Yep, not dreaming; it's me.

I know I vanished for a bit, but I come bearing a gift.

A fluffy, slightly smexy gift (only PG-13, you s :P).

I also have a small explanation for my absence at the end. But enjoy the fic first.

Pick an Ending

Sungyeol could only glance at the menu in front of him, the letters and numbers blurring to his tired, still sleep-weary eyes. If the young man had his own choice, he would still be asleep, or just lazing around in his bed for the day, sleeping off his hungover state--after all, that’s the best thing to do after the entertainment world’s most prestigious party of the year.

As a screenwriter, Sungyeol had all the access to the glamour and glitz of the entertainment world without having to worry about the added pressure of being in the spotlight. Sungyeol rose in the ranks within one of Korea’s top TV stations from production intern to a trusted assistant drama screenwriter. In addition to getting to know the many actors for any of his drama projects, Sungyeol also could take part in the glamorous annual award shows--while he and his fellow writer never got the public recognition, they at least got to enjoy the awards banquets and the after parties.

It was there that Sungyeol felt he had the time of his life.

Not only had one of his lesser-known lead projects won an award for outstanding screenwriting for a cable drama, but Sungyeol got to meet a bunch of idol-actors who his best friend, Nam Woohyun, either knew personally or had worked with in the past.  

The liquor was flowing easily and the DJ for the party was slowly morphing the atmosphere from high-class mingling and networking to typical drunken debauchery, where class and status melted away. Sungyeol noted quite a few of the idols and actors in attendance sneaking off into secluded corners, or even dancing sensually and making out in the middle of the dance floor, taking advantage of the lack of media presence.

Having finished his third vodka and soda, Sungyeol broke away from the crowd on the dance floor and moved towards one of the bars within the ballroom. He placed his order with the bartender and took a moment to catch his breath as the drink was made. His sportcoat remained at one of the many tables around the room--he had to remember to grab it on his way out--and the heat radiating around the room caused Sungyeol to roll the sleeves of his white button up, exposing his forearms, and open the top two buttons at the collar.

The bartender returned with a drink in hand, sliding it across the polished wood surface. “8,000 won.”

Sungyeol reached into the back pocket of his slacks to pull his wallet out. Suddenly a credit card was waved in the taller’s face. “Put it on mine.”

Glancing towards the deep voice, Sungyeol’s breath caught momentarily---because, damn, who was this guy? The man was tall, not as much as Sungyeol, and wore solid black slacks and dress shirt, his dark hair tousled upwards, exposing the man’s chiseled jawline and almost perfect skin. The other smirked as he noticed Sungyeol’s gaze, sending a short wink his way. “You’re welcome,” he said.

The bartender took the card and walked off as Sungyeol only continued to stare. “And you would be--”

“Just a stranger looking to offer another stranger a drink,” the man replied. “Maybe a little small talk, if you’re interested.”

Sungyeol snorted--hot and smooth, this man--and raised his glass. “Small talk, huh? That’s what you’re interested in?”

“It’s a way to get the night started at least.”

Sungyeol smirked as the bartender returned with the stranger’s card. “I guess let’s get this started.”

From there, the night took quite the unexpected, yet pleasurable turn. The mystery man, belatedly introducing himself as Kim Myungsoo, turned out to be surprisingly entertaining company. The other man was a junior production assistant for another cable station, working mainly on dramas to gain production experience before one day making his own directorial debut. “Really? A director?” Sungyeol had exclaimed in shock. “Your face is too pretty to stay behind the cameras.”

“I could say the same about your’s being buried in scriptwriting, but I thought it would be too cheesy of a line,” Myungsoo replied cooly.

And that type of flirting was how the two continued to drink together, the two sharing continuous banter while not-so-surreptitiously sneaking glances towards the other. Finally, the tension between the two got so heavy, Sungyeol dropped his glass to the bar and stared straight at Myungsoo. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get out of here and do what the both of us are thinking,” he said.

