Chapter Text
After Jimin, Yoongi, and Jungkook share a shower to help clean each other up, and after you share the ensuite with the others to freshen up yourselves, the eight of you collapse onto the now stripped mattress in the living room, in fresh pyjamas. The washing machine whirrs in the background, washing the sheets free of come and sweat, as the eight of you get comfortable. Jungkook brings his blanket and pillow and snuggles down next to you, with Namjoon on your other side, who holds Jimin, gently stroking his hair whilst the younger dozes. Hoseok sits up with his back against the sofa, with Yoongi’s head in his lap, carding his long fingers through his hyung’s hair, whilst he and Seokjin talk about the party, which seems a faraway memory for you after the events of the After Party. Taehyung lays down on top of Jungkook, who gives a soft oof as he does so, head nuzzled into his dongsang’s stomach.
Eventually, everyone begins yawning and Hoseok is the first to go, taking Yoongi with him as evidently his mattress has been claimed by a softly snoring Jungkook and Jimin. Seokjin pulls Taehyung away by the ankles until he eventually gets up and walks with the elder to bed, leaving you and Namjoon pressed between the two snoring dongsangs. You turn over and so does Namjoon, both of you lying on your sides and facing each other. In the dull lamplight, Namjoon’s face is partly covered in shadow, but you can still see him, looking deep into his tired eyes as he smothers a yawn on the back of his hand.
“You should go to bed,” you say to Namjoon.
“What about you?” he asks, the both of you whispering so you don't wake the others.
“I should stay here in case Jungkookie wakes up. I’m worried about him slipping,” you reply.
Namjoon nods. “That’s a good idea. He gets very subby when we’re together sometimes. I think he might end up going into sub-space one day.” He notices you looking at him with a quizzical eyebrow. “I’ve been reading up,” he says shyly and you give a fond giggle.
“What about you?” you ask, after a beat. “Wanna go to bed?”
Namjoon shrugs. “I’ll keep you company.”
“Are you not tired?”
“A bit,” he says, smothering another yawn. “Thank you for tonight,” he says gently after a beat, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.
“Which bit?” you ask, with a grin.
“All of it,” Namjoon replies, as you kiss the palm of his hand that caresses your cheek. “The party… the after party.”
You breathe out a chuckle.
“It can’t have been easy coming to the party,” Namjoon continues. “It’s not a world that people can get used to.”
Now it’s your turn to shrug. “I liked it. Mainly because we were all together. I feel like I can endure anything as long as we’re together,” you whisper.
Namjoon smiles contently and takes your hand in his, kissing your fingers and the back of your palm.
“I think so too,” he whispers.
The silence is punctuated by Jungkook’s faint snoring and Jimin’s gentle breaths. Jungkook rolls over and clasps himself to your back, snuggling down and nuzzling at the nape of your neck.
“I can’t thank you enough, noona,” Namjoon continues.
You shake your head a little.
“I mean it,” he insists gently. “I never thought that there would be another person out there who just gets what my life is like - someone who could see me for all of my faults and all of my mistakes and still love me even then. I never thought that was possible. Just by loving me, you showed me how I could be vulnerable. How I could be safe.”
You gulp the lump that is forming in your throat. “You did the same for me,” you tell him, your voice edging on the side of raspy.
“I think we did that for each other,” he says, eyes beginning to glisten along his lash line. “But you not only did that for me, but you did that for the others too. You did it for all seven of us.” Namjoon reaches out and rubs his hand over Jungkook’s forearm where it flops over your waist. “I don’t think he would ever have understood or told us what was going on for him,” Namjoon adds. “I’m so thankful Jungkookie wanted to lose his virginity so badly.”
You can’t help but let out a breathy chuckle, both of you and Namjoon sniffing and blinking back tears.
“Me too,” you agree, reaching out to cup Namjoon’s face.
He inches closer, pressing his body against yours, and kisses you deeply. You can feel him convey exactly what he is thinking by the slow tempo of his lips and the quickening beat of his heart underneath your fingertips. His body sings I love you, I love you, I love you. Steady, constant, and free.
“I might never have figured out I was bi,” he continues suppressing a sob. “What would we have done if we hadn’t met you?”
“Luckily you don’t have to find out,” you tell him, stroking his face, unable to stop the tears from falling.
