Ryeowook slowly went home from the school he was visiting. Lush, green trees and cacti lined the road that led out of the town and up a mountain. Not too far up, two lone houses had been built of stone, paled from its exposure to the sun, the gardens overflowing with greens—some of them useful for cooking, others wildly growing with no other goal but to look beautiful and provide shadow, a wild mix from the former owners and nature’s own will. They had arrived in late winter and decided to stay, so far away from home that everyone looked different from them and the language had a beautiful foreign sound that Ryeowook was slowly growing accustomed to.

“Gentleman, gentleman!” Two boys came running towards Ryeowook as soon as they laid eyes on him from where they had been playing in the garden. Ryeowook laughed, allowing the two boys to take his hands and pull him into the wide garden that belonged to their family. The younger boy kept babbling many words that Ryeowook didn’t understand, but he still enjoyed listening to his excited voice.

Probably lured outside from the child’s incessant talking, a woman who was not much older than Ryeowook came out of the house, her hair pinned up and a simple dress fluttering around her figure. She immediately scolded her boys, yet neither of them let go of Ryeowook and the babbling was only interrupted by laughter.

When they had first arrived in this town, this same woman had been close to death after the birth of her third child, yet the nearest doctor had refused to see her, as Ryeowook found out later. The scent of blood had drawn him in and he quickly found out that he could indeed help, stopping her bleeding during a fake examination for which he had sent the rest of the family outside with various tasks, giving him the chance to heal her without witnesses. When the boys came back with the water he had asked for and the woman’s mother returned with the newborn child that she had washed and dressed, the young woman was still weak but pulled back from the brink of death. Ever since that incident, the family showed their gratefulness towards Ryeowook and refused to stop giving him treats or advice or inviting him and the other three over for dinner or lunch.

“Gentleman, how was your day?” the young woman asked, her voice gentle and speech much slower than her son’s.

Ryeowook smiled warmly at her. “It has been good, thank you. What about yours?”

She inclined her head with a gentle smile that could mean anything from ‘good’ to ‘the usual chaos’. “Will you come to see the festival tonight?” She said something a little more specific than that and Ryeowook assumed that those specifics related to the fact that a three-day festival was starting that evening, yet he lacked the vocabulary to actually understand.

“Maybe.” He was certainly tempted to go, especially because Kyuhyun had been able to secure a spot, but… No matter how much his anxiousness in crowds had decreased, wouldn’t a festival still be too much?

The young woman accepted his answer with another light nod before she motioned towards the bag of her garden, explaining that some fruit had grown ripe and she wanted to give him some. Ryeowook inclined his head, having long learned his lesson that refusal was useless, so he followed the three of them to lead him into the back where the woman showed him that the fruit grew from cacti and she showed him how to eat it as she prepared some for her sons who instantly let go of Ryeowook’s hands, their excitement for food outweighing their excitement over having spotted Ryeowook.

The vampire watched and listened carefully, thanking the woman when she gave him a basket full of prickly pears before she sent him off with her best wishes.

With a smile and equipped with the fruits, Ryeowook continued to make his journey up the mountain, taking one of the prickly pears out of the basket to take a closer look at it as he walked. The sun was burning down mercilessly and by the time that he arrived at the first house, Ryeowook was sweating profusely, grateful when he could escape the sun and dive into the cool shade inside the house. He refreshed himself, then busied himself with preparing food. His cooking was still experimental, missing the familiar ingredients that he could get in China and Joseon, but after some failures, he and Hangeng had found ways to create new dishes, had learned local recipes, and had found ways to substitute in order to recreate familiar dishes.

Ryeowook was nearly done when the chatter of three voices reached him, making him smile. He went to the door that he had left open in hopes for wind to come in and cool the inside, leaning against the frame. Further down the mountain, he spotted Hangeng, Heechul, and Kyuhyun, the latter two teasing each other again, as it seemed, while Hangeng shook his head in exasperation, eyeing the other two who were laughing.