“And what is it that we’re both thinking about here?” Myungsoo replied with a smirk, setting his glass next to Sungyeol’s abandoned one.

Sungyeol sent his own smirk in response, leaning in towards the other man’s ear. “Who’s place is closer: mine or your’s?” Unable to resist, Sungyeol nipped at the man’s pulse point as he drew away, a groan coming from the dark-haired man’s throat.

“10 blocks,” Myungsoo answered, his pupils already dilating.

“Then your’s it is.”

~*~

Sungyeol sighed in content, feeling his body slowly waking up, the warmth from the sunlight filtering into the room around him and hitting his bare shoulder. As his senses began to awaken, he could feel the warmth of the sunlight, the soreness of his muscles, and the firm arm around his waist, making the memories of the night before come back quickly. A soft smile formed as the tall man opened his eyes and the arm around his waist tightened. “Finally awake?” a low voice asked from behind.

Sungyeol felt the shiver of pleasure up his spine, turning around to face his bed mate. Myungsoo grinned at him from his pillow and Sungyeol couldn’t help but release a small chuckle. “You sleep-talk. It’s only fair you let me sleep in,” Sungyeol said.

“Didn’t know you were such a light sleeper,” Myungsoo replied. “Besides, you snore.”

“I do not!” Sungyeol exclaimed. “And you almost punched me in the face while you were tossing and turning, so we’re even.”

Myungsoo hummed contentedly, tightening his hold and pulling Sungyeol’s body close. “So, this was nice…”

Sungyeol snorted in amusement. “Wow, such a smooth talker. Or are you only that smooth when you’re drunk?”

“I’m trying not to be an that just makes awkward small talk and then we go our separate ways, but thanks for noticing,” Myungsoo retorted, a smile still present on his face.

“Oh right, guess I should make my walk of shame now,” Sungyeol teased lightly, notably not moving from Myungsoo’s hold.

“Maybe. Maybe not. You could always let me feed you first--for the right price,” Myungsoo smirked.  

“Oh, really? And what do I get out of this?” Sungyeol cooed, leaning into Myungsoo neck and beginning to at the skin already littered in marks from the night before.

Myungsoo groaned sensually, pulling Sungyeol to lay on top of him. “I do make a pretty good omelette, if I say so myself….”

Sungyeol laughed aloud, feeling Myungsoo’s hands sliding down his lower half, as he finished his new mark. “Hmm, so what is this--omelettes for s?”

“Well, it would only be fair,” Myungsoo replied, his hands dipping between Sungyeol’s legs teasingly, eyes never leaving the taller’s sparkling ones.

Sungyeol merely leaned in to leave a lingering kiss on the dark-headed male’s lips before giving the other a coy grin and diving below the sheets.

~*~

“You laced this with something, didn’t you?” Sungyeol said sarcastically.

Myungsoo quirked an eyebrow, a small smirk still showing on his face. “Yes, I slipped some sleeping pills into the filling while you stared at me the entire time I cooked. You’re going to wake up tied to the bed in a few hours.”

“I guess I can handle that; more is never a bad thing,” Sungyeol replied, taking one of the first bites of the omelette in front of him. “Especially if you keep feeding me poisoned food like this.”

Myungsoo let out a low chuckle, moving to sit next to the taller man. Both wore only their boxers, marks from their previous night’s activities prominent on both their bodies. He reached his own chopsticks to Sungyeol’s plate, swiping a piece and plopping it straight into his mouth, much to the other man’s yelps. “Well, if I did poison it, guess I just made a dumb move here, didn’t I?”

“You’re the worst kind of -kidnapper,” Sungyeol replied with a teasing grin.

“Good thing I already got the out of this then,” Myungsoo said, turning to begin eating his own omelette.

