pumpkin was supposed to be a oneshot but... things happened. xo.

"Can you at least tell me where we are going?" Jiyong crossed his arms on his chest. His eyes were blindfolded and he's sitting between Soohyuk and Youngbae in a taxi.

"Oh come on, man. Soohyuk has planned this for months!" Youngbae poked his side.

"Youngbae, you know I don't—"

"Yeah yeah. You don't like surprises. We know, Ji. But just this once, please I beg you, just play along?" Soohyuk pleaded.

Jiyong huffed.

"The night is still young so if... if... you don't like what we have planned, you still have time to do whatever you want after this."

"And we promise we won't interfere."

"Please?"

Soohyuk and Youngbae talked like they already rehearsed the dialogue- and maybe they did, knowing how stubborn Jiyong could be.

"Fine. Because I love you guys, I will trust you."

"You won't regret it." Youngbae hugged his shoulder.

Jiyong sighed. He finally relaxed in his seat. But not for long. "A hint. Just one hint." Jiyong was never patient. He loved being in control, to know where he was and where he's going.

Soohyuk let out a chuckle; he knew Jiyong would keep pushing like this. "Alright. I made this reservation about 4 months ago and I almost didn't get it because it was already fully booked."

"And?"

"And you said one hint. That was one hint, Ji." Youngbae protested.

"Jeez, Bae. I thought you're only an accountant by day." Jiyong rolled his eyes behind the black fabric.

Soohyuk and Youngbae laughed. They didn't get the chance to prank Jiyong often and once they did, they would make sure that every moment counts.

"We're here."

Jiyong could feel the car stopping and Soohyuk opened the door. Judging from the noise, Jiyong guessed that they’re downtown. And food, Jiyong definitely smelled food. He immediately concluded that he's being taken to a restaurant.

"Watch your step." Youngbae helped him.

Jiyong slowly walked forward with Youngbae by his side warning him if there's a step or any obstacles on his path. As soon as Jiyong felt the cool breeze, he knew he's indeed inside a restaurant. The clatter of forks and knives on plates helped. Low chatter of people, some people were laughing and soft jazz music playing on the background. Yes, definitely a fine dining restaurant.

"Sit here." Youngbae was helping him to sit on a chair.

Suddenly someone took off his blindfold and then followed by a collective "SURPRISE!" from people sitting around the table. It took him 2 seconds to adjust his vision and then the blurry shapes became clear- they became his friends he hadn't seen for years. His college friends, his childhood friends- basically all the good friends he hadn't talked to for at least 2 years because he was too busy working.

And then he laughed. Jiyong was so happy to see all of his friends he'd been meaning to call or meet. He looked to his left and saw Soohyuk grinning like an idiot. He could only shake his head in disbelief- how long had Soohyuk and Youngbae been planning this?

Jiyong saw a glass of red wine in front of him. He took the fragile glass in his hand and he recognized the scent straightaway, it's his favourite Shiraz. And just before he took a sip, he muttered, "You s."

And then the whole table erupted in laughter.

"What's the problem?" Seunghyun was sitting in his usual spot- the corner table near the kitchen door, a table for two reserved just for him and his laptop.

"Umm..." The waiter hesitated.

"Do I need to ask the guest myself?" Seunghyun raised his voice.

"The gentleman sitting over there complained about his steak being undercooked, Sir."

"And?" Seunghyun was starting to get impatient. There’s a textbook respond for this kind of situation- offer the customer a newly cooked one. But the nervous waiter had been bickering with the assistant chef before Seunghyun interfered.

"I offered him a new one but he refused." The waiter glanced back to the crowded table. Seunghyun saw at least 8 people sitting there and there were at least 4 bottles of wine on the table.

He sighed, it's going to be one of those nights. He waived the waiter away. "I'll take care of it."

Seunghyun put on his glasses and straightened his blazer. He might need to use his charm to diffuse the situation- he'd been told quite a few times that he's quite the charmer. He cringed inside thinking about the term.

He walked towards the said table, observing the people sitting around it. It's not his favourite part of the job- dealing with disappointed customers, but someone had to do it.

A few of the gentlemen looked quite intoxicated, if their red faces were any indication to go by. The ladies were too busy chatting. And then he spotted him, the guy in the white shirt with the most adorable smile he's ever seen. Seunghyun slowed down his steps and subconsciously fixed the collar of his shirt. He blinked a few times just to make sure he's seeing this correctly because that guy in the white shirt probably had the most distracting smile he'd ever seen his entire life. Seunghyun was suddenly nervous.

