The end is finally here. It took me three months, but I'm done with this. I'll try to update some other stories before I start the next part of this series. I was originally going to make Woohyun's story the next part, but I a little more inspired to write Sungjong's, so he'll probably be next. As for this last chapter, the ending is pretty open-ended. And the middle's kinda angsty (to me, at least). I guess that's all I have to say. Enjoy~

"I need to talk to you."

Sungyeol looks up from his phone at Myungsoo. He tries his best to keep a straight face, but his excitement is probably obvious. He's been waiting for his friend to open up to him again. After confessing to kissing Woohyun, Myungsoo had avoided Sungyeol for a few days before pretending like that conversation never happened. Sungyeol had given him the space he needed, not wanting to pry and upset Myungsoo when he obviously didn't want to talk. And then only a couple hours ago Myungsoo had gone and had dinner with Woohyun. Sungyeol doesn't want to think of it as a date, but that must be what it was. It makes sense. Sungyeol is full of questions and now it seems like Myungsoo is going to answer them.

Setting his phone aside, Sungyeol turns his full attention to Myungsoo. "Sure. What's up?"

Myungsoo keeps his distance as he joins Sungyeol on the couch. He seems nervous. His hands are clutched together in his lap and he avoids looking Sungyeol directly in the eyes. "It's... Can you promise you won't be mad first?"

Sungyeol tilts his head slightly in confusion. "I'm not sure if I can." It's not that he never gets mad at Myungsoo. Being friends and roommates allows for more than enough small arguments and explosive fights. The problem is that it's hard to make a promise when Sungyeol doesn't know what he won't be mad about. "Maybe you should tell me what you need to tell me first and then we'll go from there."

Myungsoo sighs like he'd expected as much. "I guess... I don't know how to say it, though. It's about me and Woohyun."

"What about you two?" Sungyeol doesn't want to be the one Myungsoo comes to for relationship advice, but as his best friend he doesn't suppose he has much of a choice.

"Well—um, the thing is—we—we're not—" Myungsoo pauses to find the right words. "There's nothing going on between us."

"You mean, you broke up?"

"No—I mean, yes. Sort of. Except we were never actually, you know, together. I was only pretending to date him."

"What?" At first Sungyeol thinks he'd misheard Myungsoo. His friend wouldn't do something like that. It's childish and cruel and somehow worse than if they really were together. "So, you lied to me? You were lying this whole time?"

Myungsoo's head is bowed so low his chin is practically touching his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispers. There's no doubt that he means it.

If it were any other time, any other situation, Sungyeol's anger would've easily thawed from the raw guilt and dejection coming from the other. He's never been good at holding grudges when it comes to Myungsoo. But this time, Sungyeol doesn't feel an ounce of sympathy. "Why... Why would you do something like that?" A long silence stretches between them. Either Myungsoo doesn't have a good excuse or he's too ashamed to give the real reason. "Well," Sungyeol pushes impatiently. He doubts he can get any madder than he already is.

"Sungyeol, I—" Myungsoo looks over at him pleadingly. He shuts his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. "Okay," he says when he opens them again. "I'll tell you everything." He shifts on the couch to face Sungyeol. "I guess it all started that night at the club. I didn't really want to go, but you were insisting, and I figured it would be a bust anyway, so I went along with it. When Woohyun came up to me I turned him down right away. I said I already liked someone. He was cool about it and later, after you left, we just hung out and talked. I told him about the person I liked and he said he already knew." Myungsoo smiles slightly, probably at the memory. "The thing is, the person that I liked—that I still like...is you."

Sungyeol's eyes nearly pop out of his head at the revelation. "Y-you? You like..." He points from Myungsoo to himself like he needs to be sure they're not talking about two other people. "Since when?"

Myungsoo shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I don't know. Maybe only recently. Maybe always." Sungyeol opens his mouth to ask more questions, but Myungsoo cuts him off. "Can we talk about that later? That's not important right now. Although," he adds with a wry smile, "I don't think you're gonna care about that after I finish explaining."

Sungyeol isn't so sure about that, but he nods in agreement anyway. "Finish explaining, then."

