Hoya dutifully pushed the cart behind his husband, just barely keeping up with Dongwoo’s random pathways as they navigated through the aisles.

“How have we never came here before? This is like… the holy land of parenting,” Dongwoo mused, picking up a lightsaber and swishing it through the air.

“In our defense we usually stick to Babies-R-Us. This store is above Sooyong’s level for the moment. And I’m pretty sure that Toys-R-Us is the holy land for kids, not their parents.”

Dongwoo sheepishly put down his toy, patting Sooyong on the head. “I know, I know. It’s just so fun thinking about the future! In just a few short years we will be shopping here for Sooyong, buying him all the coolest presents and games. Oh, maybe we can get him Operation! He can practice being a doctor like his daddy. Or we could get him Clue! Being a detective is just as cool.”

Hoya moved closer, wrapping an arm around Dongwoo’s waist. “I think that despite whatever Sooyong chooses to be when he grows up, the both of us will support him.”

“Maybe we should wake him up right now, see if there is a certain kind of toy that he gravitates to the most!”

Hoya shook his head, laughing. “Dongwoo, this isn’t the Avatar, and the golden rule is that you never wake up a sleeping baby.”

“You’re right; I just got too excited. Good thing you’re here to mellow me out.” Dongwoo tilted his head up for a kiss, which Hoya gladly granted.

“Anytime babe. Now we actually do have a reason for being here--”

“Yes! Jiseonnie’s birthday present! We’ve gotta get her a Captain America shield, I think I saw some ones that even have blasters on it - which I’m sure Sungyeol might not be thrilled about - but she will love!” Dongwoo gushed, his eyes searching the colorful shelves for his toy of choice.

“I’ll think she will like my Baymax plushie too. We just have to figure out a gift from Sooyong and then we’ll be set.”

“So much for not spoiling her,” Dongwoo joked, hugging the baby on his chest. “But she totally deserves it. Things have been a little…”

“Rough lately?” Hoya supplied, reaching out on his tiptoes to grab the toy that Dongwoo was having trouble getting down.

“Yes. And thank you.” Dongwoo examined the trinket, biting his lip as he thought it over.

Hoya set the toy back when Dongwoo was done with it, raising his voice a bit when Dongwoo wandered ahead of him. “You know, I encouraged Sungyeol to be a little bit more honest with Jiseon too. She’s a smart little girl and she definitely can pick up on Sungyeol’s sadness. I think she could be a source of strength for him, if he would just open up a little bit.”

Dongwoo nodded thoughtfully. “I think Sungyeollie will listen to you. He can be a bit stubborn at first but… this break up is hitting him a lot harder than I think even he was expecting. I can tell he was really in love with Myungsoo and he’s not going to be able to plaster on a fake smile and pretend that everything is going to be fine. He’s going to have to face what happened, and most importantly, what he needs to change in himself if he wants to prevent something like this from ever happening again.”

“Good luck with that one,” Hoya said, full of doubt, making Dongwoo frown.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked briskly, his hands settling on his hips.

Hoya leaned his elbows on the basket to rest. “Well think about it; it took literally years for Sungyeol to entertain the idea of dating. Then he manages to get himself a boyfriend, fall in love, and break his heart all within a space of a year? There’s no way he’ll open up to someone new. Not for awhile at least,” Hoya explained practically.

“But who said anything about someone new?”
 

Hoya lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “You mean Myungsoo? You think that he’ll actually give Sungyeol another chance after… everything?”

Dongwoo sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t know. Our conversation the other night was… challenging to say the least. He has a lot of questions which is completely understandable but I don’t think he hates Sungyeol. I think he’s angry and confused by Sungyeol’s actions but I don’t think he resents him.”

“Me and you both know that Sungyeol is a good person that got caught up in a tough situation. He didn’t make the right judgement call but that doesn’t mean he deserves to be punished from here on out.”

“I know. And believe me, I wanted to tell Myungsoo that. More than anything I just wanted to beg him to run back into Sungyeol’s arms and forgive him for everything but I didn’t.”

“Why not?” Hoya asked surprised.

“Well, I care about Myungsoo a lot too! He’s my partner and I’ve gotten pretty attached to him since we work so closely with each other everyday. He’s a super great guy and I want for him to make the choice that’s best for him too. It just because both Sungyeol and Myungsoo are both miserable apart right now, but I’m not really sure if they could be happy together after everything that’s happened.”

Hoya nodded in understanding, pushing the cart slowly into the next aisle as they talked things over. “But you approve of him? For Sungyeol that is?”

“Are you kidding?” Dongwoo patted Sooyong’s back to keep the sleeping baby calm. “Myungsoo is like-- perfect! He’s got a good sense of humor, great work ethic, a devotion to the people he cares about. In fact, part of the reason I was pissed off that they were dating each other behind my back was because I didn’t set them up! I mean, I was working with Myungsoo everyday and I didn’t think to hook them up? Total fail on my part.”

Hoya chuckled, planting a quick kiss on Dongwoo’s cheek. “In your defense babe, you haven’t known him for very long and you haven’t spent much time with him outside of work. And you’ve been pretty busy with raising this adorable little boy right here, so I think your matchmaking mishap can be forgiven.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Maybe you can make up for it by helping them get back together? If what you say is true and Myungsoo isn’t swearing off Sungyeol’s existence, then there’s hope. You said he had questions, right?”

“Mostly about the past… and Sarang. I feel like Sungyeollie is going to kill me for revealing as much as I did.”

“But because of what you told Myungsoo about Sarang, he’s willing to talk to Sungyeol. That has to mean something to Sungyeol. You know him better than anyone--”

“And if Myungsoo didn’t approach him first, then Sungyeol would never have dared to talk to him again.” Dongwoo sighed sadly, kicking at the ground. “Sungyeol always had a tendency for self-loathing and his insecurities over his past have been his biggest obstacle. Now add on the fact that he feels like he’s ruined San Jose for Myungsoo and you’ve got the perfect recipe for disaster.”

“But if Myungsoo is sympathetic to what happened and is actually willing to sit down and talk with Sungyeol… maybe they can patch things up? Sometimes it’s the people that love you the most who cause you the most pain. Sungyeol never lied about being in love with Myungsoo and wanting a future with him… his problem is that he was too scared to be completely honest about the Jiseon situation, because he didn’t think he deserved the family he always wanted.”

