Why did he come here?

He paces back and forth, contemplating what he should do now that he is here. He stops, takes a deep breath, and then looks up at the black wooden door. Hesitantly, he raises a hand, intending to knock, but he finds himself unable to make any further movement. He stays still for a few seconds before he lowers his hand, sighing heavily.

What the hell am I doing? He scratches the back of his head, frustrated by his inability to do a simple task. All he has to do is knock on the door, hand out the bag of items, and immediately leave the place.

This is something that one of his friends should be doing, but those jerks forced it on him, claiming he was partly at fault that this thing happened. The audacity of those good-for-nothing friends to blame him for something that he had no control over.

He is here because he was guilt-tripped, he convinces himself, not because he is worried. Not least because he wants to see the guy and ensure he is okay. This is completely against his will.

Turning away from the door, he begins pacing again. There is nothing to be anxious about in this circumstance but, for some reason, he feels like he has been a bundle of nerves since he arrived here. He estimates he has been here for more or less than ten minutes and all he has done is fidget in front of that guy's house.

"Do you plan to loiter on my porch all day, Apollo?"

Poll jumps in surprise upon hearing the familiar drawl of his real name. In spite of the hoarseness that is shrouding the guy's natural voice, he can't misidentify the speaker. He notes that his voice is more gravelly than yesterday and he wonders if the guy's condition has become worse.

Tentatively, he turns around so he can check out the guy better. The first thing that Poll notices is the casual home wear that he is donning, something that is in sharp contrast with his common outfits at the university.

Eujae always dresses well when he is on campus and some people may mistake him for a show-off because of it. As compared to the bad boy appearance or pop idol look that he would always have on during their earlier days in college, Eujae's fashion has mellowed nowadays. Yet, the change of style never makes him look any less fashionable. If anything, it has just given him a classier vibe.

Today, Poll can't find a trace of that stylishness as he stares at the man's simple outfit. Eujae only has a gray house slipper, gray sweatpants and a white shirt.

But, boy, does he look effortlessly fine with that plain top.

There are people whose physical charms can be highlighted by their good sense of fashion, and there are people who exude sex appeal just by wearing a plain, white t-shirt. It is beyond a shadow of a doubt that Eujae Nigel Castillo falls in both categories. The man is just gorgeous without even trying.

What?

As he catches himself thinking those things, Poll mentally curses. Acknowledging the fact that Eujae is attractive is one thing, but practically calling the guy sexy?

Have you lost your mind, Poll? He silently chides himself and pushes the undesired thoughts to the farthest and darkest corner of his head, wishing for them to go away and never make any appearance in his consciousness again.

To divert his mind, Poll chooses to focus on the man's face. As soon as their gazes meet, Poll stills, finding himself enraptured by another striking discovery. Words fail him while he gets lost in Eujae's eyes. His exposed eyes.

In place of the contact lenses, Eujae is wearing a pair of semi-rimless glasses. With the tinted contacts gone, the natural colors of his eyes are now in full display, and Poll can't help but stare at them in awe.

He has always wondered what they would look like without the colored lenses, to the point that he has started to create his own mental images of them. He has assumed that Eujae's eyes would either be brown or blue because those are the colors of lenses that he would usually wear.

Now that he's looking at the real thing, he learns that his assumption, while not completely correct, is not far off the mark. The color of Eujae's irises is not only brown or blue, but both. To be precise, the right iris is light brown while the left one is light blue. Eujae has a complete heterochromia.

If he has to be poetic about it, Poll would say that the hue of the earth and the sky can be found in Eujae's eyes.

He remains motionless and speechless while having a hard time cutting off eye contact with Eujae. He'll be damned. Those imaginations he had don't compare to the real thing. The guy's natural eyes are even more stunning than he thought they would be. And he'd be dead before he would let anyone know about it, but he had thought about those eyes a lot.

"Are you done ogling me?"

Eujae's voice is like a counterspell that helps the other man break away from his stupor. Poll feels the blood go up to his cheek, realizing that he has indeed been staring at him shamelessly.

"I am not ogling you," his denial comes automatically despite the unrefuted evidence, "I was just checking... I mean, I just wanted to know how bad your condition is that's why I was looking at you."