"Um, okay. So, Woohyun knew that I liked you, but he also thought you liked me back." Myungsoo watches Sungyeol's face carefully, probably trying to gauge his reaction. Sungyeol does his best to control his face. They’re not delving into their feelings right now. "I didn't really believe him at first. I mean, I wanted it to be true and when I really thought about it, it started to seem true. And then I, I don't know, that stupid idea popped into my head." Myungsoo looks down at his lap, a pout making his lips jut out slightly.

(A very, very, very small part of Sungyeol finds the sight unbearably cute. He represses the feeling before it grows.)

"You thought if you pretended to date Woohyun, I would, what, get jealous and confess my feelings for you?" While he had been jealous, Sungyeol had never considered telling Myungsoo how he felt. He didn't want to corner him or make things awkward. With no idea that Myungsoo liked him, he would've been setting himself up to either be rejected or be the reason the two broke up.

Myungsoo sighs, his gaze still fixed on his hands clasped tightly his lap. "I'm an idiot," he replies matter-of-factly.

"Well, I knew that," Sungyeol snorts.

"I didn't think it through all the way. I don't even think I thought it halfway through. Woohyun told me it was a bad idea. I should've listened to him."

The mention of the half-genie sends of jolt of something suspiciously like jealousy through Sungyeol's gut. He's not sure how he feels about Myungsoo now and adding Woohyun into the mix only makes things more confusing for him. "You kissed him." It comes more accusatory than he means for it to.

When Myungsoo finally looks up at Sungyeol, his eyebrows are creased in concern. "I did," he concedes. "I doubt you'll believe me, but it really didn't mean anything. Woohyun's like me. He's an incubus—or, I guess, part Lilin demon. We don't have any feelings for each other."

Although it doesn't make him any less upset, Sungyeol does believe him. It would be pointless to lie about it; especially after Myungsoo had admitted he likes him. He wants to ask why they kissed if there weren't any feelings involved, but he doesn't think he'll like the answer. "Look," Sungyeol says, running a hand through his hair. "That was...a lot to take in. And honestly, I'm really pissed off right now, so maybe we can talk about this when I'm not as angry." Or maybe when I feel like talking to you again, he thinks.

The smile on Sungyeol's face drops the second his eyes meet Woohyun's. He's not surprised to see him, but he had thought the other would be too scared of being cursed to even risk bumping into him on the street. Apparently Woohyun's brave enough to come into the café.

Sungyeol taps his brother to take over with the next customer and signals for Woohyun to join him off to the side. "Not that I actually care what you have to say," he starts in a bored tone, crossing his arms, "but what do you want?"

Woohyun leans his elbows on the counter. His face is much more serious than the smug, smiling one Sungyeol had gotten used to seeing whenever Myungsoo brought him around. "First off, I know you hate my guts right now. You have every right to. It was a ty thing for us to do to you. I'm a horrible person for not stopping Myungsoo."

"You're on the right track so far. I haven't quite heard an apology yet, though."

"Look," Woohyun sighs, "I can say I'm sorry all I want, but I know that won't make a difference. And, honestly, I don't really care if you forgive me or even like me after this. What I do care about is Myungsoo. He's a mess right now because he thinks his best friend hates him. He's seriously considering moving out and I wouldn't even stop him. Hell, I'd let him stay with me if it means he won't be so stressed."

Sungyeol bristles slightly at the mention of the two of them being together. It's still a toss-up when it comes to his feelings for Myungsoo. He still loves him, but he's also angry and there's the jealousy that rears its head at the mere thought of Woohyun. He also misses his best friend. They're still roommates, but things have been tense since Myungsoo's confession. That's mainly because Sungyeol has refused to talk to him in any way. He's taken on more shifts at the café and when he's not working he's holed up in his room. It's no wonder Myungsoo is hanging out with Woohyun. Sungyeol wishes the fact didn't weigh so heavily on his chest. Or that it didn't fill him with dread to think of Myungsoo moving out.

"Well, at least one of you should feel bad," he says as he tamps down his real emotions. He doesn't have to admit anything to Woohyun, of all people.

