Whipped with a Cherry on Top
â summary: Kim Taehyung has been your friend for more than four years, having a very, very special place in your heart. Granted, heâs an annoying asscrack sometimes, but who isnât? You love him to death â that is, if he doesnât end up killing you first with his pesky tactics.
â pairing/rating: taehyung x reader | PG-13
â genre: it was supposed to be pure fluff but then my finger mightâve slipped idk now itâs crack too | f2l!au & college!au
â warnings:Â just a shit ton of swearing as usual (:
â wordcount:Â 6.5kÂ
â a/n: i literally power wrote this shit bc the empty masterlist bothered the crap outta me sdjflsdj i hope youâll enjoy! <3
âŤ: Promise by Jimin | Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay | Euphoria by BTS
[ROYAL ASSCRACK]:Â oHmYgOd bitcb
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: bitxh
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: birch
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: bitch
 [YOU]: bitcb
 [YOU]: bitxh
 [YOU]: birch
 [YOU]: bitch (:
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: fuck off botch
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: GODDAMIT
 [YOU]: yOU FAILURE
 [YOU]: whatâs up tho itâs like 3 am go to sleep
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: canât. forgot the reading assignment⌠143 pages of that shitty econ txtbook letâs get ittt
 [YOU]: dude. we have the gov final tomorrow
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: ikik⌠Y/N, baby can you send me the notes?
 [YOU]: istfg itâs not my fault you never come to class sO WHY ARE YOU TORTURING ME FOR YOUR WRONG DEEDS
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: ohmygod Y/N itâs not the time to be dramatic. my GRADES are at stake here
 [YOU]: bitcb
 [YOU]: bitxh
 [YOU]: birch
 [YOU]: bitch** fine. i am the bestest friend ever but fine. iâll even send you my econ notes so you donât have to read the txtbk. am i not the bestest friend ever
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: THANK YOU I OWE YOU BIG TIME I LOVE YOU
 [YOU]: uh huh mhm
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: ):
 [YOU]: fine.
 [YOU]: i love you too.  nOW GO DO YOUR SHIT I NEED SUM SLEEP
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: WELL THEN SWEET DREAMS BOTCH
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: fuck
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: you know what. iâm not even gonna try
 You giggle slightly, immediately sending that irresponsible dimwit of a best friend, Kim Taehyung, your econ and gov notes. Sometimes, you think that boy couldâve possibly died in college if it werenât for you. But then again, youâd probably be dead in your grave if it werenât for him. Heâs saved you one too many times from disaster dates that couldâve left you traumatized for life.
 Kim Taehyung has been your friend for more than four years, having a very, very special place in your heart. Granted, heâs an annoying asscrack sometimes, but who isnât? You love him to death â that is, if he doesnât end up killing you first with his pesky tactics.
Heâs killing you alright. He really is.
 âOh, câmon! Itâs just one party,â Taehyung whines as he hands you your regular â a whipped chocolate ice cream cone. Today was Whipped Wednesday, a day where you come to visit your bestie at work and even get an ice cream cone for free because quoting Taehyung, âWeâre only in trouble if someone finds out.â (Actually, you have no idea how the manager hasnât found out about this yet, counting the fact that itâs been going on for years.) Whipped Wednesday has been a thing for both you and Taehyung for as long as you can remember â that is since he started working at the ice cream parlor at the beginning of freshmen year.
 âAw, Y/N! I owe you one, remember? From all that note-sharing? Iâm just returning the favor and taking you out for fun!â Taehyung says.
 You roll your eyes, taking a lick at the ice-cold dessert. âAre you crazy? Itâs finals week, Tae.â
 Taehyung laughs, rushing over to the ice cream machine to make some perfectly whipped ice cream for a line of giggling customers. Something tells you the giggling girls are here to feast their eyes on your best friend, not his impeccably made ice cream cones. Your best friend comes back to you, slightly out of breath from being worked for the past hour.
 âThatâs exactly my point, Y/N,â he huffs. âOne party to fling away all that unwanted stress!â He rushes over to tend to some girl batting her fake-ass lashes at him.
 âBut my point is, really? During finals?â you call after him. You take a large bite out of your chocolate ice cream, deep in thought.