“I just hope that Myungsoo can get through to him. Lord knows that I have tried.” Dongwoo tossed the Harry Potter lego set into their shopping cart, angling Hoya towards the checkout line. “All we can do is be there for them, and hope they can figure it out on their own. Ultimately it’s up to them if they want to try and make things work.”

Hoya hugged him from behind as they waited in line, smiling into his neck. “You’ve been a great friend Dongwoo; to both of them. So don’t beat yourself up over anything. Time heals all wounds and I think if they’re really in love, then they will find their way back to each other.”

Dongwoo turned his neck, meeting his lips for a quick kiss. “How did you get so wise?” he teased, smiling up at the brunette.

“I don’t know, I guess it’s easy to give advice when you’re in an amazing relationship with the love of your life.”

“And who would that lucky guy be?”

“If you have to ask, then I’m obviously not doing something right.”

Dongwoo turned around in Hoya’s arms, keeping enough space in between them to avoid disturbing Sooyong but close enough to wrap his arms around his husband’s waist. “Oh, I think you’re doing just fine.”

“You think so?” Hoya grinned mischievously, tilting his head down to give him another kiss. Just before things got heated they were interrupted by a loud cough. They sprung apart, the both of them blushing under the heated look from the cashier.

“Maybe we should wait until we get home to continue this discussion,” Dongwoo said sheepishly, placing Jiseon’s toys on the conveyer belt with his eyes locked on the ground to avoid the lady’s withering stare.

Hoya laughed in agreement, paying the cashier and grabbing their bags before they could get any further judgements for kissing in a toy store. But he still walked out with his husband hand in hand, proud to be the only one in this world lucky enough to have Dongwoo by his side.

“Jiseon, Daddy wants to talk about some things.”

Jiseon stared at him curiously over her plate of cookies and glass of milk. “Yeah…?” she asked.

After speaking with Hoya the day before, Sungyeol had decided to explain what had been happening to Jiseon. She had definitely been noticing how deflated he had been lately and he decided that it was only fair that she got to know what had been going on. Of all the people in his life, she had been kept in the dark the most.

He smiled wearily at her as he sat down across from her at their small dining table. She handed him a cookie but he declined with a slight shake of his head. “I just want to talk about some things that have been going on. Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah,” she replied. Her legs were kicking softly under the table and she pushed the cookies around on the plate. She seemed a little distraught.

Sungyeol tilted his head and brushed her hair back. “You okay, princess? You haven’t touched the cookies yet. I thought these were your favorites.” He tried at a smile. “We’re going to be serving them at your birthday party next week. Unless chocolate cookies aren’t your favorite anymore…?”

Jiseon shook her head, touching the soft brown cookies gingerly. “No, chocolate cookies are still my favorite. And I’m excited for all my friends to try the special ones you make because the ones at the stores are never as good as yours. It’s just…”

“Just?” Sungyeol prompted patiently.

She shrugged unknowingly. “I feel like you’re going to tell me bad news.” She peeked up hesitantly and seemed to get more distressed of Sungyeol’s lack of denial. “Is there bad news? Is my birthday party getting cancelled?”

“Oh, no no, sweetheart,” Sungyeol said quickly, her head. “Your birthday is still going to happen, okay? Don’t worry about that. I wanted to talk to you about different things.” He waited for her to nod and take a cookie in her hands before continuing. “Daddy wants to talk to you about something else.”

“Okay.” She nodded. “What is it?”

He took a deep breath and went over all the words in his mind, trying to find simpler terms to put them in. Shaking his head, he decided to proceed anyways -- Jiseon was smart, she would understand him. “A lot of things have been… going on lately,” he began slowly. “And Daddy has been having a hard time. But things are a little bit better now so I want to talk to you about it. Are you okay to talk about it?”

Jiseon blinked and replied, “Yes.”

Sungyeol closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them, he was met with Jiseon’s bright gaze. “I want to talk to you about the man that showed up at our door last week. Do you remember him?”

Jiseon’s expression faltered momentarily as she broke her cookie in half. “I remember him. The handsome man who looks like Tadashi?”

“Yes.” Sungyeol nodded.

“I don’t like him,” Jiseon murmured. “He made you cry.”

Sungyeol’s eyes shot open because not even he could find a single reason to dislike Myungsoo. Myungsoo was sweet and warm and so caring. As fast as he could, he shook his head. “No, baby, he didn’t make me cry. Daddy was crying because I hurt him.” He felt the silence ensue between them. “I hurt him, Jiseon. I hurt his feelings.”

The confusion in her eyes were apparent as twisted into a frown. “What do you mean, Daddy? You’re so nice to everybody.”

Sungyeol opened and closed his mouth with no words, only feelings that he didn’t know how to express to Jiseon verbally. He stared down at her plate of cookies and sighed. “I’ll start from the beginning so that you can know the whole thing. Eat your cookies, okay?”

Jiseon nodded and took a bite quietly as she waited for Sungyeol to speak. Sungyeol wrung his hands a little bit before continuing.

“So, the man that looks like Tadashi -- his name is Myungsoo. Kim Myungsoo. He’s a very nice man that works with Uncle Dongwoo. He’s a detective, just like Uncle Dongwoo. He’s really handsome and really kind. Myungsoo is a very good man.”

He stole a glance at Jiseon who was staring at the table intently as she ate her cookie. She was chewing quietly so that she could hear every word he was saying.

Sungyeol bit his lip and stared down at his hands. He didn’t know why he felt so nervous speaking to his own daughter but his heart was racing. Maybe it was because that he had always felt that he was supposed to an example for her. And his past actions were definitely things that he would never want her to do.

“Myungsoo and Daddy… really liked each other a lot. And Myungsoo’s such a good, kind person, I don’t know why he likes Daddy.” Sungyeol shook his head with a sad smile.

“Well, that’s because you’re handsome too!” Jiseon told him. “There are lots of reasons for him to like you, Daddy. Because you’re nice and kind. Just like Mr. Myungsoo, right?”

Sungyeol smiled at his daughter and reached over to ruffle her hair slightly. “Maybe that’s why Mr. Myungsoo liked Daddy. We liked each other a lot so we did things that people who like each other do.”

“I like you Daddy,” Jiseon said, bring both her hands over to curl around her glass of milk. “Do you do things with him like you do with me?”

“Well that depends,” Sungyeol replied, wiping crumbs from the edges of softly. “What are some of the things we do together, princess?”

“Do you hold his hands when you walk across the street?” she asked brightly.

