Their breaths mingled together as they pulled away from the lazy kiss, Youngjae's hands falling from Daehyun's hair and settling on the mattress. They stared at one another and tried to even their breathing, heavy pants falling from both sets of lips. The younger smiled tiredly, eyes half lidded as he watched the other climb off the mattress. "Daehyun," he murmured, gaze following every step the elder took as he walked towards his bag which sat in the corner of the room, "what are you doing?" 

     Daehyun merely smiled and picked a polaroid camera from the bag. "You look so handsome... I want to take a photo" The sound of a click resided in the room and the camera whirred as it churned out the polaroid taken. Youngjae stared at him, a sigh falling from his lips. 

     "Please, don't take photos" He pulled the sheets over his body, trying to cover it as he saw a second flash in the corner of his eye. "Daehyun..."

     "Why? You're so beautiful. I just want to capture the moment" He smiled widely and Youngjae couldn't help the small laugh that left his mouth. 

      "Seriously, don't" He said, tone light hearted as he rolled onto his stomach. He buried his head in the pillow but it didn't stop the elder from taking numerous photos. He only stopped when he ran out of film and he placed each polaroid, along with the camera, on the bedside table. Then he returned to bed, pressing gentle kisses along Youngjae's back. 

-

     Youngjae noticed that Daehyun had begun taking a liking to capturing moments in still pictures. He took his camera with him every time they met, stealing kisses and photos any chance he got. Youngjae usually wound up as the subject of such images. Sometimes he posed, sometimes he hid, sometimes he simply didn't notice until after he heard the click. It was beginning to bother him greatly, and Daehyun never stopped when he asked him to. His only hinderance was lack of film, and Youngjae wondered if he should attempt to steal it while on their next date. 

     When next they met, he took the camera from Daehyun and took a photo of the elder instead, who was mildly surprised yet he still smiled. Then they posed together, puckering their lips towards the camera and then laughing once they saw the finished polaroid. Youngjae pocketed the photo before Daehyun could take it, and kept his hands on the camera for the next half hour, which he spent taking taking photos of the elder languidly lying upon his couch. He could see the appeal, but it distressed him still and he wished Daehyun would stop when he asked him to. 

     Daehyun stayed the night, and when Youngjae woke, he found the elder capturing photos of him once more. He frowned and reached out to the other. "Daehyun, come back to bed" He whined, voice hoarse in the early hours of the morning. His eyes fluttered shut and he heard one last click before his lover crawled back onto the bed.

     "Youngjae..." He shook his shoulder gently. "We should go out today since it's my day off" Youngjae merely hummed in response, not quite registering the statement as he willingly slipped back into unconsciousness. 

     And so they went out that day, strolling down the streets of Myeongdong due to Daehyun's desire to shop. They walked with their shoulders pushed against each other, weaving in and out of crowds and speaking about meaningless things. Youngjae wasn't surprised when Daehyun took his camera out of his bag, snapping a photo of the younger who wasn't bothering to hide his annoyance as they stopped in their tracks. The hand that had previously held Daehyun's slipped into the pocket of his own jacket, now empty. 

     "Daehyun. I've told you numerous times that I don't want you to take photos of me" The elder didn't reply to Youngjae's statement that was laced with frustration and instead focussed on waving the polaroid image the camera had provided for him. He stared at the picture as it slowly began to form, smiling even though the image displayed a bitter face. "Daehyun"

     "I'm sorry. I can't help it" He stepped closer to Youngjae and pouted cutely. "I just love you too much" 

      Youngjae laughed briefly, embarrassed by the statement before he shoved Daehyun's chest softly. "Don't be like that" He began to walk again, and the elder easily fell into step with him. 

     "Don't be like what?" He reached for Youngjae's hand again. "Please be specific"

     "Don't be...greasy" He let his hand be taken, hiding a smile as their fingers intertwined. 

     They walked around for a little while before opting to find food, settling into the nearest restaurant. Daehyun, still holding the camera, took a photo of the younger who hadn't expected it. He immediately reached for the camera, stealing it from the elder's grasp with ease. "Daehyun, I don't want you to take any more photos of me. I've tolerated it until now, but this has to stop" He paused at the hurt look that he saw in Daehyun's eyes, but continued after looking at the device in his hands. "You take so many. Not only is it annoying...it's weird" He took hold of the polaroid that had been churned out and crumpled it in his hands. "I hate it."

