Ryeowook pondered for around a few seconds on what to do. He felt Kyuhyun’s full lips on his, nipping it gently. His brain just stopped functioning. He was torn if he would respond to the kiss or he would continue to pretend that he’s asleep. The latter option can make both of them believe that nothing happened and everything will be in status quo. Easy, but that’s not what his heart’s telling him to do.

               He decided to go with the first option. Ryeowook gathered enough courage to kiss him back but on that split second that he was about to move his lips, Kyuhyun pulled away immediately. Ryeowook was taken aback, his heart stopped for a while, nervous on what will happen next.

               Did Kyuhyun found out he was already awake?!

              Kyuhyun jumped off from the bed and he immediately ran to the bathroom. As soon as Ryeowook heard the water from the shower, that’s when the only time he moved a muscle. He stared at the ceiling his right hand on his chest trying to still his heart from jumping out his ribcage. He was running the fingers of his other hand to touch his lips. It was lovely…it was perfect. He felt his eyes were starting to water.  He was feeling love...he was happy but he was terrified too.

              “He kissed me….”  

              Those words were running at a hundred miles per minute inside his brain. What should he do? Would he confront him about it? Should he lash out on him for kissing him without permission? Would he pretend that he didn’t know?

            Or ask him the most important question.           

           “Why did you kiss me Kyuhyun?”

            Ryeowook heard the doorknob of the restroom turned and he returned to his “sleeping state”. He tried to sense what Kyuhyun was doing as he heard him pace around the room. A few more moments, he felt a nudge on his shoulder and he almost jumped. He felt electricity from Kyuhyun’s hand as he touched him.

            “Ryeowook…wake up…time to wake up…”  Kyuhyun spoke to him in a low coaxing voice.

            Ryeowook thought he never spoke to him in such a gentle way. Why is everything so weird so early in the morning?

            “Uhm…” Ryeowook opened his eyes, pretending that he just woke up. He faked a yawn and he stretched on the bed.

            “Get up…let’s catch some breakfast…I’m starving…I’ll be back in 15 minutes” Kyuhyun muttered silently without looking at Ryeowook. He soon left the room.

            Ryeowook stared at the closed door. He had strange feelings regarding on how peculiar and emotionless Kyuhyun was that morning. He thought it just hurts a little bit that he was acting like that and here he was feeling like he’s walking in the clouds.

            Kyuhyun walked a few blocks from the hostel and he sat on a park bench.  He needed to get away from Ryeowook for a while. He figured staying with him in such a small,confined, private space was not very safe. It would require an unbelievable amount of self control to not kiss him again. He had a blank stare on his face as he kept on asking himself;

            “What the happened? Why did I just let that happen?”

            He just kissed Kim Ryeowook willingly. No silly accidents. No need to just warm up in a giant refrigerator. No coercion from anyone or whatsoever. No one daring him to do it but himself.

            He kissed him willingly and it was beautiful. Their kiss was beautiful and it was something that he had never experienced before, with Seohyun or with all those other girl flings.

            He felt his heart on his chest. It was aching in a very peculiar way. He felt his heart was badly aching to be freed.

            They soon checked out from the hostel, unfortunately still wearing their clothes from yesterday. They eyed a breakfast place not so far from the hostel and decided to check out the place.

            Kyuhyun ordered quite a spread,two different flavors of pancakes,  French toast filled with strawberries and cream cheese, hashbrowns, eggs, bacon and fresh fruit juice. Kyuhyun dug in as soon as all the food was served.  He was eating intently and he didn’t notice that Ryeowook was just staring at him. The smaller guy was actually finding it strange that ever since he woke up Kyuhyun was not looking at him straight in the eye. He hated the awkwardness…it’s almost killing his appetite despite the scrumptious breakfast in front of him.

            “What?” Kyuhyun looked at him when he sensed that the other was not eating.

            “Nothing…”

            “C’mon what’s up?” Kyuhyun started to question himself if Ryeowook was totally oblivious to what took place that morning. What if he was not really asleep? He took advantage of him and he would be the one at fault. Hell he didn’t even know if Ryeowook actually wanted to be kissed. For him, he knew that Ryeowook was already someone special but he was totally clueless on what the other man felt for him.

           Ryeowook shook his head in reply and he sipped on his orange juice. Kyuhyun scrunched his forehead at the other’s unusual silence.

           “Kyuhyun…”

            Kyuhyun looked up at Ryeowook and he was kind of shocked that he called him by his first name.

           “Hmm….why?” Ryeook asked him while looking at him straight in the eye.

            Kyuhyun swallowed thickly. Where is the conversation heading  to? He felt cold beads of sweat rolling on his back.

          “Why did you order so much food? Can you really eat all of these? You know pancakes and French toasts can make you fat!?”

          Kyuhyun’s suddenly let out the breath he was holding. Kissing Ryeowook just made him extremely paranoid.  He made a face at Ryeowook and he started putting lots of food on the other’s plate.

          “Go…eat…share my fats!’” 

           “Not too much!” Ryeowook scowled as he tried to stop Kyuhyun’s hands.  Kyuhyun let out an evil laugh and Ryeowook was relieved that it seems that they were back to normal. As long as he can pretend that the kissed didn’t happen and Kyuhyun won’t mention it again…they will be okay.

           Status quo..no sliding backward…no moving forward.

            Kyuhyun suggested they take the bus instead of the subway on their way back. He was really traumatized from his experience the other night that any amount of assurance from Ryeowook can convince him.

            They were seated side by side. Ryeowook was on the window seat and he was staring at the scenery outside.  Ky