There is a phenomenon that occurs when one is waiting for a certain moment to arrive. What happens is that time itself seems to crawl by, each second dragging on much longer than it should and each minute overstaying its welcome.

For his part, Kibum thought that dinner might never arrive tonight. Or that the sun might never set. Or even that night might never come.

Once the bell was rung for dinner, he bolted out of his room. He would have run down the stairs had it not been for the many servants milling about the corridors. So, he forced himself to calm and slowly made his way down to the dining hall.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he caught a glimpse of the dining hall door and smiled.

Minho was at his post.

He stood stoically still, his blank gaze fixed on the opposite wall as Kibum’s family and whatever visiting nobility filed into the dining hall. Kibum hurried down the steps and made his way over to him. He tried to catch Minho's eye like he always did since his return to the castle. As usual, he did not meet Kibum's eye....however, this time he tried to suppress a smile. It was faint -- barely an upward curl of his lips -- but it met his eyes. Kibum's heart started beating so fast that he thought he was going to die.

But, he didn't, and he stepped through into the dining room, and Minho closed the door behind him. 

Dinner was droll, to say the least. His eyes kept flicking to the closed door in the hopes that he might be able to see even a sliver of Minho. Mother snapped her fingers, her stern gaze darting to the daughter of the visiting duke before she went back to her dinner. With a heavy sigh, Kibum made some polite conversation with her for the rest of the meal.

He ate light -- too nervous and excited about seeing Minho afterward -- and when Father eventually rang for dessert to be served, the servants brought out the cake from afternoon tea. His hands shook as he reached for his fork and cut off a bit of the cake. 

Torchlight flickered on the walls, the dancing shadows making Kibum think that the door opened.

“Something the matter?” the duke’s daughter asked, and Kibum glanced over at her. 

He let out his pent-up breath and sat back in his chair, smiling as he shrugged. “No, everything is fine.”

She reached for the fork in Kibum’s hand, taking the bite he had cut off for herself. “You just seem distracted, that’s all.” She smiled as she passed him back his fork.

It took everything within him to keep his disgust from being too apparent. “Uh, keep it,” he said, pushing his cake toward her. “I’m finished.” Standing, he bowed to the room and then his father. “If you would excuse me, I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”

“Rest well, son.”

“Thank you, I will.” He bowed once more when he reached the door, and he rapped the door lightly with his knuckles. The door opened, and he walked outside. He stepped out of the way for Minho to close the door behind him. 

“Is...dinner finished?”

Kibum looked up at him, smiling as soon as he met Minho’s eyes. They were blown wide, like they used to be whenever Kibum would tell Minho about whatever new fact his tutor had just taught him. It was adorable then and it was adorable now.

“No, but I am. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” 

His smile shifting to a sort of smirk before he started for the stairs. As he walked, he could feel Minho’s eyes on him the whole time, and when he turned at the top of the stairs, Minho’s head quickly snapped to the opposite wall. Even from this distance, Kibum could see the concentrated furrow in his brow. 

Chuckling, he returned to his room and he slumped against his door once he closed it. “...” He slipped his boots off and tossed them across the room as he made his way over to his bed, falling face first into the blankets. Kibum banged his head on the mattress before he rolled over, and covered his eyes with the crook of his arm.

What if...he was just imagining things? What if Minho did not feel the same way? This afternoon could have been just a figment of his imagination. Did Minho think of the night that he left as often as Kibum did? He must since he had been the one to bring up the stars...

“You’re just over-thinking this,” Kibum mumbled to himself.

Sighing, he sat up and looked around his room. The night would be cool, not cold -- it was early summer, after all. He should change into something more comfortable than his current formal attire. After some internal debating, Kibum decided to change into a warm pair of his nightclothes. He grabbed the comforter off his bed and hurriedly made his way up to the tallest tower.

“Oh...my god?”

The breeze whisked away his whispered words, but Kibum stood frozen in the doorway, his hand clutching at his heart. The sun was almost set, its golden rays gilding the arched windows. Unlit candles were scattered on the banisters and the floor and several blankets were neatly folded atop one that was spread out on the ground. 