     "I'm sorry" Daehyun whispered, searching for eye contact which Youngjae did not give him. "I can stop if you want me to. If you're uncomfortable..."

      "I am uncomfortable. You should have realised that by now" He put down the camera, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "How many times have I told you stop, huh? How many times have I said that I don't want photos of me to be taken? I can't count all of those times on my fingers, which I should be able to do if you were at all understanding of how I feel" 

     "Youngjae, I'm sorry" He lowered his head, ashamed. "Really... I'll stop. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just...I like taking photos of you. I love you a lot..." He grasped onto Youngjae's hands, his thumbs over the skin gently. "I'll stop. I promise" 

     "Why do I feel like you don't mean that?" 

      "Youngjae; I'm speaking sincerely" 

      The younger sighed, slowly threading their fingers together. "Okay, I trust you" He gave Daehyun's hands a light squeeze, sending a slight smile his way. It was returned with a bright grin which only disappeared when the waitress came to take their order.

      When Daehyun captured another picture of Youngjae three hours later, the younger snapped. He grabbed hold of the device and threw it to the ground, watching in delight as it broke into pieces. People around them stared in awe but he didn't care. He focussed on Daehyun, who also looked bewildered by the action, and he gave the elder a hurt look.

     "You promised you would stop..."

      He apologised profusely, but Youngjae expressed his desire to leave Myeongdong and so they did. Daehyun blurted excuses during the drive back to Youngjae's apartment which was only met with silence. The younger only spoke when they were standing outside his door, saying quietly but angrily, "If I ever see you with another camera, I won't hesitate to end this relationship" He wasn't sure if he even meant the words, but he was glad to see that Daehyun seemed fearful of the threat. 

     When they next met, Youngjae searched through the bag Daehyun had brought with him, not caring for the dejected look upon the elder's face. He was more than happy to find there was no camera, and he silently rewarded him with a kiss. For the first time in a while, Youngjae felt completely relaxed with Daehyun, worries of photos being secretly taken no longer surrounding him. It was a strange feeling, but not unwanted.

     When he woke beside Daehyun the following morning, he couldn't help the smile that crept across his lips. Finally, peace. 

-

     "Youngjae, what are you doing here?" Junhong asked, blinking as he stared at the elder yet shorter man that stood at his doorstep.

     "Hi, Junhong" The elder smiled at him brightly and the younger let his eyes fall upon Youngjae's hands. One held onto a chilled bottle of champagne and the other was curled around the strap of the backpack he wore upon his shoulders. "Is Daehyun here?" He peeked inside, eyes searching for his lover behind the tall man before him. 

     "No, he isn't" 

     "Oh? I thought his plane landed today..." His eyes went back to Junhong. "That's okay. I was hoping he wouldn't be here anyway. Can I come in?" 

      "Uh... I don't think...I don't think I'm allowed to let you in..." Junhong returned, voice turning quiet as he finished his sentence. 

      Youngjae's eyes widened. "Why? Is he not coming home tonight? Was his flight delayed? Do you have plans with him instead? Are you trying to get rid of me because you want to be with him instead? Is he da-"

      "No, no!" He nearly shouted, surprised by the sudden onslaught of questions. "W-Why do you want to come in if he isn't here?"

      Youngjae only smiled brighter. "I haven't seen him in a week... I want to wait for him in his room and surprise him. Is that okay?" 

      Junhong agreed to let him in, stepping aside to let the elder in before leading him to his roommate's bedroom. He left when they reached the door, not particularly interested in waiting around and Youngjae murmured a thanks as his went inside. He closed the door as he entered, eyes scanning over his lover's bedroom. He had only been in there once before as they often opted to meet at Youngjae's apartment so as not to disturb Daehyun's younger roommate. He felt a small smile creep across his face as he looked around, fingers tracing over a small chip in the wall as he wandered over to the desk. He eyed the few books stashed there, noting three of them to be photo albums. He didn't pry into them although he briefly wondered if his polaroids had been stashed away inside. 

     He placed the champagne bottle on the night stand and shrugged the backpack off his shoulders before darting out of the room in search for champagne glasses. He glanced to Junhong in the living room, the younger holding his phone to his ear but not talking. 

