"Come on, Woo, you can do it!" Yeosang cheers enthusiastically while he watches Wooyoung try to balance himself on a skateboard.

"I'm trying! I've never done this before, you know," Wooyoung's voice wobbles just as much as his body, trying to keep steady as he starts to move and go down the boardwalk. Right when he knows he's about to wipe out, however, Yeosang is there to catch him in his arms.

Yeosang smiles down at him, "This time, keep your arms out. It might help you balance better,"

Wooyoung's eyes sparkle, seeing how beautiful Yeosang looks with the morning sun shining onto his skin. He can't help but admire every detail of the boy he's fallen for so fast this summer. Wooyoung's eyes rest on Yeosang's birthmark a bit longer than the rest of him, always wanting to give it extra attention from his gaze. He loves how much character it gives Yeosang ; he thinks it might be his favorite part of the boy's appearance -- and Wooyoung thinks Yeosang is the most handsome person he's ever seen.

"Woo?"

"Mmm..." Wooyoung hums, realizing his eyes were glazed over from how much he was staring.

Yeosang furrows his brow, letting him go, "Don't look at me so much," he says, trying to sound annoyed, but the blush on his cheeks gives him away instantly.

"Aww, but Sangie~ You're just so cute," Wooyoung teases, tugging on the sleeve of Yeosang's shirt, "How could I not look at you?" He smiles widely, moving his hands up to cup Yeosang's face, squishing his cheeks.

Yeosang pouts and swats Wooyoung's hands away, "Come on, I can help you some," Yeosang slides the board back over to Wooyoung with his foot, "We just have to get your balance down and then we can make it to the end of the boardwalk."

Wooyoung nods, putting his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun as he looks towards the end, "It's not that far... Hey, we can go to the pier again later, too! I'm going to master this, Sangie, I swear."

Yeosang laughs, "I'll believe it when I see it," he motions towards the board.

"Just you wait, I'll be boarding better than you in no time," Wooyoung winks and gets back onto the skateboard.

Wooyoung still wobbles a lot when he first steps on, but after a while he's able to get the hang of it. He moved over to the side of the boardwalk where there's a concrete blockade separating it from the sand, and he keeps one hand on it to steady himself as he rolls down. Wooyoung wished he was holding Yeosang's hand for balance instead, but it's pretty impossible.

On a public boardwalk in this day and age?

The two were bound to get walked up to asking derogatory questions about their sexuality, and the last thing Wooyoung wanted was the chance of Yeosang or him getting beaten up before their special day together really started.

Getting his mind away from all of that, he's able to enjoy himself slowly rolling down the boardwalk. He's able to take his hand off of the blockade, and he starts to push off the wood with his foot without wobbling so much.

Wooyoung smiles brightly as he's finally getting the hang of this whole skateboarding thing Yeosang loves so much. He feels free with the wind blowing through his hair as the various stores he passes are blasting hair metal that he bobs his head to. It's only when he realizes he has no idea how to stop that he begins to panic.

Wooyoung's eyes widen with fear and he tries to turn his head to look back at Yeosang--

Oof

Wooyoung's rear end was now making friends with the wood of the boardwalk. He groans and puts his hands on the ground to lift himself back up, but he's stopped in his tracks at someone grabbing the collar of his shirt.

"Are you blind or something, kid?" The stranger that Wooyoung presumably ran into hisses right into his face.

Wooyoung's heart races, not sure whether he's more fearful of what the guy will do to him since he hit him, or the fact that the guy didn't even budge when Wooyoung hit him...

"I'm so sorry, I didn't--"

"Enough," The guy scoffs and spits out the side of his mouth onto the boardwalk, letting go of Wooyoung roughly.

Wooyoung's able to see off to the side a group of guys that look around his age, all smirking at the two of them.

They must be his friends, Wooyoung thinks.

Wooyoung's eyes drift off behind the man's friends to see their cars, seeing a nice-looking Pontiac Trans-Am Firebird and GTO.

