Sungyeol had avoided Myungsoo for the rest of the evening following their fight, and he excused himself to bed before the other returned to the cabin for the night. He knew that this was no way to act towards somebody who had shown him so much hospitality and generosity, but he couldn’t help but to feel hurt at the thought that maybe Myungsoo really was just playing pet with him. He’d grown fond of the other over the past few weeks and, even though he hated to admit it, he’d caught himself staring at the man a little longer than normal on multiple occasions. But it was silly of him to hope that they could share anything more. After he healed and returned home, his time in the woods would simply fade off into a distant memory. If he was lucky, maybe he would exchange letters with Dongwoo and Myungsoo into the future, and drop by for a visit once every few years.

Thinking about what the future held sobered him up from the anger he’d been carrying around all day, and as much as he tried to tamp down the gloomy thoughts, they kept him tossing and turning all night.

Sungyeol woke up just as the sun was rising, casting an intense yellow light throughout his room. He felt terrible. He’d been half-awake the entire night, but as exhausted as he felt, he knew that he wouldn’t be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Sitting up and rubbing his swollen eyes, he decided that it would be good to go for a morning walk around the property. Hopefully fresh air and sunlight would lift his mood.

He tore a slip of paper from his research notebook and scribbled a quick note on it before he left. He didn’t want them to think that he’d suddenly ran back home after their little disagreement.

Out for a stroll.

-Sungyeol

With that, he bundled up and left the house, making sure to shut the door quietly behind himself.

The morning was oddly quiet for a place encompassed by nature. Only the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional bird call broke the silence.

Sungyeol headed over to the deer field first. Even though he had been here just the day before, angry beyond himself and shouting at Myungsoo, the sight of the deer taking their time meandering the field and grazing calmed him down. They were completely at peace, not a worry in the world. He wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there when a voice startled him out of his daze.

“Good morning! Sungyeol, was it?”

He whipped around to see Woohyun, grinning jovially.

“Yes, good morning, Woohyun.”

The man came to stand beside him. “You’re up early! Admiring the deer, I see?”

He hummed, “They’re lovely, aren’t they?”

“I suppose. I’m not really an animal person. You know, I heard you aren’t exactly an animal person, yourself.”

Sungyeol turned to look at him, puzzled.

“Dongwoo told me you’re studying herbalism! And today’s your lucky day. Can you guess why?”

He tilted his head, pondering for a moment. “Not a clue. Tell me.”

“Yesterday, while I was touring the property myself, I stumbled upon something that I think you’ll be very interested in. Come, I’ll show you.” He turned and started walking away toward the edge of the open field, beckoning Sungyeol to follow.

As they walked, Woohyun continued to chat, mentioning how glad he was to be visiting and seeing his old friends after so long, to see that they were doing well, and that they had grown into such ‘fine young men’ who had welcomed an injured Sungyeol so openly. He lead Sungyeol off of the property and into the woods the trees growing denser with every step. Finally, he halted.

“Here we are!”

Sungyeol looked around the forest floor, cluttered with fallen autumn leaves, searching for the plant that Woohyun was talking about.

Woohyun smiled and wrapped an arm around Sungyeol’s shoulders. With his other hand, he gently took Sungyeol’s chin and tilted his head up. His fingers were warm. “Look at the trees. Do you see it now?”

He practically jumped with joy at what he saw. “Oh my God! Woohyun, how did you find this?!” Sungyeol scurried forward to see it better. “Usnea… an antibacterial lichen that only grows in pure air.” The grey-green strands clung to the tree, puffing out like a little tuft of hair.

“I had a feeling you’d love it.” Woohyun crossed his arms, proud.

“Ugh, I wish I had my journal!” He turned back to Woohyun, grinning ear to ear. “Thank you so much! You’ve just made my day.”

Woohyun laughed at the other man’s sheer glee. “I didn’t expect you’d be this happy.”

“And why not?! It’s an extremely rare find! I doubt I would’ve been able to find some after years of wandering this forest, yet you found it in less than a day!”

Sungyeol continued to talk animatedly about the lichen, not even noticing when they were joined by sudden company.

“Sungyeol.” Myungsoo called coldly.

Sungyeol froze and turned to look at him, the smile falling from his face, immediately replaced by a scowl.

“Myungsoo! Good morning! What brings you here?” Woohyun greeted happily.

