Archive of Our Own

November 1; 1:00 a.m.

Taeyang was panting as he tried to dodge the stones coming his way, making his best effort to avoid the jets of water spraying from the perfect lawn in front of the mansion.

“Get out of here! Buffoons! Miserables!”

Taeyang tried to hold back his laughter as he watched Keeho slip on the grass a few meters away, but his joy quickly faded when he felt a stone hit his back. The object in question seemed to be barely the size of a walnut, but the pain it caused was like being struck by something the size of a fist.

He ran the distance to Keeho, and when he got close enough, he could see the professional makeup already running down his face from the water, and he burst into laughter, earning a hit for it.

“Don’t laugh at me!”

Taeyang extended his hand to offer help to Keeho, still laughing at the situation, and caught a glimpse of a stone flying through the air before it hit Keeho’s arm.

“Ouch!”

Even though Taeyang had been a victim of the same situation and should have felt sympathy for Keeho, he only intensified his laughter as he pulled Keeho’s arm to help him up.

“We should run before she calls the police,” he managed to say between laughs, and Keeho hit him one last time before taking his hand. Taeyang stopped laughing immediately as he looked down at their intertwined fingers, feeling a rush through his body, a pleasant sensation similar to alcohol. In the short time he’d known Keeho, he was certain of one thing: he was so intoxicating it became dangerous.

“Let’s go.”

He started being pulled before he could regain his senses, the screams of a woman still echoing in the background and the movement of stones still visible in the corner of his eye, and he couldn’t help but smile as they both stumbled toward the end of the garden.

Taeyang went back to the beginning of that night and how it had all started. The last thing he intended was to end up like this.

How had it ended up like this?

Well, it was a long story. It all began…

October 31, 9:30 p.m.

Taeyang took one last look at himself in the rearview mirror of his car and gently adjusted his wig. He heard a grunt beside him and glanced at Jongseob with a furrowed brow as he returned his hands to the steering wheel.

“I swear you look more than perfect; you don’t need to do all that much.”

“Jongseob, you’re the most vain person I know; do you really have any right to judge me?”

“If the most vain person you know is judging you on a day when dressing up is socially acceptable, something is wrong with you.”

Taeyang scoffed and leaned back in his seat, looking out the window, waiting for their other friend, known for taking ages even without a special event. Taeyang had already resigned himself to wait at least another half hour before they could start their way to the party. He glanced at his friend once more and allowed himself to analyze his appearance for a moment.

Jongseob was wearing a Tinkerbell costume; his blonde hair cascaded over his face, with some extensions hanging from the back. His sparkly green dress reached halfway up his thighs, his legs covered in white tights, and his feet adorned with heels the same color as the rest of his outfit. His makeup was subtle and soft, and Taeyang thought Jongseob couldn’t have chosen a better-designed costume for himself.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds and meditated for a short while before opening them again. He glanced sideways at his friend, who seemed busy looking at something on his phone, and proceeded to take out his own to open the front camera. He barely lasted a second with the phone in front of him before his friend snatched it from his fingers.

“Stop looking at yourself!”

“Okay, okay, it was the last time.”

“Taeyang, you literally hired a professional makeup artist, your wig is made of real hair, and your costume was the most expensive in the online store. I swear if there were a contest, you’d win.”

“The other half of the couple is missing...” he muttered with a pout.

“I’m sure your character was a strong, independent woman before having a partner; don’t insult her like that.” Jongseob handed his phone back to him with a stern look. “Stop looking at yourself; you’re driving me crazy.”

Taeyang took his phone and put it in the glove compartment to resist the temptation to look. He didn’t want to push Jongseob’s patience, especially knowing how his friend could be when he got angry, so he resigned himself to looking out the window to avoid thinking about his disappearance.

It wasn’t something he usually did. Yes, he liked fashion and makeup, but it came almost naturally to him, and once he left the house, he didn’t worry about how he looked until he returned. The difference today was that it was the first time he would show up without Intak after breaking up with him a few days earlier, and even worse; he was wearing the costume they had promised to wear together before everything fell apart.

“Do you think anyone will dress up as Marceline?” he asked into the air while gazing out at the sky through the window.

“Besides Intak’s sugar daddy?”

“He’s NOT his sugar daddy.” Taeyang scoffed as he rested his head against the window, the cold glass sending a shiver down his body.

“A 37-year-old millionaire heir is clearly a sugar daddy.”

Taeyang shook his head but said nothing more. After a moment, he let out a short laugh, and Jongseob looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

“Sugar daddy, and I’m going to be dressed as Princess Bubblegum.”

To his dismay, Jongseob didn’t laugh. He just looked at him with narrowed eyes, though Taeyang could see the corners of his lips lifting.

“You’d starve as a comedian.”

“I’m already starving as it is.”

Jongseob grunted as he lightly hit him on the arm, and Taeyang complained while moving his body away from the window. “Ouch!”

“Come on, I know the fact Intak left you for a rich guy makes you insecure, but ten million won a month is not starving in any circumstance.”

Taeyang sighed and crossed his arms while closing his eyes. Jongseob took this as the end of the conversation, and Taeyang cracked open his eyes to see him back on his phone.

Here’s the thing: Taeyang and Intak had been dating for about three months before deciding to experiment a bit more with their relationship. All their friends had warned him about the possible consequences, but Taeyang believed that his bond with Intak was stronger than anything. He was clearly wrong. After having a threesome with a guy who earned ten times more than Taeyang, it took less than three weeks for Intak to throw their relationship away and stay with his prince charming. Damn Hae-In, why did he have to be better than him in every possible way?

Taeyang and Intak had ended on good terms. Supposedly. In reality, Taeyang burned with an inner rage and a new need to prove that he wasn’t lacking compared to the millionaire man Intak dumped him for.

“My dick is bigger.”

Jongseob turned to look at him with disgust while resting his cheek on the seat. “How I wish I didn’t know the context of that.”

“I wish the context didn’t exist.” Taeyang took a deep breath and felt tempted to run his hands over his face, but the risk of ruining his elaborate makeup stopped him. “You know what angers me the most?”

“That Hae-In chose Intak over you?”

“No!” Taeyang turned to look at his friend with a scandalized expression, and after a few seconds, he tilted his head while considering the possibility. “Okay, now that you mention it, that does offend me a little.”

“What angers you the most, then?”

“They’re both so nice about it! If you’re going to break my heart: stomp on it, tell me you cheated on me—something! But no, Intak broke up with me and a week later started dating him; it’s unbelievable.”

“I think you have every right to be angry even if he didn’t cheat on you. What he did was pretty shitty.”

“Well, thanks. Still, I can’t hate him.”

Jongseob looked at him with pity, and Taeyang turned away from him. He didn’t want to see his friend's reaction to his mental decline, even though he had witnessed enough of it over the past week.

He tried to shift his thoughts to something else, but all he could think about was the party and the fact that he would have to pretend to be friendly toward the two people responsible for his misery. It would take him some time to get over the humiliation and pain caused by his breakup with Intak, and maybe now he would have to pay for extra therapy sessions because of it.

“Fuck them,” he declared, the annoyance palpable in his voice, and he didn’t have to look at his friend to know he was smiling.

“Amen.”

“Do you think Intak will dress up as Marceline? And that guy as the Bubblegum Princess?” The sudden change of topic didn’t seem to bother his friend, who was too focused on his phone. “We assumed they would, but there’s no guarantee.”

Jongseob took a few seconds to respond, unable to do two things at once while finishing what he was reading on his phone, and then he looked at him thoughtfully, trying to remember what Taeyang had asked.

“Well,” he started to say once the question seemed to come back to his mind, “the guy is rich, and that costume is a reminder from his boyfriend’s ex, so maybe not?”

“Please, I can’t stand the idea of that guy having the same costume as me.” Taeyang crossed his arms and frowned as he considered the situation. “Besides, it would make me look even more ridiculous. Just me dressed as the Bubblegum Princess is ten times better than them dressed as a couple while I’m standing in the corner without my other half.”

“I think you’re thinking too much about yourself. No one cares. You’re not that relevant.”

“Wow, thanks.” Taeyang scoffed, and his friend made a face of annoyance before continuing.

“I’m serious, Taeyang. Stop thinking; your brain might short circuit.”

Taeyang rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed. He lasted a full three seconds—a new record, if you ask him—before speaking again.

“Do you know what could happen?”

His friend let out a sigh as he lowered his phone and looked at him with an exasperated expression.

“What?”

“Someone else might randomly decide to dress up as Marceline, without a partner.” Taeyang raised an eyebrow and looked at Jongseob expectantly, but he just shrugged.

“Not very likely.”

“And then,” he continued with a hint of excitement, “I can pretend I know them and that this was all planned, and I’m a really cool guy with a very big dick.”

“How big is Hae-In that makes you so insecure?”

Taeyang shook his head and pressed his lips together as his friend looked at him with a playful expression.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Taeyang, there’s a low probability of that happening, first of all. Secondly, you need to stop centering the party around your ex. This isn’t about Intak or your damn kid's show costume.”

“Hey! It’s from Adventure Time.”

“I know where it's from, I’m a fan. Still a kid’s show”

“Ugh.”

“The point is, today is October 31, and we’re going to live this party like it’s the last one. If I hear a single mention of Intak all night, I will not be held responsible for what I do.”

Taeyang pouted as he put his hands on the steering wheel and then proceeded to bang his head against it. He knew Jongseob’s threat wasn’t serious; his friend was too soft to carry out anything that involved inconveniencing someone. Still, he knew that talking about Intak all night would only make the atmosphere sad and miserable, and he’d had enough of that in recent days.

“Fine.”

“Great. I think Rui is on his way, by the way.”

Taeyang lifted his head to look out the window. He saw a figure approaching in the distance and unlocked the door as soon as he confirmed it was his friend. Rui was wearing a long dark red dress with a golden belt hanging. His hair was long enough that he didn’t need a wig, silky black strands falling gracefully on his shoulders. He had green contact lenses, and his eyelids were decorated with dark eyeliner that made his eyes pop.

