Archive of Our Own

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The squawking call of the seagulls floated through the open window of Artist’s Choice, accompanied by the distant sound of the waves rushing to the shore. The salty air seeped into the room with the dwindling sunlight, and for half a second, Minho thought about closing the window before the chilly night set in. Absently, he wiped the paint off of his fingers and onto his shirt as he glanced outside.It had been a quiet day. Just a few stragglers coming in to inspect his work. One measly tourist—a bit early for them, really…summer was still a few weeks away from officially being here—but she didn’t buy anything. Sooyoung, the baker from next door, had dropped in, laden with fresh pastries that she insisted he take.Sighing, he picked up his brush again, dabbing it in his mixture of Prussian blue and white with the tiniest hints of alizarin crimson and burnt umbre and leaned forward to finish up the shadows in the storm clouds he was painting.He was looking forward to summer. He loved it even before he moved to Jeju, which, here, meant an influx of customers and thriving business. He loved the warm breezes and the clear skies. Even the rain was warm when it fell.Hm. Maybe he should add rain to this.He sat back a little, inspecting his work. It was a simple beach scene based on a picture he took a few weeks back. One that would sell for any price he set once the tourists rolled in. People always loved to bring a bit of the beach back home with them, no matter the cost.But, would anyone want a painting of the beach with rain? Hm, probably not.He swished his brush in the paint-muddied water, switching his attention to detailing the seafoam on the crest of the waves.No one else came in before he closed for the night. His keys jingled at his side after he locked the door behind him and started to stroll along the boardwalk. Instinctively, he turned to look out at the sea, his gaze following a couple as they chased after their barking dog. He smiled to himself as he turned away, letting his feet carry him past the other seaside shops.Sooyoung greeted him with a wave as she flipped her sign around to closed, Jinki wasn’t behind the counter of his used bookstore, but the sign wasn’t flipped either. He was probably tucked away in the back, helping a customer or organizing his donations. The closed sign was flipped on the door of Taemin’s glass-blowing shop, but there was still a light on in the back, so he was probably busy doing the same as Minho—getting stocked up before the rush of tourists came.Once he turned the corner, he slipped inside the seafood cafe he’d come to know a little too well in the years since he had moved here. Jonghyun, who was already busy with a customer, locked eyes with him from around them.“Just sit, she’ll be ready with your order soon.”Nodding, Minho hurried up to the counter, slipping onto one of the stools and propping his chin on his paint-smeared hand as he watched Jonghyun.He and his sister, Taeyeon—who was the one in the back cooking his dinner—had immediately latched onto him when he moved to this tiny seaside town. Several of his pieces hung on the walls, and Jonghyun was the one who coaxed him out of his shop to come get his dinner at the cafe. It had been incredibly unexpected to be welcomed so warmly by perfect strangers when his own family—Minho cleared his throat, tearing his gaze away and staring unfocused at the bar behind Jonghyun. No need to think about them now. What’s done is done, there’s no going back.Jonghyun slid into his line of sight, his grin annoyingly bright enough to make Minho smile into his hand. “Are you bored?”He shook his head. “Just hungry.”“Well, she’s cooking it as fast as she can. Relax,” he added, with an exaggerated huff of irritation. Minho cracked up, lowering his hand and leaning on the counter. Jonghyun glanced down at his hands. “Get much done today?”Minho shrugged. “Finished one, started another.”“We still got a few weeks, though.”“Yeah.” Jonghyun sighed, reaching below the counter for a bottle of Minho’s favorite soju and twisting the lid off before sliding it over to him. “I might head down to the beach tomorrow and take some more pictures.”“Want some company?” Jonghyun asked a little too eagerly for Minho’s comfort.Minho lowered the bottle, his eyebrow raising in amusement. “You?” Jonghyun nodded. “Nah.” He cracked up, almost spilling his soju as he leaned away from Jonghyun when he raised his fist.“Stop flirting, you two,” Taeyeon said as she breezed through the door behind the bar, plopping down a bag filled with take-out containers on the counter beside Minho. He smiled his thanks as she wiped the sweat off her brow, and Jonghyun felt below the counter again, pulling out a chilled bottle of water for her. “Got any plans for tonight?” she asked as Minho gathered up the handles of the bag.“Dunno. Probably watch a movie or something.”Taeyeon smacked Jonghyun’s arm, rolling her eyes when he feigned hurt. “What was that one that Kibum recommended to us?”“How am I supposed to remember when you beat me like this?”Minho snorted as he dug in his wallet, fishing out the won he needed and setting it on the counter before slipping off the stool. “Notting…something. It’s English.”“Yes, because I have a great memory of all his London obsessions.”