     "Junhong! Where do you keep the glasses?" Youngjae called and the other answered the cupboard above the kettle. He plucked two from their spots and went back to the bedroom, placing them beside the unopened bottle. Then, he ped his bag and spread few of its contents across the mattress. Rose petals, candles, matches, massage oil... The thoughts rushing through his mind at the moment were gradually heightening his excitement. He tossed the rose petals on the duvet, strewing them across it in an elegant manner, before laying down a small trail towards the door with the remaining ones. Once the first task was completed, he set about placing the scented candles about the room and lighting them. The ambiance was, needless to say, romantic as he switched the lights off and admired his work. Even if Daehyun was mad that he hadn't told him he would be coming, Youngjae knew the anger would fade the instant he saw this. 

     He removed his coat and tossed it onto the desk chair before he lay down on his side, undoing the first two buttons of the shirt he wore and then began his wait for Daehyun. He slipped his phone from his pocket, opting to play games until he showed up. He didn't expect it would take much longer. After all, Daehyun was supposed to have landed an hour ago and the drive from the airport wouldn't be too far... 

     But the seconds that passed gradually increased and he found himself still waiting an hour later. He was becoming impatient, wanting nothing more than to just the other senseless. But Daehyun didn't walk through that door, so a dejected Youngjae stomped outside and found Junhong still in the living room.  

     "Junhong. Where is Daehyun?" He crossed his arms over his chest in annoyance and looked down at the younger boy. 

     "I'm sorry, hyung. I don't know where he is" He replied, pausing for a moment as a thought hit him. "Maybe he went to your apartment?" 

      Youngjae considered this for a few moments before shaking his head at the idea. If Daehyun had gone there and found it empty, he would have been home by now. "Don't be ridiculous. Call Daehyun and tell him to get his home now" He demanded.

     "Why can't you do it?"

     "Because it's supposed to be a surprise. You do know what that word means, don't you?" As Junhong reached for his phone, Youngjae made his way back to the bedroom and flopped onto the bed, not caring that his arrangement of rose petals was now in disarray. The champagne had grown warm and he silently cursed Daehyun for taking so long. 

     Junhong came to the door but did not enter the room and called out, "He said he will be home in twenty minutes" Youngjae only whined as he heard the sound of retreating footsteps. He was cut off, however, by the sound of his phone ringing. Picking it up, his frown was replaced by a smile as he read Daehyun's name. 

     "Hello?" He answered, sitting up straight.

     "Youngjae? Where are you?" He noted that Daehyun sounded tired. 

     "Me?" He hesitated a moment before answering. "I'm...out with friends. Where are you?" 

      He heard Daehyun letting out a soft sigh. "I'm going home now" There was a pause and then he continued. "I went to your apartment but you weren't there"

      "Oh" He chuckled softly, slapping a hand to his face knowing that Junhong was indeed correct. "I'm sorry... Why did you go there?" 

      "I wanted to see you" Youngjae only smiled brighter at the statement, shifting on the bed slightly. His desire to see Daehyun was growing with every second. 

      "Ah, we should make plans to see each other soon, then" He offered and Daehyun hummed in response. "Get home safely" They exchanged words of goodbye and Youngjae sighed happily. He stood, stretched, and then began wandering around the room to return the feeling to his legs, turning on the light as he passed by the switch. He glanced at himself in the floor length mirror that sat in the corner, frowning slightly at his appearance. Would Daehyun be happy with this? He thought, small insecurities bubbling inside him. He wanted to change his clothes, but he hadn't brought any with him. So he wandered over to the wardrobe, biting on his bottom lip softly as he hesitated to open the door. Is this okay?

     They were just clothes...he didn't believe Daehyun would get mad, so he opened the door and searched for something he thought he would look good in. He picked up a dress shirt, picturing the image of himself waiting on the bed wearing only the shirt but he cringed at the thought and threw it back inside before continuing his search. He found a shoebox sitting on one of the shelves and opened it, curious to see which pair of shoes were hidden inside. 

     But he only found numerous polaroids of himself hidden away and he sighed heavily. "Really...why was he so obsessed with taking photos..." Part of him had hoped Daehyun had thrown them away, but he was less than surprised to find them. He picked a few up, sparing each a glance. Some, he noticed, had writing along the bottom. A few described what he was doing and a couple held small messages that he believed were meant for him. His eyes skimmed over sentences such as 'Youngjae at the beach', 'Youngjae eating ice cream', 'Youngjae sleeping' and a sigh left him with each one. It seemed almost stalker like. 