“We’re so happy, noona,” he tells you sincerely “Thanks to you, we are so, so happy. I love you,” he says, his voice full of emotion, tears dropping onto the mattress beneath you.
“I love you .”
“No, look at me,” he says, holding your face in his hands and brushing his thumbs over your cheeks. “I love you. For real.”
“For real,” you laugh and accept another kiss. “Like for real, for real?”
“For real,” Namjoon giggles. “Like I am so fucking for real, right now.”
You both collapse into giggles, unable to hide the silliness of the moment, trying to smother your laughter so as to not wake Jungkook and Jimin, but you feel like the more you try and stop laughing, the more your body wracks with giggles. In the end, you have to stop looking at Namjoon to help calm yourself down.
“We should sleep,” you say. “We’re getting hysterical.”
“Yeah,” Namjoon sighs. “The sun will probably come up soon,” he says nodding towards the window.
You let Namjoon wrap his arms around you and pull you close into his strong, broad chest. You lay your head down on his shoulder and tuck your nose into the crook of his neck, inhaling the deep, musky pheromones that were unable to be washed away. His scent is so intoxicating you feel drunk on it, as the gentle tug of sleep pulls at your brain, and you slowly drift off into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The next morning is lazy, to say the least, the eight of you rousing late in the day, only awoken by the smells in the kitchen that Yoongi is cooking up. You gently shake Jimin and Jungkook awake, and find Namjoon already gone, the sound of the shower tickling faintly through the walls. Hoseok appears in his boxers, still half-asleep, face puffy and lined from his position on the pillow.
“Hyung,” Hoseok rasps, his voice thick and full of morning . When you get up, he wraps his arm around your waist and kisses your temple in greeting.
The room smells like sweat and body heat, and you push open the curtains and open the balcony doors to let some air in, shivering at the temperature. The sunlight greets you, higher in the sky thanks to the time, as you look out onto the skyline of Seoul. Behind you, you hear footsteps, and a familiar nose plant itself in the crook of your neck. Hands spread around your waist, happy and comfortable, holding you close.
You turn your head and kiss Jungkook’s temple.
“Good morning,” you tell him, nuzzling your nose into his hair. It has that sweet soapy scented smell that you can only describe as Jungkook . Clean, fresh but somehow warm, like laundry from the dryer.
“Morning,” he mumbles.
“Did you sleep okay?” you ask, turning in his embrace and running your fingers through his fluffy, bed hair.
“Mmm,” he agrees with a nod, eyes still half closed, lips permanently in a pout.
“How did you feel about last night?”
“Mmm,” Jungkook smiles, eyes opening a crack, a smile spreading across his face. “I’m a little sore this morning.”
You smother a grin. “I told you to go easy on yourself.”
“Didn’t want to,” he giggles. “Liked the pain.”
“What are you like?” you coo, giving him a sweet kiss on his nose.
“Wanna try topping next,” he adds, as you take his hand and lead him back inside.
“Of course you do,” you say dryly, closing the balcony doors. “There is no end to your exploration.”
“What’s this about topping?” Jimin asks, walking idly through to the kitchen area. The sound of the coffee maker rattles in the background where Hoseok is brewing a pot.
“Wanna try it,” he mumbles, coming up to Jimin, dwarfing the elder with his size. “Would you let me, hyung?” he asks playfully, wrapping his arms around the elder.
“Maybe,” Jimin teases, as he lets Jungkook push him up against the back of the sofa. He ruts his crotch against Jimin’s ass cheek, and the elder willfully bends himself over so that Jungkook can hump down on the pertness of his peachy ass.
“Will you two stop dry humping and come and eat breakfast?” Yoongi scolds, serving up the first plate of food.
As if summoned, Taehyung appears, hands in the pockets of his joggers and hair tousled. “Jin hyung is just in the ensuite shower,” he says, thumbing towards the corridor, as Namjoon appears from the communal bathroom with a towel around his waist.
“Namjoonie hyung could try bottoming,” Jungkook pipes up, finally letting Jimin go.
Namjoon’s cheeks blush deeply. “Sorry, what are we talking about?”
“You, bottoming, apparently,” Yoongi responds dryly.
“It’s not something I’ve really thought about,” Namjoon mumbles in response.
“No, but if you wanted to, you could try it,” Jungkook says excitedly. “You know we’d help you try whatever you wanted.”