If he were being honest with himself, Kibum was not quite sure what he had been expecting out of tonight. It certainly had not been this. He giggled, then covered his mouth with his hand, as if someone had heard him. Sighing, he wrapped his comforter around his shoulders and made his way around the candles and to the opposite side of the tower. Kibum could feel the stupid love-struck smile on his face as he watched the sunset, but he could not really help himself.

The sun had dipped below the horizon and the stars were glittering brightly overhead before Minho joined Kibum in the tower. Kibum turned when he heard his rushed footsteps echoing in the stairwell, and he was breathless when he reached the doorway.

“Hello,” Kibum said eventually, smiling when Minho took a step closer.

“I came as fast as I could,” Minho said as he dug into his pocket for his matchbox. A couple scratches, and soon a soft golden halo illuminated Minho’s face and hands. “I’m sorry I made you wait.” He cupped his hand around the first candle as he lit the wick, doing the same with the next. “That wasn’t my intention.”

“You were worth the wait.”

Even in the darkness, Kibum could see Minho’s blush. “I hope you don’t mind the extra light,” he said as he moved to the other end of the tower, striking a fresh match. “I...I thought it might be nice.” 

Kibum folded his hands on the banister and watched Minho bustle around to try to make this perfect. It was cute, really, how hard he was trying when all Kibum wanted was him to show up. The effort Minho made, however, put whatever doubts Kibum had had to rest. 

Almost ten years had passed since their last night spent together in this tower, but the feelings remained the same. It was more than Kibum dared to even hope. 

Once all the candles were lit, Minho stilled and looked around once more. When Kibum reached out and patted the banister beside him, Minho’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he moved to join him. “You were right.”

“About what?” Minho asked.

“The stars. They’re beautiful tonight.” Minho looked up at the night sky and Kibum looked over at him. 

The faint light from the stars and from the glowing moon etched his profile in silver against the night. It was simply breath-taking. A lock of hair fell into Minho’s eyes, and without a second thought, Kibum reached out to brush it back for him. He froze when he realized what he had done, but Minho’s calloused hand took Kibum’s and he held it gently between them. Soon, Minho started tracing lines into the back of his hand.

When Minho finally spoke, his voice was so soft that Kibum almost missed it. “I missed you, you know. Not a day went by that I didn’t think of you.”

Kibum laced their fingers together, smiling when Minho started to trace circles around his knuckles. “It was the same for me.” 

“Really?”

He nodded and Minho sighed. His grip tightened on Kibum’s hand as he brought it up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of his hand. Kibum took a step closer, his hand cupping Minho’s face as he brushed away a fallen tear. “It’s only ever been you, Min.”

Minho’s eyes opened slowly, meeting Kibum’s. He leaned into Kibum’s palm as he continued to caress his cheek. “I -- uh,” Kibum’s gaze darted down to his lips. When Minho inclined his head, Kibum surged forward to meet his lips.

Finally, Kibum thought as the blanket around his shoulders dropped away and Minho pulled him closer. Kibum’s fingers carded through the wavy hair at the nape of Minho’s neck and he stepped up on his tiptoes, bringing them closer still. All those years of waiting; all those years of sitting through awkward conversations with the women his parents wanted him to marry. 

All those years...and it was worth it.

Kibum could not help but smile when he broke the kiss and Minho chased his lips, kissing the corner of his mouth with a sigh before Kibum captured his lips once again. And again. When they parted, Kibum left light kisses to the few freckles on Minho’s cheeks. 

Their breath mingled as Minho leaned his forehead against Kibum’s, his hands in the fabric of his nightshirt. “I love you,” he said all at once, melting in Kibum’s arms a little when he kissed the tip of his nose.

“I love you, too. Of course I do.” 

The breeze picked up around them, and Kibum shivered involuntarily. Minho rubbed some warmth into his arms. “Let’s sit,” he said, kneeling to grab Kibum’s blanket as Kibum went over to the one spread out on the floor. They bundled up, holding onto each other beneath the blankets. 

The stars twinkled in the night, and Kibum stared at them with a sleepy smile as Minho trailed soft kisses from his temple to his cheekbone to his dimpled cheek. His hand found Minho’s under the blankets, and he brought their joined hands to his chest. Sighing, Kibum snuggled closer to Minho, relishing in the warmth of his embrace. 

“Finally,” he whispered, and Minho hummed in agreement. Finally, indeed.