The next morning was spent between the two boys at Kyungsoo’s home, holed up in his room, sitting on the bed and talking about everything and anything.

They had spent so long hating each other and trying their hardest to know nothing about each other, that now there was so much for them to find out about, and neither one of them resented the time it would take to do so.

They ate leftover pizza for their lunch, returning to Kyungsoo’s room immediately after finishing.  They had just resumed their previous conversation when Kyungsoo’s phone began to ring.

Looking at the caller ID, Kyungsoo saw that it was Jongdae calling him, and decided that it was best for his own personal safety if he answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Soo, we’re coming over to your place tonight, okay?  We’d do it at mine, only my mom is having a fit and yelling that I never do anything around the house, blah blah blah.  You know, the usual.  Anyway, Baekhyun and I will be there around 4:00, I guess.”

“Okay Dae, I’ll let my mom know what’s going on.  I’m sure she won’t mind, it’s been long enough since the chocolate fridge incident that she shouldn’t have a problem.”

“Great. What are you feeding me?”

"What do you want me to make?”

“I’m feeling japchae, are you feeling japchae?”

“Japchae it is.”

“Sweet! Kyungsoo, you’re the best.  Anyway, I gotta go now, mom’s making me do my own laundry.  See you later.”

“Bye Jongdae, enjoy your laundry,” Kyungsoo sniggered as he hung up the phone.

“What was that about?” Kai asked curiously, laying down with his head on Kyungsoo’s leg as he played with the shorter boy’s fingers.

“Jongdae and Baekhyun are coming over tonight and he wants me to make japchae.”

“Does this mean I have to go home?” Kai pouted, clearly crestfallen.

Kyungsoo chuckled and brushed Kai’s hair out of his face.  “I don’t see why you do.”

“But, your friends are coming over.”

“Yeah, and Baekhyun is your friend as well, is he not?”

“Yeah but he hates me right now.  And Jongdae definitely does too, I’m scared I might get punched in the face.”

“And you’d deserve it,” Kyungsoo .

“Hey!” Kai exclaimed, but he knew that Kyungsoo was just messing with him.

“And anyway, Baekhyun doesn’t hate you, he doesn’t hate anyone.  As for Jongdae, well, yeah, he definitely hates you, but I’ll talk to him.  He just doesn’t want to see me get hurt by you again.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Kyungsoo squeezed his hand.

“Jongdae seems like he’s a really good friend to you.”

“He’s the best.”

An hour and a half later found the two boys in the kitchen so that Kyungsoo could begin to prepare enough japchae to fill four teenage boys; a daunting task.

As Kyungsoo puttered around the kitchen getting together all the ingredients and beginning to cook, Kai remained seated at the island, watching the boy that he liked so much, the boy that was helping him through all of his trauma so that he may live a normal life again.

While Kyungsoo was stirring the sauce, he froze as he felt a pair of warm arms wrap themselves around his chest, pulling him close to the warm and strong body they belonged to.

“Do you need something?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Nothing at all,” Kai responded, resting his head on top of Kyungsoo’s.

Kyungsoo turned himself around to face Kai, a difficult feat as he was being held so tightly.  When he looked up, he was surprised to find his face so close to the other boy’s.

It appeared as if Kai was just as surprised, as his eyebrows shot up and his eyes went wide.  They stared at each other for a few moments, Kai’s eyes dropping down to look at Kyungsoo’s heart shaped lips before speaking.

“Kyungsoo.”

“Yeah?” he responded, voice breathy and heart beating so loudly he’d be amazed if Kai couldn’t hear it.

“Can I – can I try kissing you again?” the tan boy shyly requested.

“I think I’d like that.”

With his approval, Kai closed the distance between their faces, pressing his lips against Kyungsoo’s plush ones.

This kiss was different from their first one.  Kyungsoo’s heart beat just as wildly, and his body felt just as light, but there was a new sensation too, there was a feeling of trust between the two boys that only served to intensify all of the good feelings of the kiss.

