That night, neither of them slept.
Boss lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling like it could offer answers. But all he could hear was the echo of Noeul's voice, the feel of his skin, the weight of what they'd done. And beneath it all, a single fear clawed at him: What if this meant nothing to Noeul?
What if he was just something to pass time?
Across the city, Noeul twisted beneath his sheets, the taste of Boss still on his lips, the memory burned into his body. But fear cold and sharp sat heavy in his chest. What if Boss regrets it? What if he looks at me tomorrow like I ruined everything?
Neither of them could stop the storm inside. Every hour that passed without clarity stretched the silence louder, heavier.
By the time morning came, both looked like men who hadn't slept in days.
At the rehearsal grounds, they moved like ghosts. Tired, hollow-eyed, but still performing still pushing through every routine like nothing was wrong. Because that's what they were trained to do. But behind each smile was tension. Behind every stolen glance was the fear of collapse.
Maybe they weren't okay.
Maybe this was the beginning of the end.
Or maybe the fact that they were both still here meant they weren't ready to walk away just yet.
After the rehearsal ended, they said nothing. Just walked side by side to Boss's car, the silence loud and brutal. The moment the engine hummed to life, Boss reached for the stereo and turned the volume up too loud to think, too loud to speak. Noeul didn't object. He just stared out the window, jaw clenched, trying not to fall apart.
When they reached Boss's apartment, the tension followed them inside like a shadow. The door shut behind them, locking the weight of everything they hadn't said into that single space. For a moment, they just stood there.
Breathing. Waiting.
Boss's heart slammed against his ribs. He opened his mouth once, nothing. Tried again. Still nothing.
Finally, he forced himself to swallow, then spoke voice hoarse, low.
"You... said you wanted to talk to me."
He didn't dare move closer. He just stood there, gaze fixed on Noeul, hoping praying that the next words wouldn't destroy him.
"Yes... I... I wanted to apologize," Noeul said, his voice small, breaking. "For what happened that night at the hotel... and before that, too. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."
His eyes stayed fixed on the floor, afraid of what he'd see in Boss's face disgust, anger, maybe even regret.
Boss didn't respond right away. He just stared at Noeul, his expression unreadable, until finally... he stepped forward, closing the space between them, slow and deliberate.
"Is that all?" Boss asked, his voice calm but heavy with something darker beneath something unspoken.
Noeul's throat tightened. His chest rose and fell in uneven waves.
"I know I shouldn't have done that to you," he whispered, eyes brimming. "Please don't hate me. Don't feel uncomfortable around me. Don't... stop our ship because of this."
Boss flinched, just slightly. His brows furrowed like he'd just heard something impossible.
"Why would you think I'd stop working with you?" he asked, voice low, eyes narrowing. "Why would that even cross your mind?"
"Because lately... you've been quiet. Distant. Like there's something you want to say, but you're waiting for me to move first. I see it in your eyes every time we're near each other. And I was scared... scared that I ruined everything."
Boss said nothing.
"I'm sorry for doing those disgusting things to you"
Before the word disgusting could even settle in the air, Boss moved.
He crushed his lips against Noeul's, slow and deep, stealing the words straight from his mouth. It wasn't rushed it was deliberate. Full of heat, frustration, and something deeper. Possession. Need.
When he finally pulled back, his breath was ragged, his voice low.
"Nothing about you could ever be disgusting."
Noeul froze.
His eyes widened, disbelief flickering across his face, quickly drowned by relief. Then he stepped closer, resting his forehead against Boss's shoulder like he couldn't trust his own legs anymore.
"I thought you hated it," he murmured, voice trembling. "I was so scared..."
Boss's jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck twitching as he fought to stay in control.
"You should be scared..." he muttered, swallowing hard. His gaze dropped hungrily to Noeul's lips, then dragged lower, devouring the space between them. "But not because I hated it."
Noeul didn't back away.
Instead, he reached for Boss's hand, shaky but sure and placed it gently on his waist. A silent plea. A whisper of "I'm not scared."
Boss's fingers tensed, then tightened, squeezing Noeul's waist with a kind of desperation he hadn't allowed himself to show until now. He let out a groan, low and guttural, his restraint crumbling.
"Listen to me, Noeul," he said, voice hoarse, eyes burning with intensity.
"I don't want to hold back anymore."