Oh shit...

Wooyoung takes a step back, rubbing the back of his head, "Hey man, I really didn't mean to."

This is the moment when Yeosang catches up to him and looks between the two guys, but the larger guy speaks first.

"Who is this? Your boyfriend?" The guy laughs and pushes Wooyoung's shoulder, making Wooyoung's eyes narrow in anger.

"Yeah? What if he is?" Wooyoung eggs on, pushing the guy's chest, but eases back when he feels Yeosang's hand rest on his shoulder.

"Woo, it's not worth it. Come on..." Yeosang says quietly, not wanting to get into any kind of confrontation with these guys. Yeosang notices the vehicles, too, and he knows they must have money -- something neither he, nor Wooyoung have much of to be spent recklessly on material things such as cars.

"Yeah, princess, take your prince and leave."

Yeosang grits his teeth, wanting so badly to pounce on the guy, but he knows they'd likely be in deep shit with the law if he did. Yeosang continues to walk away after he picks up his board, tucking it under his arm before nudging Wooyoung to come on.

Wooyoung goes with Yeosang and prays that the guys don't follow them, "Sorry about that back there, Yeo... I didn't know how to stop and then next thing I knew-"

Wooyoung is cut off by Yeosang grabbing him and pulling him into one of the shops.

"They won't look for us in here," Yeosang smiles once his eyes are back on Wooyoung, "Are you okay?"

Wooyoung nods, still embarrassed about the situation. He can't believe he froze up like that, he's usually not the type to, but he guesses it's because he was alone. Every other time when there's been some sort of dispute, Wooyoung usually has a witty comeback and is unafraid of consequence.

But...

He knew Yeosang was near, and he didn't want to chance the possibility of either of them getting beaten up. In a different situation, Wooyoung would've been with his six friends and could've easily taken on the group of guys, but he couldn't risk Yeosang's safety.

Yeosang ducks them behind a rack of clothes once they get to the back of the store and gently caresses his cheek, looking into his eyes worriedly, "Are you sure?"

Wooyoung meets Yeosang's eyes and nods once again, feeling the way his skin tingles under Yeosang's touch, "I promise, Sangie, now let's have fun today until the fireworks start."

Yeosang's heart rate quickens, giving Wooyoung a soft peck on the lips, "Let's."

That evening, Yeosang and Wooyoung are back in the place that now holds a deep meaning for the two of them.

The pier.

"I'm afraid of going out too far in the ocean because when I was younger, I went too far and the undertow refused me to swim back to shore," Wooyoung says, letting the sound of the waves crashing against the pier's poles intermix with his words.

Yeosang's surprised to hear Wooyoung just start to open up about something that seemed to be traumatizing for him as a child, but he listens intently.

"The lifeguard had to swim out and get me. I was so scared, Sangie, but the other day when we were in the ocean together was the first time in a long time that I've been able to return to the water," Wooyoung explains, inching his hand to rest on top of Yeosang's.

Yeosang holds onto Wooyoung's hand and squeezes it, "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Woo..."

Wooyoung shakes his head, "I've been meaning to try and conquer it for a while now, actually."

Yeosang feels Wooyoung's hand break contact with his own and he looks over at him to see him standing up near the edge.

"Will you jump in with me, Yeosang?" Wooyoung turns his head back to look at him, his hair blowing all over, but Yeosang doesn't miss the hope filling his eyes.

Yeosang smiles, getting up and reconnects their hands as he stands side by side with Wooyoung, "Are you sure, Woo?"

"With you by my side, everything will be okay."

Yeosang still shows Wooyoung a worried look, unsure of his decision.

Wooyoung chuckles, "Hey, if it doesn't turn out well, at least I know you can swim us back to shore," he winks and Yeosang's eyes widen, surprised to still hear the playfulness in Wooyoung's voice even in this fearful situation.

