Just Say Yes (6/7)

[sooheaven_mods]

"And it's a wrap!" Kyungsoo holds his hands up in the air and claps, three beats to the collective shouts of joy from the crew. "Good job, everyone!"

Jongdae stands from where he's sitting cross-legged on the floor, then bows to the cast and crew. He grips his knees, knuckles turning white with every passing second. Sunyoung joins him, standing from her wheel chair and reaching for Jongdae's hand. Sehun follows suit, but not before rubbing his eyes with his balled fists. None of this is rehearsed, but it looks as if they've been practicing some choreographed dance for a while already. It might as well be true - Kyungsoo has been working with these people, always the same set of people almost everyday for the past five months. When you spend almost your entire day dealing with the same people, sharing stories with them, watching them grow, it's hard not to care. It's hard not to find a part of them in yourself. So it doesn't surprise Kyungsoo when he feels his chest constrict, when his stomach lurches as Baekhyun holds his hands up in his direction, clapping at him. It doesn't surprise him that his throat becomes tight and dry when Jongdae meets his gaze and mouths, 'come here.'

He shakes his head. 'Nope,' he mouths right back, then steps back a little. Joonmyun and Minseok have joined the cast now, and Baekhyun's walking over to where the group is. Joonmyun holds out one hand, reaching for Baekhyun's own, and Baekhyun raises his hand in Kyungsoo's direction. He cocks an eyebrow at Kyungsoo, then, like he's saying, 'Are you really gonna play hard-to-get and stay up there your tiny seat in the crane? Really?' But then there's a good distance between them and Kyungsoo's eyesight is shit at six in the morning. He can just be imagining things. Baekhyun can be looking at the crane and marveling how Kyungsoo can stay up there when he's deathly afraid of heights. Baekhyun can be looking at anything or nothing at all.

But then Baekhyun's handing something to Jongdae and now Jongdae is waving something in the air that looks a lot like his glasses. Kyungsoo grumbles and sticks up his middle finger in the air in response. To the crane operator, he says, "Bring me down."

Jongdae winks in his direction. Or maybe he's just blinking away the sweat cascading down his forehead. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and shifts his gaze to his feet. At the age of thirty, he's already come to accept that there are battles that he cannot fight. This - the allure of Jongdae's smile, the way Jongdae is looking at him becoming clearer as he descends from the crane, the way Jongdae is watching him like the idea of him breathing is so fascinating - this is a losing fight.

It's been a week since they shot the scene with the hospital burning down to ashes. They'd add the flames and the ruins in post-production, but Jongdae had to act out what it felt like being trapped inside a burning building. They could've tweaked the scene a bit, cut straight to Jongdae exiting the building instead of showing him navigating the halls, trying to save his fellow patients, but Jongdae said no. Jongdae insisted, "I'll do it. It won't look realistic if you guys set the place on fire and I just get out of there without going through shit inside. I'm the lead. Of course something bad will happen to me first. The drama lends well to the ending." Then he looked at Kyungsoo in the eye, gripped him by the shoulders, and said, "If you don't make me do it, I'll-" So Kyungsoo just rolled his eyes and nodded even before Jongdae could finish. He gestured at Baekhyun as if saying, 'let Jongdae do the thing, no buts.' There was no point in arguing. Jongdae was right - it was going to make the ending more hard-hitting. It was going to help both the film and himself. It's like shooting two birds with one stone and shedding more than just a tear in the process. Jongdae was shedding the skin of his old acting ways. He's growing into his new skin, something that makes him feel good. Something that empowers him.

It is, to date, one of Jongdae's best acting stints ever. Kyungsoo would know; he marathoned Jongdae's movies the same day he met the cast. When Baekhyun asked why, he reasoned out, "I'm doing it for research." It was a half truth. The other half was him trying to recall where he'd seen that face, that smile before. He's pretty sure he already had.

And now, Kyungsoo remembers counting down to one from ten once Jongdae had emerged from the supposed-burning hospital, remembers yelling 'cut' at the top of his lungs as soon as the last syllable for 'one' left his lips. He remembers clearer than he can recall his own college graduation the way Jongdae's features shifted, the way Jongdae looked over his shoulder to look at Kyungsoo. He remembers the smile on Jongdae's lips and Jongdae rushing in his direction with that blinding smile.

Kyungsoo remembers the way Jongdae wrapped his arms around him, the way Jongdae buried his face in the crook of his neck and whispered, again and again, like a prayer, 'I did it, I did it. I did it-'

"Careful," comes a familiar voice. Kyungsoo blinks a few times and that's when it registers - being at eye level with Baekhyun, his feet touching the ground. His glasses are still in Jongdae's possession. Jongdae's eyes are focused, discerning, and he's walking over to where Kyungsoo and Baekhyun are. "Look, just because we're done taping doesn't mean you can get reckless and just jump off the crane. I still need you for the editing." Baekhyun grumbles. He tugs on the sleeve of Kyungsoo's shirt. "Don't be stupid."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. He punches Baekhyun on the arm, just a light jab that shouldn't hurt much. He tightens his hold on Baekhyun's shoulders, then, and begins to make his descent. His knees still feel weak from spending too much time up there in the air. So he keeps his grip on Baekhyun tight, even tighter as Jongdae stops right behind Baekhyun.

"I'm not stupid," Kyungsoo mutters. He slides his hand down, giving Baekhyun's wrist a light squeeze, then drops his hand to his side. "My glasses."

"Look for 'em," Baekhyun says, teasing. He sticks out his tongue at Kyungsoo, then, and adds, "See if you can actually get them back."

Kyungsoo shifts his gaze when he sees Jongdae craning his neck over Baekhyun's shoulder. Their gazes meet, and the corners of Jongdae's lips curl in acknowledgment. It isn't like one of those big grins of Jongdae's, or that smile that he can't control when he's laughing his heart out. It's just a tiny, subtle curl that reaches his eyes enough to tug up his cheeks and light up his features. It's a 'Jongdae smile' but not quite, but then it hasn't even been ten minutes since the last take. He's still in his character's attire, in Junho's casual get up that he wears when he visits orphans left in the facility by their parents because of their condition. He looks too formal, too 'grown up', like he's been forcefully slipped into adult clothes that don't even fit him. He's still in character. 'It takes me ages to slip out of it,' he remembers Jongdae mentioning way back, during one of those ten-minute breaks between takes. The slicked back hair suits him, though, and the fit of his coat makes his shoulders look broad.

