“I-I don’t know what I’m even ing talking about anymore,” Doyoung shook his head, “Forget about it. We should – “

“Doyoung,” Jaehyun cuts him off, “Thank you.”

Doyoung just responds with a small smile.

“You know, you’re going to have to start fighting the urge to apologize if you really want to give this a chance,” Doyoung says.

Jaehyun sighs, “It’s so hard not to.”

“Then try harder,” Doyoung scoffs as he stands up straight and pulls Jaehyun up from his chair, “Apologizing won’t help us now, right?”

“I guess…”

He could see Jaehyun’s hesitation and rolls his eyes. He pats his shoulder reassuringly as they start walking ahead, “Jaehyun, I believe you. Surprisingly.”

Jaehyun chuckles softly and nods, spreading his arms over Doyoung’s waist, pulling him closer. Doyoung squirms under his touch, but a fight too weak to actually get him off of him. Not that he wanted to, he loved the sensation. Jaehyun noticed the lack of retort and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Are you okay?”

“M-Me?” Doyoung stutters as he glances over at Jaehyun, immediately looking away when he sees how intimate they’re being in public.

“That soda didn’t make you sick, right?”

“Huh? W-What, no!” Doyoung blushed as he finally pushed Jaehyun away from him, “What the hell…”

Jaehyun deviously smirked and took Doyoung’s hand again, tugging the other to another direction.

“This way,” The younger insisted.

“But this way is quicker,”

“Just follow me.”

Doyoung scoffed, and tugged towards the other direction. But there was no way of fighting against a guy of pure muscle on his arms. He dragged Doyoung down a new path, a way that collectively got more familiar the further they walked down the pavement. Something in the pit of his stomach quenched up and his feet were dragging across the floor as he walked further down the way. Then they began approaching a recognizable empty lot, a few feet away from the alleyway.

“I haven’t walked down here in ages,” Jaehyun laughs, “How about you?”

“… Me neither,” Doyoung shyly admits. Something hurt him when he said that. It hurt Jaehyun, too.

Jaehyun suddenly stopped walking. Doyoung bumped into his back and cursed at him, before Jaehyun began taking off his backpack.

“What are you doing?” Doyoung eyed the other oddly as the younger of the duo placed his backpack in front of his chest instead, and began lowering his back.

“Come on,” Jaehyun patted his back as he stepped back closer to Doyoung, “Get on my back.”

“Get on your – what?!” Doyoung helplessly blushed looking at Jaehyun insist on it.

“We’re not twelve!” Doyoung nags the other.

“You look like it,” Jaehyun teases.

Doyoung glares deadly at the other, “Don’t try me.”

He chuckles and whines, “I’m just kidding, Doyoungie~”

The nickname sent red hues to his cheeks again, and he took a deep gulp. His stomach was doing somersaults and it was annoying the hell out of him. Why did Jaehyun do this to him? It was just a nickname. Just an ensemble of noise. If it was just that, he shouldn’t be blushing. He shouldn’t be helplessly falling deeper for this .

“D-Don’t call me that,” Doyoung muttered.

“Hm? Why not? Why don’t you call me Woojae too?”

“Stop!” Doyoung smacked the other’s back, “That’s so embarrassing…”

Jaehyun laughed at the other, “How is it embarrassing? Embarrassing because you’re… Blushing?”

His teasing earned him another smack on the back and Doyoung began walking ahead. But Jaehyun sprinted over to Doyoung and swirled him around to face him again. He pouted again, “Come on, Doyoung… Ie. I never got the chance to give you a piggy back ride like I’ve always wanted to.”

“Can you even?” Doyoung snorted, “We’re like the same height.”

“I don’t know… I think I’m taller.”

Doyoung straightened his back and tried to tell the little centimeter difference between them, but the difference couldn’t be seen.

“Taller my , I’ve always been taller,” Doyoung argues.

“But you weigh like a flower. You’re just bones!”

Doyoung self-consciously feels his biceps and compares them to Jaehyun’s. He glares at the other and tries to give him another swat out of frustration of how true he was, but Jaehyun dodged it with a snicker. Then he started lowering himself down.

“Just to the end of the street,” Jaehyun says, “I promise.”

“… You won’t drop this, huh?”

“Never,” Jaehyun smiled cheekily.

Doyoung sighed. He glanced down the street, seeing it was vacant of any other source of life. Even the streets were absent of vehicles. He placed his hand on Jaehyun’s shoulder, already feeling the difference of masculinity of his shoulders compared to his own.

“Don’t lift me up if you think you can’t.”

“I will,” Jaehyun reassures him cockily.

“Don’t be a boy either and try to grab my .”

Jaehyun rolled his eyes, “Damn, you’ve caught me. Just get on before I become hunch back.”