Sungyeol smiled to himself and the two men ate in a comfortable silence. Sungyeol glanced over at his cell phone next to his plate, noting the few notifications showing from his various SNS accounts and newsfeeds. As he continued to read through his feed, he saw Myungsoo’s chopsticks appear at his plate again. “Yah! What the hell--Eat your own!”

Myungsoo only smiled, the dimple on his chin appearing. “But eating your’s means I can get you to pay attention to me again.”

Sungyeol laughed. “Then, entertain me, Kim Myungsoo.”

The dark-haired male tilted his head teasingly. “I can entertain you all the time if I get to see you again.”

“Are you trying to ask for my number?”

“And to see you again,” Myungsoo said. “I’m obviously attracted you… and we seem to work well together--”

Sungyeol snorted. “You mean the is good?”

“I’m trying to be smooth here,” Myungsoo retorted.

Sungyeol smiled, moving his phone across the counter to Myungsoo. “Well then, Mr. Smooth… put your number in.” The taller stood up from his seat at the counter. “I need to get home. Sleep off this hangover--you know, because someone didn’t let me.”

Myungsoo laughed, placing the taller’s phone back on the counter. “I’ll clean up. Let me walk you to the train station?”

“I guess,” Sungyeol let out an exaggerated sigh. With a smile and a peck to Myungsoo’s lips, he made his way into the other man’s bedroom to retrieve his discarded clothes and wash his face. Glancing at the formal clothes, he decided to only put on his slacks and button up, leaving the shirt untucked and sleeves rolled up--still a walk of shame (not that he was ashamed of last night in the slightest), but hopefully not as obvious.

With about ten minutes of primping and washing, the tall man made his way down the short hallway back to Myungsoo’s living room and kitchen. He could hear muffled voices as he got closer, the words finally clearing as he reached the end of the hallway.

“--Yes, I know that you and dad want to meet him, but I already told you that we can’t...No, I know it’s not a new thing or anything, but, Mom, I can’t just spring a meet-the-parents on him. It’s not fair… Mom--Mom--Mom!...What does it matter if I was out last night?...Yes, he knew where I was. No, I didn’t do anything like that--Mom! Mom--No! Mom!”

Abruptly, Myungsoo had quit speaking and Sungyeol emerged from the hallway, seeing the man pull his cell phone from his ear with a huff. “Care to share?”

“Huh?” Myungsoo started. “Oh, you heard that?” At Sungyeol’s nod, the man groaned in frustration once more. “Well, my mom’s a bit incessant when it comes to my dating life. Especially because my younger brother got engaged last year, so now she’s worried because I’m the oldest and she thinks I’m now just going to just end up alone. And I couldn’t stand to watch her do all these horrible attempts at matchmaking for me, even when I finally told her I was gay, and--ugh, anyway. To get her off my back, I’ve been telling her that I was seeing someone and have just...tried to find convenient excuses as to why this mysterious partner doesn’t show up anywhere with me.”

Sungyeol snorted. “Wait, you made up a fake boyfriend to get your mom off your back?”

“Yes, I know it’s stupid! But I panicked---” Myungsoo sighed. “It worked well enough, but today she’s being all insistent because her and my dad are shopping nearby and they want to see me and she was so sure that my so-called boyfriend would have no problem joining us for lunch--”

Sungyeol couldn’t contain his laugh. “So, your mother just forced you to meet her for lunch and bring your imaginary boyfriend too?” At Myungsoo’s pitiful nod, the taller man finally whooped in laughter, unable to contain his laugh.

“Yah!” Myungsoo exclaimed.

Sungyeol straightened himself slowly, still reeling from laughter. “I’m--I’m ok, I’m good--Sorry... “ He laughed once again. “It’s just--how do you even get yourself in that type of mess? And the best part--how do you even get out?” He continued to laugh once again.

Myungsoo’s eyes suddenly widened, an idea striking him. “I show up with a boyfriend.”

Sungyeol choked slightly. “Wait, what?”