Eujae folds his arms and leans his head on the side jamb of his door. "And your verdict?"

"You look awful," Poll answers quickly. It is not a lie. Eujae does look awful. However, Poll is referring to his current state, not his looks. With the unnecessary thoughts out of the way, the male twin can finally judge the man's health condition better and tell that he is without question in bad shape at the moment, what with his droopy eyes and pale skin. Poll can't believe he was thinking something almost racy about this guy earlier when he in fact appears lethargic.

Without moving from his position, Eujae flutters his heavy eyes, a few strands of hair getting in their way, and speaks in his tired voice, "Thank you?"

"I didn't mean you're ugly, I meant you look sick!" Poll clarifies and stops shortly, sensing that his face has become hotter. What the hell is he spouting?

The jest that he is expecting from Eujae doesn't come. Instead, the man gives him a faint smile and asks, "What are you doing here, Apollo? What about your classes?"

Poll averts his eyes and looks down at the threshold as if the answers to Eujae's questions are written there. Shuffling on his feet, he mumbles, "I only had one class this afternoon so I was able to get off campus early. Those guys asked me to bring you something and I was supposed to come here with Lia but her dad called while we were on the way and she said she needed to leave, so I am here alone." He holds out the paper bag while still refusing to look back at Eujae. "Here."

"Thank you," Eujae answers quietly, "Is it okay if I go back inside after this? Don't get me wrong. It's nice to see you today, but I badly want to lie back down on my bed since I feel like my head is pounding."

Eujae reaches for the bag's handle string to take it from Poll, but the latter keeps on holding on to it.

Bringing his eyes back on Eujae, Poll gives him a quick once-over before his gaze settles on his weary face. Tentatively, he asks, "Hey, have you taken your medicines?"

Eujae blinks, seeming caught off guard by the question. He moves his head off his door and stares at Poll blankly. "I was asleep the whole time, so I couldn't find a chance to do it."

Disappointed with the answer, Poll scowls. "How about a meal? Have you eaten?"

"Like what I said, I was asleep so I couldn't prepare anything for myself. Besides, I don't have the appetite to eat anything at the moment. I feel nauseous that I might just end up throwing up."

"Are you trying to kill yourself? How will you recover if you don't take your meds and you won't even eat? Of course, you'll feel dizzy if your stomach is empty!" Even he doesn't expect the rush of concern that has swept through him. What he finds even more surprising is the fact that he doesn't care if he's showing his real emotion. In front of this guy on top of that.

Eujae doesn't say anything. He appears shocked while he looks at Poll as if the male twin has gone off his rocker.

Poll snatches the paper bag back and huffs. "Let me make you something quick. I'll leave after making sure you've eaten and taken your meds."

"Do you even know how to cook, Apollo?" Eujae finally manages to say, despite still looking stupefied.

Glaring, Poll replies, "I bought an instant chicken noodle soup among other stuff before coming here. I at least know how to boil things, jerk, so can you stop belittling me? How come you're still this cocky despite being sick?" He holds Eujae's shoulder and forces him to turn around, before pushing him inside the house. "Didn't you say you wanna go back to bed? So stop dawdling and just continue to rest."

Whether Eujae has become docile out of shock or he is just currently weak because of sickness, it has taken a little effort to push him until they reach the bed. After forcing Eujae to lie down, Poll touches his forehead, his hand slightly brushing the top rim of the guy's glasses. He stares at Eujae's different-colored eyes before frowning. "Have you taken your temperature?"

Eujae removes his eyeglasses and places them next to his pillow. Closing his eyes, he mutters, "Lia did when she dropped by to bring the medicines before going to uni."

"You're still hot," Poll tells him. He puts the paper bag down on top of the wooden drawer beside Eujae's bed.

"I'm always hot, Apollo."

At the remark, Poll turns to Eujae with a grimace, but the man can't see his expression because he has his eyes shut. "I'd say you're delirious," Poll says with a hint of scorn.

When all he gets is a little smile from Eujae, Poll sighs and rummages through the paper bag. He takes out a pack of instant chicken noodle soup and a bottle of honey. "Hey, why don't you take a honey drink for now? I'll make it for you."

