“Just put your bag wherever, it doesn’t matter,” Sungyeol says as they walk into his apartment about an hour later. Luna had been suspiciously happy when Myungsoo had told her where he was going but he brushed it off (the cat is crazy after all).

 

“What do you want to eat?” Sungyeol then questions, turning on the lamps that were scattered throughout the living room. “I can order pizza if you want.”

 

Myungsoo finds himself his lips at the sentence. Pizza sounded super good right about now.

 

Sungyeol laughs quietly and reaches over, ruffling Myungsoo’s hair. “Pizza it is.”

 

Myungsoo’s face flushes but he refrains from slapping Sungyeol’s hand away because he likes the touch. Likes Sungyeol’s touch. He’s always been one for skinship, it’s about time someone returned the favor.

 

Sungyeol’s already pulling out his laptop from under the couch, sitting down. “If your tastes haven’t changed...plain pepperoni?” he grins. “I also have some soju in one of the cabinets, my parents apparently think I’m responsible enough to know how much to drink and when to do it.,” he replies, glancing up. “I think a few shots would do you good, personally.”

 

“I-I’m fine,” Myungsoo mutters, hesitantly sitting down beside him. The first (and last) time he had had soju didn’t exactly work out too well. His parents were having some party celebrating something or another that Myungsoo didn’t bother to learn about, and there was alcohol. Lots of it, in fact. You know the saying, right? Curiosity kills the cat.

 

Ten shots later brought Myungsoo giggling drunkenly into his phone, talking about a hundred miles a minute to a confused and sleepy Sungjong, who had promptly hung up on him, telling him he was going to kill him in his sleep one day for waking him up.

 

He’d been talking to the dialtone for at least most of that phone call.

 

And then he had spent the majority of that night in his bathroom, throwing up in the toilet with the worst headache ever. He swore to never drink again.

 

“Cute!” Sungyeol ruffles his hair again and Myungsoo lets out a noise of surprise, eyes widening. “Now I just want to see you drunk even more, I bet you’re adorable.” The grin on Sungyeol’s face is so wide Myungsoo’s afraid he’s going to....hurt something.

 

“I am not,” Myungsoo says under his breath, crossing his arms.

 

Sungyeol rolls his eyes. “Pizza will be here in about half an hour,” he replies, gently closing his laptop and sliding it back under the couch. “We can...do whatever, until then. I don’t want to get you extremely drunk, Myungsoo-yah, I just think it’ll make you loosen up. Maybe a shot or two, that’s all, and I’ll even drink with you.” He’s pleading and Myungsoo frowns, biting his lower lip.

 

He’s beginning to think he’ll never be able to say no to Sungyeol and he doesn’t like the feeling. “Two shots and that’s it,” he says. “No more.”

 

Sungyeol laughs and stands up, nodding. “Two and only two, coming right up.” He disappears into the kitchen and Myungsoo keeps his eyes glued to the coffee table in front of him, biting his lip again.

 

Sungyeol won’t do anything, right?

 

 

 

He hears a sigh and Sungyeol comes back with two shot glasses and a bottle of soju. “Do you not even trust me? I won’t take advantage of you, I never would. But if you want to get to know me then you need to stop being so...tense around me,” Sungyeol points out. “I expect it, yes, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”

 

Myungsoo grimaces, guilt clenching at his chest. “I-I’m sorry, I...” His voice falters. “Pour me one.” The words tumble out before he can even stop him but he doesn’t care.

 

Sungyeol does so, that grin coming back. He then pours another one, lifting the glass.

 

Myungsoo grabs the other one and does the same.

 

“To a great night,” Sungyeol toasts, clinking their glasses together. He drowns the shot, tilting his head back.

 

Myungsoo swallows and drinks the shot, immediately grimacing and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

 

The soju burns down his throat and settles into his stomach. He shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. “That was....something.”

 

He prays and hopes he doesn’t throw up.

 

Sungyeol chuckles. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He lays a hand on Myungsoo’s knee, squeezing. “I can get you some water?” It comes out more like a question than a statement and Myungsoo finds the way his voice slightly cracks cute.

 

Cute.