Myungsoo only looked at the tall man with a grin.

~*~

“This is ridiculous.”

“It’s not that bad--”

“Seriously?” Sungyeol exclaimed. “Let me just relay the facts right now for you, Kim Myungsoo--”

Myungsoo sighed. “I know this is a little unusual--”

“Unusual?” Sungyeol repeated. “Right, that’s what they call convincing the person you just had a one night stand with to play your fake long-term boyfriend at a lunch with your parents. Let’s also add in the fact that we also had to go buy me some casual clothes because I only have a three-piece suit with me because we met fifteen hours ago. Plus, I’m hungover, you’re hungover… Did I leave anything out?”

Myungsoo huffed. “Yes, the fact that you’re an erratic nutcase, but it’s cute, so I can look past it. Like the good fake-boyfriend I am.” The dark-headed man then grinned humorously.

Sungyeol groaned low, pursing his lips together in frustration. “You’re lucky you’re hot--and the was good. I wouldn’t do this for anyone--”

“And you’re so cute when you’re flustered, I might have to revive this act if I get to see you like this,” Myungsoo said. “I did get your number, remember?”

“I’m changing it today,” Sungyeol whined, shrugging his shoulders in defeat.   

Myungsoo suddenly stood tall, leaning forward to give a short kiss to Sungyeol’s cheek. “No, you won’t. The is too good, remember?” The dark-haired male then grinned, taking Sungyeol’s hand from his side and joining it with his own. “There’s my parents,” Myungsoo said, tilting his head over his shoulder to a middle-aged couple at the back of the restaurant. “Be a good boyfriend now, ok?”

Sungyeol groaned, allowing himself to be led to the table. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he sighed under his breath.

As the two approached the table, the older couple stood, with wide smiles adorning their face. “There’s my son!” the woman exclaimed.

“Omma!” Myungsoo exclaimed, releasing Sungyeol’s hand to return his mother’s embrace. The dark-haired man broke away from the hug, bowing in greeting to his father as well--Sungyeol merely stood a step behind, observing the family’s dynamic.

Mrs. Kim ran her hands down Myungsoo’s cheeks. “Ugh, my son is getting too skinny! Are they feeding you on-sets? And you better be cooking real meals for yourself and not just eating takeout at night--”

“Omma…” Myungsoo replied, pulling his mother’s hands from his flustered cheeks. “I’m fine. It’s just been busy lately with multiple projects going at once--”

“And this handsome young man must be your elusive other half, right?” Mrs. Kim replied, setting her sights on Sungyeol. “Oh my word, such a handsome young man--you must be an actor or a model--”

“Omma!” Myungsoo exclaimed, sparing Sungyeol from a more intense inspection. “Stop, you’re embarrassing him.”

“Oh, where are my manners? I’m so sorry dear,” she said to Sungyeol. “It’s just we’ve been waiting for so long for Myungsoo to find a good partner and he’s been so secretive about telling us about you two.”

“It’s fine,” Sungyeol said, finding his voice. “Life is just a little crazy at times, you know?” Both Kim parents smiled warmly at finally hearing Sungyeol’s voice and the screenwriter realized that Myungsoo hadn’t fully introduced him yet. “Anyway, it’s good to officially meet you both. I’m Lee Sungyeol.” The tall man bowed at his waist to complete his greeting.

“Oh, don’t worry about all these formalities!” Mrs. Kim exclaimed. “Sit down, you two. Let’s eat and Sungyeol, you have to tell us all about you and Myungsoo. The boy won’t tell us a thing.”

“Omma--” Myungsoo warned, him and Sungyeol taking their seat across from the Kims.

The elder Kim pulled his wife’s hand in his own as the two younger men settled in. “Yeobo, let them be for a minute. They just walked in and I’m sure they’re hungry. Leave the interrogation for after we order,” Mr. Kim said.

