The hall was lit with the gentle warm glow of fake candles and the setting sun through the windows. Himchan would be lying if he said the event wasn't incredibly sweet. All around him elderly people were dressed in their finest, chatting happily between each other as drinks were served. He, himself, had acquired a glass and was happily nursing while he chatted with Yongguk.

“I don't know why you're so amazed by it,” Yongguk was saying, bashfully refusing to look at him, “Doesn't everyone want to help children in need? It's not a huge stretch to do.”

“It is! A lot of people are more concerned with having and looking after their own children. I know I'm more interested in caring for a child that I can actually hold,” Himchan replied.

Yongguk raised an eyebrow.

“What? I consider myself a maternal person.”

Both of Yongguk's eyebrows raised.

“Paternal! I meant paternal. Don't look at me like that. People just dont consider sponsoring as something to do.”

Yongguk frowned, “The children I sponsor are just as much a part of my family as any child.”

“You see,” He gestured a hand at him as if displaying the older man for everyone, “That's special. That's a really admirable thing.”

“It's really not.” Youngguk was shifting nervously now, neck going slightly red under the attention.

Just as Himchan opened his mouth to say something else, the cool tones of his mother's voice cut him off.

“You two don't have to be subtle, you know. No one here is paying you any mind.”

“Mother,” Himchan lowered his voice, disapproval strong in his voice, “please don't say things like that.”

“You can hold hands if you like-”

“Mother-”

“No one would notice a quick ki-”

Himchan cleared his throat loudly and his mother gave him a reproachful look. He frowned at her and she raised her eyebrows in response. With a small jerk of his head in Yongguks direction and a very meaningful stare at her, she seemed to get the message. Glancing between them, she gave Yongguk a smile and Himchan a quick wink before gliding away to attend to the other volunteers.

“What was that?” Yongguk knitted his brows together and raised his drink to his mouth.

“Nothing. She's just nosey and I wanted to throw her off. She thinks I'm trying to talk you into coming back to my place later.”

The drink lodged itself in the older's throat, choking him for a series of painfully stifled coughs. A gentle slap on the back from the younger seemed to clear his airway. “W-what?” He spluttered.

Himchan laughed, differently than usual, almost more genuine as though he hadn't meant to let it escape. “Don't worry about it. I'll make up something about us having different ideas about a relationship and say we went our separate ways and she'll be off your back.”

“I'm not sure I'm comfortable with her thinking-”

“I will tell her we never had , if it makes your imaginary-self more realistic.”

Yongguk eyed him for a moment before looking away, “Fine. I just don't want people getting the wrong impression of me.”

“So you're okay with being my fake temporary date but not the chance that fake us may have fake slept together?”

His face was heating up now. “I'm not- I'm not that kind of person. It's got to mean something. It has to... Are you laughing at me?”

“No!” Himchan stifled a snigger. “I'm not laughing at you, I promise. I'm just... You're a really good guy and that's nice to see for once, but you get so easily flustered.”

He frowned, nose crinkling a little, and locked his gaze onto his drink.

“It's cute.”

His ears burned.

Himchan couldn't hold back a chuckle. He glanced around, wondering if anyone had noticed this exchange, and spotted his mother staring at them from across the hall. He turned his attention back to Yonggk and lowered his voice so only the older could hear. “My mother's watching us- No, don't look, she'll get suspicious. I'm going to pretend to kiss you.”

Yongguks eyes widened in alarm and he glanced up at him.

“Hey, don't freak out, I won't actually kiss you. It's just to keep her off our backs, okay?”

He didn't response, instead choosing to nod mutely.

“Pretend I'm telling you something interesting and funny.”

It was awkward, but he managed to get a small grin onto his face.

“Good, good, we're talking... We're talking... You should probably pretend to say something interesting back..”

His mind was blank. “Like what?”

“That will do. Just say words.”

“Words... Talking...” It was like speaking another language.

“It's not the most imaginative fake conversation but it'll have to do.”

“How long to we need to keep this up?”

“Until the time is right.”

“When is that?”

Himchan glanced around, almost too exaggeratedly as though making doubly sure absolutely no one was looking his way yet completely missing the steady gaze of his mother on the two of them. “Now.”

Himchan's fingers brushed against his jaw, turning his face slightly to an angle as he leaned in. Yongguk's breath caught in his throat and he barely caught the quickly whispered “close your eyes” before he quickly obeyed. With no sense of sight to gage what Himchan was doing, his heart hammered in his chest. Hot breath ghosted over his mouth and for a moment he almost expected to feel the warm touch of Himchans lips, but it never happened. Instead Himchan was pulling away with a breathed out “done” and he was opening his eyes.

He'd kissed people before. It was hardly his first experience being that close to someone, but somehow it not being a kiss had made it far more intimate. The closeness with no contact. The trust that Himchan had put in him... His brain was reeling.

“And I'm saying something and I can just see her out of the corner of my eye and,” he gave another glance around, as if checking that no one had been watching while once again avoiding looking at his mother, “we're all good. No need to worry.” He grinned.

Yongguk swallowed.

“Your face looks like a tomato.”

“I don't... I'm not really used to people doing...”

“Not a PDA guy?”

He looked away, focussing his eyes back on his drink, “Doesn't matter. Don't let your mother get any wrong ideas. This is as much as I'm doing for your fake date story.”

Himchan felt a slight pang in his chest,but made sure it didn't affect his expression. “That's fair enough. I won't do it again. I am really sorry about today. I'll make it up to you somehow.”

“You can owe me a few rounds of drinks.” Yongguk glanced up at him, giving him a small smile

He couldn't hold back his relieved grin. “You got it.”  

Sountrack: Owl City - Galaxies