Written by: "blondenam"

Pairing: Woogyu

Prompt: "proposal daisakusen premise; doesn't really have to follow the exact plot of the drama, just that someone is getting married and the other one goes back in time to change the present so that they are the ones getting married instead. Dongwoo can be the fairy/time turner person."

 

I Don't Want You To Marry Anyone Unless That Person Is Me

(Words: 12,249)

 

---

 

 

Standing proudly in the middle of the corridor, puffed, flushed cheeks and eyes almost inappreciable behind the glasses, Sunggyu rises his chin up and looks at the woman in front of him, who is half-startled, half-smiling.

“I promise I'll take care of Woohyun for the rest of my life!” he says, fire burning through his eyes, determined to keep up his promise for the rest of his life.

Woohyun is standing next to his mother, looking at Sunggyu in awe, and smiles happily before wrapping the boy in a tight hug.

“I love you, hyung!”

 

The cold rain is soaking Sunggyu, making him shudder and tremble, lips pressed together and hands inside the pockets of his leather jacket. He's been running for indefinitely, away from Seoul and everything the city represents; the memories, the feelings, everything is haunting him.

He stops dead on his tracks, hands resting on his knees and lungs struggling for air. There is something wet in the corner of his eyes and he wonders if it’s the rain or he's about to cry; probably both.

It's late and none is really wandering around that area, except him and a couple of other two lost souls. Sunggyu thinks is funny how they don't seem to fit there at all, just like him. He doesn't really matter being alone, it helps him to think. What he hates is remembering the reason why he had started running, the reason why he had felt that no matter how far he tried to be, it would be futile.

“God.” he says, and it sounds half like a groan, half like a desperate cry.

Somewhere along the way he notices his phone ringing, but ignores it completely and just keeps walking forward. He's lost, physically and mentally, and he doesn't think he would have been able to handle it if he had stayed there. His fingers can still feel the weird sensation of the dusty, rough paper, and he rubs them against the fabric of his jeans, trying to get rid of the feeling. It hurts and it doesn't help.

He knew, he just knew it was going to happen, eventually. But tried to deny it whenever the thoughts would pop up in his mind. Seeing it plastered in a paper, in his best friend's handwriting and his little cute emoji’s that decorated it, was otherwise. Had he known it would hurt this much, he would have tried to stop it; do things other way.

He stumbles a few steps more and collapses onto the floor, back resting against the metallic structure of the bridge where he is at.

His mouth opens in surprise when he finds a crumbled piece of paper inside the pocket of his jeans. He unfolds it and sighs, leaning his head back until it hits the metal.

 

“Kim Sunggyu, you are invited to the wedding of:

 Nam Woohyun & Lee Mijoo

Saturday, November 9^th, at 10 a.m.”

 

There is something added at the bottom and Sunggyu bites his lips at the sight of the boy's handwriting. It's messy and rushed, but still neat and cute.

 

“Hyung!! I am finally getting married. I can't wait to see you there! I love you <3”

 

Bang his head against the bridge would hurt him less.

 

 

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

 

There is something twisted about weddings, Sunggyu thinks. Everything is so nicely decorated, from the well placed chairs to the altar full of flowers and ribbons. Everyone is dressed up for the occasion, wearing their best, most expensive clothes, and Sunggyu feels a bit out of place. Sure, he's wearing his best tuxedo, but there is something lacking, something everyone else seems to have except him: and that's probably anticipation towards the event.

He looks around, the decoration forming a lump on his throat and seeing his friends taking place on the first row of the chairs makes him want to throw up.

As much of a wishful thinking as it may sound, he hopes he can just remain sitting down throughout the whole ceremony and spare himself from more pain.

Woohyun is beautiful in so many ways. From his black, tousled hair, his straight, tall nose, his full lips to his stubbornness, his eloquence, his thoughtfulness and his smile. Everything is just so beautiful for Sunggyu that seeing him walking across the garden just to meet him up, makes something warm set in the lower part of his stomach. Something that definitely shouldn't be there.

“Hey.” Woohyun says, and smiles so brightly Sunggyu thinks the sun should be ashamed. “You came.”

He forces out a snort.

“Why would I not come?” the words taste bitter on his tongue, but he keeps going on. “You're my best friend after all.”

“Yeah.” he nods, and wraps Sunggyu in such tight hug he feels momentarily out of breath. “I should greet the rest of the people. I'll be back in a second. Don't miss me too much.”

He feels himself rolling his eyes, but a little smile that feels more distressed than happy appears on his lips.

“Sunggyu!”

He jumps on his place, scared at the sudden yell, and turns around to meet one of his friends, looking judiciously at him.

“Hey, Myungsoo.” nodding, he takes a seat, and the boy sits next to him.

“How are you? We haven't seen each other for a while.” Myungsoo's hair has grown too long that it almost covers his eyes, and he struggles to remove it off his forehead to be able to look at Sunggyu in the eye. “I've been in Europe for my new project.”

“Oh.” Sunggyu bites his lower lip. “I hope it went well. I haven't started any new researches. I'm stuck up with old ones.”

Myungsoo laughs, and Sunggyu thinks he's cute. He's always been cute anyways. His dimples show the most when he's laughing and he's sure that's what has gotten him so many affairs.

“But that's okay too!”

The sound of the bells interrupt their laughs, and Sunggyu's stomach sinks. He knows Woohyun is going to appear once again, to be followed no long after by the bride. He looks up and sees the altar and thinks about how Woohyun, after all this time, is getting married to someone who's not him, and the weight of the situation is too much for him to handle. He suddenly stands up, and Myungsoo frowns at him.

“What's wrong?”

“I need to pee.”

And he leaves, walking as fast as he can towards the exit. He loosens the tie and breathes in several times, trying to calm down. There's none inside the bathroom, and he takes off the jacket and rolls up the sleeves of his shirt to splash cold water on his face. He was wearing eyeliner, but he doesn't mind. His heart is beating too fast and his knees are trembling, as hard as they did the day he knew Woohyun was going to get married.

He feels stupid, really, because it's not like there's something left for him to do. Today is the day he completely loses Woohyun. Sunggyu thinks about it, and anger, frustration, rage, build up inside of him. He had known Woohyun for so long and thought that no matter how much time passed, he'd always be next to him, but now when he's about to lose him, when he's slipping out of his hands, he realises he should have tried, should have grabbed his hands and told him his feelings. The same feelings that now won't reach him.

He hears more bells, and knows the bride has arrived. It's about time for him to collect himself and get out of there. The bathroom feels suffocating, and he's getting anxious.

On his way back to the yard where the wedding is taking place, he spots Woohyun and Mijoo standing next to each other, and all the people smiling happily at them. He shouldn't be there. He can't be there.

Grabbing the paper out of his pocket with trembling hands, he re-reads the words he wrote a few days ago, but his vision is blurry and he blinks twice trying to get rid of those stupid tears.

Woohyun asked him to say a few words during the ceremony, and Sunggyu being the idiot he is, agreed.

There is someone he has never seen before in the front door. His hair is blue, and Sunggyu feels like having a déjà vu (back to a room full of canvas and chem stuff, erratically breathings as they sat down, trying to catch their breaths after running away from one of the local mobs with whom they somehow always got into fights. He looks to the right and sees Woohyun, lips parted and a bit torn up, piercing gaze full of eyeliner and bright, black blue hair whose bangs almost cover his eyes. Sunggyu's heart, as usual, speeds up at the sight, and he thinks the way Woohyun's lips glistens at the dim light should be banned). The hair, it reminds him of the one Woohyun had back then, when he fell deeply and hopelessly for him. This man, nevertheless, looks like a brighter, wilder version of Woohyun.

“Who are you?” he asks, frowning, when he wouldn't let him go any further.

“My name is Dongwoo.” he says. His voice sounds lower than Sunggyu had expected it to, but it's still nice. “I'm a timekeeper.”