"Good evening, guys. How's everything going tonight?" Seunghyun greeted the table.

"Are you the manager?" The guy in the white shirt. He was laughing just 2 seconds ago but his voice turned serious the moment Seunghyun approached the table. He was a small guy- more on the skinny side, but his presence was so strong. Seunghyun could feel that the whole table gravitated toward him.

"I'm actually the owner of this place and I heard we messed up your order." Seunghyun smiled. He saw on the corner of his eye that the girls on the table were whispering about him. He's used to it by now.

"Messed up is when McDonalds puts pickles in my Big Mac. An undercooked steak is just—"

"Jiyong, shut it. He's drunk. I'm sorry." The guy sitting next to him put an arm around his shoulder. For a split second, Seunghyun wanted to know how does it feel to put an arm around someone as polarizing as this stranger.

"No no, don't even think about it. Your dinner is on us." Seunghyun blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Are you serious?" Someone shouted from the table. She sounded happy.

Seunghyun nodded, perfectly knowing that this one undercooked steak just cost him $1,000 at least. Seunghyun didn't know what made him do that but maybe if he did, he'd get another chance to speak longer to this Jiyong.

"I'm Seunghyun, by the way."

"And this is Jiyong, the birthday boy." The friend patted Jiyong's back. "And I'm Youngbae."

"Nice to meet you, Youngbae. And Jiyong." Seunghyun thought that he should had offered his hands but Jiyong was busy pouring more wine to his glass.

So, Seunghyun decided to up the game. "Since this is a birthday party, would you guys like some desserts?"

"Yes, please!"

"Can we try you berry cheesecake? We heard they're the best in town."

"No! It's the crème brulee!"

Again, Seunghyun's offer was accepted with glee by everyone. Except Jiyong.

"Is wine included in the dessert?" Jiyong lifted his already empty glass.

"Well, it's your birthday today so you can have whatever you want." Seunghyun smirked at Jiyong, and he winked. He didn't mean to but too late, Seunghyun's inadvertent wink made some of the girls on the table gasped softly.

Seunghyun quickly cleared his throat. "I'll get the waiter to bring you guys some of our specialties. Have a great night, guys."

And swiftly he his heel, mentally face-palming himself as he’s making his way back to the kitchen.

"Hey, Seunghyun!" It's Jiyong's voice. Seunghyun turned around. "Thanks for the... dessert. And wine."

And Jiyong gave him a smile. It was a good smile, a sincere smile.

Seunghyun could only smile back and nod before taking long strides back to the kitchen. He hated himself for being such a coward sometimes. He should have talked longer or said something to impress Jiyong. But he was too distracted. Jiyong’s smile was too distracting. He called the headwaiter as soon as he entered the kitchen. “Get that table 2 crème brulees, 3 cheesecakes and 3 soufflés. And 2 bottles of the 1987.” Seunghyun was about to walk back to his table and then he added, “And get me one Scotch on the rocks.”

"You should come with us!" A tall, skinny girl with short blonde hair- one of Jiyong's friends- was inviting Seunghyun to go with the group to the famous club next door.

"Yeah, man. After your treat, the least we can do is buy you a shot." The taller of the bunch- Soohyuk- was patting his back. But Seunghyun still refused.

"I'm good. I need to take care of something tonight. Thank you for the invite though."

"Are you sure? I know Jiyong would be happy if you could join us." Youngbae was always very friendly.

One of the guys mumbled about how Jiyong always takes ages in the men's room every time he drinks too much wine.

"Yes. I wish I could but I can't afford to delay this thing again."

Youngbae was about to say something but one of the girls was already pulling him outside. "Seunghyun, can you let Jiyong know that we'll be queuing next door? Apparently the line is getting crazy."

"Of course. You guys have fun!"

"Join us if you have the time, okay?" Youngbae shouted one last time before the restaurant's door closed behind him.

"I have such amazing friends. Leaving the birthday boy in the toilet." Jiyong's voice chimed behind Seunghyun.

"Oh!" Seunghyun quickly turned. "They are just next door."

Jiyong smiled. "Yeah, I know where they are."

