You’re in his room lounging on his bed, watching him pace across the room angrily as he tells you about Boyfriend #7 and their (failed) relationship. “I can’t stand that attitude of his! He’s so annoying,” he rants. And rants. And rants. He’s pouring it all to you even though you were there all along and had known about everything. Yes, even the fact that they didn’t match from the start and would eventually break up.

Boyfriend #7 is a bit of a jerk, a snob, too y, too rich, too spoiled. They’re similar, a tad too similar. Haven’t you said this before? Hadn’t he agreed? You don’t tell him “I told you so,” because he already knows you think it, and you know he pushed through with the relationship anyway despite your advice.

You’re only half-listening to him. Half-listening and a quarter watching, while the rest of you pays attention to the tub of ice cream you’ve been consuming for the past ten minutes (and two hours into his tirade). “Aaaargh!” he screams in frustration, and you know better than to ask him to calm down.

About five more minutes of fast talking and relentless pacing and he plops down next to you, making the mattress bounce a bit. You agree with him that guys , especially those rich ones. He says you don’t count. Says you’re the only one who isn’t like that. To this you tell him, “I told you so.” He retorts with a smack at your bicep and an incredulous look, and you only shrug at him smugly.

You offer him the ice cream—vanilla-flavored, his favorite—and smile as he takes the tub all for himself, not giving you a chance to eat even a spoonful of it again.

Do you love him?

Yes, of course. It goes without saying that you’re in love with him.

-----

Taecyeon didn’t pay any attention to Wooyoung at first. He’s known him since high school, but even though they run in the same social circles and got accepted in the same university, neither of them bothered to interact with the other before. Not until one of Minjun’s birthday-slash-frat parties. Taecyeon was invited because he’s Minjun’s best friend, and Wooyoung’s there because he’s the other best friend.

The party is in full swing, but Taecyeon seems to be more interested in staring blankly at the space in front of him than pumping to the electro music. Tired from his midterms, he doesn’t really feel like dancing at the moment and thought that sleeping with his eyes open would be a better alternative.

“What? Why are you staring at me?”

Huh? . “Oh. I didn’t see you there.”

Wooyoung an eyebrow at him. Embarrassed, Taecyeon diverts his attention to his red cup instead, but then he senses he’s being stared at this time. He sighs and decides to try to make conversation with the man in front of him anyway.

“Someone’s bound to get pregnant tonight,” he states, referring to the way their friend Fei is slow dancing with Minjun even though the music is an upbeat one.

“Good thing I gave him a crib as a birthday gift.”

“Oh wow damn, that’s expensive.”

“Only the best for my best bud.”

Taecyeon realizes that maybe he has misjudged Wooyoung. He’d always thought of him as a snob brat with pudgy cheeks like all art majors are, so he was a bit taken aback with the sense of humor the small guy apparently possesses. Maybe he’s the one who was being a snob. He narrows his eyes at Wooyoung and sees a bored smirk (how the heck does he do that?) flicked back at him. “You don’t wanna be here.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“And neither do you. Come on, let’s go get some coffee,” was the answer.

They ditch the club for the 24/7 coffee shop down the street. They emerge hours later as “brand-new friends”, but the witty conversation and friendly banter lasts for weeks. They’d often pull pranks on each other, much to their friends’ annoyance. It was the first time that they’ve both found their match in the sarcasm department, and it was enough to solidify their friendship. Others came and went out their lives as the years passed by yet the two of them remained as tight and intact as ever.

-----

“Why do you look like someone ran Eddy over with a car?” Actually, it looks more like he got run over by a car, but you don’t tell him that to avoid hurting his feelings too much. You know how sensitive he can get when it comes to his looks. He just grunts at you in response so you kick his shin to wake him up a bit. He grunts again.

“Yah, aunty called me earlier to ask how you’re doing. Told me you’re both living in Seoul yet they haven’t seen you in weeks. I told her even I barely see your ugly mug these days. All you do is work, work, work—dude they should feature you in that Rihanna music video. You should call her back, you know? Your mom I mean, not Rihanna. You’re such a horrible son for making her worried.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry~” he mumbles into his palm. He’s trying to act cute by giving you puppy eyes, but all you notice are the dark bags under them. “I’m just- I’ve been swamped with too much work lately. I feel so tired, man; I want to sleep and binge on pizza for maybe at least a week, but I don’t think I can until the new product has been launched…” He closes his eyes and presses his fingers to them.