Namjoon smiles, more relaxed. “Thanks, Jungkook-ah," he says kindly, clapping a hand on his dongsang’s shoulders as he passes. He heads into the corridor towards his bedroom, likely to get dressed.
You all sit around the dining room table, joined by Seokjin and Namjoon when they’re ready, and eat the delicious breakfast that Yoongi has made, complemented by Hoseok’s coffee. You chat mindlessly, talking about silly, trivial, arbitrary things, the things no one really thinks about, but the type of conversation that only people who are close can have. One by one, they head off to their rooms to get ready as you, Jimin, and Taehyung clear away the plates into the dishwasher. You search for your phone in between the cushions of the sofa, having ignored it for over twelve hours, and when you find it you open up the shared calendar that Hoseok created for you all. It syncs all your email accounts with your personal calendars attached, so you can see what everyone is doing, but more importantly where the gaps are.
Your day looks pretty clear, but you can see the boys have a schedule soon, Pre-Filming for NYE . You have a client video call in the afternoon and then you've set aside some admin time to tidy up the website with your latest testimonials. There’s a greyed-out square of the evening that shows a queued post that is waiting to be uploaded to MaParadise later this evening, and you feel excited at the potential responses from your subscribers at seeing your latest content.
In red, next week you can see Hoseok has blocked out an evening when all your schedules look free. He’s written hobi’s dom party!!!! with an obscene amount of kissing emojis. You smile looking down at it, as currently Hoseok is the only member who has listed himself as attending, but you know that he will bully Jimin into a response, and Yoongi will lovingly scoff but RSVP anyway and Namjoon will do it without a second thought and, and, and -
You look up and realise that Seokjin is talking to you, shaking the thoughts from your mind.
“- so I reckon we can get away early,” he finishes, not pausing for a breath as he gives you a quick kiss on the lips.
He moves past you and shoves his feet into his shoes, picking up his heels to push two fingers into the back of them and pull them over the back of his foot. “Don’t wait up, jagiya,” he goes on. “I always feel bad whenever you wait up. Not that you need any more beauty sleep. You’re beautiful enough already,” he goes on, rabbiting. He turns around. “YAH!” he cries. “The car is here, can you hurry up!?”
“I’m coming!” Yoongi bellows, shuffling towards you both with a rucksack over his shoulder. His peaked hat is low on his face. “Shout at Jimin, he’s not got a shirt on.”
“Jimin-ssi! This won’t do!” Seokjin laughs, walking back towards the bedroom.
The chaos continues as the others start to formulate in the living space - Jimin still buttoning his shirt being scolded by Seokjin.
Yoongi pushes his cap up off his face and pecks your lips. “I put more rice in the cooker and there’s stew in the crock pot for later,” he tells you.
Before you can reply, Namjoon barrels through them all knocking into Yoongi. “We wanted to give you this,” he says, shoving a small box into your hands. “But I guess we ran out of time.”
“Namjoonie hyung, we can give it to her later?” Taehyung interjects. “It doesn’t have to be now.”
“She’ll need it,” Namjoon insists, nodding his head towards the door.
“No, she doesn’t, she has…” Taehyung says, surreptitiously pointing to Jungkook.
“Guys, we have to go now, noona can open it after we’ve gone,” Hoseok says. “The car is waiting.”
“I’m sorry,” Namjoon says, smiling at you. “You know what I’m like,” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“I wanted to see noona’s face though,” Jungkook whines.
Taehyung pinches his cheeks between the vice-like grip of his fingers, in the only way an older brother can do to the youngest. “You’ll have to look at noona’s face when we get back,” he teases.
“Bye, sweetheart,” Hoseok says, clasping you by the nape and pulling you into a deep, full-lipped kiss.
Jimin swoops in and holds your hips in his hands, pressing a kiss to your cheek before stealing your mouth from Hoseok and planting a kiss on your lips, cradling your cheek in his hands. “We’ll see you when you get back,” he says before he is quickly replaced by Seokjin, who takes your face in both his hands and kisses you ardently.
“Like, I said, hoping to get away early,” he reminds you. “But don’t wait up.”
“Yeah, we’ll just crawl into bed wherever you are and snuggle you,” Jungkook adds, kissing your forehead, then your nose then your lips. “Just like always.”
