“Please enjoy your meals, gentlemen.” The tuxedo clad waiter bowed in their direction before disappearing with light footsteps. Dongwoo smoothed down his dress shirt, scooting a bit closer to the hardwood table. He took a small sip from his water glass, the perfectly sliced cucumbers floating on the top making it taste somehow more refreshing. He made a show of airing out the deep red napkin, before letting the fancy cloth settle on his lap. His lunchmate chuckled from across the table, shaking his head.

“You don’t have to be so obnoxious, you know.”

“Well excuse me for trying to have some manners, Sungyeol. I’ll have you know that I had to make this birthday reservation for you months in advance. I guess you have to think ahead whenever you want to treat your best friend at one of the top restaurants in town.”

“I guess those taste buds of yours have improved immensely to have started craving modern French Cuisine,” Sungyeol teased, making Dongwoo get defensive.

“Hey, I am a man that prides himself on appreciating the finer things in life. Le Papillon is consistently in the top ten list for the best restaurants in San Jose.”

“It was ranked number nine. And that’s on Trip Advisor; that’s not even a legitimate food blog site,” Sungyeol countered dryly, and Dongwoo had to stop himself from chucking one of the fancy forks across the table at him.

“Since when did you become so pretentious! I’m just trying to do something nice for my best friend, not that he seems to be feeling very grateful at the moment.”

“I am grateful! And I’ll feel even more grateful when you take care of the check later cause we are definitely going to have to indulge in the four course meal.”

“I should have known that you’d be an expensive date. When are you going to meet an awesome guy who will take over these duties for me so I can save my bank account? I have to start thinking about college funds and the like for Sooyong’s future, you know.”

Sungyeol looked sheepishly down at the table. In reality he already had meet someone who had no problems treating him to pricey dinners; Myungsoo had even offered to take him somewhere fancy for his birthday, but he declined after learning of his plans with Dongwoo. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, running his fingers over the pristine tablecloth as he tried to figure out what to say.

Dongwoo reached over the table, holding onto Sungyeol’s hand softly. “Sungyeollie, you know that was a joke, right? I’m just playing with you, it’s no problem to take you out for your birthday. You deserve good things.”

The younger man gave him a small smile. “I know. I’m just-- there’s a lot of things going on lately and sometimes I just wish I could hit the brakes; stop and slow things down for awhile so I can figure out what my next move is.”

“You can talk to me. About anything. You know that I’m here for you.”

“You’ve always been there for me Dongwoo. You’ve been a constant in my life and I really don’t know how I would have made it this long without you.”

“Then why won’t you tell me what’s going on with you?” Dongwoo rested his chin on his face, giving him a sad look. “Sungyeollie… I know you better than anyone. You’re my best friend. I can tell just by looking at you that there’s something really bothering you. You seem okay but… I don’t know. It just feels like there’s a part of you that holding yourself back from being truly happy.”

“I am trying Dongwoo. And some days are easier than others. I’m just… I’m doing the best I can.”

Dongwoo’s face pulled into a sad smile. “I can see that. What I’m trying to make you understand is that you don’t have to do it alone.”

Sungyeol wanted to scream that he wasn’t; that he had an amazing man to call his own, someone that took care of him and made it a point to see him smile every day. Myungsoo made his life better, made him want more and that realization scared him just as much as it excited him. He wanted a future with Myungsoo more than anything, but he was afraid of his friend’s reaction. He knew that Dongwoo would never judge him, and he knew that he would probably approve of Myungsoo, but he would be hurt by the lies. Devastated that Sungyeol had done something this big for this long behind his back. Not that he was required to get Dongwoo’s permission to date someone but… Dongwoo had always been there for him. And Dongwoo had never lied to him. Just thinking of the potential fall out made Sungyeol feel ill.

But Sungyeol also knew that the longer he waited to tell Dongwoo his secret, the worse it would be. It was his birthday; he should be able to share his excitement over his plans with his boyfriend with his best friend, instead of being worried that he’d give something away. He knew that what he was doing was wrong, and frankly he was starting to get tired of the charade.

Maybe it was time to start thinking about coming clean.