Seunghyun stepped aside to let Jiyong pass but instead the smaller man stopped in front of him. "It'd be nice if you could join us. At least for one round of beer."

Seunghyun had only known him for less than an hour and for the most part, it had been Jiyong glaring at him for his ruined dinner. But this Jiyong- the one who had slightly sobered up- was kinder. His voice was gentler and, Seunghyun might have been wrong but, Jiyong was already flirting with him. Jiyong's hand was on Seunghyun's arm and he gave a gentle squeeze

"I wish I could but—" Seunghyun abruptly stopped mid sentence. "Stay. I know your friends are waiting but would you mind staying here with me for a while?"

Again, Seunghyun didn’t know what had gotten into him. Since earlier that night, since the moment he laid eyes on Jiyong, something intrigued him and he became more spontaneous.

And Jiyong didn't say no. He looked slightly taken aback by Seunghyun's offer, but he didn't refuse.

"I have this new dish... that I want to put on the menu. Would you mind giving me your opinion?" Lame, very lame. Even Seunghyun didn't believe his own lie.

"Okay." Jiyong smiled and Seunghyun thought it’s Jiyong lips, but his eyes turned out to be very distracting too.

"You're crazy. This is crazy." Jiyong walked toward the giant window. He could see the ocean outside- vast and scarcely dotted with what seemed to be tiny islands. The sky was clear without a single cloud. The perfect weather.

"Why?" There's glee in Seunghyun's voice.

"Seunghyun, we just met 2 days ago and look where we are now."

Seunghyun didn't answer him straightaway. The taller man circled his hands on Jiyong's waist- hugging him from behind, they're watching the same breathtaking view.

"This place is amazing." Jiyong was in awe- immersing himself with the view overlooking the endless blue. Seunghyun was already resting his chin on Jiyong’s shoulder.

"I'm glad you like it." Seunghyun whispered, lips hovering on Jiyong's ear.

"Thank you for taking me here." Jiyong turned his head slightly and Seunghyun kissed him briefly.

"I was gonna go all out but—"

"Was? You bought me a first class ticket to Dubai a day after we knew each other. And we're staying in a penthouse in one of the most expensive hotels in the world. This is not all out?"

"I actually already hired a private jet but I don't think it's wise to be alone with you in a 10 hours flight."

"Do you hate me that much, Mr. Choi?" Jiyong turned and threw his arms around Seunghyun's neck, squinting his eyes to tease the other man.

He knew that Seunghyun meant well- they had only kissed so far. Well, even only that was dizzying enough for Jiyong. He kept reminding himself that Seunghyun was just a fling. An adorably handsome vacation fling. And after all this, Jiyong would fly back to LA and resume normal life. Just a fling.

Although, in his heart, it's getting harder to remember that this was just a fling. Seunghyun had been treating him with respect. He had been the perfect gentleman. And there’s something about Seunghyun that made Jiyong trust him. Jiyong was the type that had to be in control, he had to know what’s going to happen next in his life. He had to plan everything. But with Seunghyun, he’s curious. When Seunghyun unexpectedly asked him to stay at the restaurant, Jiyong was mildly offended at first. They were strangers but Seunghyun had this assurance in his voice and it convinced Jiyong. Somehow, with Seunghyun, Jiyong didn’t mind not knowing what’s going to happen next.

"Just a fling, Jiyong" The voice echoed in his head again.

"Hating you is the last thing on my mind right now. Not even close, Jiyong." Seunghyun pulled Jiyong closer and pressed their foreheads together.

Jiyong could only smile. A part of him was still guarded and fully aware that this fling could end as quickly as it started.

"So, what's the plan for today?" But Jiyong locked his arms around Seunghyun. Promptly shutting out the warning in his head, just this once.

"Well, since I wasn't expecting any company on this trip, I was due to be somewhere else an hour ago." No urgency in Seunghyun's voice. His body was still attached to Jiyong, showing all signs of staying and no signs of leaving.

"So you're late?" Jiyong wasn't exactly encouraging him to go either. He tilted his head and kissed the other man.

"Very." Seunghyun mumbled in between kisses.

Seunghyun kissed him for another minute and Jiyong was breathless when he pulled away.

"And since it's still your birthday weekend, I've arranged for a spa and massage for you downstairs." Seunghyun said the words while keeping his vision on Jiyong's lips.

