Jiyong woke up to an empty bed, which made him pout, before he heard the sound of water running in the bathroom, which made him smile. A few moments later, Seunghyun emerged from the bathroom, looking disheveled and all kinds of warm and fluffy and comfortable in his pajamas. He watched as Seunghyun lazily sauntered padded back to bed. Jiyong shifted to lie on his side when Seunghyun was almost at the edge of the bed and smiled. Seunghyun noticed that Jiyong was awake then and smiled back.

 

"Looking for me?" Seunghyun teased, climbing into bed.

 

Jiyong pretended to roll his eyes but couldn't hide the grin on his face.

 

"Good morning," Seunghyun leaned over and kissed Jiyong on the lips.

 

"Happy birthday," Jiyong said back when Seunghyun pulled away.

 

Seunghyun huffed a breath of laugh, looking down at Jiyong. "That was probably the hundredth time you've wished me a happy birthday."

 

"Happy birthday." Jiyong said it again, teasing with a gummy smile and felt good about it when Seunghyun smiled and leaned down to kiss him again. The kiss wasn't consuming or ual, but it wasn't chaste either. It was something else, something that made Jiyong's heart skip. Subconsciously, he began to kiss Seunghyun back fervently.

 

When they parted a few moments after, Seunghyun was frowning down at him. Jiyong noticed the hint of worry in Seunghyun's eyes.

 

"You look worried," Seunghyun accused, a hand brushing the side of Jiyong's face.

 

"No, I don't." Jiyong frowned back. "You look worried."

 

"I'm worried because you look worried."

 

Jiyong bit the inside of his cheek. "I'm worried about you all the time."

 

Seunghyun smile softly. "Jiyong.."

 

"What? It's true." Jiyong shifted and sat up, crossed his legs in front Seunghyun. "Because the one thing that I want is for you to be happy."

 

"Jiyong.."

 

"And sometimes, I think - no, I know - that you don't believe that." Jiyong scooted closer, almost halfway into Seunghyun's lap. "Hyung, look at me." Jiyong slid a hand against the side of Seunghyun's neck, nudging him to look at Jiyong in the eyes. "I want you to believe that. Please believe that. I do want you to be happy. I would do anything to make you happy."

 

"Jiyong.."

 

"I swear I would." Jiyong whispered, leaning in and pressed their forehead together before pressing a soft chaste kiss against Seunghyun's lips.

 

"Jiy-"

 

"Hyung, say something else." Jiyong interrupted, moving even more into Seunghyun's personal space and locked his armed around Seunghyun's neck. Seunghyun's warm hands on his hips keeping him in place.

 

"-I love you." Seunghyun continued in barely a whisper.

 

Jiyong froze and felt his heart began to gradually thump harder. Words escaped him.

 

Whenever Seunghyun confessed like this, he always found Jiyong's reactions amusing. Like right now, as Jiyong pulled away, he watched as Jiyong looked right back at him with big deer eyes and cheeks reddening ever so slightly. And Seunghyun loved to tease when Jiyong got like this. So he continued with his confession.

 

"I know that you want me to be happy. And I know that you would do anything to make me happy." Seunghyun held Jiyong's gaze. "And I know that you love me back."

 

Jiyong looked away. His cheeks are so warm he thought he must've looked like a tomato right now. His gaze dropped from Seunghyun's eyes to Seunghyun's chin, Seunghyun's shoulder, Seunghyun's ear, Seunghyun's other ear, to somewhere over Seunghyun's shoulder, everywhere else except back up at Seunghyun's eyes.

 

Seunghyun began to laugh. "Why are you acting like this is the first time I said I love you?" Seunghyun took Jiyong's hands into his and ducked his head to catch Jiyong's eyes again but Jiyong turned the other way every time, shaking his head, hiding his face under his bangs.

 

Jiyong was fully aware that he was blushing furiously. Even more so when Seunghyun pulled him into a hug, feeling more than hearing Seunghyun's laugh vibrating against his cheek pressed against the hard chest. God, he loved it when Seunghyun laughed.

 

Seunghyun rocked Jiyong gently in his arms. "Look, I know I may not say it often, and it flusters you when I do."

 

Jiyong groaned against Seunghyun's chest.

 

"You probably want me to say it more." Seunghyun laughed again when Jiyong shook his head, mumbling a "No, I'm good!" into Seunghyun's shoulder. "But saying it less doesn't mean that I love you less."

 

Jiyong groaned again. Could Seunghyun stop this mushy confession and let his cheeks cool down? His heart was already going to beat out of his ribcage.

 

"And I don't mind if you don't say it back. I just want to make sure that you know." Seunghyun pulled Jiyong away at arms length and Jiyong still kept his gaze away until Seunghyun nudged his chin to look back up into Seunghyun's eyes.

 

Jiyong thought if eyes had languages, he swore Seunghyun's spoke one. And whatever they were saying, Jiyong somehow understood and nodded.

 

Seunghyun smiled. "Also," Seunghyun continued and Jiyong rolled his eyes. Just when he thought Seunghyun was done and he could save some embarrassment for other occasions. "I want you to know," Seunghyun cupped Jiyong's face in his hands, "that you're blushing." Seunghyun pointed out, eyes twinkling with mischievousness.

 

That's it. Jiyong spluttered, pushing Seunghyun away. "No, I'm not!" He crawled out of bed with haste, pushing a laughing Seunghyun to the side so that he could escape to the bathroom.

 

"Shut up!" Jiyong knew he was blushing, Seunghyun didn't have to point it out. But he was always embarrassed when Seunghyun caught him blushing. Even after so many years, Seunghyun could make him blush easily and Seunghyun was a er for a blushing Jiyong.

 

Seunghyun thought a blushing Jiyong was pretty and also a confession in itself. He lied back onto his back, spread eagle across the bed, smiling like an idiot, satisfied with himself.

 

"Of course I'm blushing, you idiot!" Came the retort from the bathroom.

 

Seunghyun's laugh trailed into a whispered confession to himself.

 

"Yeah, I'm happy."

 

 

**********