"No. I don't want to."

Not expecting the answer, Poll looks at Eujae incredulously. "You don't want to? What do you mean? Are you a freaking child?"

Eujae doesn't bother to open his eyes as he keeps talking to Poll. "Why do I have to take honey? I have a fever, not a cold."

"Honey can help you relieve nausea, you idiot," Poll explains.

"Still a no. It's sweet, Apollo. Unlike you, I am not exactly big on sweet stuff."

"Even if it will help you feel better? It's not like you can taste it well with your condition anyway."

There is no answer, and it makes Poll's disbelief redouble. "Wow, I knew it. You just act like a mature person but you're actually a brat."

The lack of response from Eujae is like a way of saying there is nothing more to discuss. He can't even be provoked by Poll's gibe. Is he against honey that much?

Poll shakes his head, unable to believe Eujae's behavior, but he decides not to dwell on it. "Fine. How about ginger? You're fine with that, right? I wasn't able to buy something 'cause I thought you'd be fine with honey, so I have to ask if you have ginger in your kitchen since you cook and all."

Eujae opens his eyes to search for Poll's.

His blue and brown eyes are really pretty, Poll muses, even if there is not enough glow in them at the moment.

"There's a pack of ginger tea on the countertop."

Poll sighs once again. "What did you do after going home that day that made you sick anyway? There's no way it's only because of the rain, right? You know, I'm guessing you stayed late that night to make those muffins for me. And even when you already felt unwell yesterday, you still went to uni. What were you thinking? Aren't you smart enough to know that the right thing to do then was to stay at home and rest?"

"Did you come here to scold me, Apollo? I understand if you're mad at me and think I am an idiot for getting sick on my own, but spare me the nagging for now, hm?" Eujae gives Poll the puppy-dog eyes, making the male twin groan. "I don't think my head can handle it at the moment."

"Don't act cute on me now, jerk. You're not even cute, to begin with," Poll mumbles, scowling, and turns away, "I'll borrow your kitchen for now."

With the instant noodle soup and honey bottle in his hands, he leaves Eujae's bedroom and goes to the kitchen. He stops for a moment only to observe the place.

It's a combination of black and white, with the minimalist design giving the kitchen a chic appearance. The cupboard cabinets are all black in contrast with the wall's seamless white. The place is simple and elegant, very much like the owner's current style.

Poll's gaze stops at the kitchen island's pure white quartz countertop, and then moves to the dark gray built-in refrigerator in the corner. He has been wondering about it since he entered the house, but Eujae's place is nothing like he imagined. The first time he learned that Eujae is living alone, he thought that he was staying in an apartment with just enough room to eat and sleep. In reality, this is a single unit that is complete with basic rooms, furniture and equipment. Not to mention, the things in the house all look high-end, something that an ordinary college student won't be able to afford.

"Are you a freaking son of a tycoon?" he mutters, and then pauses, as if having a second thought, "Or maybe an illegitimate child of some hotshot CEO of a big company?"

After all, there are a lot of male leads like that in shoujo manga. A young prince who was born out of wedlock and was later bribed with money and material things to stay away from his rich parent. If Eujae is someone like that, then that would explain why he is living alone in this nice and seemingly expensive house.

Satisfied with his hypothesis, Poll proceeds to work. He returns to Eujae's room after almost half an hour with a bowl of soup and a glass of ginger honey drink on a tray.

"You can at least eat on your own, right?"

Eujae stirs and sits up groggily. "Why? Are you going to feed me if I tell you I am too weak to hold the spoon?"

Poll makes a face. "Can you stop being a smartass even just for today?"

"You're so stingy, Apollo," Eujae whispers huskily before starting to eat.

Poll sits at the edge of the bed, watching Eujae the whole time to make sure he will eat enough and take his medicine. Shortly after taking a tablet, Eujae falls back to sleep.

While placing a cooling patch on his forehead, Poll stares at Eujae's sleeping face. He looks like an innocent child when he's asleep; no sign of that cheeky jerk whom he knows too well.

Just as he is planning to go back to the kitchen to clean it up, Poll hears his phone ring. He pulls it out and looks at the caller ID. It's Lia.

He taps the accept button. "Hello?"