Kyungsoo pressed himself into Kai as Kai wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him closer, cupping Kyungsoo’s soft cheek with his other hand, running his thumb gently under his eye.

They broke apart shortly thereafter, though their bodies remained just as close.  Kai rested his forehead against Kyungsoo’s, both of them feeling slightly feverish, and allowed his eyes to slip closed.

“Thanks,” he whispered into Kyungsoo’s soft bangs, causing Kyungsoo to squeeze him tighter.

“For what?” Kyungsoo asked, unsure of what it was Kai was thanking him for.

“For everything.  For being there for me even though I was a , for listening to my story, for giving me another chance, and…for liking me back,” he listed quietly, pressing his lips into Kyungsoo’s forehead.

“What does this make us?” Kyungsoo questioned, worried by how Kai might respond.

“Do Kyungsoo,” Kai began, pausing briefly to take a steadying breath, “will you be my boyfriend?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo breathed out, tilting his head up to meet Kai’s lips for another kiss, this one with more passion and with more heat.  “A thousand times yes.”

“WHAT THE HELL AM I CURRENTLY WITNESSING!” Jongdae’s remarkably loud shouting caused them to jump apart suddenly, both with guilty looks on their faces.  “DO KYUNGSOO, WHAT THE ACTUAL IS GOING ON!”

“Jesus, Jongdae, calm the down,” Baekhyun attempted to get Jongdae under control.

“NO I WILL NOT CALM THE DOWN UNTIL SOMEBODY EXPLAINS TO ME JUST WHAT THE IS HAPPENING!”

“Kai, why don’t you join me in the living room?” Baekhyun said, gesturing at Kai who all too enthusiastically followed him away from Jongdae and his yelling.

“DO KYUNGSOO, EXPLAIN YOURSELF THIS INSTANT!  WHY DID I JUST SEE YOU KISSING THAT MOTHERER!”

“Jongdae, I will explain to you everything that happened if you just please shut the up and stop yelling, you’re going to burst my eardrums.”  Jondae did as he was told, stiffly sitting down in a chair and breathing heavily as Kyungsoo sat across from him.

“Jongdae, I want you to listen to me carefully, okay? Kai and I are dating now.”

“Why?” was the only thing Jongdae said in return. And so Kyungsoo explained: he told Jongdae everything that had happened between the two of them in the two weeks since the party, and told him that he had decided to forgive Kai after hearing his story, though he told Jongdae that it wasn’t within his power to tell him just what that story was.

“Just suffice it to say that his reason for acting the way he did is perfectly sound.  I forgive him, Jongdae, and I would like it if you would too.”

“I don’t know if I can Soo.  Seeing you that night, it was horrible, I’d never seen you more upset in our entire time as friends, and I never want to see it happen again.”

“Jongdae, you’re my best friend and I know that you just want me to be happy, and right now, Kai is what makes me happy.”

Jongdae sighed and nodded his head resignedly.  “Okay Soo, if this is what you really want.”

“It is Dae, it really is.”

The two boys got up and made their way into the living room to join Kai and Baekhyun.  Upon seeing Jongdae’s sharp face enter the room, Kai immediately tensed up and hid behind Baekhyun.

“Kim Kai, at the behest of Kyungsoo, I will forgive you this time.  But I swear to ing God, if you hurt my friend one more time, I will make it so that you can never dance again, capisce?”

Kai nodded his head furiously in fear, which caused Kyungsoo to laugh before walking towards his boyfriend and taking his place on the couch beside him.

The four boys spent the remainder of the night violently playing video games, Kyungsoo curled into Kai’s side, Baekhyun laughing each time he killed Jongdae, and Jongdae occasionally sending threatening looks towards Kai, but otherwise behaving like his normal self.

Kyungsoo could do nothing but smile to have three of his favorite people around him in quasi-friendship.

At this moment in his life, Do Kyungsoo was the happiest he had ever been.