“You're what?” Sunggyu can't suppress the scepticism in his answer. Does he really need to deal with this right now, when he's already late to the wedding and he knows Woohyun is probably angry at him?

“I said, I'm a timekeeper. I can control time.” Dongwoo insists, swinging on his toes.

Sunggyu rolls his eyes.

“Okay, okay, I believe you. Now, would you let me go? I have to go inside.”

“Why?” the hidden meaning behind Dongwoo's words make Sunggyu feel extremely annoyed. Who’s' this man and why is he acting as if he knew him.

“Because it's my best friend's wedding. Like I'd miss it.”

“The same friend you've been in love with for the past eight years?”

“What?!” Sunggyu takes a step back, not believing his ears. “Who the are you?”

Dongwoo smiles, and Sunggyu hates that somehow it makes him feel reassured.

“Boy, I already told you twice. Don't make me repeat it again.”

Sunggyu snorts.

“Okay, so, let's say you're really a timekeeper. And so what?” he asks, not even trying to hide the annoyance plastered on his words.

“I'm gonna allow you to go back in time and change this. All you have to do is interrupt the wedding and tell Woohyun you love him. Then, you'll go back to being 19.”

Sunggyu's eyebrows are impossibly knit together, and his expression must be priceless because Dongwoo laughs wholeheartedly.

“If you don't, then you'll forever lose your chance of getting Woohyun.”

“I-I don't get this. Why would y-”

“We'll talk about this later, when you have fulfilled the terms. Until then, you just gotta have a little faith.”

Dongwoo walks away after that, leaving Sunggyu speechless.

What kind of madness has he just been through? Taking a deep breath, he walks inside the yard. Somehow he manages to sit back again next to Myungsoo, and notices Woohyun's glare on him, but he doesn't have the guts to look at him back, so he just keeps talking to Myungsoo.

“Sorry, I'm so late.” he says, and Myungsoo nods. “My stomach doesn't seem to be in good condition.”

He kind of laughs at Myungsoo's horrified expression, and finally dares to look up.

Mijoo looks stunning. Her brown, long hair is completely straight and falls on beautifully-made waves on her back. The dress is long, white and pretty, and her eyes are gleaming with joy. He then looks at Woohyun, and the feeling of throwing up comes back. He thinks of Dongwoo, and wonders who he is to break such moment. But then his eyes meet Woohyun's and he knows, god, he knows, he can't let him go like this. If Woohyun is going to leave, at least he should take the last pieces of his heart with him.

“If anyone objects to this marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

Everything is deadly silent, and Sunggyu's heart is beating so hard he can hear it resounding on his own ears. He can't, he just can't let him go.

“I object.”

Sunggyu is not sure if it's him who said those words because he can't hear anything but his heart, but he's suddenly standing up and everyone is looking at him as if they have just seen a ghost. He wants to look at Woohyun, but then suddenly everything turns white and he's momentarily blinded.

 

 

❄❄️❄❄❄❄❄❄

 

 

Sunggyu's collides harshly against the cold, scratchy surface. Groaning, he rubs it forcefully as he tries to stand up.

He looks around and notices he's a few meters away from his college.

“What the ?!” he mutters, narrowing his eyes. Two minutes ago he was at the wedding and he had, god, he really had interrupted it.

“What am I doing here....”

“Congratulations!!”

Sunggyu screams, scared at the sudden presence next to him, and tilts his head to see Dongwoo again.

“Congratulations why?” he dares to ask, but he looks around and notices he's wearing different clothes: tight black jeans, a white V-neck t-shirt and his favourite combat boots when he was 19.

His hair feels different too, and he grabs a few strands of hair to see they're bright red. “, , , . What is this!?!?”

Dongwoo places his right hand on Sunggyu's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

“Don't panic.” he says, and Sunggyu resists the urge to laugh at him. “I told you, if you interrupted Woohyun's wedding, you'd get the chance to go back in time and try again. This is your last chance, so you better not waste it.”

“B-but...how....you were not lying?!?”

Dongwoo shakes his head no and removes the hand off Sunggyu's shoulder.

“I have to leave now.” he says. “I'll see you soon again. I know you'll do the right thing this time.”

Sunggyu is still speechless when Dongwoo leaves, and stays still in place for too many minutes, trying to process everything.

He has gone back in time....back to when he was 19, and now he has another chance (the last chance) to make Woohyun fall in love with him, to make him know his feelings for real this time, to give them both a happy ending.

“Jesus christ.” he mutters, running a hand through his hair. He looks again at his clothes and wonder what did he like so much about it. Being used to wear so many cardigans and baggy shirts during his 26, those clothes now feel out of context for him.

Sunggyu tries to remember how his life was back when he was that young, and all kind of nice memories fill up his mind. He's surely going to seize this opportunity.

He turns around and look at his phone to see the date. It's Friday afternoon, around 4 p.m., but there is none around.

On Fridays he used to go home right after finishing his classes, doing some homework and getting ready to spend the rest of the day with Woohyun.

So that's what he does, excitement setting in the lower part of his stomach. Seoul changed quite a lot in those seven years, Sunggyu notices. Now, there are less cars, less pollution, les stress. He suddenly gets sad, nostalgic, but knowing he's going to be able to live everything once again is enough to keep him going on.

His house used to be located only a few meters from the city centre, so getting there from college only took around 10 minutes.

“Hello, mom!” he says as he enters his house, taking off the shoes and holding them on his hands.

“Hello, Sunggyu!”

It's quite shocking for Sunggyu to see his mother this young again, without many wrinkles on her face and hair slightly darker. Nevertheless, 7 years later, she keeps being as eloquent and petite as ever.

“Are you going out with Woohyun later?” she asks, popping out her head out of the kitchen. She's carrying a bowl on her arms, with something that looks like dough for a cake.

“Yeah.” he replies, nodding. Or at least he thinks so.

The sight of his room make him sigh loudly, the same feeling as before – nostalgia, longing – making his heart feel heavier. When he was 23, his mother sold out the house (since Sunggyu didn't live with her anymore) and moved into a smaller apartment not so in the middle of Seoul, but rather on a quieter village. Sunggyu misses that bedroom, because there were so many memories hidden behind the dusty shelves full of books and under the blankets on cold Sunday mornings during winter. Woohyun appears in each one of them.

There are two posters, one of Linkin Park and other of Nell, plastered on each side of his bed, and he sighs again, grabbing some clean clothes out of his wardrobe. He doesn't even look at them, but knows they're probably black and with some anti-religious messages on them.

A shower is very welcomed, and suddenly all the previous events come back at him like a raging storm, making him sit down on the shower base. He feels tired and nods off a couple of times before deciding he needs to get himself together and move if he wants to see Woohyun on time.

Right when he's putting on his pants, the phone rings, and he stumbles on his way to pick it up.

“Hello?” he asks, since he didn't even bother to check who was calling.

“Yo, hyung.” Woohyun's voice is softer, Sunggyu notices. He's not sure which one he prefers: the deep, rough 25yo's voice or the soft, honeyed 18yo's voice. At least he knows he loves both. “I know I told you to meet me in the same park as always, but can we change location? Meet me at the café in front of our college.”

“Sure.” Sunggyu hums, buckling his pants. The leather fabric feels too tight around his thighs and he rolls his eyes. Why did he even like that stuff?

What Sunggyu doesn't say but remembers is that, back then, he was already on his way to the park when Woohyun called, so he had to turn around and go back the way he had come. Luckily, he was able to avoid that this time.

Right when he's about to step out of his bedroom, the phone rings again, this time it's a message.

“Hyung, don't forget to bring a jacket!! It's cold.”

Sunggyu also remembers getting a very ugly cold the following day. He's glad he can avoid this too.