You want to want to coddle him but that would be awkward with his size compared to yours, wouldn’t it? Then again, you’ve made it your life mission to embarrass him. “Aww you poor baby. Tell me all about it and I’ll kiss the boo-boos away. Yeah that’s right, tell daddy everything,” you coo at him and his head for good measure.

He bursts out laughing. The startled people in the café look at the two of you funnily, and boy what a sight you two must be. You’ve always been told that your cackle resembles a hyena screeching, and the way he sniggers clapping his hands reminds you of a sea lion. You don’t care about the stares—of course you don’t. Not as long as you’re with him, knowing you made him laugh.

The way his head tilts back in his laughter reveals the smooth column of his throat while the sunlight hits his face in the right places, somehow making him shimmer. Just like a damn prince from a ing fairy tale. He looks carefree and so beautiful and it irritates you because it ignites feelings you’ve already buried so long ago.

“Stop laughing,” you snap at him. “Your huge teeth are exposed now—it isn’t really a good view, you know. It puts piano keys to shame. Ugh. You’re hopeless.”

“And yet you love me,” he drawls, eyes still crinkling.

Yes. You roll your eyes at him and take a sip of your coffee. Yes I do.

-----

Everyone seems to think they’re together. Minjun is having yet another party, but this time it’s to celebrate his engagement with Fei. Of course Wooyoung and Taecyeon came together because hey, nothing’s more fun than judging the guests with your best friend. They were both giggling drunkenly at their commentaries when what’s-his-name-again from Philosophy approaches the two of them and asks, “Hey, long time no see! What’s up? You guys married already?”

The question makes Taecyeon choke on his drink. “Married? What? Who?”

“So no plans yet?”

He chokes even more. Talk about awkward. Wooyoung pats his back in a mix of sympathy and amusement and answers for him. “We were never a couple,” he says with a subtle roll of his eyes.

Short Legs gives them a stupid look. “What? But I always thought…”

Taecyeon finally gathers his bearings. “God, no. Wooyoung’s standards are too high I don’t think normal people can ever fit them.” He shakes his head as if to reproach Wooyoung, who then slaps the back of his head. “My standards aren’t that high, excuse me. You’re just salty because you don’t fit…in anyone’s standards.” Wooyoung sniggers.

He totally misses Taecyeon’s sad smile.

-----

This time he’s the one lying on your bed sleeping like a baby. You smile at the picturesque scene and decide not to wake him up—that and the fact that he bites if you so much as touch and disturb him when he’s smashed. He starts to stir, and patting his thigh you urge him back to sleep. “Don’t worry, you know you can crash here.”

“Itchy. My clothes are killin’ me,” he whines. You watch him struggle to take off his dress shirt and pants, leaving only his boxers on. “Cook me brunch tomorrow. Lots of bacon. And eggs.”

You laugh at his cuteness and gently lay down beside him. “Even drunk you’re still y.” He chuckles and cuddles close to you.

As you welcome his heat against you, you can’t help but recall your conversation earlier. While you know very well that he was just teasing you, it’s true—his standards are much too high, his taste in men very unlike you. Maybe that was why you always pass up on telling him the truth. He wants the perfect prince charming. You’re just a frog.

The room is silent aside from his even breathing. You assume he’s already down, but then he speaks again. “Love you,” he sighs sleepily.

Your heart flutters. You want to say it back to him so badly, but you’re scared your true feelings might show. You’ve loved him for so long you can’t even remember where or when or how it happened. It’s been getting difficult to keep it bottled up lately, and you’re afraid they’ll spill over with the slightest nudge. What if he rejects you, or worse, what if he doesn’t even want to be friends with you anymore? You’d rather keep silent and carry on being his best friend than to say something and it all up and possibly lose him in the end.

But what if he does like you back? What if he was just waiting too? Honestly, you’re getting tired of pining, hurt of watching him go on dates and having disastrous relationships. And all the more afraid of him actually meeting someone else he’d click with and falling for that person. It’s better to have tried and failed than to do nothing and in the end regret letting him get away, right?

He snuggles deeper into your arms as you let these thoughts circle your mind. You notice that his form fits yours perfectly. Feeling his heartbeat and warmth…yeah, it makes your decision for you. With a steely resolve you wrap your arms around him tighter and whisper good night. I love you too.