Mrs. Kim playfully pouted at her husband--Sungyeol couldn’t help but note the resemblance between Myungsoo’s pout and his mother--but relented, the four of them falling into comfortable silence as they glanced through the menu. After easily making their choices and completing their order with their waiter, the air became palpable with the anticipated questions from Mrs. Kim. “Sungyeol dear, I don’t even know where to start--Myungsoo has been so hush-hush about you! What do you do? What about your parents and siblings? And how did you two even meet?”

Myungsoo sighed. “Omma, please don’t overwhelm him--”

Sungyeol let out a small laugh. “Oh, this is nothing compared to open-table critiques at work,” the taller said to Myungsoo. Turning back to Mrs. Kim, he replied, “I’m a screenwriter. Right now, I’m contracted under KBS only, but I only have another year and then I can become independent and send my scripts anywhere. That’s how Myungsoo and I met--at one of the awards galas.”

Myungsoo glanced over in surprise at the taller and Sungyeol moved one of his hands to the other’s knee as a signal to play along. “Really--Oh right, right… the gala. Yeah, last year’s awards gala…” Myungsoo stuttered.

“Oh my, so you work in the entertainment industry too?” Mrs. Kim reacted in surprise. “I always wondered how Myungsoo could get by in that industry… you know, with his orientation and everything…”

“Omma!” Myungsoo exclaimed. “I told you all this when I told you and Appa that I was gay. I’m behind the cameras--nobody cares who I date. I don’t--I mean, Sungyeol and I both, we don’t face the same type of scrutiny that an actor or an idol would.”

“Thank God,” Sungyeol retorted. “Being behind the camera definitely has its benefits.”

“And your family, Sungyeol?” Mr. Kim asked, repeating his wife’s question. “Are they close by?”

“Kind of,” Sungyeol said. “I’m not from Seoul originally. I moved here from Yongin when I was in university. My parents and my dongsaeng stayed so he could finish high school and then they moved here too so he could go to medical school. But they have a restaurant over in Hongdae, so I don’t see them very often.”  

Both elders nodded their heads. “Ah yes, Myungsoo is the same way. Ever since he moved up to assistant director, he’s been traveling more and even longer hours on the set.”

“It’s fine though, Omma,” Myungsoo replied. “I’m happy to spend that time at work.”

“But is Sungyeol happy with you spending all that time at work?” she asked.

Myungsoo sighed. “Omma--”

“It’s not a problem for me,” Sungyeol answered, his hand grasping Myungsoo’s knee in a silent plea that he could handle this. “I mean, I spend just as many hours at the studio doing script updates and revisions, so it’s not like I’m waiting around for him to call or get home or anything. I have my own life, just as much as Myungsoo does.”

Myungsoo glanced over at the taller in awe. “Right. So the schedules don’t matter; we find the time to get together and it works fine for us,” the dark-headed male said, feeling Sungyeol patting his knee as if to say nice recovery.

“That’s good then,” Mr. Kim replied. “But, so long as you can meet up and spend enough time together. That’s what really important; work is work, but you both have something good.”

Mrs. Kim nodded in return. “Of course, but Myungsoo, you have to remember that your partner has needs and you need to make sure he is properly satisfied--”

Myungsoo spat the gulp of water he had just taken off to the side of the table, while Sungyeol’s eyes merely widened in surprise. Myungsoo continued to choke in surprise and the taller felt himself reach over to pat the other’s back. “Om-Omma, my God--” Myungsoo sighed.

“Oh don’t be so prudish, Myungsoo,” Mrs. Kim replied. “Don’t pretend that your father and I don’t know what you and Sungyeol were probably up to this morning, or last night for all we know--I don’t have any idea how your uality developed over the years--”

“OMMA!” Myungsoo exclaimed, ears burning a bright red.

Sungyeol couldn’t help but let out an embarrassed laugh, both for Myungsoo’s mortification and the irony of how true Mrs. Kim’s statement was. Feeling his own cheeks heating slightly, Sungyeol felt like he had to say something in the situation. “I can assure you, Mrs. Kim, we connect just fine in that department.”