Kyungsoo pinches Baekhyun in the stomach, and Baekhyun jerks back. Jongdae steps to his side, narrowly eluding the brunt force of Baekhyun's actions. He cocks an eyebrow at Kyungsoo. "Looking for something?"

"Are you looking for something? Or someone?" Kyungsoo asks right back. He holds Jongdae's gaze for a moment, then drops his eyes to his eyeglasses that Jongdae is holding by the the bridge. If it was Baekhyun who'd snatched his glasses, Baekhyun would just be gripping it in his hands. Then he'd get fingerprints on the lenses. Then Kyungsoo would jab Baekhyun on the arm until Baekhyun apologize for being the worst person ever because, 'Why the hell would you hold eyeglasses like that? Think, Baekhyun. Think.' But this isn't Baekhyun's he's dealing with. This is Jongdae, and the way Jongdae plays the game is different from Baekhyun's techniques that Kyungsoo has gotten used to. Kyungsoo has to assess more carefully, has to make sure that he doesn't miss a spot because there's more to Jongdae's smile than meets the eye. He has to take a step forward, move even closer to read the movement of Jongdae's lips. And he has to press even closer because the throbbing of Jongdae's pulse against his skin could mean anything, and Kyungsoo hates misinterpreting things.

"Give it back," Kyungsoo repeats, slower this time like it will make a difference. Jongdae only raises both eyebrows in response. So Kyungsoo says again, "Kim Jongdae, if you don't give my glasses back, I swear to God-"

Jongdae chuckles. "Empty threat," he says, declares, as if he can read Kyungsoo's movements and predict what will happen next. Kyungsoo cracks his neck in response. "You can't even hurt a fly even if you wanted to. You're actually very nice," Jongdae adds. He pulls away for a moment and looks around for an audience. Baekhyun has stepped to the side, body turned to the right but his head facing Kyungsoo and Jongdae's general direction. Joonmyun is alternating between chatting with the crew and listening to whatever Sehun is saying. Sunyoung and Minseok are laughing with one of the lighting assistants and their only clapper. So Jongdae takes a step closer, leans in, inches forward until his lips brush Kyungsoo's earlobe. "And you don't even bite."

Kyungsoo shuts his eyes, then mutters, "Jongdae," like it's taking him all the control in his body, all his will-power to not jab Jongdae on the arm again and ball his hands into fists in Jongdae's shirt. Like it's becoming increasingly difficult to breathe with Jongdae's lips wet and warm against Kyungsoo's skin. "I don't get the charm of biting," he whispers when he feels his fingers again. He leans back, half of him missing the hot press of their bodies and the half of him feeling relieved that Jongdae has given him space to breathe. "It hurts."

Jongdae hums, then unfolds Kyungsoo's glasses. "I think it would be nice to see marks on your skin, where your moles are," he singsongs. He slips Kyungsoo's glasses between Kyungsoo's ears and face. The glasses hang heavily on the tip of Kyungsoo's nose. The feeling in his chest, tight and numbing, is heavier, though. Having to hold back and keep himself from touching Jongdae more than necessary here on set feels heavier than it should in Kyungsoo's chest. There are ten, fifteen other people who might see them, might wonder what they're doing because this isn't part of the script. And everyone knows that Kyungsoo follows the script as religiously as possible. It's already become a habit - stick to the script and you'll be on the road to success. It's been tried and tested. Make a few deviations and you'll still get there, but not without a few hiccups.

But between the old habit of playing out something that's rehearsed and always, always, always being on his toes and on the lookout for Jongdae's latest trick, another ad lib, this new one's more addictive. Falling into step and into the habit of sticking too close to Jongdae is far more addictive and harder to break. But it's so easy for Jongdae to break down his walls. All it takes is a small smile, a twinkle in his eyes. A subtle cock of the eyebrow like he's challenging Kyungsoo or teasing his mind. An accidental brush of skin on skin when Jongdae rests his hands on Kyungsoo's shoulders, thumbs pressing down in Kyungsoo's collarbones as Jongdae says, "Treat it as a souvenir. Something to remember me by."

Kyungsoo snorts. "Trust me, you're hard to forget," he mumbles. If it was easy then Kyungsoo wouldn't have a perfect recollection of the time Jongdae, still too young and naive, ruffled Kyungsoo's hair and placed a soft kiss on his forehead to make him stop crying. If it was easy to forget Jongdae then he wouldn't be able to recall in perfect detail the way Jongdae cupped his cheeks a week ago, the way Jongdae memorized the contours of his mouth and the way his lips moved with his tongue, the way Jongdae fought back with just as much intensity, as much want. If it was easy then the ghost of Jongdae's lips won't keep haunting him in his sleep, during downtime, when he's thinking of how to get to the next scene without having to back Jongdae against any flat surface and kiss him senseless. If it was easy then it won't be hard to forget the way Jongdae held him like he was the most precious thing, the way his stomach lurched in a mix of embarrassment and shame and delight.

"So it's hard, huh?" Jongdae asks. Kyungsoo cocks an eyebrow at him but indulges him in a smile. "I was just asking-"

Kyungsoo reaches out and slides his fingers between Jongdae's own. Jongdae's lips fall open into a tiny 'o'. His body gives this small, almost indiscernible jerk, but by now Kyungsoo knows how Jongdae's body moves. Maybe not in the way he has Baekhyun's quirks memorized like the back of his hand, but he knows Jongdae well enough that this - the way his muscles tense, the way his fingers freeze between Kyungsoo's own, this is a question. It's one of those things in Baekhyun's script that are hard to decipher. 'Of course you'd know what that means, Soo. I mean, you're Baekhyun's director. Your minds are linked. Sort of.' He pulls Jongdae closer and juts out his bottom lip. And he grins, because the look of confusion on Jongdae's face is a thing to marvel at.

