He is not sure what time it is now. There is no clear sign of whether it's still evening or already morning. Something about the surroundings is giving him a vague sense. Even so, he can tell that this is the same room in the beach house that he's sharing with Apollo.

And speaking of Apollo, the only thing that's not ambiguous right now is the guy's overall appearance as he stares down at Eujae.

Poll is above him again, straddling his waist, but there is a big distinction between this situation and the one earlier. The male twin is presently wearing an oversized gray t-shirt with a loose collar that's slightly sliding off his right shoulder.

However, his outfit is not the only thing that Eujae finds strange about him.

Looking up at his face, Eujae notes the unusual expression that Poll is giving him. There is a twinkle in his brown eyes, and in place of a carefree grin, his mouth is curved up into something that differs from his usual smiles, something that is akin to sultry.

He blinks, making sure he's seeing the image correctly. What the hell? This doesn't make sense.

Apollo doesn't do this kind of expression. He doesn't do sultry.

He frowns a lot. He glares. Sometimes, he makes a displeased pout. He beams when he's delighted, but he doesn't smile like this. Heck, he doesn't smile at all in front of Eujae.

And even the smiles he's seen Poll give other people are nowhere near this. Like he's seducing.

"What in the world is this?" Eujae manages a groan, scowling as Poll holds the sides of his face and bends down to get close to his face. Despite being weirded out by the male twin's behavior, he doesn't do anything to stop him. Or more like, he's too shocked to do anything. "What are you doing?" he demands when Poll rests his forehead against his.

Their noses bump against each other as there's barely any distance between their faces now.

This close, Eujae can't see Poll's whole feature, but judging by the glint in his eyes, he assumes that the guy is still grinning.

"Isn't this what you want?" Poll whispers, his breath grazing against the other man's mouth. Even his voice sounds sensual and very much unlike Apollo Helios.

His stomach flutters at the light, unintentional touch of their lips, but Eujae pretends not to notice and forces himself to focus on Poll's reply.

What he wants. What the hell is this guy talking about?

As much as he likes to concentrate on finding the answer to both their questions, Eujae finds himself distracted when he gets a whiff of Poll.

Sweet and citrusy. It's definitely the male twin's scent. There is no way Eujae is going to mistake it for anything else. Still, his smell is pretty much the only aspect that remains faithful to the real Poll. Everything else about him right now is so out of character.

Eujae presses his elbow on the bed and pushes himself up while Poll is still straddling him. Instinctively, he puts his arm around the male twin's waist to prevent him from getting out of balance. Poll slides down from Eujae's middle to his lap now that they're both in a sitting position.

"This doesn't make sense at all," Eujae voices out his thoughts. In spite of finding the situation and Poll's current behavior odd, he doesn't do anything to pull away from their unusual position. He makes no effort to remove his arm that's wrapped around Poll nor does he try to get the male twin off his lap.

"Who cares if it's not making any sense?" Poll asks rhetorically, "There's no real logic as to why we desire the things we desire. We just do. So stop making things difficult for you." Placing his hand on Eujae's chest, he adds, "Instead of fighting that yearning, why don't you just give what this here really wants."

His words, so enigmatic, and profound, only serve to confuse Eujae further. Humoring him, he asks, "And what, do tell, does it want?"

Poll's grin widens, and Eujae feels his pulse race, as the male twin wraps his arms around his neck and leans closer to his face.

"It wants me," Poll breathes. Unlike before, the brushing of their mouths is definitely done on purpose. "You want me."

Eujae gulps. His breathing turns ragged as Poll's scent becomes stronger, invading all of his senses.

This feels so off. Something is not right about this whole scenario. What he should be doing right now is pushing Apollo away and demanding an explanation for the strange way he's behaving.

But it's like his whole body and mind don't agree. Poll's proximity is driving him insane. The way his breath wafts against his face makes his body tingle.

And his scent. Eujae has never been a big fan of anything sweet, but Apollo's scent, oh god, it's intoxicating.

His gaze flicks to the other man's exposed shoulder. Even his skin looks smooth, and Eujae can't help but imagine running his mouth against it. He wonders if Apollo would taste sweet too.

While different unwelcome thoughts run through his head, Poll's latest words resonate.

You want me.