Rui carefully got into the back seat and greeted them with a smile while fixing his hair using the rearview mirror.

"Oooh, Mother Gothel. I love it.” Taeyang turned back and raised his thumb towards Rui, who responded with a shy smile.

"I see you take your title of 'mother' seriously."

After Jongseob's comment, Taeyang could see Rui's smile turn into one of pride. "Wumuti gave me the idea and I think it's pretty good."

"If there were a contest, you would be the winner."

"I thought that would be me!" Taeyang protested.

"That was before seeing mother back here."

Jongseob proceeded to start singing "Mother Knows Best," while Taeyang started the car with a smile. Despite all his worries, which still lingered in the back of his mind, having his friends with him gave him hope that after all, the night might not be so bad.

October 31, 10:15 p.m.

The night was bad. Terrible, even.

"I can't believe it."

Taeyang clenched his jaw upon hearing Rui's words behind him as they entered the house, and he knew with that single sentence that his friend had seen the same thing as he had: Intak and Hae-In, both dressed as Marceline and the Bubblegum Princess respectively, sitting quite close to the entrance. That wasn't the worst part, maybe Taeyang could endure that humiliation if he convinced himself enough, but to top off his bad luck, they were both kissing in the most obscene way his poor eyes had ever had to witness; and he had literally been in a threesome with both of them. A threesome full of kinks, if he must say.

"Are those the lesbians from that kid’s show?"

Taeyang heard Wumuti's voice behind them and tried to relax his body before responding. "First of all, it's for all ages. Second of all, they are not lesbians, they are bi.”

"Is that confirmed by the creators?"

"It's confirmed by my eyes and my brain," Taeyang said exasperatedly, giving Wumuti a look that was enough to take away any will to argue about it.

"Confirmed by NASA," Rui said as he leaned in to give Wumuti a kiss on his cheek. Wumuti was dressed as Flynn Rider to complement Rui's costume, a rare ship that the two had decided to carry out for some reason.

Taeyang huffed and turned his gaze towards the couple of the night while crossing his arms. He had tried, he’d really crossed the apartment door with every intention of ignoring his ex's existence, but it wasn't his fault that he was a shameless, scoundrel, dirty man.

"If you keep staring at them any longer, I'm going to pour this glass of water over you," Jongseob whispered in his ear, and his words were enough to snap him out of his trance, his eyes shifting to the object in his hands.

"Where did you get that from?"

"The kitchen."

"So soon?"

"You've been staring at them for hours."

"What?" Taeyang looked at them with narrowed eyes, shifting his gaze between the three, searching for any sign that they were joking, but they all looked at him with worried and serious expressions.

"It's two in the morning."

"Stop playing." Taeyang laughed nervously as he searched for his phone in his pocket and let out a sigh of relief as he saw the clock read 10:20. He could hear his friends laughing loudly and rolled his eyes as he put his phone back in its place. "Ha, ha. Very funny.”

"No, but seriously," Rui let out one last laugh before looking at him with complete seriousness, his eyes wide open, as if something had suddenly possessed him. Taeyang shivered a little and his friend offered him a lopsided smile. "Stop looking at them."

"Ok, ok. It's not my fault that my ex is an exhibitionist, and decided to make out in the middle of the living room.” As if all his bad luck in the past month wasn't enough, the background music decided to stop right at that moment and the only thing that could be heard during those seconds was Taeyang talking shit about his ex. His friends looked at him with a mix of panic and laughter, and all the eyes in the room turned to him, including those of his ex and his boyfriend.

"That's what the taxi driver said the other day, you know? And I said to him, ‘wow, I would never know about that, my ex?, the most decent man on this planet’. " Taeyang shrugged with an awkward smile, and Jongseob was the first to break, bursting into laughter. Once the music started again, he could see his other two friends doubled over with laughter in front of him.

A few long seconds passed before Taeyang got tired and he rolled his eyes before speaking.

"Yeah, laugh at me, let's see who keeps picking you up from now on."

"Sorry." Jongseob was hanging from his shoulder while trying to hold back laughter to speak. "The taxi driver?"

Taeyang grunted and put his hands on his wig in frustration, while his friends continued laughing. He tried to ignore the sensation of a piercing gaze beside him, but he couldn't help turning his head and making his first mistake of the night.

Intak was watching him from his spot, now left alone, a look of guilt on his face. Taeyang could tell from his demeanor that he wanted to talk to him; in his fixed gaze and the way he nervously moved his foot. Before they started dating, Intak and Taeyang had been friends for almost four years, and he had learned to read his body language, to know what it meant when he looked at him with narrowed eyes as he bit his lip.

When Intak got up from his seat, Taeyang knew he had to escape. "I'm going to get a drink."

Taeyang left the place with quick steps, and he could hear Intak's voice calling him amidst the music, but he decided to ignore it in favor of going up the stairs and entering the first room he found. The light was off, and from what he could see in the darkness, it seemed to be a bathroom.

"Couldn't I have found a better place?" he whispered to himself as he searched for the light.

"Sorry, it’s taken."

Taeyang jumped back, causing him to bump into a shelf and curse softly as he fumbled along the wall for the switch. Once he was able to turn on the light, he searched for the source of the voice and opened his eyes in surprise upon seeing the person lying in the bathtub.

The stranger in question had a long wig that hung from the bathtub to the floor, a black sweater with red stripes, accompanied by blue jeans. His face was painted gray and leaning against the bathroom wall was a red guitar in the shape of an axe. The costume in question was quite elaborate, almost like his. Taeyang tied all the loose ends in a few seconds, and the man seemed to do the same, because they both spoke at the same time.

"Marceline?"

"Bubblegum Princess?" The man opened his eyes with excitement before getting up and running towards Taeyang. "I was waiting for you!"

The man wrapped his arms around Taeyang while he was paralyzed by the suddenness of the movement. He didn't have time to respond to the hug before the man pulled away from him and looked at him with a smile.

"Wow, what a cool costume." The stranger watched him with a grin from ear to ear as his eyes scanned every aspect of Taeyang's costume. Suddenly, he felt naked and he placed a hand on his chest. "Can I kiss you?"

"What? No." Taeyang frowned at the question, and the other simply shrugged with resignation.

"Okay, I had to try." He extended a hand towards him with a gentle smile, "Hello, my name is Keeho."

"Taeyang," he replied while taking his hand and analyzing Keeho's expression. "Are you drunk?"

"Nop."

"So you’re like this when sober.”

"Like what?" Keeho looked at him with narrowed eyes as he let go of his hand.

"You just asked me if you can kiss me without knowing my name."

"It's a party, buzzkill. That's what people do all the time."

"Have you kissed a lot of people without knowing their name?"

"I usually ask afterwards, I'm not a caveman."

Taeyang couldn't help but smile a little at Keeho's behavior. He could tell from the little they had talked that he had a very particular hard to find personality.

"Why Marceline?"

"Why not? It's fucking cool.” Keeho moved his wig back, and although the movement was supposed to look smooth, the force of it caused the wig to fall to the ground. Taeyang stifled his laughter as he watched Keeho pick it up from the floor and hurriedly put it on while turning towards the bathroom mirror. "Why Bubblegum Princess?"

"My ex and I were going to come in matching costumes."

"God, what a shitty situation." Keeho finished adjusting his wig and turned to look at him with an arched eyebrow. "Why didn't you change your costume?"

Taeyang took the sleeve of his dress between his hands. "300,000 won."

"Goddamn, they scammed you, dude."

"It's handmade, with 100% cotton fabric."

"Doesn’t matter, God, I would eat for three weeks with that." Keeho crossed his arms while shaking his head. "There are definitely people who have too much money."

"Hey, I'm not rich or anything."

"They always say that." Keeho took a few steps back to sit on the edge of the tub while placing his hands on the acrylic. "What do you do for work?"

"I am a songwriter."

"It's the coolest thing you could have said. Please, tell me it's a lie.”

Taeyang shrugged and couldn't help but let the corners of his lips lift into a slight proud smile.

"How much do you earn?" Keeho asked, and Taeyang pressed his lips together as he took a few steps back to lean against the bathroom door.

"It's not something I would answer five minutes after meeting someone."

"A ton, then." Keeho smirked as he tilted his head to the side, and Taeyang could feel a knot starting to form in the pit of his stomach. "I, on the other hand, earn the legal minimum flipping burgers."

"Oh," Taeyang pouted slightly before smiling, "you should have dressed up as SpongeBob, then."

"Ha, ha." Keeho rolled his eyes and bit his lips before speaking again. "That was last year's costume."

Taeyang raised an eyebrow as his smile widened, and he could clearly see that Keeho was proud of having piqued his interest.

"Really? Can I see?”

Keeho shrugged as if it were no big deal, and took his phone out of his pocket while gesturing to Taeyang with his hand to come closer. Taeyang walked towards the bathtub and settled next to Keeho. The cold material was uncomfortable on his ass, but he decided to ignore it in favor of looking at the image on the screen.

The photo in question showed Keeho wearing brown pants and a white shirt. A red tie hung from his neck, and his black shoes looked like they had come straight out of a cartoon. The skin on his arms and face was painted yellow, and his eyes had blue contact lenses.

Keeho posed with both hands up, one hand holding a spatula and the other a hamburger.

"It's quite good."

Taeyang refrained from commenting that, despite the character he had chosen to portray, Keeho had managed to maintain his natural beauty perfectly.

"Do you want to see the others?"

Taeyang nodded enthusiastically and Keeho gave him a smile so big that he feared for a second it would escape from the edges of his face. Taeyang felt something stir inside him, a warm sensation that spread throughout his body before reaching his face and turning into a gentle blush accompanied by a smile.