"I just want to make it clear that this... this isn't a one-time thing," he begins. He takes a deep breath and sniffles. It's almost autumn now and the winds aren't the same gentle breeze that they were during summer. Sunlight doesn't beat down on them anymore, doesn't prick their skin and set Jongdae aglow. It's been five months since he's seen Jongdae again, and in those five months so many things have changed. Talking to Baekhyun, be it over the phone or face-to-face doesn't feel like torture anymore. Chanyeol's workload has already eased considerably and Kyungsoo gets to see him looking human now. Joonmyun no longer turns the most furious shade of red when Sunyoung talks to him and asks, 'is your default face your pouting face?' And Jongdae isn't so scared of cramped places anymore. Jongdae no longer shivers at the mention of forest fires or candles or anything that burns. He no longer settles for just staring at the giving bow of Kyungsoo's mouth and clasps his hands together in an effort to keep himself from pulling Kyungsoo close. Jongdae leans in now and slides his arms around Kyungsoo's waist, pulls him to a dark corner of the set to press kisses along the slope of his neck. And Kyungsoo lets him. He lets Jongdae have his way and leans into the warmth of Jongdae's touch. Defeat isn't so bad when it's as sweet as Jongdae's lips. It doesn't seem so bad at all. "Unless you want it to end here. After I say 'cut'."

Jongdae laughs a little. He tilts his head, worries his bottom lip like he's trying to keep himself from laughing all the more. It only leaves him looking torn and confused, but then uncertainty has never been a good look on Jongdae. He's always so self-assured, so sure of his actions. There's confidence in the stretch of his body, in the way he tilts his chin up and beams at people with a smile that can light up the whole room. If there's even a hint of uncertainty in him, he can blink it away in a heartbeat. If there one 'character' he can slip out of in an instant, it's the darker side of him.

"Hey," Kyungsoo says, then, and gives Jongdae's hands a light squeeze. Jongdae peeks through the slits of his bangs. "Hey, say something-"

"You're really cute," Jongdae whispers. He raises his eyebrows when Kyungsoo furrows his own, then makes this small kissy face at Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo's only scowls in response, but he's quick to tighten his hold on Jongdae when Jongdae juts out his bottom lip. "And ridiculous for ever thinking that I'll let you go so easily after tracking you down for years. You're really, really crazy, did you know that?"

Kyungsoo cocks an eyebrow at him. "You what?"

"Well..." Jongdae drops his gaze to his feet, then kicks at the floor. Kyungsoo keeps his eyes on Jongdae, though, searching his features - for a sign, for an answer, for anything that he might have missed when he was busy looking through the lens instead of straight at Jongdae. Jongdae clears his throat, coughs a little. "Heroes usually know the names of the people they save, right? I mean, how would they know who to save and make sure they're out of harm's way if they don't- Hey!" He swats the hand Kyungsoo is slapping his arm with and pinches Kyungsoo in the stomach. "Look, I didn't creep up on you or anything when we were kids, okay? Your bullies were really loud and rowdy and they kept saying your name like it's part of some mating song. They even have a dance for it- Ow!"

"What do you mean they have a song for my name?"

"Let me finish," Jongdae says through gritted teeth. Kyungsoo presses his lips together in response, but doesn't drop the raised eyebrow just yet. It's when Jongdae envelops his balled fists with his hands, when he feels the warm cocoon of Jongdae's fingers pressing against his skin that the furrow of his eyebrows relaxes, that the tight knot in his throat eases and loosens up completely. "I think you know by now that our departure was sudden. Well... Our house back in Donghae-si got burnt down to ashes. Umma didn't make it. Appa did, along with Jongdeok-hyung. Appa thought it would be great to start anew somewhere far away, so we went to Seoul to... get over the whole thing. Move on or something. I knew appa was suffering but he never let it show, so-"

"So you did the same thing," Kyungsoo finishes. Jongdae looks up, meeting his gaze. "Hence the genre-hopping."

"Yeah, hence the genre- How did you know that?"

Kyungsoo chuckles. "I do a background check on the people I work with. I think that's pretty common for directors." Jongdae sticks his tongue out at Kyungsoo, and Kyungsoo only kicks the tip of Jongdae's right shoe in response. Jongdae scowls, but it isn't one of his ear-shattering scowls. It sounds more like an effort to break the thin glass separating them, to trim down all the years separating them into a split-second. A hitch of a breath, a single touch. "So, your family went to Seoul"

Jongdae jerks back a little, then nods. "Right. We... went to Seoul the evening of the incident. But that afternoon, I... sort of went to the playground." He scratches his nape. "And I asked the kids there for your name because apparently, you're quite the superstar. They said you'd fight back with 'intellectual stuff' but always fell short in the physical strength department. Which is why I'm surprised that you like-" Jongdae moves away a little when Kyungsoo raises a fist in his direction, but then Kyungsoo pulls him close with his other hand. "I swear to God, you'll be the death of me!"

Kyungsoo laughs a little. Smiles. Same, he wants to say. Same, except it's worse because when Jongdae looks at him, touches him like he's the most precious thing ever, a part of him - resolve, restraint, self-control - dies, only to be reborn from the ashes stronger. Wilder. Every touch from Jongdae sends sparks to the tips of his fingers, sets off explosions in every part of him. Every brush of skin on skin sets him on fire. And this isn't something he's been trained for. This isn't part of the script of his life, but if there's something he's learned from all his years in film, it's this: the best parts, the most touching scenes in film are those that are candid, unrehearsed. Real.

"I'll take the blame, then," Kyungsoo whispers.

Jongdae cocks an eyebrow at him. "Okay, is this you beating me up with your 'intellectual stuff'-"

"I mean," Kyungsoo begins, then clears his throat. "You say that I'm the death of you. Or will be, at least." He worries his bottom lip. "I'd gladly take the blame as long as it's not anyone else. As long as it's..." He gulps hard. "It's just me. You and me."

He feels Jongdae's muscles shift, feels Jongdae's fingers tremble against his own. He takes a deep breath and adds, "Again, if that's okay with you-"

"How many times-" Jongdae says, drawling the syllables of the last word. "-do I have to tell you that you're stuck with me forever? Soo, I moved to Seoul and left you in Donghae-si when we were kids. Two decades after, you find me in a haunted house. A fucking haunted house for a fucking horror film, a genre that I just, y'know, thought of doing on a whim. To help me get over my own self." Jongdae leans in and laughs a little. Their foreheads bump, and the tips of their noses touch a little. Bright laughter turns into soft giggles that catch on Kyungsoo's skin. It tickles. The noise around them thins into silence, and Kyungsoo feels a traitorous cold wrap around his neck. He's ready to jerk back because there are people around them. The whole cast and crew are still here, still reveling in the last-taping-day high, and maybe if they look their way they'll see something they hadn't counted on witnessing. Maybe they'll gasp or shriek or even yell at them because this isn't in the script. This isn't what they've been rehearsing all these five months that they've spent together. They've already crossed off all the scenes in the script, all the shots they have to take footage of for a nice and smooth edit. But that's the point - this isn't pretend. This isn't a movie where people assume personalities and characters. This is real life, and the light brush of Jongdae's lips against his own feels too good to not be real.

