Kyuhyun's POV

"I-i think I l-love you..."

I stared down at Ryeowook blankly, not quite processing the enormity of the situation.  He fidgeted nervously, anxiously waiting for my response.  I opened my mouth, but cohesive words failed me as I stammered,

"Y-you... I-i... W-what-?..."

He still avoided my eyes, but I could see a small smile forming on his lips after my unsuccessful attempt to communicate.  Seeing him grin calmed me down a bit, and I finally started gathering my scattered train of thought.  I gazed down at him, my eyes soft with adoration.  As if he could feel my gaze, he hesitantly looked up, his face powdered with a delicate blush.

Although I couldn't pay him to meet my eyes before, now our eyes locked, transmitting secret emotions that neither of us could fully comprehend.  As if drawn by gravity, I was pulled to him, closing any gaps that remained between us.

I hugged him, harder than I thought I was even capable of.  I would have been worried I was crushing him, but his hold on me was just as strong.  I clung to him desperately, my irrationality making me think he would just disappear if I let him go.  I buried my face in his neck, taking deep breaths and trying to decide whether I wanted to shout with joy, or break down into relieved sobs.

"S-say it again" I begged, needing to hear the words a second time, trying to assure myself that this was real.

"I love you" he whispered, his voice no longer shaky and unsure.  The conviction in his voice made my heart ache with so much love, I worried I wouldn't be able to process it all. 

I buried my face in his neck, taking deep breaths as disbelieving tears soaked his collar.  He reached up and my hair, letting me cry out all my emotions.  I released my frustration, my uncertainty, and my resentment.  I knew that while this changed things, it didn't affect the fact that we were still in a precarious position.  However, for that one liberating moment I let myself forget that.

I pretended that we didn't belong to a world of unfairness and hate.  I pretended we lived in a world where love remained untainted by the taint of small minds and greed.  For that single blissful moment, I forgot the dangers that came with our love, and just held the one I loved close to my heart.

For the first time, I let myself break down.  All walls came crashing down and I let myself be the vulnerable one.  I allowed myself to be weak.

Ryeowook continued to comfort me even though I knew my sudden breakdown must have scared him.  His gentle hands worked to bring me comfort as he repeated his blessed mantra of,

"I love you"

I pulled away even though tears still streamed down my face.  I looked at his face searchingly, surprised to see his eyes soft, without even the slightest hint of fear.  He giggled softly as he wiped my tears and teased lightly,

"Silly boy, don't cry"

I managed out a slight chuckle, doing my best to calm myself down.  He smiled sweetly as he slowly leaned closer, seeking my lips.  I answered his request without hesitation, tears mixing in with our first kiss charged with mutual love. 

Ryeowook's POV

It was frightening, taking a step into the unknown was one of the scariest things I had ever done.  I thought my heart would stop from the sheer terror that racked my body...

But, once the words left my lips, I felt like I was as light as air.  It was only when I said the words did I realize how much I meant them.  The nagging feeling in my chest dissipated and I was engulfed with the warmth of my feelings.  I smiled sadly when I saw Kyuhyun break down before me, it hurt to see him just fall apart.

It hurt because I knew I was the cause of all his pent up emotions.  I knew it hurt him that I couldn't tell him my feelings, but it was only when he started to cry did I really understand how much I had pained him.  His tears were happy ones, but the fact that he had been moved to tears just showed the depth of his love.

I held him, repeating the words I knew he wanted, over an over again.  I knew he wanted to hear those words more than anything, but I also said them for myself.  I loved how those three simple words made a rush of warmth course through me, making me feel happier than I had ever felt before.

The giddiness bubbled up inside, and I finally laughed, just wanting to share my bliss with the rest of the world.  At that moment, I wanted the universe to see, to understand how beautiful and amazing love really was.  I wanted everyone to see, and I wanted everyone to understand.  If they could only feel what I was feeling then no one could question love, no one would be able to condemn any type of love, no matter how appalling they might find it.

I loved Kyuhyun.  I loved another man, I loved a rich man engaged to a woman, and yet the world kept spinning.  God didn't strike me down, and my ancestors didn't rise from their graves in fury.  How could my feelings be so wrong when I remained standing tall?  I didn't feel ashamed, in fact, all I wanted was to scream it at the top of my voice.

I reached eagerly for a kiss, wanting to cement this moment in my life forever.  His lips were slightly salty, but that simply summed up everything flawlessly.  Our love would never be candied, it would never be idealistic or without conflict.  There would always be bitterness and there would always be the sting of disapproval.  But, like the tears that seasoned our kiss, those obstacles would only accentuate the sweetness.  They would only strengthen our bond, and we would prove to the world how strong we really were...

We would show them that we were unbreakable.

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Sorry, this chap turned out shorter than I had intended...

Actually I wasn't planning to write this chappie, but I kind of wanted to show how each of them reacted to the confession.  I hope you guys liked it! ^^

Thanks for your support, I was really feeling frustrated with this story, and with the added grief of Teuk's military service, I was just angry at the world.

But thanks to my beautiful readers, I will tough it out.  Thanks again you guys, you really have no idea how much your words mean to me.

*gets all teary eyed*

I will work hard to make this fic a success, wookiebear fighting!

Comments = ~<3

Location: My tennis team's bake sale, you guys want a cookie? ;p

Mood: inspired

Music: "Action" by NU'EST (because this song is flipping badass!)