It took Keeho just a few clicks to get to his main Instagram page. Taeyang tried to memorize his username for a few seconds before Keeho turned towards him.

"What's your username?"

Taeyang took Keeho's phone and searched for his profile before hitting the follow button.

"x.odid?"

“It’s my Korean name in the English alphabet.”

“Thats’s so cool!”

“Is it?”

“I think so! It’s creative and the dot adds a little quirk to it.”

Taeyang smiled as he lowered his gaze, and a few seconds later, he took out his phone to check Keeho's follow notification.

"Keeho with six e's, I wonder what’s the meaning behind it."

"Hey! I give you a compliment and you repay me by making fun of me?"

"I'm sorry," Taeyang let out a small laugh as he began scrolling through Keeho's profile. He noticed that he had quite a few photos, almost all of them seemed to be taken by a professional, and the further he scrolled down, he could see that every year Keeho posted a photo of his Halloween costume along with the entire construction process. "God, you have so much talent."

"It's not me." Keeho murmured softly, and Taeyang noticed that he was so close that he could hear him despite the low volume of his voice. From his position, he could observe

the texture of Keeho's skin beneath his makeup, the gentle curve of his nose, and his lips painted a soft gray. "My friends are the talented ones."

"You have the face to pull it off."

Keeho smirked and took out his phone to show Taeyang a particular photo. When Taeyang saw the post, he could see why.

He could tell at first glance that it was a pirate costume, the characteristic hat resting on his head. It wasn't what he was dressed as that caught attention, but the way he had decided to go about it. In the photo, Keeho was wearing a corset tightly fitted to his body and a small skirt that barely covered his ass. Under his skirt, he wore shorts that didn't add much modesty either, the rest of his legs covered with fishnet stockings that left little to the imagination.

Black ankle boots added the finishing touch to the costume, along with the clearly professional makeup that adorned Keeho's face.

"Wow," Taeyang said as he looked at the rest of the photos: Keeho in various poses, showing off his costume, and some shots of him sitting while what seemed to be his friend did his makeup.

"Sexy, right?"

"Yeah, definitely." Taeyang ignored the strange tone in Keeho's voice and finished scrolling through the rest of the photos. He kept scrolling through Keeho's profile, and each photo he saw left him more amazed than the last. "You like to put in effort, don't you?"

“I love Halloween. It's one of my favorite holidays. The only day of the year when I can dress however I want without anyone judging me, isn't it great?”

"If you could dress like a sexy pirate every day, would you do it?"

"God knows I would.” Keeho let out a sigh and looked up with a dreamy expression, as if he were imagining the scene. "Although in reality, I'm a pretty normal guy. And I like that too. Just a guy getting dressed with the least effort possible.”

"You're just like Intak" Taeyang let the words slip out without thinking too much about them, and he closed his eyes in frustration upon realizing what he had said. “I'm sorry.”

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I'm not supposed to mention my ex tonight."

"Is he here at the party?"

Taeyang nodded while pressing his lips together and opening his eyes again. "That's why I'm here."

"God, what a shitty situation."

"It is." Taeyang let out a sigh before turning to Keeho with his head tilted, a question on his mind. "If you like Halloween so much, why aren't you at the party?"

Keeho huffed and for a moment, Taeyang feared he'd made him angry, but he soon noticed that Keeho seemed more frustrated with the situation that had forced him to sit in the bathtub.

"Some idiot decided it was a good idea to come in the same costume as me, and worse yet, as a couple! Ugh." Keeho's voice seemed full of frustration and anger. Even so, Taeyang couldn't help but snort. "Don't laugh, this is serious."

"No, I’m not laughing at you. I have a lot of sympathy for your situation, it's just that..." Taeyang let out a sigh, although a smile was painted on his face, because despite everything, there was a bit of humor in the situation. "That's my ex."

“What? Which one?”

"Does it matter?"

"Of course, I have to judge your taste in men."

"Both are my type."

"Okay, that's fair." Keeho nodded, "Were you in a threesome or something?"

Keeho's tone of voice indicated that he wasn't asking seriously, but Taeyang couldn't help but look away and lower his head in embarrassment.

"Wait, are you serious?"

"It's a long story."

"I don't care, I need to know now. Oh my God.”

"The night is still long." Taeyang took a deep breath and looked at Keeho almost with a pleading look. "I'm not ready to talk about it."

"That's fine." Keeho gave him a compassionate look while taking his hand, and Taeyang felt the electricity course through his skin like a small tingle. He missed the contact once Keeho withdrew his hand, and he lifted his head to make eye contact with him. "Do you want to go to a more comfortable place?"

Taeyang opened his mouth, ready to give an affirmative answer, but at that moment images of his ex looking at him with pity after kissing in front of everyone with the man he had replaced him with came to his mind. He thought about how pathetic he must have looked while running up the stairs after embarrassing himself in front of all the people at the party.

His mind went back to the beginning of the night, when he gave Jongseob an idea that at the time sounded crazy and improbable, but now, with Keeho in front of him, it was so

tangible and real that he could literally reach out and touch it. “I have a proposal.”

“Oh.” Keeho raised an eyebrow, and Taeyang could sense a certain suggestive glint in his gaze, prompting him to quickly shake his head.

“Not that.” Taeyang got up and started pacing while thinking about how to explain his plan. “My ex thinks I’m pathetic.”

“Who cares?”

“I can’t just keep going like this.”

“Why not? Who says you can’t?”

“I do,” Taeyang noticed Keeho judging him with his eyes and he let out a grunt before deciding to introduce his idea. “I need you to pretend this was planned.”

“This?”

“Our costumes.”

“Oh,” Keeho pondered for a few seconds, softly biting his lower lip. “Okay.”

“Great. Fantastic.” Taeyang extended his hand to Keeho, who took it without hesitation and pulled him from the bathtub. Keeho stumbled towards him with a small yell, and their bodies collided before staggering. Taeyang managed to stabilize them both, holding Keeho by the shoulders, and for a few seconds, they stayed like that. Keeho lifted his gaze, which had previously been fixed on the floor, and he looked directly into Taeyang's eyes with a blank expression. Taeyang generally wasn’t very good with eye contact, but there was something enchanting about Keeho’s brown eyes, a certain sparkle that made him want to keep looking. He felt something soft move in his chest, like light tickles or the gentle touch of cotton on his skin as he felt their heartbeats over their breaths.

A few seconds passed before Taeyang swallowed and took a step back to approach the door.

“What’s the plan?” Keeho asked behind him as they both walked down the hallway on the second floor.

“We’re going to say we met on a dating app and then decided to come in costumes together.”

“Boring.” Keeho scoffed, and moments later, he linked his arm with Taeyang’s so naturally that it seemed like they had known each other forever.

“Any better ideas?”

“You could say you met me in the bathroom and knew right away I was your soulmate.”

“Ha, ha.” Taeyang looked at him with a blank face, trying to keep it that way for as long as he could, but Keeho's smile was too contagious for his own good.

“Fine, let’s go with the boring and sad dating app story.”

By the time Keeho finished his sentence, they had reached the bottom of the stairs, and Taeyang briefly forgot the reality that awaited him, even if he was just discussing it with Keeho. The first thing his eyes landed on was Intak’s sheepish gaze, staring at him from one of the couches.

“I guess that’s your ex, looking at you with the longing of a lost love,” Keeho whispered beside him, and Taeyang shook his head, coming out of his brief trance.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“He’s hot.”

“Shut up.”

“What? It’s true.” He didn’t need to look at Keeho to know his words had been said with a pout. “The daddy next to him is his new boyfriend, I assume, from the costume. He’s pretty hot, to be honest.”

Taeyang felt an intense urge to hit Keeho, but settled for giving him a furious look.

“Oh,” Keeho looked at him with a mix of fear and amusement, and Taeyang felt more and more on the edge of a violent outburst. “Sorry. I just had to say your ex has good taste…”

Taeyang clenched his fist, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to calm down. He reminded himself that it wasn’t Keeho’s fault his love life had ended in disaster, and that the man beside him had kindly offered to lessen his humiliation.

“His name is Intak,” he finally said, relaxing his hands and the tension in his body. “His boyfriend is Hae-In.”

“A hottie, I can somewhat understand your ex.”

“If you don’t shut up…”

“No, listen to me. If I had the chance to date a rich guy, I’d take it.”

“Goddamn it.”

Keeho laced his fingers with Taeyang's, and Taeyang looked at him in confusion for a few seconds, his brow furrowed as he stared at Keeho's smirk.

"But never if you're my partner. You're quite a prize, more valuable than all the money in the world," Keeho winked at him. He extended his neck and before Taeyang could react, he felt his moist lips on his cheek.

Taeyang tried to hold back the grimace that threatened to form on his face, and with all his acting skills, he looked at Keeho with a smile.

"I'm going to kill you."

"Oh, my sweet love," Keeho stroked the skin of his hand with his thumb and Taeyang felt a current run through him. "Why don't you introduce me?"

Taeyang looked back at his ex, who had changed his expression to one of shock, his mouth open and his eyebrows raised. He felt a slight pride at having caught him off guard and he took a breath through his nose before squeezing his fingers around Keeho's.

"Let's go."

Taeyang started walking straight towards Intak, but before he could take more than three steps, someone got in his way.

"Wow, wow, hold on there, princess." Jongseob put his hands on his shoulders before lowering his gaze to their hands. "Care to explain what happened here?"

"Uhm," Taeyang said eloquently.

"Love at first sight," Keeho replied with a smile before extending his free hand to Jongseob. "Keeho."

"Jongseob." His friend took Keeho's hand with a furrowed brow and then returned his gaze to Taeyang. "Any explanation for this?"

Taeyang sighed and gestured for Jongseob to come closer. Jongseob took a step forward and leaned in enough for Taeyang to whisper in his ear.

"What were the chances of finding someone with Marceline's costume? This is my chance to leave my humiliation behind."