"And now, here we are," Kyungsoo whispers, choking somewhere in the middle.

Jongdae laughs a little. "Yeah," he says. "Here we are."

Kyungsoo pulls his hands away from link of their arms and splays his hands on Jongdae's shirt. He curls his fingers one by one, nails catching on the cloth. The pull hurts a little, but not enough to make him pull way completely. He can feel the slow-forming smile on Jongdae's lips, can feel more laughter bubbling on the corners of Jongdae's mouth, so he doesn't fight it. He lets the pull of Jongdae's lips guide his own into an open smile, lets the vibrations of Jongdae's lips send shivers up his spine and a tickling sensation down his throat. This time, he surrenders and giggles, laughs. Cackles. It's loud enough to catch everyone's attention, but not loud enough to soar above the sound of surprise that escapes Sunyoung's lips. It isn't loud enough to drown out the loud thumping in Kyungsoo's chest, in his ears, in every fiber of his being. And he knows Jongdae can hear it, too, through the press of their bodies, in the way Jongdae's pulse throbs against his skin, dancing to the beat of Kyungsoo's steady heartbeat.

And he can feel it now in the slide of their mouths, in the way Jongdae probes his mouth with his tongue and traces patterns on his skin. He can spend months memorizing this, saying these lines again and again until they're the music he sings to when he wakes up, until nothing but the sound of Jongdae's steady breathing lulls him to sleep. So he closes his eyes and parts his lips even more, breathes out laughter into the open press of Jongdae's mouth. Jongdae says his lines back in the way he slides his arms around Kyungsoo's waist to pull him closer, in the way he kisses Kyungsoo harder, deeper. Kyungsoo pulls away for a while, catching his breath, and bites a bit too hard on Jongdae's bottom lip. Then Jongdae jerks back a little, but his arms remain wrapped around Kyungsoo. His cheeks are flush with heat and his lips are red and swollen and his eyes are wide open. And Jongdae's whispering, "What the hell- Kyungsoo-" because Kyungsoo doesn't bite. He hates surprises, hates ad libs. But that can change, Kyungsoo muses as he watches the tiny 'o' of Jongdae's lips curve up into a smile. So Kyungsoo swallows that sound, his name on Jongdae's lips, on the smooth skin and between the cracks. The perfect ad lib for the perfect ending.

Maybe they should try rom-com sometime. They'd make a great team, a great tandem. Maybe even a great pair.

They are the next big hit. They are a blockbuster. And maybe they're the next big scandal waiting to happen, but Kyungsoo doesn't mind. He can live with a couple of weird and surprising things to his name. After all, what's a film without a bit of stunt and some ad libs? What's a horror film without funny blunders and hilarious outtakes? So he keeps kissing Jongdae, ignoring the cheers of the cast and crew around them. And Jongdae keeps kissing him back.

Kyungsoo looks around the area, then takes a left turn. He isn't a stranger to Apgeujong, but he isn't so familiar with its streets, either. The last time he spent more than a couple of hours in Apgeujong sober was for a shoot two years ago, and even then he didn't have much time to go around and explore this part of Seoul. Jongdae has provided him with a very clear clue on how to spot the building of his condo, though: it's the only yellow building in the neighborhood. It's hard to miss. And it is true - the moment Kyungsoo stepped out of the bus and stepped onto the streets of Apgeujong, the yellow building stood out like a sore thumb. So Kyungsoo kept his eyes on the building as he navigated the streets, turning corners and almost bumping into someone in an effort to get to the other side of the road in the quickest way possible.

He balls his hands into fists now and cracks his knuckles. The air outside during the walk was unbearable, but with the walls of the building now shielding him from the cold he feels a bit more alive. There's still a bit of the cold sticking to the pads of his fingers, though, but that might just be the work of this day. He'd much rather not attend a party - an afterparty for his film, to be exact - and just sleep the whole day, but he's part of the crew. When you're the director of the production and the guy who you may or may not be going out with pleads for you to please, please, please attend the party, it's hard to say no. And it's even more difficult when said guy signs off the text invitation with, 'i've got something special prepared. you're coming, right? :3'

here, Kyungsoo types in his message thread with Jongdae, then stuffs his phone in his pocket. If Baekhyun found out how Jongdae managed to convince him to come, he'd never let on.

"Hey," comes Jongdae's greeting when he opens the door. His cheeks are a bit red and his eyes are glimmering in the dim lighting here in the hallway. And there's chatter seeping from inside, soaring above the thumping music. Jongdae's playing a strange mix of rock and RnB inside, though. And Disney, Kyungsoo muses when 'Everyday' from High School Musical comes on. "Didn't think you'd actually come," he continues, voice dropping to a whisper. He opens the door wider, then, and slips between the narrow opening. He doesn't close the door behind him, though, but the gap is narrow enough to help the noise inside fade out into a thin sheet of music. There's nothing but white noise out here now, nothing but their steady breathing and Jongdae's light humming filling the hallway outside Jongdae's door.

"You asked me to come," Kyungsoo mumbles. Jongdae chuckles, then tugs at his shirtsleeves. "What? I told you, I always keep my promise."

"So do I," Jongdae replies. He pulls Kyungsoo close and guides Kyungsoo's hands to his waist. He hums. "And I promised something special for you today."

Kyungsoo snorts, but looks around for an audience. Jongdae isn't the most reckless of movie stars, but with the scent of alcohol thick in Jongdae's breath Jongdae might as well be a bit too tipsy too give in to whatever the voice at the back of his mind is telling him. And maybe Kyungsoo is drunk, as well - on fatigue, on the need to be warm after walking down the streets of Apgeujong with the cool winds of autumn blowing against him, on the need to get Jongdae even closer so he can taste the alcohol in Jongdae's mouth and get drunk with that, too. The press of Jongdae's hand on his own is warm, damp, and Jongdae's too close but not quite. The tips of their noses touch, brushing against each other when Kyungsoo motions to lean in, but Jongdae pulls away just enough to put a torturous distance between them. Two long centimeters, a touch and a breath away. If he wanted to, he'd lean in and crush his lips into Jongdae's own without preamble. If he could, he'd suck on Jongdae's bottom lip until he could elicit a moan from Jongdae and make him scream. But Jongdae's a celebrity and there might be cameras focused on them at this very moment. Fame does that to you, makes you hyperaware of your surroundings. It reminds you of the fact that you're never truly alone, that there will always be a watchful eye following you around.

