Bunk Beds (aka Top and Bottom)
Title: Top and Bottom
Pairings: WooGyu
Rating: PG
Genre: Humor, Romance
Beta: kat_elric
A/N: Usually I stick to writing DBSK or Super Junior. My ships have always been Yunjae and KyuWook, but I am pretty sure WooGyu is on its way to cementing a place in my heart. If you would like more WooGyu stories comment and let me know…..if not I will stick with my other ships. lol Also I need more WooGyu lovers in my life to spaz with, so feel free to follow me on twitter!
Summary: The new dorm’s bunk beds are causing WooHyun emotional distress, but will he be able to communicate his problem to SungGyu?
Top and Bottom
WooHyun hated the bunk beds in their new room. He hated them with the fire and intensity of a thousand suns. He hated them for two reasons. The first reason being that unlike the floor they completely separated him from SungGyu. Before it had been so easy to casually roll over to SungGyu under the guise of sleep, and to snuggle…yes, snuggle. The masculine part of him balked at his calling it snuggling, but the word fit perfectly. They snuggled and there was no way of denying it.
It troubled him immensely that he was in all likelihood gay…okay he was gay. If he couldn’t say it aloud then he would have to practice saying it mentally to himself. He was gay, gay for the leader of Infinite…okay so maybe he had always been gay, but all his gayness was now firmly focused on SungGyu. His gayness was not something he was comfortable with…at all. WooHyun wanted to like girls, and most importantly he wanted girls to like him. He wanted a million girls all over the world to love and worship him. He wanted a million girlfriends….umm or should he say fans. Yes, he wanted a million fans. He wanted to make cute hearts for them, blow them kisses and he wanted to watch them to swoon over him.
But sadly he did not swoon for girls in return…he swooned when his fan numbers increased, but that feeling of being unable to take his eyes off somebody, that only applied to the leader of Infinite. The leader of Infinite who just happened to be his very best friend and the only person he knew of who could make his heart flutter in his chest like a butterfly.
Unfortunately for him, SungGyu, who was as sharp as his voice was beautiful, was well aware of his feelings. Not only was he aware of WooHyun’s feelings…he returned them. They had shared a room with each other for over two years and during many a restless…or faked sleep in WooHyun’s case there had been lots of touching. Touching that went well beyond that of friendship. Touching that WooHyun was not comfortable talking about…even with SungGyu. If certain body parts had been rubbed together…and messy accidents had occurred then WooHyun just chalked it up to being a young, healthy male. SungGyu may have given him a few dubious looks, but he had never cornered him on the subject. SungGyu continued to let WooHyun live in his wonderful world of denial.
Not that SungGyu did not get more affectionate than WooHyun was comfortable with at times. SungGyu was a kisser and he had kissed WooHyun three times…three times when WooHyun was fully awake and somber, causing WooHyun to flee from him. At those times WooHyun would merely take a step back from their relationship. He would usually ignore SungGyu and cling to the other members till SungGyu learned his lesson about kissing him.
Woohyun entered the room he shared with SungGyu, flipped on the light, and walked up to the bunk bed. He starred at the top bunk where the leader slept. He knew his wonderful world of denial couldn’t last for much longer, and that brought him to the second reason he hated the bunk beds.
SungGyu had immediately claimed the top bunk, and it worried WooHyun about what exactly that signified? WooHyun was no expert on homosexuality but even he was aware of the uke and seme roles. The role of the uke was not one that he was eager to embrace. It was a difficult subject to broach, considering his inability to admit certain things…like his gayness.
“Hyung!” WooHyun called.
The lump on the top bunk did not even twitch.
WooHyun reached up and pulled a blanket from the top bunk and yelled, “Hyung!”
An indecipherable growling sound came from the top bunk, but still no noticeable movement.
“It’s very important that I talk to you, Hyung,” WooHyun told the older boy as he pulled the rest of the covers off the top bunk.
“You have to let me sleep. I’m going to look thirty years old if you don’t let me sleep. Please let me sleep,” SungGyu mumbled into his pillow.
WooHyun winced guilty. It was true he hadn’t exactly let SungGyu get any sleep since they moved into the new dorm. He had been unable to sleep, and in return he had kept the leader awake with his constant talking. “You are the leader and I am one of your members and I have a problem,” WooHyun said, knowing this would get the older boy’s attention.
