By mid-March Yoongi had found a cheap enough apartment, and it wasn't that bad, either, so he couldn't complain. And neither could Jimin. No, he couldn't complain at all. After all, he had never once in his life expected to hear the words "do you wanna move in with me?" from Yoongi in the first place.

And things worked out smoothly. For the first time in a long time, things actually worked out for him. For both of them. Until Yoongi could both find and afford the apartment, Jimin had stayed with a relative of his who lived in Daegu. And Yoongi endured the brutal silence and discomfort that accompanied living with his mother for those several weeks. But again, in the grand scheme of things, it was a trivial thing to him.

Moving in with Jimin. Miles away from his home which hadn't felt like home ever since Jimin had moved away.

Under Daegu's stars, they could finally stay together. And stay they did.

Taehyung called them every day. To say hello, to check in on the "newlyweds," as he called them teasingly, to let them know how he was doing as well. And every now and then he would update the two on how close he was to securing his passport and plane ticket.

By the 18th of March, he had both. Earning little pay at the bakery, but working every chance he got, all for this. To go home again. And he expressed to Jimin, especially, how he would miss his little sister, and how he might go back over the holidays, at least once, but none of that could change his mind about leaving. His future was in Daegu.

"I'm Inch-eon my way back to you every day Jiminie!"

"Tae, please..."

"What? It was funny! Put Yoongi on the phone, I'll tell him!"

"You're on speakerphone, Tae. He heard you and rolled his eyes."

"So mean..."

Anticipation bubbled inside of Jimin on that Wednesday morning, when Taehyung's plane was supposed to arrive. Yoongi anticipated it as well, but he didn't verbally express it as much as Jimin did.

They entered the airport with fingers intertwined. Hearts intertwined.

"We're like parents waiting for their son to come home."

Yoongi shot Jimin a weird glance, which only sent the boy into a fit of giggles.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"We're not married yet, slow down." Yoongi sighed and shook his head. He thought he was being subtle in hiding his smile but no smile of his could ever go unnoticed by Jimin. "I said 'move in' not 'elope'."

"They're like synonyms."

"...not really, but if it makes you happy."

He had always been weak to Jimin's smiles, but more so now, since he could both see and feel the genuine love held within them. Within Jimin's eyes, every look, every glance. Everything. And oh, what a reward it was to have him by his side again. To return to this airport almost a month later, not alone.

"I can't wait to see Tae again."

To see Jimin, smiling so freely.

"Yoongi, if you keep zoning out I'll have to kiss you."

"I'm...I'm focused, I'm focused."

Jimin chuckled with amusement, leaning forward anyway to plant a kiss on the boy's cheek. And he hummed with glee as he rested his head against Yoongi's shoulder.

And Yoongi rested his against Jimin.

In the waiting area they sat together, quiet, peaceful. Yoongi kept his eyes on the windows across the room where you could see the planes land, but every now and then he would glance away from those windows, wondering if he'd see that kind woman who had comforted him that one day. He knew it was unlikely he'd ever see her again. But he wouldn't forget her, either.

They spent somewhere around forty-five minutes in that waiting area before hearing the announcement over the PA system.

" [[ Flight 425 from Incheon is now arriving. ]] "

Yoongi and Jimin both raised their heads in attention. With eager eyes they watched as the plane touched ground and eventually came to a stop, and Jimin, for one, could hardly contain himself as he started to call out Taehyung's name long before the boy even got off the plane.

Eventually, however, he did. And Yoongi could see how this boy, who he immediately recognized from the photographs, whipped his head around in an almost desperate search for the people he knew would be waiting for him.

Face lighting up like a Christmas tree, Taehyung raced towards Jimin first and dropped his things in time to capture the boy in a strong embrace.

"Jiminieeeee!"

Yoongi just stood by and watched with a fond expression as the two exchanged even more I missed you's and it's so good to see you again. Along with some other gibberish he didn't really try to process. But then abruptly he found himself captured in a hug, too, one so powerful that for a solid ten seconds he thought he couldn't breathe.

"Yoongi!"

After finally peeling himself away, Taehyung slapped his hands firmly on Yoongi's shoulders and beamed with the brightness of a thousand suns.

"I'm so glad I get to finally meet you."

That sentence toned down the excessive volume and gaiety of the boy's voice. Now, it acquired a gentle and earnest touch, once that Yoongi felt in his own heart.

"I'm glad to meet you, too, Tae."

And he meant that. Standing in front of this boy, knowing he was responsible for keeping Jimin grounded through this past year, Yoongi felt humbled. He never really liked meeting new people. But Taehyung was an exception. Because again, he felt like he already knew him. For a long time.

***

"And I got you a late birthday gift, too, Yoongi."

