There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 771: Side Story 4. Endless Journey - 54

When the scene came out, Kar felt something inside him turn cold and rigid. He realized he didn’t like to see it almost immediately.

But then, when Byul started to hide the screen from his sight and frantically explained the scene with a panicked face, Kar’s mind took a step back.

As an actor, it was inevitable for Byul to do kissing scenes--perhaps even more than that. If he couldn’t control his emotions, would he keep feeling uncomfortable every time it happened? That would be cruel on Byul’s part, who strived to be a professional.

With that thought, his heart cooled down successfully.

Only for a few seconds, however.

Because how could he keep calm when he looked at that blushing face and slightly trembling voice, uttering words that sounded like a confession? Before Kar realized it, his hand moved and held the younger’s chin. The small, adorable yes pushed him forward, leaning down to claim the slightly parted lips.

Sweet. It was sweet; like warm cocoa and honey lip balm. Soft, just like Byul himself. At that moment, Kar felt lightheaded, as if he was falling from a building. Exhilarating, thrilling.

But then he felt the younger’s lips trembling against his. He quickly pulled away, although he couldn’t seem to get away far. He didn’t want to leave those lips and fortunately, it seemed like Byul had the same thought.

"Hyung--" Byul clutched on the retreating esper’s shirt, pulling Kar back to him. "Hyung..."

Kar didn’t know what it was, but something inside him broke. Perhaps a chain.

Barred of all hesitation, he grasped that adorable face and claimed those lips again. It wasn’t just an innocent peck this time. Awkward at first, both were trying to go at each other simultaneously. Soon, however, they found their rhythm, nibbling at each other’s lips more comfortably.

When they parted just slightly, both were shy and flushed. Their hearts palpitated and fluttered at their first intimate touch. It wasn’t how either of them imagined it would be, bypassing any sort of verbal confession of a deep-seated feeling nestled inside their hearts for a long time.

For Byul, especially, it was even more bewildering. At the very least, Kar was aware of the younger’s feelings for him. Byul, however, still thought that Kar only saw him as a cute little brother. He had been drinking every little attention and innocent touch that the older gave him, but...

That was the first time Byul realized there was something more.

Stroking the stunned face in front of him, Kar made his own confession. "I’ve...never kissed anyone before," he said, prompting the black eyes to widen. Pressing their forehead against each other, he whispered. "This is...my first kiss too."

Byul’s mind went haywire for a few seconds. He could only stare at the older man in a daze. But he could see it--the soft blush under the beautiful blue and amber, the slightly shaky breath, and a shy expression Byul hadn’t seen before.

At that moment, Byul realized that they were equal.

"Oh..." Byul took a deep breath, stroking the older’s lips with trembling fingers. "Then...do it more, Hyung..."

A few more chains were broken inside the esper, and the cushion between them was chucked to the ground. Byul felt the weight of the bigger man as he fell back on the couch, with a strong hand beneath his head and a firm arm around his waist.

Oh, it was wonderful. The weight and the warmth enveloping him, the lips against his, and the breath they exchanged. With the forgotten drama playing in the background, they found out what two sets of lips and tongues could do when they were touching with desire.

Byul had his hands on the older’s hair and back, as if trying to pull Kar into him more and more. He twisted his hips, shifting his lower body so it would be more comfortable for them. When he raised his leg to the couch, however, Kar abruptly pulled away, ending the ardent kiss.

"Haa--" the esper stared at the startled Byul without blinking for a few seconds, before clearing his throat and shifting away to the other side of the couch. "I’m sorry, let’s stop here."

"W-Why?!" Byul sat up hurriedly and grabbed the esper’s arm. "Are you...you’re not...you’re not regretting--"

The words were lost in another kiss, clearly meant to shush him. Kar frowned and stroked the younger’s face gently. "There’s no way I would."

"Then..."

"But it feels dangerous...to continue now."

Byul frowned in confusion, until he saw the red ears and heard the shaky breath. The esper’s face was twitching slightly in restraint, and Byul glanced down.

"...oh," he pressed his lips, swallowing nervously as the esper made a wry smile.

"I’m sorry, mm?" Kar sighed and softly kissed the top of Byul’s head. "Let’s take a rain check for now."

"O-okay..."

Taking a deep breath to calm his heart and lower the blood rush, Kar stood up. "I’ll...head up first."

Byul lowered his head to avert his gaze and nodded. "G-good night, Hyung."