A smile spreads across your face as Yoongi takes your free hand and kisses the back of it. “We love you,” he says, sneaking a kiss onto your lips.
“But I love you the most,” Taehyung jokes, slapping you on the ass from behind and kissing down the column of your neck. You giggle and turn in his embrace, smiling contently as he kisses the apple of your cheeks, followed by your lips.
“That is absolutely not true,” Yoongi counters as the rest of them walk towards the door.
They bicker, as usual, as they start to file out, kicking their shoes on as they go, until it’s just you and Namjoon left in the room. He looks down at the box that is still in your hands and then back at you.
“I’m sorry,” he says again, with a shy smile on his face. “I thought… nevermind…”
“It doesn’t matter,” you reply, walking towards him. “Whatever it is, thank you.”
Namjoon smiles again and leans forward, kissing you passionately, starting to slip his tongue in before Hoseok screeches “NAMJOON-AH!” from the door to the elevator. Namjoon snorts out a laugh as your lips break apart.
“Gotta go,” he says, turning on his heels towards the door, toeing on his shoes as he goes. “Don’t want to but gotta.”
“I know,” you nod, turning to watch him leave. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
“I know,” he grins, a hand on the door handle. “We’ll be back soon. And like hyung said, we love you.”
“I love you. All of you,” you reply.
Namjoon gives a slight nod. “We know.”
A moment passes between you, thick with poignancy and emotion. All of a sudden, you don’t want them to go, but just like Namjoon said, they’ll be right back.
“Bye, babe,” he says fondly, starting to close the door. You lift your hand and give him a wave, watching as he goes. The door closes with a click and you’re left to silence and the little box in your hands.
You walk over to the dining room table and sit down on one of the chairs. Slowly, you open the box and find a folded note on top of something inside. When you take it out, you see a key laying flat on the velvet plush, and on the keychain is an infinity symbol, or if you turn it upright, an 8. A lump begins to form in your throat as tears prickle behind your eyes. You slowly unfold the note and see Namjoon’s signature scrawl - the key to our home and hearts . Below, all seven of them have signed their names with kisses.
Namjoonie, Seokjinnie, Yoongi, Hoseokie, Jiminie, Taehyungie and Jungkookie.
You sit back in the chair and admire their gift, reading the note over and over again. The tears well and fall, sliding down your cheeks. You pick up the key and run your finger over the smooth metal, thumbing the ridges of it. Gratitude, love, and adoration fill your heart as you inhale deeply and exhale with a gentle sob. Being welcome and accepted is one thing, but being asked to stay is entirely different.
You walk over to where you left your clutch on the counter from last night and take out your bunch of keys. you find Jungkook’s key that he gave you and work it off the ring, placing it down on the counter and picking up the key that is now yours. You hook it on and move it around the ring so that it fits comfortably, before grabbing your phone from the table and taking a picture, sending it to the group chat.
You try and search for the words to perfectly articulate how you feel, but somehow all you can come up with is thank you .
How can you even begin to put it into words, the feeling you have when you see their faces, how your heart soars at the slightest of smiles, how you would move heaven and earth just to hear the faintest of giggles - what words can describe that kind of love? How can you tell them that you will do laundry and wash dishes every day for the rest of your life as long as it means you are together, that you will follow wherever they may lead because nothing else matters as long as you get to grow old together.
You feel as though your heart is being crushed, and yet at the same time, expanding, with the sheer ache of your love. It’s tangible, strong, and real.
And the key.
Thank you , is all you can say.
You put your phone down and brace the counter, taking a minute to breathe. You look round and see the mess of shoes that still litter by the door, and the jumpers strewn over the back of the sofa. Packets of noodles have been left out on the side for later and the rice cooker hums happily in the background. You know there’s a pile of laundry that needs putting in the dryer in the utility room but you don’t care.
The key sits on your keychains, glinting in the mid-morning light, and this is home .
Five Years Later
The cheers and screams can be heard from backstage at the arena, as the members sit around on the green room sofas waiting for their cue. Yoongi uses his shoulder brace up until the last moment, having meticulously taped his shoulder beforehand, sitting still, and letting it work its magic. Next to him, Hoseok looks over the script, paying attention to the details, eyes focused and trying to drown out the sound of Seokjin and Jungkook playfighting in the corner. Namjoon smiles at them fondly from the other side of the room where he warms up, pulling a resistance band across his back to work open his muscles. Taehyung copies him, but without any real commitment, as he waits for Jimin to finish brushing his teeth. You survey the room from your spot on the other sofa, quite used to the chaos of backstage after all this time.
