10 Seconds Into the Future

Lee Sungyeol is convinced that Lee Sungjong is pretty much psychic, and no one can convince him otherwise.

(In which Sungjong is too cautious, Myungsoo is too indifferent, and Sungyeol is just too much.)

-

Lee Sungjong is someone that doesn’t believe in the supernatural, or otherworldly powers, or anything at all, really.

He’s just a run of the mill pretty boy who likes to only believe in things that he can see- he likes to only believe in himself. Believing in himself is much safer than putting his faith in things that cannot be explained or people that could potentially hurt him.

He’s the opposite of a risk taker- some would call boring, but he just likes to think of himself as cautious.

There’s nothing wrong with that, really. There isn’t. That’s just how Lee Sungjong is.

-

Sungjong lives a life that is, for the lack of other words, bland.

He’s an average student, with an average family, of average financial stability.

He’s the ordinary older brother, the college student that manages to scrape by, and the one that dances just for fun.

Sungjong, obviously, isn’t expecting any books or movies to be made in his name or about his life.

The most exciting part of Lee Sungjong’s life is, in fact, someone named Kim Myungsoo.

Kim Myungsoo is someone that people would write about, someone that should star in movies, and someone that Sungjong has come to love- which is all well and good, seeing as how Myungsoo is his boyfriend.

(How Myungsoo became his boyfriend is still a mystery to him- what he did to capture Kim Myungsoo’s attention, he’ll never know.)

He has always played it safe, in every aspect of his life. He even thought long and hard before accepting Myungsoo’s offer, thought about the pros and cons, and about whether or not he was ready for a relationship (although Myungsoo didn’t give him much choice- “hey, be my boyfriend”- it was more of an order than anything else).

-

Sungjong has always liked Myungsoo- he has a sweet smile, a dorky personality, and he shares his charm with everyone. His likability is hard for Sungjong to ignore, especially when he decides to give Sungjong this look- it’s something that says hey, you’re the most precious thing in the world. It’s much harder to dislike him than to like him. So Sungjong just gives in and likes him.

But even though he has always liked Myungsoo, it takes Sungjong five months into their dating period to completely fall head over heels in love with the older boy. What at first seemed to be a good idea (getting a boyfriend) turns into the best thing to ever happen to him (Kim Myungsoo).

They are celebrating their five-month anniversary (because Myungsoo insists that each month be celebrated) and it is, simply put, a disaster.

A short and planned trip to a ski resort turns into a horrible movie waiting to be played out as an unexpected storm decides to mess everything up.

Their cell phones have no signal, the rain makes it impossible to drive, and everything looks bleak. They end up getting out of the car and walking the rest of the way to the inn; they arrive, soaked to the bone, cold, hungry, and irritable.

Sungjong is ready to call the trip a failure and try again next month, but Myungsoo smiles at him the whole time, never snaps, and tries to make the best of it.

Myungsoo acts as his guiding light through it all. He is the comforting hand on the small of his back, the constant warmth next to him, and the shield that protects him from the rest of the world.

They end up staying two days at the resort (like planned).

On the last day of their trip, Myungsoo somehow manages to wake a grumpy but compliant Sungjong up at dawn so that they can go up to the roof of the resort together; Myungsoo brings seven blankets and his camera. Sungjong brings his teddy bear.

They sit there and watch the sunrise (and it would be the most cliché thing that Sungjong has ever experienced if not for the fact that he is sitting in Myungsoo’s lap and he feels the smile on his face and the quickening of his heartbeat- and he experiences the feelings that come with first love).

Sungjong has always been a little reserved; he’s been holding onto his heart despite dating Myungsoo for months because of his cautious nature.

But when he sees Myungsoo smiling at him like that while he holds him, protects him from the world, something in Sungjong just says okay.

And that’s just it. Sungjong hands over his heart, right then and there. Right into Myungsoo’s awaiting hands.

-

Sungjong has never really cared for photography; more often than not, he is the subject rather than the photographer- so really, he has no need to care for it.

His boyfriend, however, adores it. So much so that Sungjong has, on more than one occasion, playfully asked, “is it going to be your camera or me?” Myungsoo laughs and always assures him, “You, you, it’s always going to be you,” but Sungjong sees how he holds his camera tighter, how he is more careful with the device afterwards. (That used to sting, but Sungjong has long since adapted to it- has long since quietly accepted it.)

The only thing that lets him put up with Myungsoo’s strange affixation to his camera is the fact that it is also a means of showing affection- and it makes Sungjong feel a little warm inside, knowing that he is Myungsoo’s favorite subject in the world.

“More beautiful than sunsets, something to treasure, each instance is one of a kind”- Sungjong has heard all of those before in regards to his own person, and it makes him blush each time Myungsoo says something along those lines. Myungsoo is a little dorky, really, clumsy, and a man of action. That is why, when he hears those things from him, Sungjong feels a little more special than the rest of the world.

Sungjong  has eventually come to treasured those photos, adore them, hang them up, and show them off because they are a symbol of his relationship with Kim Myungsoo.

-

Their relationship becomes something that is comfortable and complacent; they set up routines and everything becomes commonplace. It becomes something fixated in both of their lives, and soon enough, it becomes almost ordinary.

(There is no excitement in routine.)

-

They spend one year and seven months together before things start going downhill. Time wears down on them, and suddenly, they aren’t what they used to be.

Myungsoo still takes a lot of pictures and says sweet things from time to time, but their relationship has shifted in that time span and soon, it is the beginning of the end.

