Strawberries and Cigarettes

"I can't believe we're doing this."

"We're not doing anything wrong. Just enjoy it."

"Taehyung, this is dangerous," the other whispers. "What if we get hurt?"

The other laughs in response. "So what if we get hurt? Breaking bones is part of life."

Jungkook sighs and turns back to the sky, getting lost in the endless stars stretching across his vision.

"Besides, what are they going to say?" Taehyung sits up slightly and clears his throat.

"Jungkook," he says in a deep voice, eliciting giggles from the other. "You shouldn't have gone up on the roof." He closes his eyes and lifts a finger in seriousness. "Who knows what could have happened? A bird could have pooped on you."

Jungkook can't stop the laughs bursting forth this time. He pushes his friend back down, the two curling into each other with giggles. They lie still for a moment, carefree as they stare past the night sky and think of each other. There aren't many months left together, and as hard as they try to push it to the back of their minds, the wind feels colder tonight because of this.

"Hey," Taehyung whispers. "Want to try something?"

"Like what?" Jungkook scrunches his nose as he asks. Taehyung smiles at the action; he would miss that the most.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out its contents. Jungkook sits up in surprise.

"You smoke?" He says in confusion. Taehyung shakes his head "no" quickly, sitting up to face Jungkook.

"No, of course not. I took it from my uncle." He hesitantly places one in the other's hand. "I kinda just wanted to try once. If you don't want to, I won't either. But I thought I should try with a best friend instead of some stranger."

"First of all, never try new things without me," Jungkook says sternly, gripping the cigarette tightly. Taehyung can't help but giggle and nod at the words.

"Second of all," he looks up at his friend's puppy eyes. He sighs; they always work. "Light my cigarette."

With a big smile, Taehyung pulls out a lighter. Noticing something, Jungkook grabs it before Taehyung can light it. Squinting, he examines the design.

"Strawberries?"

Taehyung snatches it back quickly. "I like strawberries..." he mumbles. Jungkook laughs at his adorable friend. He'll always be the cute, curious boy in his mind.

They sit cross-legged on the roof of Taehyung's house, knees touching. They each place a cigarette in their mouth and lean forward, bringing them closer. Taehyung lights them together, and all Jungkook sees is honey skin glowing against the dark backdrop. Messy curls fall into the brown eyes he's looked into for eighteen years. The lighter turns off and they lock eyes, both inhaling in sync.

Immediately, they double over, coughing their lungs out. Squishing the cigarettes against the roof tiles, they look at each other, bursting into laughter at their stupidity.

"I can't believe we thought that was a good idea," Jungkook says between coughs, thumping his chest.

"I'm never doing that again," Taehyung flops onto his back, his own coughs dying down with his laughter. He looks up at the brightest star he can see, and the star looks back. His hair has gotten longer but is still shaped to make his face look even rounder than it is. Even with the end of his teens arriving, his cheeks bulge with baby fat. Taehyung tugs on his arm, bringing the doe eyes closer to lie down with him. Jungkook brings his arm around under the other's head.

"Tae," he whispers. Inches apart, they study each other's faces, doing their best to memorize every freckle, curve, and perfection. "Happy birthday."

Taehyung smiles back. "Thank you," he replies, barely audible. His eyes flicker down to his lips and see the other doing the same. Heart drumming steadily, he leans in and carefully brushes his lips against the other's. Jungkook pulls in and seals the kiss. They both reach over to cup each other's cheeks, slowly taking each other in. After a moment, Jungkook pulls back and licks his lips.

"Is that the strawberry cake?"

Giggling, Taehyung nods. "Want more?" he asks cheekily. Unable to resist, Jungkook crashes against his new lover once again. Maybe it wasn't the best idea for the birthday boy to dip on his own party, but Taehyung would trade a million parties, a million presents, and a million strawberry cakes if it meant even just a million milliseconds more with his best friend.