 âWhy not?â Taehyung calls over his shoulder. âItâs not like you can save your shitty grades with one exam!â
 You scoff loudly, putting a hand to your chest. âExcuse you, I have all Aâs!â you shout, redeeming yourself to the people who mightâve heard you have âshitty grades.â âOnly two are borderline,â you mutter.
 âAll the more reason for you to come and party!â Taehyung sings as he whips up two vanilla ice cream cones, handing them to young siblings, smiling at them warmly. He looks up at you, giving you the same, cordial smile.
 God. If it werenât for that amazing smile of his, youâd refuse every one of his foolish ideas. But because of his irresistible smile, youâre stuck doing stupid shit with him. I guess that makes us best friends, doing dumb crap together. I blame it all on the smile.
 âYou know what? Fine. Fine!â you say angrily, biting aggressively at your ice cream cone. âBut I am not getting wasted!â You lean over the counter, glaring playfully at your friend.
 âYes!â Taehyung cries, rushing over to squeeze you in a happy hug over the counter. âBut itâs your loss if youâre not getting dumb drunk,â he chuckles, winking at you.
 You huff. âOne of us has to get the other home â you and I both know itâs always me!â
 âYou know it!â Taehyung laughs. You canât help but laugh along with him.
Itâs times like this when you wonder what wouldâve happened if youâd said âyes.â
 Taehyung is getting ready for the party, ignoring your yapping of, âwear it and leave it!â He faces his glowing mirror, his handsome, chiseled face slightly illuminated by the soft, yellow light. Itâs the way how the gleam of white in his eyes shine. How his lips are perfectly pursed on his face from concentration. How his delicate nose sits on a perfect angleâŚ
 Itâs how he laughs at your dumb jokes, how he takes care of you in the simplest but heartwarming ways, how he loves how outspoken you are, how he hates to be away from youâŚ
 You like to wonder what it would be like to date him. You like to wonder what wouldâve happened if you had accepted his offer to be his girlfriend. Sometimes â no, often times (especially these days) â you wonder if he still likes you.
 When Taehyung had asked you out back in high school, you had barely known him. You were the loud girl, captain of the speech and debate team. While Taehyung⌠he had been some kid hiding behind others in the marching band.
 Too nice to reject him, when he asked you to your junior prom, youâd made some excuse about how you werenât going â even though you had bought your dress and everything. You actually ended up not going, in fear of seeing Taehyung at the school party. But that had been the very starting point of your relationship with him.
 You had to give it to Kim Taehyung. He was quite the persistent guy. By the end of the year, heâd joined the speech and debate club, pushing his way to the top finalists of the school â right next to you. It was hard not to befriend him if you had to see him countless hours after school to practice for competitions.
 Easily, Taehyung found his way into your life. And much easier, he became the largest part of your life. By the time you graduated high school, you and Taehyung were inseparable: the best friends of the century. Taehyung was not the shy, nameless kid in band anymore, he was outgoing, spunky and risk-taking â even more so than you.
 Both of you never, ever reflect back on that possible romance that couldâve bloomed between the two of you. Itâs just too awkward, you suppose. Besides, youâd missed your chance. No matter how much you liked Taehyung now, you couldnât really say anything without bulldozing over your solid friendship. Youâd rather have Taehyung as a friend than lose him forever when he rejects you.
 âAre you actually gonna wear that to the party?â Taehyung laughs, making you jump out of your thoughts.
 âYes,â you say boldly, gesturing towards the ugliest pair of sweatpants you have, then tugging on the collar of your fluffy turtleneck sweater. âItâs called my male species repellent outfit.â
 âYouâre fucking impossible,â Taehyung chuckles, shaking his head. âIâm almost embarrassed to be seen out with you.â
 âBut you love me,â you croon, rolling yourself across Taehyungâs bed as you plop yourself on his carpeted floor. âCan we finally go now? If I have to wait a minute more, Iâm not gonna fucking go.â
 Taehyung rolls his eyes. âHold up, you idiot. Unlike some people, I want to look decent for a nice party.â
 âDonât look too decent or the girls are gonna steal you away from me,â you pout. Taehyung turns around, flashing you a smile that makes the blood rush to your face.
 âIâd never let them steal me away from you, baby,â he coos.
 Your heart threatens to bust out of your chest, but you calm it down with a deep breath. Itâs too bad you know the pet names Taehyung often calls you are all part of an ongoing joke.