Until now, he hasn't found any counterargument for it. If there are any.

As he gives Poll an intense stare, Eujae arrives at the conclusion that there is no way he can disprove the statement. A fact is just impossible to gainsay, especially with his body and mind betraying and giving him away.

Without taking his eyes off Poll, Eujae feels his self-control slowly slipping away. Apollo looks and smells so delectable, and right now, it's as though he's asking to be devoured.

Eujae swallows hard, willing himself to curb the lust.

Poll then presses his whole body against Eujae's, making the gap between them disappear. All at once, his self-restraint gets torn into fine shreds, at the same time as the last strand of his rationality snaps.

Before he knows it, Eujae is grabbing the back of Poll's head, his hand entangling in dark locks. He leans in with all the intention of catching the male twin's mouth on his.

Fuck reasons. He'll do the thing that he's always wanted to do. And God knows how badly he wants to kiss this guy.

Eujae closes his eyes, letting himself be carried away by the sensations flowing through his entire being.

As soon as their lips touch, something hits Eujae's chest hard, jolting him awake.

He opens his eyes, overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu. The sudden transition of setting throws him into confusion for a moment. He stares at the space in a daze as he tries to make out the thing that he's looking at. Once his vision starts to focus on the blurry outline of the ceiling, Eujae realizes that he's still in the same room.

He blinks, feeling like he's forgetting something.

Something that happened just a while ago. A dream. He racks his brain for whatever it is. All of a sudden, the truth crashes down on him like a ton of bricks.

Eyes wide in disbelief, Eujae tries to sit up but is stopped by a leg over his thighs and an arm over his chest. With a heavy sigh, he turns beside him to look at the culprit.

The smell of citrus and honey meets his nose as it brushes against the smaller man's hair. He slowly lifts Poll's limbs off him, careful not to wake him up.

A small sound of protest escapes from Poll's throat as he gets disentangled from Eujae. Still sound asleep, he rolls on his back, one hand falling beside his head while the other rests on his stomach.

Eujae takes the chance to sit up. Looking over Poll and seeing the creases in between his brows, he can't help but chuckle. During that one time in his house when they slept beside each other, Eujae had already memorized the male twin's sleeping habits.

In addition to being a heavy sleeper, Poll is also a cuddler when he's asleep. Without anything to cuddle with, he tends to toss and turn a lot.

Eujae keeps watching his sleeping face until his gaze goes down, stopping at Poll's mouth and reminding him of the dream.

Mortification hits him in a matter of seconds, and he flushes furiously. Turning away, Eujae places his elbow on his knee and covers his eyes with a hand. "What the hell was that?" he grumbles, frowning.

Different emotions surface within him as the dream replays in his head, but what he feels the strongest is self-reproach.

Are you a freaking pervert after all?

"Give me a break," he mutters, trying to reason with the part of his mind that's ridiculing him for acting the way he did in his dream, for being unable to control himself.

In his defense, the person he likes was enticing him while being so damn irresistible. What was a man supposed to do?

Just as he catches on to that one significant detail of his thought, he freezes.

The person he likes.

Like.

Eujae removes his hand from his eyes and stares blankly at the wall.

He likes Apollo? As in romantically?

Slowly, he turns back to the person in question and studies his sleeping form.

He likes this troublesome man. This time, the statement comes to him with more assertiveness, compelling him to acknowledge it as a fact.

Surprisingly, he doesn't feel any ounce of denial about the realization. There is no resistance, just acceptance.

What he thought would give him more questions, provided him with definite answers instead. He expected to be confused, but, on the contrary, he gets clarification for the things that have been messing with his head these past few days.

No wonder he's been so jealous of Lia. And even of Gaele.

Pressing his palm on the bed, Eujae bends a little and reaches down to touch Poll's face. His eyes linger on the male twin's mouth, and then he skims his lower lip with his thumb.

No wonder he's felt the strong urge to kiss him. And that's not only in a dream.

The fact of the matter is, it took him a great deal of self-restraint not to plant a kiss on Apollo's lips while they were fooling around last night. The guy was just so adorable when he was being fiery.

At the image of an embarrassed Poll, Eujae can't help but compare the Apollo last night to the Apollo in his dream.

