, wouldn't he? It just made no sense.
Still, a tingle of hope stirred in Jimin's stomach. So, almost burying his face in the couch's cushions while typing, he asked…
Jimin rolled his eyes because their arguments about Jimin and Taehyung's weird relationship always started there.
The first time Taehyung called Jimin his soulmate happened about 12 years before, when they were bickering inside their blanket fort in Jimin's parents' living room.
"Jimin-ah," Taehyung said, voice suddenly going soft.
"What?" Jimin answered, the last bit of annoyance still present in his voice, but his heart skipped a beat at the sudden change in atmosphere. Their eyes were glued to each other's, Jimin was still hovering over Taehyung with his hands clutching the boy's shirt, the last sign remaining of their fight mere seconds before.
"You're my soulmate."
Those words stopped Jimin's world for a moment, making his breath catch in his throat and his hands release the boy's shirt. Falling on the sheets next to him, Jimin couldn't help but blush and hide his face. "You say such strange things," Jimin murmured.
It was sudden, yes, but also so Taehyung. There was no question or doubt in his voice at all, and he proved it by shaking his head vehemently. "It's not strange, really… Just think about it, Jimin-ah."
Jimin didn't want to think about it, didn't think he could survive thinking about it. But Taehyung kept talking anyway. "We fight all the time," was how he started, making Jimin laugh loudly and look at him in disbelief. "What?" Taehyung frowned.
"Isn't that evidence that we're not soulmates?" Jimin asked, though it ached a bit to say out loud.
Taehyung, however, was undeterred. "That's stupid movies' vision of soulmates! My point is, we fight all the time, and yet, it doesn't make me love you any less. Actually, I end up loving you more."
If Jimin wasn't red enough before, he for sure was after hearing that.
"Every movie says that soulmates are those who agree about everything, right? Because in greek mythology, soulmates were once the same person who was split in half by Zeus, so they live their lives looking for each other, for their other half. But I see things differently."
Jimin felt his heart racing, his affection towards Taehyung only growing as he explained his thesis so passionately.
"You and I couldn't be more different if we were from actual different planets. But because we're so different, we're able to help each other so much. Like when I want to slack off and you remind me of my goals that I won't achieve if I don't push forward. Then, when you can't recognize that you need to rest, I'm the one to stop you from studying all night long and losing precious sleep before an exam. Sp, if you and I were once a single, complete being, doesn't it make sense that what's missing in me, I can find it in you and vice-versa?"
They were laying side by side, eyes locked on each other, noses so close to touching. The dim lights filtering through the blankets made the moment even more mystical. Jimin was completely taken by Taehyung's speech, though he still wasn't quite convinced.
Knowing that, Taehyung kept going. "Because you make me grow so much, because every time we fight and stop talking I feel so desperate to see you again… I have no doubt that our souls are intertwined somehow. "
Jimin worried his bottom lip with his teeth. "But isn't soulmate a romantic thing?" he asks what had been running through his mind since this conversation started, absurdly shy at the implication of his question.
"Not really," Taehyung answered with ease. "Don't you get the feeling that we've known each other forever? That's because we lived many lives together, and in each one we meant different things to each other, but regardless of that, I'm sure we were together. In this life, we're like… soulmate best friends." Taehyung's face lit up like he had an Eureka moment.
Jimin's face lit up for an entirely different reason. "Yes, we're soulmate best friends."
Jimin was unable to explain to their friends the nuance Taehyung had explained to him that day, so he simply answered…
It was a big surprise for Jimin. It was their first Valentine's Day in their new apartment, and so far neither of them had cooked much. But when he came home from his early morning dance practice that day, he immediately felt the most delicious smell coming from the kitchen.
There, he found Taehyung in an adorable "kiss the cook" apron, stirring a pan under the strict gaze of Seokjin. On the table, there were dozens of dishes that smelled like heaven. Jimin had thought back then that he was one step away from platonically proposing.