"You didn't."

"I did! Look! It's a cat bobblehead!"

"Tae, that's perfect. It looks just like him."

"It doesn't??"

"C'mon, Yoongi, yes it does. Just look at it!"

"Twins."

He tried not to laugh. But he couldn't help chuckling just a little bit under his breath, shaking his head as he took another sip of his smoothie. The three of them had picked a nice family restaurant to go to, to celebrate Taehyung coming home. To celebrate them all being home.

Together in Daegu.

This was home.

"Yoongles, are you gonna finish your smoothie?"

"I mean, I wasn't, but since you called me Yoongles now I am."

"Yoongle Boongles~"

"Stop."

"Yoingo Boingo."

"Taetertot."

"Ahahahha!! That's GOLDEN."

He erupted with laughter, which in turn urged on Jimin to do the same, and Yoongi felt he had no choice but to follow the 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em' saying.

"Swiggety swoingo, it's Yoingo Boingo."

"I'm sending you back to Incheon."

"No-!"

***

They left the restaurant after a couple hours, pleased with the meal and time they had shared. Honestly, Yoongi couldn't have asked for anything more. And neither could Tae. But somewhere amidst his joyful reunion with Jimin and Yoongi, something important promised to him had slipped his mind.

"So what're we doing now?" Tae asked excitedly, his arms draped over Jimin's shoulders as he hung on him loosely from behind. "We gonna catch a movie or something or are you guys headed home for snuggle time?"

"Well, I'm actually getting kinda tired," Yoongi lied, yawning and rubbing his eyes so as to add believability to his words. "Tae, do you have somewhere you plan to stay? With a relative or something? Or did you not plan that far ahead?"

The boy's silence was his answer.

Jimin sighed. "Tae, really?"

"What? I was just really excited to get on that plane!"

"It's fine," Yoongi said before Tae could continue. "You can just stay with us till you get your own place."

"You mean it??"

"Yeah, why not. Let's go."

Neither Jimin nor Taehyung suspected anything by Yoongi's suggestion. So the three boys started in the direction of their apartment, Tae giddily discussing something with Jimin as Yoongi allowed himself to fall just a little behind them to take out his phone.

About ten minutes into their trip and Yoongi suddenly asked them to stop walking.

"I want to pick up something here," he said, pointing to the convenience store they happened to be standing outside of now. "Jimin, come with me."

"I'll go, too!" Taehyung chimed, but Yoongi shook his head. "What? Why not?"

"You'll get distracted and probably try to buy every snack this place has to offer," Yoongi said with a pitiful shake of his head. "I'll only be a minute. C'mon, Jimin."

He hated to admit it but the boy had a point - Taehyung was exactly the type of person who would go into the store for one thing and end up buying twenty, a trait he had picked up from his dear mother. So he chose to obediently wait outside as his two friends - those cute lovebirds - disappeared into the small corner store.

It wasn't too cold out now. With spring approaching, the weather was gradually beginning to warm up, and so Tae didn't mind at all standing here, a gentle breeze sweeping over him. He didn't get cold as easily as most people did anyway. This temperature was quite pleasant to him.

As he waited for Yoongi and Jimin, Tae hummed a little tune to himself. On this quiet street he saw no one but the people passing by in cars. And soon enough, a boy walking towards him.

At first, Taehyung paid little mind to the boy. Because he figured it would just be some stranger, but, being the polite, friendly person that he was, Tae lifted his head and prepared to offer a small greeting.

But he couldn't.

"Hey, Taehyung."

Several yards away stood a somewhat tall and slender young man with messy black hair, large, doe-like eyes and thin pink lips parted in distinct smile. Taehyung's own smile faded. Not because he wasn't happy, but simply out of pure shock, pure disbelief at what his eyes presented to him.

"You, uh...you've gotten quite handsome, Tae."

A soft laugh spilled out of the boy's mouth. He glanced away shyly for a moment, waiting and hoping for Tae to speak. But as it seemed he wouldn't, the other continued.

"It's nice to see you again."

As he dared to step closer, he spotted the promise of tears in Taehyung's eyes. Those nostalgic eyes.

"Jungkook..."

An almost inaudible whisper. A crooked smile fought its way onto the boy's face. He stepped towards Jungkook, an uncertain action that soon resulted in an outstretching of arms which Jungkook made no hesitation to welcome. And it all came back in an overwhelming rush, the realization of just how much he had actually missed this boy - both of them shared this feeling. Their arms trembled as they embraced each other on that quiet street, Tae sniffling with his chin resting against Jungkook's shoulder and Jungkook struggling to hold himself together.

"Four years, I'm surprised you remember me, Tae-"

"How could I ever forget you?"