He won't ruin Jongdae's career just because he wants to get a taste of the alcohol in Jongdae's mouth. Acting is to Jongdae as translating words into movies is to Kyungsoo - a refuge, a harbor. That one thing that he knows he can't screw up. And if he does decide to give in, he won't do it without Jongdae's signal. If he ever takes the leap then he'll ask Jongdae first why they're jumping, in the first place. So he asks, "How much alcohol have you had?"

Jongdae shrugs. He shifts in his position, stepping to his side, then opens the door behind him. "Just enough," he whispers before pulling Kyungsoo inside. Not quite enough, though, for him to forget that he's Kim Jongdae and not one of the characters he portrays in the films he's done. Not drunk enough for him to kiss Kyungsoo senseless in the hallway without a care in the world, not enough to help him ease out of his character in a blink of an eye. They're safe. Jongdae looks around this time before closing the door, then locks it behind him. "Welcome to the party."

Kyungsoo takes a step forward and looks around him. He can spot a few familiar faces even with the bad lighting - very dim lighting, he corrects himself - inside. Joonmyun and Minseok are chatting with Sunyoung in a corner. Some of the cameramen are near the bar, clinking glasses together and yelling 'cheers!' everytime they lock eyes with one another. It's hilarious, even more when the lightsmen and the editors join them in a mini game of 'dare and an even raunchier dare'. Adult games, that's what they call it, something that newbies in the film industry wouldn't even want to attempt. Sehun has two glasses in hand and is making his way to where Joonmyun and Minseok are. Kyungsoo can't tell just yet if Sehun had gotten two glasses of whiskey or if Sehun 's bluffing and actually drinking apple juice. Baekhyun, meanwhile, is with Soojung, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed as he engages her in a conversation. His hands are in the air, caught in an elaborate gesture, like he's trying to get his point across but alcohol has made his speech a bit too slurred and senseless.

Then he catches Kyungsoo's gaze, cocks an eyebrow when their eyes meet. Baekhyun shifts in his seat, then, and mouths in Kyungsoo's direction, 'we have to talk!'

He laughs a little. Trust Baekhyun to be able to slip into a different character in a span of a minute. He's had enough experience with wearing too many skins at any given time, after all. Kyungsoo shakes his head in response, then mouths at Baekhyun, 'Food first.' Baekhyun shrugs in reply and nods, as if to say, 'Whatever.' Or maybe he isn't saying anything at all, just looking in Kyungsoo's general direction. It's hard to tell with the dim lighting around them, with the way Baekhyun hides behind his glass of alcohol. Anything that has a shitload of whiskey or tequila in it, possibly, if Baekhyun hasn't changed from when they'd last shared a drink back when they were in university. There are a lot of things Baekhyun is keen on changing; his choice in alcohol is not one of them.

'Later,' Kyungsoo answers, and lets Jongdae pull him to the other direction. Jongdae guides him to the buffet table, then, and leaves him a peck on the cheek. His body gives a tiny jerk, almost like an afterthought, then Jongdae looks around him. Everyone else is minding their own business, but there's still the sinking suspicion that anyone might call them out on this 'little thing' of theirs. Capture it on video or in photos. Release the material to the public. Put their careers and the peace of their lives at stake.

"Sorry, I'll... I'll find you later," Jongdae whispers. Kyungsoo gives his hand a light squeeze. The tension in Jongdae's features lifts, then, his cheeks relaxing and his fingers that are between Kyungsoo's own stilling in the fit of their hands. "Hosting duties. You know how it goes," he reasons.

"Hosting duties? That's all?"

Jongdae shrugs. "Maybe I'm sneaking in a cute little guy into my room and just hiding him from you-"

Kyungsoo cocks an eyebrow. "I don't think anyone can be as cute," he mumbles, voice just barely above a whisper. "I mean- Go get 'em, tiger," he amends, then bites inside of his cheek. He can hear Jongdae giggling, can feel it in the fit of their bodies and the way Jongdae's chest thumps against his. Jongdae traces the curve of his cheek, then, and tilts his chin up. Their gazes meet. There's no running away now, no hiding from the bright lights in Jongdae's eyes and the sweet allure of his smile. There's no turning away from the way Jongdae's looking at him - eyes mismatched and mouth twisted in a way that makes him look as if he's fighting the urge to cackle, to draw attention to himself. But it's not as if he wants to run away from this - from Jongdae and this moment, with darkness draped all over them, shielding them from the rest of the world. But-

"Hosting duties," Kyungsoo whispers through gritted teeth. Jongdae chuckles, then heaves a sigh. He pulls away, then, and turns on his heel, but leans back in to pinch the tip of his nose. Then he's walking away, his figure disappearing into a corner.

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and takes the first glass of alcohol he sees. This will be a long night.

The evening passes in a blur, in one too many bottles of beer and soju or whatever alcohol Baekhyun is passing around shots of. Kyungsoo goes around after a while, moving from one table to another and falling into conversation with people in an effort to stay awake. It's not even midnight yet, but already he can feel the pull of fatigue on his eyelids. This is what age does to you, he supposes. Five years ago, he probably would have been sitting with the hardcore drinkers or playing Flip Cup with people. Or maybe be one of those people taking shots for the lightweights because who the hell passes out after three shots of Cuervo? But he's past that stage now. He's in the stage of his life where Chivas on the rocks doesn't sound like a 'daddy drink' anymore.

He spots Baekhyun in a corner and grabs another glass of whiskey. He loves being alone and being left to his own thoughts, but the noise makes it impossible to think. He grabs another glass when he sees that Baekhyun isn't holding one anymore. Jongdae had given him a drink earlier, but then it's been a good twenty, thirty minutes since that happened. And Baekhyun's always been known to be a fast drinker.

He cranes his neck and gives the place one last look, searching for Jongdae before heading in Baekhyun's direction. Jongdae's probably chatting up someone in the shadows. There aren't any cute boys here other than the people Kyungsoo knows; he isn't threatened.

He walks over to where Baekhyun is and gives Baekhyun's ear a pinch as a greeting. "Oh. You're bored," Baekhyun says in return, eyebrows raised. He pats the small empty space beside him then says, "C'mere, kid. Or would you want to sit on my lap?"