"Seunghyun, stop pampering me. We don't— we're not even—" Jiyong was speechless. He just knew there's something about Seunghyun that had caught his attention. But he's convinced that it's nothing but an infatuation- an instant physical attraction between two people. That's all, nothing more and nothing less.

"Consider it a gift from me?" Seunghyun grasped a little bit tighter on Jiyong's waist- this was him being persuasive.

"Seunghyun, I—" Jiyong was still speechless.

"And at 7pm tonight, someone will knock on that door to take you to the restaurant upstairs."

"Will I be dining alone?" Jiyong smirked.

"Well, I would love to be your date tonight, if you don't mind."

"You're such dork." Jiyong smiled and let the words slipped softly. It made Seunghyun smile too.

Jiyong was escorted into a room- a spacious room scarcely filled with Barcaloungers. He secured the knot on his bathrobe as he's walking into the room. There's a small table next to each of the giant lazy chair. Jiyong was shown to one of them, to the one near the window so he could see the view outside. On the table, a steaming cup of herbal tea was already waiting for him.

"Mr. Choi has instructed me to give you this." The gentleman, who had been showing Jiyong around the whole day, handed him a letter. "Now, if you need anything, just press this button here and I will be right with you." He bowed once and then Jiyong was left alone.

Jiyong sat on the chair, adjusting his position to his comfort. He took the mug and inhaled the scent- jasmine. He loved jasmine. After taking a little sip, he opened the letter. "The sunset is breathtaking from this seat."

Jiyong couldn't help but to smile. Seunghyun had arranged for everything down to where he's supposed to sit after he finished his spa. But Seunghyun was right; the sunset was too good to be true. The bright orange sun slowly descended into the ocean. He’d never get to see this view from where he lived. Jiyong had been so caught up with building his career that he’d forgotten about the simple joys in life. Simple joys like enjoying the sunset or having someone holding your hand and making you feel wanted and secure at the same time. It took a stranger to remind him of those things.

At just the right time, when the sun resembled more like a bleeding circle- squashing all the colors out of itself and surrender to the darkness, Jiyong took out his phone and tried to capture the view. But all he got was a picture of an orange blob just above the ocean line. He gave up after several attempts.

And just as he's about to put his phone back into his pocket, it vibrated. Soohyuk sent a text message.

Oh. His friends. Jiyong had forgotten all about them. The last time he saw them was in Seunghyun's restaurant 2 days ago.

"Are you home?"

Jiyong thought about ignoring the message, or maybe came up with a reason that his battery was dying. But if it weren't for Soohyuk, he wouldn't be where he was. Getting a spa treatment and enjoying the sunset in Dubai.

"No. I'm overseas. What's up?"

"Overseas? Where? With who? Alone?"

"Yes. Dubai. Seunghyun. Don't judge."

Soohyuk didn't reply for a few minutes so Jiyong thought that his friend had given up. But he couldn't be more wrong. His phone started ringing. Soohyuk was calling him instead.

"Are you really in Dubai? Middle East Dubai?"

"Hello to you too, Soohyuk."

"Dude, what the hell? Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't exactly have the time to tell you. It happened really fast."

Jiyong could hear Soohyuk laughing on the other end. "Jiyong, we all knew that you went back with Seunghyun but... Dubai? Did he kidnap you or..."

"No." Jiyong tried to find the right words, but he decided being honest would be best. "He asked if I wanted to come along because he had to leave."

"And you said yes?" Soohyuk almost squealed.

"Obviously."

"Wow you're in trouble, man." And then Soohyuk started laughing again.

"What? Why am I in trouble?"

"Okay. Here's the thing. Youngbae went to check on you at your house yesterday because you didn't show up in the club. And you weren't home. So we thought you must've stayed at Seunghyun's place. And that's why I'm calling you now."

"Oh... well, thanks for checking up on me but I'm okay."

"More than okay from the sound of things."

"Soohyuk, what are you implying?" Jiyong grabbed his tea- he took another sip.

Soohyuk cleared his throat before asking. "How's the ?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. How was it?"

"That's... personal." Jiyong put his tea down. Suddenly feeling too warm.

"I'm pretty sure we've crossed that line when you decided to buy me a toy for my 21st birthday. Remember? The gold one?"

Jiyong had to stifle his laughter.

"Come on, Ji. This isn't just another one night stand, is it? I bet the is mindblowing."