Sungjong realizes that it is the end the moment Myungsoo hands him a collage the moment he walks into the other’s room. There is no smile, no bright greeting, no kiss on the cheek- only a mass of artistically glued together photos. And immediately, Sungjong knows that something wrong is about to happen, and dread spreads through his whole body.

He looks at the piece of art given to him- the collage consists of all their polaroid pictures together with the words “I’m sorry,” scrawled at the bottom in penmanship that he has come to associate with Myungsoo. It takes him several seconds to figure out the purpose of what he is holding in his hands- and he suddenly wants to throw up. (At first, he wonders, what could Myungsoo be apologizing for? He hasn’t done anything wrong- and it is with a sickening thought that he realizes that it’s him.)

It’s a parting gift- he just doesn’t want to believe that it is.

He doesn’t want to believe that a symbol of affection between the two will soon become a symbol of heartbreak and a means to an end.

With a shaky voice and even shakier hands, he asks, “What is this?” He’s holding the collage gingerly, but he feels the increasing need to rip it into shreds, to pretend that it doesn’t exist.

“I’m sorry,” is Myungsoo’s response.

He is put off by the apology because, “What do you mean you’re sorry?” Furious and hurt thoughts are swirling in his mind, and at the forefront is that thought. He wants to scoff at him, to rage, but he holds his tongue- he’s cautious now, because the last thing he needs is for this to become an explosion of angry words.

And because he holds his tongue, Myungsoo continues to talk in his place. “I think we’re better off as friends.”

“Friends.” His tone is flat and cutting. “We’ve been dating for over a year and a half and suddenly you think we should just be friends.”

“I just…” Myungsoo looks a little hesitant as a sheepish hand comes up to rub the back of his neck. He continues with a soft, awkward, “I just don’t see you in that way anymore.”

Sungjong can feel the unfamiliar sting of oncoming tears and clenches his teeth to keep them at bay because, no, Sungjong is not a crybaby and refuses to be even as Kim Myungsoo is (stomping and tearing apart his heart) breaking up with him. He lets out a dry chuckle and tries his hardest to keep calm- it’s harder than he would like to admit. Myungsoo shifts awkwardly from foot to foot, and Sungjong feels like the only reason he won’t (can’t) lose his calm is because he wants to keep whatever is left of his dignity, his pride.

As he looks on and stares at Myungsoo’s guilty face, that no matter what he says right now, that this is the end. He doesn’t know why, but Myungsoo has called for it, and there’s nothing that Sungjong can say or do about it.

He reminds himself that he needs to keep his composure, that this is punishment for not being cautious enough (for letting someone creep inside his heart, only to break it), and that he should have known. He tries to speak but his throat suddenly closes up and all he can do is swallow haplessly.

He really should have known.

(Because maybe, if he did, it wouldn’t hurt so much right now.)

Myungsoo purses his lips and looks down at the ground, at the walls, at anywhere besides Sungjong (and that pisses the younger off because- what, now he can’t even be looked at?).

Sungjong clears his throat and his attempt at speaking allows him to let out a hollow laugh and words that he hopes sound convincing. “No need to say sorry, hyung.” He says this even as his mind is racing; he wants to know what he has done wrong, where they have gone wrong.

“You’re…you’re not mad?” Myungsoo looks up and is meeting his (now) ex-boyfriend’s eyes with both curiosity and cautiousness.

No, oh no. Sungjong is angry- he’s furious, almost raging mad. But he wants this to be calm, he wants this to have no scarring mistakes (because this relationship seems to have been a scarring mistake, and he wants no more of that). He has to force himself to be calm before reacting to Myungsoo.

Sungjong waves a flippant hand and lets an awkward smile grace his features. “I think I saw it coming, Myungsoo hyung. No worries, really.” He didn’t really see it coming, but let him be damned if he tells Myungsoo that. This is his pride, the pride that refuses to let Myungsoo step on his heart any longer, that is talking now. (It’s his fault anyway, because for all that he has lived a safe, cautious and thought out life, he has gotten hurt anyway.)

There is awkward silence, and then Sungjong says, “Really, hyung,”- he doesn’t know if it is for his benefit or Myungsoo’s, but it seems to do the trick because Myungsoo’s lips suddenly form a sad smile.

Myungsoo looks so sad at the comment, at the fact that Sungjong is (seemingly) okay with all of this, that this break up will be settled quietly. And in seeing that sadness, in seeing Myungsoo smiling like that, that the feeling of wanting to cry comes back full-force- but this time the feeling is accompanied with wanting to punch Myungsoo in the face. He wants to punch him because why are you sad when you’re the one breaking up with me?

He doesn’t know how and where he stands in this relationship because he doesn’t fully understand what the smile means and what’s really going on- and this just gives him a sharp kind of ache. He always thought they were on the same level, at the very least, with their feelings and affection (even though the latter was the instigator, the one that always spewed flowery words of “love” and “always”).

And maybe that’s why this whole situation really hurts.

He feels like he has been tricked- although “played” might be a more appropriate word. He fights back tears and holds his head up high because that is all he can do in this situation (it is all that he is letting himself do- because it’s not like he can beg, or cry, or plead- what’s done has been done).

He quietly accepts his first heartbreak.

-

Lee Sungyeol walks into Myungsoo’s room to see his best friend and some guy that looks vaguely familiar- and just grins and waves as a greeting to both.

And Sungjong just kind of stares- because there is an intruder in this scene, someone that is not supposed to be here while he is experiencing his first heartache.