With a chuckle, he said, “Yeah. We held hands.”

“Does Mr. Myungsoo like your cooking?”

“Yes, Mr. Myungsoo likes my cooking.”

“Does he like singing in the car with you?”

“Sort of,” Sungyeol laughed. “But I’m a much better singer than he is.”

She giggled. “Do you pick him up and spin him around?”

Sungyeol gave her a small tickle at her neck and smiled as she laughed. “No, Daddy didn’t pick him up or spin him around. We like each other the way adults like each other.”

“You mean like you and Uncle Dongwoo?” she asked with a slight tilt of her head. “Is that how you and Mr. Myungsoo liked each other? Because you and Uncle Dongwoo are adults. And you like each other, right?”

He smiled at her warmly. “Yes we do, but not like that. Dongwoo is my best friend in the whole wide world, except for you, of course.”

Jiseon giggled, pleased by her dad’s words, but her confusion still remained. “Then how did you like Mr. Myungsoo?”

“Well, how would you describe Uncle Dongwoo and Hoya’s relationship?” Sungyeol thought it might be easier for her to comprehend in her own words.

Jiseon smiled real big, her adoration for her uncles apparent in her eyes. “They are super duper in love with each other! Like Prince Eric and Princess Ariel, even if they are both boys! Because you don’t need a boy and a girl to be in love, you can love whoever you want. Oh, and they live together and they spend all their time together because they are married, and now they have Sooyongie! So they are a happy family who lives happily ever after!” she finished sweetly, waving her hands as she talked.

Sungyeol smiled at her innocent assessment, even if on the inside he was sad the same couldn’t be said for him and Myungsoo. “You’re right Jiseon; Dongwoo and Hoya love each other very much and they are committed to their family so their relationship is more special than friendship.” He paused, looking down at his lap. “That’s how… Mr. Myungsoo and I were also more special than friends. He was my boyfriend.”

Jiseon’s eyes grew wide like saucers. “Daddy had a boyfriend? But boyfriends and girlfriends are what happens before you get married!”

“Well, Mr. Myungsoo and I weren’t going to get married, at least we hadn’t talked about it yet, but that doesn’t make our relationship any less special. Daddy loved him a lot Jiseon, and he made me very happy.”

“Did Mr. Myungsoo love you back? Just because you’re in love with someone doesn’t mean they love you too. It’s a choice, right?”

Sungyeol laughed, her mature assessment striking a chord within him. “Yes Princess, it is a choice. And Daddy was very lucky, because Mr. Myungsoo chose to love me too.”

“Then I don’t understand.” Jiseon frowned, setting down her cookie. “If you and Mr. Myungsoo loved each other, why didn’t he want to meet me? Shouldn’t I be special to him too?”

Sungyeol closed his eyes, willing the tears back as his daughter figured out the source of his problem, before he even had a chance to explain it. How could this realization be so easy for his daughter to see, when he himself couldn’t come to the conclusion before it was too late?

“Jiseon… I want you to understand that Mr. Myungsoo would have loved to meet you. Daddy and Mr. Myungsoo liked each other for a very long time,” he continued. “Almost a year.”

Jiseon’s eyes widened at the news. “A whole year?! That’s a long time!”

“Not exactly a year, but almost one.” His smile disappeared as his eyes fell closed. Releasing a short sigh from his nose, he murmured out, “But then Daddy made a mistake.” He paused, trying to compose himself. He could feel the atmosphere change as Jiseon shifted in her seat. She nibbled at the edge of her cookie, doing nothing but letting crumbs fall onto her lap.

“I messed up because I didn’t let Mr. Myungsoo meet you. Daddy was being silly because he was scared and I know now that I was wrong. So when Mr. Myungsoo saw you that day, his feelings got hurt because I didn’t introduce you. That’s how badly he wanted to met you and be your friend. Daddy is really, really sorry that he didn’t let that happen. It’s not your fault and it’s not Mr. Myungsoo’s fault; it’s only mine.”

Jiseon shifted in her seat, worrying her lip as she thought over his words. “What was Daddy so scared of? When I’m afraid, you always tell me to be a big girl and face it.”

“I think… for a very long time it’s just been me and you, Jiseonnie. Daddy was scared of change and what it would mean if you started to love Mr. Myungsoo too. It was wrong of me to keep you two apart, and because I messed up, I had to say goodbye to Mr. Myungsoo.”

“Is he gone forever?” she asked quietly.

“I-- I think so. Part of loving Mr. Myungsoo is being strong enough to say goodbye, if that’s what he needs to be happy. So Daddy loves him enough to let him go.”

“Like when Pocahontas says goodbye to John Smith?”

Sungyeol laughed, wiping away a tear. “Yeah. A little something like that.”

“But you know he’s going to come back someday! That’s what makes it true love,” Jiseon said smartly, reaching out to hold Sungyeol’s hand.

He nodded, his thumb over the back of her hand. “Maybe you’re right sweetheart. But Daddy has to stay strong and keep taking care of you, no matter what. Daddy just wanted to explain to you why he’s sad sometimes. But don’t you worry; I’m going to keep making you a happy little girl and I’m going to throw you the bestest birthday party ever, so I don’t want you to be sad at all, okay? We are going to make your sixth year the best one yet! Daddy promises!”

Smiling, she kicked her feet under the table as she broke another cookie in half. Breaking cookies was a meaningless habit but Sungyeol chuckled to himself whenever he saw it because he was the only adult she spent time with that broke cookies in half before eating them. It was a wonder how alike they were sometimes despite being so different.

“I believe you Daddy! We’ll have tons of fun at my party, and all of my friends from school and dance class and girl scouts are going to be there! And Uncle Dongwoo and Uncle Hoya and Sooyongie too!”

Sungyeol grinned, tucking a long piece of hair behind her ear. “Yes, that’s right darling. They will all come and eat the yummiest desserts ever, and everyone will be talking about how great your party was for the rest of the year! What do you think? Should we do it?”

“Yes Daddy!”

“Alright!” Sungyeol held his hand up and she gave him an enthusiastic high five. “Now you stay right there and go grab the computer; we can look through some decorating ideas for your birthday cake.”

“Okay!” Jiseon said happily, cheesing up at him from her seat. He leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek, before disappearing down the hallway. Internally he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders; even if Jiseon didn’t completely understand what happened between him and Myungsoo, it felt good to be honest with his daughter. Just having her support and seeing her smile did wonders to mend his heart.