Jiyong exhaled. "There's no . Well, not yet anyway."

Soohyuk went silent for a few seconds and then he started to predict Jiyong's future. He rambled on about Jiyong moving to New York to be with Seunghyun and how they're going to be married in less than a year, or something like that. Jiyong wasn't really listening because he was too fixated on the sunset view in front of him- the last shreds of deep pink and orange rays slowly disappearing behind the clouds. He'd never seen such an amazing view his whole life.

"You are sooo screwed, Ji."

"Nah, it's just a fling." Jiyong cleared his throat.

"Okay, if you say so." Soohyuk sniggered. And Jiyong didn't rebuke him this time. He didn’t know anymore what was this feeling he's having for Seunghyun. But he knew one thing for sure. He'd only known Seunghyun for 48 hours. That's the fact. Even though they had talked about everything, from their political stands to favorite pizza toppings, but it didn't necessarily mean that they're in a relationship.

"It's just a fling. Nothing more." Jiyong repeated to himself even after he's no longer on the phone with Soohyuk.

It's a few minutes to 7PM and Jiyong had been pacing in his hotel room, deciding what to wear. He had only brought a couple of tshirts. Seunghyun said it's going to be a short overnight visit on an exotic location and nothing about dining in one of the most expensive restaurants in the world. He didn't know what made him peeked inside Seunghyun's side of the wardrobe but he was desperate- and shirtless. He quickly grabbed one of the shirts- the white one with the black collar. The sleeves were a bit too long, so he decided to roll them up to his elbows.

Three knocks on the front door.

Jiyong opened the door and the gentleman who had been showing him around the whole day greeted him with a smile. "Good evening, Sir. Are you ready?"

Jiyong nodded and then followed him to the elevator. The kind gentleman was making small talks and Jiyong tried his best to reply courteously but his mind was somewhere else. Jiyong knew that Seunghyun had arranged everything for him but he couldn't help but to feel foreign. He'd never been to this place before and he'd never felt this way ever. Jiyong didn't know what he was doing. Or what Seunghyun was doing. He's never been in this kind of situation before. This was all very new to him.

"We're here." The man led the way. The whole floor was a restaurant and the walls were all made of glass. Jiyong could clearly see the city's skyline laid out before him. All he could see was blinking city lights in the distance. There weren't many tables around; each table was occupied by two people or four, at most. Most tables were situated near the glass windows so everyone could enjoy the view and only a few people were sitting on the bar. Jiyong had read about this restaurant before- reservations were booked out for months, had the most breathtaking views in the world, critically acclaimed food- and judging from his surrounding right now, those articles were spot on.

Jiyong must be too busy absorbing his surrounding that he didn't notice Seunghyun was already standing in front of him. He chose a corner table.

"Hey." Jiyong smiled.

Seunghyun walked up to him and kissed his cheek. "Hey."

Jiyong didn't move away immediately and neither did Seunghyun. All of a sudden, Jiyong felt safe. It's an odd feeling to feel this secure around someone he barely knew. But he quickly brushed it away- managed to convince himself that Seunghyun was the only person he knew here so it's natural that he felt familiar.

Their table was set for two. Seunghyun teased Jiyong about how the shirt looks very familiar. And Jiyong blamed Seunghyun for not warning him about dining in a fancy restaurant that'd require a dress code.

"You can actually wear anything you want and I'd still get you the best seat in the house." Seunghyun sounded smug. And he should be, the place was unlike anything Jiyong had been before.

But Jiyong could only shake his head.

"So, how was your afternoon?" Seunghyun poured the wine into Jiyong's glass.

"It was splendid thanks to you." Jiyong lifted his half-filled glass and took a sip. He needed the wine- the liquid courage.

"Well, it is your birthday we're celebrating." Seunghyun smiled and the dimples on his cheeks momentarily distracted Jiyong.

"I, um—" Jiyong was thinking of asking Seunghyun about what's the purpose of taking him all the way to Dubai and spoiling him like this when they barely knew each other. But he didn't want to be rude. Seunghyun had been working all day and Jiyong felt inappropriate to ruin the night with his questions. So, in the end, he just shrugged and said thank you.

"Is there something bothering you?" Seunghyun's tone was calm. He wasn't being aggressive, there's concern in his voice.

"Umm.. no. Just thinking about what to order." Jiyong picked up the menu and skimmed through it.