"No," Kyungsoo says, snorting. Baekhyun rolls his eyes, then, and makes space for him on the couch. There's no contempt in his actions, though, only a small smile on the curl of his lips when Kyungsoo settles on the empty space. Baekhyun slaps him on the arm, but snakes an arm around his shoulder. And then he leans in, submits to the warmth of the fit of their bodies, surrenders to routine and familiarity and all these years of friendship stretched between then. Kyungsoo's drunk enough to rest his head on Baekhyun's shoulder, just drunk enough to maybe guide Baekhyun's hand to his thigh and then further south, but then it's been years. It's been years since they've last shared more than a handshake or a glance or a brush of the knuckles. It's been years since Baekhyun stuck his hand down Kyungsoo's pants, years since Kyungsoo last bucked into Baekhyun's touch like a stimulus. It's been years since they've last pulled each other into a dark corner of a room, or backed each other against a wall, or pressed against each other without using inebriation as an excuse.

"Well, this is a wholesome encounter," Baekhyun says, laughing a little. He drops his hand to Kyungsoo's thigh, then drums his fingers on it. Their eyes meet. Baekhyun's eyes are focused, his eyebrows furrowed in a tight knot. The corners of his lips are pulled up, though, just a small upward tug of the lip. Kyungsoo knows this look - it's one Baekhyun wears when he's thinking, trying to make sense of things, assessing. When he's just been hit by a realization and he can't say 'shit' because he's in front of a huge group of people who'd think differently of the famous screenplay writer Byun Baekhyun if he so much as used a curse word in front of them.

Baekhyun chuckles. He pinches Kyungsoo in his side. "He's... changed you."

"He what?" Kyungsoo furrows his eyebrows and shifts in his seat so that he's facing Baekhyun. "What do you mean?"

Baekhyun takes a deep breath and snatches one of the glasses in Kyungsoo's hands. He takes a sip, then another, and then another until he's seething and scrunching his nose. "Should've waited until the whiskey's been diluted. What the hell were you thinking of?"

"What the hell were you thinking of?" Kyungsoo retorts. He gives his own glass a little swirl, then takes a sip. He can feel the burn in his throat, the burst of warmth in his chest as the alcohol kicks in. "I got these for myself."

"No, you didn't. You never take two glasses at once. You have this-" Baekhyun gesticulates with his hands, trying to find the words, but falls short. He drops his hands in front of him. "You like finishing stuff before starting on new ones. You have- Ah, closure issues."

Kyungsoo snorts. "Wow. When did you get so wise?"

"And when did you get this bored after meeting Jongdae to seek me out?" A smile dances on Baekhyun's lips, pulling up the corners of his mouth. He ends with a wink. Kyungsoo grimaces, but it's mostly for show - this is something they've gotten used to. It's one of those scenes they can re-enact completely from memory and nail down to the very last letter. "I know he's been keeping you busy. You two are very careful when you go out. I mean, no stalker pics and all but dude, come on." Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "I've seen the way he looks at you and I've seen the way you look at him. You two are so cute, it's hilarious. I'm not even kidding."

Kyungsoo cocks an eyebrow at him. "That's kind of hard to believe."

"I wish I was kidding, but eh." Baekhyun shrugs. "It's... the end of an era, I guess. The end of something that could've started sooner." Baekhyun slides his hand up Kyungsoo's thigh and traces patterns on it - a spiral, a star, a heart. "We could've been a great pair, y'know. Tandem. Love team, whatever you want to call it." He rubs the underside of his nose, and Kyungsoo nudges Baekhyun in his side with his elbow. Baekhyun scowls in response but doesn't do anything else. He hasn't stopped drawing on Kyungsoo's thigh just yet. This new doodle looks like a house. "But I guess we were... just too stupid that time to know what we wanted. Or what we didn't." He chuckles. "I guess I'm one of those late bloomers."

"One of the slow ones, you mean," Kyungsoo mumbles. Baekhyun kicks him in his calf and snarls. "Better late than never, though."

Baekhyun leans back and gives Kyungsoo a long look. He has his bottom lip caught between his teeth and his eyebrows in a tight know, but the corners of his mouth are tilted up. Or at least that's what it looks like, here in the dim lighting of the room and with all the alcohol in his system. But then he's spent years studying every quirk of Baekhyun's lips, cheeks, eyes, face that he can't be imagining things. And Baekhyun's shaking his head lightly, just enough to give his hair a quick fluff, as he says, "So I guess you're not slowing down for me anymore, are you?"

Kyungsoo presses his lips together in a tight smile. "Our show's long over. We're not renewing our contract."

"Stop-" Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Stop using movie parallelisms."

"That's the best way to make you understand, though." Because they've always spoken two different languages - Baekhyun using his tongue, and Kyungsoo using his limbs. Baekhyun communicates through words and Kyungsoo relays a message through his actions. Working alongside each other, they're the best tandem to hit Hollywood. But them trying to make ends meet is a disaster waiting to happen. "No more sequels. You know we're a really bad movie waiting to happen."

Baekhyun snorts. His eyes are still sullen, though, but at least the furrow of his eyebrows has eased. He punches Kyungsoo in the gut, just a light jab and a twist of his fist. "A no-budget movie. Like, a really crappy one that makes use of phone cams."

"We all started with phone cams, big shot."

"And we all start crappy until we make shit work," Baekhyun replies. He pinches Kyungsoo in his stomach. "And we did. It just... didn't work the way we wanted it to."

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and rests a hand atop Baekhyun's own on his stomach. He can feel the warmth of Baekhyun's hand through his shirt, can feel the light tremble of Baekhyun's fingers against his skin. And he can feel his stomach grumbling. Maybe this is his body's way of reminding him that he's thirty and that those things that he did back in college? He can't do those anymore. He can't abuse his body and hope that he won't suffer its consequences. He can't keep trying to recycle trash in the hope of producing wonderful out of it. So he tosses the trash over his shoulder and takes out a new sheet of paper. He tosses a really old project in the trash bin and gets started on a new script. Maybe not one of Baekhyun's, but he won't be opposed to doing horror again. Not if the script's just as good as Baekhyun's. Not if Jongdae is given the lead role.

Or maybe he should pick up an entirely different genre. He hasn't tried his hand at romcom yet. It will be a refreshing project.

