"You went shopping together, went to watch a movie together and had dinner together." Ryeowook took a sip from his bullet coffee for dramatic purposes before continuing. "How is that not a date?"

"It wasn't a date because we're not dating. And we didn't have dinner together, we just bought a snack." Kyuhyun knew it was a bad idea to tell Ryeowook about yesterday, but after he said something related to that by accident, he was forced to spill the beans.

It was the promised Sunday in which Leeteuk, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun decided to meet. They were having lunch peacefully just a few minutes ago, but now it was getting hellish.

"People have dates to woo their love interest. How do you know that wasn't hyung's intention?"

"You know it wasn't like that. We were just hanging out. He even went to see his friends after that."

"He met his friends after your date? I'm surprised you weren't jelly."

"He already had plans with them, why would I be jealous? I even felt bad because he was late to see them." There was a small pause before Kyuhyun added his main point. "And it wasn't a date."

Ryeowook looked at him with surprise, then smiled brightly. "Our Kyuhyunnie has grown so much."

"More than you, definitely. Haven't you noticed our height difference?" Kyuhyun smirked seeing Ryeowook's glare. It gained him a slap in his shoulder, but he still laughed evily. Ryeowook couldn't help but laugh too, just that he did in disbelief.

"What are you talking about to cause so much commotion?" Leeteuk, who just returned from the bathroom, asked them.

"Kyuhyunnie's date with Yesung hyung."

"It wasn't a date."

"What other thing could it be if not a date?" Ryeowook asked skeptical.

"It was a casual outing with a friend. We bought our grocery, watched a movie we both were interested in and grabbed a snack because we got hungry."

"That sounds pretty much like a date to me. Are you sure there's nothing between Yesung and you?" Leeteuk asked, not sure why Kyuhyun was denying it so much.

"I am. Stop saying nonsense. Where would you get that idea?"

"I don't know, maybe from the longing looks, gentle touchs, secret whispering and the loving way you talk to him?" Ryeowook supplied without missing a beat.

"I don't do that. What do you even mean with loving way to talk?"

"For starters, you call each other with pet names." Ryeowook started counting with his fingers. "You call him Yesungie, Sungie, Woonie, Woon-ah, Yeye, Ye... Do you even know what y is?" Ryeowook whispered the last part, not sure if he could talk about that with Leeteuk there.

"I get the general idea. And even I know Yesung is y." Kyuhyun looked offended at Ryeowook. The latter arched an eyebrow at him. Leeteuk looked amused at their talk, although a little lost. "But that doesn't prove anything anyways. I'm just calling him with names others gave him."

"Names you say too sweetly. I heard you call him darling once as well."

"That was just to tease." Kyuhyun answered frustrated by Ryeowook's ignorance. It was obvious Kyuhyun wasn't being serious that time. And there were more evident things Ryeowook was ignoring. "I call you Wookie or Ryeonggoo and there is no romance whatsoever between us."

"But you've been doing it since we were six. And there isn't anyone else who you call with so much affection."

"I don't talk to him with affection."

"Kyuhyun-ah, maybe you should take Ryeowook-ah's words in consideration." Leeteuk intervened in the conversation.

"I won't take any bull in consideration." Kyuhyun glared at Leeteuk and crossed his arms. He was the one supposed to be by his side. Kyuhyun must have known he was going to be betrayed.

"I think you like him." Leeteuk wasn't teasing nor mocking him, but to Kyuhyun's dismay, his sincerity was even worse.

"I don't! How many times do I need to tell you so you understand?"

"I may not know why you are scared of being in love." Leeteuk started talking, trying to be as empathetic as possible. "But I'm sure everything will go alright between Yesung and you. You should give this an opportunity."

Leeteuk didn't know any details about Kyuhyun's second failed relationship, the worst one. He was overseas at the time and Kyuhyun never told him. He didn't want to worry him and he was sure his hyung would have blamed himself for not being there for him.

"Things are going fine between Yesung and I because we are friends, nothing more." Kyuhyun was sick of his friends insistence on shipping him with Yesung. Still, in a corner of his heart, he knew there was a small chance he had developed some feelings for him. Ones not found in friendship.