Right then and there, Sungyeol made his decision. If he wanted things to become more serious with Myungsoo, that meant he had to take responsibility for his actions. He had to own up to his friends and family, let them know he had met someone that he was falling for. The sooner he began to incorporate Myungsoo into his life, the sooner they could move forward together.

Tonight he would talk to Myungsoo, let him know he was ready to go public. But in order to do that, he needed one last favor from his best friend.

Dongwoo had already moved on from their previous conversation, filling the silence with mindless chatter about Sooyong and the baby’s milestones. It was one of the things that Sungyeol loved the most about Dongwoo; his ability to know when to let Sungyeol have a moment to gather his thoughts without pushing him too far. Deep down, he knew that even after he came clean, their friendship would be okay.

“Dongwoo.”

“I know, I mean even I was surprised that I found it so fascinating that Sooyong is able to pick up his blocks on his own when he wants them and bang them together. I mean, we had to switch over to rubber blocks instead of wood because the noise level was insane and we are hardly sleeping as it is but he’s just so cute--”

“No, I mean. That’s great. Sooyong is great. And while that may seem cute now, trust me; it’s not so great when he starts trying to throw the things he picks up. So make sure you keep any sharp objects far out of his reach. But I wanted to ask you something.”

“The advice is duly noted and ask me anything!”

“Do you think Jiseon could spend the night with you? There’s something I’ve got to do and I need someone I can trust to watch over her while I do it.”

“Something that will require your attention for the entire night?” Dongwoo subtly fished for information, but Sungyeol stuck to his guns.

“I doubt it will take that long but just in case; I don’t want her waiting up on me and it is a school night…”

“Sungyeol, of course Jiseonnie could stay with us! But you are going to have to give me something to work with here.”

“What if I promise that I’ll tell you everything tomorrow? I will answer all of your questions.”

“All of my questions?”

“Yes.”

“With no evasion?”

“Yes.”

“And no sudden changes of topic?”

Sungyeol threw a piece of bread across the table, making Dongwoo burst into giggles. “Yes! How many times do I have to say yes?”

“Enough times for me to believe you. And don’t think I’ll go easy on you tomorrow; I have a lot of burning questions that I’m just dying to ask.”

“Well lucky me,” Sungyeol said sarcastically.

“Don’t look so put out. You’re safe for now, birthday boy. And Jiseonnie is going to have a blast with her uncles tonight. So whatever it is you are going to do this evening, I wish you the best of luck.”

Sungyeol thanked him, grateful for the distraction of the food arriving; he was going to need all the luck he could get. But hopefully, with his decision to go public, he would make Myungsoo’s evening just as special as his boyfriend was planning to make it for him.

“You said you had a surprise for me?”

“You’re right.” Myungsoo pulled Sungyeol into his apartment, a wry grin on his face. Taking off his jacket, he lead Sungyeol to come sit at the island in his kitchen. Sungyeol sat up on the bar stool, looking at Myungsoo expectantly.

“Is the surprise going to be my present?” Sungyeol asked, resting his chin in his palm. “Because I’m pretty excited after you sent me that text saying that it would be the best present ever.”

Myungsoo smiled back at him, turning the lights on in the kitchen. “It will be the best present ever so you should definitely be excited.” He reached over to his refrigerator and pulled out a couple grocery bags filled with produce.

The more he brought out uncooked food, Sungyeol gasped. “No…” he said, grinning. “You’re not… cooking?”

“How did you guess?” Myungsoo asked, faking a look of scandalization. “And here I thought I could keep it a secret.”

Sungyeol winked at him. “You can't ever keep secrets from me, don't you know that? I figured you know that by now.”

“I should have known not to try to pull the wool over the great Lee Sungyeol’s eyes; especially on his birthday.” Myungsoo laughed to himself and pulled out fresh garlic from the bag to begin mincing it. “I figured that since you've been such a culinary inspiration in my life, I could demonstrate to you how much I appreciate it.”

“By cooking for me?” Sungyeol giggled, looking enamored. “I'm flattered, babe. What are you making?”

“That's a surprise too,” Myungsoo responded cheekily. He whipped out a pot from his cupboard and set it on the stove, turning a flame on underneath. “Because I’m full of surprises.”