He pulled out the chair next to her at the kitchen table, opening up the computer and clicking on his Pinterest so they could browse through the pictures together. Not even a minute had gone by before Jiseon perked up in her seat, giving him a hopeful look.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Princess?”

“Can I have a special present for my birthday?” She rested her chin on her palms, blinking up at him.

“Tell Daddy what you want and I promise I’ll try to get it for you.”

“Can Mr. Myungsoo come to my birthday party? I want to meet Daddy’s Prince Charming, even if there isn’t a happy ending right now.”

Sungyeol’s heart stopped in his chest; of all things for his daughter to ask her, she wanted the one thing he wasn’t sure he could give her. He didn’t think Myungsoo ever wanted to speak to him again, let alone attend his secret daughter’s birthday party. But part of being a parent was putting his child’s needs above his own, and it was far past time that he started doing that concerning Jiseon’s relationship with Myungsoo.

“Daddy can’t make any promises, but I’ll ask if he wants to come.”

That answer seemed to satisfy Jiseon, and before long colorful cakes and enticing recipes stole her attention away from the matter. But even as Sungyeol played around with her, in the back of his mind he was freaking out about his impending conversation with his ex; he didn’t know if he had the courage to ask him for anything, especially after the way he had mistreated Myungsoo.

By the time the last customer had walked out the door, it was already evening. The days seemed to be passing faster by the second but it always seemed to take forever to end. With a sigh Sungyeol stepped out from behind the counter and proceeded with the menial tasks required before officially closing up for the night. At least wiping tables and emptying the display case was stress relieving -- therapeutic, even.

“Hyung.” Sungyeol looked up and found Minho all cleaned up and ready to leave. “I’m going to be heading off now, if that’s okay with you. I would stay and help you clean but I did promise Taemin I’d get to our date on time…”

Sungyeol forced out a smile. “No, no, go ahead. There’s not much to clean anyways. I can close up by myself just fine. Do you want to bring some cookies or something? I’ve always got plenty.”

“It’s alright,” he chuckled. “With soccer season starting up again, I should really cut back on sweets. I gained so much weight over the summer!”

“No, you didn’t, you look great,” Sungyeol chimed sweetly. “You look the same way as you did when last semester ended.”

Minho snorted. “My scale begs to differ. But anyways, I’ll head out now. I cleaned up the back, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Thanks, Minho. I don’t know what I’d do without you here.” Sungyeol smiled at him warmly.

“Don’t worry about it.” Minho grinned at him and turned to leave.

Sungyeol went back to cleaning the tables and as the front door’s bell jingled, he called out, “And say hi to Taemin for me!”

He expected some sort of response from Minho in return, but there was none. It was quiet for a few moments and Sungyeol wondered if Minho had heard him before he walked out the door. He smiled to himself -- Minho seemed to be in a hurry; to be young and in love.

“Hyung?”

With a jolt, Sungyeol’s hand stopped wiping the table. Minho was still here and closer than ever. It felt like Minho was right next to him actually. The barista stood up to engage Minho’s concerned expression. “Minho, you’re still here? I swore I heard the door chime, I thought you left.”

Minho pursed his lips together and replied, “I was going to but then… Um, a late customer came in.”

“Minho, what are you--” Sungyeol turned his head to look at the door and felt his heart drop. Standing in the doorway was Myungsoo, lips pursed and eyes bright with determination. “Oh,” he whispered.

“Hi.” Myungsoo spoke up from the doorway, looking between the two without much curiosity. “Sorry for coming in after closing. I was hoping I could stay.”

Minho caught Sungyeol’s eye and raised an eyebrow at him. His hand was already at Sungyeol’s wrist, ready to get him away if he needed to. Minho knew about everything that had happened between Sungyeol and Myungsoo. He had known from the very start. It was unsurprising to Sungyeol that he was already worried.

“Do you want me to stay?” he asked in a low voice, inaudible to Myungsoo. “Because I can stay while he’s here if that will make you more comfortable.”

Myungsoo spoke up again, his hands shoved in his pockets as he shifted nervously on his feet in front of them. “I-I’m not here to cause any trouble. I just want to talk to Sungyeol.”

Sungyeol looked at him then to Myungsoo. “I don’t think there’s any reason for you to stay. Nothing’s going to happen. And I owe Myungsoo a lot more than a conversation.”

Minho raised his eyebrows, as if asking Sungyeol if he was sure. With a quick swallow, Sungyeol nodded his head firmly. Minho released his wrist after a moment and nodded back.

“Okay,” he said softly. “I can go. Taemin and I are just a couple streets down though, so call me if you need anything.”

Sungyeol smiled. “Thanks, Minho. I’ll remember that.” Minho began walking away and he said again, “And don’t forget to say hi to Taemin for me.”

Minho turned around to smile, but not before casting a look in Myungsoo’s direction. “I will,” he replied warmly. “I’ll see you later.”

Sungyeol waved at him. “See you then.”

It was a few seconds of silence and waiting as Minho left. After Sungyeol was sure he had gone, he walked over to the door swiftly and turned the lock. In another moment, he had turned off their Open sign. He could feel Myungsoo’s eyes staring at his every move and it made Sungyeol nervous. He felt like it was just moments before he would mess something up. Again.

“We might need a bit of privacy,” he explained softly without waiting for Myungsoo’s question. He knew the look in Myungsoo’s eyes when he wanted to ask something. He knew it too well.

Myungsoo’s eyes flickered down to the floor as he nodded. “Okay,” he whispered. “Yeah, we might need it. I wanted to talk about some pretty private things, anyways.”

“I figured.” He turned back around, his eyes drinking in the sight of Myungsoo after what felt like an eternity. “I’m sorry, I just--” He cast his eyes down to the floor, wringing his hands nervously in he moved closer. “I guess after what I did... I wasn’t expecting to ever see you again.”

Myungsoo reached out, his hand brushing across Sungyeol’s shoulder. “Sungyeol, I know I was angry… really, really angry but I couldn’t pretend that you didn’t exist. Even if I haven’t seen you… you’ve been all that I’ve thought about for days.” Myungsoo’s hand travelled down Sungyeol’s arm, his eyes flicking up to regard the guarded expression on the other’s face. “I just can’t seem to quit you.”