SungGyu slowly came to life and sat up in bed, and then he looked down at WooHyun with very sleepy eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t think it is fair that you just assume that you get to be the top,” WooHyun informed him.
SungGyu blinked several times as his drowsy mind awakened. “I beg your pardon?”
“The bunk beds…I mean why do you get the top bunk? Is it just because you are older? That’s not really fair? It’s not like I had any control over when I was born?”
“Huh?”
“You know what I mean, Hyung.”
“I do?” SungGyu questioned as he eyed the younger man standing below him, who was tapping his foot and looking very serious.
WooHyun nodded his head. “Yes, you do.”
“You might…want to clarify for me.”
“What if I don’t want to be the bottom…I mean on the bottom bunk,” Woohyun told him, unable to control the blush that spread across his cheeks.
SungGyu sat up straighter now, realizing exactly what the other man was getting at, in his very round about way. “Do you want the top bunk?”
“I don’t…I don’t know. I have never had bunk beds before, but I don’t think I want to be stuck on the bottom bunk,” WooHyun tried to explain. He could tell the sleepy leader was wide awake now.
SungGyu’s eyes narrowed in on WooHyun, and carefully added, “I have only had bunk beds twice before, and I have been on both the bottom and the top bunk.”
WooHyun’s eyes widened letting SungGyu know that his suspicions about the conversation were true. “You had bunk beds before! You have experience with bunk beds?”
“Yes,” SungGyu replied cautiously. WooHyun was so unpredictable at times and if he wasn’t careful the younger man would take off running. “When I was much younger…too young I shared bunk beds with an older hyung. It was only for one night, but I was on the bottom bunk that night.”
“Who?” WooHyun demanded immediately.
“That’s not important.”
“Do I know them? Is it one of your clubbing friends? Is it-”
“Stop it!”
WooHyun swallowed down his jealously and asked, “Did you like it? I mean did you like sleeping on the bottom bunk?”
“No.”
Woohyun smiled, he loved the idea that SungGyu had not enjoyed himself, but what did that mean for him? “Why not?”
“He was much too old…to be sharing bunk beds with me. He wasn’t…he wasn’t a good roommate. He wasn’t considerate or careful with….my stuff,” SungGyu fumbled, trying to answer in away that wouldn’t send WooHyun fleeing from the room.
“What about the other time?”
“Well, the other time it was much better,” SungGyu answered.
WooHyun’s eyes darkened. “Why? Was it because you liked…that roommate? Who was he?”
SungGyu inhaled a deep breath. “I’m not telling you, so don’t ask.”
WooHyun was fuming now, but he managed to ask, “Was it because you liked your roommate, or was it because you liked the top bunk better?”
“It was probably for both of those reasons. He was an older roommate too, but he was considerate. He wanted to make sure I….I got the most out of my sleep.”
WooHyun folded his arms. “Well doesn’t he just sound wonderful?”
SungGyu scooted to the side of the bed, and dangled his feet over the side of it. He smiled down at the other boy. “It was a long time ago.”
“How long ago?”
“It was before I met you,” the older boy told him as he stretched out a leg and gently thumped the top of WooHyun’s head with his foot. “That’s all you need to know.”
WooHyun glared up at him. “So I take it you are not going to be eager to give up the top bunk?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Really?”
The surprise in the younger boy’s voice made SungGyu grin down at him. “If I had a really good roommate…somebody who I really cared about then I would be willing to share the top bunk with them.”
“I am the best roommate you ever had,” WooHyun said, beaming with pride. “You said so yourself.”
SungGyu arched his eyebrows. “If we are only talking about roommates, then yes you are. If we are talking about…something more then that’s yet to be determined.”
WooHyun’s blush that had faded from his cheeks reappeared quickly. WooHyun bolted for the bottom bunk out of SungGyu’s line of sight. “What else could we be talking about?” WooHyun asked, burying his face in his pillow.
The only response WooHyun got was the sound of laughter from the top bunk. From the sound of the amused laughter, WooHyun knew SungGyu wasn’t mad at him. WooHyun smiled and rolled to his side and asked to confirm his suspicions, “You aren’t mad at me?”
“No, not at all,” SungGyu answered still amused.