Myungsoo choked once more. “Oh God--”

“Thank goodness,” Mrs. Kim replied. “I mean, I know Myungsoo’s handsome and all, but I had to make sure those looks were also put to good use. I’ve already resigned myself to not having grandchildren from him, but he better be satisfying his partner the best he could.”

Myungsoo groaned, covering his face with his hands, as Sungyeol snorted in laughter once more. “Well, again, you don’t have to worry about him,” Sungyeol said, watching as Myungsoo’s shoulders tightened next to him. “He’s definitely kept these good looks and our life is just fine.” Myungsoo kicked his foot into Sungyeol’s leg next to him, causing the taller man to only giggle more.

Myungsoo finally pulled his hands from over his face and let out a deep breath before facing his parents once more. “Seriously, Omma… do you really have to ask that? Do you ask these types of things to Moonsoo and Nari also?”

“Moonsoo and Nari at least come to see me once in awhile,” Mrs. Kim retorted. “And I knew about Nari when she and Moonsoo started dating, unlike my eldest son who doesn’t tell me anything until after over a year.”

Myungsoo groaned and Sungyeol thought he’d take the opportunity to save his pretend-boyfriend. “In all fairness Mrs. Kim, Myungsoo’s an amazing partner,” the taller said. “And with me being so close to the end of my station contract, I’m working both on my real work and getting my independent projects ready to pitch, so it’s been busy. I’ve hardly spoken to my own parents and Myungsoo’s been very accommodating with the schedule. I know it’s been hard for him to not be able to tell you guys about us, but he’s actually been really excited to finally have the chance to meet up like this… Even with how flustered he is.”

Sungyeol turned to glance at the dark-headed male next to him with a small smile. Myungsoo’s gaze was soft, an affectionate smile as he looked back at Sungyeol and grasped the taller’s hand--with the their “act” in-place, it would just look like the affection between a long-standing couple, but Sungyeol felt that Myungsoo was telling him something far different and he wasn’t sure what. Those dark eyes shining at him though were becoming even more endearing than Sungyeol had thought.

Mr. Kim made his presence known once more, keeping his wife from teasing their son even more. “Don’t worry about it, Sungyeol. We’re just giving Myungsoo a hard time; he’s our eldest and of course, as parents, we worry about him a little more. Seeing you two together today, it’s a nice sight, but of course, we have to a little bit about how long it took.”

Sungyeol merely smiled in returning, his gaze falling to his plate. Mrs. Kim noted how Myungsoo’s eyes hadn’t moved from Sungyeol throughout the conversation. “Myungsoo-ah, just kiss Sungyeol already; I know you want to,” she teased, snapping the dark-haired boy from his staring.

Myungsoo blinked and shook his head in embarrassment. “Wha--No, I… Omma, I don’t want to embarrass Sungyeol right now…”

“What’s so embarrassing?” she retorted.

Myungsoo opened his mouth to argue, but found his lips quickly occupied. The dark-haired man’s eyes were wide as Sungyeol sat back in his seat, Myungsoo still feeling the pressure of Sungyeol’s lips on his own. The taller male merely winked before turning back to the overjoyed parents. “I don’t know why he still gets shy sometimes; he’s not always like this when we’re out together,” Sungyeol said.

“So you two do leave the confines of your apartments?” Mrs. Kim teased.

“Uh--yeah, we head out a lot,” Myungsoo stuttered, still in shock from the kiss. “Sungyeol’s a big coffee drinker, so he loves trying new cafes or just going out so he can people-watch.”

Sungyeol laughed, remembering this as a line the two rehearsed beforehand. “It’s really the best kind of inspiration for writing,” he said.

The elder Kims laughed. “I assume you go to the same type of events for work as Myungsoo, right Sungyeol?” Mr. Kim asked.