SPLASH

A loud inhale of breath is heard when the two boys resurface, Wooyoung breathing heavily, clinging onto Yeosang for dear life.

Yeosang smiles, wrapping an arm around Wooyoung to keep him up, "You doing okay, Woo?" Yeosang asks as their heads bob in the water, floating among the wide sea below the pier.

Wooyoung nods, still gasping as he attempts to stay afloat on his own, kicking his legs and moving his free hand that's not clutched onto Yeosang's shoulders, "Y-Yeah," he says, out of breath, "I think it's going to be okay, right?" He asks, looking up into Yeosang's eyes for the reassurance he knows he's bound to find.

"Of course, Wooyoung," Yeosang smiles, letting their foreheads lay against each other, "You're doing great, really! Just keep moving your feet. See? You're doing it," Yeosang says, his words of encouragement reaching Wooyoung fully.

Wooyoung suddenly feels himself getting a bit emotional, shifting away when he knows his eyes are about to water, "Thank you so much, Yeosang..." Wooyoung is still too afraid to remove his hands from Yeosang's steadiness, but his face is soon brought back by Yeosang's fingers. He allows him to lift his face, loving the way his skin feels brushing across his own.

Yeosang takes the first move and gently encaptures Wooyoung's lips in his, a firework going off soon after and they part, both boys being a giggling mess.

"Come on, Sangie, we're going to miss the fireworks!" Wooyoung says, his former fear not prevalent in his voice. Instead, it's replaced with excitement and wonder.

Yeosang smiles brightly, "Let's go, Woo~" He says, helping Wooyoung swim back to shore so they'll be able to watch the fireworks together with Wooyoung's friends and Yeosang's family. They had agreed to meet them all at the end of the boardwalk, and they were surprised to see Wooyoung and Yeosang come up soaking wet.

After they got back from watching fireworks with everyone, Wooyoung came over to Yeosang's to sit with him out on the balcony. They sit in wooden rocking chairs that are side by side, facing out towards the ocean so they can feel the cool ocean breeze. Yeosang's parents and brother are already asleep, they told Wooyoung he could go home whenever, if he didn't want to spend the night.

Yeosang looks over at Wooyoung, biting down on his bottom lip, thinking about asking him a question he's been curious about for a while now, "How did you... know you were gay?" he whispers, not wanting to disturb his family inside.

Wooyoung smiles, hearing the hesitance in Yeosang's voice, but he whispers back with ease, hoping to show Yeosang he shouldn't worry about asking him anything, "I've thought I was for a while now, but in all honesty, I never thought about being anyone period. My friends would always tease me asking me why I wouldn't try out a relationship, but I was never interested. No one ever piqued my interest until... Well," Wooyoung chuckles softly, letting his eyes meet Yeosang, "You did, Yeosang."

Yeosang blushes and prays that Wooyoung isn't able to see the reddening of his cheeks in the dim light shining from the moon.

"I was intrigued by you instantly, which isn't uncommon with how I became friends with any of the guys, actually. But, I knew things were different when I'd lay awake in bed at night and you were stuck on my mind. I'd replay the moments we had together and would wonder 'did I do everything right?' and was hoping that you liked me. As a friend, at the time, I thought..." Wooyoung continues, "But my feelings for you developed into something more and that night on the pier with you when we kissed, I knew."

Wooyoung might not have said the words directly, but Yeosang's heart pounded at the implications he was getting at with his final sentences. Did Wooyoung have stronger feelings for him than just like...?

Wooyoung sighs after the long-winded explanation, letting his head rest back on the rocker, "What about you, Sangie?"

Yeosang's eyes widen, being so caught up in Wooyoung, he felt disassociated from his body when he was called upon, "M-Me?"

Wooyoung nods faintly, "When did you know?"