It just makes it worse that Sungjong knows who Lee Sungyeol is only very basically. He knows that the tall man is Myungsoo’s cousin, and his best friend. He knows that, according to Myungsoo, Sungyeol is a nutcase. And that is all.

So to see the taller man just walk in on his break up is a more than little unnerving and leaves Sungjong slightly bewildered.

Neither Myungsoo or Sungjong speak; they just stare at the intruder awkwardly.

Lee Sungyeol, bless his soul, seems to be the master of all things cunning, the best and the brightest, the most amazing- and in actually, Lee Sungyeol is an oblivious idiot that has no sense of mood or tension and is none of the things formerly stated. (The first part of the sentence is just personal perception.)

And because he is an oblivious idiot, he sees no problem in walking in on an almost close to tears Sungjong and an uncomfortable looking Myungsoo. “Hey Myungsoo, auntie called and- hey, who’s your friend? Isn’t he the guy in all your pictures and albums and what not?”

They both look at him awkwardly before Sungyeol grins and shows his gums, crowing, “Wait a minute, I know you. You’re Myungsoo’s pretty boyfriend.”

And then Sungjong freezes and Myungsoo looks like he is about to have an aneurism because Lee Sungyeol has suddenly wedged himself into the scene and his presence is not welcoming to either of them.

Sungjong decides that he does not need this right now and gives one last strained smile before stalking out of the residence as fast as he can. He figures that he has gotten enough closure.

(He doesn’t get out fast enough- he can hear Myungsoo sigh and say, “you idiot”- and he can ever hear Sungyeol’s annoying loud and confused, “what did I do?” before he is out of hearing range.)

Sungjong throws the collage of polaroid pictures on the ground once he’s outside.

-

Lee Sungyeol has the worst timing in the world- or maybe Lee Sungjong’s the one that has it?

Sungjong thinks of this when he goes outside to throw away the trash and is then assaulted by the one and only Lee Sungyeol.

The older boy is right in front of him and Sungjong thinks he’s more than creepy because this is his house that Sungyeol is strangely in front of, but says nothing. He just stares back, wondering if he should just drop the trash and run back into his house, all whilst screaming bloody murder (because he hopes that at least one of his neighbors would care enough to call the police).

Unfortunately, those thoughts are stopped short as Sungyeol cheerfully announces, “I came in peace! I just wanted to talk for a little bit.”

And then Sungjong goes back to wondering if he is the one that has the bad timing, or if it’s Sungyeol.  Because really, he’s the one who decided to throw the trash out at this time- but then again, it could be Sungyeol because he is the one who walked in on his heart being stomped on- he’s also the person that is showing his face to an emotionally traumatized Sungjong who’s busy throwing out the trash.

(He concludes that they both just have bad timing.)

“Hey, about yesterday- sorry, I didn’t know that you guys broke up.” Sungyeol smiles apologetically and all Sungjong can do is nod stiffly. “If it makes you feel any better, Myungsoo attacked me afterwards- I have the scar to prove it,” and even rolls up his sleeve so that Sungjong can see a tiny little scar on his forearm. Sungjong looks approvingly at the scar for a moment before turning his head away and figuring out how to react.

“Yeah, well,” huffs Sungjong. He doesn’t quite want to accept the apology, but at the same time, he wants to respond to it. “I saw it coming anyway. It was just a matter of time before Myungsoo got bored of me.” Sungjong doesn’t know why he is telling Sungyeol of all people- maybe he just wants to get these words out to someone, anyone who is willing to listen. And Sungyeol is there, the words are out in the open, and the other man is just staring at him blankly.

And then Sungyeol laughs loudly and Sungjong wants to punch him in the face. “Don’t be such a-” Sungjong is about to finish the statement with the word ‘’ but Sungyeol cuts him off with a gummy smile.

“What are you, psychic?” asks Sungyeol, sounding genuinely curious. “How could you have known?”

Sungjong really wants to punch Sungyeol in the face. “It happened right in front of me, I don’t have to be psychic to figure out that he was going to break my heart!”

“But how could you have known?” Sungyeol asks once more, still curious. “It’s not like you could see into the future or read Myungsoo’s mind.”

Sungjong dumps the trash bag into the appropriate trash bin before giving Sungyeol one last glare, and then proceeds to stomp back into his house, huffing and puffing.

He realizes that he is losing his ever so cautious self-control.

-

The next day, Sungjong, clear of mind but not particularly of heart, walks out of his house for an adventure that consists of the supermarket, milk, and cereal.

He doesn’t get very far in his adventure.

“Come to think of it, we’ve never been formally introduced.” Sungjong freezes when he hears a vaguely familiar voice; he turns around slowly, cautiously, and is then face to face with none other than Lee Sungyeol (of course).

The first thing that leaves Sungjong’s mouth is a flat, “Are you stalking me?”

That, in response, gets a cheery, “Nope, just waiting outside your house.”

Sungjong doesn’t know how to respond to the statement, and he doesn’t know whether or not to be happy that Sungyeol isn’t actually stalking. (What he is doing now though, might be just as creepy.) “Are you kidding me? How did you even know that I live here?”

“Myungsoo-” Sungyeol starts with that cursed name, and Sungjong is pretty sure that he is going to finish with “told me,” but is startled when Sungyeol starts coughing and hacking outrageously. Sungjong only stares for three seconds before his conscience decides to kick in and then he is suddenly next to Sungyeol and patting his back.