The man completely ignored Woohyun, storming over to Sungyeol and grabbing his arm so hard that he hissed in pain. “Come with me.” He turned and started walking back toward the property briskly, dragging the protesting Sungyeol after him.

“Let go of me! Myungsoo, let go!”

He simply continued to walk without a word, iron grip not faltering despite Sungyeol’s persistent struggling. He pulled him all the way to the house, slamming and locking the door behind them and finally letting go in the kitchen.

Sungyeol rubbed his arm, grimacing.

“Have a seat.” Myungsoo sat down and gestured to the chair across from him.

“No, thank you.” Sungyeol said curtly, gaze fixed on the floor.

His voice lost its edge suddenly, “Sungyeol… please, I need to talk to you.”

He hesitated for a moment before sitting down, still refusing to look up at Myungsoo. “I’m still mad at you. I want you to know that.”

Myungsoo bit his lip. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I got ahead of myself. I have no right to be ordering you around. And for just now… I shouldn’t have been so rough with you. I’m sorry.”

“As you should be,” Sungyeol muttered under his breath.

“But, please, hear me out for a moment. I’m just trying to look out for you. You’ve barely even met Woohyun, and the next thing I know, he’s led you off to the middle of the forest, all alone. You’re far too trusting.”

Sungyeol clenched his fists. “I trusted you when we first met, didn’t I? I wouldn’t be alive right now if I hadn’t.”

“That’s not the point!” He burst out, then quickly composed himself again when he saw Sungyeol tense up. “The point is, I’ve known Woohyun much, much longer than you have, and he has a history of… concerning behavior.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He scoffed.

“Do you really want to know?”

Sungyeol looked at him for the first time, and what he saw scared him. Myungsoo was staring directly at him, eyes dark and cold. Empty. His mouth went dry.

“Every time he’s shown up in my life, somebody I know has gotten hurt. He chases away anybody close to me, by any means possible. The only reason Dongwoo is still around is because he’s the only one that’s been stronger than Woohyun. And, trust me on this, Woohyun is much stronger than you. And me. And most other people in this world. When I tell you to stay away from him, it’s because I don’t want you to be the next one to get hurt.”

He finally managed to tear his gaze away. “And why would he want to hurt me? I barely even know you.”

“Because he can see how much I care about you.”

His eyes widened and he looked back up at Myungsoo, speechless. Something in his eyes had changed. They were no longer void of emotion -- something soft, tender, had settled into them.

Something familiar.

Woohyun strolled back onto the properly with a little bounce in his step, humming to himself. Sungyeol seemed like a lot of fun. He was going to enjoy getting to know him over the next while. A gust of air whooshed past him, and he stopped walking, smiling.

“Dongwoo! Lovely seeing you out here.”

Dongwoo crossed his arms, glaring at him. “Why are you back, Woohyun?”

“Am I not allowed to visit my dear old friends?”

“You should’ve let go of this a long time ago.”

His expression turned sour. “I don’t see why you’re always interfering in my affairs. I’m not here to see you, anyway. You know very well that I only came to see Myungsoo.”

“And you know very well that he never wants to see you again.”

Woohyun gritted his teeth, then shut his eyes for a moment and relaxed, changing the subject. “I love the new pet, by the way. He’s honestly adorable. Smells delicious, too. Have you tasted him yet? Or does Myungsoo refuse to share? He’s always been a bit selfish, that boy,” he chuckled.

“Sungyeol is no pet. He’s a guest and a friend, unlike you.”

Woohyun completely ignored him, continuing on, “But Myungsoo’s always been so smart! Moving out here to the woods, where nobody knows his face or name. Farming deer and selling to a nearby city, pretending it’s some generational family business, avoiding all suspicion! And now… capturing his own little renewable food source, a loyal little thing that he keeps all cozy in his cabin.”

“Stay away from them, Woohyun.” Dongwoo warned, before disappearing as quickly as he had come.

Woohyun scowled. “Some people are so bothersome.”

After their conversation, Sungyeol had excused himself to bathe and Myungsoo had settled down on the couch with a book. He was still there when Sungyeol emerged from the washroom, so Sungyeol fetched his notebook from his room and sat at the opposite end of the couch, beginning a new entry about the lichen that Woohyun had shown him that morning. They sat there in silence, awkward at first, but eventually falling into the comfort of one another’s tranquil company.

