Chapter 2

As Mingyu's warmth slowly envelops him. His arms hold him with a measured force, not too strong and not too weak, his sweet perfume invades his nostrils - it's stille the same, that familiar combination of something fresh, woody and warm, like a morning after the rain - a scent that takes him back, that opens hidden memories but, at the same time, also keeps him anchored to the present. "Hi" Wonwoo barely replies, hugging him back. "How are you?" Mingyu asks in his ear, his voice lower, almost a whisper. He wants to sink into his arms, rest his cheek on his shoulder and hold him there tightly for a while longer, "I'm okay" not okay. It was a lie, yet Wonwoo says it with such naturalness that for a moment even he, himself, could believe it. Mingyu lets him go slowly, with a delicacy that makes the hug seem too short and too long at the same time. Their eyes meet and in that moment there is something unexpressed, an emotion that remains suspended between them, stuck in a space that no one dares violate. Around them, the group keeps celebrating loudly but for Wonwoo everything seems distant, blurry. All he can feel is the irregular beating of his heart and the still-fresh sensation of Mingyu's warmth against him. That big sunny boy smiles at him, then simply nods, a gesture that contains everything that words cannot say in that moment. There is happiness in that look, a silent relief in seeing Wonwoo there that evening, part of the group but above there for his return, as if to reassure him that despite everything there was still something that kept them connected. Then Mingyu is called by Joshua to make a toast and he moves towards the table, taking a seat next to Jihoon and Jun. The night goes on in a pleasant atmosphere, pervaded by a lightness that intertwines with nostalgia. The smell of food is accompanied by the clinking of their glasses and the laughter of the boys who, as always, know how to create that magic of home wherever they are. It's a dinner like those of the past, and yet, for Wonwoo, there is something that weighs in the air, a tension that hides beneath the surface. Mingyu joins their conversations, enthusiastically recounting episodes from his military service in the navy. His voice is vibrant, full of vivid details that capture everyone's attention. He describes the grueling physical exercises, the dives in freezing waters, the long nights on guard under the starry sky. And the boys listen to him enraptured, exchanging incredulous glances. "Damn, Mingyu" Joshua says, shaking his head, "I don't think I could have survived something like that" Soonyoung nods, "I probably would have already gone home crying on the first day" Mingyu laughs heartily, with that full and engaging laugh that seems to make the room even warmer. Wonwoo also tries to smile, but his is different, thinner, almost imperceptible. While the rest of the group seems totally immersed in the conversation, he feels like a distant observer, unable to truly join them. Every now and then, though, Mingyu stares at him. His gaze is a silent touch, almost imperceptible, but enough to make Wonwoo's heart skip a beat. He feels it when he tries to take a spoon of his food, even though his hunger has completely left him and his stomach is in a knot. He feels those warm, piercing eyes on him, like a weight that makes it hard to even swallow. And Wonwoo tries to ignore them, to focus on anything else, but his body doesn't obey at all. When Mingyu turns to talk to Hansol, it's Wonwoo who looks at him. He watches him furtively, studying his sharp features, that natural, confident way he moves and speaks. But when Mingyu suddenly turns to him, Wonwoo's eyes snap away, fixating on his plate as if desperately looking for an escape route. Eyes meeting but hearts apart, so sweet and so bitter. It's a silent game, a push and pull of stolen glances and held breaths. Neither of them speak, yet there is a silent conversation going on between them, hidden from the rest of the group. It's a tangle of emotions that oscillate between desire and fear, between the need to get closer and the terror of facing what is really between them. And at one point, Seungcheol puts down his glass and turns to Mingyu, "Are you planning on staying in Anyang with your family for a while longer ?" he asks, his tone genuine, devoid of malice. Mingyu pauses for a moment as his gaze shifts inevitably to Wonwoo. It is only a moment but enough to make Wonwoo feeling his heart shatter. Then he looks back at Seungcheol "Yeah, I guess I have some time to make up for with them" he replies, with a faint smile. The words are light but for Wonwoo they are like a direct hit. He knows that's not true, he knows that Mingyu is not coming home because of what's currently going on between them, of that letter that he wrote to Wonwoo during his leaving and that apparently had changed everything in their friendship so far. The tense air that separates them is an invisible barrier but so real that it hurts and Wonwoo stays silent for the rest of the night. Every now and then he tries to hint a smile but it's an empty one, devoid of sincerity, that never reaches his eyes. Lucky for him the boys don't