The latter is alluring, there's no denying that. But as far as Eujae is concerned, the real deal is a lot better. The one in his dream sounded mature, but Eujae still prefers this one here, who is feisty but naive about a lot of things.

He'd still choose the real Apollo anytime. His Apollo.

The Apollo Helios Torres he knows is no stranger to coarse language, but he's as innocent as a child when it comes to racy stuff.

Eujae looks at the sleeping man affectionately as he continues caressing his face.

This guy, while having an impressive repertoire of insults, is someone who is unversed in anything risqué; someone who has no qualms about uttering the f-word but will instantly turn fire engine red at the slightest sexual innuendo.

And maybe that's just part of his charm and one of the things that keep endearing him to Eujae.

When Poll told him last night that he'd been feeling awkward around him after the time they spent on the overpass, Eujae realized that the person Ten-Ten was talking about in their latest conversation was none other than him. He'd been feeling uneasy with the knowledge that someone was making Poll feel that way, only to find out in the end that he and that someone are the same person. Now, Eujae wonders if it is okay for him to think that Poll is starting to feel some affection for him too. Even just a little. Has Poll finally decided to stop hating him?

Even though it seems like Poll still has a long way to go before he figures out what he's really feeling, is it alright for Eujae to get his hopes high?

Completely oblivious to what is happening around him, Poll turns to his side again. He stretches his hand and fumbles as if he's searching for something.

Understanding what he wants, Eujae grabs the pillow he used earlier and places it in Poll's arms. The male twin immediately squeezes the thing and curls himself.

At his actions, Eujae snickers and shakes his head. God, why is he so damn cute?

Will it be wrong if he kisses him right here, right now?

The atmosphere feels so right at the moment that Eujae can't stop himself from leaning in and closing the distance between their faces. Once he's only a few centimeters away, he pauses.

"Why do you keep tempting me, idiot?" he murmurs before brushing his lips against the side of Poll's face.

Just a kiss on the cheek. Chaste and light. But it's enough to make the butterflies flap their wings and soar everywhere in his stomach, enough to send a thrilling sensation all over his nerves.

Eujae closes his eyes, and his lips linger for a while, relishing the softness of Poll's skin. Rather reluctantly, he pulls away as he sighs. "You're really driving me crazy, Apollo."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When he gets out of the bedroom later on and goes to the eat-in kitchen of the house, Eujae discovers that his cousin is already there.

"Hey," he greets, watching the young woman place a couple of cups on the dining table. "You're up early."

Lia looks up from her task and smiles upon seeing Eujae. "Yeah, I want to try making breakfast."

Eujae turns to the corner of the kitchen island to go beside his cousin. Glancing at the counter, he sees the seafood fried rice in the large serving bowl. "Do you need any help?"

"It's okay," Lia answers, "I just put the chicken in the air fryer and it will be done in a couple of minutes."

A teasing grin forms on Eujae's lips, remembering the time in high school when his cousin almost burned a simple dish during their Home Economics subject. "So you know how to cook now?"

The young woman lets out a lighthearted laugh and playfully slaps the man's arm. "I'm learning. And I may not be as good as you, but I'm an expert in frying, you know."

She then picks up some plates from the counter and walks to the dining area.

With a chuckle, Eujae follows her. "That reminds me of someone who said he's an expert at boiling stuff."

"By someone, you mean Poll?" Lia asks as she starts placing the plates on the table.

Upon hearing the name come out of his cousin's mouth, Eujae is reminded of the subject that he has been trying to unravel these past few days. While the young woman is busy setting the table, Eujae watches her intently. He studies her face as if doing that will help him find out about the person she likes.

Realizing that he's not going anywhere with this, he decides to get the answer from the person herself. "Lia, there's something I've been wondering..." he begins tentatively. "It's something about what you said a few days ago."

Lia places the last plate on the table before she gives her cousin a look that's encouraging him to continue.

Without beating around the bush, Eujae asks, "Do you like Nick?"

"Oh, have you been thinking about it?" Lia smiles softly. She looks up and hums, looking as if she's in deep thought. "Nick? He's a good guy, but I don't see him that way."

Somehow, Eujae expected the answer, but hearing it straight from the person still makes him feel anxious. He closes and opens his palm to steel his nerves as he's almost scared to ask the follow-up question. "Then is it Apollo?"