Ryeowook still didn’t know when exactly it had happened, but at some point during their journey, Heechul and Kyuhyun had become incredibly close, and Ryeowook was tempted to think that Heechul’s help during their escape from Joseon had a lot to do with it. The contrast of Kyuhyun’s hostile behavior then and his joking form now was so strong that Ryeowook sometimes wondered how both could be the same person.

On this day, Hangeng was the first one who spotted him, sharing an amused glance with Ryeowook, and shortly afterwards, first Heechul, then Kyuhyun also looked ahead, the latter beaming when their eyes met. Happiness and contentment filled Ryeowook like each time and he hoped those feelings would never cease.

When he arrived at the house’s entrance, Kyuhyun automatically wrapped one arm around Ryeowook, pulling him in for a brief kiss, quickly interrupted by his grumbling stomach.

“And here I thought vampires couldn’t get all that hungry for human food!” Ryeowook poked Kyuhyun’s stomach, laughing when the other blushed at his words.

“Well, I guess you and Hangeng-hyung just cook too well.”

“I agree with that,” Heechul immediately piped in and Ryeowook glanced over at him, sheepishly stepping back from the hug.

“Whatever.” He looked away in embarrassment, still not used to the others complimenting what he cooked. In order to not get lost in his embarrassment, he turned around and led the way inside to finish setting the table while the others freshened up.

They ate in silence for a short while, simply cherishing the taste that left even Ryeowook speechless because even he hadn’t expected for the food to turn out that good, until Kyuhyun spoke up. “Ryeowook, I was wondering…” Ryeowook looked up when Kyuhyun trailed off and found the other looking a little tense despite his relaxed act, slowly pushing the food and forth while his eyes were fixed on the plate. “Will you come to the festival’s opening tonight?”

“I’ve been thinking about it.” Ryeowook watched closely as Kyuhyun’s face lit up and he raised his head, then carefully searched in Ryeowook’s eyes as if he was waiting for some counter-argument, for a list of reasons why it wasn’t possible.

“You’ve been doing really well lately, so I was hoping… And at the spring festival in Joseon, I may have gotten used to having my number one supporter in the first row…” The hint of a smile played on Kyuhyun’s lips, as if he wasn’t sure if it was okay to tease in this situation.

Ryeowook put on a thoughtful expression. “Well, in that case, I may have to disappoint you.” He almost regretted his decision to tease Kyuhyun back when the smile instantly disappeared from Kyuhyun’s lips and his eyes became serious, accepting the defeat. “I do want to go, but I don’t think that the first row would be very suited for me.”

“You do want to go?”

“Of course I do! Hey, I didn’t earn the title ‘number one supporter’ by never showing up, did I?” He flashed a smile at Kyuhyun, grateful when the other finally relaxed, then he turned towards Hangeng and Heechul. A lot of times, they all went to the market together since Heechul was able to somewhat mediate between them and the local people. “What do you two think?”

Ryeowook knew that he was doing much better with crowds recently. Things had changed when the people around them had started to look different, though Ryeowook didn’t know whether that was caused by the fact that Koreans would stand out in these crowds; the physical distance from Joseon; the safety of having Hangeng, Heechul, and Kyuhyun around; or a lot of mental growth. Maybe it was even a mix of everything. But had the situation improved enough for him to be able to handle a festival situation? What if he had only improved so much because the other three had always been around him, what if the most crucial one was missing from his side?

“Why don’t we give it a try? If it gets too much for you, we can still leave anytime,” Heechul suggested and Ryeowook looked down at his own plate, frowning lightly at it, eventually looking back at Kyuhyun.

“When is your turn?”

“Pretty late, I think. It should be dark, after all, and Heechul-hyung helped me convince them that getting on stage late will create the best effects. On the other hand, I don’t think there will be too many performers tonight.”

“Can you stay with us when you’re not on stage?”

