Kim Taehyung

It wasn't planned. That was the dangerous part.

Taehyung was close, too close, and this time he didn't move. Neither did you. The silence, despite the loud music and the aroma of drinks, was no longer tension; it was a poorly contained decision. When you looked up, he was already there, watching you as if he had finally stopped arguing with himself.

"We shouldn't..." you began. He didn't let you finish.

It wasn't a desperate kiss. It was slow, steady, as if he had been waiting for that exact moment for a long time. Just long enough for the world to fade away and your body to react before your mind could comprehend it.

It didn't last long. But it threw everything into disarray.

When he pulled away, his forehead rested against yours. Uneven breathing. His eyes closed for too long.

"This changes things," he said softly. And he didn't sound regretful. He sounded aware.

You didn't answer. There was no need. The kiss had already said what neither of them wanted to admit.

He didn't pull away. Taehyung stayed there, close enough to feel, far enough away to think. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer, firmer.

"I'm not saying this to scare you,"* he said.* "I'm saying it because it's real."

Your heart was pounding, but your voice wasn't trembling. "Then don't leave,"* you said. *"Either we do this right... or we don't do it at all."

He looked at you for a long moment and nodded. "I'm staying."

It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't loud. It was a decision.

And somehow, that made everything even more intense.

You both are in an after party; are friends... for now.