 

He really is going insane.

 

“Water’s good.” He clears his throat to say. “Tomorrow’s...Saturday, isn’t it?” He hadn’t really been thinking about the date earlier, he had just shoved random things into his bag, along with his school uniform.

 

Sungyeol pauses in thought, then nods. “Guess so. This week went by fast,” he muses. “If...you want, you can stay over the weekend,” he says slowly, as if he’s choosing his words carefully. “I know what it feels like to live alone, it’s nice to have some company every once in a while.” His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes like it usually does and Myungsoo can’t help but frown.

 

“S-sure,” he says quietly. “My brother’s only home at night anyway, if he even is at home.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Luna—”

 

“She’s welcome whenever she wants since pets are allowed, although I don’t see her jumping a few floors to get up here,” Sungyeol laughs.

 

Myungsoo nods and they sit in silence. It’s not awkward or uncomfortable like they usually are, it’s actually pretty nice. Myungsoo likes it.

 

The pizza soon arrives and Myungsoo feels absolutely starving. He realizes he actually hasn’t eaten much the past few days and he guesses he has this whole Sailor Moon business to blame.

 

He wolfs down a few slices, only pausing to take a sip of water. Sungyeol had given him at least two more shots (more than he had wanted, but it doesn’t matter) and he actually feels sort of happy.

 

Sungyeol laughs. “Still with that appetite, huh?” he questions with a raised eyebrow. “Your stomach was never ending and yet you never gained any weight, I guess some things really don’t change.” He smiles, reaching over to mess up Myungsoo’s hair.

 

Normally, Myungsoo would’ve slapped it away or yelled at Sungyeol to stop touching his hair, but he finds himself letting out a giggle instead, his face flushed and he can’t tell if it’s from the soju or Sungyeol’s touch.

 

He thinks it might be from the soju.

 

“Hyung, what do you like about me?” The question kind of blurts out of Myungsoo’s mouth before he can realize what he had just asked, along with the name. He’s never once called Sungyeol hyung, or even thought of him as such, why—

 

Sungyeol looks just as surprised as Myungsoo is, but he chuckles as his lips quirk upwards. “The only way to get you to call me hyung is to get you drunk, is that it?” He seems very amused by this (Myungsoo, on the other hand, is definitely not), and his gums are showing as he laughs again.

 

“I didn’t-—just answer me!” Myungsoo exclaims, taking a very large gulp of his water. He only had three shots, is his tolerance seriously this low?

 

Maybe he had eaten too fast, that was it.

 

“What do I like about you?” Sungyeol repeats, humming in thought. “Your curly hair.” He ruffles Myungsoo’s hair again at this (Myungsoo doesn’t see why, his hair is a ing menace when he doesn’t wake up early to straighten it—like it is now). “Your eyes, your smile...I could just say everything about you, you know,” he points out with a grin.

 

A shiver runs through Myungsoo’s body. “That is so cheesy,” he says under his breath.

 

“I guess I learned a thing or two from Woohyun hyung.” Sungyeol shrugs his shoulders with a small smile.

 

Of course. Woohyun.

 

Myungsoo frowns, biting his lower lip. “What else, then?” he asks as he looks up, making sure to stare right into Sungyeol’s eyes.

 

He swears he imagines it, but Sungyeol’s face is slightly red. “I just told you, everything,” Sungyeol replies, crossing his arms and is he pouting?

 

Myungsoo can’t help but smile. “Ah~ you look so cute, Sungyeollie,” he murmurs, lifting a hand to pinch Sungyeol’s cheek, but it freezes in the air as he realizes what the hell he’s about to do.

 

What the is happening to him?

 

That soju had to have had something in it, it’s the only explanation for him acting this way.

 

A large smile is on Sungyeol’s face, one Myungsoo is pretty sure he has never seen before, and he blinks in confusion. (He wants to see it more often.)

 

“You’d always call me Sungyeollie. Back then,” Sungyeol says quietly. “It’s just...been a while since I’ve heard it. I like it.” His smile widens even more.