notice it, too caught up in the heat of the celebrations, in the silly pictures they take for fans on Weverse, in the toasts that follow one after the other. And when the time to leave finally comes, Wonwoo almost feels like he can finally breathe. He gets up and follows the group towards the exit. The cold of the night welcomes him like a breath of fresh air but it's not enough to dissipate the weight he feels on his chest. He says goodbye to everyone with the promise to see each other again very soon but he doesn't have the courage to say the same to Mingyu, he doesn't have the courage to look at him, to ask him if he'll ever come home. In the taxi, while the city flows silently outside the window dotted with raindrops, Wonwoo gets lost in his thoughts. It's only then, in the solitude of that moment, that the weight becomes too much to bear. Tears well up in his eyes slowly and unstoppable sliding down his cheeks. He hasn't cried like this in years but now he can't help it. He knows it's not just for that night but for everything he's lost, for everything he never had the courage to say. And as he wipes his face with his sleeve, heartbroken, Wonwoo wonders if it's really possible to turn back time.     The house greets him as it always does, but it's a cold, unfeeling welcome filled with voids and silences that creep through the walls like an icy wind. The sound of door closing behind his back disappears immediately, swallowed by the oppressive stillness, and Wonwoo finds himself wishing that he had never come back. He hates that suffocating silence, how it presses down on him until he can barely breathe. He hates how everything seems still, as if time had stopped in the exact moment Mingyu left. He takes off his coat and hangs it near the door. The dim light of the living room welcomes him with a cruel embrace and Wonwoo stops for a moment just to look better at the room. Nothing has changed, yet everything seems different. His gaze rests on the blue couch, on that familiar shape that appears to him as a refuge and a condemnation at the same time. He sighs loudly, a breath that seems to weigh as much as a boulder, and he lets himself fall onto it, his head resting on the backrest and his eyes closed. His hand slides automatically towards the drawer of the coffee table, as if guided by a force he cannot control. He takes out that letter, that piece of paper he knows by heart, the light weight that contrasts with the immensity of the meaning it carries with it. It's a ritual by now. Every night it's always the same. Wonwoo caresses that letter in his hands as if it could give him a modicum of comfort, as if those written words had the power to fill his void. His fingers caress the edge of the paper so delicately and Wonwoo opens it, letting his eyes run over those lines that he doesn't need to read to know what they say. The words imprint themselves on his mind like a painful mantra, like a reminder of the choices Mingyu made and the consequences Wonwoo is paying. After that dinner, the realization that Mingyu won't be coming home hits him with the violence of a sharp blade. Wonwoo knows it, he has always known it in his depth but Mingyu made it clear in a way he can no longer ignore. The way he smiled, the tone of his voice as he said he'd spend more time with his family far from Seoul, his apparent happiness to be away from there. There's just no room for the two of them in the same space. Not anymore. And yet, Mingyu's absence eats him from the inside. Wonwoo can't forget the warmth of his embrace, the unmistakable scent that has stayed on him like an echo of what he was, of what he will never be again. Wonwoo hugs his chest, almost as if he wants to hold onto that memory but he knows it's not enough. He asks himself for the umpteenth time if this is just the right thing for them. If that letter had really been necessary, if it had been right to let him go like that without a proper answer. His heart says no, screaming against that choice but his mind, cold and rational, reminds him that there was no escape to that situation at all. As painful as it is, Mingyu had made his choice. And there's nothing that Wonwoo can do if not to respect it. The silence of the house becomes heavier and heavier, Wonwoo feels suffocated. He folds the letter carefully and puts it back in the drawer as if he wants to close his thoughts along with it despite the emptiness remains so implacable. With a final sigh, he slides sideways onto the couch, clutching a pillow as if it could protect him from the loneliness that surrounds him. He closes his eyes, seeking refuge in a sleep that he knows will be difficult to achieve and as the darkness of the room envelops him, the certainty that Mingyu is no longer home pierces his heart but Wonwoo will never stop looking for him there, between those walls that so much scream his absence, that hold up all their memories. It's devastating, Wonwoo has never felt such pain in his chest and he doesn't know for how long he stays motionless on the blue couch with his head lost in a whirlwind of thoughts. The silence slowly becomes an enemy that envelops him until a sudden sound, the keypad of the door, shakes him