Jongseob pulled away from Taeyang and looked at him with narrowed eyes before leaning into his ear.

“To be honest, it would have been less humiliating to do a penis size contest with Hae-In."

When Jongseob pulled away, it was Taeyang's turn to look at him with a furrowed brow and he could feel Keeho looking between them for context.

"What? What did he tell you?"

"That we make a cute couple."

"That's not what I said, but I do think you do." Jongseob looked at Keeho with a friendly and sincere smile, one of those he offered to few people. "It would have been great if you had met Taeyang in another situation. Hey! They could have even made a threesome with you."

"I'm not opposed..."

"Enough."

"Maybe if it had been you, the one single now would be Intak." Jongseob shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Anyway, when you're done playing pretend boyfriends, we're playing real man games like gay kiss if the bottle points at you."

"I don't want to kiss any strangers today."

Jongseob looked at him with one eyebrow raised before turning to Keeho. The corner of his lip rose slowly, and Taeyang could almost read what was going through his head.

"Don't-say-anything."

"Okay." Jongseob turned and waved his hand at them. "See you later, I'm going to see if I can kiss Haru if I spin the bottle enough times."

Taeyang watched his friend walk away, and he knew right away that the first thing he was going to do was tell Rui and Wumuti about his plan and now he would have more audience than expected in his little acting moment.

"Shall we?" Keeho pulled his hand and when Taeyang saw his face he could see a new spark in his eyes accompanied by an encouraging smile.

"Let's go."

They both walked towards the living room on the first floor, where most of the people were congregating. Intak's gaze remained fixed on them, more specifically on their joined hands. Taeyang felt a knot rise in his throat and he was tempted to turn back. He would have done so if Keeho hadn't spoken before him.

"Hi, I'm Keeho."

"Hi. Intak." Intak nodded slightly, his face serious as he greeted him back.

"I know your name, Taeyang has talked so much about you."

Taeyang dug one of his nails into Keeho's skin and felt satisfaction at feeling him move his hand from the pain.

“Oh, really?” Intak raised an eyebrow with genuine curiosity, and Taeyang felt the urge to rip Keeho's fingers off one by one.

"He's not serious, I don’t talk about you at all." Taeyang said through gritted teeth and at great speed, his words crashing against each other as they left his mouth.

"It’s okay. Hae-In and I talk about you sometimes too."

Taeyang's mind went blank, a sound of static as he processed Intak's words.

What do they say about me?

The question lingered in his head, while Keeho broke the awkward silence.

"You're quite hot."

Intak let out an awkward laugh and Taeyang couldn't even muster the energy to get angry at Keeho's lack of filter.

"Thanks."

"Your boyfriend too. But my Taeyang..." Keeho brought his hand to Taeyang's chest and grabbed one of his pectorals without warning. "He's quite a man."

Taeyang noticed something change in Intak's gaze, and he could recognize the possessive and jealous expression his ex used to have whenever someone flirted with him when they were together. Taeyang frowned and felt anger burn in his veins. Intak had no right to feel that way about him. Not after leaving him like he was disposable.

Intak seemed to notice his expression, as if he had done it unintentionally, and he soon changed his murderous look to a smile.

"How did you two meet?"

"On a dating app."

"In the bathroom"

They both spoke at the same time, and Taeyang looked at Keeho with a mixture of panic and anger that only caused him to burst out laughing.

"Sorry, Taeyang and I... We have a little history."

"Yeah." Taeyang faked a smile as his stomach churned with anxiety at not being able to predict what Keeho was going to say. Apparently that was the price he had to pay for trusting a stranger just because he was kind and dressed as the Adventure Time vampire.

"We first met in a bar bathroom. Taeyang was crying over his bad luck in relationships, and then..." Keeho made an obscene gesture with his hand and Taeyang looked at him scandalized. He knew without looking that Intak had a similar expression. "Then I lost his contact and we met again on a dating app. Two days of just love and sex."

Despite the little shame in his comments, his plan seemed to be working. Taeyang didn't know how he managed it, but he could see that it had been a success by seeing that Intak no longer looked at him with pity, but with surprise and perhaps a little regret.

"Okay, I see you've been busy." Intak lowered his gaze to his fingers. "They say it's not healthy to start a relationship so soon after another.”

"Are you really one to talk?"

"No." Intak bit his lip and raised his head to look at him sheepishly. "But I always thought you were better than me."

Intak's words felt like a punch in the stomach, and he held his breath for a few seconds as his eyes began to burn.

"We're not so different after all." Taeyang felt his voice come out in a whisper, and all his fighting spirit, the reason he had carried out his plan, left his body immediately, as if escaping through every pore.

"I guess not."

Great moment Keeho had chosen to be silent. Taeyang looked to his side to notice that he was alone in front of Intak. Keeho seemed entertained elsewhere talking to Rui and Wumuti. Maybe he had felt that this was a conversation that only Intak and he should have.

"You know? I..." Intak's voice seemed affected, and in a selfish way Taeyang was glad to not be the only one. "I haven't even been able to have sex with Hae-In yet."

Taeyang looked at him with an eyebrow raised, not knowing how to interpret the meaning of Intak's sudden confession.

"And you," Intak continued, "You are already having sex with anyone."

A light went on in Taeyang's brain once he connected the dots and at that moment he saw only red. He clenched his fist and his lips twisted into a sneer. He thought about his words for a moment before answering, and he let out a snort as he crossed his arms.

"You're so shameless," he spat, his words sharp and cutting. Intak and he had ended on good terms, and maybe that's why he was surprised by all the anger he had accumulated and that now decided to explode. "If you feel guilty and can't fuck your boyfriend, is it my fault now?"

"Taeyang—"

"No, I don’t want to hear it." Taeyang let out a short laugh, devoid of humor. "If you were going to feel guilty, maybe you shouldn't have dumped me."

"Listen—"

"I've already heard your pathetic explanations, I don't need them again. Now you listen to me. What you do or don't do with Hae-In is no longer my business. What I do or don't do is not yours either."

Intak seemed to want to protest, but Taeyang's glare made him change his mind. "I'm sorry."

"Keep your apologies." Taeyang mumbled and uncrossed his arms, ready to leave. "One last thing: Keeho is not just anyone. He is..."

Taeyang turned for a moment to look at Keeho, who was laughing hysterically with his friends, while leaning on Jongseob's shoulder. He didn't seem to have had a single drop of alcohol, and yet he was having the time of his life. Keeho, a social butterfly who seemed to get along with every living being. Keeho, with his dark wig and serious face.

Keeho, who shone brighter than anyone else despite being dressed like darkness. Keeho, unique, dazzling, kind. Keeho was...

"My soulmate."

Taeyang turned to his ex, his past, and Intak watched him with an unreadable expression for a few seconds.

Taeyang didn’t really mean it, as if he'd had a strange epiphany in the middle of a Halloween party. He had said it because he wanted to see the expression Intak had at that moment: dumbfounded, as if he had heard the worst news of his life, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. Just like what Taeyang felt for the first time when Intak broke up with him and for the second time when he found out he had started dating Hae-In.

He also might had said it because Keeho was the kind of person with whom it was believable to have that kind of intense feeling and connection; because deep down, despite their short time together, Taeyang wished that he could be his destiny.

God, it had only been a week and he was already a pathetic yearner. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to Keeho."

Taeyang turned on his heels, his body full of energy, a slight tremor in his hands as he began to walk without waiting for a response from Intak. His goal was clear in his mind as his steps went directly towards Keeho and he touched his shoulder to get him to get up from his place on the floor. Keeho complied without much protest, and Taeyang could see his mouth open to ask a question, but his words died on Taeyang's lips as he took his cheeks in his hands to adjust his face to the kiss.

Keeho didn't hesitate to return it and soon he could hear the screams of his friends as they kissed as if there were no worries in the world.

The kiss was soft, but deep, and Taeyang was not surprised to find that Keeho was a great kisser, as he took each of his lips as if they were an oasis in the desert. Keeho kissed him in a way that made him feel desired, the kind of kiss that Intak had only given him after two weeks of dating, the kind of kiss that left him breathless.

Taeyang moved his head to the side to get more comfortable and soon enough everything around him became blurry, the voices of his friends a distant noise, and any feeling that his conversation with Intak may have left abandoned his body. He didn't know how long they spent like that before Keeho put distance between them to catch his breath.

"God." Keeho looked at him with a sparkle in his eyes, as if Taeyang was something precious, and a knot formed in his throat at the thought that he missed feeling that way.

Taeyang still had one hand on his cheek and the other had migrated to the side of his neck. "You just made my night."

"You're welcome." Taeyang smiled as he watched Keeho let out a short laugh and offer him that dazzling smile.

"Do you want to...?" Keeho hesitated for a second and Taeyang could read in his expression that he had doubts, as if he feared his answer.

"—go somewhere else?" Taeyang completed, and Keeho nodded enthusiastically. Taeyang lowered his hands and took Keeho's sweater between his fingers to start guiding him towards the stairs.

Once they reached the second floor, Taeyang felt a hand wrap around his wrist as a tingle traveled through his skin making him shiver.

"I know which room is empty."

Keeho took the lead and guided them through the hallway to one of the doors at the end. He extended his free hand to open the door and pulled Taeyang inside without bothering to turn on the light.

Taeyang was barely trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness when he felt Keeho's hands on his shoulders and seconds later he was pushed onto the bed, his back hitting the comforter.

"Wow, gently, please."

"Oh, I know you like it rough."

Taeyang raised an eyebrow at Keeho, who decided to ignore his protest and sit on his lap. Taeyang watched him with great detail as he put his legs on either side of his body, and he felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he realized what was about to happen.

"Wait."

Keeho paused, and Taeyang could see him tilt his head curiously. "We've only known each other for... half an hour?"

"Okay. What's your point?"

"Do you usually hook up with people you just met?"

Keeho was silent, and Taeyang could even see in the darkness how his lips curved up in amusement.