"Hello, Poll, how's Eujae?"

Glancing at the sleeping person, he answers, "He just ate and took his meds. He's sleeping now."

There is a pregnant pause before Poll hears Lia's voice over the phone again. "I'm sorry to ask you this all of a sudden, Poll. You see, I'm really worried about Eujae and I want to personally check on him right now, but the thing is, something happened that made it impossible for me and Dad to go back to town tonight. So... uhm... if it's not too much trouble, and since you're already there, is it okay if you stay with him overnight? I just feel uneasy about the idea of leaving him alone for another night while he's sick."

Lia's request doesn't immediately sink in. Poll just stands there, phone to his ear, trying to make sense of what his friend said. After a full round of a clock's second hand, it finally dawns on him. He blinks, before exclaiming, "What?! No way!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

He is awakened by a slap on his face.

He sits up with a start and gazes numbly at the familiar blue-gray bookcase inside the room. It takes some moment for his mind to work out that the thing he is staring at is the set of shelves that is full of his book collection—mostly sci-fi and mystery thriller novels, some supernatural, and a couple of slice-of-life stories, including romance. There is also a special corner for his father's printed play scripts.

Eujae blinks, still somewhat dazzled, as he tries to puzzle out the thing that hit his left cheek earlier. There is no way that was just a dream because he can still feel a tingle lingering on his face.

A rustle on his left side draws his attention and makes him glance at where it came from. Upon discovering what it is,—or who it is—Eujae's eyes widen.

Curled up beside him on the bed is a sleeping Poll. He is lying on his right side, facing Eujae, threads of his bluish black hair falling on his forehead. His left hand is resting on his stomach while the right one is spread across the pillow. Eujae smiles wryly as he suspects that is the same hand that smacked his face a while ago. It seems like Poll is the kind of person who tosses and turns in his sleep.

"Seriously, what is with this kid and his penchant for attacking my face?" Eujae whispers, remembering the time when Poll had chucked a pair of chopsticks at him and the day he punched his jaw. "Why are you still here anyway?"

It is not as if he doesn't want Poll to be in his house, but the mere fact that this cranky guy chose to stay and take care of the person he supposedly dislikes is already a miracle in itself. Furthermore, he doesn't seem to have any problem letting his guard down around the same person who stole his first kiss, even though he always acts like a fierce cat who's primed to bare his fangs with him when he's fully awake. With everything that happened, to say that Eujae is amazed is an understatement. In any case, it has been a pleasant surprise.

Eujae searches for his eyeglasses in the corner of his bed. Putting them on, he reaches for the cabinet drawer beside his bed, slides the top chest, and pulls out his phone from it. He briefly glances at Poll as if to make sure that he is still asleep and will not wake up anytime soon, before unlocking his phone to check the time.

It is already past ten o'clock in the evening and he remembers falling asleep at past five in the afternoon. He can't believe he had been sleeping soundly for a couple of hours that he didn't so much as sense when Poll had climbed into his bed. It must have been the side effect of the medicine because Eujae is usually a light sleeper and even the slightest movement would alert him more often than not. At any rate, he feels much better and refreshed now that he had a good rest.

He drags down the push notifications on his phone screen to see if he has new messages. There is one in a game app, one from his cousin and a couple of others in their group chat.

He opens the ones from their group since he has not read them since last night. Scrolling up, all he sees are conversations about him and Poll. He smirks as he reads the messages teasing the male twin. After reaching the latest text, Eujae sends a message to the group.

Eujae Nigel @jn_gl
Thanks for the concern, I guess? I am fine now, thanks to someone who so patiently, perhaps begrudgingly, took care of me. Now you all are wondering why he got muffins and you didn't?

He switches to Lia's text message. It was sent almost an hour after he fell asleep.

From: Lia

Sorry we couldn't check up on you since we will not be able to go back to town tonight. I asked Poll to stay with you since it's the weekend tomorrow anyway and we don't have classes but I am not sure if he will actually stick around. He sounded so opposed to it when I called him. Pls text back as soon as you can, I am honestly worried about you

He taps the reply button and starts to compose his answer.