Sungyeol eventually dozed off, curled up with his head on the armrest.

Myungsoo smiled to himself at the sight of the sleeping boy. He draped a blanket over him, careful not to wake him, and disappeared into the kitchen to make dinner.

Sungyeol wolfed down his first bowl at dinner, while Myungsoo looked on in amusement. He hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch, and the hunger had just hit him. It didn’t help that Myungsoo had made such a delicious curry.

“Seconds?”

“Yes, please!” He only slowed down a bit on the second bowl, chewing energetically. He swallowed the last mouthful and hummed happily, sitting back with a warm, full belly. “That was delicious! Thank you for dinner, Myungsoo.”

“I’m glad you liked it. Savour the moment, because I don’t cook very often,” he teased.

“I don’t see why not -- it’s a natural-given talent. I'd be twice my weight if I got to eat like this every day."

Myungsoo smiled fondly and leaned his upper body onto the table, reaching out to rest a gloved hand on top of Sungyeol's. "Are things alright between us, then?"

The question caught him off guard, but he flipped his hand over to squeeze Myungsoo's hand. "Yes. Everything's alright."

"I'm glad." He squeezed back. "There's something I want to show you tomorrow. You should get to bed now, so you get plenty of rest. I'll wake you in the morning."

Sungyeol gave another small squeeze and nodded. He had no idea what the morning had in store, but he had a feeling it was going to be special.

He woke to a gentle hand on his shoulder, shaking him out of his slumber.

"Good morning, Sungyeol," Myungsoo hummed.

It was still dark out, but the man had lit a candle on the bedside table, casting dim, flickering light over his face.

"Mmh, morning." He yawned, sitting up. A shiver ran through him as the blanket fell off his shoulders.

Myungsoo noticed. He made a mental note to go to town and get more blankets later that day. Winter was approaching, after all.

"Did you sleep well?"

He smiled and nodded cutely. Myungsoo melted a little at the sight.

"We'll head out as soon as you're ready. Take your time."

Sungyeol met Myungsoo at the door and they stepped out into the brisk morning air. The sun lay just below the horizon, colouring the sky pink. There wasn't a single cloud as far as they could see in all directions, but the moon sat high in the sky, a pale crescent marking an otherwise blank canvas.

They walked slowly, quietly, shoulders brushing every now and then. Sungyeol was still limping a bit, and he appreciated Myungsoo's consideration in setting their leisurely pace. After a while, Sungyeol realized that they were heading toward the greenhouse. He turned to Myungsoo, eyes questioning.

Myungsoo simply smiled back at him and kept walking.

Finally, it stood before them in all of its magnificence. Towering glass walls as clear as crystal, seemingly glowing in the light of the rising sun, filled with hidden scenes of summer in the midst of the autumn that surrounded them. Sungyeol stared up at it in complete awe.

Myungsoo unlocked the door and held it open for him. "Be my guest."

He stepped inside and was overtaken by the sight that greeted him. Rows upon rows of lush greenery, decorated with blooms of countless sizes and colours. Ivory, peach, crimson, fuschia -- and as he stumbled down a row in a daze, he realized that every last one of them were roses. The greenhouse was warm and humid, and condensation fogged the glass, concealing the sight of the beautiful rose plants from the outside world. Sungyeol looked up and realized that there were even several planters suspended from the ceiling by cords, all carrying their own unique roses.

The sound of the door shutting reminded him of Myungsoo's presence. He spun around. "It's gorgeous," he breathed.

Myungsoo approached, beaming. "It's my pride and joy."

As he got closer, Sungyeol noticed. There was something different about him today. His face looked fuller, younger. For once, he had a bit of colour on his cheeks. He looked even more attractive than usual.

Myungsoo noticed Sungyeol staring and he ruffled his hair self-consciously. He wasn't wearing gloves. "Do I look like I forgot to comb my hair this morning?"

Sungyeol laughed and stepped towards him. "No, not at all. In fact," he placed his hands on Myungsoo's shoulders, "You're more handsome than ever."

Myungsoo's hands settled on Sungyeol's waist. He glanced down at his lips, then back up into his eyes. "May I?"

He grinned. "Of course."

Sungyeol sighed in contentment as their lips connected, tightening his grip on the other's shoulders and leaning further into the kiss.

Myungsoo's lips were warm.