Taehyung did, in fact, do that. It was three Valentine's Days ago, when they agreed to trade gifts in a fancy coffee shop that required a reservation months in advance for Valentine's Day, which Taehyung had made just in case. Jimin curiously asked if Taehyung would've used it with someone else if he had gotten a date by then. The boy only shrugged and said, "Sure." Jimin had given him his fakest smile in return.
Still, it was a pretty nice platonic date. They pretended to be a couple the whole time, because what kind of lunatics would go to a Valentine's-Day-themed coffee shop as friends? And the nice part was that they earned a petit gâteau for being the "cutest couple in the shop," as the waitress had put it.
At the end, Jimin rested Taehyung's gift carefully on the table. It was wrapped in light green gift wrap, but for the size and shape alone, Taehyung lifted an eyebrow.
"Vinyl?" he guessed.
Jimin giggled. "Open and find out."
When Taehyung saw the Tom Jobim vinyl Jimin had bought, his eyes immediately filled with tears. "Jimin-ah… This must have cost you so much," he complained, but the happiness in his face was unmistakable.
Jimin giggled again. "I know. You've been collecting, right? I thought you'd like it."
Actually, Jimin had wanted to give it to Taehyung on his birthday, but his proxy took too long to send it, and there were many delays in the international shipping, so it took longer than he expected, arriving a month too late even though Jimin bought it months in advance. Jimin had to ask Yoongi to keep it until February 13th, because knowing how nosy Taehyung was, there was no way Jimin would be able to hide it for that long in their apartment. Jimin had already given away that it was music-related, and Taehyung was convinced it was a Frank Ocean album, because that's all Taehyung had been talking about since he, Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok flew to the US for one of his concerts. It made Jimin a bit sad and tempted to ask Namjoon to give Taehyung a blonde vinyl for his next birthday (which he eventually did, and obviously Namjoon complied, because he was the best hyung.)
Jimin was so happy that Taehyung had liked his gift—despite not being Frank Ocean related—that he was startled when Taehyung handed him his gift. It was a book, this much Jimin knew days ago, but opening it, his eyes almost fell out.
"The Notebook!" Jimin yelled, eyes filling with tears. "Oh, Taehyungie, you know it's my favorite movie."
It was Taehyung's turn to giggle. "Look inside."
When Jimin opened the first page, his mouth dropped. A first copy! And signed! And wait… Is it written Jimin in the Western alphabet?
"How?" He was nearly jumping out of his seat to hug Taehyung until they both exploded and died.
"There was a book event when the boys and I were in the States, Namjoon wanted to check it out, and as it seemed, it was Nicholas Sparks' new book release. I knew The Notebook was your favorite, though, so I looked around and found a place that sold used books, and they said they had a copy of the first edition. It was like fate, really, I knew right then that I had to get it signed for you."
"Taehyungie…" Jimin wiped his eyes with his finger. "You did all this for me, and yet you refuse to watch The Notebook with me…"
It was a cheap trick to revert back to their bickering, but Jimin felt his heart too erratic to keep thinking about how much he loved that man in front of him.
Jimin frowned deeply. It was just a harmless joke, he tried to tell himself while internally fumming.
Jimin looked at the pictures, one by one. At first, as he scrolled, he was a bit lost in how stunning Taehyung looked in every photo. In some, his smile was as big as it could be; in others, his mouth was slightly opened while his eyes were wide and focused. Focused on Jimin, apparently, though he didn't appear in most of the pictures. There was just something in Taehyung's eyes that appeared in every photo and was so familiar to Jimin.
Of course it was familiar, because Jimin saw it all the time.
It was there that first night when Taehyung said they were soulmates. It was also there when Jimin said a big fuck you to all homophobes in the world and danced with Taehyung in their school's year-end party for ten seconds before being kicked out. It was there whenever Jimin said something that Taehyung found amusing, or when Taehyung noticed the perfect opportunity to tease him. It was there when they woke up together in the morning, or in those last seconds of awareness when Jimin sang Taehyung to sleep. It was there when Taehyung's regret hit after a fight.