like an electric wave down all over his spine. The familiar beep is followed by that stupid little music that announces that the code has been accepted, and Wonwoo feels his heart leaping in his chest, pounding so hard in his ears that it covers every other sound. For a moment he is sure he is dreaming, that he is imagining everything, just a cruel hallucination born from his tired mind and broken heart. But then the door opens and Mingyu is there. Wonwoo can see him clearly standing in the shadows of the little corridor leading to the living room. His breath is frantic, his chest rises and falls, and the tips of his hair are wet, droplets of water slowly sliding down his dark locks to gently fall on his jacket. It was still raining outside and Mingyu had probably run through it to be there. Wonwoo jumps up and sits on the couch in a more composed position but he can't find the words. He doesn't know what to say or if he should say something at all. If he should break the silence or let this moment being surrounded by that pure irreparably fragility. Mingyu, however, is the first to speak. "I..." he stammers, his breathing still labored, "I'm sorry- I... I should have knocked" Wonwoo wants to laugh, a bitter, incredulous laugh, but he can't even do that. Why would he have to knock ? This is his home, too. It had been for so long. And now Mingyu was apologizing as if he were a stranger, as if he had no right to be there. "No need..." Wonwoo replies but his voice is weak, hoarse, as if he hadn't used it in days. For a moment they look at each other. Eyes into eyes. And yet, in those looks there is more fear than comfort, more questions than answers. Mingyu is the first to look away, staring at an indefinite point on the floor. Wonwoo, on the other hand, can't stop looking at him, as if he's trying to figure out if what's happening is real or a product of his exhausted mind. "Mingyu" he wets his lips, as if to find the bravery to tell him something more. But Mingyu interrupts him, speaking again this time with a more stable voice, "I'm happy you came tonight" he says, his words echoing around the room like a stone thrown into a pond. Just that ? Had he come all this way just to tell him that ? Wonwoo is silent for a long moment, his eyes lowered to his hands that are nervously clasped together. He bites the inside of his cheek to hold back the tide of emotions that overwhelm him, but in the end he can't stop the words that escape him, "Did you think I wouldn't come ?" he asks, his voice barely audible. Mingyu looks up at him. His breathing has calmed but his face is a patchwork of emotions hard to decipher, "I thought about it for a moment, yes" he admits, his words feeling like a punch to Wonwoo's stomach, "I thought you weren't happy to see me" Wonwoo feels his heart tighten in a vice. Anger and sadness mix in him in a vortex that leaves a bitter taste in his mouth, "Is that why you didn't tell me about your discharge date ?" he asks quietly, almost fearing the answer, "I heard it from Seungcheol" His eyes drop for a moment, then rise again. "I didn't mean to..." he begins, his voice cracking slightly. He takes a deep breath, as if gathering the courage to continue, "I didn't mean to make things awkward for you. I didn't know if... if you wanted to see me or if it was okay for you coming back straight here" "Mingyu, what are you saying... this is still your home" Wonwoo sounds incredulous, "When you left, I never thought for a second that I wouldn't want to see you again. How could you think that ?" "I guess I didn't want to risk after writing you that letter" Mingyu mutters, "I didn't want you to feel pressured to act like everything was normal between us" "Nothing's been normal since you left and the fact that you didn't come back home... the fact that you thought I didn't want to see you again... that hurts, Mingyu, more than anything". Wonwoo feels his heart tighten painfully in his chest, now that the letter has been mentioned he can't help but remember every single word he wrote, every emotion he poured onto that paper, every hope and fear he tried to hide behind a pen, "That letter..." he has the bravery to say with a lump in his throat that tightens hard, "That letter should never have kept you away from here" from me. "It wasn't the letter that kept me away" he says finally, his voice so low that Wonwoo can barely hear it. "It was me. I was... scared" "Of what ?" "Of losing you. Of finding out there'd be nothing left. Scared of what I'd find when I came back here" he admits, his voice shaking, "Scared of looking into your eyes and realizing that... maybe you've forgotten me or worse, that you hate me for having ruined everything" Mingyu's confession strikes Wonwoo like a sharp pang, a tangled mix of pain and anger coiling in his stomach. How could he think such a thing? And yet, another part of him understands, a part that recognizes the fear behind Mingyu's words, the same fear that has haunted him countless times before "I have never hated you" Wonwoo finally murmurs with a sincerity that burns in his throat, "Mingyu... I never could have" The silence that follows is thick, full of everything they can't say. Mingyu