He was scared of acknowledging that possibility, but more so of what would be next to it.

His heart would break if Yesung pushed him aside after taking sight on his developing feelings. But even in the rare case Yesung reciprocated him, Kyuhyun wasn't sure he would be ready for a new relationship.

It may have been years since his young self got hurt, but the fear was still present. What if the same thing happened again?

Sure, he has grown in these past years and he has healed a lot. It was a long process that took a lot of effort. But even with that, dating seemed impossible. He was finally reconnecting with others, he didn't want to take the risk of throwing all his progress out the window. The only plausible option in his mind was to ignore that damned feeling and maintain the status quo.

"I'm not going to insist, but I seriously believe you should think about it." Leeteuk patted Kyuhyun's shoulder. He didn't want to make him uncomfortable, but he didn't want to see him running away from his emotions either. Kyuhyun gave the smallest of nods. That was the best Leeteuk could get at the moment, so he was satisfied.

Ryeowook eyed Kyuhyun's expression, studying him. He didn't find anything concerning so he thought there wouldn't be any problem if he changed the topic. "Kyu, did you talk with Minnie hyung?"

Before Kyuhyun could answer, Leeteuk asked with surprise. "Minnie as in Sungmin? Lee Sungmin? Did you finally make up with him?"

"Yep. He saw the wedding pictures on internet and texted me to congratulate me. We've been texting each other since then. It was awkward talking after so long, but I think we're good."

"What did he say? Are you going to meet?"

"He and his wife are going to Siwon's party. We'll see each other there. Minho will be there as well."

"If Changmin comes back from Japan in time for the party, Kyu line will be finally reunited!" Ryeowook beamed at the idea.

"I'm so glad. You wanted to talk with them again, didn't you?" Leeteuk asked Kyuhyun. The younger just nodded.

Kyuhyun had thought of making up with his friends countless of times, but still didn't do it. How could he face them after having given them his cold shoulder for so long? However, after the wedding pictures spread, all his old friends and acquaintances contacted him. It served as the final push Kyuhyun needed to talk with them again.

"I hope you can reconcile with everyone." Leeteuk smiled warmly.

"Me too. I'll have more friends to spend time with." Kyuhyun mimicked Leeteuk's expression, but it looked far from assuring. "I won't need to put up with you anymore once it happens."

"Yah! That's how you talk to your hyung?" Kyuhyun laughed at Leeteuk's offended yell.

"It's not like we want to put up with you either." Ryeowook replied sharply, generating a small war between Kyuhyun and him. They couldn't get to know who would have been the winner as Leeteuk stopped them. The rest of the lunch went peacefully with some arguing and bantering here and there. They bid farewell on a good mood and continued with their own routines.

As he was returning home, Kyuhyun kept thinking about what was going to happen in the party. He may have not been interested in it before, but now he was looking forward to it.

***

As it's usual in these events, Kyuhyun spent almost half an hour greeting guests after Siwon's welcome speech. It was very tiring to have to chit chat with so many people he didn't really care about, but at least Yesung was there. They had their own guests to greet so they weren't side by side all the time, but he could talk to him whenever they have free time. Even if they couldn't say much because there was a constant flux of people coming to them, it was fun leaning to Yesung and whispering silly things in his ear.

With Yesung there, it was more bearable seeing these acts of fake philanthropy. Some of these people didn't care in the least about the rest, but would use events like this to better their image. At least they gave the money.

After talking with another group of people Kyuhyun didn't give a damn about, he noticed some familiar faces. He smiled after confirming their identities. He was nervous but excited to meet them.

"Do you know the guy talking with Ryeowook and Eunhyuk?" Yesung leaned to him and asked in a whisper.

"He's an old friend from university." Before Kyuhyun could tell him his name, Ryeowook noticed them and the group approached them.

"Kyuhyun! Look who I just bumped into!" Ryeowook dragged a nervous Sungmin with him, Hyukjae following them amused. When they were in front of them, the anchovy greeted Yesung and Kyuhyun. He elbowed Ryeowook when the latter kept saying who knows what to Kyuhyun and Sungmin, ignoring Yesung and Hyukjae.