“Are you okay?” he asks with hesitance because- is patting his back even the right thing to do? And oh god, he doesn’t know the Heimlich maneuver, and what if it comes to that, and why is he still patting his back and-

Sungyeol suddenly stops and stands upright; a bright smile is given and Sungyeol says, “I’m sorry, what was that, I think you need to ask me again.”

Sungjong rolls his eyes and it clicks in his mind that Sungyeol is a sneaky bastard; he repeats his question nonetheless since the other has so graciously faked a coughing fit for the sake of it. “How did you even know that I live here?”

In a dramatized voice, with hands on his chest and a sunny smile in place Sungyeol answers, “My heart told me.”

It takes three seconds for Sungjong to comprehend and process the statement, and another three seconds to resist the urge to punch Sungyeol in the face.

He applauds himself on his self-control. (But he can still feel it slipping.)

(Sungyeol later tells them that he didn’t like how the conversation ended the other day; he felt like he had done something wrong, so he felt the need to fix it as soon as possible- which called for Sungyeol standing outside of his house and waiting for Sungjong to come out so that he could call it “fate” or something like that.)

-

Interacting with Sungyeol makes Sungjong remember Myungsoo. They’re nothing alike, no, not at all, but they have such a strong connection with one another that just thinking about it gives Sungjong a headache.

They are cousins- probably through marriage or something, but they are still family.

But where Myungsoo is more reserved, Sungyeol is loud. Where Myungsoo’s kind of clumsy (in an adorable way), Sungyeol seems to have an innate talent for creeping up on people and creeping them out. Where Myungsoo has always politely knocked on the door and forced his own choices, Sungyeol prefers to wait out and give into chance.

And where Myungsoo is sweet, and caring- well, he doesn’t know Sungyeol all that well, but Myungsoo has always loved to brush at Sungjong’s hair, and-

Sungjong has to forcibly stop his train of thought because he knows it will do him no good. Their time together has expired and he is just hurting himself thinking about him.

But Sungjong can’t help but groan as he realizes that he misses him.

He misses Myungsoo (the gorgeous little er that broke his heart).

He doesn’t expect to have already moved on; he just didn’t expect the little gnawing sensation in his chest, the one that is telling him that something (or someone) is missing, to hurt him so much.

Sungjong feels his self-control and his cautiousness slip just that much more.

-

Sungjong is late to school one day. He gets up late, doesn’t rush out of the house fast enough, and ends up arriving onto his college campus near the end of his first class.

And because of the strange timing, he finds an even stranger sight.

He sees an increasingly familiar figure in the distance, cawing and crowing away over at the tables, laughing without a care. He is about to scoff and turn away from all the noise until he realizes- he knows the one in the center.

It’s Lee Sungyeol and suddenly Sungjong want to turn around and pretend that he is hallucinating (or something like that).

Sungjong stares for several more seconds before he decides that he needs to hightail it out of there before Sungyeol even has the chance of locating him.

And so he flees the scene and spends the remainder of his school day dutifully going to class and then hiding out in the school library.

-

The second time he spots Lee Sungyeol, there is no escape.

Sungjong is late for the second time this month (and that is weird enough in itself)- he likes to think that somewhere, somehow, someone is punishing him for some wrongdoing that he doesn’t even know he has committed.

He’s rushing to his 10:30 a.m. class when he hears a very familiar voice screech of “Lee Sungjong,” and he immediately wants to turn and run the other way as fast as he can. Before he can break into a sprint just like before, his shoulders are suddenly accosted and his face is squished into a chest.

Profanities stream into his mind and all he wants to say is, “hey assface, let go,” but he settles for a curt, “Lee Sungyeol,” instead because that’s just how he is. Always cautious with any situation, never really willing to starting anything.

“Who would have thought that we went to the same university,” Sungyeol says this in a thoughtful tone, but Sungjong thinks that he is being anything but- annoying is more like it.

“How did you even find me?” The campus is huge, and he has never run into Sungyeol before, so it sounds like a valid question to him. And then he remembers who he is talking to and puts his hand up to stop whatever answer Sungyeol has in its tracks. “Wait, let me guess- your heart guided you to me?” he deadpans.

Sungyeol grins at him, all bright and happy, and laughs. “Maybe you really are psychic.”

-

Since the second school encounter, Sungyeol has somehow managed to build and come into ownership of his very own “Lee Sungjong detector”- and after the fourth encounter, he has somehow managed to wheedle a phone number out of Sungjong (much to the younger’s dismay)- and he gets at least one phone call every week to “hang out”. (To which he tries to politely decline- but the key word here is obviously tries.)

That means that Sungjong is seeing Sungyeol way too often for his liking.

The older boy is loud, has no sense of personal space, and always manages to find Sungjong when he does not want to be found- like right now.

“Hey, stop looking so mopey.” Sungyeol has, quite literally, dragged Sungjong out to “go play”. He is long past waiting outside for Sungjong to come out of his house. He is even past ringing the doorbell to politely ask where Sungjong is. No, now Sungyeol can knock on his door, have a chat with his mother, wrestle with his little brother, and skip into Sungjong’s room any time he wishes to do so.

(“How have you brainwashed my entire family?”

“It’s my charm, Sungjong- no one can resist it!”)

That is why Sungyeol is casually sitting in Sungyeol’s desk chair at the moment; it’s because he can Sungjong isn’t particularly happy with this new development, but at the moment, he is too busy moping to actually care.

And it’s not like he can actually help not being mopey because Sungyeol’s presence in itself is a reason to mope (because his presence is a constant reminder of Myungsoo- and Sungjong’s heart really doesn’t like that).