 âWhatever, asscrack, letâs go.â
The party has the most atrocious music youâd ever heard in your life. Every single song boasts the same beat, making it seem like the same goddamn tune was on a broken record, repeating over and over and over again. Your head hurts like hell. Youâre starting to actually think studying for finals wouldâve been better than this.
 At least the parties you usually attend have good songs. This one is the epitome of trash.
 âTaehyung!â you yell at your friend whoâs choking down another shot of vodka. âYou idiot!â
 Your friend turns to you, a lazy smile spreading across his lips. âHey, baby,â he mumbles, gesturing you over. You roll your eyes but obey, walking straight to his side.
 âSteady on the shots, Tae. Unless you want to wake up dead in the morning,â you sigh. âWhoâs gonna shoo away the fuckboys for me, then?â
 Taehyung chuckles lowly, looking at you from under his long, eyelashes. âI shall rise up as a guardian knight to protect mâlady,â he declares dutifully in a weird, ancient accent.
 âOh no, no role-playing,â you seethe through your teeth. âLast time was bad enough! Kim Taehyung, you hear me?â you yell at your friend, taking his cheeks in your hands as you shake his head in an attempt to cure him of his drunkenness. It does shit though.
 âMâlady! I must beseech you not to⌠caress me as such. You make me test my heart, dear lady,â Taehyung wails drunkenly.
 âShut up,â you snap. âLetâs get you out of this dump.â
 âPlease, dear Y/N, will you promise me to be by my side âtil the autumn leaves turn their pleasant shade of amethystine? Will you swear to never leave me even if the sun collides with our heavenly planet?â Taehyung says dramatically, clutching onto your sweater in the process.
 You roll your eyes. âYeah, Iâm staying, Taehyung.â
 âThank you, mâlady. You are too kind to me,â Taehyung mumbles, attaching himself onto you as you struggle to maneuver both you and your best friend safely out of the bustling party house.
 Once outside, youâre finally able to take a deep breath, the cold night air filling your lungs. It wouldâve been peaceful if it werenât for the nasty music that you can still hear and your best friend tugging at your hand as he kneels down on one knee in front of you.
 âYes?â you ask, annoyed as you look down at your friend. Heâs so pathetically drunk that you have to fight off the huge urge to video record the whole thing.
 âMâlady, I must confess to you what my heart has been telling me since the start of time itself,â Taehyung says sincerely, his eyes never leaving yours.
 You scoff. âTaehyung, get up from the grass. These people might water it with their own piss, judging by their music choices.â
 Your best friend pretends not to hear you. Either that or heâs so drunk he canât hear anything but the voices inside his head. Youâre joking. Kinda.
 âY/N! Oh, Y/N!â he howls. Youâre so glad the shitty music is so loud no one else can really hear this wailing except for you. âDear, Y/N!â Taehyung vocalizes. âIâve admired you from afar for too long. I have ventured upon treacherous lands to earn your love. But all I get is the reward of acquaintances! I must ask for more my dear!â
 You laugh, even letting a snort loose. âOh, Taehyung.â Itâs particularly enjoyable to watch someone you like to be so drunk â especially since heâs literally trying to drunk-confess to you in some medieval language.
 âI love you, oh dear Y/N!â Taehyung declares, softly squeezing your hand as he stares at you through his hooded eyes.
 You giggle, patting his soft head of hair. âYou shouldâve taken acting classes instead of following my ass into speech and debate,â you mutter, smiling fondly at your friend.
 âPlease, Y/N,â Taehyung pleads, âwill you marry me?â He pulls out a slightly crushed onion ring from his pocket and holds it out for you to admire.
 You nearly choke on air as Taehyung presents you your edible wedding ring. âTaeâŚâ you breathe, a bright smile making its way onto your lips. Honestly, whenâs the next time my crush will propose to me? Oh, fuck it. Iâll play along. âWhy, yes, my handsome knight. I will marry you!â you giggle, sliding the slightly greasy onion ring onto your ring finger.
 âOh dear! My love, my sunshine! Youâve accepted!â Taehyung wails, taking your hand and peppering it with at least a thousand little kisses.
 âSurely I will accept the marriage proposal of such a wonderful knight like you,â you laugh, tugging your friend back up to his feet. âShall we get you home?â
 Taehyung doesnât answer you, his eyes looking somewhere that were definitely not your eyes.
