The next time they kiss, years have passed.

Hyesung is barely disturbed in his task as the gentle breeze of the sunny spring day goes through the open window to caress his face. He sticks out his tongue at the corner of his mouth in concentration, and soon, a pitiful groan can be heard next to him.

"Argh! Hyesung, you little . I didn't see that coming," Minwoo complains loudly, throwing away his gamepad in frustration.

His character on the screen just died, abandoned during a fight by his two companions to the hands of an ugly monster as Hyesung went to help Eric's avatar instead of him. A merciless chuckle immediately follows as the dancer lays back on the couch, pouting.

"That's just payback for the other day," Eric states innocently.

It's the second time they meet at Hyesung's place this week to play video games, but the dancer isn't lucky today. Minwoo frowns when he sees the shadow of a smirk on Eric's face and he glares at the leader on his right, before twirling around on his left.

"And you! You! Why are you always helping him?" He whines, kicking childishly Hyesung's leg repeatedly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."

The singer fails to look innocent though, and Minwoo pouts even more as Eric does aegyo, chanting a 'thanks Hyesungie~' in a disgustingly cute sing-song voice.

Minwoo hits him once to shut him up, then twice too for good measure, and soon resumes his whining.

"I swear, I'm not playing with you two anymore. You always gang up on me!"
"Come on, that's ridiculous! Don't be stupid Minwoo-ya~," Eric sings again cutely, ignoring him.

Hyesung doesn't say anything, just coughs a little to hide his laugh, and Minwoo hits the chuckling leader again, several times.

"Seriously! Why are you always bullying me?" He grumbles. "For an oil and water couple, you team up with each other way too often. Awkward my !"
"You're overreacting," Hyesung scolds him lightly before taking a sip of his beer. 
"I'm just saying, why do you always come to his rescue?" Minwoo pouts again. "You never help me when we play video games, or anyone else for that matter. Just him! Why?"

Hyesung sneaks a glance at Eric, slightly blushing as he notices the leader's smug smirk. Their guilty reactions are not lost on Minwoo.

"Sometimes, you two really look suspicious you know. Like a couple who has just broken up," he says slowly, teasingly. "Are you sure you haven't dated each other before? Do you have anything to confess to me?"

Minwoo smirks as Hyesung chokes on his drink, his eyes widening.

"Are you crazy?" The singer stutters hastily, looking flustered.

His pulse quickens and he doesn't dare to look in Eric's direction anymore, wondering if the leader currently thinks too about the kisses they shared a long time ago. Or maybe Eric has completely forgotten about them?

Hyesung tries to ignore the pang in his heart at this possibility. It's stupid though. It's not like they ever really dated each other. A few, hormone-driven kisses don't mean anything.

Eric's words back then didn't have any meaning either. Or rather, he only certainly meant he liked him as a friend... who understood his embarrassing, raging, shameful hormones.

After all, soon after their last kiss, once the awkwardness had somewhat faded, they both had started dating girls again. And if they remained a little awkward and hadn't talked about thoses kisses ever again, it was something to expect, wasn't it? Why would they bring up that again?

It was just a passing thing. Logic meant dating girls, and that's what they were both doing.

Despite that logic, Hyesung knows he's been lying to himself all this time. Because, as hard as it is to admit it, bringing a girlfriend to his parents to prove that he's straight and then getting dumped by her for not giving a damn about their relationship is just pitiful.

Because, after years of denial, he finally accepted the fact that he is in love with another man. With Eric. A man who will break his heart soon or later for good. Certainly sooner than later.

"Talking about dating," Minwoo continues, turning to Eric with a huge smile. "How are things going with your girlfriend? Have you proposed her yet? It's about time, don't you think?"

Despite himself, Hyesung freezes slightly and his throat suddenly feels dry at Minwoo's words.

Eric has been dating the beautiful Park Siyeon for around two years now, and the Shinhwa members never miss the chance to about it, and even though Hyesung forces himself to go along with it, joking with the other members, his heart is slowly dying inside.

He doesn't want to know about the details of their relationship. He doesn't want to know if they're headed towards marriage. Yet, he knows it's inevitable and that he has to prepare his heart to prevent it from falling apart completely. Among the Shinhwa members, Eric is the most likely to get married soon. Very soon.

His heart is pounding in his chest when Eric finally speaks.

"Actually... We broke up."

Hyesung doesn't know how to breathe anymore. He hasn't expected that. It's an understatement to say that Minwoo looks surprised as well.

"What? Wait, what? I thought you were practically married already. Who broke up? When? What happened?"
"She did. Three months ago. And it just happened, that's all," Eric says with a shrug. 
"What do you mean 'that's all'?" Minwoo nearly shrieks. "And three months ago!? Why didn't you tell us?"

Hyesung finally glances at Eric. The leader looks rather unconcerned about it all as he shrugs again in answer, and the singer can't help but stare in wonder.

They don't usually talk about the intimate aspects of their private life together yet he surely would have guessed something was happening, wouldn't he? But Hyesung hasn't noticed anything strange these past few months in the leader's behavior. Nothing at all. If Eric has been sad or depressed because of his break up, he certainly has hidden it well, because Hyesung is attentive. Very attentive. And he hasn't seen that coming.

Eric came as often as before to visit him – quite often really as they're neighbors now, despite not being compelled to sharing a dorm anymore – mainly to talk about Shinhwa related matters and to play video games with him.

Well, maybe that was the problem, as the Shinhwa members kept telling him.