Sungyeol glanced at Myungsoo--finally, this lunch was getting back to their prepared talking points-- and nodded. “Most of them, yes,” he replied. “Aside from writer’s guild events. But if he asks nicely, I might take him along.”

Myungsoo caught the wink sent his way. “But when we’re at entertainment galas, Sungyeol usually has to stay with his crew and same for me. We only really get to see with each other at the after-parties or when we can steal a moment during the actual event.”

“Well, that’s upsetting,” Mrs. Kim said. “You can’t even congratulate each other if you win something.”

Sungyeol got ready to interject, but Myungsoo beat him to the punch. “That’s not true,” the dark-haired man said. “Sungyeol actually got an individual award last night for best rookie project. There wasn’t that much fanfare, but I cheered for him just as loudly as his colleagues. ‘Coming Home’ was a great script and I’m glad he got recognized for it.”

Sungyeol turned in shock towards Myungsoo--yes, he had won that award the night before, but he didn’t remember even mentioning it to Myungsoo. “Wha--How did you--I mean, I didn’t know you were watching when I got that,” he said.

“You know how much of a fan I am of your work,” Myungsoo said, sincerity apparent in his gaze. “I was so proud of you for winning.”

Sungyeol’s heart continued to pound...This wasn’t something the two of them agreed to talk about--Myungsoo really did know the name of his winning script, really did notice him receive his rookie writing award in between the drama actor awards... Maybe Myungsoo wasn’t solely playing the doting boyfriend role… and actually knew who he was before approaching him at the bar the night before. Sungyeol felt his breath catch as his mind worked through this development.

“You two…” Mrs. Kim cooed, grasping her husband’s arm. “I miss those days when we were as young and in love as them…”

“Don’t embarrass them anymore, yeobo,” Mr. Kim said. “I think we should leave them be actually; you’ve interrogated them enough and we should head home.”

Mrs. Kim looked disappointed, but glanced over at the two young men. “Oh, all right then,” she said. “I’m sure you both want to go back and spend some time alone.”

Myungsoo and Sungyeol nodded in agreement, pushing their empty plates away and rising from the table with the Kims. As Mr. Kim took care of the bill, the young men waited outside on the restaurant’s patio for the elder Kim to join his wife. “Sungyeol, I want you to know that it was wonderful to finally meet you,” she said, reaching out to hold Sungyeol’s hand.

Sungyeol bowed slightly, his cheeks still feeling warm from the last revelations at the table. “Uh, yes, likewise to you and your husband,” he replied, adding in, “I’m sorry it took so long.”

“Well, you and Myungsoo are both so busy, but doing so well, so I guess I can’t complain,” Mrs. Kim said, with a final squeeze to Sungyeol’s palm. “But don’t be a stranger--I don’t want to wait another year to see you two together again.” Sungyeol formed a small smile, nodding at her.

Mrs. Kim then trained her eyes on her son. “And as for you, Myungsoo, don’t you let this one go. I like him and I don’t know where you’ll find someone else as wonderful as him!”

Myungsoo started to blush. “Omma--”

“I mean it,” she insisted. “Sungyeol’s the perfect match for you; don’t you dare mess it up!”

“Oh my God,” Myungsoo sighed, feeling how pink his cheeks probably were. “I know, Omma, I know…”

Mrs. Kim nodded her head firmly as Mr. Kim emerged from the restaurant. “Well boys, it’s been great getting to see you both,” he said. “Sungyeol, it was wonderful to finally meet you. You and Myungsoo take care now, all right?”

Sungyeol nodded and bowed slightly. Myungsoo moved to embrace both his parents briefly before watching the couple take their leave from the patio.