"Hey, boys," comes a familiar voice from over his shoulder. Kyungsoo looks up, then, blinks a few times, trying to refocus his vision. Alcohol has made his mind fuzzy and his eyesight even shittier than it already it, but he isn't daunted. The sharp angles of the man's face look familiar; his smile, even more. "I see you're... getting really comfortable here." A pinch on the cheek, then, "Seriously, Soo."

Baekhyun snorts. "Just so you know, he won't hit on me even if it's the end of the world." He lifts his fingers from the heavy press of his hand on Kyungsoo's thighs, as if recounting all those times they'd slipped from the crowd and into a room, to the closest dark corner or an abandoned part of the room. "And ew, I would never even dream of sticking my hand in his pants- Geez-"

Kyungsoo laughs a little. He gives Baekhyun a light nudge in his side and stands from his seat. To Jongdae, he says, "So where's your cute boy who you've sneaked away from the crowd?"

Jongdae hums, then reaches out to hook his fingers on Kyungsoo's shirtsleeve. "I'm looking at him right now," Jongdae whispers, then wraps his fingers around Kyungsoo's wrist. "And we're sneaking into my room and away from all the noise here because it's impossible to talk with your other boy around."

Baekhyun groans and slaps Kyungsoo on the back. "I think he wants a threesome," Kyungsoo comments. Baekhyun gropes his ass in response.

It isn't until ten minutes after that they manage to slip away from the party. Half of the crew's passed out on the floor. The other half, the cast included, is still busy emptying out Jongdae's liquor closet. Sehun's cheeks are brightest shade of red. Sunyoung still looks sober, for the most part, but her elaborate movements give her away. Minseok may or may not be laughing too hard while slicing more lemons because, "Someone wean Joonmyun off the tequila, please. Just give him some lemonade-" but it's one of those few times that Joonmyun isn't too self-conscious, isn't so careful with his own actions. So Kyungsoo lets them goof off, lets Baekhyun join in the fun and whip out his phone to take a video of Joonmyun wiggling his ass. It's always good to have blackmail material for when Kyungsoo needs a favor from any one of them.

If he ever decides to do horror again, it has to be with this team. He can't imagine executing an elaborate horror movie with a different set of people. It won't feel as fun or exciting. It will just be shrouded with ghosts of what they could have done better, and Kyungsoo doesn't want that. There are ghosts in his life that he'd be fine with keeping; regret isn't one of them.

"Ah, finally," Jongdae says as he collapses on his bed. He doesn't stay still, though, keeps moving from side to side like a kid testing out his new bed. It's almost as if Jongdae hasn't taken one shot after another in the new drinking game Joonmyun invented after losing in the Circle of Death. He's supposed to be lugging around too much alcohol in his body and his limbs are supposed to feel sore, but it doesn't look like it. The next thing Kyungsoo knows, Jongdae's pulling him to the bed, pulling him closer until his back is pressed to Jongdae's chest. Jongdae buries his face in the crook of Kyungsoo's neck and takes a deep breath, then blows hot air on Kyungsoo's skin. Kyungsoo shivers. "Better."

Kyungsoo reaches behind him, fluffing Jongdae's hair. "So you dragged me to bed just to cuddle?"

"Mhmm, among other things," Jongdae replies. He presses a light kiss on the underside of Kyungsoo's jaw, then adds, "And I... wanted to talk about something."

Kyungsoo's takes a sharp, deep breath. He can feel his chest tighten, his throat constrict, his stomach rumble for a moment and then relax. Jongdae loosens his hold on Kyungsoo for a moment, then makes him turn around so that they're facing each other. Kyungsoo shivers a little at the loss of warmth, but soon he's feeling Jongdae's hot breath on his skin. It tickles. He laughs a little, but then Jongdae's lips are drawn to a thin line and his eyebrows are furrowed a little. It's almost as if he's trying to find a way to break the worst possible news to him. In bed. Jongdae has always had an unorthodox way of doing things,after all.

He can still smell the thick scent of alcohol in Jongdae's breath, the mix of liquor and bad decisions and a chaste kiss in the air blows out through the slight parting of his lips. And he can feel the loud and heavy beats on Jongdae's palm, in the link of their fingers. He pulls Jongdae closer, then, tugging him by his hands. "Go," he urges.

"I... got the role I auditioned for. The lead role in the action movie, remember that?" Jongdae scratches the back of his ear and laughs a little. "Well I... Taping starts in three months. So that sort of gets in the way of the horror movie's promotions but hey, that's fine. I'm good with clashing schedules. They make life exciting."

"They make my head hurt because I have to coordinate with your road manager," Kyungsoo mumbles. Jongdae rolls his eyes in response. The smile remains on his lips, though, lifts his cheeks and lights up his features. The lighting is dim in the room and there's nothing but moonlight filtering from the windows illuminating Jongdae's face, the wicked contours of his jaw and the sharp angles of his cheeks, but Kyungsoo can still make out quirk of Jongdae's lips. Moonlight sets him aglow, brings out the glimmer in his eyes and dulls the flush of his cheeks. It makes him look human, alive, not like one of those ghosts back in Gonjiam-eup, not one of those ghosts that they've left behind. "But if this is about your schedule then don't worry about it. You don't have to attend every single variety show for the promo period. Soojung can take care of the others you can't go to. Or Sehun, but he's an even bigger headache."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind but-" Jongdae worries his bottom lip. "That's not it. It's about us. The thing we have. This."

Kyungsoo looks up from where he's watching the movement of Jongdae's lips and meets Jongdae's gaze. Jongdae's looking straight at him, eyebrows in an easy not and lips drawn to a thin line. This isn't a Jongdae look, though; it looks more like one of Jongdae's 'actor faces', a look he wears when he's trying to get into character and getting out of it. This was the same look Junho wore when Junsu told him that he had to see a doctor for his 'condition' and that they could help because they understand him. Junho had spent hours, days thinking about the entire arrangement but eventually yielded because Junsu had slowly warmed up to the idea of his older brother 'getting well' again. It was an entertaining thought, bringing everything back to how they were, when life was just as simple as a yes or no question. Are you ready for the take? Yes. Are you sure you have your lines memorized? No? Then let's practice them again. It could be this easy. But nothing good ever comes out of something easy. Easy doesn't help you grow. It just helps you get things done, but not necessarily in the best way possible.