Doyoung sighed and carefully wrapped his arm around his shoulders and neck. Jaehyun effortlessly lifted him up with his arms supporting him by holding up his thighs. He stood up straight the best he could and started walking. Doyoung let out a cry of concern.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re gonna get a ing hernia…”

“You’ll take care of me if I do then, right?”

“ off,” Doyoung snapped at the other, “You’re so ing stubborn, you know that? You’re a basketball player. Shouldn’t you be more careful with your body and health? You’re lifting up a grown man.”

“A ‘grown man’?” Jaehyun laughed, “Basketballs weigh more than you. You’re really not heavy, Doyoung. Isn’t this kinda cute?”

“Kinda cute?” Doyoung rolled his eyes, “I’m about to choke you with what you said.”

Jaehyun hummed with a teasing tone, “It’s okay, I’m into it.”

“… I hate you, Woojae.”

Jaehyun chuckled, “You called me by my nickname, hater.”

Doyoung didn’t realize the name slipped out his tongue. He cursed himself mentally, burying his face into Jaehyun’s back. Being this close, he could feel every muscle and tone on his body. He felt his body get hot, trying to stop himself. He forced himself to think of the older ladies from earlier.

“W-Why are we going down here?” Doyoung muttered when he noticed Jaehyun took a turn and started walking down the familiar alleyway.

“I wanted to see how it looked after the years. Do you think our spot will still be there?”

“… Doubt it.”

“Me too.”

Doyoung rested his chin on his shoulder as he looked around with Jaehyun for any hint of their spot. The dirty tires.

“Oh? Is that it?” Doyoung points off to the distance.

“I think so,” Jaehyun starts walking over there.

Two tires are in front of them. They weren’t the same. The two couldn’t help but admit their disappointment. Something about their tires being missing – their whereabouts unknown, possibly finally in use, or thrown away – hurt their hearts. It was a reminder of how real things were.

“They’re not the same…” Jaehyun says, “But it’s the same feel, isn’t it? After school, us alone, two tires with a trashcan besides us.”

“You’re right,” Doyoung nods his head, “Still, though…”

Jaehyun lowered Doyoung off his back and squatted down to the tires. He dusted off one of them, then when it was as clean as it could be, sat right on it. His behind sunk into the hole and hit the dirt pavement, Doyoung laughing at the other. Doyoung sits on the other tire as well, adjusting himself the best he could. But they’ve both grown and their behinds as well. Doyoung got stuck as well and they sat there laughing for a while.

“You got a bit Doyoungie,” Jaehyun teases the other as he falls down onto his lap.

“Shut the up,” Doyoung feels his cheeks flare up, “This tire is just smaller than the other. Don’t get ideas.”

“Ideas?” Jaehyun wiggles his eyebrows disgustingly.

“God, I hate you…” Doyoung sighs.

Jaehyun laughs and fixes his head on Doyoung’s lap. He shuts his eyes as Doyoung unconsciously combs through his hair soothingly, letting the setting sun warm their skin. Then he peaks them open and sees Doyoung is looking up at the sky. And he just watches. He stares at the other, his eyes tracing his adam’s apple up to the point of his brows. He feels his own face blush like his and looks for his hand to hold.

“You’ve been annoyingly bold today,” Doyoung nags the other as he lets his hand be intertwined with Jaehyun’s.

“You’ve been weirdly calm about it today,” Jaehyun retorts.

“… I’m just too lazy to pick a fight,” The elder tries to defend himself.

Jaehyun snorts with a small roll of his eyes. He goes back to staring at the other, sighing heavenly with a love struck sickening grin.

“Thank you for being with me, Doyoung.”

“Hm?” Doyoung comes back from his thoughts and looks down at the other, “Thank – oh… You’re welcome, Jaehyun…”

“I really like being with you,” Jaehyun smiles, “You’re the only person I can be completely comfortable with. The only person I feel hasn’t given up on me and the only words that actually matters to me. Some things don’t need to change, right? Is it okay I feel this way?”

“Of course it’s okay,” Doyoung mutters, “I feel the same way… But you know, as… Friends, you don’t need to always thank me and all that.”

“I never want you to feel unappreciated, that’s why.” Jaehyun says with a short pause, “Because you know I want to be your boyfriend, right?”

“N-Now I do,” Doyoung lies.

“We’re friends now…” Jaehyun takes Doyoung’s hand and holds it close to his chest, “But I want to be more than that. I still love you.”

Doyoung can’t bring words to say back. He simply nods his head, his hands getting clammy in the grasp of Jaehyun’s. He takes a deep gulp because his throat is suddenly dry, and he can’t look down at Jaehyun, on his lap, looking at him dreamingly and surreal. He couldn’t let himself go so easily.