Sunggyu should, at this point, be used to Woohyun's looks, but the way he swings on his toes, eyes fixed on the floor and collarbones almost showing under the black fabric of his shirt, is just too much for Sunggyu to handle, no matter if he's 19, 26 or 89.

“Hyung!” Woohyun looks up, meeting Sunggyu's gaze, and he smiles wholeheartedly.

Ugh.

“Hello.” he tries to sound colder, cooler, but it comes out a bit breathless. He hopes Woohyun didn't notice it. “Where are we going?”

Woohyun shrugs.

“I don't know. Any ideas?”

Sunggyu bites his lower lip, trying to think in all the possible places where he could go with Woohyun.

“Let's go to the Han River.” he finally says. “We could sit on the grass and play some of your stupid games.”

Sunggyu laughs at the way Woohyun looks at him, earning a little punch on his shoulder.

“They're not stupid!”

Woohyun tries to hit Sunggyu again, but he dodges it on time, and instead grabs Woohyun by the arm and pulls him into a hug, resting his chin on the boy's shoulder, a big smile spreading across his face.

He feels Woohyun tensing under him but relaxing just a few seconds after. He probably wasn't expecting this.

“What's wrong, hyung.” he hears Woohyun asking, voice muffled by Sunggyu's shirt. “You're never this...affectionate.”

Sunggyu steps back and pulls Woohyun away, ruffling his hair on the way.

“Maybe you should get used to it.”

Woohyun narrows his eyes at him.

“Did you hit your head on your way here?”

Sunggyu rolls his eyes.

“No, it's just that seeing you leaves me speechless and now I want to give you all my love.” which, is true. But Woohyun doesn't know, so he just cracks up and Sunggyu can't help but laugh along.

“C'mon, baby boy.” he says, patting Woohyun's head while the boy tries to wipe away the tears after his laughter.

 

Sunggyu has always had a soft spot for the Han River area, so he just loves being able to be there, sitting next to Woohyun.

The boy is lying on his back, looking at the darkening sky, and his eyes gleam like million stars, and Sunggyu wonders what gods have smiled on him to put Woohyun in front of him like this and what did he have to do to be able to own the star that Woohyun himself was.

“How was your day?” he suddenly asks, startling the boy a bit.

“Good.” Woohyun his lips and Sunggyu waits. “I guess it was good. Yours?”

Sunggyu thinks about it.

Well, I went to your wedding, interrupted it, then travelled back in time and now here I am again, trying to make you know my feelings this time around.

“Nothing much.” he replies, shrugging slightly. “Sciences are boring anyway.”

Woohyun snorts.

“I can't believe you just said this, I'm gonna use it against you in the future!”

“You wouldn't dare!” Sunggyu smiles, and sees Woohyun turning on his side to be looking at him.

“Yah, hyung. I need to ask you something.”

Sunggyu kind of remembers where this conversation (it wasn't exactly the same, but somehow Woohyun also brought up this topic) headed to back then.

“I'm all ears.”

“I....” a deep breath. “I think I'm gonna ask Mijoo out.” another pause. “Do you know Mijoo? She's in my year but studies in your department. Hoya introduced her to us a few months ago, remember?”

Sunggyu feels his heart clutching a bit, but forces himself to nod.

“Yeah, I remember her.” he says. “So… you like her?”

“I don't know, hyung. I think I do, but we don't really know each other, you know? I just wanna ask her out and see if things can work between us.”

They can.

But they can't.

“Oh.” Sunggyu's thoughts are racing frantically as he looks for something to say. “I've heard she's lesbian.”

Well.

“Really???” Woohyun's face contorts in disappointment. “Oh...I was expecting....”

“You'll find another girl, baby. Don't worry too much.”

You'll find me.

“Yeah.” Woohyun tries to smile but Sunggyu knows it's a bit fake. “I guess so.”

Suddenly, Sunggyu is very aware of how dark the sky has turned, and it's about time for them to leave.

He helps Woohyun stand up and then shakes off the dust on his pants.

“The sky looks so pretty.” Woohyun says, looking up, and Sunggyu swears it's not possible for his eyes to glow that much. “The starry sky is really pretty.”

So are you.

“Yeah.” Sunggyu nods.

On their way back home, Sunggyu abruptly stops, and Woohyun an eyebrow, questioningly.

“I've just remembered.” he explains. “Are you free tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Woohyun is surprised, and Sunggyu knows why. He always used to say that they could only go out 'on Fridays' because he had to spend the rest of the weekend studying. Now that he probably knows even more than the stuff asked on his exams, he can relax a bit and go out more. After all, his main focus is Woohyun (even though he can't give up his studies).

“I want to take you somewhere.”

“Oh.” Sunggyu sees Woohyun struggling, whether to ask what this place was or not. “Okay.”

Sunggyu smiles and gives Woohyun a hug before starting walking again.

 

 

❄❄️❄❄❄❄❄❄

 

 

Sunggyu asks Woohyun to meet him in front of his house (since he's going to be the one riding), but somehow manages to sleep in.

The door is suddenly burst open and he slowly tries to open his eyes, but sleep doesn't allow him to fully do so. Someone heavily lies on top of him, smashing his body under their weight, and Sunggyu groans, trying to turn around to see who's there. Woohyun smells like strawberries, so Sunggyu doesn't even have to look to know it's him, because the scent fills up his nostrils and god, why does he have to smell so good.

“Yah, hyung!” Woohyun says, shaking Sunggyu's shoulder. “You told me to meet you at 11 a.m. in front of your house!! I can't believe you slept in!!”

Sunggyu groans again and opens his eyes, but regrets it right after. He's lying on his back while Woohyun is on top of him, legs at each side of his body and he just looks so beautiful. Sunggyu's mind plays its trick and his thoughts wander about if that's how it'd be if Woohyun was ridi-

“Hyung!”

Sunggyu is taken aback by the sudden yell, and looks at Woohyun with wide eyes.

“I've just woken up, don't yell at me!! I don't function properly yet!”

Woohyun snorts.

“I can't believe you slept in, you forgot about me!” there is a dramatic sigh in between and Sunggyu has to resist the urge to roll his eyes. “Is this all I am to you?? Replacing me over your sleep, I see. We're over!”

“Yah, Woohyun!” Sunggyu laughs, and pulls Woohyun down so now he is on top, hugging the boy from behind, arms around his shoulders and face against his. “Don't be so dramatic, you know you're the only one for me.”

Woohyun narrows his eyes at him.

“I don't believe you.”

The thing is, Sunggyu is saying the truth, but once again, Woohyun isn't aware of that.

“Like I'd lie, baby.” he says, more seriously this time. “Now wait for me, it'll take 10 mins.”

“I'm not waiting!”

 

But obviously Woohyun waits for him, and now that Sunggyu has washed his face and dressed up, he's ready to go out with him.

The sky is clear, a few clouds scattered here and there, and the sunlight makes Woohyun's hair look even darker, and his nose is red due to the cold. Sunggyu wants to kiss it.

“So...” Woohyun starts, resting his head against the seat and fingers playing with the music player. “Are you telling me now where are we heading to?”

“Yeah.” Sunggyu says. “To the amusement park.”

Sunggyu swears he can hear Woohyun struggling to maintain his composure.

“R-Really!?” he asks, trying not to sound too excited, which doesn't work.

Sunggyu nods.

The way to the park is relatively short, around 15 mins, and Woohyun cannot stay still. Sunggyu thinks he's really a kid sometimes, but well, he is 18, obviously he is excited over those matters. Sunggyu forgets sometimes he's 19 again, because inside he's still 26. He needs to remember how to be a teenager again.

“Are you paying for it, right?” Woohyun asks once they're out of the car, placing next to him.

Sunggyu gives him a look.

“Geez, I should make you pay only for asking.”

“Don't be mean, hyung.”