“Of course you are, babe,” Sungyeol said, laughing. Myungsoo was so adorable when he was excited, Sungyeol could never get tired of it. “But that’s not going to stop me from asking what you’re trying to cook for me.”

Myungsoo winked at him. “I think you’ll be able to figure it out once I start cooking, baby.”

Sungyeol watched in amusement as Myungsoo started chopping and dicing up some garlic and onions and flinging them into the pot on the stove with some oil. He looked like a professional, the way he confidently buzzed around the kitchen, adding wine and tomatoes to the pot. As it reduced, Sungyeol got lost in the smells that were filling up Myungsoo’s cozy apartment very quickly.

“Fresh gnocchi?” Sungyeol said, impressed as Myungsoo brought out a plastic bag of freshly made pasta. “Where in the world did you get the time to make your own gnocchi?”

“Truth be told, I didn’t,” Myungsoo replied with a mischievous smile. “I had the chief make them for me last night. And I also had him teach me this recipe. I didn’t tell him why though.”

“You got Sunggyu to make you fresh pasta?” Sungyeol gaped. “I’m impressed -- the chief isn’t known to do favors for… unknown reasons.”

Myungsoo snickered. “Dongwoo is telling me that the chief already has a bias towards me which he thinks is unfair. I thought he was just being nice.”

“Sunggyu does appreciate a hard worker,” Sungyeol reasoned. He leaned forward, the undeniable admiration for Myungsoo sparkling in his eyes. “And so do I.”

“Believe me -- I’m the hardest worker around.”

“Oh good.” Sungyeol grinned. “Because you’ve caught my eye especially. And apparently the chief’s eye, too. You must be a really hard worker if he’s willing to do a favor for you.”

“Well, hey -- if you take out the I in chief, it spells chef. I’m assuming that’s how it works with Sunggyu. And besides, I live for being a diligent worker.”

Sungyeol laughed to himself and replied, “It’s one of the many reasons I find you extremely attractive.”

“Glad to know what attracts you to me.” Myungsoo sent a coy smile his way and it nearly sent chills up Sungyeol’s spine.

Sungyeol didn’t say anything back, instead he watched as Myungsoo finished preparing the dish. He watched carefully as Myungsoo finished mixing a pot of ingredients together and poured it into a baking pan. After covering the dish with a multitude of cheeses, he popped the pan into the oven and went to join Sungyeol out the counter.

“I’m very impressed,” Sungyeol told him under his breath, bringing him in for a soft kiss. “It’s not everyone who can pull off a baked gnocchi caprese in front of me.”

“See, I knew you’d figure it out,” Myungsoo laughed. He pulled Sungyeol’s hips closer, peppering short kisses on his mouth and face. “I had to practice making that for weeks before planning this. You have no idea how many times I thought about the process of this recipe instead of focusing.”

“Oh, really?” Sungyeol responded amusedly. “I didn’t realize you were so intent on cooking for me.”

“I had to give my special baby a special gift.” Myungsoo kissed him again, relishing in the giggle that Sungyeol let out. “And I figured since you used to send me recipes so that I could cook, it was only right that I gave back by cooking for you.”

Sungyeol responded with only more kisses and his hands gripping onto Myungsoo’s shirt. “Well, aren’t you just thoughtful? Have I ever told you that’s one of the many reasons I love you?”

“No. But it’s appreciated.” Myungsoo laughed.

Myungsoo pulled him in for a deep kiss, his hands roaming all over Sungyeol’s body as he nipped at his upper lip. Sungyeol smiled into the kiss before returning it with the same enthusiasm. Their kiss was filled with a subtle heat and longing that had them both craving more and more from each other. The way their hands touched sent a million sparks up Sungyeol’s spine all at once. He couldn’t recall the last time he had felt so thrilled from just kisses and touches. There was nothing in this apartment besides their kisses, their laughs and the smell of food baking and Sungyeol wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It wasn’t much of a birthday party, but it was perfect.

Sungyeol didn’t know how long they had stood still like that, just kissing, but before too long, a timer had gone off somewhere. Myungsoo pulled himself off, grinning a little goofily.

“That’s the food,” he said. “Better go pull it out before it burns.”

“Yeah,” Sungyeol agreed with a grin, biting his lower lip. “Wouldn’t want to burn your first fully cooked meal for me on my birthday, now would you?”