Seunghyun didn't believe him, he slowly took the menu away from Jiyong and put it back on the table. "You know I used to study about body language in college and I can tell when someone isn't telling the truth."

"Me too. Especially when that someone told me yesterday that he studied business in college and he hated it. So he dropped out and started opening restaurants everywhere." Jiyong smirked.

Seunghyun laughed. Jiyong suddenly felt that familiarity again- the sound of that laughter, it's starting to grow on him. He liked that sound. He liked it a lot.

"Okay, you got me. But I know you want to say something, Ji. What is it?"

Jiyong took another sip of his wine and cleared his throat. "We barely know each other. But here we are."

That wasn't exactly what Jiyong had in mind. He didn't know how to ask Seunghyun about why he's being so nice to him when in reality, Jiyong allowed all this happened in the first place. Seunghyun never forced him to do anything and Jiyong had agreed to everything. So, deep down in his heart, Jiyong had wanted to ask that question to himself more than he wanted to ask Seunghyun.

"Well, first of all, you won't believe me. But I know what you're trying to say." Seunghyun's fingers lined the rim of the wine glass in front of him. "I've always relied on my instinct, Ji. It has gotten me to where I am so far. And the other night when I saw you, I wanted to get to know you better. Simple as that."

Jiyong subconsciously scratched the back of his head. "It's not that I'm not grateful, I mean, thank you for everything. But, why didn't you just ask for my number? Or give me yours?"

Seunghyun smiled again, this time Jiyong noticed the blush on his cheeks.

"Seunghyun, I'm being serious. A normal person would ask for a phone number or to add him on Facebook. And to be honest, a 2-Michelin-star restaurant is more of a 5th or 6th date kinda thing." Jiyong made a joke because he was nervous. He toyed with the saltshaker in the middle of the table.

Seunghyun moved his hand closer to Jiyong's hand- he took the saltshaker away and replaced it with his own fingers. They fell silent for a few minutes. Their fingers tangled and Seunghyun's thumb idly the back of Jiyong's hand.

"That's the thing, Ji. You're not normal. At least, not in my eyes."

Jiyong lifted his head and he frowned at Seunghyun's comment.

"No, I meant that you are... extraordinary. I've seen my fair share of people celebrating birthdays in my restaurants and your friends— I've never seen that many people being drawn to one person. You."

"Seunghyun, you're exaggerating." Jiyong ducked his head, embarrassed. He'd never heard this compliment before.

"And honestly, I don't know why I asked you to stay. I just remembered thinking that you have the most amazing smile and that I have to get to know you better."

Jiyong kept his head down, blushing madly and fingers still tangled with Seunghyun's.

"I still don't know a lot about you but I know that I can't get enough of you. Oh god, this sounds so possessive." Seunghyun was nervous too.

"I want to get to know you too." Jiyong ran his hand through his hair. He's feeling the good kind of nervous- that shy, almost awkward feeling but his heart was pounding so loud, he could barely hear his own voice.

"Okay." Seunghyun nodded.

And then they both laughed, eyes stealing glances at each other. Seunghyun slotted his fingers between Jiyong's- their hands locked in a tight hold.

"But promise me one thing?" Jiyong looked up and he found Seunghyun's gentle gaze staring back at him. "No more special treatments. I want us to start this relationship like any normal people would."

Seunghyun grinned sheepishly.

"I mean it, Seunghyun. I don't even know your phone number but I know the lock combination on your luggage."

But Seunghyun was nodding mindlessly, like his thoughts were somewhere else.

"What?" Jiyong peered.

"You said relationship." Seunghyun grinned again.

Jiyong rolled his eyes. "Seunghyun, I'm being serious."

"Alright, alright." Seunghyun clasped one hand on Jiyong's cheek. "I promise."

Seunghyun woke up to something weighing his chest. Jiyong. A very Jiyong was pressed to his side. Jiyong's slender arm slung across his stomach and their legs were all kinds of tangled. Seunghyun tried to adjust his arm but Jiyong was soundly sleeping, so he shifted slowly.

Jiyong made a small noise when Seunghyun settled in his position. He then pulled the comforter further up covering their bodies and he lined his arm on top of Jiyong's. Outside, the darkness of the night was starting to fade replaced by streaks of soft pink rays. Seunghyun had wanted to go back to sleep but even in his sleep, Jiyong was still distracting him. He had never seen this side of Jiyong before- calm and vulnerable.