It was soft and caring, and it often left Jimin breathless. But it was always like this. How could it signal that Taehyung felt anything more?
Jimin's brain was straining for an answer, but before he could type anything, his bedroom door opened, and out came Taehyung rubbing his eyes, with his hair all fluffy and messy, and his bottom lip forming a cute pout.
"You woke up early," Taehyung whined softly. "Did you make breakfast at least?"
Despite his racing heart, Jimin didn't waste the opportunity to give him shit. "Am I your maid? If so, I'm not getting paid enough."
"I pay you in cuddles and affection," Taehyung mumbled, stumbling into the kitchen, completely unsuspecting of Jimin's inner turmoil.
Jimin followed him into the kitchen and removed the pan from Taehyung's hand. "Let me, you can sit. I was just busy talking to Joon about something."
"Something important?" Taehyung inquired as he sat down on the kitchen island.
"Music stuff," Jimin said vaguely. He was a terrible liar.
Taehyung hummed, deciding not to press him about it. "I slept so well, your gift was just what I needed, Min-ah."
Jimin blushed, thankful that he was facing the oven instead of Taehyung, because the rice-cooker was way less intimidating.
"It'll be perfect for movie night and cuddles," Taehyung kept talking. "Is that what you have planned for today?" Taehyung inquired, curiously, as if he didn't have a fucking ring in his closet and a confession letter of sorts.
"I think so. We can get a pizza from the place you like. Sorry I didn't plan anything fancy," Jimin felt the need to excuse himself after he had seen just how thoughtful Taehyung's gift was. He was just a tiny bit upset that he was going to lose this year again, setting their score at seven wins for Taehyung against three wins for Jimin. "Maybe I could give you a massage, Hobi-hyung taught me how and lent me one of his oils."
It had been a part of Jimin's plan for the day all along, but after seeing Taehyung's gift, he felt a bit shy at the prospect of touching Taehyung's bare back, regardless of how much skinship they shared on a daily basis.
Looking at Taehyung to gauge his reaction, all he received was a beautiful smile, and that shiny-eyed look he saw 55 times in the pictures Hoseok sent. It made Jimin preen a bit.
"I'd love that, hyung. I think it'll be hard for me to beat you this time," he said modestly. Jimin felt the urge to roll his eyes and call out his bluff, but he refrained.
Jimin finished cutting the vegetables and meat and was in the process of cooking them when the doorbell rang. He frowned, trying to remember if he was expecting something to be delivered, but the answer came in the form of Taehyung rushing out of the kitchen without a word.
Damn, is there more? Jimin thought, biting his lip to stop a smile from emerging. He wasn't going to get his hopes up; he couldn't let it happen. What if the letter was part of one of those role plays Taehyung liked to do? It could be a skit he had planned.
A few minutes later, as Jimin finished up the dish, Taehyung came back to the kitchen with nothing in hand. Jimin frowned.
"What was it?"
Taehyung repressed a smile and made the motion of locking his mouth and throwing away the key. "Let's eat first, shall we?"
Jimin wanted to protest, demand to know what it was first, but he refrained.
They ate in almost complete silence, interrupted only by a few giddy comments from Taehyung and the buzzing on Jimin's phone, likely indicating that the group chat was going wild.
As soon as Jimin's plate was empty, Taehyung got up and extended his hand for Jimin to grab. He was immediately dragged to the living room, where a giant bouquet rested on the table next to the gift Jimin gave him last year and the familiar gift-wrapped photobook. No ring box in sight.
Well, maybe it wasn't even for me at all, Jimin thought bitterly.
They stopped right in front of the table, and Taehyung dropped Jimin's hand to grab the flowers instead and offer them to Jimin.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Jimin-ah. I picked these myself last week and asked them to be delivered today so they would look perfect… Doesn't it smell nice?"