Yeosang thought about it for a few moments before speaking, "I think I first knew when I was a freshman in high school," he starts, thinking back to that time and he shakes his head, "Boy, I was stupid, Woo... This one guy in my intro to medicinal science class who sat in front of me would forget his pencil just about every day. So, he'd always turn to me and ask if I had one. The first time, I didn't have an extra, but I still gave it to him. When he asked again, I began to pack a set of extra pencils. He was one of those more popular guys that wore denim on denim and drove a nice car..."

Wooyoung smiles as he listens to Yeosang's story, loving hearing stories about the boy he adores so much.

"It kind of started to break down when my mother asked me where all of our pencils sets had gone when she just bought them. Then, a few of the students in the class would comment how my face would look whenever he turned around and how I already knew what he wanted before asking. They began teasing me and calling me names," Yeosang tries to chuckle, but he stops it with a sigh, "Soon enough, the boy joined in with them and the teacher swapped our seating chart for the second semester, so we weren't even close."

Wooyoung's smile turns to a frown when he hears how Yeosang got bullied by his classmates and then his first male crush. He knows that must've been hard for him to go through alone since no one knew. He reaches his hand out and gives Yeosang's a gentle squeeze to let him know he's there.

"But, yeah... That's how I knew, as stupid as it sounds. I didn't even know the guy," Yeosang laughs again, looking over at Wooyoung, "You're the first guy I've had a valid crush on, Wooyoung."

Wooyoung smirks, "Well, I'm flattered," he winks.

"I just wish we weren't both leaving each other at the end of summer..." Yeosang says quietly, saying what both the boys have been thinking, but keeping hidden in the back of their heads. Neither of them wanted to think about how they're going to be gone from one another's lives in the blink of an eye. The end of their vacations were sooner than they both realized.

Wooyoung gets up and kneels down in front of Yeosang, taking his face in his palms, capturing his gaze, "Hey, don't think like that right now, Sangie..." Wooyoung says, seeing how watery Yeosang's eyes are getting. Before any of his tears fall, he softly kisses Yeosang's lips, hoping to kiss the tears away.

Yeosang kisses Wooyoung back, letting his hands wrap around Wooyoung's torso as he sits on his knees between Yeosang's legs.

"I want to show you how much I care for and cherish you, okay?" Wooyoung whispers, his breath hot against Yeosang's face.

Yeosang returns his words with a subtle nod, his lips still parted and waiting for Wooyoung to return to him. Yeosang knew what he felt for the boy kneeling in front of him. Of course, he knew... But he was holding back from telling him until the perfect moment. He knew that it would come when the timing was right.

Yeosang's pulled back into the kiss, his body once again filling with sparks and intense emotions as he pulls Wooyoung further into him. Their chests brush against one another and one of Wooyoung's hands moves up into Yeosang's grown out brown hair, letting his fingers twirl it around as their tongues meet. Wooyoung lets his other hand travel down to the small of Yeosang's back, his butt now on the edge of the rocking chair and as close to Wooyoung as possible.

Yeosang gasps, but goes immediately back into their kiss, not noticing how heated it becomes until he's grabbing onto the back of Wooyoung's shirt, pawing at his back. He can feel Wooyoung smirking into their kiss and he eventually parts it to explore down Yeosang's neck, placing tender kisses on his way down to his collar bones.

Wooyoung feels like he's going to melt when he hears the muted moan that escapes Yeosang's mouth when he gets to the spot where his neck meets his shoulders. He doesn't suck on Yeosang's skin, not wanting to leave any marks that could raise questions, but he doesn't miss the opportunity to lick Yeosang's delicate skin.

Yeosang pulls on Wooyoung's hair, willing him to come back up so he can kiss him more and keep his voice at bay with everyone fast asleep inside.

Yeosang presses their foreheads together after their lips part again, "C-Come over Saturday...?" He asks breathily, knowing his parents will be out at a light show with Eunsang that evening. His parents asked him earlier that week if he wanted Wooyoung to come over so Yeosang wouldn't be alone, and he's been meaning to ask.

Wooyoung smiles and gives Yeosang another quick peck, "I'd love to."

End of Chapter Seven