“Have a good night, guys,” Minho said with a laugh, waving to the still-bickering siblings before turning away and heading for the door.Night had already started to creep in, a deep, star-strewn indigo stretching out across the sea. The air was cool now as he hurried back to his shop, nodding a silent greeting to the few other locals he passed. He let himself back inside, not even bothering to turn on the lights as he locked the door and made his way up to his loft apartment over his shop.He set the bag down on the counter of his kitchenette, unbuttoning his billowy shirt and folding it absently as he made his way over to his sort-of made bed. The silence rang in his ears as he puttered around, getting ready for his night in. Once he turned on the tv and the room was filled with sound, he relaxed marginally, even if it was just a commercial. Still, he set out his spread, flicking through the channels until he happened upon one of the dramas he’d sorta been keeping up with, if only because of his slight crush on the main male lead.By the time he finished his meal, the episode had ended and a drama he didn’t care about had started. He left it on, though, while he picked up after himself and made himself a cup of decaf coffee. He meandered out to his balcony with it, plopping down in his chair as he watched the moonlight glimmer on the incoming waves.He was nowhere near tired enough to sleep…maybe he should head back downstairs to get a bit of work done. Finish up his painting so he could start afresh tomorrow. Yeah, that was a good plan. He took a sip of his coffee, squinting at the heat of it, and propped his foot up on the banister.A few moments of relaxation couldn’t hurt, though. He could head back downstairs once he finished his coffee.* * * * *The spinning of the ceiling fan cast strobing shadows across the textured ceiling. Kibum blinked slowly, unable to look away from them. The bedroom window was open, letting in the sounds of traffic and indistinguishable chatter from the street. Otherwise, silence filled every inch of his apartment. He shifted, looking away and to the empty spot beside him in bed.It had only been a few weeks since…since he left. Perhaps he was expecting too much for that space to be filled again.Not with another man. Obviously. That would be way too quick, given how long he and Joonwoo had been together. But with something else. The silence, the emptiness…it made him listless. Only at home, though. At work he put on his happy mask and went about his day as though his world hadn’t come crashing down around him. Because none of them knew. Joonwoo had just been his roommate, to them. His roommate who was moving back to Daegu in the arms of another man.Kibum sat up, rubbing his hand roughly over his eyes, and sighed heavily before slipping out of bed. His gaze caught on the couch that they had bought together that Joonwoo in his benevolence let him keep after they split. Then it was the bare walls where artwork had hung. To be fair, it had been Joonwoo’s before they moved in, but it had hung there for five years now and…and…Jonghyun was right. He needed to escape.Just for a little while. To clear his head, to air the ghosts of his memories of Joonwoo out of his head and his apartment.He trudged back to his bedroom, ignoring the untouched bedding on the other side as he grabbed his phone. Yeah, you’re right. I should come down for a little while, he texted to his cousin as he made his way back out to the kitchen to pour himself a too-full glass of wine to drown his sorrows, for now.Jonghyun sent back a series of excited emotions that made Kibum roll his eyes with the slightest hint of a smile. Just tell me when and I’ll pick you up from the airport!“When” turned out to be two weeks later after he applied all of his unused vacation days for a full three month-long vacation. The whole summer spent in Jeju. Joonwoo had always intended to take him, but never made the time. So, maybe he wouldn’t waste his vacation thinking about him any longer than he had to.“How much luggage do you fucking need?” Jonghyun asked as he lugged two of Kibum suitcases across the airport to his waiting car while Kibum walked casually beside him, carrying only his carry-on.“I have to be prepared for anything while I’m here, you know,” he said drolly, digging in his carry-on for his sunglasses.“Are you expecting the apocalypse?”Kibum smiled, though it didn’t meet his eyes, and sniffed a laugh as he slipped on his sunglasses. “Don’t make me regret coming here.”Whatever Jonghyun grumbled, Kibum ignored. He set his carry-on in the trunk and left Jonghyun to struggle with his suitcases as he slipped into the front passenger seat. Jonghyun was slightly breathless when he joined him behind the wheel, and then they were off.Jonghyun pointed out landmarks and shops and restaurants on the hour-long drive to the town he lived in, and Kibum, nodding along, stared out at the sea as they drove, only looking around when Jonghyun announced that they had arrived. He ducked down, glancing at the shop signs that they passed. Several art shops caught his eye…maybe he’d be able to find something to fill the blank space on his walls.He pulled up to the cafe his family owned, and Kibum let himself out when he parked, following Jonghyun inside. “You hungry?” he asked, to which Kibum shrugged. “You can just sit at the bar, then, and let me know when you are.”Kibum nursed several bottles of soju as the day wore on, finally caving to his hunger when Taeyeon brought him out a bowl of sundae soup. It was a quaint little place, this cafe. The whole town, actually, from what he had glimpsed.He glanced around at the jingle of the bell above the door to find a tall, rumpled man in paint-stained clothes. Kibum’s eyebrow rose as he inspected his frumpy attire, confused as he was that anyone would dare walk around in public like that. When he lifted his gaze to look at his face, shock jolted through him when he found him watching him. There were a few flecks of color dotting his cheeks, nose, and hair.Just how messy of a painter was this guy?The man sat a few stools down at the counter, quickly averting his eyes before Jonghyun ambled up to him. “Busy day?”The man shrugged. “Sold a few pieces more than I was expecting. Gotta start some more before I sleep, I think.”