Sungjong, on most days, will decide to at least try to amuse Sungyeol, which usually means that there will be half-assed effort and whatever violent imagery that his mind can come up with that for the most part calls for Sungyeol’s demise.

He doesn’t feel like playing the entertaining host today, so he sulkily says, “Go away,” instead. Sungyeol just spins around in the desk chair.

“I like your chair,” is all Sungyeol has to say in response.

“I hate you,” Sungjong says this flatly, but Sungyeol doesn’t even bat an eyelash at the comment; he just hums and continues to spin around. He spins around so much that Sungjong almost gets a headache looking at him (which makes him hate Sungyeol just that much more).

“Hey,” Sungyeol stops his ever so important chair spinning to suddenly stand up (which sends Sungjong’s desk chair crashing into his desk), to declare “I know what would make you feel better.”

All Sungjong can focus on is his poor furniture. He finally gets up from his bed, walks over, and solemnly pats both his desk and his chair before sincerely saying, “I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“Your existence.”

Sungyeol goes home after that.

-

And the next day, he returns.  “Remember when I said that I knew how to make you feel better?”

“No?” Sungjong remembers.

“Well, we’re going to put that plan into action right now!” Sungyeol ignores his answer. Sungjong rolls his eyes and lets him be dragged into Sungyeol’s dinky car.

Sungjong inspects the car as he skeptically puts on his seat belt. “Are you a certified driver?”

“No.” And then Sungjong takes off his seat belt and is halfway out of the car before Sungyeol screeches, “It was a joke, a joke!” He holds onto Sungjong’s shoulder and forcibly makes him sit back down- he even puts Sungjong’s seat belt on for him. “I’ve had my license for two years!”

Sungjong doesn’t feel any safer after being told that, so he holds tightly onto his seatbelt and prays as Sungyeol drives down icy pathways and towards their destination.

Sungyeol ends up belting out the words to ‘Tell Me’ and even tries to dance in his seat.

Sungjong ends up actually dancing in his seat (much to Sungyeol’s amusement and Sungjong’s own chagrin).

-

“Where have you taken me?” is the first thing Sungjong says once they exit the vehicle.

Sungyeol grins proudly as he makes wild gestures. “This is the best river in the world, Lee Sungjong!”

“You took me for a three hour drive to see a river?” Sungjong looked around, suddenly feeling exasperated, but he had to admit- the surrounding area was a sight to behold.

Sungyeol chose to ignore Sungjong’s question as he pushed the younger boy onto a wooden bridge that was directly above the river. “Now, shout out all your worries and sadness to the river and the water will wash it all away!”

“Were you dropped as a child?” The comment leaves Sungjong’s mouth before he really thinks about it, but now that the words have been said, he’s actually curious about the answer.

Sungyeol looks miffed for an entire moment before grinning and saying, “You’re such a talented psychic, Sungjong.”

All Sungjong can do is sigh and look down at the river to focus on the task at hand; it did sound like good advice, and the river did look pretty amazing, but what could he shout? Thoughts flittered and skipped around in his mind, but he had nothing he really wanted to share with the body of water (especially since someone was standing right next to him). He didn’t feel comfortable enough for that.

And then he hears a familiar little click and his head turns so fast that he’s surprised he doesn’t get whiplash.

“Hey, is that a camera?” What Sungjong is really asking is, “hey, is that Myungsoo’s camera?” Sungyeol tries to discreetly hide the device behind his back, but it is already too late.

“No- but wow, look at the scenery here, it’s beautiful!” Beautiful enough to take pictures of. Hence, the camera. Hence, Myungsoo’s camera. Sungyeol chuckles nervously and points to everything he can to try to distract Sungjong. But of course, he fails.

Sungjong has seen it and has set his eyes on it. “I know what would make me feel a lot better.” He holds out his hands and has an expectant look on his face- one that clearly reads you accosted me for a three hour drive to show me a river and I want that camera so give it to me now before I end you.

Sungyeol begrudgingly hands the camera over and Sungjong inspects it for a couple seconds before grimacing. He recognizes the camera. He’s actually very well acquainted with it. That is probably why he slams the contraption onto the floor, picks up the pieces, and then happily hurls the said pieces of harmless technology down into the river without much thought.

It feels like closure. Violent closure, and closure that he should have gotten long ago (but it couldn’t really be helped since someone decided to walk in on them) but closure nonetheless.

Sungjong thinks he hears his companion whimper- but he thinks that can be ignored, like how all of his questions have been. He suddenly feels a lot better about being around the older boy (while Sungyeol cries and claws pathetically at the now damaged beyond compare camera).  He feels something akin to self-satisfaction and glee as he looks at his handiwork (or at the very least, the little itsy bitsy floating bits that he thinks are the result of his handiwork).

It’s the start of a real friendship.

-

(Sungyeol has to buy Myungsoo a new camera.)

-

Several weeks have passed now and Sungjong has gotten used to Sungyeol’s presence, for the most part. But sometimes, Sungyeol still manages to surprise him.

“Can you tell my fortune?” Sungyeol is, as far as Sungjong can tell, completely serious about the request. So serious, in fact, that he has practically managed to appear right next to Sungjong just so he could ask his question.

“What.” It is not even a question; it is a statement because Sungjong is pretty much floored by the sudden appearance of Lee Sungyeol.

Sungjong entertains the thought of asking, “where did you even come from?” but he knows better now. He doesn’t even bother.