It's fine. I am good now, and Apollo's still here, currently sleeping like a log beside me. You shouldn't have bothered him any further, to be honest, but I'd be lying if I said I don't appreciate it. You're worrying too much. You guys take your time there. Take care on your way back.

Lastly, Eujae opens the game app and reads Ten-Ten's message which was sent after eight p.m.

Ten2: hey, i just realized i haven't checked up on you today. you told me last night you were not feeling well right? do you have a fever too? maybe fever is prevalent at this time but dont ask me why i came up with the thought. and dont ask me who else has a fever or what got me occupied today, you wont believe it. i just messaged to ask how are you since i also havent heard from you today so i kinda wondered if you got sick.

Eujae chuckles and turns to his side to look at Poll softly. Reaching out, he strokes the sleeping man's hair. Poll furrows his brows at the contact and lets out a hum in his sleep, but he remains in deep slumber. He is undoubtedly a heavy sleeper.

"Thank you." Eujae withdraws his hand and returns his attention to his phone. He gives a short answer to Ten-Ten, shaking his head as he is amused by the knowledge that the person he's replying to is just next to him and presently oblivious to the world.

Gaele: I'm good, no worries. Alright, I won't ask, although I have a good idea who that person is, judging from your tone.

Right after sending the message, Poll's phone which is lying above his head lights up. A notification for a new message pops up and on the screen appears the name Gaele. If Eujae still has any reservations about Ten-Ten's real identity, this decisive confirmation eliminates it all.

Eujae returns his phone to where he got it and then lies back on the bed. He rolls on his left side, his hand tucked under his head, and begins to study the sleeping man's face.

Poll has dark, long lashes that caress his skin when his eyes are shut. He scrunches his nose when Eujae taps it with his forefinger.

"Cute," Eujae comments in a barely audible whisper, before his gaze moves down to Poll's mouth. There is that funny feeling in his stomach again as he gives Poll's full lips a hard, long stare. Before his mind can wander off into something out of bounds as it did the last time, Eujae returns his gaze to Poll's closed eyes.

A couple of weeks ago, if anyone had told him that there would come a time when he would see Apollo Helios Torres soundly sleeping on his bed, Eujae would have told that person to see a shrink. During those times, he thought it would be a cold day in hell before the guy would even set a foot in his house.

As he keeps on watching the defenseless Poll, Eujae can't help but think about their present situation. Even now that he has totally acknowledged this man as the real person behind Ten-Ten, he still can't wrap his head around how they chanced upon each other in a virtual world. He just finds it incredible, considering there are a lot of players in the gaming app, even just those from their University. Now that he thinks about it, it also happens a lot to them in the real world—ending up with the same circle of friends, often running to each other at unexpected places. Still, it doesn't explain why even their two different worlds have seemed to overlap. It is like there is an invisible force that keeps on drawing them into each other wherever they go.

But Eujae wants to know if that force is enough to get closer to Poll, seeing as the guy is still leery about Eujae's recent behavior toward him. Anyway, he doesn't mind the chase if it means he doesn't lose Ten-Ten.

Eujae stops at the last thought when questions pop into his head. Is that really it? Is it only for the sake of his online friend that he decided to do all of this? Or from the very beginning, it was just an excuse to get close to the real person?

Same difference, he decides. Perhaps, he doesn't want to lose Ten-Ten. And perhaps, deep inside, he has always wanted to get to know Poll better.

Perhaps, he wants to keep him close, whatever world they are in.

After staring at Poll for another minute, Eujae sighs. He wonders how Poll will react if he learned the truth about Gaele. If he knew that the person he hates is the same person he likes to talk with online, will he be able to accept it? Or will it give Poll more reason to hate him?

Eujae doesn't even want to think about it.

Hurry up and stop hating me already, Apollo, Eujae thinks before drawing the blanket over them and whispering, "Good night."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Mint. The first thing that registers to him in the morning is the sweet smell of mint. The second thing he notes is the way the stuffed toy he used to cuddle in his sleep feels different in his arms today.

"Hey, why did you suddenly become hard and big," he mumbles sleepily, burying his face against the thing and inhaling its cool, calming scent. "You smell nice today too."

He hears something akin to a chuckle and feels a soft vibration against his face, making him knit his brows in confusion.