The both of them were caught up in the feeling of being close to one another after so long, the tension in the room building as Sungyeol fought the urge to reach out and touch Myungsoo, to confirm that he was real and here and talking to him, despite the horrible things he had done. He had always known that Myungsoo was too nice to him, and even though a part of him wanted to scream at Myungsoo that he should quit him… forget him because he’d probably be much better off without him, he was too selfish to speak the words out loud.

Thankfully he was saved by the sudden ring of his phone, the moment broken at the interruption. They both backed away from each other, the two of them shaking off the lingering thoughts as Sungyeol walked away to retrieve his phone.

Myungsoo rested his weight against one of the tables, his hands gripping the wood harshly as he tried to steady himself. He couldn’t believe how weak he was, how easily his heart was swayed by just the sight of Sungyeol. He needed to get himself together; there were questions that he needed answers to, and it wouldn’t do for him to get lost in the fact that he missed Sungyeol so much.

Sungyeol picked up the phone without even looking at caller, facing away from Myungsoo to try to gather his bearings. “Hello?”

“Sungyeollie? Is Myungsoo there yet?”

He closed his eyes at Dongwoo’s voice; of course Dongwoo had convinced Myungsoo to come and talk to him. Why would Myungsoo want to do so on his own after what happened? “Yeah… he’s here.”

“Good. And I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. It was his decision to come talk to you today. He asked me if I would mind picking up Jiseon after school, so you guys wouldn’t be interrupted. I just wanted to let you know that she’s here with me and Hoya. We’ll keep her busy for you, make sure she eats dinner and everything. So there’s no need for you to rush home. Stay and talk to Myungsoo. Please.”

“You’re too good to me. Tell Jiseon that I’m sorry I didn’t pick her up.”

“Are you kidding? She’s ecstatic that she gets to play with Sooyong and I’m happy that there’s another pair of eyes watching him. He’s crawling around everywhere nowadays and while it is super thrilling to watch, he’s moving around so fast I’m constantly terrified he’s going to disappear if I take my eyes off him for even a second.”

Sungyeol laughed, his own memories of Jiseon at that age springing up. “Well I’m glad you all will have a good time. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here but… I’ll keep in touch.”

“Okay. And I’m serious; you better talk to Myungsoo. He asked me a few questions so he already knows some… things but, it’s up to you to figure out a way to salvage this. He still loves you Yeol… you just have to convince him that it’s worth it for him to forgive you.”

“But he shouldn’t.”

“I swear, you are you own worst enemy. It’s his decision whether or not he wants to forgive you. I’m just saying that if you love him, then it’s up to you to fight for him. Just promise me that you’ll at least try, instead of accepting defeat before the battle even starts.”

Sungyeol glanced up, looking at the reflection of Myungsoo in the shiny metallic of one of his machines. “Yeah… okay. I promise.”

“Alright. I’ll let you go so you can get back to it. I love you, and I want you to know that you deserve to be happy. And if Myungsoo is what makes you happy, then I want you to have that too.”

He said his goodbyes, sliding the phone into his pocket as he gathered the courage to turn around and finally face Myungsoo. “Thank you… for asking Dongwoo to pick up Jiseon. That was… kind of you.”

Myungsoo shrugged, his foot tapping at the floor absentmindedly. “Well I wanted to talk to you alone, and I knew that meant certain steps had to be taken.” He laughed somewhat bitterly, looking down at the floor. “I guess I know why you couldn’t accompany me on all of those spontaneous dates now. You had to leave to go take care of Jiseon.”

Sungyeol grimaced at the words, just another reminder of how often he had lied to Myungsoo. “Yeah. And I’m sorry for that; I know you would get your hopes up to spend time with me and then I would have to say no. In fact… I’m sorry for a whole lot of things. But lying to you… it’s definitely what I regret the most, in a very long list of things that I have done wrong to you.”

The detective pursed his lips, nodding before standing up. “Maybe we should sit down?”

“Yeah. Okay.” Sungyeol didn’t miss the fact that Myungsoo failed to accept his apology, but he couldn’t exactly say that he was surprised. If he were Myungsoo, he wouldn’t believe any of his excuses either.

They both sat down at the table, and despite it being a small length it felt like there were miles between them. Sungyeol didn’t even know how to begin, and the crushing insecurities stole any words from this throat. He opted for something more safe, hoping to somewhat break the ice.

“Did you want anything to drink? Or a snack?”

“No, I’m okay.”

Sungyeol nodded, all hopes of temporarily delaying matters dashed. Luckily, Myungsoo decided to start the delicate conversation first, his words slow and measured, as if he was selecting each word carefully.

“So, I think it’s clear that I wanted to talk about what went down between us,” he started slowly. “I think we need to sort out what’s happened and… see where we go from here.”

“Okay,” Sungyeol replied softly, nodding again. His fingers traced patterns on the tables as he waited for Myungsoo to continue. It was undeniable that he was nervous.

Myungsoo lowered his voice and murmured, “That means from this point on, I’m going to need you to be honest with me. As hard as it may get, I need you to promise to tell me the truth -- even if it’s just for this moment.”

Looking up, Sungyeol caught Myungsoo’s pleading and earnest gaze and he knew he had no right to refuse such a request. “Alright,” he agreed. “I’ll be honest with you, Myungsoo. I can promise you at least that.”

“Good.” Myungsoo shifted in his seat. “I’ll go first, okay? Maybe it’ll be a little easier… if I’m honest, I’m going to say that I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay away from you. I know I cut off connections with you. And it must have shocked you like it shocked me but… I think we both knew that we really needed the time apart more than anything. Especially in light of recent revelations, we both needed that separation.”

Sungyeol hummed his agreement. “Yeah,” he murmured. “I knew that we weren’t really on… speaking terms. But I knew that if we were going to get back on speaking terms, it would need to be through you. You were the one who was hurt through this so if anyone was going to try and break the silence, it had to be you.”

“That’s why I’m here now.” Myungsoo nodded. “I... I knew I needed to talk to you. But I was so angry with you I didn’t know how to approach you or what to say. Hell, I didn’t know what I wanted to say. There were so many things running through my head these past few days and it’s all because of you. So I knew that if I wanted to get to the bottom of anything, it would need to be by talking to you.”

“Yes…” Sungyeol muttered, listening intently. He didn’t feel like he had anything to say. But he wanted Myungsoo to know that he was paying attention.

“And I’ll admit, I should have gone to you first but I took a shortcut. Namely, I went to Dongwoo first instead of you to get information.” Myungsoo wet his lips like he wanted to continue, but he couldn’t seem to form the words.