The response he gets this time is different. When Lia turns her eyes on him again, the usual glow in them is missing, and Eujae tries to recall if there was ever a time he saw the young woman this serious.

"And if it is him, what will you do?" Even her smile is sober. "What are you going to do if I like Poll?"

Eujae's heart sinks at his cousin's answer. What is he going to do? He's not sure either. As if he can do anything. As if he can tell people to stop liking others. As if he can do that to his own cousin.

But is it true? Does Lia like Poll?

Unsure how to react and what to say, Eujae returns the silent stare.

Lia maintains the same solemnity on her face for a minute, and then, her expression breaks into a beam. "Don't worry, though. Poll is just a good friend for me too."

The revelation doesn't immediately get through to him, and when it does, Eujae's first reaction is to ensure he doesn't understand it wrong. "What? So, is it Nick after all?"

"No. I already told you it's not him," his cousin answers with a giggle, "What even makes you think that I like either Nick or Poll? I'm often with those guys, sure, given we're classmates, but I just really see them as friends."

Lost, Eujae frowns. "I mean, you said the person you like is one of our friends and someone who likes anime. Unless I misunderstood it, those two are the only ones who fit your description."

The smile that Lia gives him is one of patience. "Someone who likes anime. Are you sure there are only two of them who are like that among our friends?"

Euaje blinks. Is he missing something? Is he forgetting one of their friends?

He mentally lists the names of each person in their group to see if it can help enlighten him.

Cloud. Tem. They are out of the question.

Nick. Poll. Lia already confirmed that it's neither of them.

Who else is there?

Eujae pauses, remembering there's still one friend from their group. And that friend is someone who watches anime.

His eyes widen when it finally dawns on him that there is, in fact, another person who fits Lia's description. Incredulous, he breathes, "You like Risa."

The look in Lia's eyes is a silent affirmation. "You're surprised," she points out matter-of-factly, "Do you find it weird that I like a woman?"

"No," Eujae denies promptly, shaking his head in shock, "No. I mean, I'm surprised, yes, but I don't find it weird." After all, he's not exactly in a position to judge his cousin when even he's having it bad for a man. And more than astonished, he feels relieved. It is as if a great weight has been lifted off his chest now that he knows that they don't like the same person.

"Now that you know my secret, it's your turn to be honest with me too," Lia then says, distracting Eujae from wholly processing the new information he learned, "You've been in a bad mood since yesterday, especially every time Poll and I were together, and you seemed bothered when you thought the person I like was Poll. If I were another person, I'd think you were just being overprotective of me again, but I am your cousin, Eujae, and I've known you for a long time, so it's easy for me to see that this is different from your overprotectiveness." Tilting her head to the side, she continues, "Tell me, you were jealous of me, weren't you? You like Poll, don't you?"

Eujae takes a brief moment to be quiet. Reflexively, his hand moves to the back of his neck. Sighing, he answers, "I guess that's the case. I mean, even I've just realized it. I don't see any point in hiding it from you, but how did you know? Am I that obvious?"

Shaking her head, the young woman laughs. "At least to me, you are. How can I not know when I felt like someone had been glaring at me the whole time yesterday?"

"I never glared at you," Eujae objects, sounding scandalized by the mere thought of it.

Lia nods and grins, her eyes understanding. "I know. I'm just kidding. So I was saying, you're obvious while the other one is oblivious."

Eujae wants to ask about what she means with that statement, to talk more about this subject with his cousin, but when Tem enters the area with Risa on her heels, he is forced to accept that this conversation will have to wait until so much later.

"Let's continue this some other time." Lia winks at him before walking away to meet the other two women.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

AN: I gave you two kisses. A dream and a cheek kiss, but kisses nonetheless. I asked my boys what they think of the dream, and well, Poll... I can't properly talk to him right now coz he's hiding under the blanket (or in the closet, whatever) and won't come out. As for Eujae, let's say he's kinda disappointed I ended it right at the kiss. So I told him I am saving everything for the actual thing. 😆

Also, I was this close to pulling a cliffhanger and stopping on the part where Lia asked, "What are you going to do if I like Poll?" but my conscience told me to stop being mean. Are you proud of me for playing it nice? :3