Is there a way to make the earth open up and swallow him whole?

Rebuking himself at an ungodly hour, Poll shoves his face into the blanket and internally screams.

When he opened his eyes a couple of minutes ago, the first thing that his brain did was assess his surroundings. Unlike the first time he had woken up in the same place, it didn't take long for him to figure out where he was.

Immediately after realizing that he was in his boyfriend's room, the memory of last night's incident slammed into him like the truck in most isekai anime.

He might as well just get transported to another dimension at this point. Anything that will take him away from this embarrassment that he has brought upon himself once again.

The male twin sits up and looks around the bed, wondering why his boyfriend is not with him. He glances at the digital clock on Eujae's study table and learns that it's now 4:30 in the morning. It's still too early for Poll, but just the right time for someone like Eujae to be up.

As much as he wants to believe that it's the reason why his boyfriend is not in the bedroom, Poll has a feeling that Eujae didn't sleep beside him last night.

"Maybe he was freaked out by my behavior," he mumbles and gets off the bed, vaguely noting how the sweatpants he's wearing reach past his ankles and touch the floor.

Upon passing the living room, he discovers that Eujae is not there either, but the pillow and neatly folded blanket in the corner of the couch are as good a confirmation of his earlier hunch.

He catches sight of the switched-on light in the kitchen, and just as he is about to check it, the owner of the house comes in the living room, clad in nothing but a white towel around his waist and a smaller one on his head to dry his hair.

The male twin's brain short-circuits as soon as his round eyes land on his boyfriend's half-naked form. He inhales sharply, his head feeling heavy with blood.

"Hey," Eujae greets, his voice reactivating the male twin's senses.

Poll's gaze darts to his boyfriend's face, and Eujae smiles.

"You're up early. It's only past four o'clock," the taller man says, dabbing his hair with the towel before letting it hang over his neck. "How are you feeling? No headaches?"

The gentle tone of his boyfriend and the question about a possible hangover remind Poll of what happened last night. Guilt pricks his chest when the images of Eujae putting up with his drunken behavior flash back in his mind.

Poll shakes his head and grips the hem of his shirt—or Eujae's shirt on him. Averting his eyes, he mumbles, "I... Am I in trouble?"

He shuffles his feet and bites his bottom lip as his boyfriend's silence puts him on edge.

"Are you mad at me because I didn't listen when you told me yesterday not to drink too much?" he tries again, struggling to hide the uneasiness in his voice.

Instead of answering, Eujae asks calmly, "Do you remember what happened after Nick brought you here?"

The male twin nods while studying the floor. Everything is still too vivid in his head, even though that incident is one of the things that he would rather not remember at all. How he wishes he could just forget all the embarrassing stuff he did and spouted.

"Then you must have also remembered my answer when you asked me the same question last night."

Poll raises his head to respond but halts when a pair of soft lips brushes against his forehead. He catches a whiff of peppermint and a closer glimpse of his boyfriend's bare chest.

He has no time to blush all over again once Eujae pulls away and ruffles his hair affectionately.

"I'm not mad at you. I might have been a bit frustrated, but I couldn't keep that feeling for too long, Apollo." Eujae smirks and quirks his brow. "Or would you rather I keep calling you baby?"

Since he's aware he can't retort, Poll sticks his bottom lip out.

"Let's prepare you something to eat, alright? You didn't get the chance for dinner last night, so you must have been hungry right now."

As if on cue, Poll's stomach rumbles and elicits a snicker from his boyfriend.

"How does toast sound? You can have honey toast if want and I'll also make you corn soup. You can take a shower first while I'm preparing the food." Eujae pecks Poll's cheek and walks out of the area.

They spend their early breakfast in silence, with Poll throwing occasional glances at his boyfriend and now-fully-clothed Eujae smiling every time he catches the male twin staring.

After the meal, Poll walks back to the living room. The view of the blanket and pillow on the couch brings back doubts about his boyfriend's sentiment towards his last night's behavior. He wonders if Eujae has been annoyed with him after all.

While he's considering how to properly address it to him, the other man appears behind him.

"Can we talk right now, baby?"

Poll frowns and faces Eujae. "Stop calling me baby at every chance you get."

"Oh? But that's not what I remember you saying last night," Eujae quips, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Knowing there's no way for him to win this one, Poll decides to steer the subject toward something he deems more important. "You're actually upset with me, aren't you?"

Once again, Eujae doesn't give a direct answer. "Why don't we have a seat for now?"

Holding Poll's hand, he leads them to the couch.

"I realized last night that we both still have a lot to learn about communication. Whatever those things regarding our relationship that have been troubling us, it's necessary that we talk about them to each other," Eujae begins as they sit down. He clears his throat and places a hand on his nape. "You asked me last night why I never had sex with you."

Judging by the heat on his ears and cheeks, Poll imagines he's red as a beetroot by now. This must have been what it's like for a lobster to be sautéed.

But at least he's not the only one feeling awkward in this conversation.

"It's not like I didn't want to. In fact, for a while now, I've wanted to take our relationship to the next level. Every time I kissed you, I had this strong desire to do more." Eujae heaves a sigh and faces Poll with a faint smile. "But because I knew you'd never had a lover before me, I wanted to take it slow and go at your pace. I thought you were not yet ready, and I didn't want to scare you off by rushing things. Yet those things you said last night made me think that I might have presumed everything wrong all along."