The other responded, “Because you didn’t think you could get the whole story from me, right?” Sungyeol looked down at his hands with the slightest quirk of a sad smile at his lips.

Myungsoo swallowed. “Maybe that was part of it… but it wasn’t the whole reason. To be honest, I think I was more afraid of having to look at you again more than anything else.”

“But why?” Sungyeol asked with a furrow of his brows. “I understand you not wanting to see me again but why would you be afraid to?”

“Because… because I was just so afraid of being wrong. I was afraid that if I went to you and asked for an explanation, I would be wrong about you and just fall right back into a relationship with you. And after finding out the truth I wanted to be able to stay angry -- and I was so, so angry. But I knew that if I saw you again, that I might not be mad anymore. That I would forgive you too easily, just because I missed you so much. There were so many times over this past week when I wished that I could just turn off my feelings for you, but I couldn’t. I guess I just realized that it didn’t matter how upset I was with you… because that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still in love with you.”

Sungyeol frowned at his words, feeling guilty. “How could you still be in love with me? How could you even think about loving me again after what I did to you? I know we were together for a long time but after the things I hid from you… I don’t even know if I can forgive myself.”

“I thought a bit like that at first,” Myungsoo admitted in a low voice. “I was livid and all I could think about was how would I even begin to forgive you after all the lies you told me -- after all the lies I believed. I felt so conflicted with myself, Sungyeol.”

“So what made you want to talk to me again?” Sungyeol asked him. “What made you think to reach out to me?”

“I got a little help.”

Sungyeol raised a confused eyebrow. “Help? What kind of help?”

“Sungyeol, you and I both know that Dongwoo is one of your best friends. And after he found out about what happened to us, he would give me little nudges to talk to you again. He wanted me to talk it out with you instead of cutting you off like I did. At first I just ignored him since I was still so mad at you. But after talking with Yongguk for a bit, I… learned a few things that I couldn’t just ignore.”

“You talked to Yongguk?”

Myungsoo nodded. “Is that a surprise to you?”

After a pause, Sungyeol shook his head. “...No. It’s good that you had someone to talk to. I’m glad you’ve got him to lean on.”

“Me too.” Myungsoo smiled slightly. “But he mentioned a few things that twisted my head a little bit. When I went to him, I was already upset for more reasons than I had started with. After learning about your daughter, I couldn’t help but feel like I was more of a secret than she was. It had seemed like instead of keeping a family from me, you were keeping my existence from your family. And as much as I do love you Sungyeol, the last thing I wanted was to get in the way of you and your family. I didn’t want to become the reason for your family to fall apart.”

“You weren’t though. You weren’t even close to breaking up my family. If there was anyone that tore my family apart, it would have been me.”

“I was just so afraid, Sungyeol. I was afraid that behind your apartment doors you had a daughter and a wife. Or a girlfriend. Someone that you were supposed to be with that I was trying to steal you away from. And I didn’t want to be the… other man, so to speak. I didn’t want the reason that we dated in secret to be because you were having an affair.”

Sungyeol shook his head. “If I can assure you of anything at all, it’s that you weren’t an affair. Myungsoo, I promise that I took us seriously when we were together.”

“I know you did, Sungyeol. But you know, I was your first boyfriend. And you led me to believe that I was the first… of other things too, which we both know isn’t the truth considering the fact that you have a daughter. So I guess what I want to ask you is… how do you define yourself ually? Is there a label that fits you? Was this just the first time you had the courage to experiment? I feel like I’ve been making assumptions about you because you were with me, and others have given me their opinions about you, but I think it would be best for you to tell me on your own terms.”

“Wow. Okay.” Sungyeol laughed, shaking his head at the realization. “I don’t think anyone has ever truly asked me this before. You’re right… people just make assumptions. That I’m straight, that I’m gay, that I’m bi. And most of the time, I don’t bother to correct them because it’s just… easier that way. But that’s not a good way to go through life, and it’s not going to help fix things now. So… if I had to label myself as anything, it would be that I’m gay. It’s true that I slept with a woman before, but it was only once and it didn’t feel… I knew it wasn’t right, even when I was doing it. I just felt like… everything would be simpler if it was right with her.”

Myungsoo watched him silently, noticing the way his eyes filled with a certain remorse or sadness.

“But things got complicated and things happened and now I’m here. And for me… it wasn’t a lie when I told you that you were my first serious relationship… or when I said you were the first person I made love to because it was actually true for me. I was finally allowing myself to be with the person I wanted in the way I wished for the most and the happiness I felt in my heart was real, no matter how short lived it was.”

Myungsoo smiled at him after he finished, as if to reassure him. “Thank you for that,” he told him. “I needed to hear it from you.”

“Yeah,” Sungyeol agreed softly. “I think I needed to hear it from me too. Only took me twenty something years to say it out loud,” he chuckled.

“There’s no right timeline for coming out and accepting who you really are. I just hope that you feel… a little less conflicted now,” Myungsoo said earnestly, happy that Sungyeol seemed to agree.

With a nod, Sungyeol said, “You’re right, there’s no truly correct way to go about this. And taking so long has lead to a lot of mistakes that I would regret but…” A smile lit up his face softly, “It might’ve been the best mistake of my life since it brought me Jiseon.”

Myungsoo had the grace to smile back. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Sungyeol said with a nod. “Even if it was a mistake, I’ll never regret having Jiseon. She’s just the sweetest little girl any father could ask for. Sometimes it feels like I didn’t even raise her because she’s just so smart for her age and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t adore her in the slightest. And you’d think that she’d be spoiled since I spend so much of my time making sure she’s happy but it’s like… it’s like she always tries to make sure that I get my fair share of happiness too.” Sungyeol grinned at the thought of his little girl. “She’s just an angel.”

“She sounds absolutely lovely,” Myungsoo told him in honesty. Sungyeol had already brightened up so much at the change of topic.

“She is,” Sungyeol agreed. “And she’s growing up so independant despite having to depend on me for so many things in her life. She even said she wanted to be Black Widow for Halloween and Dongwoo’s sister made her an amazing costume. She tried it on just last week!” He instinctively reached for his phone and was already excitedly punching in his password. In that moment he laughed at himself softly because of how excited he got over something so small. His hands paused for a few seconds as he said, “Is that okay? If I show you pictures of her?”