 âTaehyung! Letâs go,â you repeat yourself, starting to drag your friend to his car. But he stays rooted on the ground. You sigh. âWeâve role-played enough for one night, donât you think?â
 âOh, but I agree. Itâs about time we stop,â Taehyung says softly. You follow his gaze to see he was staring intently at your lips. Subconsciously, you lick them, your eyes flickering down to gaze at his lips as well. He tugs you close to him â so much so that you can feel his hot breath on your skin.
 Itâs enough to give you goosebumps. God, you donât know if you should stop him or just let him continue⌠But it seems as if Taehyung doesnât want you to overthink (as you usually do), quickly leaning forward and pressing his warm lips on yours.
 You gasp into the kiss, finding your balance by gripping on the front of your friendâs shirt. All thoughts fly out the window as you melt into Taehyungâs embrace, breathing in the slightly alcoholic scent and chasing his lips with yours.
 Taehyung is in no hurry as he lingeringly moves his mouth across yours, hands moving up to cup your cheeks in a loving manner. He breathes his hot breath against you, leaving you feeling a bit faint as you slowly wrap your arms around his neck to secure the both of you.
 In your opinion, it ends too soon. Both of you pull away at the same time, gazing in each otherâs eyes. Youâre still catching your breath. You want to take a minute, close your eyes and forever engrave this moment in your head.
 But Taehyung speaks. âMâlady, that was a wondrous kiss, was it not?â he speaks slowly, your noses touching in the middle.
 Thatâs when your perfect world shatters. Itâs no time for victories. Your crush confessed to you, proposed to you and kissed you drunk. It wasnât real. You feel a goddamn migraine creeping in and you grasp your head. You swear to god, you usually always have something to say. Goddamn Taehyung. Heâs the only one that can get your tongue so twisted.
 Immediately, you jerk your head away from your friend, looking down at the grass. âLetâs go,â you say, tugging at his wrist.
 âLady, why in a hurry? Let us dwindle just a bit more,â Taehyung giggles. But youâre persistent, tugging him all the way to his car. You sit at the driverâs seat because god forbid youâre gonna let Taehyung drive dumb-drunk.
 âY/N?â Taehyung whimpers in the shotgun seat, watching you drive with your eyes looking straight ahead. âAre you mad at me?â
 You sigh, your head throbbing from your headache. âNo. No, Iâm not.â I should be mad at myself for falling for all that.
 âOh okay,â he responds in a small whisper. âIâm sorry.â
 Why is he sorry? Your stomach does a few somersaults.
 âAre we voyaging to slay the dragons?â Taehyung whispers, biting at his nails nervously. âI have forgotten my armor and my swordâŚâ
 You donât feel like replying back with something snarky. âNo, weâre taking you home, Tae.â
 âOh, lord. Thank thee.â
Taehyungâs probably not as thankful for you as you haul him into his bed, grunting from his weight. Itâs really not that your best friend is heavy, itâs more like your body isnât built to haul heavy mass.
 âY/N?â Taehyung asks as he scrambles up from his bed.
 âGo to bed, Tae,â you say, shaking your head, cheeks continuously flushed.
 âCan you stay?â your best friend whines, staring at you with his large, puppy dog eyes. âI donât wanna be lonely.â
 You want to so, so bad. But you donât want to wake up in the morning, laying on the same bed as Taehyung and regret even more things in your life. âNo, I canât stay,â you say, smiling meekly. âFinals stuff. Iâm sorry Tae, Iâve got to go.â
 You donât give him time to answer as you practically bolt out of his room, cold hand massaging your burning forehead. If this was anything like Taehyungâs other drunk encounters, he should forget everything in the morning. You just wish you were drunk so you could forget too.
You wake up the next day, drowning out the distracting memories from the night before as you groggily force yourself to sit down on your desk to get some last minute cramming done before your finals. Itâs almost noon by the time youâre done, and you get ready for your very last exam, grabbing a pair of sweats and a crinkled hoodie for your outfit of the day. Taking a granola bar in your mouth as you tie your greasy hair up into a messy bun, you leave your dorm in a rush.
 The final goes well, as expected. You were in a good mood, actually, having finished all the exams. You couldâve lasted the whole day without feeling any sort of dread until the memories flood back to you.
 Oh fuck, I kissed my best friend.