As he pushes off the counter, anger flashes in Woohyun's eyes before he closes them and takes a deep breath. "I'm not saying you have to forgive him today," he says, his voice measured like he's holding himself back. "Or that you have to stop pretending you haven't been in love with him this whole time. Just talk to him. Maybe let him know you don't hate him." He doesn't wait for Sungyeol's response before he turns around and walks out of the store.

As much as Sungyeol hates to admit it, Woohyun is right about some things. They can't keep going the way they are. Myungsoo is miserable, that much Sungyeol has noticed despite the distance between them. And Sungyeol... Sungyeol wishes things could go back to how they were before (before Woohyun, if he's being honest)—or, it could at least be better than it is now.

After his talk with Woohyun, Sungyeol finds himself feeling guilty. Somehow the tables have turned and it seems like he now owes Myungsoo an apology. Woohyun must be using his genie magic to make Sungyeol think he's the one who's wrong. The idea's ridiculous to Sungyeol, but he doesn't have any other explanation as to why his anger has so quickly given way to contrition.

It takes a couple days for Sungyeol to muster up the resolve to start talking to Myungsoo again. They've never gone this long without speaking; he almost doesn't know how to start it up again.

Deciding to catch Myungsoo by surprise, he gets off work early. He lets himself into their apartment quietly, peeking around the door to see if Myungsoo is close by. The living room is dark and empty as well as the kitchen. The only source of light spills out from the incubus' room. Sungyeol approaches it hesitantly. Despite all the time he's had to think of what to say, his mind is blank. Maybe the words will just come naturally.

Myungsoo is sitting on his bed, a small duffle bag half-full next to him. He finishes folding a shirt and places it in the bag.

"Where are you going," Sungyeol asks in a panic. He steps into the room but keeps a reasonable distance. It's more surprising that Myungsoo is choosing to leave now, than that he's leaving at all. He'd put up with a full week of silence from Sungyeol. The older man had assumed he was just waiting to be forgiven.

Startled, Myungsoo jumps slightly and looks up at Sungyeol with wide eyes. "I-I'm—uh, I guess, I'm leaving?" He says it like a question; like he thinks Sungyeol might object. Or like he's asking for permission.

Sungyeol doesn't think he's in the position to tell Myungsoo what to do. Though, he does want to tell him to stay. "Where," he asks instead.

Myungsoo hesitates, looking away from Sungyeol. His hands lie empty in his lap. "Woohyun asked if I wanted to stay at his place for a little bit. I-I didn't think you'd mind."

"I do." Sungyeol moves closer to Myungsoo. He stops in front of the younger man, holding his gaze. "I don't want you to go," he admits. He already knows what Myungsoo wants to say when he opens his mouth, but he beats him to the punch. "I'm not just saying that because of whatever I might think happened between you two. Or because I'm jealous of him."

Myungsoo perks up instantly. "Jealous of him," he repeats.

Sungyeol closes his eyes briefly and lets out a sigh. He's going about this entirely the wrong way. "We need to talk," he says when he opens his eyes. "Again." He takes a seat on the other side of the duffel bag. Myungsoo looks at him expectantly. And maybe there's a bit of fear in his eyes too. "Um, I think first you should know that I still want us to be friends." As upset as Sungyeol had been at being lied to, it wasn't enough to make him want to end their friendship. He's just needed time—actually, he still needs time. "That doesn't mean I've forgiven you, but I want to."

The disappointment is clear on Myungsoo's face despite the smile he gives Sungyeol. "That means a lot to me," he says, pushing his bag out of the way as he pulls his legs onto the bed and turns to face Sungyeol. "I promise I won't ever do anything like that again. You can hex me if I even think about it."