“That’s a good problem, though,” Jonghyun said with a grin and an attempt at cute finger guns. Kibum rolled his eyes, downing a bit more of his lukewarm soju. “She’ll be right out with it.”He brought out his wallet, sifting through it for some won. Just how often did he come here? The man glanced back over at him, looking away again when he found Kibum eying him. Kibum blinked rapidly as Jonghyun supplied, “Oh! This is Kibum, my cousin! He’s here for the summer on vacation!”The man’s expression brightened somewhat, if you could call it that, and he shot Kibum a small, definitely awkward smile. “Oh, he’s mentioned you before. I’m Minho,” he said, his hand struck out for Kibum to shake. He obliged him after glancing at his hand to see if there was any residual paint there, bowing slightly. “I own the art shop just down the way.”“I figured,” Kibum said, glancing down at the man’s clothes again.But before any conversation could continue, Taeyeon came out of the kitchen, a to-go bag in hand. Minho took it, thanking both her and Jonghyun before glancing back at Kibum. “I hope you enjoy your time here,” he said with a polite little bow before he turned to leave the cafe.Kibum watched him go, slightly bewildered, and looked back at his cousins. “Is he always covered in paint?”Taeyeon smacked his arm with a laugh. “Be nice, he’s really sweet.”Kibum sighed with a slight shake of his head before he finished off the rest of his soju.* * * * *The annoying little jingle that was Minho’s alarm started to play, and even though he resisted for a few minutes, he still stirred enough to turn it off. He lay there drowsily, staring for a little while at the golden sunlight stretching across his room from his balcony. With a grunt, he rolled out of bed and grabbed his phone, stretching as he made his way to the balcony.Yet another perfectly beautiful morning, with the mist off the sea still clinging to the buildings and the trees and the shore. He opened his camera, snapping a few pictures before heading back inside for some coffee.He took his second cup downstairs with him, propping the front door open to let the morning breeze in before he set up his workstation for the day. He taped the sides of his sketch of the starfish in the tidepools and stared at it for a while, mentally deciding on what his paint palette should look like. A cheery hello? from the storefront tore him away before he could get started.It took several more tries and customer interruptions before Minho was able to get everything situated. Not that he minded, for the most part. It was always a relief to sell a painting or two. As annoying as tourists could be, they helped to keep him here, so he had to be grateful to them.He brushed a light coat of liquid white over the taped off sketch, then mixed up the greenish-blue of the sea before another customer walked in. He closed his eyes tight in frustration before plastering on a smile and going out to greet them.Oh.Jonghyun was there, accompanied by Kibum, who was taller than he had been expecting. Still inexplicably wearing his sunglasses, though he pulled them up after a minute, resting them in his lightly tousled hair.Jonghyun glanced around as he approached them, beaming at him. “Good morning!”Kibum looked his way, his gaze flicking down to his clothes like it had last night before he met his eyes. Minho let himself be held by his intense amber eyes until Kibum looked away, returning his attention to his paintings hanging on the walls. He blinked slowly, his heart stuttering a little as he stopped by Jonghyun. “Looking for anything in particular?”“Not really, just showing him around,” he said, nodding to Kibum. “We’re heading to Jinki’s mext.”“Well, if you’re not gonna buy anything, I have some liquid white drying on my canvas…”“Oh, yeah, don’t let us keep you from your work. We’re just looking around.”Nodding with a small smile, Minho glanced back at Kibum, and was pleased to find him engrossed in one of his pieces. He traipsed back to the back room, touching the corner of his taped-off section to see if it was still wet enough to start painting. Luckily, it was, so he finished mixing the color of the water and got to work.He’d gotten the base of the water painted when Jonghyun peeked into his studio. “Mind if we come in?”“Uh…” Kibum stepped up behind him, glancing around at the picture-covered walls and unfinished, abandoned pieces. “Sure?”Both meandered in, Minho’s gaze flicking between them before he returned to mixing a darker shade of the water. “See?” Jonghyun said quietly, though not quietly enough for Minho not to hear him. “He lets me come back here and hang out with him sometimes.”“The occasional company is nice,” Minho said, starting to add some definition to the water. “When he stays quiet.”“That would be never, then,” Kibum said, laughing a little when Jonghyun became indignant.Minho smiled, glancing over at Kibum, then at Jonghyun, and back to Kibum for a lingering second before he looked back at his painting.“If you guys are just gonna be mean to me, I’ll leave.”