“Of course not.” Myungsoo winked as he pulled a pair of oven mitts on. “I would hate to disappoint you like that, baby. I’ve worked too hard for too long on this to burn it!” he laughed.

Sungyeol nodded, acknowledging his efforts. “You worked really hard, Myungsoo. And if it tastes as good as it looks, you may be getting a reward later.”

“Oh, a reward?” Myungsoo wiggled his eyebrows. “If we’re talking about some more free coffee and cupcakes then I’m totally in.”

“Yup, that’s definitely it.”

Chuckling to himself, Myungsoo walked over to his small dining table carefully with the steaming dish in his hands. He set onto the center of the table as he said, “Okay but if we’re being honest, I don’t need a reward at all. It’s your birthday so I’m more than happy to be doing this for you. Just having you here is a reward in itself.”

Sungyeol sat down in one of the seats, his fingers twiddling in anticipation. Myungsoo disappeared for a moment and came back with two glasses and a bottle of wine. “I have to say,” Sungyeol said as Myungsoo poured him a glass, “I’m pretty impressed. I don’t think anyone’s done this much for my birthday before. Well, not as my boyfriend anyways.”

“I don’t understand why,” Myungsoo mused as he plated up some of the caprese for the two of them. “Anyone would be lucky to have you in their life. I know I am.” He sat down, taking Sungyeol’s hand in his own.

“And I’m just as lucky to have you,” Sungyeol replied, his eyes twinkling as he smiled. “I’m really happy we met, Myungsoo. You wouldn’t believe how much it’s changed my life.”

Myungsoo smiled at him. “I could absolutely say the same.” He raised his wine glass. “Let me make a toast -- to us and our future.”

Sungyeol nodded as he clinked their glasses together gently. “To our future together.” He peered over the top of his glass as he sipped, staring intently at Myungsoo.

“I know that I just cooked for you and you’re just itching to dig in,” Myungsoo said suddenly, “but before we eat I really wanted to take this time to say thank you.”

Knitting his eyebrows, Sungyeol tilted his head in question. “Thank you for what?”

“Since it’s your birthday I just want to thank you -- so, so much -- for being the person to make my life better. I’ve never had anyone just come into my life so casually, only to flip it upside-down without a warning. I’ve never met anybody so genuine and so willing to help welcome me to a place I wasn’t familiar with.”

“There’s no need to thank me for that,” Sungyeol giggled lightly. “That’s just common courtesy.”

“It might be, but baby, look what it’s done for us. It’s brought us together in ways that I couldn’t have dreamed of when I moved down here. You’re practically my everything, Sungyeol, you’re my entire present right now. And I can’t imagine my future without you.”

Sungyeol smiled, feeling that familiar warmth rising in his cheeks. “I would be lying if I said that I didn’t want a future with you,” he admitted.

The wide grin and eye-smile that appeared on Myungsoo’s face were so exuberant and filled with radiance. “You know, when I moved to San Jose I didn’t think I would be getting into a serious relationship. But here I am.” With a final smile, he said, “Let’s eat now. We shouldn’t let the food get cold.

“Agreed,” Sungyeol chuckled. “You know, I had started this year wanting a serious relationship,” he admitted with a soft smile as he picked up his fork. “I was hoping things would change for me since I hadn’t been a relationship in a while. With all the guys Dongwoo set me up with though, I was starting to think that I was destined to be single.” He laughed to himself. “And then you showed up out of nowhere.”

Myungsoo chuckled at the memory. “Who would have thought we’d end up right here together? I won’t lie, Sungyeol -- spending the rest of my life of you would be the greatest thing to ever happen to me besides you. You’re the only person I can really see myself growing old with.”

Dinner continued in the same romantic and warm manner. Sungyeol could have counted the million and a half smiles and glances they gave each other, but he was too busy feeling his heart swell by the second. The food Myungsoo had made was amazing and the feeling of a warm stomach and warm chest made it all that much better. They ate until they were full, and even then, the baking dish was still half full. But a half full baking dish was the least of their worries when they just began to talk to each other. Even if they didn’t eat for long, they spent at least another hour just sipping wine and talking to each other. It felt warm and comfortable, and they wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“You should probably get going now,” Myungsoo said as he finished the rest of the wine in his glass. “It’s getting late and I don’t want you to drive home when it’s too dark.”