"Who said I was going to sleep with you?"

"I..."

He cut himself off when he saw Keeho lean forward and he felt his breath on his cheek. "I want you to tell me your story with Intak."

Taeyang looked up as he thought about Keeho's words, straddling him, whispering suggestively in his ear.

"Does that turn you on?" he asked, and Keeho hit his chest hard before moving back.

"God, get your head out of the gutter." Keeho kept his hand on Taeyang's chest as he returned to his original position, and Taeyang didn't miss the way he circled his fingers over his shirt. "No, I'm just curious and I want to know what the deal is."

Taeyang turned his head to the side and thought it over for a few seconds. He wondered if he really wanted to tell the story of how he had been dumped by an older, richer man to the cute guy he had met at the party who also seemed interested in him.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Taeyang looked at Keeho in the darkness, his makeup still intact, his striped sweater slipping off his shoulder, revealing a bit of skin under the window light. His wig hung in front of his face and a few strands fell onto Taeyang’s bare forearms. Keeho was beautiful, more than his eyes could accept was real, but more than anything, Keeho was an open book, and he could see in his face that he had no intention of judging him even if he ended up admitting that Intak left him because his dick was smaller.

Which it's not, by the way.

"No, it's okay." Taeyang reached out and put his hands on Keeho's waist. "But I think you should get more comfortable."

"God, now that you touched me I can only think of one thing." Keeho's words came out in a growl, and Taeyang laughed as he slid his hands down his torso.

"I can multitask."

"You better." Before Taeyang could respond, he felt Keeho's lips crash against his. His kiss this time was much hungrier, and in a few seconds he could feel his tongue pressing against his teeth searching for entry.

Taeyang took a moment to react as he returned the kiss with the same passion. His hands slipped under Keeho's shirt and he heard a moan escape his mouth with just a gentle touch of his fingers on the bare skin of his waist.

"You're sensitive." Taeyang whispered as he created a little space between them. He could see Keeho's eyes then, full of desire, and he felt something churn inside him, like a strong wave of the sea on a full moon night.

"It's you." Keeho lowered his head and pressed his lips to the edge of his chin. "You drive me crazy."

"Is it the Bubblegum Princess costume?" Taeyang asked as he laughed and he felt Keeho's teeth nibble on his skin gently.

"It's the fact that you're so hot, you're exactly my type." Keeho left a trail of kisses until he reached his neck, and Taeyang suddenly felt short of breath, his breathing becoming heavier and heavier as he felt Keeho's warmth on him. "God, can I touch them?"

Taeyang furrowed his brow in confusion until he noticed that Keeho's hand was still tracing circles on his chest and he let out a small laugh before raising his hand and placing it over his.

"You have my permission," he whispered softly, and as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt Keeho squeeze his fingers around his chest, as he let out a moan against his neck.

Taeyang slid his hands down to Keeho's torso and every touch until he got there was met with sounds of pleasure.

"Okay, then..." he whispered as he felt Keeho leave a hickey near his collarbone. "Me and Intak."

"Mhmmm"

"We dated for three months and three weeks." Taeyang held his breath as he felt Keeho bring his finger to his nipple. "It wasn't a bad relationship, but we're both pretty open to possibilities."

"Okay." Keeho pulled away from Taeyang and straightened up. Taeyang pouted, and Keeho looked at him with a smile as he cupped his face in his hands. "I can't multitask, and even though I'm about to explode from how much I want you, I'm interested in this story."

Keeho lifted his legs and moved to lie down beside Taeyang. He turned to face him, and Taeyang imitated him so they were face to face. Keeho's hand returned to his chest, and Taeyang grinned with a mix of amusement and affection as his hand moved to Keeho's waist.

"So, what were you saying?"

"Ah, right." Taeyang sighed before continuing with his story. "Intak and I had never been closed to the idea of trying new things. We're not exactly polyamorous, but after talking, we discovered that the idea of a threesome sounded pretty fun."

"It is."

"It was." Taeyang closed his eyes in frustration and resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair. "After what happened, I only believe in monogamy and the supremacy of the nuclear family."

Keeho laughed at his comment, and Taeyang let a smile spread across his face even though the situation he was describing wasn't funny at all. At least not yet.

"The point is, we found Hae-In on a dating app and we both really liked him, so we decided to meet up with him."

"How was it?"

"Honestly?" Taeyang hesitated a bit but seeing Keeho's interested expression and considering that he was in a safe space, he decided to tell the truth. "It was the best sex I've ever had."

"Wow." Keeho seemed genuinely amazed. "I can only imagine. It seems like Hae-In has a lot to offer.”

"Hey." Taeyang frowned and removed his hands from Keeho to cross his arms despite the uncomfortable position. "It's not that big."

"I wasn't talking about his dick." Keeho burst out laughing and Taeyang felt heat rise to his face as he pursed his lips in a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. "But if you want to talk about his dick..."

"I don't want to talk about his dick!"

"Okay, I see, it's a sensitive topic."

"The point is," Taeyang emphasized his words to change the subject, "that three weeks after reaching heaven together, Intak decided he wanted to stay with him."

"Oh, that's fucked up."

"I know."

Keeho looked at him with a flat expression for a few seconds before putting his hand on his cheek and leaning in to leave a soft kiss on his mouth.

"You deserved better, Taeyang."

Taeyang uncrossed his arms and put his hand on Keeho's shoulder as he leaned in to leave another chaste kiss on his lips.

"Thanks." Taeyang ran his thumb over Keeho's collarbone, his skin soft and warm to the touch. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you think mine is bigger than his?"

Keeho looked at him perplexed for a few seconds before connecting the dots and he let out a laugh as he covered his mouth with his hand.

"Taeyang-ah"

"Yeah?"

Keeho leaned in close to his ear, and Taeyang held his breath as he waited for the answer.

"I don't care about the size, but you should let me see before making a decision."

A shiver ran down Taeyang's spine before he slid his hand down Keeho's back to his ass. He pulled Keeho closer until there was no space between them. Keeho made a small sound in the back of his throat and Taeyang smiled, satisfied to see his happy face.

"How do you know I love manhandling?"

"You just give me that vibe."

There were no more words between them as Taeyang leaned in to capture Keeho's lips in a kiss. Keeho chased his mouth as Taeyang tried to create space every few seconds, and Taeyang tightened his grip on his ass as he felt Keeho struggle to get his hands on his chest.

"I can't touch them properly like this, I want to be on top."

Taeyang slid his hand under Keeho's leg touching the bed, and he managed to move him until he was on top of him. A dirty sound escaped Keeho's mouth and Taeyang smiled, satisfied to see his blissed expression.

"God, that was so hot." Keeho brought his hips together as he joined their bodies. Taeyang felt his fingers get tangled in his wig and he pulled Keeho by the hip to bring them closer together.

Keeho bit one of his lips while letting out increasingly louder sounds, and Taeyang felt himself floating on a cloud while Keeho moved over him. His lips tasted like cherry, like a non-alcoholic cocktail that could lead him to an euphoria similar to intoxication.

Keeho made space between them and Taeyang waited a few seconds before trying to pull him by the neck to bring their lips together again, but Keeho moved away again while shaking his head. "Wait."

“What's up? Is something wrong?”

"No, God, I'm having the best night of my life. But I can't stop thinking about something.”

"If you tell me it's your boyfriend or your ex, I'm going to throw myself out the window."

"What? No." Keeho settled onto his lap with his back straight and took a second before continuing. "While I was kissing you, I thought about how lucky Intak was."

"I think compliments are no longer necessary."

"I’m serious." Keeho looked at him with a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Thinking about what you just told me, I got really angry because it's a shitty situation and Intak is an idiot."

"Okay, I'm glad you're on my side."

"Of course I am. The point is that I can't stop thinking that I have to do something about it.”

"Okay?" Taeyang frowned as he watched Keeho expectantly.

"So..." Keeho bit his lip nervously, and Taeyang feared the next words that were going to come out of his mouth. "Do you know where Hae-In lives?"

"What are you thinking?" Taeyang looked at him with a smile while tilting his head. Keeho first responded with a smile and then with three words that would change the course of the night.

"Trick or treat."

October 31, 11:50 p.m.

Taeyang shouldn't be in his car with a stranger on the way to his ex's new boyfriend's house with a freshly bought paint can in his trunk. He had always been the logical and level- headed person in his group, the voice of reason.

For some reason he didn't know, Keeho was able to completely change that.

"I love the vomit green you chose, it's a thousand times better than the poop brown I’d picked."

"I think it's quite insulting to the colors to give them those names."

"Colors don't have feelings, and if they did, they would agree with me."

They both fell silent, only the sound of an English music radio station that Taeyang had put on since the beginning of their trip. He stopped at a traffic light and let out a sigh before speaking again.

"Lime."

"Mmmmm?" Keeho glanced at him with confusion, and Taeyang sighed again before continuing.

"Lime, that's the name of the vomit green."

"Taeyang," Keeho looked at him with an arched eyebrow, "I don't care."

"You should care. All colors are beautiful and have their own name.”

"Are you seriously offended?" Keeho looked at him for a second and Taeyang thought about his next words.

"Actually, no." Taeyang shrugged as he watched the traffic light turn green again. "I like that color, that's all."

"Do you have a super traumatic story about it?"

Taeyang frowned and rolled his eyes at the question. More than anything because it annoyed him that Keeho could read him so easily.

“It's not traumatic. At least not that much.”

"Okay..."

"When I was a teenager, there was a fashion contest."

"Sounds like something too cool to happen in high school."

"It's because it didn’t, it was held at the Seoul National University Fashion Department, but it was open to the public. The point is, I presented my own design and when I finished, one of the judges told me the color of my outfit reminded him of vomit."

"Oh, Taeyang..."

"It's okay, I ended up in third place and they gave me a sewing machine. Even so, I haven't liked the idea of calling the color green vomit since then."