That night after Jiyong agreed to stay in his restaurant, they went back to Seunghyun's place. They were both a little bit tipsy from the wine so they decided to walk to get some fresh air. Seunghyun told him that it was only 20 minutes walk but Jiyong made a pitstop at a 24-hour diner. They ordered cheesy curly fries and coffee. Jiyong started talking about his job- he's an interior designer, a highly sought out one at that. And Jiyong admitted that he couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun. He'd spent the last few years building his own company from scratch.

Seunghyun listened to every word and Jiyong fascinated him. He'd met so many people from all walks of life but Jiyong was different. Jiyong had known what he wanted to do since he was 10 years old. Jiyong had been spending his life chasing his dreams. They talked about childhood fears (Seunghyun found out that Jiyong was terrified of bamboo trees as a child) and their favourite movies (Seunghyun admitted that he liked watching romantic comedies more than action movies) until the sun came up.

And when they got to Seunghyun's place, he made breakfast for Jiyong. That's when they first kissed. Seunghyun was making pancakes and Jiyong was busy stealing the strawberries. At first, Seunghyun let him. Jiyong was munching on the fruit and making comments on the pancakes. But after the 4th strawberry and Jiyong making a comment that he could probably make better pancakes, Seunghyun couldn't help himself. He pulled Jiyong by the waist- the move took Jiyong by surprise; he was halfway biting into a strawberry when Seunghyun abruptly pressed their hips against each other. Seunghyun slowly took the fruit out and replaced it with his own lips. Light kisses at first- their lips sliding with each other; Seunghyun could taste the sweet strawberry on Jiyong. Seunghyun could feel Jiyong's body slowly relaxing and then he added more pressure- slipped his tongue in. He knew Jiyong liked it because Jiyong lightly tilted his head for more. When he gently the roof of Jiyong's mouth, the smaller man grasped on Seunghyun's shoulder- he made a cute small noise too. Seunghyun pulled away for a few seconds and saw Jiyong was biting his own lips.

“Can I kiss you again?” Seunghyun’s voice was hoarse from the kiss. Jiyong nodded. Safe to say that after that first kiss, Seunghyun had developed a mild obsession over Jiyong's lips.

Seunghyun peeked; Jiyong was soundly sleeping on his chest. He was about to let himself drift back to sleep when he felt Jiyong's hand caressing his side. Seunghyun was a bit ticklish, he giggled.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Jiyong's voice was heavy with sleep. He looked up to Seunghyun.

"No. Go to back to sleep." Seunghyun naturally cuddled closer to Jiyong, pecking his forehead.

Seunghyun thought Jiyong would instantly succumb back to slumber, but instead he buried his face on Seunghyun's neck. "I'm ."

"What?" Seunghyun laughed- he didn't mean to but he wasn't expecting that from Jiyong.

"Can you hand me my pants please?" Jiyong was mumbling.

Seunghyun tried to stifle his laugh; he didn't want to offend Jiyong. But he didn't want to help him either. "But you look better like this." Jiyong didn't respond. "And cuter."

Jiyong made a sound, very similar to a squeal or to what someone who's very embarrassed would make.

"Ji, are you embarrassed?"

Jiyong nodded.

"But we just— Well, I didn't recall you being this shy a few hours ago." Seunghyun started to .

Jiyong kicked Seunghyun's shin.

"In fact, I think you're saying something along the line of “harder” and “faster.” And when you came the second time, you actually sai—" Seunghyun's words were cut short, Jiyong's hand was already covering his mouth.

"Okay. I get your point." Jiyong lifted his head to glare at Seunghyun but his cheeks were blushing.

Seunghyun shrugged coyly.

"The thing is I haven't— It's just— It's been a while." Jiyong still kept his hand clasped on Seunghyun's lips. "And I sort of got carried away. I'm sorry."

Seunghyun gently took Jiyong's hand from his lips, but he didn't remove it completely. "Don't be. I think it's adorable."

Jiyong hid his reddening cheeks on the crook of Seunghyun's neck again. But this time, Seunghyun slowly tilted his chin up. "Please don't be embarrassed with me and please don't apologize for getting carried away. I like you getting carried away like that. I think it's ador—"

Jiyong put his hand over Seunghyun's mouth again. He's smiling this time. "Shut up. Just shut up and kiss me."