“This time around,” Jaehyun holds his hand above his lips, his lips grinding against his skin, as if an attempt of seduction, “I will protect you. I promise.”

“J-Jaehyun…” Doyoung can’t help but whimper out. He wants to retract his hand back but it’s almost as if he lets his hand stay and pressure Jaehyun’s lips to kiss his hand – let his lips move up his arm and kiss his lips. But the farthest his lips go are the top of his palm, his sharp gaze glancing up to see his reaction.

Doyoung retracts his hand away as soon as his lips gently press against his hand and he uncomfortably shifts. He bites his lips out of nervous ticks, avoiding Jaehyun’s eyes.

“I’m seriously holding back,” Jaehyun laughs, a tone of bitterness subtly hidden in it.

“Holding back? From what?” Doyoung asks, almost tauntingly to the other.

“From…” Jaehyun suddenly jumps up and grabs the back of Doyoung’s neck, his lips pecking the corner of his lips and he leans away.

“This.”

Doyoung’s hand hover over where his lips pressed, wide eyed as he stares back at Jaehyun.

“Next time, I promise I won’t miss,” Jaehyun winks at the other as he jumps up from his lap and stands up again, dusting his pants.

Doyoung stays frozen, his eyes still wide eyed. He shakes his head to snap out of it and jolts up, kicking the back of Jaehyun’s leg and walking off ahead of him. He shouts at the other without bothering to wait for the younger jogging over to catch up to him, “You stupid ing manwhore! A-At least ing ask before!”

“You seemed to really like it,” Jaehyun teases the other.

“It was ing gross,” Doyoung barks back.

“Should I just kiss you now, then?” Jaehyun puckers up his lips in front of him and points at his lips. He leans closer to Doyoung’s face with little hiccups escaping his throat.

Doyoung smacks his face gently and starts walking across the crosswalk, his feet practically sprint walking back home.

Jaehyun blows him a hundred kisses the whole walk to his home. And for a second, he even considered kissing Jaehyun in the middle of their walk if the other would stop mocking him. He thinks he would never.

“I’m this close to stabbing you with my keys,” Doyoung threats the other when they stand at his front door.

Just before they could open the door however, the door swings open and Jaehyun is almost knocked over with the small body rushing out of the door. The two stumble back but Doyoung catches Jaehyun before he could embarrass himself and fall down the small flight of stairs up to his porch. The other body, gripped onto Doyoung’s hair to stop herself from eating the floor, straightening herself out when she felt safe.

Doyoung swatted her hand off his head and checked to see if Jaehyun was okay. Jaehyun took the chance to see who the woman was, seeing a young woman with a soft face staring right back at him. She looked like a student still, in her 20s, definitely not a mother. He bowed slightly, suddenly shy when the realization hit that he was at the home from years ago – wondering how’s it changed along with Doyoung, and the random woman in front of him.

“Hyesung, what the ?” Doyoung mumbles at the girl as he squeezes his way between her and the door.

The girl scoffed, then looked over at Jaehyun with a shy smile, “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“I’m – “

“He’s fine, thank you,” Doyoung responds for Jaehyun.

Hyesung glances at both, a smirk creeping onto her lips. She stays silent however, simply humming in response and saying, “Well, I’m running late. Tell Gongmyung I love him.”

“Gross. Just get out of here!” Doyoung snaps as he shoves Jaehyun finally into his household and shutting the door on her.

“Who was she…?” Jaehyun finally asked.

“Gongmyung’s girlfriend,” Doyoung explains, “For about a year now.”

“Ah…” Jaehyun simply responded. No wonder he couldn’t recognize her. She came when he wasn’t here. It made him sad, thinking what else he has missed in Doyoung’s life simply because of his foolishness.

He slapped his cheeks, shaking his head and telling himself to stop sulking. He couldn’t be a whiny little baby to himself in his crush’s house. This was not Jung Jaehyun – star athlete of his high school, the man of every girl and boy’s dreams. At any other home, he’d be getting dragged upstairs and the door locked behind them. But Doyoung was different – he had to be aware of that, but getting depressed was not the answer.

“Are you okay?” Doyoung asked as he turned to him.

“I thought I saw a bug on me,” Jaehyun nervously chuckled.

Doyoung bought it easily, or he didn’t want to pick a fight with it. Either way, Doyoung continued to lead him down the familiar hallway to the kitchen. Inside, he can smell a homecooked meal in the making, and the sizzling of a pan. He entered with heavy steps.

“Ah, Doyoung, you’re home! Just in time, I was about to –“ She stopped talking when she turned around to greet her son, seeing another tall high school student beside him.

Her smile grows widely and she walks over to hug Jaehyun like she always had – squeezing the breath out of him as she cooed about him.

“It’s been s