Sungyeol tries to fight the smile pulling at his lips. Even in such a serious moment, Myungsoo can still make him laugh; unintentionally, but still. "I'll hold you to that," he replies, mostly joking. Myungsoo seems to take it seriously as he breathes a sigh of relief. Sungyeol almost feels bad for what he has to say next. He clears his throat and rests a hand on Myungsoo's knee before quickly removing it. "So, um, I think I need to make something else clear. Woohyun was right; I did like you." Sungyeol keeps his eyes focused on Myungsoo's bedspread. He knows how crushing this is going to be without having to see the other's reaction. "I don't know when it started or how, but I did—I kind of still do." Against his better judgement, he glances up at Myungsoo. The other seems to already know what's coming. "But if I'm being honest," Sungyeol continues, going back to tracing the pattern on Myungsoo's sheets with his eyes. "Even though I still have feelings for you, I think it's better if we just stay friends. A few weeks ago, I wouldn't have thought I'd ever say that. I would've probably said the exact opposite. But now I... I don't feel like I can trust you anymore. Not just yet anyway."

In the silence that falls between them, Sungyeol looks up again at Myungsoo. As expected, he's devastated. His bottom lip is trembling, although Sungyeol doesn't see any tears falling. (Which he's thankful for; otherwise he'd feel like a complete jerk.)

"I know this isn't what either of us wanted," Sungyeol says carefully. It doesn't make sense that he's practically apologizing for being truthful. He should be more confident in his decision; it's not like he plans on changing his mind. Well...not any time soon, that is.

Myungsoo's more composed than Sungyeol expects when he meets the witch's eyes. "You don't have to apologize or feel sorry for me. I'm the one who screwed things up. If I'd been straight about it and just told you how I felt, none of this would've happened. I mean, we'd probably be together by now." He grimaces slightly at the statement, the unfortunate truth hitting him again. "But this is how things ended up, so I should just accept it."

Sungyeol's eyes widen in surprise when Myungsoo gets up only to find more clothes to pack. "You're still leaving?" It'll be nearly impossible for them to be in the same room now, but a selfish part of Sungyeol had hoped Myungsoo would bear it with him while they try to restart their friendship. He's gotten used to the other man's constant presence. If he leaves—even if it's only for a couple days—it feels like it'll end up pushing them further apart.

"I think it's best if we spend some time apart, you know, before we..." Myungsoo's voice peters out as he looks down at the pair of jeans in his hands. He doesn't say anything else, going back to packing as if Sungyeol's not in the room anymore.

Taking the hint, Sungyeol rises from Myungsoo's bed. He looks down at the other for a moment. He's silently hoping Myungsoo will change his mind, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Myungsoo is decided on staying with Woohyun and Sungyeol's rejection had only made the choice easier. Sungyeol walks out of the room with his shoulders slumped, his heart heavy. He'd said he still wanted them to be friends, but that doesn't seem possible now.

The club is packed when Sungyeol finally gets in. He has to squeeze through the crowd until he spots Sungjong at a booth along one wall. Woohyun's there, too. Sungyeol's not exactly happy to see him, but his presence also doesn't make him want to turn right back around. Myungsoo is nowhere in sight although Sungyeol had heard he would be there. He scans the rest of the room as he moves closer to Sungjong. He finds Myungsoo over at the bar, drinks in hand and a bashful smile on his face. There's a woman smiling back at him with her hand on his forearm. A weird feeling fills the pit of Sungyeol's stomach at their obvious flirting. He doesn't want to call it jealousy. They haven't seen each other in over a month; what little feelings he had should be gone by now. Shouldn't they?

"Sungyeol!" Sungjong calls him over, waving his arms like Sungyeol might have trouble finding him when they're only ten feet apart. He makes room on his side of the booth for Sungyeol. "I was starting to think you weren't coming," he says.

The thought had occurred to Sungyeol. He could've made up an excuse and just stayed home. But then it would probably be obvious that he was avoiding Myungsoo—or, more accurately, was too nervous to see him after such a long time. "Well, it's not like I was busy," he says lamely. He glances over at Woohyun, expecting a smug look. The other only offers a small, polite smile. Sungyeol doesn't really know how to interpret that.

Sungjong starts talking animatedly about something, probably trying to keep the inevitable awkwardness at bay, but Sungyeol isn't paying attention. His eyes have found Myungsoo again. The incubus is still at the bar; the other man still unnecessarily close to him. Sungyeol's not jealous. Really, he isn't. He just can't help wondering what they could possibly be talking about. Last he remembered, Myungsoo was a terrible flirt. He used the worst pick-up lines and was even worse at keeping a conversation going. He couldn't have gotten so much better in just a month. A nudge to Sungyeol's side reminds him of where he is and what he's doing. "Are you even listening to me," Sungjong asks. He looks more amused than offended.