Sungyeol stared at what was left of his wine as he swirled it around in his glass. “I don’t want to go yet,” he sighed.

“I don’t want you to go yet either,” Myungsoo said, standing up to put away the wine bottle. “But for safety reasons, I would rather you leave now than later.”

As Myungsoo walked past him, Sungyeol reached out quickly and grabbed the hem of his shirt. “Myungsoo,” he said suddenly, staring up at him with sparkling, brown eyes. “Listen, I was thinking and…”

“Yes?” Myungsoo prompted, raising his eyebrow.

“I was thinking that I could actually… maybe spend the night?” he finished softly, biting his lip.

Confusion and surprise flickered quickly across Myungsoo’s eyes before he broke out into a soft smile. He went back to his seat and set the wine bottle down. “You want to spend the night here?”

Sungyeol nodded. “Yeah. I do. If that’s okay with you that is.”

There seemed to be a new spark of desire that was forming in the air as Myungsoo nodded and softly replied, “That’s completely okay with me.”

Sungyeol blushed, picking up the wine bottle and his glass. “Maybe we should finish this off in your room?” He might have needed a little liquid courage, to build up the will to start his real confession to Myungsoo. The night had been going so well and Myungsoo had given him every indication that he wanted to really build a future with him. As soon as Sungyeol got these stupid secrets out of the way, the sooner they could truly be happy.

Myungsoo led the way to his bedroom, somewhat eager and a tad bit scared as well. He wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen next, but he knew he was ready to try anything with Sungyeol. Once they got settled on his bed he refilled both of their glasses, pulling Sungyeol into his arms for a hug. He kissed the top of his head, whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

“You know, you really might be the most beautiful person I’ve ever met,” Myungsoo admitted. He sat up in shock when Sungyeol’s response was a bark of laughter. “What? You find my opinion funny?”

“You’re just such a sweet talker, Myungsoo.”

“Hey, I’m being serious!” Myungsoo defended himself. “I’ll never forget that first day I saw you standing behind the counter at Sarang’s. You looked so happy and you were so genuinely helpful. You made me feel welcome, like I was at home. You have no idea how special, how important that was to me. From almost that first moment we met, I felt safe with you. So falling for you was… just natural.”

Sungyeol sat up to meet Myungsoo’s eyes, setting down his wine glass at the serious tone in Myungsoo’s voice. “It was natural for me too,” he confessed, reaching for Myungsoo’s hand. “I had been meeting up with other people, going on dates that I didn’t enjoy. It wasn’t until that day that you kissed me that I realized it was because I was wishing I was going on dates with you. I ended up comparing all those guys to you. I found a reason to turn each of them down for the simple fact that they didn’t make me feel half as special as you do.”

“I’m glad. Even if my intentions were pure; I really did enjoy our friendship and I loved supporting your business. But getting to know you on a deeper level… amplified all those thoughts I couldn’t stop myself from having about you.”

“Thoughts like what?”

“That you were gorgeous, that you made me laugh, that you made me want to try new things and become a better man. Talking to you at the end of my day wasn’t enough. I wanted to see you more often, I wanted to know how you were doing and what your life was really like. It was like one day I woke up and realized that you were the most important thing in my life… that you made me happier than anything else. That’s when I knew that friendship wasn’t enough, that I needed to be closer to you.”

Myungsoo paused, his lips before shyly looking into his boyfriend’s eyes. “Sungyeol… being with you… loving you… it was necessary. Like breathing.”

Sungyeol’s heart clenched in his chest, his eyes welling up with emotion. “Myungsoo…”

“I love you Sungyeol. I love you, with everything that I am and everything I can be,” Myungsoo confessed confidently, no longer afraid to admit his feelings. He knew Sungyeol was the one for him, and he wanted Sungyeol to know that.

“I love you too Myungsoo. You don’t even realize- I never thought-” Sungyeol got choked up, reaching up to pull his boyfriend’s face closer. “I thought falling in love was something that just happened to other people. I never dreamed that it would happen to me. But you’re here and you’re my dream come true. I’ll never stop loving you, I’ll never stop needing you.”