Sunggyu expects it to be much more expensive than it actually is, so he's glad and relieved to see he still has some money left to survive the day.

It's full of people, since it's Saturday, and Sunggyu feels the sudden urge of pulling Woohyun closer to him, as if he was a kid who could get lost easily. Which wasn't far from the truth.

“I wanna get one of those cute cat ears, can I??” Woohyun asks, pouting slightly, and Sunggyu feels his heart clenching a bit.

“I've only seen Minnie ears here. But yeah, go and get ones.”

Woohyun smiles happily and leaves him for a few minutes, entering the nearest souvenir shop. When he comes out, his fluffy, straight hair is nicely decorated with the Minnie Mouse ears, and Sunggyu immediately regrets agreeing.

“Do you like it, hyung?” he asks, placing both hands under his chin and trying some failed aegyo.

“No.” he lies, because actually, as a matter of a fact, he loves it. But Woohyun doesn't need to know this.

His refusal earns him a light punch in the shoulder, and a very pouty Woohyun (scrunched nose, brows knit together, eyes almost closed) sends him a death glare.

“I was just joking!” he adds, laughing. “You look cute. You always do.”

Sunggyu thinks Woohyun is going to make some acid comment, but instead the boy just moves closer, so close their hands are almost touching. Sunggyu momentarily forgets how to breathe.

“Hyung, shall we get some cotton candy?? I'm craving for one.”

“Sure.”

Obviously Sunggyu has to pay for it, and his wallet starts crying. No matter how much money he's earning at 26, now he's only 19 and with a ty part time job, so spending a lot of money isn't much of a good option.

Woohyun is, obviously, oblivious to all of this, and hums happily as he keeps eating the candy. He tries to remove the bangs off his forehead, with his sticky fingers, which ends up in his pretty black fringe covered with candy. He makes a face and Sunggyu laughs wholeheartedly.

“Aigoo, you're such a kid.” he says, trying to get rid of the candy.

“Shut up, you're just one year older than me.” Woohyun retorts, but his cheeks are flushed.

“Still a baby, though.”

They keep fighting for a while more, talking about everything and nothing, and when it's about lunch time, Sunggyu has to repress a grin. His wallet is broke. They really should have brought sandwiches.

“So...” he starts, biting his lower lip. “What do you think about skipping a meal today? Or maybe we could try the grass. I'm sure it has lots of proteins and vitamins.”

Woohyun pulls a face and inserts his right hand on the pocket of his jeans.

“I only have this.” he says, holding out 10.000 wons.

“Oh.” Sunggyu grabs the money, an apologetic look on his face. “I'm sorry. I should have waited until I had saved up more money.”

“Yah, it's okay, hyung. You already payed for a lot of stuff.” Woohyun pats his shoulder, smiling, and Sunggyu can spot his (cute) canine teeth. “What do you wanna eat?”

 

 

 

Sunggyu thinks, his mother is going to kill him for having spent all his money in just one day. He's scared, in fact, so he tries to sneak into his bedroom without her noticing. She does anyways.

“Honey!” she calls, leaving the book she was reading on the table and readjusting her glasses, slowly caressing the bridge of her nose. That's a habit Sunggyu has inherit.

“Hello, mom.” he scratches his nape, slightly swinging on his toes.

“How did the day go? Did you have fun with Woohyun?” she asks, and her voice tone has a hidden message that doesn't go unnoticed for Sunggyu. He knows his mother knows. Mothers always know.

“It was okay.” he replies, somewhat feeling a bit uneasy. “But I'm tired. I have to study tomorrow.”

“Yeah, you better do.” his mother sends him off with a dismissive gesture of her hand. “You skipped today just to spend the day with him. If you fail, Kim Sunggyu, I promise-”

“Mom, please.” he can't help but roll his eyes. “When have I ever failed? I'd never disappoint you.”

“You better keep up that promise!” she says, narrowing her eyes to sound more mysterious.

“I'm leaving.” he smiles, shaking his head, and hears his mom laughing softly as he goes upstairs.

 

Somehow Sunggyu finds himself wearing one of Woohyun's baggy shirts for his sleep, and he wonders how come all his pyjama shirts are Woohyun's. His stomach suddenly flips, because isn't that what couples do.

Lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling, Sunggyu thinks he doesn't regret spending that much on him today. Every move felt like a little step closer, and Sunggyu couldn't ignore the bubbliness set on his tummy at the thought.

Snuggling on his pillow, he tries to conceive how would it be to be really dating Woohyun. It probably wouldn't be much different from the stuff they do every day, except from the kisses. And the touches. And- God, he doesn't want things to go this way, but he remembers Woohyun lying on top of him that morning, the sunlight entering throughout the window blind projecting random shadows on his face, and he was just so beautiful. He always is.

His thoughts are interrupted – once again – by the sound of his phone vibrating. He makes an intense effort trying to grab it, almost throwing it onto the floor in the last second.

 

“Hyungggg, since we don't have class on Monday...let's go out tomorrow night? ^3^”

 

Sunggyu makes a face and thinks about what his mother said. Well, if he spends the whole day studying then he can probably afford going out at night. He even forgot he had Monday free.

“Sure.”

That's his only reply, and a smile spread across his face because he knows Woohyun is not going to like it.

 

“You're so boring =_=”

 

Sunggyu laughs softly and leaves the phone on the night stand, turning again to cuddle on his sheets and sniffs Woohyun's shirt, the sweet smell of strawberries making his heart skip a beat.

 

 

 

❄❄️❄❄❄❄❄❄

 

 

Of course things could not be so easy for him, Sunggyu thinks.

He's sitting on his desk, books scattered all over the place along with notes; the yellow, blue and green colour of the highlighters catching his attention. He really thought he wouldn't have much to study since he already did it, but really, what were the chances of that happening. Of course it would not be that simple, because then he'd be really living the life. His memory doesn't seem to remember anything at all, so he has to focus once again on the papers in front of him and try to stuff all the formulas and chemistry theory in his mind.

It's boring, tiring and consuming, but the thought of hanging out with Woohyun at night encourages him to keep studying. God, at his 26 he had missed so many things about being a teenager, but he really did not miss studying, the stress of university.

He's so focused on his duty that doesn't even notice the time running, until the alarm he has (gladly) set up earlier, rings, startling him for a moment.

“Holy .” he says out loud, stretching his arms and moving his neck. “Time flies.”

He still has enough time to shower and get dressed properly. He chooses another pair of combat boots (he really used to love these ones back then), jeans, a black t-shirt with V-neck and his favourite leather jacket. His hair is usually combed down but this time decides to put it up a bit. And apply eyeliner too.

“Wow, you look good.” his reflection in the mirror is looking straight back at him and Sunggyu thinks this is the kind of look that got him so many girls back then.

Woohyun is waiting for him, this time, in his house. His bedroom is bluish, the duvet has cars for design and the walls are plastered with one Stevie Wonder poster and lots of pics of him with Sunggyu (among other friends here and there). The shelves are also full of mangas and plushies.

He is wearing tight black pants and a red shirt that Sunggyu wants to burn down because – is it even allowed to look that good?

“You look good.” Woohyun says as they step out of his house.

“So do you.” he replies, which is the truth.

Woohyun takes them to some kind of restaurant, half-fancy, half-cheap, but at least they were able to eat well and without being wasteful.

“Hey hyung.” Woohyun starts. “Guess what? I went to the library today and I met Mijoo there.”

Sunggyu tenses.

“Oh.” he shifts his gaze towards the floor. “You did?”

“Yes!” Woohyun sounds too cheerful for Sunggyu's liking, and his stomach drops. “I asked her out. As in...if she wanted to go out with me one day. She said yes!! Apparently she's not lesbian, where did you even get that rumour from. Well, she doesn't have a boyfriend either. I can't believe I'm this lucky.”

“Congrats!” Sunggyu tries to sound happy for him, but it doesn't work at all. He's glad Woohyun doesn't notice it.