 

Now Myungsoo knows he’s the one blushing. “Sungyeollie.” He clears his throat, tilting his head. “Sungyeollie,” he repeats, the nickname sounding a bit strange coming from his lips, but he thinks he could get used to it. “Sungyeollie...”

 

“S-stop,” Sungyeol blurts with wide eyes, shaking his head.

 

Myungsoo frowns. “I thought you said you liked it?” he asks. And he’s the one giving mixed signals?

 

“Oh, I do,” Sungyeol rushes to explain. “It just...I...” His voice falters and Myungsoo actually wishes he could read Sungyeol’s mind for a change.

 

Sungyeol laughs lightly. “No, you really don’t,” he replies as he shakes his head again. He then bites his lower lip and he actually looks nervous, something Myungsoo doesn’t think he’s ever been before..

 

“What?” Myungsoo keeps his frown.

 

He almost yelps when a hand grabs his chin and tilts it up so their eyes are meeting. He swallows, extremely confused at the moment. What is Sungyeol doing?

 

Sungyeol begins leaning forward and that’s when the alarms start ringing in Myungsoo’s head.

 

But he’s frozen, he can’t move away as Sungyeol’s gets closer and closer and—

 

Sungyeol lets out a small groan, backing away. “I can’t do this, not with you barely remembering anything.” His voice quietens. “I’m sorry. You’re free to hit me or even leave, if you want, I shouldn’t  have even thought about doing that.”

 

All Myungsoo can do is blink again. He thinks he had wanted Sungyeol to really kiss him, and the thought makes his face blush a nice and bright shade of red.

 

Sungyeol stares at him in what looks like disbelief but Myungsoo’s not too sure. “You do?”

 

Myungsoo just shrugs, his mouth suddenly deciding to fail on him. “I-I don’t know,” he mumbles, hands playing with the hem of his shirt.

 

Sungyeol smiles. “That’ll be for another time, then,” he replies. “When you’re more comfortable with me. And have more memories besides...” His sentence trails off but Myungsoo can finish it just fine.

 

Besides Sungyeol dying in his arms.

 

Just the thought causes him to wince.

 

“Yeah,” he says quietly, biting his lower lip. “Um.” He clears his throat, wanting to change the subject, but he has no idea what else to talk about.

 

“It’s getting kind of late...” Sungyeol muses, looking up at the clock hung above the television. “I can put the pizza in the fridge and we can eat leftovers,” he replies, standing up. “And you can sleep as late as you want, you know. I don’t think pizza and soju count enough for a first date, so we can have a real one tomorrow,” he adds, closing the pizza box and grabbing the soju bottle and shot glasses, walking to the kitchen.

 

Myungsoo nods, although he knows Sungyeol can’t see it. “I brought my own pillows and blankets, this time, so you don’t have to get me any.” He had almost forgotten about the duffel bag beside the door until he spots it out of the corner of his eye.

 

Sungyeol lets out a noise, and Myungsoo hears the sound of the refrigerator door shutting. “Alright. Feel free to shower, do whatever. I mean it when I say to make yourself at home, Myungsoo-yah,” he says.

 

Myungsoo finds himself blushing again but he nods his head another time, eyes glued to the floor.

 

“Goodnight, princess.” Sungyeol’s hand lifts his chin up again and Myungsoo almost starts at the nickname. Part of him had indeed wondered why Sungyeol had suddenly stopped calling him that but—

 

“Sweet dreams.” Sungyeol smiles, and he leans down.

 

The next thing Myungsoo knows, Sungyeol’s lips brush against his cheek but they’re gone before he even knows it.

 

Myungsoo only sees Sungyeol’s back as he disappears down the hall and he hesitantly raises a hand to his cheek, swallowing.

 

Maybe it isn’t too soon for love, after all.

 

“Where are we going? Our parents are going to kill us if they find out we’re missing,” Myungsoo hisses out as Sungyeol’s hand is wrapped tightly around his wrist, dragging him through the large gardens of the Kingdom.

 

“Shh.” Sungyeol puts a finger to his lips. “They have bodyguards at every corner of that party, I wouldn’t be surprised if they put them around this damn place somewhere too.” He lets out a sigh and finally comes to a stop, Myungsoo unable to control the yelp that he lets out once he bumps into Sungyeol’s back.