"Aren't you going to greet your hyung?" Hyukjae said it as if he was scolding, but he was just being playful. Ryeowook finally noticed the person right next to Kyuhyun.

"Yesung hyung! I'm sorry, I didn't see you until now."

"I could see. You were very excited to tell Kyuhyun about your friend."

"Right. Yesung hyung, this is Sungmin hyung, a university friend of Kyuhyunnie and mine. Sungmin hyung, this is Yesung hyung, Kyuhyunnie's husband." Kyuhyun felt shy hearing Ryeowook. Even if they have been introduced as husbands before, it still made him blush hearing it.

Sungmin noticed Kyuhyun's reaction, his eyes drifting from him to Yesung. He studied the older man while smiling at him. He mentally gave him a good mark. "Nice to meet you, Yesung-ssi. It's a very beautiful name."

"It's actually a nickname." Yesung said shyly. "You can call me like that or Jongwoon. And there's no need to be so formal, just hyung is fine."

"Okay, hyung."

Yesung and Sungmin exchanged a handshake. There was some small talk, but not after long, Hyukjae and Ryeowook exchanged looks. After Hyukjae said something about some turtle sculptures, he and Ryeowook got an oblivious Yesung to follow them. Kyuhyun knew they did it on purpose to let him talk with Sungmin more privately. He didn't know how Hyukjae got involved in Ryeowook's plan nor how much he knew about the situation. He didn't worry, though. Ryeowook may be like that, but he wouldn't say more than necessary.

Sungmin and Kyuhyun stood there awkwardly, neither knew how to start the conversation. After scratching his neck, Kyuhyun pointed at the balcony. "Would you like to talk? We can go there and reduce the amount of hearing ears."

"That sounds good."

They went to the balcony. Thankfully, no one was there. Kyuhyun played with the cocktail he took on their way and drank a sip. "How is Saeun noona? She didn't come with you?" He hadn't seen her on the party at all.

"She's fine. A sudden problem came up at work." Sungmin gave a small sigh. "Saeun was looking forward to meet up with you.  She was so sad because she couldn't come. But she said she would come the next time we meet."

"I guess now I have to invite you two to dinner."

"I should be the one treating you."

"I won't complain if you do."

The silence returned, but Kyuhyun broke it once again because he was feeling awkward.

"I'm sorry I didn't go to your wedding. You even sent Jongwoon and me a gift."

"It's fine, I didn't go to yours either. I got your gift from Ryeowook anyways."

"I told him to not tell you it was mine." Kyuhyun grumbled under his breath.

"He didn't tell me. I figured it was yours. Who else would have sent an envelope without sender?" Sungmin laughed lightly. Kyuhyun thought it was in fact obvious, so he didn't say anything. They settled in a less uncomfortable silence this time. They both were gathering their thoughts, figuring out how to address the main issue.

"I'm sorry." Kyuhyun was taken aback from Sungmin's sudden apology. He looked at him, searching for some context. Sungmin noticed that and clarified it. "About that time. I shouldn't have meddled without knowing the full picture."

"It wasn't your fault. You were trying to help. And it actually helped. It worked in a way no one expected, but I could get out of that relationship thanks to you."

"I'm still sorry. Everything could have gone smoother if I had planned things better."

"Stop apologizing. I lashed out on you and stopped talking with you even if it wasn't your fault. I'm sorry."

"It was partly my fault. I was the one who introduced that scumbag to you."

"You didn't know things would happen that way. No one knew. He always acted as the most perfect and reliable person in the world." Kyuhyun looked at the sky, his next words were barely a whisper. "That's why it was so easy to trust him and fall for his manipulation." He was telling it to himself more than anything. Sungmin knew this and didn't comment on it.

"I wish I could have noticed sooner. It was obvious how isolated you were getting, but I thought it was just our schedules clashing..."

"I lived it myself and didn't notice something was wrong until way later. At least it was on time to get out of there quickly."

"I wouldn't have forgiven myself if it had been too late."