Myungsoo nodded. “Oh, of course. I have no objections to that. I’d love to see her.” He chuckled to himself. “I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t curious about her.”

Sungyeol grinned as he showed him his phone screen where a picture of a small, little girl smiling brightly appeared. “This is her,” he said proudly. He felt warmth swell in his chest as Myungsoo leaned in closer and grinned.

“She’s so adorable,” he said, taking the phone in his hands. “And what a nice costume.”

“It’s almost done -- she just wants to add more pouches on the utility belt,” Sungyeol laughed. “If you scroll, there are more pictures of her if you want to see them.”

Myungsoo did so. A paternal warmth spread throughout his chest as he went through the album. There were pictures of Jiseon smiling brightly in dresses and of her holding Sooyong. She looked just as precious as Sungyeol had described.

“She’s so pretty,” he commented. “And she looks just like you. She’s got the same eyes and they light up the same way.”

Sungyeol flushed slightly as he shook his head. “No, she doesn’t look like me. She looks so much more like her mother. It doesn’t surprise me though -- all the beauty and brains came from her mother. There was no way that it could have come from me.”

“Really?” Myungsoo asked amusedly. “What do you mean?”

“For an almost six year old, she’s the smartest little thing. She’s like her mom especially in the sense that sometimes she knows how I’m feeling before I do. She’s got this amazing ability to pick up on all my emotions.” His eyes flickered down momentarily. “Especially this past week, she knew something was wrong with me. I tried to keep myself more upbeat around her but even she could tell that I was sad. And when I told her what happened with you, she had the same reaction that you did in a way.”

Myungsoo rose his eyebrows. “You told Jiseon about us? About me?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to at first; I wanted to hold up a strong front, pretend that nothing was wrong but… I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up the charade with her for long. I couldn’t exactly go into too much detail with her, but I put it in a way I knew that she would understand. I told her that her Daddy had fallen in love, but he messed up and now he had to be alone. She remembered you, she thinks you’re handsome.” Sungyeol smiled fleetingly. “I guess it’s just one more of the many things we have in common. I told her that you were really important to me, that you used to be my boyfriend, and she was sad…” Sungyeol wiped away the sudden tear that fell down his face. “She was sad because she thought you didn’t want to meet her.”

“Sungyeol…”

“Don’t worry. I told her the truth. I told her it was her Daddy’s fault that she didn’t get to meet you. I know it’s too little and it’s much too late but… I’m trying to take responsibility for my actions. With my daughter and with you.”

Myungsoo was surprised beyond words. He couldn’t believe that Sungyeol had told his daughter about their relationship… that he had told her they were in love. He thought for sure that Sungyeol would hide him away, and the fact that Sungyeol was truly taking steps to come out of the closet and into the light touched him. “I… Thank you,” he started, handing the phone back over to Sungyeol. “It makes me happy that you felt I was important enough to tell her about. Especially after the way things ended between us that day.”

Sungyeol shrugged his shoulders. “It’s the least I can do.”

Myungsoo nodded, trying to figure out how to put his feelings into words. “I guess… if I’m being honest, after the initial shock of finding out Jiseon exists, most of my anger wasn’t directed towards that fact. I was more… hurt that you hadn’t told me about her on your own. It made me feel like… I wasn’t good enough to be in her life. That you didn’t see me as worthy.”

“What?” Sungyeol asked dumbly. “You thought- you think that you’re not good enough for Jiseon and me? Myungsoo, that couldn’t be any further than the truth. If anything, you’re too good to settle for me and all my baggage. You are kind and loving and after seeing how you handled yourself around kids that you didn’t even know, I knew that you would be a good influence to my daughter. I just… I was afraid to tell you about her, to shatter the illusion that you had of me. You came into my life and you thought I was perfect and good and worthy of being with you. I knew that wasn’t the truth but… just for a little while I wanted to pretend that I could be what you needed. I know it was wrong but I wanted you so much… I let myself be selfish and now you see just how badly I messed up things between us.”

Myungsoo thought back to Dongwoo’s words, about the way he said that Sungyeol didn’t think he deserved happiness. He wondered if Sungyeol even realized the extreme lengths he went to in order to keep these secrets, when there was never truly any reason to hide. He wanted everything out in the open, so they could figure out how to move forward.

“Sungyeol… that day when I spoke to Dongwoo… he told me about Sarang.”

The reaction in Sungyeol’s body was almost instantaneous, his body going rigid at the sound of her name. “What?”

“He told me what happened back then. About her pregnancy with Jiseon. He told me… that you think you killed her.”

“Well Dongwoo is wrong,” Sungyeol snapped, suddenly standing up from the table. “I don’t think anything; I know I killed her.”

“Sungyeol--”

“No, you don’t understand! Nobody understands!” Sungyeol’s hands flew to his head, pulling on his hair in his distress. “Sarang was fine, perfectly fine before I came along and ed up everything! She had goals, she had dreams and I stole it all away, just because I was too stupid to do the right thing!”

Myungsoo stood up, trying to go to him but Sungyeol moved away, shaking his head. “You don’t get it, Myungsoo. She died… she died never knowing the truth. She thought that I loved her the same way she loved me. She gave her life up for a man who didn’t even have the decency to return her feelings.”

“You think that you can control your heart Sungyeol? You think that obsessing over it now and blaming yourself will change your past? You can’t control your uality, Sungyeol! You can’t make yourself love someone, no matter how hard you try.”

“And you think that makes it okay? Because it doesn’t! No one forced me to date her, and she sure as hell didn’t force me to sleep with her. I made that choice because I was too damn scared to acknowledge the truth about myself. I was an idiot and I thought it was better to lie… to myself and to her about the way I felt, instead of just coming clean. I was with her for months, stealing away her last precious days on this earth and it wasn’t even real!”

“Sungyeol, I’m sure neither of you were expecting for her to get pregnant, it was an accident--”

“An accident that I caused! Dongwoo tried to tell me! We fought about it and instead of just listening to him I was stubborn, I was determined to make things with Sarang work. Then once we knew the baby was coming,” Sungyeol gasped, trying to catch his breath but unable to. “None of you understand what it was like, none of you were there. One moment she was okay and the next she’s dying in my arms in the ambulance and I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t save her!” he yelled, his guilt taking over him.

“Sungyeol, please, please don’t do this to yourself. Please,” Myungsoo begged, forcing his arms around him in a hug when he tried to escape.