Jimin grabbed the bouquet and buried his nose in the flowers, feeling their sweet and herby smell. He nodded emphatically.
"They're beautiful, though I unfortunately couldn't find any as beautiful as you are."
Jimin kept his face hidden in the bouquet. He was sure he was bright red at that point, and he didn't know what to do. The flowers were in fact beautiful, in tones of pink and white with long green sprouts.
"Are these my birth flower?" Jimin asked with a gasp when he noticed, pointing to the small white flowers among the green leaves.
"Yeah, they add a nice touch, don't they? And the bigger white ones are cosmos, they mesh well with the pink roses, or at least the shop attendant said they do." Taehyung scratched his head as if embarrassed that he needed help.
"They're so beautiful, Taehyungie." Jimin felt tears prickling in the corner of his eyes, and Taehyung immediately raised a hand to stop him.
"Hold the tears for the main surprise. C'mon, open it." Taehyung motioned to the photobook. Jimin's hands were trembling when he laid the flowers down on the table and started opening the photobook, this time tearing the wrapping paper.
If Jimin's surprised reaction had been filmed, he was sure he'd be lined up for an Oscar. However, the tears that started falling as he flipped the photobook pages under Taehyung's attentive gaze were very much real. It was like realization was finally starting to settle in his mind, and seeing these pictures again after all he had discussed with his friends, after reading the letter and receiving the flower bouquet, made Jimin feel exposed, vulnerable. Like all of his feelings, the ones he denied for so long, came pouring out of his eyes, and the idea of Taehyung feeling the same, suddenly wasn't so alien to him.
When Jimin got to the last page, the one with their recent picture and the letter, he dared to look at Taehyung once more. The other man seemed nervous, but he hid it well behind his beautiful smile. If Jimin hadn't known him for so long, he'd have missed it. Wanting to comfort him, Jimin whispered, "Taehyungie… I loved it."
But Taehyung shook his head. "Don't say it yet, open the letter." He pointed at it, like Jimin maybe hadn't seen it. As if.
Jimin felt his hands shaking once more as he opened the tiny envelope, glad Taehyung was too nervous to notice the sticker wasn't gluing it together anymore. Jimin stalled for a moment, wondering how he should react.
"C'mon, you're making me nervous," Taehyung confessed, and it was enough for Jimin to open it and start reading.
There were the words he had read a few hours prior. Still the same, definitely not a product of Jimin's imagination.
My Jimin, Being your soulmate best friend has been the best thing to ever happen to me. For fifteen years I've loved you, and for ten years I've shown you my love through each gift and Valentine's spent together. There is one more thing I've been dying to give to you, if you let me. P.S.: it's my heart P.P.S.: you already own it anyway
Jimin didn't have to fake his reaction; he couldn't even think about doing it, because he was instantly overwhelmed with raw, overpowering emotion of finally. He started sobbing.
"Jimin-ah?" Taehyung sounded alarmed, resting a hand on Jimin's shoulder. The touch reminded Jimin of what he wanted the most, so he threw his body against Taehyung with all his strength, almost knocking him down.
"I love you, love you, love you, Taehyungie," Jimin whispered. Taehyung's arms were immediately around him, holding Jimin as tight as Jimin was holding him.
"I didn't even finish," Taehyung chuckled, but the sound came out wet, like he, too, was crying. "Will you let me give you one more gift, Min-ah?"
Jimin shook his head against Taehyung's shoulder, because if to get the gift, he had to release Taehyung, then he didn't want it.
"Just thought you'd never want me like that," Jimin sobbed, not able to hold back all the thoughts that tormented him for so long. "Every time you introduced me to your girlfriends, I felt like dying."
Taehyung kissed the top of his head. "I'm sorry, Mini. Sorry I made you wait so long."
Taehyung's baritone voice rang through Jimin's ears, making his body tremble. A sudden rush of want struck Jimin, and there was nothing else he could think about except for having Taehyung in all the ways he never dared to dream of.