"I understand," Keeho nodded solemnly, "Does booger green sound better to you?"

Taeyang snorted a little and tried to hold back his laughter for a few seconds before giving in and bursting out laughing.

"Oh, Keeho, never change."

Taeyang couldn't see Keeho's expression, but he didn't need to; he was probably smiling like a kid who got his candy. He glanced sideways as Keeho rested his head on the window, and a cozy silence settled between them as David Bowie played in the background.

"I was going to come with someone today."

Taeyang turned his head a millisecond to show he was listening and he waited for Keeho to continue as he fixed his gaze on the street.

"Someone special?"

"Not really. I was going to come with Shota, my best friend, but he ditched me to go to another party where my ex is. We broke up over a year ago, but I can't stand seeing him."

"Understandable."

"You were really an angel sent from heaven for me," Keeho said with a sigh.

Taeyang was about to respond, but then he saw the entrance to the housing complex where Hae-In lived in the distance. They had to park far enough away so that the guards wouldn't come looking for them and the cameras couldn't capture the license plate number.

"It's here."

Keeho straightened up in his seat and leaned forward to see more clearly as he narrowed his eyes.

"Oh my god, there's not a soul in here"

"We have to walk at least three blocks to get to the main entrance," Taeyang explained as he turned off the car. "Hae-In's house is almost at the end so it will be..."

"A long way," Keeho completed in a whisper and seconds later opened the door on his side. "Let's not waste time then."

Taeyang got out of the car and turned around to get the bucket of paint and spray bottles they had bought on the way. Keeho had suggested doing the typical combination of toilet paper and eggs, but Taeyang thought it was an unnecessary waste of resources and food, and it could also be easily fixed.

They both started walking fast and within a few minutes they were already in front of one of the complex's fences. Taeyang stopped and thought for a moment before an idea crossed his mind.

"I know what we can do."

"Are there cameras here?" Keeho didn't seem particularly nervous or scared, but he had started to swing the bags he was carrying in his hand as if they were a pendulum.

"Yes, but they're not very good quality." Taeyang reached out and grabbed one of the bars as he analyzed his next move. "There's a significant amount of theft during the holidays here. Nobody suffers the consequences, except for the guards."

"Okay, but I don't want the guards to suffer."

"Don't worry, Hae-In lives alone and I'm almost sure he won't say anything about our little trick."

Taeyang put his hand on one of the bars diagonally and put his foot on the lowest bar before pushing himself up with his body.

"Wait, Taeyang."

"I'm going to go to the other side and you're going to do the same thing I did, okay?"

"Taeyang!"

He ignored Keeho's panicked shout and continued climbing the fence with quite a bit of effort. He wasn't used to doing so much physical exercise, but where he lived it had already become common for the intercom to be damaged and have to climb to get into his apartment.

He even had to do it once with Intak. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense that he had left him for someone who wouldn't make him climb a fence full of dust and cobwebs.

Taeyang reached the other side after a few seconds with a high jump. He managed to land on both feet and turned with a triumphant smile as he raised his arms to keep his balance.

"I did it."

"Okay, my little genius–"

“We’re literally the same height–”

“How are we going to get these bags to the other side?”

Taeyang frowned and grimaced as he looked at the bags Keeho was carrying in his hand. He approached the fence again and climbed back up to the top, extending a hand to Keeho.

“Pass them one by one.”

“I can’t reach.”

“Leave one bag on the ground and climb up on the first bar.”

Keeho bit his lip as insecurity radiated from his skin, and Taeyang feared for a second that he was going to decide to cancel their whole plan. However, a few moments later,

Keeho held onto the fence with one hand, his foot on the metal bar as he extended the largest bag towards him. Taeyang took the bag and jumped back onto the grass on both feet before leaving the supplies on the ground and returning to his place at the top of the fence. He received the other bag easily and once he was on the other side again, he turned to Keeho, who was looking at him with his mouth slightly open and his eyebrows raised.

“Wow, you’re cooler than I thought.”

“Compliments can come later. The guards shouldn’t take long to realize something’s wrong.”

“Okay.” Keeho put his hands on the bars and Taeyang watched in surprise as Keeho climbed with ease. The problem came when he reached the top. “I’m going to pee myself.”

“Ew, no. Just jump.” Taeyang opened his arms and moved closer to the fence as he looked up. “I’ll catch you.”

Keeho hesitated for a long few seconds before swinging one of his legs over. In an instant, Keeho was a meter above him and the next thing he knew he felt him fall right in front of him, his feet colliding with his face before landing on the ground.

“Ouch.”

“Sorry.” Keeho was inches from him. Their faces were almost touching, and soon he felt Keeho's lips on his as he kissed him deeply. They stayed like that for only a few seconds before Taeyang pushed him away with a sigh.

“Time to run.”

Keeho nodded and they both crouched to grab a bag each and started to hurry down the small street between the mansions of the complex. The adrenaline made him run much faster, and everything intensified when they heard the voices of guards and the lights started to flicker behind them. Taeyang pulled Keeho to hide behind one of the mansion's garbage cans.

“What if they catch us?” Keeho asked, his voice shaky, and Taeyang put a hand on his cheek to reassure him.

“They won’t.” Taeyang looked behind Keeho and could see the recognizable garden of Hae-In's house in the distance. “That house is the one, the one with the giant tree in the yard.”

“Oh, God.” Keeho turned to see it and turned back to Taeyang with a grimace. “It's horrible.”

Taeyang let out a silent laugh as he covered his mouth with his hand and Keeho followed suit as he rested his forehead on his shoulder.

“I know.”

“I guess being rich is no use if you have no taste.”

Taeyang smiled amusedly as he nodded. In the distance, he could see the lights passing by and he waited a minute before giving the signal.

“Come on, Keeho, run!”

They both resumed their race at almost the same pace, Taeyang just a little ahead of Keeho. Taeyang wasn't the type of person who liked to get involved in risky situations; he didn't even enjoy amusement park rides. However, for some reason he didn't know, running alongside Keeho while doing something quite illegal gave him an excitement he didn't think he had ever felt before in his life.

They both stopped in front of the big tree and Taeyang took Keeho's hand to guide him to the secret entrance, the same one they had used when they had the threesome a month ago.

The door in question was in stark contrast to the rest of the mansion. Located right behind the big tree, it was made of old wood and had a traditional deadbolt instead of the typical digital keypad that most houses in Seoul had. In front of the door, there was a mat that said ‘Bienvenue ’. Taeyang crouched down to lift the mat and take a keychain with two keys hanging.

“Wow, great security.” Keeho snorted as he watched Taeyang open the door and after a few seconds they were both inside the grand mansion.

The place they entered led to a small passageway that led to a staircase. The stairs were made of shiny wood, and on each wall there was a painting with pictures of unknown people that seemed to have been taken before the invention of phones. Some of them had a much younger Hae-In, as handsome as he was now but with the special glow of someone who had not yet faced the worst of life.

They reached the end of the stairs, where there was another door. Taeyang used the other key and once they crossed the threshold it was as if they had entered a different world.

The mansion's ceiling soared six meters above the floor. A chandelier hung from the center, surrounded by small lamps. Everything together made the place look like a great palace, accompanied by the soft cream color that decorated the walls and the luxurious furniture that could be seen in the living room. Every place was covered with things more expensive than Taeyang had ever aspired to pay for and a pang settled in his chest as he remembered that night when Intak looked at the aspects of the mansion with the same fascination.

"Wow, I feel like I'm in Beauty and the Beast."

"Who's Belle and who's the Beast?" Taeyang asked as he began to walk towards the staircase to the second floor.

Keeho snorted before answering as he followed in his footsteps right behind him.

"Please, clearly I'm Belle."

The stairs were arranged in a spiral, with a brown painted metal railing that tried to imitate the look of wood. They both climbed two steps at a time as Taeyang gestured for Keeho to hurry up. They walked down the hallway and once Taeyang found

Hae-In's door, he looked at Keeho expectantly.

"Okay, this is the plan." Keeho started taking things out of the bag and put them on the floor. "First we're going to redecorate the walls of his room, and with the leftover paint, we're going to soak his pillows and blankets."

"Oh, you're evil." Taeyang smirked as he watched Keeho open the can of paint. "I love it."

"Then," Keeho took the paint in his hands and gestured with his head for Taeyang to open the door. "We're going to decorate the outside wall, and write with the spray 'fuck you, homewrecker'."

"Okay," Taeyang nodded as he pushed the door open and let Keeho in. "Can we also write 'your dick isn't THAT big'?"

"Taeyang, honey," Keeho put the can back on the floor and turned to look at him with one eyebrow raised, "Do you have an insecurity about that? How big was it?"

Taeyang sighed and let his arms fall in defeat as he closed his eyes. "Pretty big."

"Really?"

"I didn't think I'd see that size in my lifetime."

"Oh my God."

"Do you think that’s why Intak broke up with me?"

"Intak broke up with you because he's an idiot and ungrateful to the gifts of life."

Taeyang felt Keeho's hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to find a sweet and understanding expression.

He hated it.

"Stop looking at me like I'm a lost puppy you found on the street begging for food. You don't have to feel sorry for me"

Keeho rolled his eyes and put his other hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not sorry for you, Taeyang. I'm sorry for Intak. I don't know how big or how rich Hae-In is, but if I had you in my hands, I would never let you go."

Taeyang looked at Keeho for a few seconds. His gaze was the same as before, but it had taken on a new meaning. Now instead of conveying pity, it was full of admiration and a love so pure that Taeyang felt like he was going to drown in it.

He felt the urge to lean in and kiss his lips, but the sound of something moving outside the room brought him back to reality.

"We have to move."

Keeho nodded and pursed his lips in a serious expression before doing a military salute.

"Keeho, this is serious" Taeyang laughed before pushing him.

"I'm taking it seriously, there's nothing more serious than the military salute."