A look at Woohyun tells Sungyeol he's anything but subtle. The smug look is now on Woohyun's face, though he tries to hide it behind his hand. Sungyeol can either deny doing what they all know he was doing, or he can admit it. Instead he goes with the third choice. "I need a drink," he announces loudly, jumping to his feet. He doesn't wait for responses from the other two before setting off for the other side of the room. His eyes are fixed on Myungsoo the whole way. He doesn't really have a plan for when he gets to the bar. Aside from interrupting whatever's happening with Myungsoo, that is.

He pretends he hasn't noticed Myungsoo as he walks behind the strange guy he's with and takes a seat at the bar. Signaling the bartender, Sungyeol checks the incubus' reaction out of the corner of his eye. Myungsoo's clearly stopped listening to whatever the other guy is saying, his mouth hanging open slightly and eyes fixed on Sungyeol. As he waits for his drink, Sungyeol keeps his back to Myungsoo. In the month it's been since the other unofficially moved out, Sungyeol's had a lot of time to think. Mostly about Myungsoo, but also about his feelings for Myungsoo. It had taken a while to get over being lied to and then a little more to decide he was ready to trust Myungsoo again. He's still unsure of what kind of relationship he wants with the other man. They could be friends again. He misses their friendship; the comfort and security it gave him. But at the same time, they could be more. They're finally on the same page—or, at least, they were. They liked, maybe even loved, each other despite the confusing way Myungsoo had tried to show it. Sungyeol only knows how he feels now and as far as he can tell, how he feels about Myungsoo hasn't changed. They might've gotten lost under anger and hurt, but his feelings had never gone away.

"Sungyeol..." Myungsoo calls his name hesitantly. He looks as nervous as he sounds when Sungyeol looks over at him. Pointing to the empty stool next to Sungyeol, Myungsoo asks, "Can I sit here?"

A smile stretches across Sungyeol's face. It must be true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. This might be the happiest Sungyeol has ever been to see Myungsoo. He's missed the other more than he's willing to admit, which is ironic seeing as there was nothing physically stopping them from seeing each other. They'd both avoided opportunities to be in the same room, using the need for space as an excuse. And now that they're face-to-face it's even more clear to Sungyeol that he's very much in love with Myungsoo. "Of course," he replies with a nod.

An awkward silence falls over them as Myungsoo slips onto the stool. They have a whole month of missed conversations to catch up on. There are things they could talk about and things they should talk about. The trick is one of them having the guts to make the first move.

Sungyeol sips at his drink and racks his brain for anything at all to say. "You look...good," he says after a quick glance at Myungsoo. He cringes mentally at how cheesy he sounds.

Myungsoo's grin says it all, but the way he perks up in his seat is also telling. Sungyeol doesn't have to keep wondering how the other man feels; he's still the same. "So do you," Myungsoo sends back. "And I'm really glad you came."

"I miss you," Sungyeol admits. He keeps his eyes focused on his drink. He's a bit—actually, a lot—embarrassed to be so honest, but if he wants to fix their relationship he should say what needs to be said. "I've missed you. As a roommate and a friend."

There's a long pause as Myungsoo digests the confession. Considering how their last conversation ended, this probably isn't what he had been expecting. He lets out a long sigh and Sungyeol can see him patting his cheeks from the corner of his eye. "Wow," he breathes out. "I-I...I don't know what to say to that. I mean, honestly, I didn't think you would. But I missed you, too." There's a nervous smile on his face as he looks over at Sungyeol. "Do you think... Do you think we could start over? You know, as friends?"

Sungyeol perks up in his seat. He'd been just about to make that suggestion. He was hoping they could wipe the slate clean; forgive and forget and see where that takes them. "I'd really like that," he says, offering Myungsoo a bright smile. The dread he'd felt at the thought of facing the other has given way to relief. He'd been afraid they wouldn't be able to repair things, but now he wants to be believe they'll be okay.