Woohyun is the one who proposes going drinking after the dinner, and Sunggyu is not sure if that's a good idea.

The pub is not so far away from the restaurant, so they go on foot. Sunggyu suddenly feels anxious. They're almost alone out there in the streets, and Woohyun is so so close to him. He can smell the soft scent of his aftershave, mixed with the usual smell of strawberries. It's intoxicating, in a way Sunggyu wants to kiss Woohyun so hard under the streetlamp light, until he has swallowed up all the worries inside of him, until there is nothing else inside of Woohyun's mind except of Sunggyu, Sunggyu's voice, Sunggyu's touch, Sunggyu's scent. Just like there's nothing else but Woohyun inside his mind.

He hesitates about buying alcohol or not. The 26yo part of his mind tells him that no, he can't do that, because they both have to study the following day and the hangover is going to be terrible, but the other part tells him to be risky, reckless and stupid, just like he was during his 19.

He goes for the second option in the end, and in his mind he hopes he won't regret it.

 

They get pretty much wasted, and what was even what Sunggyu had to worry about. They go all the way back to the restaurant because Woohyun's house is just a few streets away, so it's the shortest way.

The air is cold and Sunggyu sneezes a few times, Woohyun laughing at him. He stumbles on his way forward more than once and Sunggyu grabs his arm, trying to steady him

“How come we drank this much, oh my God.” Sunggyu asks when Woohyun has to stop in the middle of the sidewalk because he feels nauseous.

“We didn't drink that much, please.”

It doesn't sound convincing at all, and Sunggyu thinks it's stupid how attractive he finds Woohyun under the dim light. It should be ugly, really, because how looks attractive with that faint light shadowing their faces and lips slightly curved into a groin; black hair completely dishevelled and dilated pupils. But Woohyun does, and Sunggyu feels himself falling in love a little bit more.

“God, I-” Woohyun starts when they've almost reached his house. “I really want to do something.”

“As long as it isn't swimming in the sea or taking a car, I'm all ears.”

The boy moves closer, too close that Sunggyu can feel his breathing against his lips, their noses almost touching. His heart goes crazy, beating so hard that probably Woohyun is able to hear it.

“W-What are you doing.” he asks, out of breath, because really, he hadn't expected Woohyun to be like this, not even if he was drunk.

“Have I ever told you how pretty you look under the moonlight? Because really, it's just so-” a deep breath, Sunggyu is not sure from who. “I really want to kiss you...”

This is it, Sunggyu thinks, this was all a dream and I'm going to wake up now hating my whole existence.

But he doesn't wake up, and when Woohyun kisses him, he doesn't die – but almost.

Woohyun's lips are soft and they taste bitter, they taste of alcohol, but that doesn't stop him from kissing the boy back, lips moving with slow movements, turning more desperate, hectic with the seconds. Woohyun's tongue finds its way inside Sunggyu's mouth, and when they touch, Sunggyu feels his whole body on fire, sending shivers throughout his whole body. His hands get lost in the soft strands of Woohyun's hair, while said one holds Sunggyu by the waist, pulling him closer.

They break the kiss when the lack of air becomes too obvious, and their foreheads are pressed together as they try to catch their breaths.

“Sleep with me tonight.” Woohyun asks, and Sunggyu's heart almost pops out of his chest. “It's late for you to go home now.”

Sunggyu has enough time to send a message to his mom before Woohyun drags him inside the room. They don't kiss again, more like cuddle, but for a very short period of time before they both nod off.

 

 

❄❄️❄❄❄❄❄❄

 

 

“What the actual .” Sunggyu groans, turning around and meeting Woohyun's face right in front of his, his breathing tickling Sunggyu's nose.

His head is spinning and his body feels as if he has just been run over by a car.

He shakes Woohyun to wake him up.

“Yah, baby boy. Wake up.”

Woohyun mumbles something he can't understand and turns around in bed, hiding his head under the pillow.

Sunggyu laughs and reaches out his hand to grab his phone and look at the hour. It's 12 a.m.

“Jesus.”

He is already quite late for his ''studying sessions'' and his mother is probably angry at him (“you said you would not skip more studying for Woohyun!”), but honestly, does he even care. He just needs to focus on getting Woohyun and it's not like he cannot manage to do both things at the same time. Sure, his studies will be lacking a bit, but it would be just for a short amount of time. Nothing he can't mend up later.

Woohyun looks so quiet and peaceful on his sleep that Sunggyu can't bring himself to wake him up again, so he just gets up (more like tries to because wow, why are his legs so shaky and why the floor feels so unstable), and opens Woohyun's wardrobe to get some clean clothes, leaving his dirty ones on the floor. They always leave their clothes at each other's house anyways.

He looks at Woohyun one more time and the memories from the previous night wash over him: Woohyun's lips, Woohyun's hands, Woohyun's touches. Sunggyu feels his cheeks heating up and he's suddenly dizzy, knees weak and heart racing.

There is, though, hesitation behind his actions – they were drunk, would Woohyun even remember? Did he act taken by the alcohol running through his veins or did he really want to kiss Sunggyu? Would he regret it?

Thinking that Woohyun would probably tell him that yes, it was a mistake and that no, he doesn't like him, makes Sunggyu's stomach flips, and he suddenly feels nausea and runs towards the toilet to throw up, until there's no trace of alcohol left on his system.

After washing his hands and face, he leaves the room. It feels suffocating.

The cold air hurts, as if there were million knives cutting through his skin, and Sunggyu tries to hide his face inside the jacket, though it's somewhat futile. His hands are frozen and they're also slightly shaking, his fingers clenched into a fist to preserve the little warmth left.

Although it's Monday, there are a lot of people in the streets, buying late stuff for Christmas, such as presents or decoration for the house. Sunggyu remembers he hasn't bought anything for Woohyun yet, but he doesn't have money with him to do that now.

After a few seconds on his way back home, he feels someone walking next to him, and with a lump on his throat he looks up to see it was just Dongwoo.

“Hey!” the man greets, smiling widely.

“Jesus, you scared me!” he retorts, giving him a death glare.

Dongwoo laughs and Sunggyu somehow finds himself smiling along. Dongwoo is such a weird person. (Is he even a person?)

They keep walking for some time more, Sunggyu even manages to trip over the freezing floor (“Honestly, why are you wearing those boots with this weather?” “Just shut up!”) and Dongwoo just keeps humming happily, but no words come out of his mouth.

“Are you going to tell me for once why did you come to see me?” Sunggyu asks, in the end, slightly annoyed. He hasn't slept well and his head hurts.

“Pffft.” Dongwoo rolls his eyes. “You're always so nice.”

Sunggyu sighs.

“I'm sorry, I'm just tired.”

“It's okay.” the man shrugs. “I just came here to warn you. I kind of forgot to tell you this last time, I tend to be very absentminded.”

Sunggyu stops dead on his tracks and looks at him.

“To warn me?”

“Yeah.” Dongwoo nods. “You don't have forever, you know? There is a limit date.”

“W-What!? A limit date?! I thought I had all the time to get Woohyun?”

Dongwoo tilts his head and looks at him with one eye closed.

“No.” he says. “You only have until that day.”

Sunggyu knows what 'that' day means. Dongwoo doesn't even have to say a word for him to know. It was the day Woohyun chose going to see Mijoo instead of him, the day he asked the girl out and everything since then went downhill (for him).

“Your last day is the day where Woohyun is going to confess to Mijoo. It's the turning point. If you haven't gotten him before that happens, the game is over. You'll be back to being 26 and there is no going back.”

Sunggyu suddenly feels anxious, and his hands start shaking again.

“He kissed me.” he says, not sure why.

Dongwoo looks at him with an impassive look.

“I know.” he replies. “But that doesn't mean anything. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.”