-----

For the first time in a long time, Taecyeon is nervous. He puts on a tie, then removes it in frustration because the color doesn’t match his shirt. Perhaps he should wear the emerald green tie instead. It’s his lucky tie and it’s said to bring out the caramel in his eyes. (Wooyoung is in front of the mirror with combs and brushes and blow-dryers and different hair products. Should he style his hair up or tame it down? He should wear it down; it is a semi-formal place they’re going to after all. Besides, the bangs make him look young and cute.) Taecyeon’s pacing around his room, practicing everything he has to say for the last time. He’s anxious and he can’t forget anything because this is a deal-breaker. He gets his keys and wallet, shouts to his roommate that he’s going now and hears a good luck grunted back. (Wooyoung’s prepared for this. He’s been on plenty of dates before and this shouldn’t be any different, right? Right. No reason to be nervous.) Taecyeon’s drive over to the building was quick but he stays in the parking lot for a while to collect his nerves. Why is he even worried? This is a sure thing already. (Wooyoung sits in his living room, waiting to be picked up. The last text he received was “I’m leaving, be there in 15.” He’s got nothing to do so he resorts to tapping his shoe on the tiled floor, humming along to the rhythm he’s creating.)

Taecyeon knocks.

Wooyoung opens the door.

-----

“I think it’s impressive how you incorporate your love for both music and art together and create something so unique and enchanting,” your date remarks. For some reason you get the urge to scoff and roll your eyes. You resist it and merely nod because this one doesn’t deserve your tantrums. Indeed, he looks and acts like a perfect prince charming and you know he’s trying really hard to impress you. He’s not the one, though. There’s still something missing.

You look around the gallery and your mind drifts back to the last time you’ve been here when another artist was featured. You were with him, having fun judging people who agree that a blank canvas should be seriously considered “a beautiful form of abstract art”. A soft smile spreads across your features as your mind plays out those happy memories like a charming movie.

And there you go again. You sigh internally. Why must he constantly invade your thoughts?

You remember having a teeny tiny crush on him since senior high but never even trying to talk to him back then because you were already graduating. When you heard that you’ll be attending the same university, you were impartial, mainly because he’s an uptight business major and you’re this carefree art and music major. Different interests with zero opportunity to mingle.

So when you first interacted with him in that frat house and later on in the café, you were pleasantly surprised that you two just clicked. And for a long time you enjoyed whatever it was you were doing…until you got confused about the push-and-pull going on between the two of you. You waited for a sign. None came. You tried sending small signals yet none of those seemed to get into his head, and now all you remember is getting tired of yearning for something that must have been only your imagination after all.

You’ve gone on countless dates since then, been on several relationships with men the complete opposite of him. At the end of each one, though, you go comparing them to him. How he’s taller and has more perfect skin, how they all bore you because they’re not blessed with as much wit and intelligence as him. Well maybe that’s the reason why you can’t settle—because they’re not him. Because after all this time, he’s still the goddamn prince charming.

Would it be too late to take a chance now? If you’re being honest with yourself, you know that things have been different between the two of you lately. It’s inexplicable, perplexing, unnerving—but you’re sure it’s there, prodding at you unceasingly. The staring. The soft touches. The tension. The fluttering. It makes you giddy and it makes you worried but…

Or maybe you’re just thinking too much again. Yes, that must be it. You’re thinking too much and it makes your head ache. You feel your heart beating in your chest wildly and it makes you dizzy. You glance up at your date and he’s still there looking at your paintings with awe. He isn’t hard to like at all. Yet you want to get out of here and grab take out and have a lazy night with him. You shake your head. You want—no, you don’t know what you want.

Why must everything be so complicated?

-----

Wooyoung’s lounging in front of the TV eating his popcorn by the time his roommate shuffles inside the apartment. “How was the contract signing with the other company?” Wooyoung inquires lazily.

“Tiresome; my hand went numb five pages in. How was your date? Met your prince charming already?”

“Eh. He was nice, but too nice for my taste. Bet he wouldn’t even hurt a fly. Plus his eyebrows were too bushy it was distracting.”

“Oh.”

He smiles demurely. “But I did meet my prince charming.”

“…oh?”

“He’s here, actually.”

It’s quiet for a few seconds until it finally dawns on his roommate and the smile slowly turns into a smirk. “Is this who I think it is?”

Wooyoung stands up and grabs the front of his roommate’s shirt, bunching it in one of his hands while the other fans out on the muscled chest.

He kisses him.

Taecyeon kisses back.

“You jerk."