"Good thing nothing too bad happened. And I'm fine now."

"I can tell." Sungmin patted Kyuhyun's shoulder. He smiled in that warm way only he could master. "You seem pretty happy."

"I guess I am." There were tiring and annoying things in his daily life, but the amount of good things greatly surpassed the bad.

They talked for some more time about mundane things without major importance. There were a lot of things left to say and sort out, but this was enough as their first step. There would be more opportunities to meet and mend their friendship from now on.

"I think we should go back now. I can hear Eunhyuk and Wookie teaming up to tease your husband."

"Let's go before they end up being kicked in their shins." Even if he said it as if he were going to stop them, Kyuhyun actually prepared himself to join them.

As he predicted, Yesung was reaching his limit. He may snap if they kept at it. Kyuhyun resigned himself to wait some more for his teasing. He knew where the line stood, so he knew right now Yesung needed some comfort. When Kyuhyun and Sungmin joined them, Kyuhyun wrapped an arm around Yesung and teamed with him to tease Hyukjae. The mood got lively and soon after it got filled with laughter and jokes.

Sungmin looked at their interactions, making a note to tell his wife Kyuhyun was in good hands.

***

When the funds collecting finished, it was time for the ending speech. Jongwoon waited for Kyuhyun, silently cheering for him.

Siwon asked his cousin to give some words after him. Apparently, it was because he always helped with this charity. Kyuhyun destinated a certain percentage of his profits to donations. He has been doing it since he started working, mostly thanks to Siwon's influence. Jongwoon thought they were very close.

"Thank you all for coming. With your help, we will be able to provide access to physical and mental healthcare to children usually discriminated just because of their uality. We now can fight against the mistreatment they receive and help them to continue their studies in a better environment." Siwon talked briefly about some other things before giving the floor to Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun gulped, he was a little nervous. When he exchanged glances with Jongwoon, the latter tried to send some encouragement though his sight. The message reached Kyuhyun, as he smiled at him confidently. Jongwoon saw him reaching the microphone and talk with calm.

"We have always been taught to live our lifes in very specific ways. The knowledge and advice our parents and teachers give us is important, but we need to be aware that it isn't always accurate. There are many misconceptions and prejudices we need to address and fight. Many teenagers face more difficulties because they love in a different way than how we were taught love should be. They are discriminated because of who they are and how they express their identify. But love can take different shapes and be expressed in different ways. Not everyone is comfortable with the settled gender roles and gender expression expected form us. We hope we can teach our teens about the most important kind of love there is; self love. If we can help them accept themselves and provide them with a supportive environment, I'm sure our children will grow to be wonderful people. Thank you everyone for helping us on getting closer to our goal."

After some claps, Kyuhyun went to Jongwoon. He was instantly enveloped in a bear hug. Jongwoon caressed his back and kissed his cheek. "You did great." Kyuhyun must have made a face, but Jongwoon knew he actually liked when he kissed his cheeks.

Kyuhyun leaned his chin on Jongwoon's shoulder. "That was kinda hard. I almost forgot what I was talking about.

"It was good, don't worry."

Even if the event was technically finished, there was still the party itself left. But before it officially started, there was the media photoshoot.

Kyuhyun and Jongwoon stood side by side for some of the photographers. Being the tease he is, Kyuhyun took the opportunity to poke or pinch Jongwoon's sides between photographies. Jongwoon had to slap his hand two times to make him stop, but he only got breathy laughs as response. Jongwoon tried to scold him after the photoshoot ended, but even if he was annoying, he couldn't get angry at Kyuhyun.

Jongwoon found it interesting how despite being so soft with Kyuhyun, he never felt bad for tracing limits with him. He always felt insecure or nervous about his partner reaction after setting limits when he dated someone. However, with Kyuhyun he always felt at ease saying what he liked and what he didn't. Kyuhyun always respected that, even if it looked like he would cross the line anytime. He never did and even made the effort of making him feel better when he got very close to overstep. Jongwoon really felt comfortable with Kyuhyun.

But well, there wasn't any use in comparing Kyuhyun with his past lovers. They were friends, so their relationship would be different.