Sunggyu wants to add something but Dongwoo has already left.

Remembering that day, how it felt when Woohyun chose Mijoo over him, Sunggyu wants to erase that memory forever.

 

 

❄❄️❄❄❄❄❄❄

 

It's cold and Sunggyu is freezing.

Honestly, all he wants to do is go back home and bury himself under thousand blankets, snuggling against his pillow and shelter in the warmth of his bed.

But, instead, he's wearing his most comfy wool coat and a big scarf around his neck, but his nose is red and his ears are freezing. Intending to arrive faster at college, he quickens the pace, closing his eyes against the cold breeze.

Woohyun reaches him almost at the gates of the building. His hair is now blue (Sunggyu still has a hard time breathing whenever he sees Woohyun again with blue hair. He had wanted to forget he ever had that look since forever because, really, how can someone look that good, is it even possible) and his body is wrapped in a huge cardigan. He looks as cold as Sunggyu does.

“We should get inside.” he says, and Sunggyu notices how his lips are almost purplish.

“Yes, before we freeze to death.”

Inside, even if it's the university, everything feels cozier, warmer, and Sunggyu's heart does a thing when he feels Woohyun grabbing his hand and rubbing it with his. It's a simple touch, but then Woohyun interlocks their fingers and doesn't let go of his hand even when they are already walking through the corridors. He can feel some people looking at them, but it's not like he cares.

“What class do you have now, hyung?” Woohyun asks, startling him. He had been so busy overthinking that didn't notice the boy looking at him.

“Ehhh.” Sunggyu blinks twice and tilts his head to look at the schedule stuck on his locker. “I have immunology. You?”

“Economy.” Woohyun smiles slightly, the corners of his lips curving upwards. It's weird but Sunggyu finds it cute. “Are you okay, hyung? You look tired.”

Sunggyu yawns.

“I'm tired. I've been nonstop studying these past few days for my test tomorrow. I'm gonna fail, the teacher hates me.”

“Even if the teacher hates you,” Woohyun removes his hand and Sunggyu feels cold again. “You will still manage, you're brilliant.”

“Pffft.” Sunggyu snorts. “I am not.”

“We'll see!”

Patting Sunggyu's head right after (“Yah, it's taken me ten minutes to comb my hair, don't do this!”), Woohyun leaves, and Sunggyu sighs as he leans back on his locker.

He hates immunology.

 

“Hyung, don't make that face!” Woohyun singsongs as he sits next to Sunggyu on a bench in the campus. “It's Friday! You should be happy because we are going out today.”

Oh. Sunggyu had forgotten. He had been so busy over his ing test that he had not even realized it was already weekend.

“Come to my house at 7 this afternoon.” he says, another yawn interrupting his sentence.

Woohyun smiles at him.

“We can hang out later, hyung. You're tired, you should take a nap and-”

“Just shut up and be on time.”

As he chews a lettuce inside his mouth, Woohyun slightly punches him in the arm.

“Yah, don't cut me off when I'm talking!”

Sunggyu shuts him up by stuffing another lettuce inside Woohyun's mouth, almost making the boy choke.

 

Afternoons are usually warmer than mornings, though nights are usually the coldest. That's why Sunggyu carries a jacket with him when he leaves his house. It's almost 7 p.m. and Woohyun hasn't arrived yet, so he sits on the stairs of the front door, legs folded and elbows resting on his knees.

He has already gotten used to wearing tight jeans again, and the fabric doesn't bother him anymore. He takes his phone out of his jacket to look at his reflection, to check if his eyeliner looks decent because he honestly traced it in a rush, thinking he'd be late (again) and would have Woohyun whining the rest of the night.

“Hello!”

Woohyun is wearing black pants and a white shirt surrounded by a long, beautiful black jacket. His bluish hair is hidden under a beanie, which says NY, but you could still see the bright blue fringe. His fingers try to remove it off his forehead, and Sunggyu swallows hard as he looks up, because he has always wanted to do that.

“You're late.” he says, instead.

“I'm sorry.” Woohyun shrugs. “There was a lot of traffic and my bus couldn't go faster.”

Sunggyu gets up and walks toward him, touching the boy's pointy nose. Woohyun pouts.

“Where are we going?”

Honestly, Sunggyu hadn't thought much about it. He just wanted to spend the day next to Woohyun, and maybe, maybe, his time to confess would show up.

He's running out of time, and the clock keeps ticking.

“The zoo.”

Woohyun gives him a look.

It's not that Woohyun is afraid of animals. On the contrary, he's very keen on them. Sunggyu isn't, though. That's why Woohyun looks so surprised.

“Are you sure, hyung? Last time we saw a lion you almost cried.”

Sunggyu opens his mouth, offended.

“Excuse me?” his voice comes out a bit too high-pitched for his liking and Woohyun smiles. “I'm not scared of a big cat. I'm not scared of anything. Except my mom, maybe.”

Woohyun laughs, but keeps being hesitant whether to agree or not.

Sunggyu regrets it right after stepping inside the zoo. There are big animals (Jesus, how big can a hippo be??) everywhere and he's a bit scared.

“I told you we shouldn't come here!” Woohyun scolds him, but Sunggyu shakes his head.

“Just shut up, would you? You've been wanting to visit the zoo since forever so it's okay. Just don't leave me alone.”

“I would never leave you alone.”

Sunggyu manages to ignore the flip his stomach does and focuses on not bursting into tears at any second.

Relief washes through his body when Woohyun grabs his hand and caress the sweaty palm with his thumb, reassuring him. He can't help but think that maybe the zoo is for them what usually scary films are for other couples. Not that they are a couple, but still.

“Can we go and see the dolphins?” Woohyun asks, lips curved into a huge smile and eyes gleaming.

How could Sunggyu refuse?

“As long as I don't get wet.”

 

Funny how right when they were walking next to the aquarium, a dolphin thought it would be great to jump and splash water all over them, which ended up in them both completely soaked.

“Wonderful.” Sunggyu rolls his eyes. “This is just wonderful.”

Woohyun pokes his cheek.

“Yah, stop frowning, you're gonna get wrinkles at an early age. And we don't want your handsome face to get ruined like that.”

Sunggyu gives him a look but is eternally grateful when Woohyun decides it was enough of the zoo for today. He still manages to convince Sunggyu to buy a little plushie of a whale. Sunggyu doesn't even like whales.

 

“Where are we going now?” Woohyun asks once they are out of the zoo, and Sunggyu is surprised to see how dark the sky has turned.

“The park.”

Sunggyu feels anxious. He has spent more nights than he'd like to admit thinking about this night. The night at the park with Woohyun, holding his hand as they walk all alone under the moonlight and he may or may not confess.

Only that they are not alone and there's no moon. Instead, there are lots of groups teenagers sitting on the grass, enjoying their free time as they drink and chat. And instead of a full, bright moon, they only have the ugly light coming from the streetlamps.

Woohyun still looks so beautiful, Sunggyu thinks. The urge to touch him is very much present and Sunggyu has to force himself not to do so. He can't.

He's so focused on his internal battle that he isn't even aware of Woohyun holding his hand, interlocking their fingers and humming happily to a song he has heard too often lately in the radio. He wonders why Woohyun likes to hold his hand this much. He usually didn't do that in his other past.

Sunggyu has so many questions: do you still think I'm pretty, even when you're not drunk? Do you still want to kiss me, even if it's not in a dark, dirty street where no one can see us? Do you still want to touch me? Do you?

Instead, he asks:

“Are you cold? Your hands are shaking.”

It's stupid, really, because why else would he be trembling if it's not because of the coldness.

Woohyun shakes his head no. Instead, he pulls Sunggyu closer, until their bodies brush together whenever they take a step forward.

Sunggyu thinks, he hasn't got much time left. In his memory, Woohyun would confess to Mijoo next week. So, if he wants to – no, more like he has to stop that from happening, he needs to get himself together and do something.