 Youâd plum forgotten from all that econ cramming. Shaking your head and taking pity on yourself, you sigh, checking your phone the first time that day. 31 messages from yours truly, Kim Taehyung.
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: gud mornin
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: rise nâ shine
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: you up
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: thx for getting me home last night lmfao
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: did i do stupid shit
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: jk dumb question
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: ofc i did (:
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: ok i found a goddamn onion ring in my bed
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: did you put it there
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: istg you love those greasy little shits
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: they remind me of your hair during finals week haha
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: jk please donât kill me i love you
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: you nerd why arenât you answering
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: i bet youâre studying for that econ final
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: bitch iâm winging that shit
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: make sure to eat something more than a granola bar
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: ik itâs not whipped wed but come see me at my shift at the ice cream parlor after the final!!!!
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: !!!!
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]:!!!!!!!!!!!!
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: lmfao youâre gonna kill me for spamming you and i value my life so iâll stop here
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: but srsly meet me at the ice cream parlor
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: you need to tell me all the stupid shit i did yesterday ahahfsdjsfljf
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: also iâll whip up your fav when you get there
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: COMPLIMENTARY because i love you
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: youâre not gonna see this until after the goddamn final but
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: GOOD LUCK BITCH
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: if anyone deserves 120% (haha the curve) itâs YOU
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: KICK ASS BBY
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: ps
 [ROYAL ASSCRACK]: istfg if you recorded my drunk ass iâm going to SHANK you
 Youâre glad he doesnât remember shit. Youâre also glad that you didnât record him last night. An angry Taehyung is not something one can survive so easily. Youâre joking. Kinda.
 Your heart flutters slightly at his texts, how he worries for you. You really donât know how you can see his face again without possibly fainting from blushing so hard. Itâs as if the kiss fueled your feelings for him and now they were more uncontrollable than ever.
 Youâre not sure if you should tell Taehyung exactly what he did last night or just tell a little white lie for the sake of your friendship. But then again, you kinda suck at lying. Youâre just stressed that you have no idea how heâll react if he finds out about your feelings for him. Will he distance himself from you? Will your friendship stay but never be the same? What if⌠he still likes you?
 Shaking your head, you laugh to yourself. Fat chance. Weâve friendzoned each other ever since high school.
 You head over to the ice cream parlor, feet thudding heavily on the sidewalk. As soon you open the door to the shop, Taehyung greets you with a loud, âY/N!â which turns a few customersâ heads.
 âHey!â you smile, waving back at him. You slightly duck your head so you wonât have to see his handsome face in fear youâll get all flustered over again. âWhatâs up?â
 Taehyung hands you your favorite whipped chocolate ice cream and this time with a cherry placed neatly on top. âJust work,â he laughs. âLike the little addition to your usual? I wanted to try something new for you!â
 You smile, looking at the impeccably whipped ice cream, admiring every little swirl and the shiny, red cherry sitting on the very top of it. âMhm, of course. Thanks, Tae.â
 Your friend gives you a bright smile, sending your heart into overdrive. God, I donât know how much longer I can keep this up without blowing my head.
 âSo⌠What kind of crazy shit did I do this time?â he grins, rushing over to tend to a few customers waiting for him.
 âThe usual,â you say, as nonchalantly as possible. âRole-playing.â You take the round cherry, popping it into your mouth.
 Taehyung bursts out laughing as he whips up more ice cream cones like the professional that he is. âWhat did I role-play this time?â
 âA fucking knight. You were using this weird accent and your vocabulary expanded by a tenfold,â you chuckle, licking at your ice cream. âApparently I was the princess you were so in love with.â
 âOh?â Taehyung asks as he settles over the counter, leaning against it just like you. âEnlighten me with more,â he says, a full grin pasted on his face.
 Your cheeks heat up at the memories. âUm⌠Something about fighting a dragon without your armor⌠A love confession in some Shakespearean language⌠I think, at one point, a marriage proposal?â you say as casually as you can.
 âWoah, woah, woah, there!â Taehyung snorts. âMe? Propose to you?â
 âYeah, with a goddamn onion ring,â you chuckle slightly, biting your ice cream cone. âI donât know how it got in your bed butâŚâ
 Taehyung raises his eyebrows. âOh shit,â he mutters. âDid weâŚ?â
 âNo, you ass!â you blurt. âYou asked me to stay with you but IâŚâ you trail off. âCan we not talk about this? How was your final?â you say, aggressively biting at your ice cream.
