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Cheong Myeong isn't very good at expressing emotions. Probably everyone knew this except for him. At least until the moment when these emotions got stuck in his throat, preventing him from speaking at the sight of the other's smile. Making his ears burn with embarrassment from the overly bold hands that remained possessively on his chest during a drinking party, while the object of his worries lay on his shoulder, barely able to speak from the amount of alcohol he poured into himself. Making his lips burn with unspoken desire at the proximity of the other's face, flushed and animated in the middle of a conversation.
Cheong Myeong has fallen in love.
And, frankly, he doesn't know what to do about it.
Sahyun says that he should give flowers.
But Tan Bo doesn't look like he understood his emotions when Cheong Myeong, with a red face, throws a plum branch at the other's face.
Sahyun says that you should spoil and pay for the object of your affection in restaurants.
But Tang Bo looks at him with genuine concern, asking if he is sick, if he was replaced, and if he really is going to kill Tang Bo this time? Maybe he ate something bad?
Cheong Myeong hits him, feeling his eyes burn with shame for his attempt to express emotion, which turned out to be a joke or an upset stomach for the other party.
Sahyun says that to express your emotions, you can give a hairpin.
Cheong Myeong throws the box at the other's face, smiling as he notices that Tang Bo catches it this time. Opening the box, Tang Bo notices a simple, inexperiencly but painstakingly made hairpin.
Sahyun says that handmade gifts are especially valuable.
"Turn around," Cheong Myeong says, leaving no room for argument, and Tang Bo obeys. He says nothing as the old hairpin is taken out, thrown into the box, and the hair is gathered in its place, rolled up, and a new one inserted.
Cheong Myeong smiles, removing his hands from the other's hair.
Tang Bo's gaze is different this time. Without a grimace of feigned pain, without anxiety, without misunderstanding. With an incomprehensible but hopeful thought, and a blush that is clearly not due to alcohol or active combat, as was usual.
Sahyun says that courtship often takes time, that the human heart is unpredictable, and you won't always get your way. That love is also a battlefield.
But if there is something where Cheong Myeong dominates and wins, it is a battlefield. And he will not let some misunderstanding stop him.
Sahyun says many things, and for once Cheong Myeong listens silently, not trying to interrupt the moralizing or insert his opinion. This raises a question in the other's gaze, but now there are more important things than suspicious behavior, and after barely listening to the end, Cheong Myeong breaks down again, realizing the next step in this unspoken battle.
"I made you some food," says Cheong Myeong, throwing a container of steamed buns in the other direction. Judging by the thud that comes from it, it was too hard.
"T-thank you?" Tang Bo looks at him in confusion, searching for something unattainable in his expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Cheong Myeong frowns.
"What?"
"As if I'm acting strangely."
Tang Bo is silent, opening the lid of the container and looking inside. The hot steam burns his face, but the leech only moves closer, grabbing one bun with his teeth and straightening up. The face, reddened by the hot steam, with especially damaged lips, slowly returns to normal.
"Is this better?" Tang Bo looks away.
"...let's go."
Cheong Myeong turns around and walks towards their usual drinking spot in the middle of the forest.
Sahyun said something about dates. He hasn't tried that yet.
...
They're having a good day. Too much so. Drinking, good sparring, and cuddling under the stars. Maybe not in that order, but still, a good evening, a good night. Tang Bo is perched on his shoulder, his leg thrown over his own, telling him about the latest drama that's happened within his family. It seems one of his nieces tried to run away with her lover from the Namgoong household from an arranged marriage?
They're having a good day.
Except this is no different from their usual meetings.
Say, Sahyun is probably wrong sometimes - and how will that help win someone's heart? They do this all the time!
Tang Bo is getting more and more nervous every day. Cheong Myeong gives him poisonous frogs. Gives him tanghulu. Gives him a belt pendant. Gives... he gives everything from unusual stones found on the road to expensive alcohol.
"Thank you," Tang Bo smiles nervously. "What's gotten into you?"
"Tch. Ungrateful bastard."
"I'm grateful! Very much! I'll treasure your gift, Taoist-hyung! Just-"
"Just what?" Cheong Myeong frowns
"...You know, this can be misunderstood," Tang Bo answers vaguely with a strange expression on his face.
"What - wrong?"
"..."
Tang Bo opens his mouth, but doesn't say a word.
"Tch. If you can't even explain that, how can I trust your words?"
"It's almost as if Taoist-hyung is courting me!" Tang Bo blurts out, cheeks red, still holding the corpse of a rare poisonous bird in his hands. "Gifts have a meaning! And giving them often..."
"So you got it."
"Got what."
"That I'm courting you," Chun Myung squeezes out through clenched teeth.
"...You??? What???" Tang Bo doesn't have time to dodge the blow to the head. "Hey!!!"
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"So you're not joking now?"
They both remain silent, an awkward silence hanging in the room of the tavern they rented to rest.
"Hyung, you know that I've been courting you for the past couple of decades, right?"
"You have been WHAT?!"