The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era [BL]

This was not the time to feel happy, though. As the person responsible for this situation, he should do everything he could to reassure Lauren and to help him lessen the anxiety he\'s feeling.

"I know my confession earlier might have seemed pretty half-hearted, and it\'s entirely my fault if it came off that way to you. But Lauren, my feelings for you are genuine. While I\'m still figuring everything out, there\'s one thing I am sure of: I care about you deeply. I\'m not planning on going anywhere. What we have means a lot to me, and I want to see where it can go.

"You deserve honesty and commitment, and I\'m here to give you both. I don\'t have all the answers right now. That\'s why I want to further explore this relationship with you. Let\'s take things one step at a time and see how we can grow together. Maybe, sooner or later, both of us could arrive at the same answer. I just hope you can give me a chance.

No, give us a chance. Please."

After saying everything in one go, Reas observed Lauren\'s reaction. From the start, he hadn\'t taken his eyes off of him. So, he knew how the other reacted to every word he said.

From seriousness, to confusion, to embarrassment, and then back to confusion once again. Honestly, Reas couldn\'t really tell what Lauren was feeling when he had those expressions. Of course, he could assume that the emotions he felt were the same as the expressions he had shown. But could it really be that straightforward?

The good thing here was, knowing Lauren, he would definitely not hesitate to voice out his opinion. And that meant he didn\'t have to play a guessing game with the other.

The confusion on Lauren\'s face slowly turned into... something else. Like a combination of embarrassment and shyness. As if it was only now that he\'s starting to register what Reas had said.

And that was indeed the case.

When Lauren asked Reas, he was only expecting a simple answer. Like, \'You\'re right. Let\'s just forget that I confess to you.\' or \'I can\'t give you an answer right now, I\'m sorry.\' Things like that. What he didn\'t expect was a second round of confession.

Reas really laid it out bare, expressing his genuine feelings and intentions with a clarity that left him momentarily speechless. Instead of the dismissive or uncertain response he had anticipated, Lauren received a heartfelt explanation of Reas\'s thoughts and emotions.

Reas admitted his initial confession might have seemed half-hearted, but reassured Lauren of his deep care and commitment. He spoke of his desire to explore their relationship step by step, ensuring Lauren understood his sincerity and dedication. This unexpected but earnest confession left him feeling a mix of relief and hope.

Wait— why would he be feeling that way? Lauren almost slapped himself at the stupid question. Although he was very flustered right now, it didn\'t mean that his IQ also plummeted.

The answer was really simple.

In response to Reas\'s heartfelt words, Lauren reached for his hand and held it tightly. He knew Reas could probably feel how fast his heart was beating from the pulse in his wrist, but that no longer mattered. If Reas didn\'t hesitate to bare his heart, Lauren felt he should do the same. Gathering his courage, he looked straight into Reas\'s eyes.

"Let\'s do it," he finally said. "Let\'s give us a chance."

Reas\' eyes widened when he heard that. "Truly?"

"Do you really think I will be joking at this moment?" Lauren asked back with a raised brow.

A big, bright smile appeared on Reas\'s face, and it was probably the first time Lauren had seen him smile like that. Who would have thought someone could become even more handsome just by smiling so widely? Unknowingly, a smile also spread across Lauren\'s lips.

"Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for giving us a chance," Reas said, looking completely relieved and grateful. And then, as if he just remembered an important problem, he asked, "Then what does that make us now? Are we... dating?"

Lauren\'s face immediately turned red at the question. Then he quickly took back his hand. "Y-you--! We\'re only talking about giving each other a chance. Why are you suddenly jumping into \'dating\'?"

"But we already established that we like each other, right? Doesn\'t that mean that we\'re dating?"

Lauren wanted to say, \'When did I say I like you?\' But he couldn\'t, because the truth was, he did like Reas. He wouldn\'t have started this conversation if he didn\'t feel at least somewhat the same as the other. And Reas, being smart and all, knew that.

But then again, Lauren really disliked complicated situations. That\'s why he made sure that he would get a clear answer from Reas. Following that logic, it was better for their relationship to have a label rather than having it remain undefined. Especially since both of them had decided to explore this relationship more. They couldn\'t exactly properly do that as friends, could they?

"Fine. Let\'s date."

As soon as he said that, Reas suddenly hugged him, and Lauren felt a deep warmth spread through his entire body, making his heart race once again.