looks at him and there is something different in his eyes, a light that seems to break the darkness that has enveloped them for so long. Then, without saying a word, he comes closer and sits next to him on the couch. He doesn't touch him but his closeness is enough to make Wonwoo feel as if his heart is about to explode. They stay in that fragile but incredibly meaningful silence, two broken souls trying to find each other. And it's Mingyu who breaks it, throwing a bomb at him that completely devastates him. "I found another place" Wonwoo's world cracks. His eyes close instinctively as if to protect himself from the pain that's overwhelming him. Something inside him shatters into a thousand pieces and he's not even sure he can breathe. "Why ?" he asks, in a broken whisper. Mingyu lowers his gaze, unable to meet Wonwoo's. "Because it's painful for me to keep staying here" he admits and there's a note of guilt in his voice, as if the words are destroying him as much as they're destroying Wonwoo. Wonwoo feels his heart stop for a moment, those words have knocked the air out of his lungs. He clutches the blue couch as if it's the only thing still keeping him rooted to reality. "Why did you come then..." he murmurs, and his voice is so faint that it almost seems to get lost in the emptiness of the room. "To collect my things, I guess" he says, "And to see you one last time" Wonwoo looks away from him, unable to look him in the eyes further more. His jaw tightens as he tries to hold back the tears but the trembling in his hands gives him away. He's on the verge of collapse and he knows it. Every muscle in his body feels tense, like a rope about to snap. He forces himself to speak, even though his voice is cracked, almost broken. "You're leaving... and you're taking for granted how I feel" he whispers, each word laced with pain. "I don't know how you feel, hyung" he says, his voice shaking, "You never wrote me back..." That hits Wonwoo like a slap. He whirls around to face him and the pain in his gaze is so intense that Mingyu almost recoils, "Because I'm not a coward like you" Wonwoo blurts out, "I'm not afraid to tell you that I love you" The words ring out in the room, sharp and raw, and then everything falls back into a sudden, oppressive silence. Mingyu stands still, as if petrified, as the weight of that confession hits him. Wonwoo stares at him, his breathing labored, and for a moment he seems to regret having spoken, "I didn't wait 18 months in vain" he continues, his voice shaking again now, more fragile, "I didn't wait every single day, hoping you'd come back, only to have you walk away from me again" Mingyu looks down, tears finally streaming down his face. He says nothing, unable to find the words. Wonwoo watches him, his heart breaking a little more with every second of silence. "You think I haven't thought about you ? Every night, when I felt most alone ? I missed you so much it drove me crazy, Min... There wasn't a single day that I didn't wish you were here, with me" he reveals, "If I never wrote you back... it's because I didn't feel good enough for you, I never felt good enough to deserve your love. You are... you are so brilliant, so strong, Mingyu so... everything that I am not. And I wondered, who am I to write you those words ? Who am I to deserve what you wrote to me ? Writing you a letter would have been like breaking down every wall I've built around my heart. I would have exposed myself completely, without defenses, and I didn't know if I could survive that. So I didn't write to you but it was a mistake, I know" Wonwoo pauses to lick his lips wetted with tears, "Every single day that I didn't answer you was torment. I read and reread your letter until I wore it out but every time I picked up a pen, the words died in my fingers. I couldn't do it and I hated myself more for that. Every day I felt like I was losing another piece of you" Mingyu stands still for a long moment, Wonwoo's words resonating in the room like a painful echo. His eyes are fixed on him and his lips tremble slightly, as if he is trying to contain all the emotions that are overwhelming him. "You know when love became love in your case, but in mine I don't because... I don't remember a day when I didn't love you, Mingyu. There's always been only you" Mingyu takes a long deep breath, "I'm scared hyung" he whispers, "You have no idea how hard this is for me. This whole time... I... I held onto you, Wonwoo" he pauses looking at him intently. "I held onto the thought of you every single day I was gone. You were the reason I got out of bed, the reason I endured all that hell. But now... now that I'm here... it's like everything is ten times more complicated because I'm scared of all of this. Of us. Of how we... how we can make it through all the chaos around us. I don't know how to handle this. I don't know how to be myself with you... and still be what others expect me to be. I don't know how to love you... and protect us. I don't know if I can do it... everything is so complicated, hyung. For us, for our work..." Mingyu stammers, his voice cracking as if he's desperately trying to find an excuse but his words sound hollow, like a distant voice