"Yeah."

Clutching his blanket, Byul listened to the retreating steps of the esper as Kar climbed the stairs. He was about to sigh when he heard a rather loud banging sound followed by a muffled curse--and realized that Kar had just stumbled on something up there.

Falling on his back again, Byul stared dazedly at the ceiling, digesting what had just happened in the past few minutes. It was a miracle that he hadn’t screamed yet.

"...oh, my Goddess!"

* * *

Kar did whatever he could to calm down, from exercising to diving into the dungeon simulation and a couple of cold baths. Yeah, in the middle of winter.

In the end, he couldn’t even sleep, and morning came while he was wondering what would become of them. Would they be awkward now? If even Kar was feeling embarrassed about how it ended last night, Byul was probably even more flustered.

Sighing for the umpteenth time, Kar went down to prepare some breakfast. He saw then that the mini theatre was already tidy, and scolded himself. Haa...how could he make Byul clean up alone? Filled with regret, he knocked on the younger’s closed door.

"Byul, are you inside?" he asked. "May I come in?"

Instead of the door opening, Kar heard a soft, whining sound inside. It was different, however, from the sound of someone being woken up from sleep.

"Byul, I’m going in, okay?" Kar opened the door, and found the actor on the bed, covered in a blanket. Only his head could be seen, and Kar’s keen eyes could see that something was wrong. "Byul? Baby, you okay?"

Kar touched the younger’s forehead and frowned, while Byul stirred and leaned into the touch. "Ngh--Hyung..."

"You’re burning," Kar touched the flushed cheeks and neck, stroking the warm face. "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? What about your throat? Do you feel pain? Headache?"

"No, just...feeling sluggish," Byul mumbled, still chasing the older’s cooler temperature to soothe himself.

Kar frowned deeper, wondering if the fever was caused by cleaning the table last night. Damn it--he should have thought things through. "I’m going to call a doctor--"

Byul gasped and shook his head, grasping Kar’s retreating hand. "No, Hyung!"

"What do you mean, no?" Kar was about to snap, but reminded himself that he was facing a sick person.

Byul bit his lips. "I...I think I’m just..."

The actor paused, and Kar narrowed his eyes. "Byul..."

"I was just...being too excited!" Byul finished in embarrassment, hiding half his face with the blanket.

Kar was dumbfounded, blinking slowly to digest the explanation. "Like...when you have a fever before going to an amusement park in the past?"

"...yeah," Byul bit his lips harder before diving beneath his blanket to groan. "Oh, it’s so embarrassing!"

Indeed, it was embarrassing being reminded of the time when a whole trip had to be cancelled because he got too excited the night before and had a high fever the morning they were supposed to go. It was when he was four, so he had the excuse of being a child then, but...

What is this? How could he say he got a fever from a kiss?

"Pfft--"

"Hyung!" Byul pulled his blanket down and pursed his lips in protest, smacking the esper’s side.

"Heh," Kar smirked and ruffled the curly hair. "I guess you’re not that sick if you can still whine."

"Ugh..."

He caressed the reddened cheeks--both from fever and flusters. "Cute."

"Nggh--" Byul dove into his blanket again, curling up with only his head peeking up.

Kar laughed and leaned down to kiss the pouting lips, brushing the curls away from the slightly sweaty face. "Adorable," he whispered.

"Hyung, you’ll make my fever worse," Byul whined.

"Then I just need to nurse you back," Kar chuckled in response. "Anything you want to eat? I’ll make whatever you want."

"Anything?" the black eyes blinked. "Like...like cream stew and foiled mushroom?"

Kar scoffed. "Only that?"

"And...and...cinnamon roll?" Byul added in a soft but hopeful voice.

"I can do that, but it’ll take time. I can buy some for you now and--"

The curly hair bounced slightly when Byul shook his head. "I want yours, Hyung."

Haa...truly so adorable. How could someone be this cute when they were sick? Not to mention, staying so pretty...

Kar had no idea why it took him so long to realize that. Or rather, to accept that and do something about it.

"Alright, be patient for a bit," he leaned down to kiss Byul again, this time on the forehead.

After giving another ruffle, Kar left to fetch warm water and a can of peach for Byul to have before the ordered food was ready. While the esper was toiling in the kitchen, Byul curled up beneath his blanket and blinked slowly as a memory from a few minutes before surfaced in his mind.

"Oh..." he exclaimed softly in a daze. "He called me baby..."