“We should go home.” Woohyun says, looking up, and their eyes meet, leaving Sunggyu at a loss for words. Why does he have to be so –

“Yeah, we should.”

It's late, really late, and he knows his mother is going to be angry.

Woohyun's house is the closest but he can't stay over because he already got scolded last time, even more because they were drunk.

He accompanies Woohyun to the front door, and leans slightly on the railing.

“Thank you for today, hyung.”

Sunggyu narrows his eyes at him.

“Why are you thanking me, I didn't do anything.”

“Yes, you did!” Woohyun's eyes shine so bright under the light of the entrance that it makes Sunggyu's heart skip a beat. “You took me to the zoo even if you don't like it and-”

A short peck.

It's so short Sunggyu thinks he might have imagined it but when he opens his eyes and sees Woohyun looking at him with wide eyes, he knows it wasn't a dream. His lips tickle after the sudden and insufficient brush against Woohyun's, and he has to swallow the lump on his throat, the feeling that tells him to kiss him again – harder, deeper.

“See you on Monday, baby boy.” he says, and finds the courage to kiss Woohyun again, this time even shorter than the last one. Woohyun is so startled he can't even manage to say a word. “Sleep well.”

 

 

❄❄️❄❄❄❄❄❄

 

“.”

Sunggyu slowly opens his eyes and sees all the books and notes in front of his eyes, the room already dark. He has nodded off while trying to study for his upcoming test, but tiredness washed over him. Now he rubs his eyes with the back of his palms and looks at his phone, noticing he has a message from his mother “I've gone to your grandparents' house. It won't take much but I expect you'll go out with Woohyun. Don't get drunk and don't arrive too late!” He laughs and pulls the chair, trying to get up. His back aches from the uncomfortable position he was at.

His stomach growls in hunger and he frowns, debating whether to call some fast food restaurant or go downstairs and see if there is pre-cooked food in the fridge.

On his way down, he almost trips several times with his own feet, since his sweatpants are too long and he keeps stepping on them.

Much to his surprise, there is a lunchbox full of homemade food, and Sunggyu has never felt happier. School seriously drains him, and he hates with all his being having to go through that hell once again.

He sighs.

“The things I do for that brat, seriously.”

The food tastes heavenly on his tongue and his cat climbs onto the table, looking at him half-pleading, half-demanding.

“I'm not giving you any.” Sunggyu says, giving the cat a look. “This is my food.”

Kei, her name, tilts her head and moves her tail back and forth, scrutinizing him.

In the end, has no choice but to feed his cat, who happily eats the piece of food he is offering, his fingers and Sunggyu smiles, feeling the raspy tongue against his skin.

Sunggyu suddenly opens his eyes wide.

“, , , what hour is it?”

He tries to take the phone out of his pocket but realizes he has left it on his deck. Running and almost dying on his way upstairs, he looks at the screen and sees there's only one hour left before his meeting with Woohyun, and he has yet to shower and wash his hair (honestly, he doesn't want to meet Woohyun being all sweaty and with dirty hair).

He manages to finish everything on time, and is running out of his house almost forgetting his jacket in the last second, but he rather not freeze to death.

They have arranged a meeting in the park near their university, which should be covered in white snow and with those pretty Christmas lights surrounding the trees and the fountains.

Sunggyu breathes out and sits on the edge of one of the fountains, rubbing his hands to get warm. He tries to focus on something else so he won't notice the coldness, and when Woohyun hasn't shown up in fifteen minutes, he starts getting worried.

There are no messages from the boy, but the date indicates it's December 20^th.

“.”

The memories from that day are suddenly so vivid that Sunggyu feels suffocated, out of breath, and has to open his coat because his lungs won't seem to function properly.

He presses the call button after a few failed attempts, due to the trembling of his hands.

Woohyun doesn't reply.

He calls again.

And again.

And again.

“Hyung?” Woohyun's voice comes out rather muffled, as if he was running, and Sunggyu swallows hard. “Oh my God, hyung, I'm so sorry! I won't be able to meet you today.”

“W-what, why.”

He knows why, he just hopes...things have changed....he really had thought....

“You won't believe it, hyung! Mijoo called me this afternoon! She said she's free and wanted us to meet up later! I'm so sorry, I know we had this planned but, really – she called me! And I jus-”

“Woohyun.” Sunggyu interrupts him, feeling bile in his throat, as if to throw up. “Woohyun, you can't.”

He hears rather than sees Woohyun frowning.

“I can't what, hyung?”

“You can't go to Mijoo.” it sounds like a plea, but he doesn't care. “Please, Woohyun, come here.”

“I-I don't get this, hyung? Are you crazy? How am I going to give her up now!?”

“Woohyun.” another try. “Please, I'm begging you, please, don't go with her. I-I need you...”

“You're so ing selfish.” Woohyun spits, and Sunggyu feels as if he has just been punched right in the face. “I wasn't expecting this from you....I'm really disappointed, hyung. I'm hanging up.”

“N-No, Woohyun!”

But the call is cut and Sunggyu can only hear the 'pi, pi, pi' coming from the other line.

His legs are shaking and he doesn't even have the strength to hold himself up. He feels tears gathering in the corner of his eyes and the sensation of vomiting appears again.

He has lost Woohyun. He has lost Woohyun once again. He has been given the chance to get the boy but he screw it up. Because, in the end, Woohyun chose Mijoo over him again. Just like the other time.

Only that this time, he has tasted Woohyun's lips, he has felt how it'd be to have Woohyun's body pressed close against his, how it'd be waking up next to him (without the hangover). How is he going to be able to go back to the future and think of what he could have had and never had? He had tasted the forbidden apple but then let it fall, in a way he could never pick it up again.

He debates whether to get up and move or wait until Dongwoo comes for him. Or maybe he should just say there and freeze to death. Maybe it'd be less painful. Or maybe he wouldn't feel anything at all, since his heart is already torn apart.

He wants to lie back and drown himself in the cold water, until his lungs are filled up and he can't breathe, until Woohyun disappears from his mind because the lack of oxygen is more important. Or would Woohyun still be more important then?

He finally gets up, shaking the dust off his pants, and his fingers are so cold he can't even feel them anymore, just like his nose.

After a few steps more, printing his footsteps on the crunchy snow, he looks up and his heart – or the remaining pieces of his heart – clenches.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, and is ashamed of how weak his voice sounds.

Sunggyu is tired. He feels worn out, completely exhausted for having to fight for someone who can't be his. Fate has made it clear. Woohyun can't be his, and never will be his. He doesn't belong to him, and the sooner he accepts the cruel reality, the sooner he can move on.

Woohyun looks at him in a way Sunggyu can't quite comprehend.

“I came here for you.” he replies, fidgeting. “When I hanged up I thought....why were you like that? And it appealed to me that, unless it was something really important, you would have never been like that. So I asked myself what was more important, Mijoo or you.”

“And what was the answer?” Sunggyu asks, even if it's too obvious.

“Why did you call me?” Woohyun asks, instead. “What was so important that you couldn't let me meet Mijoo?”

Sunggyu breathes in. He has practiced this so many times in front of the mirror, in all kind of scenarios, but now it just doesn't feel okay. He's nervous and his heart is racing.

“I love you.”

The words come out of his mouth easier than expected, and he's surprised at himself.

“I love you.” he repeats. “I've been loving you for quite some time and – the thought of you, being with her, instead of...instead of me, I just can't stand that, Woohyun. I love you, and every day I ask myself why the did I have to fall in love with you. It'd be so much easier if I had never met you.”

Sunggyu can see the hurt in Woohyun's eyes.

“Don't say that.” he says, roughly. “Don't ever say that again.”

“I didn't say I regret meeting you. I just said it would have been much easier for me. It would have saved me from a lot of pain.”