“Bye, then,” Kibum said, laughing again when Jonghyun stomped out of the studio. Minho grinned, pulling his brush away from the canvas and looking up at Kibum as he walked up beside him, inspecting his new painting. “I forgot how easy he is to rile up.”“A little too easy, sometimes.” Kibum smiled down at him, a hint of a dimple indenting his cheek. He said something else, but Minho had been too focused on the dimple to hear. He cleared his throat, blinking as he met his gaze again. “What?”“I said I suppose I should go after him.”“Probably. If he’s not in the shop, he’ll be two doors down.”Kibum glanced through the threshold of the studio and into the assumedly empty shop. “Thanks, I’ll start there,” he said as he started to walk away.Minho leaned to watch him go, blurting out “See you around!” when Kibum reached the front door. He turned as he pulled his sunglasses down, giving Minho a little wave before he stepped back out into the sunlit day.He went back to painting, glancing up when he caught a glimpse of Kibum and Jonghyun before they moved past the wall of Sooyoung’s bakery. A sigh escaped him as he returned his attention to the water.It was a much busier day today. Many, too many tourists dropped in, plaguing him with small talk as he was trying to ring them up. He was polite, perhaps overly so. Because if they ever returned to this quaint little town, he wanted his work to be remembered fondly, which he supposed, came at the cost of human interaction.Had he been more outgoing back…home wasn’t the word for it anymore. This was home now, one he made for himself. His tranquil little sanctuary. But yes, he had been friendlier back then. With his family and childhood friends around.But here…he had the waves to drown out the echoes of his past life. And Jinki if he wanted companionable silence and the smell of old books. Taemin on the rare occasions he wanted to talk about art to someone else who understood, even if their mediums were vastly different. Jonghyun…had been the person he went to, once, when he had been feeling particularly empty.But no more.He did prefer his time alone, even if the silence ached sometimes. But sacrifices must be made for the sake of maintaining what you already know to be safe and comfortable.It was a relief when his phone dinged that it was time for lunch. He hurried to flip the sign, then retreated upstairs to heat up some of his leftovers, then took them out to the balcony to enjoy the sunshine and salty breeze for a little while. He washed the dishes and set them to dry when he finished, then set a timer on his phone for the remaining lunch hour and dedicated the rest of his time to finally make some progress on his painting.Business dipped after lunch, only a few stragglers coming in, and even less of them buying something. He closed up shop when the sun set, then went back to the studio to put the finishing touches on his piece for the day, signing it in the same coral pink as he had painted the starfish. Satisfied, he sat back to inspect it, smiling slowly the longer he looked.He was still learning, of course, and he’d never be perfect at it, but he could still be proud of himself, right?Once he set it aside to start drying, he cleaned up his station, setting his brushes to dry before he made his way down the boardwalk to the Kim’s cafe. He glanced around as he opened the door, finding Kibum sitting in the same corner he had been the night before. Yet again, he turned around, following Minho’s progress across the room. The prolonged look set butterflies loose in Minho’s stomach as he took his usual stool. Gulping, he looked over at him, giving him a tight-lipped smile and a tiny nod in greeting.“Hello!” Jonghyun said on his way past them, arms laden with a bin full of dishes. “I’ll be right back.”Nodding, Minho got out his wallet, counting the won.“Do you come here every night?” Kibum asked, his voice slightly slurred.Minho looked over at him, first as his half-full mojito before meeting his gaze. “Basically, yeah.”“How come?”He coughed a quiet little laugh, setting his won in a carefully neat pile on the counter. “Cooking’s not my strong suit.”Kibum hummed as if in thought and took another sip of his mojito as Jonghyun came back out, gathering the waiting won and replacing it with an open bottle of soju.Was it odd? To live such a habitual life? Perhaps, but he didn’t care enough to change.“You’re late today, Minho,” Taeyeon said, interrupting his thoughts as she handed him his dinner.“Had to finish my painting.”She smiled up at him as he stood and thanked her, his attention trailing over to Kibum for a second. And, before he could look away, Kibum leaned a little towards him.“Tell me,” he said, Minho’s eyebrows raising in question. “Do you have any clothes not covered in paint?” Taeyeon smacked his arm lightly, but he brushed her off.“A few…”“Do you ever wear them?”Minho averted his gaze and tightened his grip on his to-go bag, thankful to the dimmer lighting for hiding his reddening face. “Not that often, no.” He looked back at Jonghyun and Taeyeon. “See you tomorrow.”Calls of Have a good night, Minho! followed him out the door, and he trudged back to his shop, locking himself in.He arranged his dinner before turning on the tv, surprised to find that the new episode of his drama was already airing. At least it was a scene of the secondary couple that he didn’t give a shit about. So he contented himself with eating, waiting for the main male lead to show up again.When he did, he was smiling at his love interest, and Minho’s attention dipped just for a second to the dimple on his cheek.* * * * *[5:32]
What did you change the passcode to?
[5:47]
Why? Are you at my place?