Myungsoo let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, a happy laughter taking over him. Sungyeol loved him back, and they were in this thing together. He kissed him, trying to convey how happy he felt, how much he wanted this too.

It might have started out innocent but within moments Sungyeol was pulling Myungsoo on top of him, laying himself down on the bed. Myungsoo fit in between his legs so easily, pressing their bodies as close together as possible. He kissed Sungyeol’s lips, his neck, anywhere he could see that soft, smooth skin.

“Myungsoo-” Sungyeol breathed out, his hands clenching on Myungsoo’s back. “I want you. I want-” He paused, when Myungsoo a stripe up his neck. “I want everything.”

Myungsoo pulled back from his perch on top of him, looking into Sungyeol’s wide eyes. “We don’t have to- it’s whatever you want.” He tried to give his boyfriend the out, even though he wanted to take that next step more than anything; his body screaming for him to touch and taste all those parts of Sungyeol that he never dared to let himself dream about.

“I want this. And I want you.” Sungyeol smiled at him, letting all the negative thoughts he had drift away, getting lost in the beauty of Myungsoo’s eyes. He knew that he should tell Myungsoo the truth, that he should put everything out on the table about his past and his present before taking this big of a step with Myungsoo. But Myungsoo’s fingers were drawing circles on his hip and his lips were leaving the sweetest kisses on his body and everything else seemed to cease to matter in the prospect of finally becoming one with Myungsoo.

Myungsoo needed to ask one more time, determined to make sure he wasn’t pressuring Sungyeol even if he knew that the both of them had been wanting this for a long time. “Are you sure?”

Sungyeol held his gaze, his sincerity and his desire shining in his eyes. “I’m sure of you.”

They kept the lights on, taking each piece of clothing off slowly, drinking in the sight of each other. Myungsoo kissed away Sungyeol’s worries, guiding him with sure and steady hands, preparing him slowly to ensure that he gave Sungyeol every ounce of pleasure that he deserved.

It was the most intimate thing Sungyeol had ever experienced, feeling Myungsoo inside of him while he confessed his love for him.

He had expected this moment to make him feel overwhelmed, but instead it made him feel free. He had finally given Myungsoo every part of his body; his heart included.

And when they laid together in the aftermath, bodies slick with sweat and smiles permanently etched onto their faces, Sungyeol thought he had never felt so happy.

“Baby, wake up!”

Hoya blinked blearily, the sound of his husband’s voice pulling him from his nap. He had put Sooyong down to bed hours ago and he was planning on catching up on some television shows, but apparently his body had decided that a nap on the couch was more important. The doctor was quite enjoying the unexpected sleep, and resisted Dongwoo’s charms to rouse him from it.

Of course his husband huffed at his stubbornness, standing with his hands on his hips as he glared down at him. “Well, I don’t know what to do darling. I’ve tried everything I can do to get him up! Maybe if he got a kiss from a princess, he’d wake up!”

“Like Sleeping Beauty, but better because the girl saves the day!” A little voice rang out, and Hoya had to hide his smile as he immediately knew who it was. But it was much more fun to play along with the game than it would be to get up without a fuss.

“Just like Sleeping Beauty! Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Okay, here I go!” Hoya heard the excited little footsteps run in his direction, and a tiny soft hand cup his face. “Please wake up Uncle Hoya!” Jiseon begged, giving him a peck on his cheek. Hoya made a show of stretching and yawning, before looking at the little girl.

He glanced down at his watch and threw a huge smile at her. “I can’t believe how late it is! I only wanted to sleep for a little while… how lucky was I to have a princess come over and save me?”

Jiseon giggled, jumping up next to him on the couch to give him a big hug. “Very lucky!”

“And to what do I owe this surprise? And for how long do I get to spend time with my favorite girl?” Hoya asked, scooting over on the couch to make room for his husband next to him.

“Why don’t you tell him the news, Jiseonnie?”

She grinned, waving her hands around excitedly. “Daddy said that I get to have a slumber party with my uncles tonight! We can watch The Good Dinosaur and make dinner together and play with Sooyongie! It’ll be sooooo much fun!”

