"Then what else do you like about me?"
Taeui was too embarrassed to look at him, so he used his free arm to hide his face. After a moment, he spoke, "Your lips. And your smile. I love your smile," he said, peeking from behind his arm to see Ilay's expression. Ilay chuckled and smiled warmly, planting kisses on his wrist, slowly making his way up his arm.
"And…" Taeui started. Ilay already knew about all of this, he read it in the letter Taeui wrote. "I like that you're getting some of my mannerisms. And I, yours."
Ilay held both of Taeui's arms down so he could properly stare at Taeui's embarrassed face. He couldn't stop smiling while watching Taeui. As he admired him, it finally made sense what Taeui said about the small gestures and feeling loved. Yes, Ilay felt loved by Taeui, even if he didn't put it into words. Ilay brought his lips to Taeui's and kissed him softly without releasing his arms. Between kisses, Ilay called Taeui's name, and he could feel him get hard, just as he was.
Taeui.
'Ah, you wants it as much as me,' Ilay murmured so low that Taeui didn't understand it.
"Taeui."
Ilay pulled back enough to stare at Taeui's eyes.
"Taeui, I love you."
They were so close that Ilay could feel Taeui's heart beating fast against his chest as his entire face, from his ears down to his neck, became a bright red. His eyes bulged from his face, and his mouth was like a fish opening and closing quickly. Ilay planted a soft kiss on his lips again, smiling.
Taeui turned his face hoping to hide it, but his arms were pinned, and there was nowhere to hide. He felt hot to his bones, ready to melt into the mattress. The second Ilay let go of his arms, Taeui wrapped his arms around Ilay's neck and hid his face in his neck. Yes, he had heard those words before, but not like this. This time, it felt special since he knew what he was thinking when he said it. Ilay continued to trace kisses on his skin while one hand massaged Taeui's body.
"You liked it that much? I should say it more often then."
"No!" said Taeui, pulling back and kissing Ilay to stop him from saying it. He could feel Ilay's smile through the kiss, and he enjoyed tasting his smile.
Gone were the sweet and fond kisses. Ilay's kiss was fervent and hungry. Neither could hold on much longer as they stripped each other, caressing and wanting nothing more than to drown in each other.
It was late morning when Taeui felt his consciousness returning. He was well rested, but the days he was worried and anxious still weighed on him, and he felt like it would be a good day for an afternoon nap outside with the warm weather. Even though he was awake, he didn't move or open his eyes. Ilay was sitting next to him, probably reading a book, as he softly brushed his fingers through Taeui's hair. He felt his cheeks warming up, remembering everything from the previous day, and he wouldn't have even realised that he was smiling if it wasn't for Ilay, who suddenly spoke.
"You should say 'good morning' if you are awake," said Ilay without taking his eyes from the book. "Even if I couldn't tell by your breathing you were awake, your smile is a big giveaway."
Taeui chuckled. Then he faked snoring and mumbled, "I'm still sleeping." He peeked through his lashes and saw Ilay smiling, and he laughed some more.
"Rita already came by once to wake you up. Lucky for you, I was here to stop her."
Taeui, knowing that Rita would definitely come up again to wake him, opened his eyes. "Good morning." Ilay smiled and leaned down to kiss him. After Taeui's shower, they both went down to eat breakfast. Kyle was back from his business trip and joined them. During the afternoon, they enjoyed the pool and the warm weather. Taeui was feeling drowsy and ready to take his deserved nap when Ilay interrupted his peace.
"On Friday, be in front of the Hotel XXXX at 7 pm." Just like Ilay, concise and straight to the point.
"What for?"
"We are going on a date."
Taeui choked on air. He had never heard Ilay say that before. They never went on a 'date', at least not officially. They went out every once in a while for dinner or on trips, but neither of them had announced an outing as a 'date'.
"What do you mean date?"
"I reached a conclusion to my dilemma. All I have to do is do something that makes me feel like I am caring for you. Since we have never been on a proper date, I'm taking you on one this Friday."
Taeui nodded. His reasoning was correct, but something felt strange to go on a date after so long. "Can't we just go together instead of meeting there?"
"No. We will meet there so don't be late."
With that, Ilay got up and went for a swim. Taeui was confused with the plan, but if that eased Ilay's worries, he didn't mind having their first official date. He quickly dismissed the news and took his nap like he wanted. However, when he woke up, Ilay was nowhere to be seen, and when he asked Rita, she told him that the master would be gone for a couple of days.
'No way. Is he planning to meet only on Friday?'
Taeui didn't know if he should sigh in exasperation or smile at the effort.
In those two days until Friday, Taeui became more anxious about their date, unable to treat it like any other time they went out to eat. When Friday came, Taeui was a nervous mess. He couldn't decide what to wear or how to style his hair. He tried imagining Ilay in different clothes for their date, but Ilay looked good in everything, and that only made it harder for Taeui. In the end, he decided to go with a chic casual outfit and grabbed a watch from Ilay's room. He got there twenty minutes before the agreed time and was self-conscious while waiting for Ilay, feeling his stomach tighten.
'Who would've thought I would get this nervous after so many years.'
"I would've kept enjoying your expression as you waited for me, but then I would have to start killing people who did a double take to see your cute expression, and we both know you won't like that."
His heart almost stopped. Ilay appeared right next to him with his nonchalant expression. While Taeui was stammering to tell him off, Ilay took his time to admire Taeui. His stare was slow and lewd as if he was taking his clothes off with his eyes. Taeui hid his face behind his hands, his heart thumping against his chest. Shyly, he looked through his fingers at the man who made him like that.
Ilay was in a very good mood, and despite his shyness, Taeui was too. Ilay led the way to the restaurant, where they enjoyed a nice, uneventful dinner. And after having dessert, they went for a walk before returning to the hotel to the room Ilay booked. It was a luxurious suite on the top floor, and despite the wonderful amenities, they enjoyed each other's heated company even more.