Taeyang walked to the door to look outside to make sure the coast was clear so he could take the missing bag, and once he made sure they weren't in danger, he took one of the

brushes and handed the small paint roller to Keeho. "Let's get to work."

They both dipped their tools in the paint before starting and worked in silence for a few minutes.

"Taeyang."

"Yes?"

"What do you like to do?"

"Oh, are we doing small talk now?"

"There's so much silence and my arm hurts." Keeho's voice came out like a whine. Taeyang smiled softly at his almost childish tone. "Help my poor soul."

"Okay, I'll humor you." Taeyang moved his brush along the wall as he thought about his answer. "I already told you I'm a songwriter, so I like writing songs and learning to play instruments. I'm not an artist as such under my current company, but I like to go to various non-profit events to play songs, like charity events and such."

"Oh?" Keeho's voice seemed full of curiosity and Taeyang paused for a moment to turn and look at him. "Just when I thought you couldn't be cooler."

"Also—" Taeyang let out a grunt, unsure of revealing so much of himself. But it was Keeho. A stranger, yes, but it was Keeho. "I have a fashion company."

"Really?" Keeho looked at him with admiration, and Taeyang felt pride bloom in his chest. He wasn't usually the type of person to seek praise from others for his accomplishments, but seeing the sparkle in Keeho's eyes was different. "What's it called?"

"Theocentric"

"What? You founded that company?" Keeho opened his eyes in surprise and Taeyang shrugged as if it weren't important. "I love your designs! Oh my God, at this rate I'll have to ask you to marry me."

Taeyang laughed as he dipped the brush back into the paint. "As long as you don't ask me for a threesome."

"No, seriously, Taeyang, look." Keeho dropped the roller on the floor, paint splattering the tiles and the edge of his pants. He rolled up the sleeves of his sweater and extended his hand to show Taeyang a bracelet on his wrist. "This bracelet. I bought it there, on your website. It's my lucky charm."

Taeyang leaned forward a little and examined it as he tilted his head to the side. The accessory in question was one of his first designs, when it was barely an Instagram venture with no great expectations. It was silver and red, a mix of threads, metal, and plastic that imitated pearls. One of the charms had the words ‘be you’ engraved, the insignia of all his products.

"I guess it brought me luck today too."

"Why?" Taeyang raised his gaze curiously and Keeho smiled sweetly as he replied.

"I met you."

Taeyang felt heat rise to his cheeks and he could see under the dim light of the window Keeho's cheekbones painted a faint crimson.

"I..."

He stopped his words as he heard another noise coming from outside and he looked at Keeho with panic as the noises got closer to them.

"Shit." They said in unison as they started running in circles looking for a place to hide. Taeyang pulled Keeho into the walk-in closet, and then into one of the wardrobes where Hae-In kept his jackets.

" ...Mr. Kim? Are you back already? I didn't hear your announcement— Oh my God. "

Taeyang pressed his lips together and held his breath as he put his hand over Keeho's mouth, who had already started to laugh. Taeyang tried to strain ear as much as possible. The only thing he could hear was the noise of the woman outside as she whispered insults and spoke to whoever he assumed was Hae-In.

"We're fucked." He whispered against Keeho's hair, who was awkwardly positioned against the wall.

"You think?," Keeho muttered sarcastically, "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, it was your idea."

"An idea that you followed enthusiastically, must I say."

"Okay, okay. It's not the time for that. We have to get out." Taeyang waited a second, the room suddenly silent, and he opened the closet door very delicately. "I'm going to see if the room is empty now, and if there is someone, we run."

"So, if there's no one we run and if there is someone we run?"

"Exactly." Taeyang took a few steps out and looked towards Keeho when he was right in front of the door. "Ready?"

"No."

"Fantastic."

Taeyang pulled the door until there was enough space to look into the room. It seemed to be empty, although he couldn't be too sure.

"There's a ladder next to the window, I'm going to try to unfold it. If someone tries to catch me, you stop them, understand?"

"Are you expecting me to hit a woman?"

"You don't have to hit her, just... shock her for a few seconds."

"Taeyang-"

"Look, if all goes well, you won't have to do it. I think she's searching the rest of the house."

"I'm not going to attack her, Taeyang."

"Okay, do what you have to do."

"Taeyang—"

He didn't wait for more words before opening the door completely and running to the

window. In less than five seconds he had managed to open it and stabilize the ladder against the wall.

"Keeho! Run!"

Taeyang put one of his legs over the sill and began to climb down the metal ladder quickly. He could feel Keeho's steps above him and he extended his hand when he stepped onto solid ground to help him.

"Hey! You thieves!"

Taeyang and Keeho looked at each other in panic before starting to run in the opposite direction of the mansion. Unfortunately for both of them, the grass was too tall to run at the speed they needed.

"Damn Hae-In! You're rich, you can pay for someone to mow your lawn!"

As if Hae-In were God himself and had heard them from heaven, Taeyang felt a stream of water hit his face and it didn't take him long to realize that the sprinklers had been activated.

"No, my makeup!" Keeho shouted in frustration.

They both continued their run to the end of the garden despite the difficulties while listening to the shouts and insults from behind.

As if it wasn't enough with the water ruining their disguises and making it more difficult to see the path, Taeyang heard a voice behind accompanied by a loud thud against his foot.

"Damn bastards! You'll pay for your crimes!"

The woman continued her task of throwing stones through the window and they both did their best to avoid the water, the stones, and falling flat on their face in the grass.

"Get out of here! Buffoons! Miserables!"

Taeyang tried to hold back his laughter as he watched Keeho a few meters away from him slip on the grass, but his joy died soon when he felt a stone hit his back. The object in question seemed to be only the size of a nut, but the pain it caused was as if a fist-sized one had hit him.

He ran the distance that separated him from Keeho, and when he was close enough he could see his professional makeup already running from the water and let out a laugh that earned him a blow.

"Don't laugh at me!"

Taeyang extended his hand to offer help to Keeho, still laughing at the situation, and he could see out of the corner of his eye a stone flying through the air before hitting Keeho's arm.

"Ouch!"

Even though Taeyang had already been a victim of the same situation and perhaps should feel sympathy for Keeho and not make fun of him, all he did was intensify his laughter as he pulled Keeho's arm to get him to stand up.

"We should run before she calls the police," he managed to say between laughs and Keeho hit him one last time before taking his hand. Taeyang stopped laughing immediately as he lowered his gaze to their intertwined fingers, and he felt a current run through his body, a pleasant sensation similar to alcohol. In the short time he had known him, he had that clear about Keeho: he was so intoxicating it bordered on dangerous.

"Let's go."

He began to be dragged before he could come back to his senses, the shouts of a woman still in the background and the movement of the stones still visible in the corner of his eye, and he couldn't help but smile as they both stumbled towards the end of the garden.

They finally got to the street and after another minute of running they reached the fence.

"We couldn't even use the spray," Keeho said, taking deep breaths. Taeyang leaned against the bars of the fence as he breathed deeply without answering, too exhausted to

produce words. "We have to go."

Taeyang started climbing the fence without waiting for an answer and he heard

Keeho's grunt loud and clear as he complained about having carried out the idea with him in the first place.

"I should have just asked for the address and come alone tomorrow."

"The guards would have eaten you alive." Taeyang reached the top and jumped to the other side. Once his feet were on the ground, he turned to Keeho with a playful smile. "You're nothing without me."

Keeho snorted as he put his first foot on the fence and Taeyang could hear him complaining as he climbed, his words colliding with the others.

"... I was an essential person in this plan, by the way." Keeho was still with one leg on each side and Taeyang could see the fear in his eyes even from a distance.

"Hey, calm down, I'm here, okay?"

Keeho looked down, his eyes wide open, his breathing irregular as his knuckles turned red from the force with which he was clinging to the metal bars.

"Keeho, jump."

Taeyang saw something out of the corner of his eye and looked down to see, far away, the characteristic giant lights of the security guards.

"Now!"

"I can't, Taeyang, I think I'm going to throw up."

"Keeho, listen to me." Taeyang moved closer to the fence, his heart pounding as he watched the lights get closer and closer. "I'm here, okay? I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

Keeho looked at him for a long few seconds, an eternity as Taeyang began to hear the voices of the guards more clearly, and after a wait that seemed to last forever, Keeho jumped.

This time not on both feet but right on top of Taeyang, knocking the air out of him in one blow.

"I'm sorry!" Keeho got up as fast as he could and then proceeded to vomit on the grass right next to Taeyang as his knees hit the grass. "I'm so sorry."

Taeyang, for his part, only saw lights in his field of vision. A dull pain had settled in his abdomen and he coughed several times as he tried to catch his breath.

"Oh my God, Taeyang, are you okay?"

Taeyang didn't notice when Keeho had gotten back up, too busy trying to recover. He tried to stand up with Keeho's help, who watched him with furrowed brows and a hint of panic in his eyes.

"I'm fine." His words came out airy and with difficulty, and although his body still ached, he believed he could survive.

"Great, because it's time to run."

Taeyang turned and when he did he never expected to see the guards less than two meters away from them, right in front of the fence.

"Holy shit," Taeyang coughed a couple more times before feeling himself being dragged by Keeho in the other direction, the voices of the men in the distance as they tried to climb the fence to reach them faster.

Taeyang moved his head to look for his car. When he finally found it, it was still a few blocks away. As he measured the approximate distance between them and their means of escape, he was about to lie down on the cement and accept defeat.

"Taeyang, run!"

So he did, although his legs were already begging for a rest and his lungs burned as if he had poured chlorine directly into its tissues. Taeyang felt almost like a rag doll, but the sound of a gun in the distance made his body go into life or death mode and he reached the driver's door faster. It had been a long few minutes that felt like seconds in the midst of the adrenaline, and as soon as Taeyang started the car and put his foot on the pedal, the rest of the world faded into the echo of the night.