Yes

Passcode?

Why are you there?

We’re here to pick up the rest of my stuff

We?

As in you and Daejung?

Yes

ㅋㅋ honey I threw the rest of your

shit out as soon as you two left

Never contact me again

ㅋㅋ way to be mature about this
[5:54]
So you’re just leaving me on read now?
Kibum turned his phone completely off, tossing it aside hard enough that it slipped off the bed. His eyes rolled back as he closed them tightly, letting out a long sigh. The audacity of Joonwoo showing up in the first place, let alone with the man Kibum found him in bed with.Maybe he should throw the whole bed out when he got home.Or burn it in effigy in the shared courtyard of his apartment complex.Groaning, he rolled out of bed, holding his throbbing head as he stopped before his nearest suitcase and threw on the first items of clothing he could find. Did any of it go together? Did it actually matter?As quietly as he could manage, he left his uncle’s house, meandering across the quiet street and walking along the shoulder of the road, his mind wandering unwilling to Joonwoo. And Daejung. And how the screaming match that ensued as both of them dressed and grabbed as much of Joonwoo’s stuff as they could before they left.He stumbled when he unexpectedly stepped in sand, and he looked around, finding himself at an abandoned, unfamiliar beach. The sun was starting to peek over the horizon, a bright orange glow as the cloudy sky started to shift to a pale blue. He kept walking, bending over as he did to pull off his shoes, continuing barefoot as he made his way to the roaring shore.The waves were surprisingly warm as they lapped at his ankles, and he kept on, not even bothering to roll up his pant legs as he waded in up to his knees. The sound of the waves obliterated everything else in his head, and yet the image of Joonwoo and Daejung together persisted.His frustration, his anger, his inescapable sadness…it had all been building up inside since everything went wrong. Part of him wanted to yell, to scream, just to let some of the accumulating tension out. But before he could, tears started to spill down his cheeks unbidden. He held his hand over his eyes, hunching over as he sobbed.Would he ever be able to move past this? Could he ever forget the man he thought was the love of his life?It wasn’t fair.None of it w—“Excuse me?”Kibum froze, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to stop crying.“Are you okay?”Did it look like he was okay? He scrubbed his hand over his eyes, whirling around to tell off whoever the fuck was bothering him, only to find a concerned looking Minho watching him, a few steps into the sea after him. Kibum rubbed his nose, turning back around to wipe his eyes again.“Is…is there anything I can do for you?”Kibum let out a breath that would have been a laugh at any other time. “Take out a hit on my ex?”“Uh…” Kibum sniffed, drying his cheeks and looking back around at him. How did he still have paint on his clothes? “I’m not sure if I can do that.” Kibum smiled, despite everything, then sighed. “What’d she do?” He frowned at that, throwing Minho a bewildered look, whose eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”“No. I—h…she cheated on me. I don’t know for how long. I found out last month.”Minho’s eyes stayed blown wide, mouth slightly agape. Shit. Kibum trudged back to the sand, wiping at his still damp cheeks.“Sorry, I shouldn’t have unloaded on you.”“It’s okay,” he said, a little too quickly. “I’m sorry that happened.”“Me too.”Neither spoke for a few long seconds, the rush of the waves filling in the silence between them. “I…I’ll leave you alone, I guess,” he said, giving Kibum an awkward little bow before he turned, trudging away.Sighing, Kibum glanced around. Wait, where was he? How far had he wandered from his uncle’s house? A cool breeze swept up, starting him shivering.Frowning, he looked down at what he was wearing, and to his horror, he found that he was wearing one of his pairs of silk checkered pajama pants that were soaked up to his thighs and gritty with sand that, in his distraught state, he had paired that with a plaid magenta sweater vest with nothing underneath.His shoes? Nowhere to be seen.Muttering a string of curses under his breath, he jogged for a few steps, trying to catch up to Minho, who only stopped when he called out his name. He watched him approach, his brow furrowed in concern again.