“I think so, yes, at least for the majority of the time.”

Ryeowook nodded and looked back at his food. Would he be able to do it? It had never been a problem for him while he was human and he’d like to think that his anxiety level was back to that time, so… Shouldn’t he be able to do it? Especially if Kyuhyun was staying by his side most of the time, shouldn’t he be fine?

Was thinking about this situation maybe the entirely wrong thing to do and he’d be able to do much better if he just stopped thinking about this matter?

“I’m coming.” He looked back up, first at Hangeng and Heechul who both seemed to have anticipated this answer, then at Kyuhyun who looked surprised but then grinned at him.

“I’m glad.”

They finished eating and tried two of the prickly pears that Ryeowook had been given, chatting a little while longer before Kyuhyun excused himself to change into his performance outfit. When he returned, Ryeowook’s mouth went dry from the sight, so achingly familiar and stunningly new, the memory unable to hold up against the real picture.

They went back into town and Ryeowook couldn’t help but steal glances at Kyuhyun, his nervousness forgotten, and he was certain that at least Heechul was amused by his speechlessness.

Unlike earlier, the city was bustling and became more and more crowded as they approached the market place. Ryeowook wished his Korean and Chinese clothes back, wished to be able to hide his hands in his long sleeves, but all he could do was to stuff one hand into a pocket and intertwine the fingers of the other hand with Kyuhyun’s. Maybe he hadn’t overcome this fear quite as much as he had thought…

Ryeowook let his gaze wander over the array of carts around them, the items and foods so different and yet so similar to what he had seen in Joseon and Wuhan. Wooden toys, knives, fancy-looking dishes, spices, the vendors calling to get their customers’ attention… Only their language was different. Only the snacks and foods they served were different. How could everything be so similar when he was so far away?

The people around them were also the same: they dressed differently, looked differently, spoke a different language, and yet, their topics seemed to be the same, their laughter was the same, the way they’d stop at one cart or another to browse through the items was the same, their relaxed walk on this evening that seemed to slow down everyday life was the same…

Without having realized it, Ryeowook found himself just standing in the middle of the road, watching the people around them: a woman who reprimanded her child, another woman who had linked her arm with the man by her side, a group of women chatting at a cart where knives were sold, the vendor talking to them animatedly, a group of men standing not too far away, boasting about something while a group of children ran through them, getting scolded without hearing it over their laughter as they chased each other…

A deep wonder filled Ryeowook at those sights.

“Look at how cute he is,” Heechul’s voice, filled with laughter, made it through to Ryeowook and he glanced over at his friend, surprised to find the other’s amused gaze on him.

“Who?”

“You.” His expression seemed to have slipped at that because Heechul laughed out loud. “In case it helps: we all have that moment. That moment of realizing how much there is that makes humans humans—that it’s not just about food or that we generally have two arms and two legs or that we need sleep, but that it’s also about how we behave, what we like, what we create…”

Ryeowook looked away in embarrassment, but when his gaze met Kyuhyun’s, the amusement tinged with love that he could see in the other’s eyes melted away Ryeowook’s awkwardness.

They slowly walked on, following the pace of everyone around them, while Ryeowook watched them, amazed at his new realization. On the market place, some guards were lighting fires against the darkness that slowly descended upon the city.

“Will you excuse me for a bit? The mayor asked to talk to me before I go on stage.”

Ryeowook glanced at Kyuhyun who looked tense and nervous; even his grip was a little tighter than before. Ryeowook gently squeezed Kyuhyun’s hand and nodded. “Will you come back before you go on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then good luck. You can do this! I’m sure you’ll amaze each and every single person here.” Ryeowook caught the other’s eye, smiling warmly at him, then he pulled his hand away. Kyuhyun hesitated a moment longer, then nodded firmly and left, yet Ryeowook couldn’t help the wish to be able to do more than such a simple reassurance.