When the party actually started, Jongwoon made sure to go with his friends and let Kyuhyun alone. Jongwoon knew he still had more things to sort out with them, so he wanted to give him the space to do so.

He felt really happy seeing Kyuhyun talking so animated with Changmin and his other friend recently introduced to him, Minho. Jongwoon heard they hadn't met in years, so it was obvious how happy Kyuhyun would be meeting him again.

However, he had mixed feelings seeing him talk with Sungmin. It wasn't as if he didn't like Sungmin. He actually had a good impression of him. Still, seeing them together made Jongwoon remember something Ryeowook said.

While Eunhyuk and him showed him the turtle sculptures (they were actually rocks with a silhouette barely similar to a turtle, but it was still interesting), Ryeowook explained a little about Sungmin and Kyuhyun's relationship. He said they were very close, to the point Kyuhyun developed a small and shortlived crush on him. Ryeowook inspected Jongwoon's expression after saying it, although Jongwoon wasn't sure what he wanted to confirm.

Anyways, it made him think about lots of things.

"Are you worried the brat may cheat on you?" Heechul asked after noticing Jongwoon constantly looking at Kyuhyun's direction.

"It's impossible he could cheat on me." Because we are not dating.

"Things should be going fantastic to have so much trust on him."

"You know what I was trying to say."

"Sure I do." Heechul grinned at him. Jongwoon knew they weren't on the same page, but before he could clarify it, Heechul went to who knows whetr to be someone else's new annoyance.

Being left alone, Jongwoon resumed his Kyuhyun analysis while eating some appetizers a waitress offered to him. Seeing Kyuhyun awkwardly talk with his friends and get more and more happy as time went on brought a smile to Jongwoon's lips. He loved seeing Kyuhyun having a good time.

It was always great seeing him enjoying himself. He loved when Kyuhyun was in a good mood and singed with Jongwoon while cooking, when he eagerly told Jongwoon about his plans and what he wanted to do in the future, or when he just sat with him and they watched a movie on TV. Jongwoon just really loved being with him.

And that was what Jongwoon had been thinking about. To which point exactly went his fondness for Kyuhyun?

To be fair, Jongwoon loved his family and all his friends. He was very affectionate with them, to the point he was teased for it. Still, Jongwoon wasn't sure in which category his affection towards Kyuhyun fell.

He thought of Kyuhyun as a very dear friend, but the feeling was different from how he felt towards the rest of his friends. He loved him more than them.

But then, it was different from family love. He cared greatly for him, but it wasn't like how he cared for Jongjin. And the thought of calling Kyuhyun his brother didn't settle well with him.

Then again, it was different from how he felt towards his past lovers. He loved them, but he didn't feel jealous when Kyuhyun was intimate with someone else, nor he felt possessive towards him, unlike when he dated in the past. Sure, he wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, but he didn't want to abandon his family, friends, hobbies or work for the sake of it. Neither did he want to be in Kyuhyun's way and kept him from doing what he liked. Jongwoon wanted to do things together with him, but he was fine with their alone time as well. They both had their own interests and friends. They didn't share everything.

That's what made Jongwoon think he didn't feel romantic love towards Kyuhyun. But there was a the tricky part in this.

Seeing Kyuhyun with Sungmin made Jongwoon realize that Kyuhyun may start a new relationship in the future. He didn't want to at the moment, but Jongwoon couldn't rule the possibility out. Kyuhyun and Sungmin relationship was more brotherly than anything, but seeing them together made Jongwoon realize Kyuhyun was capable of loving.

What would Jongwoon do when Kyuhyun found someone? Jongwoon thought he would be devastated. He would be very sad, but still would wish for Kyuhyun's happiness. Even if it would pain him to see him with someone else, he would still want Kyuhyun to be happy.

This made Jongwoon confused. Would he be sad because he would have less time to spend with him, or would it be because he would be heartbroken. Jongwoon wasn't sure, he didn't understand how he felt.

In one hand, he knew that wasn't the way someone would react when a friend started a relationship, but on the other, the way he felt was different from how he knew love is supposed to be.