"You want to put a label to our thing?" Kyungsoo asks, voice barely above a whisper. Jongdae tilts his head a little. "Or... do you want it to end-"

"I want to take you out on a date before taping begins," Jongdae says all in one breath. Kyungsoo gulps hard, loud and heavy, and Jongdae parts his lips to speak again. "I mean, a real date where we go out for a movie or dinner with the intent of actually going out. None of those incidental lunches in the same restaurant with cast members and a shitload of footsies. Or maybe we can retain the footsies, but-" Jongdae shakes his head, then reaches for Kyungsoo's hands. Kyungsoo can feel the light tremble of Jongdae's fingers, the cool brush of its pads against Kyungsoo's skin, Jongdae's breath, hot and wet, on his skin as he inches even closer. The tips of their noses bump. If he closes his eyes, maybe he'll hear the sound of Jongdae's laboured breathing matching his own.

And once he opens them, Jongdae will be there to greet him with an amused look and say-

"-I don't want to wake up every morning wondering if you'd be weirded out by a 'good morning' text," Jongdae continues. He darts his tongue out, wetting his lips a little. It makes his lips look more red, breathes life into his mouth and to his words cracked up by the tremors of his voice. "I want to know what makes you happy or sad or what ticks you off. And what I've missed in all the years that we've been apart. I mean-" He heaves a sigh. "All my life, I've been in a rush to move from one project to another because I feel that the more I get attached to things, the more that they can hurt me. Focusing on comedy will bite me in the ass when I'm presented with a drama deal that I can't turn down. But then I can't keep running. I'm... tired."

"You're old," Kyungsoo whispers. He withdraws one of his hands from the lock of their fingers, then gives Jongdae's cheek a pinch. "You... don't have to run anymore. I won't go anywhere."

Jongdae laughs a little. "Didn't know you had it in you to be romantic," he teases, voice lilting as he ends. His eyelashes flutter as he closes his eyes and leans into the touch. "Yeah. Maybe I'm too old to be running around in circles so-" So Kyungsoo holds his breath. He can feel his throat tightening, can feel his pulse beating strongly at the back of his ears. He can feel Jongdae's pulse on his skin, can feel the warm fit of their hands and the thumping in Jongdae's chest. And he can feel that Jongdae feels this in the subtle shift of his muscles, in the way Jongdae sucks in his bottom lip in between words and intakes of breath. "Will you? Go out with me, I mean. Do... couple stuff with me. We don't have to hold hands all the time if it grosses you out-"

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath. Here Jongdae is, stopping smack in front of him to look at his face longer than the usual. This is Jongdae after a long and torturous run, after walking for so many miles and not lingering long enough in his stops to drink water, not staying in one place to look around and admire the scenery. To see things instead of glancing at them. This is Jongdae slowing down in front of him and stopping for him, nobody else. So he pulls over, yells 'cut!' at the back of his mind to review this script of theirs with Jongdae one more time to make sure if they're on track. They don't have to say the exact lines in the text; knowing Jongdae, he'll find a way to spice things up, add an ad lib somewhere along the way. And Kyungsoo will let him.

They can't screw this up. They won't. So Kyungsoo mutters, "I like hand-holding," pauses to pinch Jongdae's cheek another time. "The same way you like marshmallows."

Jongdae's eyes widen and a faint gasp escapes his lips. His cheeks flush, and his fingers grow cold. It pricks Kyungsoo's skin, sends a funny shiver down his spine. "You... remembered?"

"I'm just a shitty actor, not a shitty script-memorizer. And I have to know key points of... the script." Kyungsoo sucks in his bottom lip. "I have to do my job."

"Point," Jongdae says in agreement, then moves closer. "So, boss, will you? Will you let me take you out on gross dates and be my boyfriend?"

Kyungsoo hums. A corner of his mouth tugs up, just a tiny tug enough to reach his cheeks. Jongdae pokes his belly, then, and faint laughter escapes his lips. Then his mouth twists, a push and pull of a smile and a shit-eating grin settling on his lips. We're too old for this, he wants to say. They're thirty and too old to be going out on silly dates, too old to be fearing age-old uncertainties. They're too old for this - still waiting things out, just watching and assessing instead of doing something. So Kyungsoo gulps hard, nods, and leans in to meet Jongdae's lips in a kiss. It surprises a gasp out of Jongdae, but soon the tight press of Jongdae's lips melts as he opens up, as he tilts his head back and allows Kyungsoo access. Kyungsoo sucks on his bottom lip, licks at the corners before claiming the rest of Jongdae's mouth. He can still taste whiskey and vodka and the tequila he so hates in Jongdae's mouth, but he doesn't mind. He can get drunk on this, on the slow-forming smile on Jongdae's lips, on the tiny packets of laughter that bubble on the corners of his mouth. He can get drunk on the way Jongdae curls his fingers in his shirt and tugs at it, pulling him closer to kiss his deeper, longer, harder.

"Aren't I too old to be called your boyfriend?" Kyungsoo whispers when they part.

Jongdae looks at him through the slits of his bangs and pinches the tip of his nose. "You're never too old for me," he answers, pausing for a moment, then continues, "Manfriend, then." Then he leans in again, reclaiming Kyungsoo's mouth and tracing every inch of it with his tongue, memorizing the way Kyungsoo breathes in the open press of his mouth. Kyungsoo tilts his head back and Jongdae chases after him with his lips. If they're following the script, Kyungsoo knows what will happen next: Jongdae will nibble on his lower lip and elicit a giggle from him. Jongdae will pull away to look at him in the eye and tell him that he's crazy, he's weird, he's cute. And he'll just shake his head because what else is there to do? Jongdae has him memorized like the back of his hand, like a script he's been reading for months, a scene he's been rehearsing for hours on end.

This part of the script, Kyungsoo wouldn't mind screwing up if it means having to kiss Jongdae again and again. So he gives Jongdae's bottom lip and gentle nip, sucks on Jongdae's top lip, giggles against the slide of their mouths when Jongdae lets out a tiny whimper. They are the ad lib, the disruption to the script. They're the most hilarious romcom to ever hit the big screen. They are the next big hit. And they're the cheesiest movie Kyungsoo has ever had to work on.

If this is how the ending pans out all the time, then he won't mind. He can keep kissing Jongdae until his mouth feel sore and numb. He can keep pulling Jongdae closer to him until he can feel every shift of Jongdae's muscles. And he can keep trying to find the perfect words for this and only end up losing them in the sweet allure of Jongdae's mouth. Zoom out, pan to the setting sun, fade to black.

PART 7