 âBombed it,â Taehyung answers shortly. âYouâre trying to change the topic, Y/N. Why? Did I do something that bad?â
 No, it was fine. Great, actually. But you canât tell him that. âNo⌠Yes⌠Maybe? It depends on how you think about it,â you sigh. âI dunno. Forget it,â you say. You can literally feel the blush creeping in and settling on your cheeks. If it were any other person, you wouldâve easily told them theyâd kissed you drunk, but with Taehyung⌠it was so much harder. Youâre struggling to form coherent sentences. Itâs so not like you, the queen of speech and debate.
 âOh, câmon! Whatâs there to hide?â Taehyung pushes you, leaning even closer towards you. âI already confessed my undying love to you drunk, soâŚâ It hurts because you know heâs joking.
 You sigh loudly, resting your chin on the counter. If Taehyung didnât feel the same as you, nothing would matter, right? Ah, fuck it.
 âYou kissed me.â
 âWait, what?â Taehyung asks, completely caught off guard from your sudden spilled truth.
 âYou kissed me, Tae.â
 âIâŚâ Taehyungâs eyes widen as he searches your face for any other reaction. He laughs nervously. âWell, this is awkward.â
 âYeahâŚâ you mumble.
 âI was drunk, Y/N,â Taehyung says slowly, looking away from you. He chuckles without happiness. âYou mustâve been caught off guard⌠Iâm sorry. I swear it was nothing.â
 It was nothing, huh? Fuck. That didnât hurt at all. No, no. It killed you over.
 You want to spill it out right then and there. Yet it seems so that you can argue about sensitive topics such as abortion, gay marriage and politics but you canât seem to confess your feelings. Yeah, but a lost debate isnât as serious as a lost friend, you reason.
 âOh, okay,â you manage to answer. Already, you feel the awkwardness.
 âYeahâŚâ
 âMmâŚâ
 âUm, my shift will be over in a few. Iâll drive you home,â Taehyung says blandly. It feels so weird to not hear him tease you, or have a playful tone in his voice for that matter. He usually nitpicks at everything, but seeing him just tell you that in the dullest way possible⌠You donât know what to think.
 Itâs then when youâre finally able to feel your chocolate ice cream melting, the sticky, brown liquid making a mess of your hand. You donât have much of a reaction to it as you get some napkins to clean yourself.
 Itâs dying, melting away in an ugly shit color â just like your friendship.
 You and Taehyung both take your seats in his car; you havenât spoken a word to him since fifteen minutes ago â which feels so weird because usually, you two are talking up a storm. Thereâs always something to say. Except now.
 Taehyung must be embarrassed, you think. His reaction tells you exactly that he hadnât meant it. It kills you. Your heart feels shattered. Somewhere deep inside you, youâd hoped heâd said something on the lines of, âOh, Y/N, I meant that kiss with all my heart.â
 Who am I kidding? You know that stuff only happens in movies.
 Taehyung starts the engine of his car and you jump slightly. Your friend takes no notice as he keeps his eyes straight ahead. The car ride is so silent, you can literally hear the gears of your brain working as all sorts of bad thoughts fly through your head.
 Does this mean⌠an eternal goodbye to Whipped Wednesdays? What if we wonât meet ever again? What if⌠he wonât be a part of my life anymore? Does he hate me for letting him do it?
 Youâre still shaking in anxiety as Taehyung parks in front of your dorm building. âSee you, Y/N,â he says shortly, waving slightly at you.
 All you can do is nod in acknowledgment, quickly exiting the vehicle.
 And just like that, Taehyung exited out of your life for a good week. You agonized in your dorm, moping around and eating a shit ton of ice cream that wasnât perfectly whipped by Kim Taehyung. Your phone was collecting dust somewhere in the dorm and all you ended up doing for almost a whole week was binge-watch your favorite rom-com show on your laptop â probably accumulating as much weight as the text messages your friends were probably sending you.
 It was nothing. It was nothing. It was nothing.
 His words echo in your head the whole time. Just as youâre finally able to crack a small smile from a corny joke on a show: it was nothing, it was nothing, it was nothing.
 Maybe he hadnât meant it? you had reasoned. No. He had been so disappointed in himself after finding out. Youâd seen the look on his face. The horror, the humiliation.