that can't quite reach Wonwoo. Wonwoo shakes his head forcefully and with a firm gesture, he raises a hand and gently places his fingers on Mingyu's chin, forcing him to turn toward him. The touch is light, almost hesitant, yet it burns like fire on both of their skin. Mingyu flinches slightly but doesn't pull away. The contact is so intimate, so full of repressed emotions, that for a moment it feels like time stands still. "It's not complicated" Wonwoo murmurs, his words spilling straight from his heart, "Not if we keep it here... in our home" Mingyu feels his heart breaking even more. His hands shake as he slowly lifts them and brings them to the sides of Wonwoo's face, as if he's afraid he might dissolve in front of him. Their breaths mix, heavy and uneven, while their eyes stay glued to each other, full of everything they can't say. With an almost unconscious movement, Mingyu lowers his head and rests his forehead on his. The contact is sweet, but devastating in its intensity. Tears begin to silently fall from his cheeks, tracing hot, salty lines that mix with the broken sighs that escape his lips. Wonwoo closes his eyes, letting the closeness wash over him, the warmth of Mingyu's breath against his skin. "Stay" Wonwoo whispers with a strangled cry, "Please" Mingyu freezes for a moment, his breath catching as the words resonate inside him like a thud then, without warning, without hesitation, he quits the distance between them. His lips press against Wonwoo's in a kiss that is neither cautious nor perfect, but incredibly real filled with unspoken emotions, unspoken promises, and all the time they've wasted. Wonwoo holds his breath, hands clutching at Mingyu's shirt as if afraid he might disappear again. Mingyu gets lost in that moment, the familiar, sweet taste of Wonwoo invading his mouth and senses. It's a kiss that speaks of love, of pain, of desire, and above all of a desperate need to stay. Their tears mingle, but neither of them stops, because in that moment, in that room that now seems more alive than ever, the only thing that matters is that they have finally found each other. The room seems to hold its breath with them, charged with an intensity that grows and pulses like pure electricity. Their lips seek each other again and again, as if each kiss is a struggle to fill a deep void, a hunger that has gone unsatisfied for too long. Mingyu holds Wonwoo with one hand behind his neck, fingers threading through his hair, while the other hand holds him tightly, as if afraid he might dissolve at any moment. Their breaths intertwine, breaking into labored groans as their bodies move closer, erasing all distance. Mingyu tilts his head, deepening the kiss, and Wonwoo clings to him tightly as if he wants to hold him there, as if he can't afford to lose him again. When they finally separate, both breathless, their eyes meet. Mingyu's face is flushed, his eyes still shiny, but there's an unwavering determination in the look he gives Wonwoo, as if he's ready to lay himself bare in every sense of the word. Wonwoo slowly lowers the jacket from Mingyu's shoulders, his hands shaking slightly, and Mingyu lets the fabric slide to the floor without resistance. Just as slowly, Mingyu takes Wonwoo's cardigan and slides it off as well, his hands brushing the bare skin underneath, making him shiver. His lips go down to Wonwoo's neck, Mingyu traces a trail of kisses along the curve of his shoulder, his warm mouth seeming to savor every inch of his skin memorizing its taste and softness. Wonwoo lets out a strangled moan, one hand clutching Mingyu's shoulder while the other gets lost in his hair. The feeling of those lips against his skin is almost overwhelming, a mix of sweetness and passion that leaves him breathless. Mingyu moves lower, his lips following the line of Wonwoo's chest, leaving a trail of kisses that seem to promise devotion, care and unconditional love. Every touch, every movement is an expression of something they can no longer hold back. Their clothes slowly are scattered on the floor, forgotten, and Mingyu's skin presses against Wonwoo's in a contact that almost feels like burning. Mingyu's hands move along Wonwoo's sides, holding him as if he were something precious, something he is afraid of breaking. One moment after Mingyu is between his legs, on him, inside him, and Wonwoo abandons himself completely to him, to the man of his life, closing his eyes and letting the moment guide them. Between thrusts Mingyu pauses for a moment, his face close to Wonwoo's as their breaths mingle in that unprecedented intimacy. He looks at him like he doesn't believe any of this could ever happen, with such devotion that makes Wonwoo feel loved in a way he's never known with anyone else before. That night, within the walls of that lovely home that has witnessed their pain and their distance, everything dissolves except the two of them. They find each other, discover each other, and promise each other, without the need for any words, that they will never let time or fear come between them again. What they share is a love that envelops them, heals and completes them, finally free to be everything they are to each other. On that hated blue couch, where it all began.     