“Well, since you’re psychic, I figured that you could tell my fortune or something.” There is a careless little shrug that comes with the comment, but he sounds semi-serious and actually interested in the answer.

Sungjong decides to play along. “I can only see into the future- I don’t do the easy stuff like telling fortunes and reading palms.”

And then Sungyeol grins at him and Sungjong realizes that he has just made a grave mistake in playing along.

-

Now Lee Sungyeol really won’t leave him alone.

If Sungjong thought that he saw Sungyeol a lot beforehand- well, he was wrong.

He is quite possibly the most persistent being to ever walk the face of the world. He is, quite certainly, the most persistent man Sungjong has ever known.

No matter what the younger does, he can’t shake him off.

And to make matters worse, he has started to call the younger “Jongie”- as a pet name.

“We’re going to be best friends whether you like it or not, Jongie.” Sungyeol crows at him, all laughter and gummy smiles.

“I hate you.” is Sungjong’s instant reply, along with a huff and a quick turn of his heel.

“Wow, you’re a really bad liar, aren’t you?” He slings a casual arm around Sungjong’s shoulder as he walks “his Jongie” to class.

Sungyeol doesn’t believe him for a second.

(And Sungjong doesn’t push him off.)

-

Sungyeol and Sungjong are lounging in a café, taking a much needed break from studying. For once, they have an air of calm around them as they both enjoy whatever hot beverage they have in their hands.

And then Sungyeol breaks that calm with a question of, “Do you still miss Myungsoo?” It sounds like an idle, random question, but there is an undertone to it that makes Sungjong think otherwise. He knows he won’t like where this ends up.

Sungjong has to think about how to answer. He has been getting over the break up, and over Myungsoo. He likes to thank time for that; it has been several weeks and his heart is already healing. It helps that Sungjong hasn’t really thought about him in a while (since someone has been distracting him and taking up all his time). He carefully states, “I don’t miss him like how I did before.”

The sharp pain has now reduced into a dull, barely there, ache. But still, it is a slightly sensitive topic. Sungjong is a little defensive when he shoots back a, “Why are you asking?”

There is a stilted pause, an awkward silence, and Sungyeol sighs.  “You didn’t even fight for Myungsoo.”

Sungjong takes a little while to comprehend the full meaning behind Sungyeol’s words and Sungjong’s lips twist into a grimace. “What do you mean I didn’t fight for him? He’s the one that broke up with me.”

“It’s just- I mean, Myungsoo always thought you were bored of him or something. Things got routine and unexciting. You always just took whatever you got, and your relationship was really…complacent.” Sungyeol stares solemnly at Sungjong and it’s the most serious that he has ever seen the older boy.

“So you’re telling me that he got bored of me?” Sungjong’s voice is flat and a, “I should have seen it coming,” is on the tip of his tongue.

But Sungyeol flails his hands frantically and shakes his head. “That’s not it.” Sungjong doesn’t look like he believes him, so Sungyeol explains. “He thought that, I don’t know, if you guys were about to break up, you would maybe act on it. Show him how much you still love him. Not, you know,” There is a little pause. “Not quietly accept it.”

That is when Sungjong has to get up because he has heard enough. He shakes a little in anger, because who is Sungyeol to preach at him like this? “You-”

As a quiet afterthought that effectively cuts off whatever Sungjong meant to say, Sungyeol adds, “He wasn’t even sure if you even loved him anymore.”

He’s right- he doesn’t like where this has ended up.

“You never take risks, Sungjong- you never lose control and you never show all of your emotions. You didn’t even fight for Myungsoo, who was your sweetheart of a boyfriend.” Sungyeol talks like he really knows Sungjong and that just makes the younger feel sick.

Sungjong’s shaking a little bit, but he can’ help it. He scoots his chair out of the way and makes a motion to leave. Before he actually goes anywhere, he mutters, “Stop talking like you know me better than I do. I don’t appreciate it.”

Sungyeol gets to say the last words. “Live a little, Lee Sungjong.”

Sungjong walks away.

-

Sungjong falls completely out of love with Myungsoo once he comes to realize that no, he did not break up with him because he thought that they should just be friends- he broke up with him because he had no faith in their relationship.

He had no faith in Sungjong.

(The heartache disappears.)

-

After one week of shutting Sungyeol out of his life, Sungjong admits that he somewhat misses the older boy’s loud presence.

Maybe that’s why he accepts his 67^th apology of taking things too far (via text messaging).

-

They go back to being friends, with Sungjong barely keeping up and Sungyeol being- well, Sungyeol.

They don’t talk about that day at the café.

-

The most exciting part of his life is no longer Kim Myungsoo, but rather Lee Sungyeol.

It is a gradual shift, and one that is not completely unwelcome.

Sungjong comes to terms with the fact that he and Kim Myungsoo are long over. He even comes to terms with the reasons behind their break up- because thinking about it, he would break up with himself too. (Because thinking about it, maybe he did give up a little too easily. But he makes himself feel better by saying- hey, Myungsoo gave up too.)

He still thinks about the older boy from time to time, but past memories no longer make him cringe and he has long gotten over trying to destroy every camera in sight.

He thinks that he may have Lee Sungyeol to thank for that.

(But it’s not like he would ever say that out loud- oh no, never.)

They are sitting in the school cafeteria and Sungyeol has casually brought up the topic of Sungjong’s powers. “Can you read my mind?” Sungjong’s psychic abilities are now a running joke that no one around them can understand.