 

Sungyeol turns around to slam his hand onto Myungsoo’s mouth, eyes narrowed. “I can’t do this anymore, Myungsoo-yah. I’m...all Jiae even is to me is a friend and that’s putting it lightly, I barely even know her!” His voice sounds miserable and Myungsoo frowns, raising his hand to put it over Sungyeol’s and lower it, locking their fingers together.

 

“I can’t get married to her, I just can’t. I don’t...’”

 

“Then don’t. I’ve told you,” Myungsoo says as if it was just that simple. “The wedding is in...what, a month?” He seems to be in thought.

 

This seemed like the perfect chance. The perfect time to blurt it out. But what if Sungyeol...

 

Sungyeol shakes his head, plopping down onto a bench surrounded by rose buses. Myungsoo sits down beside him, biting his lip.

 

Don’t be a coward. Don’t be a coward.

 

“It’s not that easy, Soo,” Sungyeol says quietly. “There has to be a Prince and Princess for the Kingdom. As much as I’d like for it to just be the two of us...” He chuckles under his breath.

 

“What...what if there...” Myungsoo tries to form a coherent sentence but, as usual, his brain is failing him. He doesn’t even know what to say. How do you say something like this? How do you confess to your best friend so easily? Without the fear of rejection?

 

Sungyeol raises an eyebrow. “Out with it.”

 

“Iloveyou.” The three words come out in such a rush Myungsoo isn’t even sure he had said it himself, but by the way Sungyeol’s eyes are slowly widening, he knows he had.

 

There went years of friendship down the drain.

 

“Y-you do?” Sungyeol murmurs.

 

Myungsoo squeezes his eyes shut, afraid to look at his face. “I’m sorry, I just—I know I—”

 

“Open your eyes,” Sungyeol sighs. “I...I love you too.”

 

What?

 

Myungsoo hesitantly does so, frowning in confusion. “What?” he asks out loud.

 

“I love you too, you idiot.” Sungyeol grins, cupping Myungsoo’s cheek and the skin with his thumb. “I figured there would just be no use in saying anything because of....you know. And I wasn’t sure if you...”

 

“Wasn’t sure?” Myungsoo thinks his best friend is insane. “I cling to you all the time, Yeol, how could you not be so sure?” He crosses his arms over his chest.

 

Sungyeol raises his hands in defense. “You’re naturally clingy and...touchy-feely, you’re all over Dongwoo hyung quite often too!” His eyes are narrowed again at this and Myungsoo can’t fight a smirk.

 

“Are you jealous?” he asks.

 

“Of course not. Why would I be?” Sungyeol snorts, but the look on his face says otherwise.

 

“If you say so, Sungyeollie~” Myungsoo laughs and leans forward, quickly giving Sungyeol a kiss on the cheek. He has no idea why the hell he even did that but it felt like the right thing to do at the time—and—

 

Myungsoo quickly stands up, just in time for Sungyeol to let out a quite girly shriek and his hand reaches out, trying to catch him.

 

Myungsoo runs.

 

“Yah, get back here!” Sungyeol’s voice exclaims from behind him and Myungsoo can hear his footsteps getting closer.

 

Damn those long legs.

 

Myungsoo ducks under numerous fruit trees and steps over way too many vines, praying and hoping his clumsiness won’t suddenly kick in now.

 

A pair of arms wrap around his waist and Myungsoo yelps, tripping over the edge of the walkway and landing right on the ground, Sungyeol ontop of him.

 

“That wasn’t nice,” Sungyeol breathes out against his ear, and Myungsoo’s positive he’s never blushed so much in his life.

 

“C-crushing...me..” he whines, knowing he’ll have some sort of bruise on his body later. That’ll be a fun thing to explain to his parents.

 

Sungyeol clicks his tongue and suddenly Myungsoo’s turned over on his back, staring up at Sungyeol’s flushed and sweaty face.

 

Myungsoo can’t help but reach up and brush Sungyeol’s auburn hair out of his eyes.

 

“You’re beautiful,” he says quietly.