Half asleep, Poll lets go of the thing he's hugging, sits up and opens his eyes, expecting the image of his room to greet him. Instead of the anime posters on the beige wall, a few plush toys and figurines all over the place, and a wall rack that contains a haphazard collection of manga, what he sees in the room is a collection of books meticulously stacked on shelves, a few other books and binder notebooks neatly piled on a study table and some stationery supplies in a desktop organizer. Much as the place is familiar, Poll is fairly certain that it is not his room. Not only does he not own such things, but the room is also too orderly to be his.

Just as he is trying to figure out where in the world he is and why he is in such a place, he hears a familiar voice behind him.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead."

Poll turns his head, just in time for the owner of the voice to sit up. Heterochromatic eyes fix him with an amused stare.

Shocked, Poll abruptly backs up without noticing that he has reached the edge of the bed. He slides off and grabs a pillow on reflex. He hits the floor with a thud, wincing as he feels the pain in his behind.

"Hey, are you alright?" Eujae asks, his tone sounding like a cross between concern and hilarity.

Poll looks up at him with wide eyes. "W-w-what are you doing here?!"

Different-colored eyes gleam with mirth. Smirking, Eujae replies, "Take some moment to think about whose room this is, Apollo, and then tell me if I really need to answer your question."

Eujae's point doesn't immediately click in. It is only when Poll looks around the place again that he remembers where he is.

Poll suddenly feels hot under the collar, but he tries to hide it. He looks back at Eujae with a frown, shooting a random question to change the subject, "What time is it?"

"Almost eight in the morning, I believe," Eujae answers.

"You don't strike me as someone who will stay in bed until this hour. I thought you were an early riser."

Wrong follow up, Poll realizes belatedly. The moment he sees Eujae's smirk become wider, he instantly knows he is not going to like whatever the guy is about to say.

"Oh, I am, and I have been awake for a while now," Eujae drawls, the sly tone giving Poll more reason to suspect that the reply is not something he wants to hear, "It's just that I couldn't get out of bed because a certain someone was clinging to me earlier and refusing to let go no matter what I tried."

Poll flushes, sputtering, as he desperately tries to disaffirm Eujae's revelation. "Y-you're lying!"

Fortunately,—or unfortunately—Eujae doesn't seem too interested to stay on the subject as he moves on to another. "Anyway, I am curious to know about that hard and big thing you were mumbling about just a while ago, Apollo."

It takes some time for Poll to recognize the innuendo in Eujae's words. When he catches on, he feels his skin become hotter and redder, putting a ripe chili pepper on shame. "That wasn't... What are you thinking?!" Gripping the pillow in his hand, he hurls it at the other man. "Pervert!"

The pillow hits Eujae squarely on the face but it doesn't do anything to wipe his amused smirk off. "Hey, I just asked because I had no idea what you were talking about. I wasn't thinking of anything dirty. Maybe it's you. Why did you suddenly turn red, huh? What were you thinking?"

He must have fully recovered from his fever if he can be this annoying again, Poll thinks. Peeved, he ignores Eujae's questions. "I'm going home since you look fine now," he announces, but doesn't make an effort to stand up.

As soon as the words come out of his mouth, a loud growl from his stomach resounds through the room, reminding him that he didn't eat anything last night. Pouting, he briefly glances down and rubs his stomach, before he sends a gratuitous glare at Eujae, expecting him to make fun of him again. The blithe sparkle in the guy's eyes, however, has faded and been replaced by a gentle concern.

Wordlessly, Eujae puts his glasses on, gets off the bed and saunters to his wardrobe. He pulls out a few stuff before walking back to Poll. "I'll make you breakfast. Have a shower first," he says with finality.

"I told you I am..." Poll isn't able to continue what he is saying when Eujae ruffles his hair and places a set of clothes—a lounge tee, jogger pants and brand new undergarment—on his lap. Ignoring the strange feeling that is caused by Eujae's touch, Poll looks up and scowls at him.

"Stop treating me like a kid," he groans.

Eujae smiles. However, there is no direct response to Poll's concern. "You're fine with omelette rice, right?" he asks instead and, without waiting for an answer, goes out of his room, leaving Poll no chance for further argument.