Taehyung sidles up to you and makes a show of dramatically flopping onto the sofa, leg up, head propped up by his hand.
“Do you come here often?” he asks, with a quip of his eyebrow, putting his voice an octave lower.
You look at him and smile, reaching out to cup his cheek with your palm. “Far too often. I’m surprised I’m not banned,” you retort, as Taehyung ducks his hand to kiss your palm. You give him a scritch on the back of the head like a kitten. “Jungkook often tells me I’m a distraction,” you say, as the maknae wriggles away from his hyung long enough to peck your lips, before darting away from Seokjin again, giggling breathily as he jogs around the back of the sofa.
It doesn’t matter that the room is filled with staff. It’s been far too long now since you’ve been in Bangtan’s lives that the team around the boys is always filled with trusted colleagues, ones who have no problem signing the usual NDAs, and ones that know to mind their business.
“I can agree, you’re very distracting,” Yoongi adds, arching his neck to stretch his muscles, looking at you with his signature seductive stare.
Before you can reply, Hoseok puts the script down on the coffee table and stands up. As Jungkook passes him, bumping into him slightly, he puts a hand on the nape of Jungkook’s neck and says “Sit down,” in a quiet but firm manner.
Jungkook immediately does as he’s asked, and Seokjin knows from Hoseok’s tone not to rile him up any further.
“You’ll exhaust yourself,” Hoseok adds, sitting down too in his place on the sofa, as Jungkook slides next to you, sandwiching you between him and Taehyung. Namjoon, having put the resistance band away, occupies the space next to Hoseok as Seokjin sits on the arm of the chair next to Yoongi.
“You have to come, noona, you’re our good luck charm,” Seokjin insists, and Taehyung murmurs in agreement.
Then Jimin, who approaches wiping the back of his mouth, slides onto Taehyung’s lap, the younger of the two immediately snuggling him, arms around his waist.
“Who’s room are we going to tonight?” Jimin asks everyone.
“You’ll do a live after the show though right?” you ask, as Jungkook starts slapping your thigh firmly, filled with adrenaline already. “Armys will want to see you.”
“Yeah we’ll do a live,” Namjoon nods. “Members who are ready after the show can start and then once we’re done we can…” he trails off, looking shy.
“Yah,” Yoongi smiles. “Why do you get so shy, Joon-ah?” he giggles and Namjoon does too. “We’ve been together so long now - how can you get shy?”
“I’m not shy!” Namjoon pouts. “Just don’t know what to call it.”
Seokjin rolls his eyes with a fond smile.
“Together time?” Jimin offers and everyone breaks out into laughter. Hoseok falls into Namjoon’s lap, bracing a hand on his thigh thigh. “What, it’s a nice term?!” he cries, offended by his suggestion.
Before he can argue further, a member of staff wearing an AAA lanyard, the same as you’re wearing, pokes his head around the door.
“Alright, guys - stage side please!” he calls into the chaos of the room.
The seven of them immediately get up and start heading towards the door. Jungkook runs and jumps on Seokjin’s back as Taehyung starts slapping Jungkook’s ass cheeks playfully. Jimin turns to you and puts out his hand, helping you up from the sofa and kissing your cheek.
Everyone shuffles out, and Yoongi takes off his brace, handing it to a member of staff, and falls into step with you as you round out into the corridor.
“Does it ever get boring?” he asks. “Coming along with us for the ride.”
“You know I love the ride,” you smile, as he wraps his arm around your waist and puts his hand into your back pocket.
“Yeah I know,” he whispers as he leans forward, pressing a kiss behind your ear, then your lips.
Namjoon’s hand slips into yours as you walk and you turn to him, giving a content smile. He looks nervous, inhaling and exhaling purposefully. “You’re gonna do great,” you tell him, squeezing his hand.
Namjoon’s face breaks into a grin and he nods.
As you all walk down the long corridor, Jimin comes to bicker with Yoongi about the choreography, but Namjoon still holds onto your hand tightly as you walk. Hoseok strides forward with purpose whilst Jungkook rabbits between Taehyung and Seokjin, seeking some kind of sensory tension to burn off his adrenaline.