WooHyun smiled, because he loved listening to SungGyu’s laughter. He hated it when SungGyu didn’t laugh. He never wanted SungGyu to stop laughing…because he laughed with all his heart. His laughter was full of a contagious joy. “I’m glad…I thought you might be getting impatient with me.”
“Oh, I am terribly impatient with you. You frustrate me like crazy. I finally think we are getting somewhere and then you run and hide behind the other members. You would try the patience of a saint,” SungGyu told him in all seriousness, not laughing now.
WooHyun frowned and rolled over on his back and glared up at the top bunk. “You just said you weren’t mad!”
“I’m not mad,” SungGyu repeated. “I was just being honest. I might be impatient at times, but I understand. You are not ready, but that’s probably a good thing. Infinite is the most important thing right now. Infinite has to be the focus.”
WooHyun let out a breath of air he didn’t even realize he was holding. “That’s true. Infinite is the most important thing in the world.”
“Exactly.”
WooHyun nodded his head even though the older boy couldn’t see him. “I hate bunk beds though.”
The legs that had been dangling over the side of the top bunk were pulled back onto the top bunk. “You don’t need to worry about bunk beds. It’s way too early for that.”
WooHyun knew SungGyu spoke the truth. They couldn’t even kiss without him running away. “I miss sleeping on the floor with you.”
“Oh, yeah…well this is probably for the best.”
“No, it isn’t,” WooHyun protested. “Now, I can’t pretend-” WooHyun stopped abruptly realizing what he almost admitted.
“Pretend to be sleeping.” SungGyu finished, laughing again. “Go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Did you love either of your other roommates?”
“No, I did not. Go to bed.”
“Do I know them?”
“Go to bed.”
“So I do know them.”
“Go to bed.”
“Do you like older roommates?”
SungGyu jumped down from the top bunk and walked to the door to their bedroom, flipped off the light, and locked the door. “No, I do not like older roommates. I like younger ones that won’t let me get any sleep,” he answered as he walked back to the bunk bed.
WooHyun swallowed nervously. “I will let you sleep.”
“No, you won’t,” SungGyu told him. “The most sleep I have gotten since we moved into this dorm has been on a plane.”
“I’m sorry. I will let you sleep now,” the younger man insisted, trying to hide the thrill he was feeling. Had he pushed him too much?
“Scoot over,” SungGyu ordered as he sat down on the bottom bunk with WooHyun. “As long as I am on the top bunk you are going to yak and keep me awake.”
“I will shut up,” WooHyun promised as he moved closer to the wall, giving SungGyu room to squeeze in beside him on the tiny bed. He was suddenly nervous and excited at the same time. Was SungGyu going to try something? Was SungGyu going to kiss him for the fourth time?
SungGyu snorted and laid down beside him, making no attempt to touch him, much less kiss him. “Just go to sleep.”
WooHyun laid there very still not saying a word. Did SungGyu really just intend to sleep? Why did he feel like sleeping on the bottom bunk with him suddenly? WooHyun wanted to ask, but then again he didn’t dare.
He knew that they were in a perilous point in their relationship. There was a thin line between them, and WooHyun wasn’t sure he wanted to cross it. To cross it would be to paint himself into a corner for the rest of his life. Apparently SungGyu had already crossed the line twice before, but WooHyun wasn’t sure if he was ready to. Infinite really was the most important thing in the world.
The sound of soft, sleepy breathing from beside him let him know SungGyu had already slipped off into sleep. The older boy could fall asleep standing up, and had done so on many occasions. WooHyun envied him the skill.
It was true that WooHyun had not let SungGyu sleep since they moved into the new dorm, but he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep either…suddenly he was reminded of the first reason he hated the bunk beds. A huge smile spread out across his face as it dawned on him why SungGyu was sleeping beside him now.
WooHyun pretended to be asleep as he snuggled in close to the older boy. Yes, this is what he had missed. He missed the touching, and this was why he hadn’t been able to sleep. He just needed to feel the other boy close to him. SungGyu knew this, and even though he probably desired more…he would never push WooHyun into anything he wasn’t comfortable with. WooHyun was very blessed to have such a person for a best friend, a leader, and yes, his something more. Yes, his something wonderfully more, something full of promise, and something that would last once he found the courage to cross that line.
