Yeonjun had never understood the way love stories ran, the way they seemed to stretch out for chapters and chapters before the characters even said something or did something. But slowly, the realisation was beginning to dawn on him, as to why. It was hard to frame it into words, the way the words froze at the edge of his tongue. The way they hovered over his chest, over his heart, like a whispered spell. The way they lodged themselves in his throat. He could feel them all the same, he knew them.

The words were as familiar to him as breathing was.

I love you. But for the first time in his life, those words didn't feel enough.

There was something more to them, something that he was too afraid to touch, to probe at.

I'm sinking, he thought. But I'm also flying.

A simple way of putting the whirlwind of emotions he went through when he looked at him. Like the tip of an iceberg, the beginnings of an avalanche- it might not look like much on the surface, but it was a disaster underneath.

Sometimes he felt like a disaster himself.

But no matter how he felt, one thing always stayed the same.

He wouldn't let go.

That much he knew. He held onto him as tightly as he could, as close to his heart as he would his heartbeat. The other boy simply chuckled wistfully, holding him closer to his chest as if they were the only two survivors in the middle of a shipwreck as if there was no one else left in the world except one another.

"You're not alone," the other boy whispered, wiping away his tears. "Whatever it is, we'll go through it together. I promise," An icy blue thread, as fine as ice threaded around both their pinkies, tethering them to one another.

But did he feel the same way?

The other boy simply smiled, stopping his hand in its tracks, letting his tears flow freely. Somehow, it was moments like this that hurt the most some days. He dreaded them as much as he loved them, when love filled his lungs, piling so high he swore he forgot to breathe.

"To the bitter end?" He asked, eyes still glittering with tears.

Soobin looked straight at him without hesitation. "To whatever end."

Unable to speak, Yeonjun simply collapsed into his open arms, savouring their warmth. He smelt like honey and chocolate, something that neither of them had had in a long, long while. But he smelt like home, and that was more than enough.

I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you. The words blurred through his mind, spinning around as if they were on a roller coaster. He knew it didn't make sense, but the words blazed against his skin, just shy of his heart.

"Thank you, Soobin-ssi." He whispered, his voice muffled against the rough cotton of Soobin's shirt.

"No need for thank you, hyung. Just stay with me."

Yeonjun held onto him tightly. " For as long as you want?"

The younger boy smiled, threading his fingers through the other boy's hair. It felt like strands of soft cotton, roughly smooth against his skin. " For the rest of our lives."

"Promise me?"

"I promise."

The boy said the words with such certainty, that even the fears that Yeonjun had kept in his heart, that he'd stowed away for so long seemed to dissipate, the promise of an 'us' painting his heart in a vibrant 'please'.

Yeonjun felt his heart beating faster, a small flush creeping its way up his cheeks as he grew more aware of the proximity between them. They were barely inches apart. He's so close. What if I move forward? Fingers ran through his hair, massaging his scalp slowly. Yeonjun caved under the touch, sending jolts of pleasure through him.

As if he read his mind, Soobin moved impossibly closer still, his arms wrapping around his waist. His breath grew shakier with every passing minute, the fluttery feeling on his chest threatening to bloom at any moment.

Fuck it. "You know I love you, right?"

Fingers slid away from his hair to his face, pulling it up so that their eyes met. " Know it. I love you with all my heart, Yeonjun."

There was something riveting about his eyes. Maybe it was the moment, maybe it was the feelings. Or maybe it was just him.

Emboldened, he leaned forward, his lips bare millimetres from the other's. He couldn't hide the euphoria on his face, the curve of his lips, his head tilting ever-so-slightly forward. " I love you more," he whispered against Soobin's lips, "thank you. For making my life brighter. For making it worth it."

Unable to hold back any longer, Soobin sealed their lips- he tasted like peppermint and lemon, Soobin thought. Like toothpaste and lemon juice, which he never went without. He tasted like everything sweet and bitter, with a hint of faint spice- like everything Soobin loved in the world, perfectly encapsulated into one being.

Him.

By the end of the night, he couldn't tell when the world started or when it ended, all he could see were stars. And the boy beside him, illuminating his path.

Grasping his hand, he took one step.

Forward.

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A/N: so...this had been sitting in my drafts for a while, lol- I'm not supposed to write at this point, but....as you can tell, I'm not exactly doing what I'm supposed to- the first draft of this was written for and inspired by masked8 . Sending you all the love I can, and I hope you enjoy this! ❤️