 You donât want to think about it, but itâs all you can think about. It takes you almost a full week to finally cease your moping. You take a nice, long shower in hot water, treat yourself to a healthy salad and squeeze some yoga in, in an attempt to lose some of that weight you gained from binge-eating so much ice cream.
 On Wednesday morning, you finally pick up your phone, wiping off the dust with your hand. 561 unread messages. 12 missed calls. Shit. Your friends probably thought youâd finally snapped from stress and buried yourself in a ditch.
 All of the calls and half of the messages are from Taehyung. You take the liberty to scroll through them quickly. To summarize, most of the texts comprise of, âare you mad,â âyou dead,â âyou gud?â Then the most recent text, just five minutes before: âdonât forget about Whipped Wednesdays!â
 Shit. Right. Itâs Wednesday.
 You donât know if you want to go. Youâve never missed a day of Whipped Wednesdays since the day Taehyung started working at the ice cream parlor. But youâve already come this far mourning a heartbreak. You donât know if itâll be healthy for you to see Kim Taehyung so soon.
 Regardless, you find yourself wordlessly getting ready, curling your hair and wearing a presentable outfit for once. At exactly noon, someone knocks at your door. You know itâs Taehyung, arrived to pick you up.
 You open the door, your stomach doing insane acrobatic tricks, making you feel all queasy. There, Taehyung stands. Handsome as usual.
 âOh good, youâre good,â Taehyung says, rushing in to hug you. Youâre taken back by surprise but soon, you find yourself wrapping your arms around your best friend as well. You had missed him. âI thought you were dead, the way you werenât checking your goddamn phone. You idiot. I worried. I was so close to breaking in. But then I realized you were probably going through one of your moody phases.â He chuckles in your ear.
 The hair on the back of your neck stands up straight as you nod. âYeah⌠moody phases,â you repeat. âIâm fine,â you say, pulling away and giving your friend a small smile. âLetâs go.â
Again, most of the car ride is silent, as if staying away from each other for a week made you strangers, foreign to the otherâs presence. You really canât take the silence though. God, you want to say something so bad, but what would you say?
 Haha, sorry Tae, but the reason why I was moping around like a baby for a goddamn week is that I might like you?? And you kinda rejected me??
 You mentally slap yourself. Youâre never this tongue-tied. You hate not being able to say whatâs on your mind. You want to speak. You need to â
 âTae?â
 Your own voice surprises you as you can see Taehyung jump slightly in his seat, his hands still fixed tightly on the steering wheel. Immediately, you regret ever speaking. Too late now.
 âHm?â
 You literally want to shank yourself for being an idiot. Youâre stuck. What are you supposed to say? Maybe apologize? Yeah, apologize for being the bitch that you are, ditching your friend for a week, Y/N.
 An âIâm sorryâ spills from your lips at the same time as Taehyung. Both of you chuckle. It was pretty common for both of you to say something in a unison. Soulmates, as to how you two had reasoned it as. Already, the awkward atmosphere isnât as suffocating as before.
 âYou should be sorry,â Taehyung teases, a grin escaping his lips. âYou had me worried sick!â
 You huff. âIf anything, you should be sorry. Just⌠just kissing me like that out of the fucking blue! How am I supposed to goddamn act?â
 âOkay, first of all, I was drunk. Second of all, it was nothing, I told you!â Taehyung laughs.
 âOh my god, donât call it nothing!â you blurt out. As embarrassed as you are for saying that, you feel better just voicing whatâs on your mind than being silent.
 âWhat would you call it then?â Taehyung asks.
 You roll your eyes. âWhat am I supposed to say? It was the best kiss Iâve ever had?â
 âBest kiss?â Taehyung laughs. âI mean, of course, I was involved,â he says sassily.
 âOh god, no,â you stifle a giggle.
 âWell then, tell me, Y/N. Do you feel the same as me?â Taehyung asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
 You make an ugly face. âWhat kind of vague question is that? Iâm no mind reader! How am I supposed to know how you feel, huh? If I knew, donât you think I wouldâve cried from rejection or happiness, already?â
 âWait a minute ââ
 âIâm not waiting anymore, you asscrack,â you huff. âWhether you like me back or not is out of my fucking hands. But you have no idea how much I regret not saying âyesâ to you four fucking years ago.â
 âLike you back? Regret not saying âyes?â You like me?â Taehyung asks as a grin forms on his face.