“Do you want to know the last words she said to me? As she was bleeding out in front of me?” Sungyeol cried out, his hand clutching his chest. “She told me love our child… love her just as much as you love me.”

Myungsoo felt a tear slip down his cheek, his heart hurting at the sight of Sungyeol in so much pain. “You didn’t know this would happen--”

“That doesn’t change anything! The only thing that matters is that I promised Sarang that I would take care of her and the baby… I promised her that I would love them and that we would be a family and I lied. Don’t you get it?! That’s all I do! I lie and I hurt people and I ruin them. Just like I ruined you!”

“Sungyeol, you didn’t--”

“Really?” Sungyeol said bitterly. “Look me in the eyes and tell me that I didn’t break your heart.” Time seemed to stop between them, the tension in the room so heavy that Myungsoo felt like he couldn’t move. “You can’t, can you?” Sungyeol’s voice was on the verge of hysterical, his eyes wild. “Or maybe you can. Maybe you should give lying a try too. You see how well it worked out for me.”

“You know what, you don’t get to do this!” Myungsoo yelled, his eyes blazing. “You don’t get to take this thing that was completely out of your control and make yourself sick over it for the rest of your life! What happened to Sarang is horrible and sad but it is not your fault! You don’t get to tell me how to feel about it, you don’t get to push me away! Do you understand, Sungyeol? I’m not going to let you push me away and make yourself miserable! Not for one more damn minute.”

“But--”

“No!” Myungsoo cut him off. “Yes, it’s true that you lied. Yes, it’s true that you’re a mess. But you’re my mess. You’re mine, Sungyeol and I’m not going to let go of you. No matter how badly you try to deny yourself happiness and sabotage our relationship, it’s not going to work because I’m not going to let it! I love you too much and I refuse to spend another moment pretending that I don’t. You hurt me, we’ve hurt each other but that doesn’t mean we don’t have something worth fighting for. I will fight for you Sungyeol, every single day until you finally accept the fact that you do deserve good things in your life. You deserve to have the family that you always wanted… that you and Jiseon deserve. Just let me give it to you, just let me make you happy. Please.”

“But what if you’re wrong? What if I’m not meant to be happy? What if this is what I deserve after all the wrongs I’ve done? To Sarang, to Jiseon, to you.”

“I already told you before; love is not something you can control. It just happens, and… since the moment I walked into your cafe I’ve been yours. And maybe… in some kind of way it was meant to be. We met in Sarang’s… the cafe you named after the mother of your child. I went there everyday, getting to know you little by little, and before I knew it I was falling for you. If it weren’t for Sarang’s I might not have met you, or had the platform to become your friend, and eventually, something much more. That summer, way back then when you and Sarang and Dongwoo were working here, you created your child. And now, so many years later, this is the place that you fell in love for the first time. That’s not just coincidence Sungyeol; that’s fate. Don’t you think that’s something beautiful, something you shouldn’t give up on? Don’t you love me too?”

“Myungsoo, Myungsoo,” Sungyeol cried, wrapping his arms around him and clutching him hard, his heart beating wildly in his chest. “I love you so much; it scares me, I’m so scared. What if I lose you again? What if I lose someone I care about again? I can’t handle it, I can’t--”

“I’m not going anywhere. If you promise me that you’re willing to try, that you’ll stop fighting the inevitable and just let me love you, I’ll stay by your side. Do you hear me, Sungyeol? I’ll stay by your side and I’ll take care of you, and if you give me the chance, I’m sure I’ll fall in love with your daughter too.”

Sungyeol buried his face in Myungsoo’s neck, his fingers digging into his shoulders. “You would be perfect with her. I know you would.”

“Just let me save you Sungyeol. Let me save you from yourself.”

“What if there’s someone else out there? Someone who hasn’t made these mistakes, someone who is better--”

“I don’t want better.” Myungsoo interrupted him, his fingers through Sungyeol’s hair gently. “I just want you.”

“This… being with me won’t be easy. This won’t be our last argument, we will disagree on things, and for awhile there will be more hard days than easy ones.”

“I know. But I’m willing to work on this… on us. I want to be with you, and I don’t care how long it takes for us to be okay again, as long as I know that in the end we can be together. Sarang’s always going to be an important part of your life, and no one can ever take her place. And even if I never got the pleasure of meeting her, I know just by the way everyone speaks about her that she truly loved you. And I think it would break her heart to see you suffering like this everyday. She wouldn’t want you to feel guilty like this. She would want for you to find a way to be happy.”

“Okay,” Sungyeol said, almost as if Sarang’s blessing was the last thing he needed to come to his decision. “Okay,” he repeated the word louder, with more conviction. “We can- we’re going to do this. Together.”

“Together,” Myungsoo agreed, pressing their foreheads together, the two of them grounding each other in the simple touch.

Sungyeol sniffled with a smile, a breathy laugh escaping. “Don’t you want to yell at me? Are you sure you don’t want to get angry at me or something?”

“No.” Myungsoo shook his head softly against his. “I think you’ve punished yourself enough.”

“I would beg to differ but I know you’ll just ignore me anyway.” He paused, trying to think of the best way to bring up the subject. “There’s just… there’s one more thing that I have to ask of you. And I know I’m already asking so much, with you being so patient with me and forgiving me for my mistakes and--”

“Sungyeol, just ask me. It’s okay,” Myungsoo assured him, pressing his lips softly against Sungyeol’s cheek.

“Do you think… would you be willing to come to Jiseon’s birthday party? She asked for me to invite you and… I think it would mean a lot to her if you came.”

Myungsoo laughed, a weight lifting off his heart at the request. “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Sungyeol absolutely beamed at him, hugging his waist as he leaned down for what felt like their first real kiss in ages. It was wet from both of their tears and probably a bit too desperate on both ends, but it was still perfect because it was their first kiss with no lies, no distance between them. Sungyeol had finally exposed all of himself, the deepest and darkest parts of his soul, and Myungsoo still wanted him. And while that knowledge was frightening, it was also freeing. There were no more obstacles left between them, and they could truly be together.

They stayed close like that, holding each other in the dark cafe for what could have been hours or minutes, just remembering how to breathe, together. Sungyeol wasn’t sure what the future would bring, but he was sure that Myungsoo would be there with him to face it.

Maybe, with Myungsoo’s help, he could learn how to finally let himself be happy.

A/N: Are you crying? Because we still happen to be crying.

Comment and share all of the feels with us, cause chances are we are feeling it too!
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