Dongwoo waved the plastic DVD case next to Hoya. “I already got the movie from Redbox. So now all we have to do is let Jiseonnie pick out what she wants for dinner! Want to go look in the kitchen with me?”

“Yes! I’ll even help you cook, Daddy says I’m a really good helper in the kitchen, I promise,” she finished smartly, hopping off the couch and smoothing down her outfit.

“I’m sure you are,” Hoya agreed, patting her on the head. “Right now Sooyong is taking a nap, but I’m sure he’ll wake up again before dinner time, so you’ll get a chance to play with him. I’ll set up the movie for us in here so we can watch it once you guys decide on dinner.”

“Okay!” Jiseon agreed, bouncing over to hold the blonde’s hand. “I’m ready, Uncle Dongwoo!”

“I’m not ready yet!” Dongwoo pouted, and Jiseon’s eyebrows pinched together in concern.
 

“But why?”

“Because I haven’t got a kiss from my prince yet!” Dongwoo complained, winking in Hoya’s direction.

Jiseon covered to try to hide her giggles. “You’re silly, Uncle Dongwoo.”

“Hey, I prefer romantic.”

“Whether you’re silly or romantic -- I’m just glad you’re mine,” Hoya charmed him, pulling him close for a kiss. “And I didn’t forget about my princess either!”

Jiseon beamed, turning up her face so Hoya could return the kiss on her cheek. She bounded off to the kitchen, leaving the married couple on their own.

“Can I have another kiss for the road?” Dongwoo asked, and Hoya quickly obliged him.

“Everything okay with Sungyeol? You know I’m thrilled about spending time with Jiseon, but he’s not really the type for an impromptu sleepover.”

Dongwoo shrugged his shoulders. “To be quite honest, I’m not really sure. He seemed a little off during his birthday lunch, but he promised me that he’d tell me everything tomorrow. He said he had something he needed to take care of tonight first, which is why he wanted us to watch over Jiseon.”

Hoya nodded in understanding. “I see. So I guess you were right this time; he has been keeping secrets. Any idea what about?”

The blonde shook his head. “We’ve always told each other everything, so the thought of him needing to hide something from me… I don’t know. I can’t think of what he’d be afraid to admit to me, or a reason why he would feel he couldn’t be honest with me. It really bothers me…”

Hoya kissed him again, his fingers through his soft hair to calm him. “Hey; don’t beat yourself up about the situation. Whatever this is about and whatever Sungyeol’s motivations are… you’ll know by tomorrow. So there’s no use thinking about it tonight. Let’s have a wonderful evening with our son and our favorite little girl. No more worrying or frowning, baby. You’ll get wrinkles and you’re way too cute for wrinkles.”

Dongwoo laughed, looping an arm around Hoya’s waist. They made their way to the kitchen together, his heart already feeling less troubled over his impending conversation with his best friend.

Despite whatever Sungyeol had to tell him, Dongwoo knew it would be okay because he would always have his husband there to help him through it.

When Sungyeol first woke up in the morning, he couldn’t help but feel confused for a moment. The bed he was in was unfamiliar but warm, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his midsection. It was then that all the memories of the past evening came rushing back to him, overwhelming him in a rush of complicated feelings.

On one hand it was unbelievably exciting, getting to wake up in Myungsoo’s embrace like this. Even if they had messed around before, they had never even gotten close to doing something as intense as this. Last night Sungyeol had let the passion of the moment overtake him, let kissing turn into a whole nother thing altogether. He didn’t have the presence of mind to be insecure; he was always worried that he would be nervous to be completely and vulnerable with his boyfriend, but he was too happy to hear Myungsoo say ‘I love you’ to focus on much else.

Deep down he had always known that Myungsoo would take care of him in the bedroom, that he would be gentle and patient, and last night had only proved his suspicions to be true. He couldn’t feel worried when Myungsoo was guiding him, showing him how much he loved him with every tender touch and soft kiss.

had always been a big deal to Sungyeol. No matter how desperate or lonely he felt over the years, he was never the type to find comfort in the arms of a stranger. He knew he was the type to get attached, that the act in itself was important and he never wanted to share such an intimate part of himself with someone who didn’t care about him.