 

Sungyeol rolls his eyes, slapping his shoulder. “I’m not a girl, clumsy idiot.” he snaps, but there’s no malice behind the sentence at all and Myungsoo grins.

 

“Sorry, Your Majesty,” he whispers.

 

“Yah.” Sungyeol leans down so far their noses are touching and Myungsoo’s eyes widen.

 

“Since you pulled that, I think I have the right to do this,” Sungyeol murmurs, and suddenly all Myungsoo can feel are Sungyeol’s lips on his.

 

Oh.

 

Sungyeol lets his lips linger for a few seconds before he pulls away and Myungsoo almost lets out an embarrassingly high pitched sound of disappointment. (Almost but not quite, thank goodness.)

 

Sungyeol presses their foreheads together and Myungsoo’s eyes slowly flutter shut.

 

“We should run away.”

 

The words make his eyes snap back open and he stares, watching as Sungyeol sits up on his waist, running a hand through his hair. “What?”

 

“Run away. So I don’t have to get married and we can live happily. No duties, no stupid Prince title....we’ll be free,” Sungyeol explains in a soft tone, absentmindedly tracing circles on Myungsoo’s collarbone.

 

“When?” Myungsoo knows this is irrational, this is stupid and it’s probably never going to work, but anything to be with Sungyeol.

 

“A couple of weeks. We’ll need to plan something and seem unsuspicious.”

 

Myungsoo nods, reaching up and his hand in Sungyeol’s shirt. “Kiss me again,” he says quietly.

 

Sungyeol grins widely. “My pleasure.”

 

Myungsoo awakes to the sun shining brightly through that goddamned wall window and a look at the clock tells him it’s only a little bit after eight.

 

He sighs. Why is he even up so early?

 

And that dream...

 

He knows it had been a memory of his past, but he doesn’t know what to think of it.

 

(Part of him does wish Sungyeol had kissed him last night, now.)

 

Is Luna’s theory right, then? Is he only able to remember anything when he was at Sungyeol’s place? But how? Why? That didn’t make any sense.

 

He turns over to bury his face into his pillow, groaning loudly into it.

 

“Looks like someone had a rough night.”

 

The voice makes his jump up and he stares at Sungyeol, putting a hand to his heart and hoping one day, just one day, karma will get whoever the hell keeps scaring him. Which at this point is really everybody he comes in contact with.

 

“I...remembered something.” He clears his throat, taking a few deep breaths to calm his heartbeat down.

 

Sungyeol blinks, walking further into the living room. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of boxers and Myungsoo’s face heats, wishing he had put on some pants at least.

 

“My apartment, I can wear what I want,” Sungyeol retorts as he sits down on the couch beside Myungsoo. “What was it about?”

 

Myungsoo doesn’t know how to explain this. “I...think we escaped some party, and went out into the gardens. It was when I confessed,” he says quietly.

 

Sungyeol laughs. “The engagement party,” he replies. “ That was certainly...a fun day.” He lets out another laugh.

 

Myungsoo’s eyes narrow.

 

What’s up with him?

 

“What the hell is so funny?” he asks.

 

Sungyeol clears his throat. “Nothing. Nothing at all.” He waves his hands. “Wanna eat the pizza for breakfast? It’s a Saturday and I don’t feel like fixing anything, to be honest.”

 

“Sure.” Myungsoo frowns, becoming more confused by the second. Why the hell was Sungyeol laughing at that?

 

“What do you mean by fun day?”

 

Sungyeol stands up, making his way to the kitchen. “Nothing, I swear.”

 

Myungsoo’s frown deepens. All they had done in his dream was chase each other and kiss, how was—

 

“Oh my god,” Myungsoo whispers, everything hitting him like a brick—no, not even a brick, a really, really big airplane.

 

“We didn’t—no, we-—did we?” Myungsoo stammers out, turning around to lean over the back of the couch and look into the kitchen.

 

“It depends on what you think we did, Myungsoo-yah,” Sungyeol says as calmly as possible, but Myungsoo can see that the damn jackass is trying not to laugh.