“I’m glad he slipped last night, you know,” Namjoon says quietly to you as you walk. “He seems so much more settled today. So much more well rested.”
“I think so too,” you agree, eyeing Jungkook who turns around and bounces over to you. He peppers kisses on your face and attaches himself to your back, sniffing your neck and squeezing a tight circle of arms around your waist.
“What do you guys wanna order tonight?” you ask the group as you approach the stairs.
All seven of them turn and look at you and with an unrehearse chorus say, “Fried chicken.”
You laugh, you should have known.
“And ramen, noona, can we get some ramen too?” Taehyung asks, before making his signature facial expressions that make it hard for you to say no.
Everyone walks up the stairs and approaches the side of the stage, saying hello to the dancers as they arrive. You stand off to one side to give them space but they naturally gravitate towards you, just like always.
“Okay, so fried chicken and ramen. Who wants beer?” you ask. “Whisky for you,” you say to Yoongi as he opens his mouth. He closes it again like a fish and them smiles, wide and gummy.
“I’ll take a beer,” says Namjoon as Jungkook says “Me!” enthusiastically.
“Just order whatever, sweetheart, you know what we like,” Hoseok interjects, fussing over the collar of your shirt.
He leans forward and pecks you on the lips. “Louis Vuitton dropped their latest line. They’ve got some bits that would look great on you. They’re sending a selection to the company.”
“Thanks, Hoseokie,” you smile. “But you know it’s not necessary.”
“You deserve everything,” Hoseok tells you seriously. “You deserve it all.”
You turn to Namjoon and rise up on your tiptoes to give him a kiss. “Don’t be nervous,” you tell him. “Armys are waiting for you. They love you no matter what.”
Namjoon kisses you again as Jungkook plasters himself to your side unable to wait. He kisses your neck and cheek and then steals your lips. Kissing over and over again before running off to the stage.
“See you later noona!” he calls over his shoulder. “I love you!”
You grin watching him go.
Taehyung claps his hand against your ass cheek and pecks your lips. “Love you, baby girl,” he tells you, before running to catch up with Jungkook. Hoseok follows and Namjoon drifts over, fiddling nervously with his mic pack.
Jimin cups your cheeks with his hands and kisses you ardently on the lips, then the forehead. “We’ll see you later,” he says gently.
“Have a good show,” you tell him, as he goes and joins the others.
Seokjin places his hand on the base of your back whilst Yoongi leans in and kisses you sweetly.
“We never did decide on whose room we were going to tonight,” you say, as your lips part.
Yoongi shrugs, no telltale sign of pain in his shoulder, you notice. “We’ll figure it out,” he says airily. “Just like we always do.”
You smile and nod. “Yeah.”
“Bye, honey.”
Seokjin turns to you and kisses your forehead, your cheeks, your nose, your lips. “Now don’t get hysterical,” he says, acting the part. “I know it’s a lot when I’m on stage. Armys can’t contain themselves.”
“Of course. How will I survive?” you reply, playing along and cocking an eyebrow.
Seokjin lets out a squeaky laugh, dipping his head to kiss you again.
“Come on, hyung!” Yoongi scolds.
You both turn to look at them beckoning Seokjin over. “Duty calls,” he salutes, and turns on his heels, running over to where the rest of them circle around.
Namjoon says a few words that you can’t hear thanks to the screams from the arena, but it doesn’t matter, those words aren’t for you anyway.
“Bangtan, Bangtan, Bang-Bang-Tan!” they cry, fingers in the middle. Yoongi looks away.
They each line up behind the screen in their positions, making sure their in-ears are secure. Jungkook turns and looks at you, giving you an excited wave which you return in enthusiasm. Yoongi cocks his head and winks, whilst Seokjin blows you a kiss. You make a show of grabbing it and putting it on your heart.
Taehyung goes to make an obscene gesture with his fingers but is stopped by Namjoon just as the screen lifts. Hoseok and Jimin smother their giggles as the roar of the crowd erupts, deafening and exhilarating all at once. You watch all seven of them standing tall, proud, commanding their space. They all exchange a look with each other, faces coming determined as the music starts. You want to bottle this feeling, the pride, the respect, and the love, so you never have to lose it.
Thankfully, you won’t.
The boys step forward and it begins.