     He sat for a while, looking through each photo curiously. When he heard the sound of the front door shutting, he quickly stashed them inside the shoe box and returned it to its place in the wardrobe. Then he flicked off the lights and rushed to the bed, lying down in what he hoped was a seductive manor. 

     Daehyun nearly screamed when his eyes fell upon Youngjae, but a grin quickly spread itself across his tired face. The younger returned the smile, sitting up and motioning for Daehyun to come closer. He reached up and took hold of the elder's jaw, drawing him down for a tender kiss. As it ended, he whispered gently. "Did you miss me?" 

     "Of course I did" Daehyun grinned and Youngjae stole another kiss as the elder decided to straddle him.

-

    Was it passion or obsession that drove Daehyun to take so many images? The question burned on his tongue as he stared at the elder's sleeping figure, his own thumb gently tracing over Daehyun's enticing lips. "Daehyun," He pressed their foreheads together before whispering gently, "I love you"

     They laid there with legs intertwined until Youngjae decided it was enough, and he quietly climbed off the bed. He wondered to the desk, picking up the thickest photo album that sat in the corner. Hesitantly, he opened it and was met with a photo of his own smiling face. The date was written upon the bottom along with the words 'I love when he smiles'. He turned the page, more and more photos himself appearing with sweet words from Daehyun. He had paused briefly when he read the words 'I can't breathe without Youngjae' beneath a photo of his sleeping face but chose to ignore the unsettled feeling it left him with. 

     He continued flipping through the pages quietly, hoping not to wake his lover from his deep slumber. He finished looking through the photos and placed the album down, reaching for the other. Polaroids from their last date at Myeongdong were found on the third page. There were no smiles, only piercing eyes and pursed lips. The bitterness he had held that day was clearly displayed in the pictures. The page following the photos from Myeongdon showed older polaroids with messages that disturbed Youngjae. A photo of him at a party speaking with another man held the caption 'He should only look at me'. Another picture was a selca of Daehyun, Youngjae's sleeping body on the bed behind him and the words 'I want to lock him in this bedroom for eternity' were written beneath. The third image he looked showed himself simply drinking coffee with the caption 'He belongs to me'. The fourth was one he posed for, holding two fingers in a v shape and pursing his lips. He read the words 'I'll die without him'. The rest of the images were left without captions, so he continued to the next page only to find images that weren't in the form of polaroids. He frowned, not knowing Daehyun to have had anything but the instant camera, but his eyes widened when he saw himself wearing the orange beanie he had purchased that day in Myeongdong. 

     I should have known.

     He flicked through the remaining pictures angrily, seething with each image. What annoyed him more than anything is that he hadn't noticed. He reached the end of the album, setting it down with a thud and no longer caring about waking the other. He picked up the last remaining photo album, finding polaroids once more. None of them caught his eye until he came to one with the caption 'We made eye contact today'. Frowning at the choice of words, he stared at the photo for a few moments longer. He was at a cafe and collecting his drink from the barista, not realising he was being photographed. He turned the page and the date written under a polaroid of him walking down the street made his fingers curl. He hadn't even met Daehyun at that time. 

      He looked through more pictures, each one of them having been taken before they had begun dating. So it's obsession, then. One image he found particularly disturbing displayed him holding hands with his ex and the caption that read 'I want to snap his neck'. 

      He instantly put away the album, finally realising that his hands were trembling. Daehyun was sick, that much was obvious to him. But he wasn't sure what to do with this knowledge. 

      Arms slithered around his waist and he felt lips pressed against his ear. "What are you doing?" A husky voice whispered behind him and his eye twitched. He picked up the first album, opting it to be the safest choice. 

     "I was just looking through this" 

     "Mm," Daehyun hummed against his skin, pulling Youngjae closer to him, "they don't capture how beautiful you are" The elder reached for the album and pried it out of Youngjae's hands before returning it to its place on the desk. "Come back to bed" He took a step backwards, dragging the younger with him. "I was so happy to see you here...you have no idea" Youngjae felt light kisses trailing down his neck, but his mind was too occupied with thoughts of the polaroids to enjoy it. "...Youngjae"  

      Back under the sheets, Daehyun gave him a kiss that overflowed with affection before whispering, "Youngjae, I love you so much" 

      "...I love you too"

     That's right. He loved Daehyun. He didn't want this to end.

     When he woke the following morning, he ignored the images and the messages, choosing to believe he was merely dreaming.

     If only.