Pairings: WooGyu
Rating: PG
Genre: Humor, Romance
Beta: kat_elric
A/N: Usually I stick to writing DBSK or Super Junior. My ships have always been Yunjae and KyuWook, but I am pretty sure WooGyu is on its way to cementing a place in my heart. If you would like more WooGyu stories comment and let me know…..if not I will stick with my other ships. lol Also I need more WooGyu lovers in my life to spaz with, so feel free to follow me on twitter!
Summary: The new dorm’s bunk beds are causing WooHyun emotional distress, but will he be able to communicate his problem to SungGyu?
Top and Bottom
WooHyun hated the bunk beds in their new room. He hated them with the fire and intensity of a thousand suns. He hated them for two reasons. The first reason being that unlike the floor they completely separated him from SungGyu. Before it had been so easy to casually roll over to SungGyu under the guise of sleep, and to snuggle…yes, snuggle. The masculine part of him balked at his calling it snuggling, but the word fit perfectly. They snuggled and there was no way of denying it.
It troubled him immensely that he was in all likelihood gay…okay he was gay. If he couldn’t say it aloud then he would have to practice saying it mentally to himself. He was gay, gay for the leader of Infinite…okay so maybe he had always been gay, but all his gayness was now firmly focused on SungGyu. His gayness was not something he was comfortable with…at all. WooHyun wanted to like girls, and most importantly he wanted girls to like him. He wanted a million girls all over the world to love and worship him. He wanted a million girlfriends….umm or should he say fans. Yes, he wanted a million fans. He wanted to make cute hearts for them, blow them kisses and he wanted to watch them to swoon over him.
But sadly he did not swoon for girls in return…he swooned when his fan numbers increased, but that feeling of being unable to take his eyes off somebody, that only applied to the leader of Infinite. The leader of Infinite who just happened to be his very best friend and the only person he knew of who could make his heart flutter in his chest like a butterfly.
Unfortunately for him, SungGyu, who was as sharp as his voice was beautiful, was well aware of his feelings. Not only was he aware of WooHyun’s feelings…he returned them. They had shared a room with each other for over two years and during many a restless…or faked sleep in WooHyun’s case there had been lots of touching. Touching that went well beyond that of friendship. Touching that WooHyun was not comfortable talking about…even with SungGyu. If certain body parts had been rubbed together…and messy accidents had occurred then WooHyun just chalked it up to being a young, healthy male. SungGyu may have given him a few dubious looks, but he had never cornered him on the subject. SungGyu continued to let WooHyun live in his wonderful world of denial.
Not that SungGyu did not get more affectionate than WooHyun was comfortable with at times. SungGyu was a kisser and he had kissed WooHyun three times…three times when WooHyun was fully awake and somber, causing WooHyun to flee from him. At those times WooHyun would merely take a step back from their relationship. He would usually ignore SungGyu and cling to the other members till SungGyu learned his lesson about kissing him.
Woohyun entered the room he shared with SungGyu, flipped on the light, and walked up to the bunk bed. He starred at the top bunk where the leader slept. He knew his wonderful world of denial couldn’t last for much longer, and that brought him to the second reason he hated the bunk beds.
SungGyu had immediately claimed the top bunk, and it worried WooHyun about what exactly that signified? WooHyun was no expert on homosexuality but even he was aware of the uke and seme roles. The role of the uke was not one that he was eager to embrace. It was a difficult subject to broach, considering his inability to admit certain things…like his gayness.
“Hyung!” WooHyun called.
The lump on the top bunk did not even twitch.
WooHyun reached up and pulled a blanket from the top bunk and yelled, “Hyung!”
An indecipherable growling sound came from the top bunk, but still no noticeable movement.
“It’s very important that I talk to you, Hyung,” WooHyun told the older boy as he pulled the rest of the covers off the top bunk.
“You have to let me sleep. I’m going to look thirty years old if you don’t let me sleep. Please let me sleep,” SungGyu mumbled into his pillow.
WooHyun winced guilty. It was true he hadn’t exactly let SungGyu get any sleep since they moved into the new dorm. He had been unable to sleep, and in return he had kept the leader awake with his constant talking. “You are the leader and I am one of your members and I have a problem,” WooHyun said, knowing this would get the older boy’s attention.