His words were muffled, soft, but they melted Jungkook's heart all the same. He ran his fingers delicately through Tae's soft brown hair.

"I'm sorry I never told you I was moving..."

"It's okay, Taehyung. You're here now."

He couldn't stop crying now. And the sound of that, the feeling of this boy, who Jungkook once labeled as the oddest and most cheerful person he'd ever met, now trembling like a leaf in his arms...

"Kookie..."

The fragility of his voice, which had refused to cry in front of others throughout the merciless teasing Jungkook remembered the boy enduring in middle school. The cruel stares, the exclusion and neglecting. It had become a bandwagon over time. And Jungkook had hated it from the start. He had been the only one to ever reach out to Tae. The only one. And because of that, he got to see a side of Tae that no one else did.

"Do you wanna come over my house and watch a movie or something?" He spoke softly in Taehyung's ear. "We can catch up. If...that's okay with you."

"Really?" Tae pulled back abruptly from the hug, misty eyes locking onto Jungkook's in genuine surprise. The latter stifled a laugh at his reaction.

"Yeah, really. I...really missed talking to you at school. And four years is a long time, so I'm sure you have a lot of stories to tell me."

"You'll listen to me?"

"Haven't I proved that already?"

"Yeah..." He smiled fully, and Jungkook didn't know what came over him, but he reached out his hands to touch Taehyung's face, then pulled the boy forward to connect their lips.

It lasted but a moment. But that was more than enough. Taehyung stared at Jungkook, wide eyes, dumbfounded expression painted across his face. He faltered over his words for some time, then began nervously shifting his weight until Jungkook finally decided to speak.

"Not my first kiss, but definitely my favorite." He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing not-so-subtly again at Tae's lips, which only made the boy more embarrassed by the situation.

"Uh-..."

"Sorry, maybe I should have asked-"

"N-no, no, it's okay," Taehyung blurted, thus broadening Jungkook's smile. "I just...wasn't expecting to be kissed today."

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to have gotten so attractive, but here you are."

Taehyung's cheeks reddened. "...are you flirting with me...?"

"If I say 'yes,' will I be able to kiss you again?"

He reduced Taehyung to a shy, blushing mess, which Jungkook could honestly admit was the most adorable sight he had ever witnessed. This boy had always stood out to him. Ever since the start. And he let him get away once, but that was something neither he nor Taehyung had a say in.

Things were different now.

"So are you ready to go?"

"Wait, I gotta tell my friends, they're-"

He turned around just in time to watch as both Yoongi and Jimin stepped out of the convenience store.

Taehyung froze. "...how much did you guys see or hear?"

"We weren't eavesdropping," Yoongi said, but with no assurance in his tone, "but I mean, while I was in line I did happen to notice a lack of space between the two talking devices."

"Talking devices...?"

"He's speaking in code. He means he saw me kiss you."

"Oh—oh." Tae turned towards the ground, unable to decide whether or not to run or stay and accept defeat. He quickly decided on the latter. He had already lost anyway.

"Lighten up, won't you, Tae?" Jimin said, poking his friend's cheek with his index finger. "I was hoping your reaction would be more like 'Jiminie! Jiminie! We kissed!' but here you are twiddling your thumbs."

"You saw..."

"Yup. Something beautiful."

"Were you watching my lips, Jiminie??"

"He better not have been."

"Ooh, someone's got possessive boyfriend tendencies~"

"Ooh, this someone's got enough money to afford a plane ticket for you back to Incheon~"

"Hey, I won't let him leave again."

"Ooh, looks like someone else has got possessive boyfriend tendencies~"

"Jungkook isn't my boyfriend..."

"I'm not?"

"What?"

"This conversation is a mess. Let's start over." Jimin cleared his throat loudly as he closed his eyes, soon to open them again with a brilliant, accompanying smile. "So. Double date tomorrow?"

Despite Jimin intending this as a genuine question, it evidently amused Yoongi enough that the boy had to cover his mouth to hide the fact he was laughing. But Jimin saw, and indignantly he stomped his foot on the ground with an offended hey! to which Yoongi responded, don't do that, I'll laugh harder. Jungkook, unsure as to what Yoongi found so funny, chuckled softly to himself as he subtly took Taehyung's hand in his own.

United. Jimin stopped for a moment to look at each of the boys present with him.

At Tae, his own little guardian angel.

At Jungkook, the boy who had waited for the angel.

And at Yoongi, his world he was no longer apart from.

"Zero kilometers."

*

*

a/n:
well there you have it ;-; last chapter. i'm glad you guys all seemed to enjoy reading this as much as i did writing it, so alas i am sorry it has come to an end（ ｉ _ ｉ ）

love y'all ❤️