Suddenly left with no one else to hold on to, he once again wished his long sleeves back and as soon as Kyuhyun disappeared in the crowd, the people around them seemed a lot more present and much closer than before. Yes, the market place was crowded, but had it been this crowded before? Had the people talked this loudly before? Had they walked this closely to him before? A woman almost brushed against his arm and Ryeowook flinched aside, then pushed those thoughts away. The tension and discomfort lingered just underneath the surface, but he straightened his back and flashed a small smile towards Hangeng and Heechul. “Let’s go.” A lot of carts were still ahead of them and this time, Ryeowook didn’t plan on letting Kyuhyun’s absence ruin his experience of the market.

They came to a jewelry cart and Heechul came to a stand, browsing through the cart. Ryeowook watched him in confusion as he picked up a few pieces but put each of them back down after a brief inspection. The vendor pitifully tried to get Heechul’s attention, but he didn’t get more than a swift smile before Heechul eventually put down the last piece, thanked the vendor, and walked further.

“You’re interested in jewelry?”

Heechul glanced at Ryeowook and nodded, suddenly grinning. “Did that seem weird? Of course I have to be interested in jewelry if I want to be a successful fortune teller! Though I’m trying to leave that profession in the past and find something nicer this time, something less flashy…”

Ryeowook nodded in understanding. “Is that why you left all the clothes and incense and so on behind?”

“Yes. That and I didn’t want a waft of incense to follow us wherever we go.” Heechul grimaced, making Ryeowook smile.

“Oh really? Why not?” he teased his friend. When he noticed a somewhat enticing yet boring scent, Ryeowook’s gaze went ahead quite a bit until he spotted a butcher’s cart, his smile deepening when he remembered how confused he had been the first time he had consciously smelled this scent

“You’re right, we should see if we can find some incense, I really miss having a disgustingly sweet and very pungent cloud follow me wherever I go,” Heechul agreed and laughed.

Suddenly, something bumped into Ryeowook from behind and he stiffened at the uncontrollable fear that rushed through him, threatening to freeze him in spot like it had done so many times, taking his breath away. They were found!

A moment later, a tuft of black hair dashed past him, followed by five or six more, all of them screaming wildly and laughing, disappearing behind the next cart.

When the children were gone, Heechul appeared before him. “Are you okay?”

Ryeowook nodded, slowly unclenching his hands, confused when he realized that he had been holding on to something. He looked down, feeling instant heat rush into his face when he saw that Hangeng’s arm had been subject to his vise-like grip. “I’m sorry.”

Hangeng laughed softly as he shook his head. “No need to be. Will you feel a little safer if you continue to hold on?” he offered with a sincere smile as embarrassment flooded Ryeowook. How would they look! Wouldn’t people laugh if they linked arms like a couple? Neither of them was a woman, so wouldn’t it be strange?

Since when did he really worry about this, though? Didn’t he naturally do that with Kyuhyun without worrying?

He took a deep breath to calm his frantic heart, then he locked their arms, indeed feeling a lot calmer thanks to this contact. If he just held on well enough, no one would be able to take Hangeng away from him, after all, right?

He almost laughed when he remembered the first time that he had thought this way and how Kyuhyun had disappeared from his grip mere seconds later. So much had happened since that night in Cheolsan…

“Thank you, hyung.”

“What were you thinking about just now?” Heechul asked curiously.

“I never told you?” When Heechul shook his head, Ryeowook told the other two about that night, about how certain human-him had been that Kyuhyun wouldn’t be able to get out of his grip until he was very much proven wrong. And somehow, he was still talking about that time when they arrived near the stage, watching the performing artists who were on stage at that point. Ryeowook’s gaze wandered over the area surrounding the stage, yet he couldn’t spot Kyuhyun anywhere, so he relaxed and simply enjoyed the show.

As more people gathered around them, lured in by the show, Ryeowook withdrew with Hangeng and Heechul, keeping a safe distance between them and the townspeople.

