“Do you love me?”

He would ask. Byunghun couldn’t reply.

Answers dart about in his mind but when they fall on his tongue, they melt like a snowflake and he’s rendered speechless.

Jonghyun looks desperate; like he’s going to break without the answer. He’s been left without one far too many times now. Byunghun’s changed the subject once too often. There’s no more excuses or cover ups.

This is it now.

He needs an answer.

Byunghun doesn’t have an answer to give.

“Do you love me?”

Maybe what he feels for Jonghyun isn’t quite love… he doesn’t feel like his teenager self when that pretty girl had clumsily kissed him on their awkward date in the park. But it’s almost that. It’s kind of love.

The sound of Jonghyun’s, shuddering breaths overpowers the sound of his own heart beating faster than an African drum. The air between them is cold but Byunghun feels hot, too hot, his palms sweaty and knees trembling.

Why is it that he’s so scared of this question? Is he scared of the change in dynamic it brings? Is he scared of Jonghyun? Of himself?

Byunghun is too nice though.

He would rather hurt than having Jonghyun hurting so…

“Lee Byunghun, do you love me?”

“Yes,” he says.