 

“We kissed, in that memory. Our first one, I assume.” Myungsoo glares at Sungyeol’s back as he watches him take out two water bottles. “Did we go any further?”

 

Sungyeol pauses, and shuts the door of the refrigerator with his hip. “Yes.”

 

No, no, no.

 

Myungsoo groans loudly again, sliding back down the couch and burying his face into his hands.

 

“In the garden?” he manages to squeak out between his mortification and stupid curiosity.

 

“No,” Sungyeol answers and Myungsoo sighs in relief.

 

But still—

 

Sungyeol disguises a laugh as a few coughs, bringing over the cold box of pizza and water bottles. “If it makes you feel any better, it happened in your room.”

 

How the is that supposed to make him feel better?!

 

Myungsoo flips open the box and takes out a slice. “That doesn’t make me feel better, ,” he growls out.

 

Sungyeol snorts. “On the bright side, at least that wasn’t what you dreamed last night, right?”

 

He does have a point.

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Myungsoo mutters. “But isn’t—isn’t that too soon?”

 

The pizza in Sungyeol’s hands stops midway to his mouth. “Do the words we’ve known each other since we were children mean anything to you? I don’t think it was too soon at all. And neither did you,” he points out. “You were the one practically beg—”

 

“YAH!” Myungsoo’s voice reaches a pitch he’d never known it could reach and all he wants to do is crawl into a hole and die. Or bury Sungyeol alive and make sure nobody can find the body.

 

Sungyeol’s snickering under his breath and Myungsoo really wants to kill him.

 

Sungyeol then sees the look Myungsoo is shooting him and quickly straightens up, clearing his throat. “Enough of that, okay? Let’s just have a nice breakfast.”

 

Maybe he isn’t losing his touch after all.

 

Their first date, as Sungyeol calls it, brings them to a restaurant a few blocks away from the apartment for lunch, and Myungsoo doesn’t think he deserves this.

 

“Y-you didn’t have to bring me here, you know. Your place would’ve been fine,” Myungsoo says quietly, staring at his menu. He had at least packed some semi-nice clothes, and is wearing jeans and a blue plaid shirt. (He’s also thankful Sungyeol had a hair straightener he could use to tame his messy hair.)

 

Myungsoo doesn’t think his past self  had lied, though. Sungyeol really was beautiful, especially in the white knit sweater and jeans he’s wearing and—

 

“Please, you’re inflating my ego way too much,” Sungyeol interrupts with a grin. “You’re quite the looker yourself,” he points out.

 

Myungsoo bites his lower lip and lowers his gaze back to his menu.

 

“And I wanted to bring you here. Stop worrying about it.”

 

Myungsoo just nods. He knows it’s pathetic but he never has been on a date before, honestly speaking. Girls (and even some guys) would ask him out and give him letters at school, but he’s always politely declined. He hasn’t been too interested in dating at all, deciding to focus more on his photography and studies. As time passed, so did the amount of letters and dating requests. Not that he minds, really.

 

“It’s not pathetic,” Sungyeol says quietly.

 

Goddamnit, he has to stop doing that.

 

“Sorry, I—I can’t help it, I really wish I could control it but I can’t,” Sungyeol murmurs, and Myungsoo suddenly feels guilty.

 

“It’s fine.” Myungsoo clears his throat, closing his menu.

 

Sungyeol his lips. “Do you want to do something after this? We can go see a movie or...I don’t know, it’s been a while since I’ve been on a date,” he laughs lightly.

 

Myungsoo can’t help but frown. So Sungyeol has dated before, then?

 

“I’ve gone out with a few people, yeah,” Sungyeol starts. “It never lasted long, I was usually too distracted about finding you and it’s not like I ever really...felt anything for them, anyway. Not like what I feel for you.”

 

The last sentence makes Myungsoo’s heart pound loudly against his chest and he just has to know...

 

“Do you only feel something for me because of your memories?” he whispers, finally blurting out the question he had been starting to wonder. It would make sense, for Sungyeol just to be in love with a memory. His past self, not him.

 

Sungyeol stares at him and Myungsoo can see his hands clench around his menu.