Not much later, the artists bowed, thanked the people, and collected money from the onlookers. The general interest was already dissipating when Kyuhyun stepped onto the stage, his all-black attire and fluid movements almost making him invisible against the vibrant chatter. Kyuhyun carefully re-arranged the fire bowls while the townspeople quieted down, their chatter dimming to whispers, then stunned silence. Ryeowook squeezed Hangeng’s arm and Heechul’s hand, his heart fluttering with excitement. It had been so long since he had last been able to be a part of a festival, to see Kyuhyun like this!

Kyuhyun returned to the middle of the stage where he picked up a torch that he lit at one of the fire bowls before he presumed his position in the middle of the stage. Time stood still while his eyes wandered over the crowd until they met Ryeowook’s and Kyuhyun’s face seemed to relax for a split second before concentration returned to it. Even the cart owners had stopped calling out to potential customers.

Kyuhyun motioned for his audience to take a step back, waiting until they followed his nonverbal order before he nodded and a playful grin appeared on his lips as his show started with the burst of his torch’s flame.

Ryeowook watched in awe as Kyuhyun weaved landscapes and people and patterns into his fire, as the fire danced so naturally over Kyuhyun’s arms, burst at his demand, then cowered, waiting for Kyuhyun’s next order. His eyes were glued to Kyuhyun and his art, his heart swelling with each ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ from the crowd.

A final fireball exploded high above in the air, sparks falling down like golden rain. Ryeowook’s eyes followed them down until he looked at Kyuhyun again, finding the other looking at him, out of breath and smiling like he had won a grand price. He bowed theatrically like Ryeowook had seen him do so often when they had just met and the crowd came alive, clapping and cheering. The noise was deafening and yet Ryeowook couldn’t help the bright smile that sneaked onto his lips, couldn’t help the euphoria that rushed through him as the crowd’s energy took a hold of him. From behind him, even the cart owners were clapping and cheering along with the few customers that had stayed off to the side.

Kyuhyun exited the stage and Ryeowook was finally able to tear his gaze away, looking at Heechul and Hangeng instead, laughing when they looked no different from how he felt

“I forgot how amazing he is,” Hangeng commented and Heechul nodded frantically.

“I think from today onwards we can say that we’re living together with a local celebrity,” he said while he laughed. “Hannie, we should have attended more of his shows back in Joseon!”

“I wish I could have seen his opening show in Wuhan!”

“Just imagine!”

“I want to have seen the townspeople’s faces!”

“He really knows how to use his power!”

Ryeowook nodded frantically and was about to respond with more praise when he finally spotted Kyuhyun making his way over towards them, skillfully avoiding the residents. Without caring about anything else, Ryeowook let go of his two friends and swiftly made his way over towards Kyuhyun, meeting halfway as he flung himself into his boyfriend’s arms, still beaming and laughing. Kyuhyun was also laughing, holding him tightly, spinning him around before they were staggering back and forth and Ryeowook didn’t know how he could still be standing in one piece when he felt so happy that he might explode with joy.

Eventually, they leaned back just enough to look at each other and an overwhelming urge to kiss Kyuhyun surged through Ryeowook, almost getting the better of him. “You were amazing,” he said instead, breathless from laughter, the corners of his mouth hurting from smiling so much. “The show was so great! And you made it all look so easy and natural!” The words spilled out of him, compliment over compliment as he went through the entire show, not once letting go of Kyuhyun while he watched the other’s expression light up even more, mirroring the happiness he felt, until he was interrupted with laughter.

“You’re too much!”

“I’m not! You really were that grand!”

“You’re praising me too much.”

“Absolutely not! As a man who grew up with a prince’s promise to honesty, I would never dare to speak anything but the truth!” He raised one hand with two fingers up to mark his promise, beaming when Kyuhyun rolled his eyes in defeat.