Sungjong looks at Sungyeol and sighs exasperatedly. “I’m not a telepath, Sungyeol.”

“Call me Sungyeol hyung,” the older insists.

No one else bothers to try and decipher whatever relationship they have, and that suits Sungjong just fine.

“What does telepath even mean? And how come you’re not one?” Sungyeol looks a little dumbfounded at the whole thing, which is probably why Sungjong decides to play along.

“I can see the future, I can’t read minds, stupid.” He tsks and condescendingly pats Sungyeol on the head, much to Sungyeol’s own chagrin.

“You do not pat your hyung like that!”

Sungjong’s glad that no one bothers to figure out what they have.

He would rather not explain his psychic prowess.

-

Sungyeol is pretty much a whirlwind of life and he makes Sungjong feel like six strands of his silky brown hair turn gray each time they share the same breathing space. (He’s surprised that he has yet to have a full head of gray- but he has already bought bottles upon bottles of hair dye as a precaution.)

Sungjong hates that as much as he likes having Sungyeol around.

They are walking home together. (Actually, Sungjong is walking home and Sungyeol is just following him.) “So what will I be doing next week?”

He rolls his eyes and playfully shoves at his hyung. “I can’t see that far, stupid.”

Sungyeol playfully shoves back. “How far can you see then, Jongie?”

Sungjong doesn’t even blink. “Ten seconds.”

“What am I going to be doing in the next ten seconds then?” Sungyeol crows, eyes wide in false anticipation.

“You’ll be screaming from the cold and from pain.” is Sungjong’s flat answer.

“What? That’s silly Jong-”

Sungjong trips him and Sungyeol lands face first into a pile of snow.

“YAH, LEE SUNGJONG.” He wails loudly (and quite pathetically) at the cold.

“I told you, hyung.”

Sungjong feels smug the entirety of the walk home.

-

 It is three in the morning in the beginning of January when Sungyeol literally kidnaps Sungjong from his nice, warm, and comfy bed.

Why would he do such a thing to his near and dear Lee Sungjong?

So that he could play in the snow.

“Come on, Sungjong! Live a little!” Sungyeol is prancing and skipping around, making snow angels and failing at making snowmen.

Sungjong watches with sleepy eyes, bundled in his winter coat (that Sungyeol thankfully brought). “I count breathing when my stupid hyung tries to freeze us both to death as living,”

Sungyeol stares blankly back at Sungjong, and asks in an incredulous tone, “You call that living?” He hurls a snowball at Sungjong’s head. It misses by a whole foot.

Sungjong looks back just as incredulously. “You don’t call that living?”

“I call that existing,” Sungyeol hurls another snowball at him and Sungjong swats it out of the air like it’s an annoying fly. “Living is all about having fun, taking risks- you know, doing things with your life.”

“Doing things like freezing in the cold in the middle of winter?” Sungjong deadpans.

Sungjong makes a vague reference in his mind to that one talk at the café a little while ago, but it’s slightly different this time around. He has come to terms with everything now. (And he's more open to Sungyeol being Sungyeol now.)

“No, doing things like having fun and laughing and experiencing new things every single day,” Sungyeol suddenly flops on the floor and makes a snow angel just because he can and continues his speech on the ground, “and doing things for the hell of it and never holding anything back- that’s what I call living.”

“All you did was say an extremely long run-on sentence,” is Sungjong’s flat and dry response. It’s nearing four in the morning and Sungjong is just getting grumpier.

Sungyeol must be on a roll because he is suddenly standing up again and staring Sungjong right in the eye. He talks like Sungjong hasn’t already responded. “What you do- the way you live- that quiet acceptance of everything, even all the bull, the overly cautious way of acting because you hate risks or something like that, always saying weird things like ‘I saw that coming’ because you don’t want to chance being hurt…I don’t think that’s really living.” It is the most insightful thing that Sungyeol has ever said to him and Sungjong almost wants to laugh.

But he can’t because something in him suddenly clicks- and then he’s too busy picking up snow and looking at it thoughtfully. He thinks that maybe the sleep deprivation has finally caused him to go insane. Or maybe it’s the grumpiness. Or maybe it is just Sungyeol.

“Well, I guess I can try this living thing,” Sungjong announces this with an almost careless shrug (except it’s not careless because Sungyeol can see the hint of a smile on his face) and suddenly Sungjong has pretty much chucked a whole wad of snow at him- to which he barely dodges, but not without screaming bloody murder.

“Yah, Lee Sungjong!” He takes a withering tree as his shield.

Sungjong almost pouts as he says very accusingly, “You’re the one that told me to try something new!”

They’re suddenly at a stalemate where they’re just staring at each other until Sungyeol dives for some soft looking snow and screams, “BRING IT ON, PRINCESS.”

Sungjong looks appropriately offended and is scooping up as much snow as he can, all whilst retorting, “Princess? Okay, fine, if that’s how you want to play, hyung.” Sungyeol doesn’t think he has ever heard the word hyung said so wrongly before.

“How can you say that sacred word like you’re plotting the destruction of my descendants or something?” Sungyeol complains as he runs behind a tree like it is the best shield in the world.

Sungjong doesn’t even bother to retort because he has just declared war- by act of chucking a fist sized snowball at Sungyeol’s head.

There are loud shrieks of laughter and profanities (mostly from Sungyeol) and snow is pelted and there are dirty tricks that consist of tripping and tackling; and then they’re suddenly tickling and tumbling and Sungjong ends up sitting on Sungyeol’s chest.