“I'm sorry.” That's all Woohyun says. “I'm sorry.”

“You're sorry for not loving me?” Sunggyu asks, even though he doesn't want to hear the answer.

“No.” Woohyun shakes his head no. “I'm sorry for not telling you before I love you too.”

Silence.

“Y-You what?” Sunggyu thinks he hears himself asking, but he's not sure, because his heart is beating so fast he's having a hard time concentrating.

Woohyun laughs softly, approaching him.

“I said I love you too, hyung.” he repeats. “Remember that night when we went out and I said if I have ever told you how pretty you are and how much I wanted to kiss you?” Sunggyu nods, that's the night when they got really drunk. He really had thought Woohyun had forgotten it. “Well, I really meant it. I've never wanted to kiss someone as much as I did with you. And – ” a deep breath. “When I hanged out with Mijoo, I didn't want to kiss her the same way. Sure I was attracted, but I just- I just didn't think you would like me too.” another pause. “But then you kissed me, twice. That night at the door of my house. And since then I couldn't stop thinking about it, about us, about you.”

“Then, w-why were you going to Mijoo today...” Sunggyu asks, and the trembling doesn't stop, not even when Woohyun grabs his hand and interlocks their fingers together.

“Because I thought that's what I had to do. That we were not supposed to be together...I thought you were just playing around with me and, honestly, I was so annoyed. I wanted to forget about you and then you call me just like that....I'm glad you did, though.”

“I'm glad too.” Sunggyu whispers.

He feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders and he can breathe again. He pulls Woohyun closer and embraces the boy in a tight hug, snuggling his nose against his neck and inhaling his scent. He feels Woohyun trembling under him and he hugs him harder, trying to erase all the bad memories.

Woohyun is his, and he should not worry anymore. He's never going to let go.

 

Dongwoo appears a few hours later, when Sunggyu has gone downstairs and is sitting in a small picnic table Woohyun has in his garden. The boy is sleeping inside his room, but Sunggyu didn't seem to be able to sleep. He was wide awake.

Dongwoo sits next to him, their legs touching.

“You made it.” he says, and it sounds too serious for it to be coming from Dongwoo. He looks, for once, his age (Sunggyu supposes he is around 25), and his dark blue hair seem to match his eyes.

“I did.” Sunggyu nods. “I thought I had failed again.”

Dongwoo sighs, and the reflection of a smile appears on his lips.

“You didn't. It's not like you could fail anyways.”

Sunggyu looks at him.

“What?”

He looks up to meet Dongwoo's gaze, but the moon is not full enough for him to be able to see much.

“You know, I'm a timekeeper. Fate does exist, but in very twisted ways.” Dongwoo tilts his head and the dark bangs cover his eyes. “I have a screen where everything is organized. Every meeting, every couple. When two people get together, their plates connect, as if it was a puzzle. But only if those two people are meant to be, the plates will turn red. If that doesn't happen, it means they will find their other halves another time. But you and Woohyun, your plates became red since the very first day you guys met.” Sunggyu's heart skips a beat. “That's why I had to come here and ask you to go back in time. Because it was the first time things would not end the way they are supposed to. Woohyun was going to end up with Mijoo even though they are not meant to be.”

“S-So...Woohyun and I...?”

“Yeah.” Dongwoo nods. “You guys are going to be together until your last breaths, congrats.”

Dongwoo sounds excited again, but the exhaustion hidden between his words doesn't go unnoticed for Sunggyu. He's probably drained from being so much time down there, and is eager to go back home.

“Thank you.” Sunggyu says, and he really means it. “Thank you so much.”

“Don't thank me, this is my job.” Dongwoo pats his shoulder as he gets up. “It was nice meeting you, Kim Sunggyu. But I hope I don't have to see you again.”

Sunggyu laughs, his eyes turning into crescents.

“Me too!”

 

 

 

7 years later

 

“Sunggyu!”

Sunggyu turns around to see Myungsoo, approaching him with his lips curved into a smile.

“Oh, hello Myungsoo!” he says, tilting his head.

“How are you? We haven't seen each other for a while.”  Myungsoo's hair has grown too long that it almost covers his eyes, and he struggles to remove it off his forehead to be able to look at Sunggyu in the eye. “I've been in Europe for my new project.”

“Oh.” Sunggyu smiles. “I hope it went well. I started a new research, though.”

Myungsoo's mouth turns into a perfect 'o', and Sunggyu thinks he's cute. He's always been cute.

“That's nice, hyung! I'm sure you'll do a great job.”

Sunggyu wants to say something but he's suddenly cut off when a pair of arms surround his waist and he's pulled backwards, until his back collides against someone's chest and his head is resting on his shoulder. Sunggyu looks down to see it's Woohyun, dark hair neatly combed and pointy nose looking as beautiful as ever.

“Hello, baby.” Woohyun says, smiling, and Sunggyu curses internally because, honestly, he's still not over that smile. “Stop boring Myungsoo!”

“Yah! I'm not boring him!”

Myungsoo laughs and shakes his head, looking at them.

“You guys haven't changed much.”

Sunggyu opens his mouth to add something but Woohyun shuts him up with a kiss.

“Hey, hey, hey!” someone shouts from afar. “You guys can't kiss!”

Woohyun rolls his eyes and kisses Sunggyu again with a short peck.

“Shut up, Hoya!” he shouts, taking a step back and winking at Sunggyu. “See you later, love.”

Sunggyu nods and swallows the lump on his throat. So many people is arriving at the place and he's nervous. Narrowing his eyes, he spots his parents and Woohyun's sitting in the first row of chairs, chatting between themselves, and he's both, relieved and happy to see how easily they accepted it. His mother said she would have been surprised if he hadn't ended up with Woohyun.

“Breath.” Myungsoo says, patting his shoulder. “You need to make it out alive from this, man!”

Sunggyu wants to laugh but he can't, and his stomach sinks when he sees Woohyun approaching them once again.

“Is he panicking again?” he asks, half-amused, half-thoughtful. “Stop worrying, baby. I told you everything would be fine.”

“I know.” a deep breath. “I know, I just-”

“Hey, Myungsoo, did you know it was Sunggyu who proposed in the first place?”

Myungsoo opens his eyes wide.

“W-What?! It was Sunggyu!?” his questions comes out rather high-pitched and Sunggyu rolls his eyes. “B-But everyone assumed...it was you...”

Woohyun nods, laughing, and dodges one of Sunggyu's punches.

“Actually, it was him. I remember it so vividly.” Sunggyu wants to punch him again because he knows Woohyun won't shut up unless he has told the whole story, and Myungsoo looks very curious. “We were on a date. It was late and we were walking back home, hand in hand, and Sunggyu's cheeks were flushed because he had drunk a bit. He suddenly stopped in the middle of the street and looked at me very seriously and said 'do you remember it was here when you first kissed me?' I obviously remembered, how could I forget. Then he started fidgeting on place and I got so nervous. He was making me so nervous. Then he just said 'do you want to marry me?' Honestly I was so shocked. I really didn't see that coming! But it happened and look at us now!”

Myungsoo laughs and Sunggyu is blushing furiously, the memories from that night washing over him (Woohyun kissing him, Woohyun in his bedroom, Woohyun under the sheets, Woohyun kissing him everywhere).

“Yeah.” Sunggyu says, in the end, and grabs Woohyun's hand to interlock their fingers. “And look at us now. We are getting married, aren't we?”

Woohyun nods.

“What if someone interrupt us?” he asks.

“They can't. We are meant to be.”

“Oh, really?” Woohyun an eyebrow. “How can you be so sure?”

Sunggyu has to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

“Trust me, I know.”

 

---

 

admin's not: i always love this kind of story, where they fight for their love and sunggyu being the one chasing is a bonus. i love this so much, i can't even put into words. great job babe :D (soundsecret)