Poll's heart beats faster as he keeps listening to his boyfriend's admission. Before his mind can process every word, Eujae says, "So can you tell me what made you get drunk last night and why you have been reading those... what do you call them, yaoi manga? I mean, I'm not in a position to judge your reading preference, Apollo, but I know that even if for a manga fan, you're not the type to read those genres unless you have a good reason."

Avoiding his boyfriend's gaze, the male twin fiddles with his fingers. "Because, like what you said, I never had any prior experience in dating, so I had no idea how relationships really work. I thought if I kept being clueless, that would be a burden for you, and I didn't wanna bother anyone else and ask them about it either. That was why I decided to learn using the resources I'm familiar with. Also, I didn't mean to get drunk last night, but after drinking a little, my classmates suddenly talked about their relationships, and the alcohol must have already gotten to me then, and it made me feel insecure. That was why I tried to burry that feeling by getting drunk."

When his boyfriend doesn't say anything, Poll keeps mumbling, "It's not like I wasn't confident about your feelings for me. I didn't mean to sound like I was doubtful. I'm sorry."

Eujae pats his head, as if to tell him that it's alright now and assure that he's not really mad at him. A small smile forms on Poll's lips.

"Then is it okay for me to assume that all those things you said last night weren't just drunken talk? Do you really mean you want to do it with me?" Eujae asks.

"I'm also a man after all! It's only natural that I want to touch a-and to be touched–" Poll swallows audibly before he continues, "–by the person I like, right?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Not expecting that kind of reply, Poll is slow to respond.

As he sends his boyfriend an inquisitive look, he recognizes the seriousness in his expression. Eujae has never asked the same question before, especially since they started dating, and the fact that he's doing it now makes the male twin suspect that if he gives the green signal, it may not end with just a kiss.

But even with the notion, he's more than ready to take the plunge.

He wordlessly edges closer to his boyfriend and winds his arms around his neck. Closing his eyes, Poll presses their lips together.

Eujae quickly reacts by raveling his fingers on the dark locks and slipping the other hand inside the male twin's shirt. Poll bites back a moan and resists the urge to arch his back just as his boyfriend curls his tongue inside his mouth and rubs his warm palm across his spine.

Eujae has always been passionate with his kisses, yet he bristles with desperation at the moment. He aggressively moves his mouth against the male twin's, tugging Poll's bottom lip in his teeth before switching to the upper one. He parts for a fraction of a centimeter, only to resume locking their lips with more urgency after a second.

Trapped in an intense embrace, Poll has no strength left to resist when Eujae maneuvers him to lie down on the couch while they're still engaged in a heated kiss. He briefly notes how the back of his head hits something like a seat cushion, and then his senses are once again on the person hovering on top of him.

Poll draws in a sharp breath, his eyes opening in surprise, when his boyfriend breaks off the kiss and preoccupies his mouth with his ear. Headiness overflows through him while Eujae takes his time tracing his tongue against his earlobe.

The male twin slowly shuts his eyes again and lets his partner bring him deep into euphoria. He knows exactly what it's like to be intoxicated, remembers the feeling as though he was floating, but that giddiness he experienced last night can't hold a candle to the thrill that Eujae is inducing right now.

Eujae trails his mouth across Poll's jawline, pausing for a brief moment to gently nip at his smaller boyfriend's chin, before continuing down his neck.

Unable to think straight, the male twin instinctively throws his head back to give his boyfriend better access. Eujae wastes no time licking and nibbling Poll's throat, and then he goes lower to suck the skin of his collarbone.

"Eu... Eujae," Poll breathes, and his face promptly burns up at the recognition of neediness in his voice. With his mind still muddled, he peers down at his brunette-haired boyfriend, just in time for the latter to stop leaving wet kisses on his neck.

Eujae mutters an oath, causing the male twin to purse his lips and believe that he's displeased with the interruption.

Sighing, Eujae moves up to meet Poll at eye level. He leans his hands on the couch, supporting his weight and flanking either side of the smaller man's head. His pupils have dilated, making the lighter shades of his brown and blue irises nearly undistinguishable. He looks complicated as he furrows his brows.

"Sorry. I lost control back there. Please tell me to stop if you don't like it," Eujae all but groans while his lust-filled gaze speaks a different thing. Nothing in his expression shows any sign that he's inclined to stop at any time. Not even if his house catches fire.

"Do... Do you actually want to stop?" Poll tests the waters, uncertain where he's found the courage to ask the question. He suspects he hasn't completely come down from his earlier delirium.

Relief flits across Eujae's eyes before he answers, "No." Without an ounce of hesitation, he dips his head to give Poll another deep kiss. Once he seems satisfied, he returns his mouth near the male twin's ear, murmuring, "I'm pretty sure you know what I really want right now. Let me take you to bed, Apollo."

The amorous whisper shakes up the side of the male twin that has been aching to be held. With his whole body tingling, Poll encircles his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders and nuzzles his face against his neck.

"O-okay. Then... you can take me all you want."

To be continued...