"What are you doing?" Eric frowns when Minwoo starts to type frenetically on his phone.
"Telling the other guys," Minwoo answers distractedly. "Why didn't you say anything? We could have supported you sooner. Get drunk together or something."

Eric doesn't wait to swiftly steal his phone, ignoring Minwoo's immediate whining.

"I told Andy," he replies calmly.
"Why only him?" Minwoo mutters jealously.

Hyesung feels jealous too. Even though they talk a lot together, Eric tends to confide in Andy more than him. But he realizes that he's being unfair, as he himself tends to confide in Junjin more than he does in Eric. Well, only because it would feel too... intimate to tell him everything. Despite yearning for a close relationship with Eric, certain things remain too awkward between them. Things like... the memory of a kiss.

"What happened?" Minwoo insists.

Eric doesn't answer right away.

"Same old story," he admits after a while. 
"I told you before, you have to take better care of your girlfriends." Minwoo says, sighing deeply. "You have to pay attention to them, spend more time with them than with your buddies," he adds emphatically.

He points at a Hyesung to emphasize his words and the singer blushes with embarrassment as Eric's eyes scrutinize him.

"I know it's not easy with our schedules but... if we don't make any effort, none of us will get married before our retirement!" Minwoo whines again, looking more than a little depressed.

Hyesung can't help but sigh too.

"Minwoo, don't be like that..."
"You're no better!" Minwoo cuts him off theatrically, suddenly scolding the singer too. "Haven't you been single for more than a year already? What about all those blind dates?"

Hyesung only stutters, making Minwoo huff and point his finger at them accusingly.

"You know what, you're both hopeless! So maybe you really should try and date each other!"

Still grumbling angrily about his dumb and dumber friends, Minwoo turns toward the tv set and resumes the game first, silently followed by his two blushing fellow members.

***

One hour later...

Feeling exhausted, Hyesung sighs and pouts, remembering thoughtfully Minwoo's scolding.

"What's wrong with him?" he mumbles to himself, fiddling with his hoodie's strings.

Minwoo just left after venting out all his frustration, winning three games in a row, and only Eric is remaining with him. They're still playing even if it's already the evening and the room slowly goes dark around them.

Minwoo's words keep resounding in his head, and he's glad that the darkness hides the blush on his face.

Maybe you really should try and date each other!

His thoughts are running in circles and it's never a good thing. Especially when Eric is watching him carefully.

"You look tired."

Hyesung smiles weakly.

"Let's just take a break. Wanna eat something?"

Eric nods, and barely sharing a few words, they go to the kitchen and start preparing some food. The atmosphere is slightly awkward, less comfortable than usual as they're both deep into thought.

Absent-mindedly boiling some water, Hyesung suddenly realizes that despite Minwoo's antics, they've really had a nice day. They have made an habit of spending entire days like this, hanging out with friends or just the two of them, and sharing dinners together. Nothing fancy but it always feels so nice and domestic, like what real couples usually do.

Hyesung blushes at the dangerous thought and spends the dinner avoiding Eric's eyes. He can't help but steal glances at his unusually silent best friend though, and their questioning eyes meet each time, sending electricity down his spine.

He gulps down another beer as they return in the living room and plop down on the couch. Before Hyesung can grab the gamepad and resume their game though, Eric's hand catches his wrist.

"What are you doing?" Hyesung asks quietly, staring at him in confusion.

Eric just looks at him for a while in silence, and Hyesung is too tired to even get annoyed at his lack of answer. Also, Eric looks extremely serious and it definitely starts to render him nervous.

Hyesung nearly freaks out when Eric suddenly comes closer – way too close for comfort – and his thumb starts tracing circles on his wrist.

"Eric..." He warns him, trying but failing to wriggle away for much needed personal space as Eric still firmly holds his wrist.
"Should we try?" The leader finally says.

The singer is even more confused.

"Try what?"
"Dating," Eric says softly.

Hyesung doesn't know if he heard correctly.

"What?" he repeats stupidly, before laughing awkwardly after a few seconds, nervously.

The question doesn't compute in his brain. It doesn't make any sense.

"Are you crazy?" He manages to stutter in a desperate attempt to keep his own sanity.
"Am I?" Eric asks him calmly. "I might be but I don't care."

Hyesung just stares at him, and Eric lowers his head. His next words are even more confusing, sounding like an apology to his ears.

Eric lowers his head, and his next words are even more confusing, sounding like an apology to his ears.

"I know it's certainly too late, I should have asked you sooner, years ago actually... but I also know we both tried to fight it during all this time..."
"What are you talking about?" Hyesung knows, but he asks anyway, already trembling and dizzy, aware that Eric can feel his guiltily rapid pulse against his fingers. 

When Eric's eyes look up into his, they're terribly sad.

"I'm not sure if I can go on like this anymore. Hurting each other like this... I just need to know if there might be a chance for us."

The breeze is colder than earlier, and Hyesung shivers and freezes when Eric leans in carefully.

When their lips touch, it's nothing like their previous kisses. It's soft and hesitant, loving and romantic, and as the kiss deepens slowly, barely, as if they're both scared to taste a new territory, Hyesung finally sobs.

"I'm sorry," he whispers when their mouths part.

Leaning back a little, Eric caresses his face, wiping away the warm tears on his cheek.

"I'm sorry I still like you," Hyesung finishes.

Eric's eyes are glistening as he smiles gently before leaning in again, murmuring against his lips.

"It's okay. I still like you too."

The game is forgotten as they resume their kiss.

TBC...