The way love is portrayed in movies and songs involves being insecure in front of your love interest, jealousy, possessiveness, heart thumping and ual attraction. Being with your loved one makes you feel complete and give a meaning to your life. He knew some of these portrays were wrong, some being taken to the extreme and making a toxic relationship, but he always thought they were part of love to some degree.

He didn't feel he could give up everything for Kyuhyun. He would do everything in his hands to help him if something were to happen, but he wouldn't abandon his life for him. He didn't think Kyuhyun would ask him to, but in movies and dramas that was a token of true love. He didn't feel complete being with him. He didn't think of him as his other half. In fact, he was comfortable with Kyuhyun because they both were mature enough to be themselves with each other without wanting to change the other. He felt he could grow by his side, but not because of him.

There were many differences between the idealized concept of love he had and how he loved Kyuhyun. But maybe his idea of love was wrong from the start.

Even though Jongwoon used to think was part of love, Kyuhyun was the living proof that wasn't necessarily the case. Maybe there were more things he didn't knew about love.

Maybe he didn't even need to categorize his love towards Kyuhyun. He could just explore the feeling with him and find out what suited them the most.

Wait, did I just admit I love Kyuhyun and want to date him...... !?

Jongwoon choked on the appetizer he was eating because of his surprise. Donghae heard him cough and went to him.

"Are you okay hyung? Do you need water?" Seeing him nodding, Donghae called for a waiter and asked them to bring them a vase if water. They were back just when Jongwoon's coughs calmed down. Donghae offered him the water vase. However,  as Jongwoon's eyes had some tears because of his coughing fit, he accidentally took the cocktail on Donghae's left hand and gulped it in one go. Donghae panicked and couldn't stop Jongwoon who got drunk given his low alcohol tolerance.

The last thing Jongwoon heard before losing it was Donghae's worried voice apologizing to him.

When Donghae saw Heechul approaching them, he thought the situation could be saved. He left Jongwoon on his hands while he went to look for Kyuhyun so he could take Jongwoon home. However, Heechul had already drank a few cups, making him a not very good option to take care of drunk Jongwoon.

After Jongwoon complained about having a headache because of the noise, Heechul took him to a more secluded area. They both continued drinking, so when Kyuhyun found them, the AB brothers were cursing and laughing at the dumb things they said, both far gone of reasoning.

***

Kyuhyun managed to put Yesung in the taxi with Siwon's help. Why did he drink so much? He was usually the one who preferred to stay sorber. Kyuhyun sat next to him after bidding farewell to the rest.

Yesung took his arm and rested his head on his shoulder. Kyuhyun was used to this, Yesung was very touchy after all. But what he wasn't used to was Yesung staring at him for so long. It was usually the other way around.

"What?" Starting to feel shy, Kyuhyun looked at Yesung searching for answers.

"Kyu, do you like Wookie?" Yesung asked slurring his words.

"Yeah?" The sudden question took Kyuhyun off ward.

"Why?"

"We're friends since we were babies. Even if he's like that, he's a good friend." It was a question Kyuhyun would answer sarcastically in other circumstances, but since he drank enough to lose some inhibitions without losing judgement, he decided to answer truthfully. Yesung wouldn't remember this tomorrow, anyways.

Yesung hummed appreciatively. He nodded exaggeratedly, causing him a headache. He groaned when Kyuhyun gently took his head to stop his movements.

"Be careful."

Kyuhyun smiled seeing Yesung nodding with a frown but being more careful with his movements this time. Yesung kept asking him if he liked the rest of his friends and acquaintances; Ahra, Leeteuk, Heechul, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Changmin, Siwon, etc. Lots of names were said and Kyuhyun answered him every time. This lasted until they reached their building. Kyuhyun got Yesung down and thanked their driver before paying. He helped Yesung walk and they entered the building. They were in silence until they reached the elevator.

"Kyu... Do you like Sungmin?" Yesung sounded uncertain while asking this. Kyuhyun thought it was because Yesung didn't know Sungmin until some hours ago.