The younger is huffing and puffing in exhaustion, but his cheeks are a bright pink (from the cold or from the physical effort- or from the happiness, Sungyeol will never really know) and he is grinning down at Sungyeol smugly.

“Am I living yet?”

Sungyeol feels breathless for a multitude of reasons (like how he has just ran around enough for the rest of the school year, and how he has someone sitting on his chest, and there is just something about Sungjong’s pretty almond shaped eyes looking down on him like that- with that smile on his face) but he grins regardless.

“You’re getting there.”

-

Something between Sungjong and Sungyeol shifts after their playtime in the snow.

What shifts in their relationship is something that Sungjong isn’t aware of, but something that Sungyeol has already figured out.

-

Sungyeol calls Myungsoo up right after he figures it out.

Myungsoo barely gets to say a sleepy, “hello?” before Sungyeol cuts to the chase.

“Hey, I have a crush on your ex-boyfriend.”

He’s not really surprised when Myungsoo hangs up on him.

So he tries again, but this time starts with, “Are you in a willing mood to talk to me?”

There is an awkward pause for half a minute before Myungsoo sighs and says a soft, “Sure.”

That gives way to Sungyeol talking about his relationship to Sungjong, their recent developments, and just Sungjong in general.

Myungsoo takes all of this in stride, and a tiny bit of hurt, before he has to cut Sungyeol off. “You’ll be good for him in a way that I never was.”

Sungyeol doesn’t get it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

There is a hint of a smile that Sungyeol knows is on Myungsoo’s face right now (because he can hear it in his voice) when Myungsoo says, “…make him live a little, Yeollie.” Myungsoo hangs up after that.

Sungyeol finds himself grinning.

-

As an afterthought, Sungyeol calls Myungsoo again, only to say, “Well, we’re definitely related- we say the same things and we’re even interested in the same men!”

He’s really not surprised when Myungsoo hangs up on him again.

-

Sungyeol likes to think that tact isn’t really something that he needs.

That’s probably why he walks up to Sungjong the moment he knows that the other has walked onto campus, slings a casual arm around him, and says, “I’ll be yours if you want me to be.” Sungyeol says this so blatantly, so easily, that it makes Sungjong’s breath hitch as he stares at him blankly.

He has just entered school grounds, ready to fail some literature exam- and now there is this. “Hyung, stop kidding around.” He glares playfully at Sungyeol, but he looks sincere.

“No one said I was kidding, Jongie.” They stare at each other, not moving, until Sungyeol lets out an “oops, time to go!” He saunters off to his next class, leaving Sungjong confused and embarrassed.

(Sungjong still fails that literature exam.)

-

All he can think about during the said exam is Sungyeol. More specifically, him and Sungyeol. Like that.

Okay, he would be lying if the thought never crossed his mind before in passing (because really, they did spend a lot of time together), but-

But the fact that Sungyeol pretty much said, “I’ll be your boyfriend,” has destroyed Sungjong’s ability to reason and has left his mind in an incoherent state.

-

Sungyeol carries on like he hasn’t essentially blown Sungjong’s mind. Sungjong is weary of that. “Hey Sungjong, can you read my mind?” But this type of comment is routine and Sungjong can follow that.

“We’ve been over this, stupid,” Sungjong rolls his eyes playfully and pushes at Sungyeol a little bit.

“Really? It’s a shame that you can’t, though.” Sungyeol crosses his arms and pouts almost defiantly.

“And why is it a shame?” Sungjong pouts just for the sake of pouting back.

Sungyeol is still pouting, but now it is a clear pout of defiance. “Because then I wouldn’t have to actually ask.”

“Ask what?” He’s genuinely curious- what would he need to read minds for?

And then Sungyeol stops pouting and grins instead. “If you’ll be my boyfriend.” His lack of tact is still very much in tact.

All Sungjong can do is flatly say, “Oh,” as he looks on blankly at Sungyeol’s very enthusiastic (and hopeful) face.

Sungjong stares and stares and stares- and then just shrugs. “Well, here’s to living.”

-

They’re sitting outside in the cold, stupidly placing their behinds on an icy bench. They’re huddled together (and Sungjong is practically sitting on Sungyeol) and neither could be warmer than they are at this moment. “I totally saw that coming, you know.” Sungjong says, smirking at his now boyfriend.

“Saw what coming?” This time, it is Sungyeol who rolls his eyes playfully.

Sungjong tilts his head up and forms in air of playful haughtiness. “That you would fall in love with me.”

“What, can you see in the future?” Sungyeol scoffs at his now boyfriend and pokes at his cheeks, trying to lower the haughtiness that is currently Lee Sungjong.

“Yup- for ten seconds, actually,” quips Sungjong.

“And what do you see in the next ten seconds, oh great Lee Sungjong?” This time, it is Sungyeol that is playing along with Sungjong.

Sungjong grins and playfully announces, “That you’ll give me a kiss.”

-

Sungyeol is pretty much convinced that Sungjong is psychic.

No one can convince him otherwise (especially when Sungjong is giving predictions that involve him kissing his gorgeous boyfriend).

end.

MyungJong part was kind of rushed and weird (because what the heck, I broke up MyungJong ;A;), but - I needed MyungJong to get to YeolJong >< I might do Myungsoo's take on this whole thing- but we'll see ;o

I can't say I am completely happy with this, but- IN YOUR FACE, WRITER'S BLOCK. (I like it enough though ^^ <3)

HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED IT- AND YEOLJONG IS PRECIOUS <3