“Gentlemen, gentlemen!” a familiar child’s voice made it through to him and Ryeowook leaned a little to his side, finding the woman who lived near their houses approach them with her husband by her side and her two sons in the front, each carrying heavy-looking money pouches, the pockets of their pants stuffed so full that they almost pulled the pants down from their thin hips, yet their faces were just as bright as Kyuhyun’s and Ryeowook’s.

Kyuhyun stepped out of hug to welcome the two boys and accept the money pouches from them, ruffling their hair. “Thank you for your help.”

The boys beamed and moved to empty their pockets, but seeing that their pockets weren’t much bigger than their hands to begin with, Kyuhyun shook his head, using one hand to stop them. “You keep that.”

The boys’ eyes grew wide and they immediately started babbling. Their parents tried to argue, but Kyuhyun shook his head with a gentle smile as he stood up. “No, it’s okay.”

“Thank you, gentleman, thank you so much!” The man took Kyuhyun’s hand and squeezed it, saying more, but Ryeowook’s attention went back to the two boys who showed their treasures to their mother who agreed to hold on to the money for them, nodding and agreeing with her sons with such feigned honesty that Ryeowook could hardly hold back his laughter.

Kyuhyun and Ryeowook left soon afterwards, and though Ryeowook was a little confused at first that Kyuhyun insisted on not waiting until they found Heechul and Hangeng who had disappeared at some point, he didn’t dwell on it too much, knowing they’d simply meet again the next day, accepting that the other two probably simply hadn’t wanted to interrupt Ryeowook and Kyuhyun when they had moved on.

A tension that Ryeowook hadn’t realized had still held on to him finally lifted off his shoulders when they left the market place and eventually stepped out of the town. Fresh night air filled his lungs and he looked up ahead towards their house, the mountain, the endless sky with millions of sparkling stars above them… A deep sense of freedom overcame him, making his fingertips tingle with excitement and his heart tremble with laughter.

“Kyu, I did it. I was finally able to watch your show again.”

Kyuhyun hummed. “You certainly did, little prince.”

Ryeowook nudged Kyuhyun’s shoulder with his own, laughing at the sidestep that they ended up taking and at this feeling that was so close to being drunk, so weightless.

“And I’m so glad that you were there.”

Their eyes met, Kyuhyun’s eyes shining with a joy and honesty that made Ryeowook’s heart beat faster. “Me too.”

The moment they stepped into their home, Ryeowook pulled Kyuhyun into a kiss, pouring all the pride and happiness and love that he felt into it, almost overwhelmed when Kyuhyun responded the same way.

Ryeowook lost himself in the kiss, in each touch, each caress, losing his clothes as well. He stumbled against the bed, fell onto it, barely had the chance to get more comfortable before their lips were connected again. Lust surged through him, kindled by Kyuhyun’s fingertips brushing over his chest, applying just the right amount of pressure that made the ends of Ryeowook’s nerves light up with desire.

He whined when Kyuhyun’s lips left his, travelling down his cheek and to his neck, making the sensitive skin tingle. Kyuhyun’s hand continued its way Southwards, brushing over a sensitive spot by Ryeowook’s hip just as his fangs graced over Ryeowook’s neck, making the prince’s breath hitch in his throat.

“Kyu…” he mumbled and tilted his head further to the side in an invitation, when Kyuhyun’s fangs penetrated the skin. An ocean of pleasure crashed over Ryeowook and he let himself fall into it, breathing with the waves of each sip that Kyuhyun took.

Too soon, Kyuhyun withdrew his fangs, but his lips didn’t stop the sweet assault, kissing wherever they liked until Ryeowook couldn’t take the teasing anymore and lightly pushed Kyuhyun’s shoulder, flipping their position. Their eyes met for a brief moment, Kyuhyun’s sparkling with joy and love, yet dark with lust, then Ryeowook bent down and kissed Kyuhyun again. The hand that he didn’t need to hold himself up explored the familiar skin, brushing over occasional, long memorized scars, teasing Kyuhyun’s stomach with featherlike touches just to feel the other’s muscles contract under his fingertips. Kyuhyun’s hands were still moving, holding Ryeowook close, then exploring, featherlike one moment, pressing him closer the next, leaving fiery trails in their wake.