"Oh my God." Keeho spoke beside him after a long few minutes, his gaze fixed on the back window. In the midst of everything, Taeyang hadn't even noticed he was in the car with him when he started the car. "That was amazing."

Taeyang smirked and drove as fast as he could within the speed limit as they drove away from the complex.

"I know."

"I want to kiss you so bad right now."

"Just kiss me?"

"God, don't tempt me." Keeho squirmed in his seat and looked at Taeyang with a desire so deep he felt like he was going to suffocate.

"Wait a second."

Taeyang drove a few more blocks until he was sure no one was following them, and parked in an almost deserted spot.

"Okay—"

Before he could finish his words, Keeho was already on top of him, but before he could join their lips, Taeyang stopped him.

"Didn't you just vomit?"

Keeho groaned as he threw his head back, a long sound full of frustration that although it would have annoyed him from someone else, only made his affection for him grow.

"Party pooper."

"Don't worry." Taeyang leaned down and placed his lips on Keeho's neck, causing him to moan. "Let me do all the work."

Taeyang left a trail of kisses down Keeho's neck to his chin, while his hands explored the bare skin of his waist under his sweater. He left a trail of kisses to his collarbone and

made a small hickey that made Keeho let out an obscene sound from his mouth. "Taeyang, please."

Taeyang moved his hand to the buttons of the jeans Keeho was wearing, and his fingers tangled easily until he released one, and then...

In the End by Linkin Park started playing in the background. Taeyang's cell phone ringtone.

Taeyang pulled away from Keeho's neck with a grunt, which was imitated by the other as he got off his lap and sat back in the passenger seat. Taeyang took his phone out of his pocket and closed his eyes after reading the contact name.

"Who is it?"

"Intak."

Taeyang couldn't see Keeho's expression as he pressed the button to answer and he let a few seconds of silence pass before Intak spoke.

"Was it really necessary, Taeyang? "

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb. The housekeeper called Hae-In the second she realized there were strangers in the house, and I can't think of anyone else who could choose such a horrible color to paint the walls. "

"For your information, lime is a beautiful color."

"So it was you ."

Taeyang closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He had fallen right into Intak's trap.

"Fine, it was me, okay?" Taeyang confessed as he hit his palm against the steering wheel. "And I would do it again if I had the chance."

"Are you drunk? "

"I've never been more sober in my life."

"Taeyang— " Intak sighed on the other end of the line, and Taeyang could visualize him on the other side putting two fingers on the bridge of his nose, "I managed to convince Hae-In not to press charges. But we need to talk, okay? Sincerely this time. "

"Oh, you should have thought about that before tossing me aside like an old piece of paper in your pocket." Taeyang felt a lump in his throat and coughed a little in an attempt to make it disappear. "Thanks for not pressing charges, but I don't want to talk to you."

"Taeyang— "

"Goodbye, Intak."

Taeyang hung up and dropped his phone on the back of the car as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration, no longer caring about the state of his makeup. He stayed like that for a few seconds until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Taeyang let out a deep breath before putting his hand on the key and turning the car back on. "Hae-In isn't going to press charges."

"You know? Maybe he would have let us do it if we had asked him nicely."

"Don't count on it, Intak can be harder than he looks."

"Oh, yeah?" Keeho's voice had a mischievous tone and Taeyang could expect that nothing serious was going to come out of his mouth. "You know what else is hard?"

"Okay, let's stop there."

Keeho let out a laugh and Taeyang imitated him, both laughing as Taeyang returned to the road.

"Is this the end, then?"

Taeyang glanced at Keeho, who had his head resting on the window, his gaze full of longing and sadness.

"Do you want to...?" Taeyang cleared his throat and gripped the steering wheel as he gathered the courage to say the next words. "Do you want to spend the night at my place?"

Keeho pulled his head away from the glass and Taeyang could feel his gaze fixed on him for a few seconds before he heard his voice again.

"Really?"

Taeyang shrugged. He could feel Keeho jump in his seat as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh my God, I'll give you the best night of your life."

"That’s not necessary." Taeyang laughed.

"I need to take this opportunity to show you all the perks of having me in your life."

"Keeho, even without you coming over..." He paused, hesitant to expose his feelings too soon. It was ten minutes to two in the morning and for some reason he felt a bit unusual about his emotional constipation. "This wouldn't be the end. I like you."

Taeyang waited, waited, and waited for an answer. He turned his head after a long minute to look at Keeho and noticed he was crying as he covered his face with his hands.

"Oh my God, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just that..." Keeho wiped away his tears, his face already a mess from the sprinkler water, so his fingers were stained with the gray paint he was wearing. "No one has ever said something so nice to me."

"Doubt that."

"Okay, no, but..." Keeho's voice sounded normal despite his tears and Taeyang calmed down as he turned his full attention back to the road. "It makes me happy to hear it. It makes me happy to be with you."

Taeyang smiled. They continued their journey in a comfortable silence as they left the streets of Seoul behind. Even at that time, the city lights and the crowds of people had not yet died down, perhaps even more active than they would have been at earlier hours of the night. The sky was painted a dark blue, only the street lamps providing a landscape similar to the stars.

"Wait, I didn't ask what you do." Taeyang frowned as he turned the steering wheel on the last block before reaching his apartment.

"Nothing as interesting as yours. I'm a kindergarten teacher."

Taeyang stopped his car in its assigned parking space and turned off the car while frowning.

"Of course it's interesting. I think every career has the potential to be interesting."

"Business administration?" Keeho asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Shark tank exists. Entrepreneurs give talks to ordinary people all the time."

"Okay, well, I don't know."

"It wasn’t what you wanted to study?" Taeyang asked carefully as he tried to read Keeho's expression.

"Yes and no." Keeho bit his lip as he played with his fingers on his lap. "Actually, I wanted to be a singer, but I had an accident and had to retire."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I guess I still have a little of that insecurity of not having been able to dedicate myself to something 'interesting'." Keeho made quotation marks with his fingers on the last words. "Although..."

"Yes?"

"Your words somehow comfort me. Every career can be interesting, right?"

Taeyang smiled and extended his hand, still slightly trembling, his mind full of doubts and his heart, for the first time in a long time, right where it should be.

"Tell me about what you do."

The smile that appeared on Keeho's face was dazzling, and Taeyang lamented only seeing it for a few seconds before they both got out of the car. On the way, Keeho told him about the things he had learned in college about teaching, how he had decided to study teaching thanks to his little brother and his nephew, how there was nothing he enjoyed more than teaching the kids to dance when he could intervene in their dance classes.

"They are beautiful, like little people full of curiosity and wonder. I wish adults didn't lose that."

"I think in some adults it's not lost, but transformed." Taeyang reflected, "Inventions and artistic creations are after all the product of the curiosity and wonder of adults. Universities are schools of curiosity and wonder, if you think about it, and it can be as beautiful and exciting as in childhood."

They stopped right in front of the door to Taeyang's apartment and Keeho leaned against the wall as Taeyang typed the code into the keypad.

"You know? When I first saw you I thought you would be a bitter person who hated life."

"Thanks?"

"But now I can see that you have an incredible mindset."

"I wouldn't say incredible—"

"Not everyone analyzes things in such a positive way as you do. I think I can even see it in the fact that you came to this Halloween party when a week ago your boyfriend dumped you. In your place, anyone would have sent everything to hell. But you," Keeho looked at him with that same special glow and a soft smile. "You're really incredible, Taeyang."

"I think you're idealizing me too much." Taeyang laughed as he pushed open the door and gestured for Keeho to enter. "Rui would agree with your early conclusion that I'm a bitter person who hates life."

"Okay, I don't care. I'm already in love, what can I do?"

Taeyang felt butterflies churning in his stomach before they ascended, leaving caresses on every part of his being. He let out a little air and closed the door behind him as he began to take off his shoes. Keeho had already left his shoes by the door when he ran to the sofa a few meters from the entrance.

"Wait! Clean your mouth!"

"Are you that eager to kiss me, darling?" Keeho mocked from his seat, but still got up quickly. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Second door on the right." Taeyang extended his arm to point and Keeho proceeded to run down the hallway. "The mouthwash is on the shelf!"

Taeyang didn't hear a response other than the door closing. He walked to his room and the first thing he did was carefully remove his wig and then he began to unbutton his dress. Once he was only in his underwear, he took wet wipes from his hygiene kit and he began to gently remove his makeup. When he was halfway through his face, he heard Keeho behind him as he threw himself on the bed without a care in the world.

"Did you take off your makeup?" Taeyang asked as he finished removing the foundation on the right side of his face.

"Mhmmmm"

"Keeho, don't fall asleep. You promised me the best night of my life."

Taeyang only heard a grunt in response and he couldn't help but smile fondly as he threw the wipes in the trash. He got up and put on a shirt from the floor before going to Keeho.

Keeho was lying face down on the bed, his face full of make-up still and his eyes closed. Taeyang watched him for a few seconds, as his chest rose and fell with each breath against the mattress, his mouth slightly open, and his hair tousled against the pillow. Taeyang thought about Keeho in the morning, with his eyelids closed, not a care in the world, right next to him in bed.

He shook his head to push those thoughts away. He began to unbutton Keeho's jeans to take them off so he could sleep more comfortably. Once he succeeded, he put one of the blankets over him and turned around on the bed to lie right next to him. As if Keeho sensed where he was, he turned his whole body until they were face to face and Taeyang could see his face again. Still full of black smudges and his ruined makeup full of skin- colored patches, nothing could hide the innate beauty in his features.

Taeyang closed his eyes as he put his hands under the pillow. He thought about everything that had happened that day, how he had started the night in the worst mood and had ended the night with a smile next to a stranger. But not just any stranger. Perhaps the best stranger he could have met.

The last thought he had before being lulled to sleep by his heavy body, was how happy it made him to know that he would wake up the next day with Keeho by his side.

One last phrase crossed his mind:

I could get used to this.