Both men watched the Kims as they made their way down the block. The couple turned a corner and Sungyeol could hear Myungsoo’s voice next to him counting down from five. The dark-haired man hit 1 and let out an enormous sigh. “Oh my God…I don’t think I’ve ever been that embarrassed in my life--and trust me, my mother had some good attempts back when I was in school…”

Sungyeol let out a low chuckle. “It wasn’t so bad,” he said. “They’re cute. A little invasive, but you are the oldest; you should be used to it.”

“That was ridiculous,” Myungsoo continued to rant. “I thought I was going to overheat, I was blushing so much--”

“Every mom likes to tease their son in front of their significant other,” Sungyeol said, trying to calm Myungsoo’s nerves. “I thought we covered it all pretty well.”

“Yeah…” Myungsoo sighed. “Look, I really do appreciate this. You could have let me look like an idiot during this whole thing so many times, but you were great, really. I have no idea how I could possibly thank you…”

Sungyeol merely nodded, glancing to the ground as the thought hit him. “Did you--Did you really read my ‘Coming Home’ script?” he asked.

Myungsoo glanced over at the taller man, slightly confused. “What?”

“My ‘Coming Home’ script,” Sungyeol repeated. “I did win the rookie award last night. But we never talked about that this morning, so how did you know about it?”

“I read it,” Myungsoo replied. “It was in a consideration pile for a crew I was on months ago. I was the one to read it and the story blew me away. The writing was so realistic and I just remember feeling something for the characters...I showed it to some of the higher ranked directors and made them pick it up. It was that good.”

“Really?!” Sungyeol exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Myungsoo said. “This is kind of embarrassing to admit, but you weren’t just some random stranger I found at the after-party last night. After I finished ‘Coming Home’, I looked into your other works and honestly thought they were all incredible. When I saw that you were on the list for the award last night, I knew you’d be at the event and I just wanted to find some way to talk to you, let you know how much of a fan I was…”

Sungyeol’s eyes were wide. “You were looking--for me?!”

Myungsoo nodded. “I just wanted to talk to you…”

“Because you’re my fanboy?” Sungyeol teased, a small smile forming.

“N-No, wait… yes? No? I don’t know,” Myungsoo replied, feeling himself turning red all over again. “Maybe it was a little for that… but I also thought you were pretty hot too.”

Sungyeol grinned at that. “Well, at least I have that going for me,” he said.

There was a pause then, both men feeling the air hanging heavy in anticipation for where to go from there. “Well,” Sungyeol sighed. “I guess I should finally make my way home then… so long as my fake-boyfriend duties are over…”

Myungsoo stuttered. “Ye-yeah, I guess so… I really can’t thank you enough for going along with this again. I know it’s kind of crazy and dumb--feel free to use this for future writing inspiration…”

Sungyeol let out a small laugh. “I might, actually...One question though.”

Myungsoo glanced up. “Sure, anything.”

“In this story,” Sungyeol said. “How does one go from fake-boyfriend to real-boyfriend?”

Myungsoo cocked his head, trying to figure out Sungyeol’s question. “Um… I don’t know. I guess that’s something the director and the screenwriter would have to agree on.”

Sungyeol smirked. “Right… good thing you have my number then.”

Myungsoo’s gaze returned to the taller’s face. “Why?”

Sungyeol merely leaned down, joining his lips to Myungsoo’s own once more. He pulled away after a moment with a smile. “Call me when you decide how you want this to end.”

A/N: I hope this was a good fill for the prompter; I had a really fun time with this plot, that's for sure.

I struggled a lot with inspiration as a whole for the last month or so, so that's why I've been MIA for a bit. I don't know if this is  quite a comeback yet... but I will say this. I am not abandoning my stories or this fandom, nor am I going on hiatus. But as a writer, I do ask one thing: please do not ask when I will update something. It may not seem like much, but to me, it causes unnecessary pressure and stress that I just don't need. I am not trying to alienate anyone and please feel free to talk with me anytime--just don't push that topic. That's all I ask.

Thanks ya'll and I hope to see you soon with something else! <3