Proposal ; beomgyu (completed)

xxi.

2014.
13 years.

"He's like a machine, I swear to god!", Yeonjun was excitedly telling them about the new transfer kid, who was younger than Junoh and Beomgyu but attended Yeonjun's grade. "Not even I could've done it".

"Brother...we all know for a fact you couldn't have done it", she earned herself a low smack on her arm. "Mom!"

"Don't insult your brother, Junoh-yah", the woman stated before turning to look at Beomgyu and Soobin, who we're looking at the interaction silently. "Even when we know he's not the brightest, he has a bright heart, okay?"

Junoh erupted in laughter, Yeonjun'a face becoming a crimson that's hard to hide, and looking sheepishly at his hands.

"We've all known I am the smart kid", she said and took a sip of her coffee with milk –which was more milk than anything else.

"Then this family is doomed", Yeonjun retorted. Soobin chortled silently, and Junoh shot him a glare she hoped would freeze him to death.

"He's joking, baby", the mother stated with a heartwarming smile. "You are amazing, and he is too", she got up from the table, wiping her hands on her apron and put her hands on her waist. "You guys are staying over? Today is friday, so it's okay if you want to".

"Okay", Beomgyu was the first to say so. He had gotten used to spend some nights over at their house either ways. "Hyung?"

"Yeah, sure. If it's not a problem for you?", he looked at Yeonjun and Juno's mom.

"Oh, cute little guy", she pinched his cheek, making the boy blush ashamed. "You are always welcome to stay at this house, young man. After all, you're the boyfriend".

"Mom!", Yeonjun buried his head in his arms, moaning loud as Junoh giggled along with their mom. "Mom, stop it".

"They've been together like one month, mom".

"I feel it in my bones, you're gonna last long... maybe forever", the woman's eyes held something similar to lasting. A little shiny glitter to them, as if thinking about eternal love made her heart happy.

"Mom, his head is gonna burst", Junoh commented and the woman, eyes surrounded by age marks and smile rays around them, chuckled and left the kitchen.

"You're all welcome to stay!"

"Your mom is amazing", Beomgyu muttered under his breath. Sometimes it still hurt to know his mom wasn't the amazing woman Juno's mom was.

"Yeah...", the girl's eyes twinkled with love. "So, movie and Jenga?"

They all settled on the living room, waiting for the moment Beomgyu and Junoh would go get the pizza. They had already called and made the order, and they would go pick it up since it was a couple of blocks away.

"We'll go now, you lovebirds", Junoh wiggled her eyebrows, an instant blush making it's way through both Soobin and Yeonjun's cheeks. "See you soon!"

Dragging Beomgyu out of the house, she giggled and started walking towards the pizza place, knowing the boy was following suit.

"Do you remember that day when we kissed?", the question came out of the blue. Junoh choked on saliva, turning to look at him with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I remember", she replied.

She kept on walking, her silence meaning she wanted Beomgyu to say what he'd been thinking about.

"But friends don't kiss like we did", he mumbled.

They arrived at the pizza place, Junoh going to the counter to pick up the boxes. Her heart was wildly thumping against her chest, her hands incredibly sweaty and her cheeks starting to burn.

If she'd thought about that kiss? Of course she had. It was everything she thought of lately.

Her mind would race towards that day, lips tingling slightly at the memory of his lips on her, their eyes tightly shut and their hands shaking.

He had caressed her cheek afterwards, and it was like she'd read in her books, the romance could be felt and she felt like he would tell her something important. Like those eyes, big and filled with emotions, would tell her the words she'd been thinking of saying herself.

After reading several romance stories, she was certain she loved him. It was not a thought, but a statement. It had engraved itself inside her heart, twirling and tugging at her heartstrings whenever she looked at him.

But then, she would think she was too young to feel love. All of her romance stories happened when the protagonists were either young adults or late teens. And she'd only had her period for the first time last year. She didn't consider herself a grown up, yet she was sure she felt grown-up feelings.

Because love is nothing you joke about. It's something you feel, deep within you, something that draws you and your loved one closer, like gravity, like some kind of unspoken spell that makes you gravitate towards them, like they are your lifeline, your anchor to earth.

The boxes were lifted from her hands by Beomgyu, and he smiled at her when their eyes met.

"I'll do this".

She nodded, silently.

"Why did you say that? Friends don't kiss?"

"Because friends don't kiss", he mumbled back.

"But we kissed".

"That's what I was saying", he looked at her and she smiled with her lips sealed.

"Then let's not kiss again", she replied and nodded at him, very sure in her heart that he was meaning that he wanted them to only be friends.

But she didn't catch the way his eyes stopped glimmering, or the way his lips twitched in surprise, lifting a little bit before a huge smile made its way through them. The way he fought against a pout and put on a fake happy façade.

The way he pretended that this was exactly what he meant.

"Yeah, because we're friends", he said sternly.

"And friends don't kiss", she replied.

Her heart ached, but she took it either ways. Because she loved him so much that she'd never jeopardize having him next to her, even if it meant being so close to grasping his heart but just far away enough not to be able to wrap her fingers around it.

She could take it. She would take it. Until he loved her back.