This is a long one. Over three thousand words. Enjoy!

Park Jimin sorted through the books and documents swearing under his breath. It had been so long since he took care of these archived books. Accumulated dust was everywhere causing him to cough. He was old now. Anything could easily dampen his health further so he abandoned his task and started to leave when he caught sight of a small thing sticking out from under a small cupboard.

He reached down and took it. It was a small photograph. A small painful smile lit up his face as he stared at the slowly fading picture of a younger him throwing his arms over the neck of a boy with a boxy smile. He was happy there showcasing his whole teeth.

Sighing, he placed the photo gently on top of the cupboard and proceeded towards the kitchen. Once he was there, he started to brew coffee for himself. Watching as the coffee started to take shape, he sighed repeatedly over and over until the coffee was done. Pouring the liquid into a thermal, he skipped some into the cup and walked towards the living room with the coffee cup in his hands.

Jimin had created a working space out of the living room where he had situated his computer and other equipments. He was a writer and now, he was working on his final book.

Relaxing himself on his chair, he took a sip of his coffee before opening his work in his computer and continuing from where he stopped.

The cold glance from the other stopped him in his tracks as his lips trembled.
Was any of it real?
Was any of it real?

He stopped writing and rubbed his eyes tiredly. This present work was his final book in the Gates of love series he had been writing for more than a decade. He was finally retiring and taking time off for himself but he had to hand in the finished manuscript in one weeks time and he was in a slump. He was having a major Writers block due to lack of inspiration.

He was about to get up when he heard the sound of his doorbell. He paused. It had been ages since he heard that sound. Besides, no one knew about this place. It was a getaway site for him. A place far from the other world where he could concentrate and let his mind fly.

It belonged to him and his best friend Kim Taehyung. They had created this place several years ago when they needed to just get away from everyone and everything. Those where the days when they had really been happy. but thinking of him now just made him hollow, empty because Taehyung was dead. He died of a heart attack two months ago in the early hours of the morning at his suburban home age seventy two more than forty years after they separated and a year after they met again. Hearing about his death devastated him because then, the pangs of regrets bit at him. Regrets about living all those years kept away from him and not telling him....

Curious, he got up from his seat and walked to the front door. Slowly, he opened the door and stuck his head out to look at the two figures standing there. One was a young woman probably in her middle or late twenties while the other was a man.

"Park Jimin?" The woman said with a widening gaze.

"Yes... who are you?" he drew out giving them suspicious looks.

The woman smiled before clearing her throat.

"My name is Kim Jae hee and this is my husband Lee Tae joon"

She stopped and gulped. "I'm Kim Taehyung's daughter"

Jimin held his breath and looked at the woman. His face broke into a sad smile when he noticed those eyes, those lips that resembled Taehyung. She even had a beautiful mole under her nose. She really was his daughter but Jimin was confused about her visit. Why was she here and how did she even know him? How did she even find him.

"Please can we come in?" the man Tae joon asked with a smile.

Jimin shook his head wearily until finally, he opened the door wide for them to enter.

"Thank you" Jae Hee muttered as she and her husband entered.

Jimin shut the door closely behind him and watched her examine the room.

"Appa was right...He said this place will look exactly as he described"

Jimin sighed impatiently. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to bring you something from my father" Jae hee said.

Jimin stopped for a moment, his heart beating fast as Jae hee and Tae joon made themselves comfortable on a couch. Taehyung? What could Taehyung possibly give to him.

Jimin sat down on the chair opposite them with a pensive look.

"What could it be?"

Jae hee opened her large bag and brought out a semi large box from it. Then she placed it on the center table.

"My father was a professional photographer. He took pictures all the time and he often showcased them under an alias called Vante...I'm sure you've heard of it"

Vante! Of course he had heard of it. He was the one who had suggested it to Taehyung when they where young and still living in his father's mansion.

Jimin was the gardener's son and came to live with Taehyung and his wealthy family when he was only ten years old few weeks after his mother died. Unable to look after him all alone, his father brought him to live as a companion to the son of his wealthy employers. Taehyung took to him immediately and they became close. Taehyung's parents treated Jimin very well like he was their son and sent him to the same school as Taehyung.

But as the years passed , Jimin knew he wasn't just like the other boys and Taehyung wasn't just a friend to him. He was something more. Something more special. He found himself paying close attention to everything Taehyung did and getting back at anyone who tried to hurt him. He wanted to protect him from everything bad because all he wanted was for Taehyung to be happy. He thought his feelings where born out of the fact that Taehyung was his friend not until the day that Taehyung rushed to him after school that morning looking happier than usual and telling Jimin that he had finally done it. He had finally kissed Sulli the girl he had had a crush on for months. Jimin's heart had shattered to a million pieces but it was nothing compared to the horror of him coming to the startling realization that he was in love with Taehyung, his child hood friend, the son of the people who took care of him and his father. He would ruin everything should his feelings get discovered so he put a distance between himself and Taehyung constantly denying his feelings.