Jiyong was checking his phone while waiting for the car to pick them up to the airport. Seunghyun was still talking to the manager near the hotel’s entrance door- something about a new opening next year. Jiyong saw 34 messages in his inbox. No, he wasn't going to reply any of them. For some strange reasons, he wanted to keep his relationship with Seunghyun private. He used to share his relationship details with his closest friends, but not this time. Not because he's ashamed of it, but because it's one of the best things that had happened to him in a while. Jiyong wanted to savor it for himself. That butterfly-in-your-stomach feeling whenever Seunghyun held his hand, the flutter in his chest every time Seunghyun smiled at him and the rapid drumming in his chest every time they kissed. He wanted to be selfish with Seunghyun, he didn't want to share. At least, not yet. Jiyong ignored the messages and stored his phone in his pocket.

"Hey. You're ready?" Seunghyun was already carrying their bags.

"Yes. Are we taking a taxi there?"

"Well, not exactly a taxi..."

"Seunghyun, what did I say about special treatments?" Jiyong quirked an eyebrow up.

"Precisely why I said that. Our ride to the airport is there." Seunghyun gestured to the bus waiting in front of the lobby. It had "Airport Shuttle Bus" written on the side.

Jiyong shook his head and took his bag from Seunghyun. They walked to the bus and sat on the seat at the very back. The moment they sat down, the door closed and the bus started moving.

"Wait. Why is no one else taking the shuttle bus?" Jiyong started looking around.

"I guess no one else needs to go to the airport at this hour." Seunghyun smiled.

"Seunghyun, are you trying to trick me? Again?"

Seunghyun laughed- he put one arm behind Jiyong and pulled him into his embrace. "When did I ever trick you?"

Jiyong sighed in defeat, trying to hold back his smile.

"I actually have a more important question to ask you." Seunghyun reached into the side-pocket of his bag and pulled out two envelopes. "I have two tickets here."

"Please tell me they're not first class." Jiyong interrupted.

"Well, it's not that that I'm worried about." Seunghyun grinned and gave Jiyong a quick peck on his temple. He took out the tickets from the envelopes.

Jiyong saw them immediately. Both tickets have his name on them, but one was for Los Angeles and the other is for New York.

"I wish I could come up with an eloquent way to ask you to come with me to New York. Or at least, a good reason to convince you that New York is the right choice. But I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do."

Jiyong looked up to Seunghyun, he was still speechless. He'd forgotten that after this trip, they had to go back to real life. And Jiyong's old life didn't involve Seunghyun at all. At this moment, he couldn’t- and didn’t want to- see life without Seunghyun in it. And that’s his answer. He’s not going to lie to himself anymore. He wanted this as much as Seunghyun did.

"Listen, I completely understand if you want to go back to LA and figure this out. But I really wish you wouldn’t. I want to get to know you and I know it's selfish of me to ask you to come back with me to New York but—We can figure this out together, Ji." Seunghyun sounded nervous. Jiyong remembered this nervous Seunghyun from the restaurant last night.

Jiyong didn't give his answer straightaway. He wasn't looking at the tickets, he was staring at Seunghyun. "You said we're going to do everything like a normal couple would, right?"

Seunghyun nodded. And Jiyong pulled himself away and offered a hand, "Hello, I'm Kwon Jiyong. You must be Seunghyun."

Seunghyun started laughing but he shook Jiyong's hand anyway. "Yes, that's me."

"Are you going somewhere, Mr. Choi?" Jiyong pointed at the duffel bag next to Seunghyun.

"Ah yes. I'm going home to New York. I see that you're traveling too. Where are you heading?"

Jiyong grinned. He took one of the tickets and ripped them apart. And then he lifted the other one- still fully intact. "What a coincidence. Seems like we'll be going to the same destination."

Jiyong predicted that Seunghyun would surge forward and kiss him hard on the mouth. But no, Seunghyun merely smiled and nodded. "Oh that's wonderful."

Jiyong was confused. What was Seunghyun planning this time?

"I hope you enjoy New York when you get there, Mr. Kwon. I can recommend you a few good restaurants if you're interested." Seunghyun gave him a courteous smile and then retrieved his phone from his pocket, pretending to be busy checking his contacts.

"You ." Jiyong grabbed Seunghyun's collar and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips.

***