Ryeowook broke the kiss, repeating Kyuhyun’s actions from earlier as he trailed butterfly-like kisses all the way to the other’s neck. Instinct told him to take this chance, to feed, and the vampire inside him almost seemed to purr at this idea, making him halt in his tracks. This could go wrong, this could go so terribly wrong, but… He recalled the pleasure that he had felt when Kyuhyun had fed from him and in his heart, he knew what to do with absolute certainty.

He looked up just as Kyuhyun opened his eyes. “May I?”

Kyuhyun’s eyes widened a little, then he let out a breathless, almost incredulous laughter. “I’ve been dying to hear you ask again.”

A light blush creeped onto Ryeowook’s cheeks and he lowered his head, playfully biting the other’s neck, laughing at the yelp that he got in response. “You deserved that one.”

“How dare you—“ The last word trailed off into a moan when Ryeowook sank his fangs into the soft skin. Sweet blood immediately filled his mouth and a long-lost confidence returned with each sip that he drank, with how Kyuhyun’s hands stopped exploring to be able to hold him closer, with each breathless moan that escaped the other’s lips.

When he knew he had taken enough, Ryeowook withdrew his fangs and over the two small wounds, reveling in the soft wine that he got in response heartbeats before Kyuhyun suddenly flipped their positions, kissing him again with such hunger and lust that any coherent thought was wiped from Ryeowook’s mind.

☆ ☆ ☆

He woke up late the next day. The sun had already passed its zenith, but feeling Kyuhyun’s light hug, Ryeowook couldn’t have minded their late awakening any less. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking, yawning—but stopping mid-motion when he saw Kyuhyun’s peaceful expression, eyes still closed, hair slightly messy. Ryeowook closed his mouth, simply taking in the other’s appearance. He hardly ever woke up before Kyuhyun, and yet it had happened on this morning.

He didn’t know for how long he had been staring when Kyuhyun moved a little, frowning before his eyes opened slowly, unfocused at first before he blinked a few times. Surprise washed over his face, probably because he wasn't used to waking up second, then he smiled. “Morning,” he mumbled, voice a little darker with sleep, and something tingled inside Ryeowook that he could see Kyuhyun like that, hear his drowsy voice, watch him slowly become more awake.

“Good morning.” Ryeowook leaned in and pecked Kyuhyun’s lips, brushing his lips over Kyuhyun’s once more leisurely when he felt like a peck wasn’t enough. He raised one of his hands and gently rested it against the other’s neck, right on the spot that he had fed from the night before, feeling the pulse underneath his fingertips. He had done it. He had actually, finally done it!

Kyuhyun’s smile deepened as if he knew what the other was thinking about and in that moment, Ryeowook knew that he could do anything as long as Kyuhyun was by his side and smiled at him like that. Maybe it would take time, but they had all the time in the world. Maybe it would take several tries, but it sure wouldn’t be the first time that he’d fail in the beginning and only learn how to do something by trying again and again. Maybe it would require a lot of talking, but hadn’t they long since agreed to total transparency, staying true to this promise even when it was difficult? Certainly, the road ahead them wouldn’t be easy all the time. But if they were together, Ryeowook knew in his heart that they would be able to overcome anything.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Ryeowook’s smile became a little deeper, then he leaned in to kiss Kyuhyun again, sealing the past, present, and future in this one moment. Yes, no matter what life held in store for them, as long as they were together, they’d be able to manage. Forever.

Thank you to everyone who has read the story this far! Thank you to everyone who subscribed and, most of all, to everyone who commented. Even though this last chapter took longer than expected, you guys gave me so much motivation to keep writing!

I wish all the best for you <3