Taehyung noticed the distance between them and tried everything to bridge the gap but Jimin was determined. He was determined not to loose control of himself.

When they both got admitted to college, Taehyung bought Jimin a laptop.

"For your beginning as a writer" he said with a smile and Jimin was happy with the gift. He didn't know what to get for Taehyung but he found out he loved taking pictures so he saved a lot of money and finally bought him a brand new expensive camera. Taehyung was elated the day Jimin gave it to him.

"Pose for me Jimin!" he said.

"I want you to be the first picture I take" He said and something about those words got to Jimin. Taehyung took his picture and the following day, he showed it to him.

"I'm thinking later in life, I could hold a photo exhibit. What do you think I should call myself?"

"Taehyung?"

"Nah... Taehyung is too common"

"Taehyung is a pretty name. It's shortened to Taeyang which means sun in English"

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Still... I need something more mysterious"

"How about V? Or wait Vante"

Taehyung seemed impressed. "Vante...that makes sense"

"It just came up. You like Dante from that comic devil may cry. I just thought replacing the D with V will be okay"

"You're a genius Jiminah...Thank you" Taehyung said hugging him. Then, he looked back at the picture he had taken of Jimin.

"You look pretty" he muttered absent mindedly and Jimin stared at him shocked by what he said. He stood rooted to the spot when Taehyung suddenly squeezed his hand and kissed him fully in the lips. He pulled away to see his shocked reaction and started to apologize but it was too late because Taehyung's mother had witnessed everything.

She was completely mortified about what she saw. She quickly told Taehyung's father about what she had seen. Years of friendship ended as Jimin and his father was thrown out of the house. Jimin's father wasn't happy about the situation and the guilt ate him up from inside out. His father managed to get another job for himself while Jimin continued with college trying to avoid running into Taehyung again.

But his nemesis caught up with him a year later when he was rushing to meet up with lecture. He bumped into him, his books flying out from his hands. He bent up to pick up his books when his eyes met Taehyung's. He was shocked to see him again and with the way his heart beat faster, it proved that the feelings he had been trying to run away from where still there. It had even grown worse.

There was indescribable joy in Taehyung's eyes as soon as he saw him. He suddenly embraced him tightly throwing him off balance.

"It's you....Jimin. I missed you so much" he cried onto his shoulders. When he pulled apart, he took his hand

"I searched everywhere for you. I know it was my fault and I'm sorry about everything that happened but please, don't leave again. I won't be able to bear it"

Jimin shifted away from him. "No Tae...please stay away from me. I know how you feel about me and... "

He gulped. "I can't accept that kind of love. I'm sorry"

He couldn't bear to look at him but Taehyung only smiled.

"I understand. But at least, we can still be friends again right? You are my best friend Jimin and no one can replace you"

The urge to still be in Taehyung's life made him accept. They where back again but deep inside, he couldn't show his affections for the latter because he was ashamed of how much he loved him. Their bond was unbreakable and everyone saw it.

To get away from everything, they built a little cabin in the woods where Jimin worked on his writings and Taehyung on his photography. Most of the pictures he took where of Jimin with his beautiful eye smile.

Jimin knew how Taehyung loved him but he couldn't accept it because he hated himself and he felt Taehyung was too good for him. He deserved better. They finished college together. Taehyung started working in his parents company and Jimin published his first book which didn't do so well... It barely sold two hundred copies and Jimin was embarrassed about his failure but Taehyung was there to comfort him.

"Just write your truth Jiminah" He had said to him.

"What truth Tae?"

Taehyung simply smiled at him leaving him confused. Not long after that, he recieved a surprise visit from Taehyung's parents to his home. He was shocked about it. Even his father was surprised when he heard the news but their visit was far from friendly.

"We are going to go straight to the point Jimin" Taehyung's mother said frowning hard.

"We want you to leave our son alone" Taehyung's father finished for him.

"We have known about the two of you for quite sometime now but your relationship has gotten out of hand" The father said.

"We selected a young beautiful girl from one of the many influential families in the country as a wife for our son but he refused to marry her"

The mother narrowed her eyes at him. "Because of you. He says he's in love with you"

She cringed as her husband continued.

"Taehyung has lost his mind but I had hoped you would be more rational and let go of him. Taehyung has a future and he cannot waste it because of you. He needs to live a normal life with a woman and have kids just like everyone else"

"But will that make him happy?" Jimin interjected and the parents looked at each other.

"No... But he will eventually realize that being with you is a mistake. Will you be able to be seen together in public? People will mock you. Do you think you'll be able to live happily ever after?"

"Do yourself a favor and spare each other the pain. Let Taehyung go"

That was the last conversation they had with him. After that day, Taehyung and Jimin met in the cabin. It was the day Jimin broke it off.

"What are you saying Jimin. You know how I feel about you. I can't marry anyone else" Taehyung cried, his voice etched with pain

Jimin looked straight at him. "Your parents want the best for you. You should listen to them"

"What about you? Is that what you want? Do you really want me to marry some woman that I don't love?"