"I guess? We used to be very close before, but it's been a while since the last time we saw each other in person." He pressed the button to their floor while thinking about his relationship with him. "He's the same as before. I think we can be friends again."

"Mmm."

The silence returned and lasted until they entered the apartment.

"Kyu, do you like me?"

Kyuhyun's mind blanked out at the question. He could easily answer all of Yesung's previous questions, but he didn't find his voice to answer this. Yesung looked at him with innocent eyes, looking like a puppy waiting for his reward.

"...I... I like you........" He stayed silent. He didn't know if he could (or should) say more.

Yesung waited for the rest of his answer, but when they reached his bedroom and Kyuhyun didn't talk, he asked the second question. "Why?"

Kyuhyun hesitated, not finding his words. But under Yesung's expectant stare, Kyuhyun eventually talked. "You are weird, an airhead and clumsy... But your unusual way of thinking makes you more creative. You are incredible warm despite acting though, always taking care of others. You give special attention to detail. You are funny even if your jokes are bad. You are caring and kind... You are simply great." Kyuhyun felt his ears getting red. Why was this so embarrassing? He lacked words to describe everything that was Yesung, so he decided to stop there. "Is that enough to answer your question?"

Yesung giggled and hugged him tightly. He nuzzled his cheek against Kyuhyun's. "Yeah, that's eny. I love you Kyu!"

Kyuhyun's heart skipped a beat and his face got even redder. Did Yesung really say that? Still, he knew better than to trust a drunk person's words. Alcohol alters the brain processes and creates a foggy mess in one's reasoning. Inhibitions and reasoning are forsaken. That's why drunkards always splutter so many stupidities and do silly things. (Sometimes Kyuhyun wondered why he drank so much despite knowing all this.)

But even if Yesung weren't intoxicated, it was more likely those words wouldn't have that meaning. Yesung was the type to say lots of ‘I love you’s in platonic relationships. There wasn't any other intention than being friendly.

Kyuhyun shook his head and concentrated on his task. He put the giggling man in the bed after some effort. He was tipsy, making his movements clumsy. And there was Yesung's weight as well. Despite his slim constitution, Yesung had muscle, making him heavier than he looked.

Yesung shifted some more, but settled at the end. Kyuhyun waited there until he fell asleep, sitting in the bed next to him. He brushed aside some stray locks from Yesung's face. The older leaned to the touch and nestled in the bed. "I really love you, Kyuhyunnie."

Kyuhyun chuckled and kissed his forehead. "I love you too." He smiled before getting up and going to the door.

Then he stopped in his tracks.

With a sightly intoxicated mind and some lack of sleep, it took him 33 minutes to understand what the heck he had just done. And when everything downed on him, he cursed. He looked at the sleepy Yesung once again and stared at his face. Specifically, the forehead he has just kissed.

Kyuhyun put a hand on his face and closed his eyes. He was having an internal battle. The turmoil inside him was growing. He was going to lose to himself regardless of the outcome, but he feared what part of him would win. The feeling he has so strongly hid may surface and he wouldn't be able to surpress it anymore.

He looked once again at the sleeping face of the man that has caused so much emotions in him. He looked at the features he has memorized after staring at him so many times. Those sharp eyes that always seemed so warm, the cupid bow on those lips he has tasted only once, the round cheeks that make him look younger than Kyuhyun. He didn't think much of his face the first time they met, but now it was engraved in Kyuhyun's heart, alongside all the memories and everything about Yesung.

He fought for some more, but who was he kidding? The outcome was settled from the start.

He has known how he felt for a long while.

He had a thing for Yesung.

.

________________

Author's notes: so here is finally chapter 7. It got so long because I wanted to include lots of things. It got three times the usual length. I could reduce it to two. There were parts I thought would be very short but ended up being very long and some other things I had to cut because they didn't fit in.

Originally, Kyuhyun's speech was different, but after accidentally deleting it, I had to rewrite it. I wasn't able to remember it, so I had to come up with something else.

I'm sure I'll change lots of things if I reread this in the future, but for the time being this is it.

Spooky season just started, but I wish you a fluffy month instead.

Until next time ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