SungGyu slowly came to life and sat up in bed, and then he looked down at WooHyun with very sleepy eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t think it is fair that you just assume that you get to be the top,” WooHyun informed him.
SungGyu blinked several times as his drowsy mind awakened. “I beg your pardon?”
“The bunk beds…I mean why do you get the top bunk? Is it just because you are older? That’s not really fair? It’s not like I had any control over when I was born?”
“Huh?”
“You know what I mean, Hyung.”
“I do?” SungGyu questioned as he eyed the younger man standing below him, who was tapping his foot and looking very serious.
WooHyun nodded his head. “Yes, you do.”
“You might…want to clarify for me.”
“What if I don’t want to be the bottom…I mean on the bottom bunk,” Woohyun told him, unable to control the blush that spread across his cheeks.
SungGyu sat up straighter now, realizing exactly what the other man was getting at, in his very round about way. “Do you want the top bunk?”
“I don’t…I don’t know. I have never had bunk beds before, but I don’t think I want to be stuck on the bottom bunk,” WooHyun tried to explain. He could tell the sleepy leader was wide awake now.
SungGyu’s eyes narrowed in on WooHyun, and carefully added, “I have only had bunk beds twice before, and I have been on both the bottom and the top bunk.”
WooHyun’s eyes widened letting SungGyu know that his suspicions about the conversation were true. “You had bunk beds before! You have experience with bunk beds?”
“Yes,” SungGyu replied cautiously. WooHyun was so unpredictable at times and if he wasn’t careful the younger man would take off running. “When I was much younger…too young I shared bunk beds with an older hyung. It was only for one night, but I was on the bottom bunk that night.”
“Who?” WooHyun demanded immediately.
“That’s not important.”
“Do I know them? Is it one of your clubbing friends? Is it-”
“Stop it!”
WooHyun swallowed down his jealously and asked, “Did you like it? I mean did you like sleeping on the bottom bunk?”
“No.”
Woohyun smiled, he loved the idea that SungGyu had not enjoyed himself, but what did that mean for him? “Why not?”
“He was much too old…to be sharing bunk beds with me. He wasn’t…he wasn’t a good roommate. He wasn’t considerate or careful with….my stuff,” SungGyu fumbled, trying to answer in away that wouldn’t send WooHyun fleeing from the room.
“What about the other time?”
“Well, the other time it was much better,” SungGyu answered.
WooHyun’s eyes darkened. “Why? Was it because you liked…that roommate? Who was he?”
SungGyu inhaled a deep breath. “I’m not telling you, so don’t ask.”
WooHyun was fuming now, but he managed to ask, “Was it because you liked your roommate, or was it because you liked the top bunk better?”
“It was probably for both of those reasons. He was an older roommate too, but he was considerate. He wanted to make sure I….I got the most out of my sleep.”
WooHyun folded his arms. “Well doesn’t he just sound wonderful?”
SungGyu scooted to the side of the bed, and dangled his feet over the side of it. He smiled down at the other boy. “It was a long time ago.”
“How long ago?”
“It was before I met you,” the older boy told him as he stretched out a leg and gently thumped the top of WooHyun’s head with his foot. “That’s all you need to know.”
WooHyun glared up at him. “So I take it you are not going to be eager to give up the top bunk?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Really?”
The surprise in the younger boy’s voice made SungGyu grin down at him. “If I had a really good roommate…somebody who I really cared about then I would be willing to share the top bunk with them.”
“I am the best roommate you ever had,” WooHyun said, beaming with pride. “You said so yourself.”
SungGyu arched his eyebrows. “If we are only talking about roommates, then yes you are. If we are talking about…something more then that’s yet to be determined.”
WooHyun’s blush that had faded from his cheeks reappeared quickly. WooHyun bolted for the bottom bunk out of SungGyu’s line of sight. “What else could we be talking about?” WooHyun asked, burying his face in his pillow.
The only response WooHyun got was the sound of laughter from the top bunk. From the sound of the amused laughter, WooHyun knew SungGyu wasn’t mad at him. WooHyun smiled and rolled to his side and asked to confirm his suspicions, “You aren’t mad at me?”
“No, not at all,” SungGyu answered still amused.