Jimin kept quiet.

"Tell me you don't love me and I'll walk out that door and never come back into your life"

Jimin took a moment before bringing up those words he would live to regret for the rest of his life.

"I don't love you" he whispered.

Taehyung looked absolutely heartbroken as he stared at him for a full minute before grabbing his coat.

"Goodbye forever Park Jimin!" he said swallowing hard before he walked out of the cabin.

Two months later, the day Jimin heard of Taehyung's marriage was the day that the inspiration for his first bestseller Gates of love series was born. It told the story of two men who longed for each other but could never be together.

He was thirty two when he first wrote the book and now he was seventy two, an old man full of sorrow and regrets haunted with memories of a love he wished for but could never have.

Slowly, Jimin reached for the box and opened it with shaky hands. His breath hitched when he saw photos only of him.

"My Dad said those where his best works but he never got to show them to the world"

Tears began to fall down Jimin's cheeks as he looked at each and everyone of them

"Growing up, I had a feeling my father was in pain. After he and my mother divorced when i was fifteen, I would go to his house and see him hovering over that box. He never told me what it was until the day i sneaked into his office and opened the box myself. I was shocked to see it was pictures of you..."

"My father caught me but then told me about his special friend. The way he talked about you made it seem like there was something he was hiding from me so I found out everything i could about you. Then I found out you where a best selling author and I bought your book Gate of love. I read every single series and discovered, they were all pointing at the same thing...my father"

Jimin wiped his tears. "I don't know what you're talking about"

Jae hee smiled. "You loved my father and he loved you but somehow, you couldn't accept his love for you because you were ashamed of it"

Jimin gulped feeling tears welling up his eyes.

"You couldn't accept the fact that you fell in love with a man who turned out to be your best friend so for years, you've been living life like a hermit because even after all these years you could never get over him"

The tears fell freely down his eyes now as all the emotions flowed right through him.

"It was for the best..." he cried.

"Was it? Because my father's life was hell without you. He told me himself"

Jimin sobbed violently unable to control himself.

"He's such an idiot!"

"I guess the both of you were..." Tae joon added.

"And now he's dead and I could never tell him"

"But he knew..."

Jimin looked up at Jae hee with watery eyes.

"What?" he whispered.

"Look at the last picture" she simply said.

Jimin turned to the last picture and his heart swelled. It was a picture taken last year when they met at Jimin's book signing.

Jimin was told after the event that someone was waiting to see him. He was led to an empty corridor when he was taken aback at the sight of Kim Taehyung.

He was much older, white hairs and wrinkles lining his face but the effect he had on Jimin was still there. He stared at him. He couldn't believe he was seeing him again after forty years.

"Taehyung?"

"You got old" Taehyung said with a smile.

"You too" Jimin said softly unable to get over the shock of seeing him.

"What are you doing here?" he said again.

"It's been forty years Jimin. I wanted to see you again before i left"

"Where are you going?"

Taehyung sighed. "Somewhere..."

They talked and Taehyung told him how he got a divorce. He told him about his daughter who is an artist then told him how much he missed him.

"Can i take your photo...one last time?" he pleaded.

Jimin shied away. "Why would you want that? I'm not how I was before"

Taehyung smiled. "It doesn't matter. I just need one more photo of you as you are right now"

Jimin finally obliged and Taehyung took his picture. They parted ways again for the last time and now, that very picture was in Jimin's hands. His instincts told him to turn the back of the picture and he did that.

My dearest Jimin

I write you this note after months of serious thinking. Recently, I discovered that I have a heart failure and ultimately will have few months left to leave. The thought of leaving this world without seeing you again broke my heart so i made sure to see you again even if for the last time.

I know that after I'm gone, you will have regrets. You will punish yourself for not telling me for not being by my side but you shouldn't because I know. I know what your mouth couldn't bring yourself to say. I have known since the first day I took your picture. I saw it in your eyes.  Pictures convey a lot Jimin and I could always see your love for me shining through your eyes and even till this day, it's still there. Your eyes said it all

I love you Jimin. I always have and even till the day that i die, my heart belongs only to you. Even though, we could never be together in this life, I'm glad I was able to feel this love. A love only very few find. Bye forever my love till we meet in a place we will never have to part anymore

His entire body was trembling by the time he was finished.

"He knew...he knew" he cried.

"I want everyone to know about what you and my Dad had which is why I came here to ask for your permission to finally exhibit these pictures in honor of my father"

Jimin nodded. "Of course. You can use it but can i have it for a few days" he said

Jae hee nodded. "Of course you can, they are yours Jimin"

Jimin hugged the pictures to his chest as Jae hee and her husband left the cabin.

"I'm sorry it's too late but I love you too Taehyung" he whispered

Jimin then looked at his laptop. Finally, he had the perfect ending to the series. Even though the two characters couldn't be together, they finally admitted that their love transcends past time, years, age or death. It was a love that didn't need words. Only their eyes was enough.

The end!