 It feels like youâre on the debate podium, expressing yourself with your words â except, itâs way more nerve-wracking than any competition youâve been to.
 âYes, asscrack. I like you,â you admit. It feels so good to let it out, your chest immediately feeling so much lighter. In fact, you think you lost the fifty pounds youâd gained over the past week. âYou have no idea how hurt I was when you called the kiss, ânothing.â Yeah, Iâm a sensitive bitch and I admit I was being an absolute asshole for avoiding you, but you canât just kiss me and expect me to act as nothing happened!â you pause for a deep breath, nearly choking on air doing so. âAgh! But the worst part is, Kim Taehyung, I know youâre not an asscrack or an idiot. Youâre not even a complete shithead! Youâre amazing, a bit annoying when it comes to schoolwork, yes, but also a caring friend, kind, loyalâŚâ You trail off, fumbling over your words. You donât know what to say. Again.
 You bury your face in your hands. âIâm not crying, I just lost my train of thought,â you sniff. âYou just make meâŚÂ lose my fucking words. I donât even feel like a goddamn debate champion near you. You make me blabber around like a fucking second grader! I canât form coherent sentences for shit! I donât even fucking know what Iâm saying right now! Fuck, you make me cuss so much, goddamit!â You finish, letting out a huge breath you hadnât known you had been holding in.
 You hear Taehyungâs low chuckle and you jerk your head up, glaring through your teary eyes. God, I hadnât meant to get emotional. Or to be fair, I hadnât known I was going to confess now, either.
 âWow, Y/N,â Taehyung laughs. âAre you really blaming your foul mouth on me?â
 âAre you fucking kidding me, Kim fucking Taehyung?â you rage. âI just confessed my whole heart out and thatâs the first thing you say?â
 âYup. And Iâd pay good money to see you confess to me again. 10 out of 10 youâre the better confessor between the two of us,â Taehyung chuckles, giving you a final look before parking his car in the back lot of the ice cream parlor.
 Your eyebrow twitches in annoyance. Aggressively, you wipe away the tears welled up in your eyes, glaring at your friend, your crush.
 âOh, Y/N,â Taehyung says between laughter, placing a hand on your arm. âIâm sorry! I really am,â he giggles. âI swear Iâm not laughing at you. I just canât believe after all these years â Idiot! I like you too!â he blurts out.
 What.
 What.
 What.
 What the FUCK?
 âYOU ASSCRACK!â you scream, shaking your arm away from Taehyungâs grip. âYOU MADE ME CONFESS LIKE A FUCKING IDIOT!â
 âWell, duh. Iâm getting you back for rejecting me in high school,â Taehyung laughs. âBesides, Iâve known you for years. I know how much you tend to blush around people you having feelings for.â
 You scoff as you swing open the car door, hurriedly stepping out. âSo are you rejecting me right now?â
 Taehyung smiles at you, stepping out of the car. âI would be crazy to reject someone like you.â
 âYou would still be crazy even if you didnât reject me,â you tease, smiling as you nudge Taehyung to the side.
 âYes, definitely. Iâd be crazy for you,â Taehyung giggles, nudging you right back. He intertwines his warm hand into yours as if to prove it.
 You flout. âAsscrack.â But of course, you donât mean it. You never do.
 Oh god. His hand fits so perfectly interlocked with yours and you stare down at it, so happy your chest feels like itâll burst.
 âYou know you love me,â Taehyung answers, swinging open the door of the ice cream parlor and letting you inside first.
 âI do know,â you reply shortly as Taehyung gives you one final grin before parting from your hold and walking over behind the counter. He dons his apron and washes his hands, then grins at you. âThe usual, Y/N?â
 âHmmm⌠the usual,â you confirm, âbut with a cherry on top.â
 âGot it! One whipped chocolate ice cream with a cherry on top! Free from all costs because youâre all mine,â Taehyung announces, his sparkling eyes locked onto yours.
 Youâre at a loss of words once more. You swear something in your chest explodes at that moment â itâs a burst of emotions, actually: warm, fuzzy and cordial. Youâve got to admit, sometimes Kim Taehyung is a beautiful angel. Other times, heâs a straight up asscrack. Too bad youâre whipped for him â just as heâs whipped for you.
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