 

“I can’t believe you’re asking me that.” Sungyeol’s voice is low and quiet and that’s what scares Myungsoo the most. “You know what? Go. It’s obvious you don’t want to have anything to do with me anyway, so just...go.”

 

This wasn’t going as planned. Why was he so stupid?

 

“N—no, I didn’t—I’m just—” Myungsoo has no way to explain this and he can feel his eyes water. .

 

“The memories have a part to do with it, yes, but I’m not in love with the past Myungsoo, I’m in love with you!” Sungyeol tries to keep his voice down but it isn’t really working as some eyes drift their way.”I may have only known this you for a few days but it’s enough for me to tell. Maybe it’ll never be for you, I don’t ing know, I might as well just give up—”

 

“No.” Myungsoo’s voice cracks and he grimaces at the sound, taking a sip of his iced water. “Can we just forget I ever asked that?” he whispers.

 

Sungyeol snorts. “No. I can’t.”

 

Myungsoo’s heart drops to the bottom of his stomach and all he really wants to do is curl up in his bed and cry. That probably makes him a wimp but he doesn’t care, why is he so ing stupid?

 

“You are stupid, but at least you’re admitting it,” Sungyeol muses.

 

Myungsoo keeps silent, not knowing what to say except for the million apologies running through his mind.

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “It hasn’t even been a week and I’ve hurt you twice already. You shouldn’t bother with me,” he replies.

 

Sungyeol sighs and lets out a sharp exhale. “But I will, because I love you, and one day, maybe soon, I hope, you’ll love me back.”

 

Myungsoo already knows he likes Sungyeol (no matter how much he may ), but is it love yet?

 

“That’s for you to figure out on your own, I can’t decide for you,” Sungyeol says quietly.

 

“I know,” Myungsoo mumbles. He really wishes their waiter would come by and take their orders; he wants at least something to get rid of this awkward atmosphere.

 

“I’m sorry,” he repeats.

 

Sungyeol tilts his head. “I...understand. I mean, I do always talk about you getting them back but it’s only so you don’t hate me so much.” A fake laugh leaves his lips and Myungsoo wonders if it’s possible to feel so damn small.

 

“I don’t hate you,” Myungsoo replies, and he means it. “I may have...gotten irritated and annoyed by you at first, sure, but I don’t hate you. I just...I’ve lived a normal life and for it all to be turned upside down in one day is just...” He keeps back a sigh.

 

Sungyeol manages a small smile and reaches over, placing his hand on top of Myungsoo’s, squeezing. “It’s pretty mindblowing, huh?” he muses. “I’m...sorry for...”

 

Myungsoo quickly shakes his head. “For what? You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m the idiot.”

 

Sungyeol’s smile widens. “That you are,” he points out.

 

Myungsoo’s about to blurt out another apology when an “ahem” rings out and they both look up to see their waiter staring at them with a weird look on his face.

 

Sungyeol quickly takes his hand off of Myungsoo’s and clears his throat, glancing down at his menu.

 

“I’ll have kimchi,” Myungsoo replies, putting his menu at  the edge of the table.

 

Sungyeol looks up with a roll of his eyes. “You can have anything you want and you pick that?” he shakes his head. “Make it your largest bowl of kimchi then, please?” Sungyeol requests as he looks at their water.

 

The waiter nods and walks off, but not before giving them another strange look.

 

“Guess we freaked him out,” Sungyeol muses. He leans back in his seat and yawns, covering his mouth with his hand. “Really though, why did you pick kimchi of all things?”

 

Myungsoo doesn’t see why it’s a problem, his current food obsession was kimchi, so what?

 

He shrugs. “I like it.”

 

Sungyeol shakes his head again. “Dongwoo, my friend I mentioned was a doctor, loves kimchi. He lived off of it during his first year in university,” he replies.

 

Dongwoo....Dongwoo....why does that name sound so familiar?

 

“Wait a second,” Myungsoo blurts. “Dongwoo...you mentioned him in my memory,” he replies. “Does that mean he’s one of us too?”

 

Luna really would have them complete as a team in no time. How lovely.

 

Sungyeol weakly smiles. “Sailor Uranus. It’s funny, how he’s studying to be a doctor now and he had healing powers in the past.”