WooHyun smiled, because he loved listening to SungGyu’s laughter. He hated it when SungGyu didn’t laugh. He never wanted SungGyu to stop laughing…because he laughed with all his heart. His laughter was full of a contagious joy. “I’m glad…I thought you might be getting impatient with me.”
“Oh, I am terribly impatient with you. You frustrate me like crazy. I finally think we are getting somewhere and then you run and hide behind the other members. You would try the patience of a saint,” SungGyu told him in all seriousness, not laughing now.
WooHyun frowned and rolled over on his back and glared up at the top bunk. “You just said you weren’t mad!”
“I’m not mad,” SungGyu repeated. “I was just being honest. I might be impatient at times, but I understand. You are not ready, but that’s probably a good thing. Infinite is the most important thing right now. Infinite has to be the focus.”
WooHyun let out a breath of air he didn’t even realize he was holding. “That’s true. Infinite is the most important thing in the world.”
“Exactly.”
WooHyun nodded his head even though the older boy couldn’t see him. “I hate bunk beds though.”
The legs that had been dangling over the side of the top bunk were pulled back onto the top bunk. “You don’t need to worry about bunk beds. It’s way too early for that.”
WooHyun knew SungGyu spoke the truth. They couldn’t even kiss without him running away. “I miss sleeping on the floor with you.”
“Oh, yeah…well this is probably for the best.”
“No, it isn’t,” WooHyun protested. “Now, I can’t pretend-” WooHyun stopped abruptly realizing what he almost admitted.
“Pretend to be sleeping.” SungGyu finished, laughing again. “Go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Did you love either of your other roommates?”
“No, I did not. Go to bed.”
“Do I know them?”
“Go to bed.”
“So I do know them.”
“Go to bed.”
“Do you like older roommates?”
SungGyu jumped down from the top bunk and walked to the door to their bedroom, flipped off the light, and locked the door. “No, I do not like older roommates. I like younger ones that won’t let me get any sleep,” he answered as he walked back to the bunk bed.
WooHyun swallowed nervously. “I will let you sleep.”
“No, you won’t,” SungGyu told him. “The most sleep I have gotten since we moved into this dorm has been on a plane.”
“I’m sorry. I will let you sleep now,” the younger man insisted, trying to hide the thrill he was feeling. Had he pushed him too much?
“Scoot over,” SungGyu ordered as he sat down on the bottom bunk with WooHyun. “As long as I am on the top bunk you are going to yak and keep me awake.”
“I will shut up,” WooHyun promised as he moved closer to the wall, giving SungGyu room to squeeze in beside him on the tiny bed. He was suddenly nervous and excited at the same time. Was SungGyu going to try something? Was SungGyu going to kiss him for the fourth time?
SungGyu snorted and laid down beside him, making no attempt to touch him, much less kiss him. “Just go to sleep.”
WooHyun laid there very still not saying a word. Did SungGyu really just intend to sleep? Why did he feel like sleeping on the bottom bunk with him suddenly? WooHyun wanted to ask, but then again he didn’t dare.
He knew that they were in a perilous point in their relationship. There was a thin line between them, and WooHyun wasn’t sure he wanted to cross it. To cross it would be to paint himself into a corner for the rest of his life. Apparently SungGyu had already crossed the line twice before, but WooHyun wasn’t sure if he was ready to. Infinite really was the most important thing in the world.
The sound of soft, sleepy breathing from beside him let him know SungGyu had already slipped off into sleep. The older boy could fall asleep standing up, and had done so on many occasions. WooHyun envied him the skill.
It was true that WooHyun had not let SungGyu sleep since they moved into the new dorm, but he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep either…suddenly he was reminded of the first reason he hated the bunk beds. A huge smile spread out across his face as it dawned on him why SungGyu was sleeping beside him now.
WooHyun pretended to be asleep as he snuggled in close to the older boy. Yes, this is what he had missed. He missed the touching, and this was why he hadn’t been able to sleep. He just needed to feel the other boy close to him. SungGyu knew this, and even though he probably desired more…he would never push WooHyun into anything he wasn’t comfortable with. WooHyun was very blessed to have such a person for a best friend, a leader, and yes, his something more. Yes, his something wonderfully more, something full of promise, and something that would last once he found the courage to cross that line.