Wonwoo had never felt a heart beating so fast. With his head resting on Mingyu's bare chest, he lets himself be lulled by the regular and reassuring rhythm of his heartbeat, as if it were a wonderful melody played just for him. His fingers trace delicate invisible designs on Mingyu's warm skin, following the lines of his muscles with an almost meditative slowness. A light sheet barely covers them, their naked bodies still close, their legs intertwined in such a natural, inevitable way, as if it had always been like this and always had to be. The silence of the room is intimate but not oppressive. The rain continues to fall outside and the drops drum against the glass. The faint glow of the city lights is reflected in the dim light, enveloping them in an unreal atmosphere. Mingyu is relaxed under him, an arm holding him tightly to his side, while the hand lazily caresses Wonwoo's white and naked back with slow and sweet movements. "What are you thinking about ?" asks Mingyu, breaking the silence with a low voice, almost a whisper. Wonwoo lifts his head slightly and a blissful smile lights up his face. "I'm thinking about how we got to this point" he confesses. Mingyu looks at him for a long moment, his eyes seeming to glow in the dim light. Then, without saying anything, he leans over and presses a tender kiss to Wonwoo's mouth, a sweet one full of gratitude and love. "You know..." he says after a few moments, a smile playing with the corners of his lips, "The boys have always teased me that something would happen between us" Wonwoo frowns, intrigued, "Who exactly?" he asks, surprised and amused. "Jeonghan, Jun, Soonyoung..." Mingyu replies with a small smile, letting his memory take him back to those moments, "They always said I looked at you differently but I didn't want to believe it" "Why not ?" Wonwoo presses him, his curiosity now fully awake. Mingyu sighs and looks at the ceiling for a moment as if trying to put his thoughts in order. "Because you were a brother to me, like everyone else. Or at least that's what I told myself but then..." he stops, and his gaze returns to him, "Something changed. You were always there when I came back home. You were the one listening to me, you were the one making me feel better even without saying anything. You were and still are always present in my life, Wonwoo, always" Mingyu's words hit him with a sweetness that makes his heart ache. Wonwoo looks at him, his fingers still running lazily along his skin as if to imprint that moment in his memory. He holds him tighter, "I don't know why it took me so long" he says in a low voice, almost a whisper. Wonwoo closes his eyes letting Mingyu's voice envelop him like his heartbeat, like his arms holding him. In that moment, nothing else matters. Not the rain, not the past, not the fears. Just the two of them, together. "Do you want them to know ?" Wonwoo asks with a hint of hesitation, his voice a whisper that seems to blend in with the patter of rain on the glass, "The boys ?" Mingyu shakes his head slowly, burying his face in Wonwoo's neck as his lips gently brush his skin. "No" he murmurs, "I want this to be just ours. At work, we'll be professional, as always..." he clings closer to him, "But at night we just come back here... into each other's arms" Wonwoo pulls away slightly, just enough to look him in the eye, "Then sell the apartment you bought" he tells him as his fingers trace the outline of his beautiful face, "I want you to stay here. I'm fond of this place, Mingyu... this is where we fell in love" Mingyu looks at him with a depth that seems to dig deep inside him. A soft smile makes its way to his lips as he raises a hand to caress Wonwoo's cheek, "You're right" he says, "This place is special and... it can also be our new beginning. The place where we could truly love each other, without fear anymore" Wonwoo feels his heart pounding in his chest. "A new beginning ?" he repeats softly, a hint of hope tinging his voice. Mingyu nods, leaning in until his foreheads touch, "A new beginning, hyung" he whispers, "No more bad choices, no more distance. Just us, together. Here, where we were always meant to be" Wonwoo kisses him with such delicacy, his lips brushing Mingyu's in a gesture that speaks of all the love he has never been able to express in words. They part just a little, just enough for Wonwoo to whisper against his mouth, "I love you" his breath shakes slightly. "I love you too" Mingyu replies softly. Their hands intertwine under the sheets, thumbs tracing small circles on each other's fingers as if they are trying to keep that moment in their hearts forever. The world outside may be falling apart, but here, in that room, time for them seems to have stopped. Their love fills the space, enveloping them in a warmth they have never known before, a warmth that makes them finally feel at home. Mingyu smiles and kisses Wonwoo's forehead. Their breaths mix, their souls touch and it's as if all the pain and the distance, the misunderstandings had never existed. And so they stay, held close to each other, with their hearts beating in unison and a love so big that it seems unreal. So bitter... So sweet...