But Myungsoo did care about him, probably more than anyone he had ever known. He had always thought that the expression of making love was something that was reserved for romance novels but after last night… he realized just how accurate the saying was. Before they had slept together he knew without a doubt that he was in love with Myungsoo but now… all the butterflies in his stomach wouldn’t stop fluttering. All the feelings of desire and love he felt for his boyfriend had been amplified.

After what they had done, he knew their bond was stronger than ever.

That thought, that their relationship was solid enough to withstand anything, made it easy to push down any feelings of regret he had. Not for being intimate with Myungsoo, after the pleasure he felt he doubted he could ever truly regret making that decision, but for not telling him the whole truth about his situation before they slept together. He truly had every intention of coming clean but once clothes started coming off and hands started wandering he couldn’t think straight, let alone introduce such a serious topic of conversation.

But he resolved to just focus on the moment, to be here and present in the now with his boyfriend. The sun was pouring in through the window and Myungsoo was right behind him; kissing him good morning as they laced their fingers together.

“Did you sleep well?” Myungsoo murmured, his bedhead managing to make him appear even more adorable.

“Mhmm.” Sungyeol turned around so they could lay face to face, his hands settling naturally on Myungsoo’s waist. “Did you?”

“I don’t have any complaints. In fact, I think waking up to you is something I will never get used to. It just feels so nice to have you here, in bed with me. I’ve wanted this for awhile but… I didn’t let myself linger on it. I didn’t want to pressure you-”

“You didn’t, Myungsoo. I meant it when I said that I was this too. All of this and all of you. It felt right to wake up here, in your arms.”

Myungsoo grinned, pulling Sungyeol closer. “Good. I’m glad.” He looked away shyly, pushing the hair out of Sungyeol’s face. “But it was worth the wait?”

Sungyeol quirked an eyebrow, his own lips moving into a smile. “I thought I made it pretty clear last night that you were doing an amazing job.”

“I’m surprised you still have a voice after all that screaming you did…” Sungyeol’s face turned completely red, his arm reaching back to grab a pillow and whack Myungsoo. His boyfriend started laughing, taking the attack in stride. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.”

“You better be.” Sungyeol threatened, returning to Myungsoo’s embrace. He wasn’t truly mad; it was actually kind of nice to be playful and open like this with his boyfriend. He had never experienced a morning after with someone he was in love with, and he found that he liked the easygoing banter and heated memories of what they had done together.

“Seriously though. You were perfect last night. I loved all the noises you made because it let me know that you were enjoying what we were doing as much as I was. It was really y. You are really y.” Myungsoo clarified, his fingers tracing down Sungyeol’s .

“You really think so?”

“I know so.” Myungsoo insisted, his hand pulling Sungyeol closer to press their hips together. “Don’t you believe me?” He said cheekily, knowing that Sungyeol could fully feel just how much he wanted him.

“Maybe you should show me…” Sungyeol teased, wrapping a leg around Myungsoo’s to entice him.

“We do have to get out of this bed today.” Myungsoo reminded him, although he was already pushing Sungyeol to his back, getting settled between his legs.

Sungyeol glanced over at the clock, before setting his sights back on Myungsoo. “We both do have to get to work soon so you better make the time count.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

Sungyeol started laughing, shaking his head. “You’re lucky you’re so hot, because your lines still haven’t got any better.”

Myungsoo leaned down, connecting their lips in a deep kiss. Just when Sungyeol started to get lost in it, he pulled away. He enjoyed seeing the pouty look on his boyfriend’s face, especially in a moment like this. “More like I’m lucky to be here with you. And I’m definitely going to give you a reason to think about me for the rest of day.”

Sungyeol closed his eyes, letting Myungsoo take the lead and sweep him away. The rest of the world and its problems could wait; right now, the only thing that mattered was being with Myungsoo.

A/N:

I know it’s been a thousand years since we updated, but we return with a chapter of fluff! Love is in the air! Sungyeol got a birthday wish he wasn’t quite expecting (y times!) but I don’t think he is complaining! Now that Myungsoo and Sungyeol have taken that big step and have been intimate, things are definitely going to change between them! Time will tell if it’s for better or worse… stick around to find out! Comment and tell us what you thought!

♥rayquin×