 

That certainly made sense.

 

Myungsoo sighs. “Should we tell Luna?”
 

 

Sungyeol bites his lip in thought. “I’m kinda surprised she never asks me where the others are....she’s had chances to and yet she never has, so I don’t know. Maybe she wants to find them on her own.” He shrugs his shoulders. “But Dongwoo hyung is really the only one I know the whereabouts of. I have a feeling Hoya hyung might be his friend some way or another but other than that...”

 

Myungsoo nods, staring down at the table. “How many of us are there?” He doesn’t know why he’s never asked that, since he has wondered. It can’t be a huge number, right?

 

“Including me and you? Seven,” Sungyeol answers. “So excluding Dongwoo, that leaves us with two more left,” he replies.

 

Myungsoo keeps back a groan, resisting the urge to bury his face into his arms.

 

Sungyeol laughs softly, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. “I thought you didn’t want everyone to be found so quickly?”

 

“I don’t,” Myungsoo replies. “Well, I mean, I do, but I...don’t.” He frowns. Maybe he should just keep his mouth shut, he’s not making any sense and he’s hungry, damnit.

 

“So impatient,” Sungyeol says. “And I know you’re worried about what Luna said,” he points out. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Even if the Queen comes out when we’re formed, if we combine all of our powers I’m sure we can kick her . And her monsters or whoever the hell she sends after us.”

 

“You think so?” Myungsoo murmurs. He’s honestly not so sure, considering he and Sungyeol are the only ones to have fought so far. And even then, only two battles.

 

Sungyeol nods. “I know so.”

 

Myungsoo only hopes he can believe him.

 

An hour later brings them on their way back to the apartment, side by side and their hands bumping against each other. Sungyeol finally decides to just take Myungsoo’s hand in his, squeezing gently.

 

Myungsoo’s face reddens. “Yah,” he mumbles.

 

“It’s only proper to hold hands on the way back from a date, Myungsoo-yah,” Sungyeol points out, and really, Myungsoo can’t argue.

 

“If you say so,” he says under his breath, but he squeezes back. He chances a look up to see Sungyeol smiling at him and he returns it.

 

“Speaking of...would you argue with the idea of kissing on the first date?” Sungyeol questions.

 

Myungsoo doesn’t know why he didn’t see that coming, but he shakes his head. He still feels really bad about earlier and—

 

“Don’t,” Sungyeol sighs. “We don’t need to discuss it again, alright?” he requests, a pleading tone to his voice. He then leads Myungsoo by the hand into the apartment complex (the restaurant must’ve been closer than he had thought) and into the elevator.

 

“So...” Sungyeol clears his throat. “I had a nice time, today.”

 

Myungsoo nods slowly. “Me too,” he whispers. His heart is pounding against his chest so hard he’s afraid it’s going to burst.

 

“We don’t have to if you—”

 

“No! I do, I do,” Myungsoo interrupts a bit too quickly for his liking but he can't bring himself to care.

 

Sungyeol grins and lifts his chin with a finger, and Myungsoo knows Sungyeol can hear his heartbeat as he hesitantly shuts his eyes.

 

“I’m sure you can hear mine too,” Sungyeol murmurs, and leans down.

 

Myungsoo knows it’s cliché, but he swears fireworks are exploding beneath his eyelids. Really bright and really loud fireworks, at that.

 

Sungyeol’s lips are warm and soft and—

 

The elevator dings and Sungyeol quickly pulls apart.

 

Myungsoo can’t help but glare, seeing as how nobody is waiting in the hallway as the doors slide open.

 

Sungyeol chuckles, grabbing his arm and tugging him out of the elevator as it’s the fifth floor. “I take it you liked that?”

 

“Shut up,” Myungsoo snaps, but he puts a finger to his lips anyway. “Do you always take people back to your apartment on the first date?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

 

Sungyeol slides his hand down to Myungsoo’s and grins. “Nah. Just clumsy warriors of justice, that’s all.”

 

Myungsoo rolls his eyes but he thinks he’s smiling so wide his own face might break.

 

It’s love.