So, Jimin weakened his hold on Taehyung enough to take half a step back, enough to look the other man in the eye, but not enough to break the hug completely.
"There's just one problem with your letter, Taehyungie," Jimin whispered, eyes glued to Taehyung's pink lips as he pouted. "I have always been yours," he completed before closing the gap between their mouths. Taehyung responded by pulling Jimin's body tighter against his, letting his lips slide smoothly against Jimin's soft ones.
Jimin felt his heart exploding into flowerworks. In all the years they shared small touches, nothing ever felt like this. Not even when Jimin had hooked up with tall boys with pretty smiles, in the hopes he could ignore the difference between them and what he secretly knew he wanted. Nothing compared to the real thing.
Jimin was so lost in their kiss that his brain barely registered when Taehyung started to guide him to Jimin's room, so he was startled when his back hit the door, and Taehyung pressed their bodies closer together. Jimin groaned loudly. It was impossible not to feel Taehyung's hardness like this, and he was pretty sure it was mutual by the way Taehyung cursed in his ear.
"Wanted you for so long," Taehyung mumbled, finally opening the door while still holding Jimin flushed against himself. "I was stupid," he said between kisses, pushing Jimin to the bed, their bodies falling together against the mattress. "I ignored it for so long, too," he kept talking while his lips trailed down to kiss Jimin's neck. Jimin squirmed beneath him, their soft pajama pants too thin to block the stimulation the grind of their hips was giving him.
"Me too," Jimin confessed. "Even when I dated—ah," he moaned at the feeling of Taehyung's teeth nipping his neck. "I never felt what I feel for you, so I, ah, Tae…" Jimin whimpered, rolling his hips up against Taehyung's body.
"Keep going, I wanna hear it," Taehyung whispered in his ear before getting up on his knees next to Jimin.
Jimin nodded and tried to pick up from where he left off as Taehyung slid Jimin's shirt off him. "What I felt for you was different from anything else, so I just thought it was special. A special friendship."
Taehyung removed his own shirt and nodded in agreement. "Soulmate best friends." He smiled cheekily.
Jimin giggled. "Exactly."
But the laughter died when Taehyung's hands inched closer to Jimin's hips, tugging at the hem of his pants as if asking for permission. Jimin nodded, quickly, wanting it gone just as much as he wanted Taehyung's body flushed against his own.
It was like no sex Jimin had ever had. It was the culmination of fifteen years of their love, but also of fifteen years of their longing, frustration and want. It was no surprise their bodies fit so well together, moving in sync like they were dancing to the same tune. It was loud, and messy and desperate, but also so loving.
The whole world collapsed and ceased to exist beyond the way Taehyung worshipped Jimin's body. He was taken apart and put back together over and over again. Every touch was igniting, every kiss felt like fate.
It just felt… right.
♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎
After they came down from the high and got everything cleaned up, Jimin immediately dragged Taehyung back to bed. He didn't notice, however, that before lying down, Taehyung got something from the pocket of his discarded pants. Not until Taehyung was kneeling on the bed and showing him the ring box he found earlier in the closet.
"Jimin," Taehyung started, with a big boxy grin, "will you be my forever soulmate boyfriend?" He opened the box to reveal a rose-gold knot-shaped ring, with little cristals adorning both strands.
Jimin's mouth dropped. "Wow… Why does this feel more like a marriage proposal?" Jimin teased to hide the bubbling feeling in his chest.
"That's the next step," Taehyung answered confidently, taking the ring out of the box and grabbing Jimin's hand. "Can I?"
Jimin nodded and watched as Taehyung slid the ring on his ring finger. Then, Taehyung extended his pinky towards Jimin, who promptly enlaced his shorter one around it.
"Mine forever?" Taehyung asked, softly.
Jimin's smile was bright enough to light up a whole city. "A million times, yes."
♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