“Look.” Kibum gestured to himself, and Minho slowly looked down at him. “I can’t be seen like this, I don’t have my phone on me, and I don’t know how to get to Jonghyun’s place.”“I mean, me neither.” Kibum deflated, wrapping his arms around himself and looking around to make sure no one else was around to witness him like this. “But, um, I guess I can take you back to my shop and lend you something of mine?”“Are you sure?”He nodded, a hint of a smile twitching the corner of his mouth. “I’ll try to make sure there’s no paint on whatever it is.”Kibum cracked a smile. “I’d appreciate that.”Minho nodded toward the road and Kibum hurried to keep up with his longer stride as he led him to his miniscule car. He unlocked it for them, folding the driver’s seat up to reach in the back for a towel that he passed to Kibum. Kibum accepted it with a nod before heading around to the passenger side as Minho tapped the sand off of his sandals before slipping into his seat behind the wheel. After brushing off as much sand as he could, he folded the towel and set it over his seat so he didn’t get the leather wet. Minho started the car as soon as Kibum closed the door behind him.An upbeat pop song started playing. Not too loudly, but Minho reached over to turn it down just the same. “Sorry,” he muttered as he checked both ways before pulling out onto the road.“I don’t mind. I like that song, actually.”Nodding, Minho reached to turn the volume back up a little. Both let the song play out in full without speaking, and when it was over, Minho turned it down again. Kibum, who had been staring out the window, watching the countryside pass them by, turned back around. He cleared his throat, diverting Minho’s focus from the road ahead for a split second.“Thank you again for driving me back.”“No problem.”The song changed again. Another stretch of silence between them lasted until the second verse started. “I guess I was really lucky you were there, huh?” Minho shrugged, shaking his head dismissively. “Why were you there so early?”“I like going to the beach when no one else is there. I get better reference pictures then.”“Sorry if I ruined any of your shots.”He chuckled as he stopped at a light, looking over at Kibum for a second. “I’d already gotten everything I needed, don’t worry.”Kibum looked out the window again, surprised to find them already back in town. He must have not wandered too far off. Well, assuming that his uncle lived somewhere in town. Minho pulled off the road, heading into the alley behind the strip his shop was on and parked behind it. Kibum glanced around, making sure that no one was watching before he got out of the car. As surreptitiously as he could manage, he hid himself behind Minho as he walked to the back door, letting them both inside.Minho lingered at the door, fiddling with his phone for a few seconds before he locked it. Kibum was still watching him when he looked up, and he held up his phone. “I was just letting Jonghyun know where you were in case he was worried.”“Oh, thank you.”He gave him a quick nod as he squeezed past him in the narrow hallway. “Just give me a second. I’ll run up and find something for you.”And with that, he left Kibum alone, his footsteps pounding up the staircase leading to his apartment. Kibum peered up for a second before he meandered around the studio, still hugging himself except when he would reach out to straighten a sketch or a painting or a picture. He was quite good, he’d thought that yesterday. His style was both realistic with some slight idealization. As if Miyazaki dabbled in oil painted landscapes.The stairs creaked, and Kibum released the edge of the picture he had been looking at, turning around to see Minho gradually appearing through the banister. He held up a stack of soft-looking clothes, extending them to him and reaching around to open the door in the hallway.“You can change in here,” he said, holding the door open as Kibum slipped past him.Why not…upstairs? Well, he did seem like a really private guy. Whatever. Kibum took the clothes and ducked into the small room, looking around for a place to set them down as the stairs outside creaked again. Basically every surface was covered with varied sizes of canvas or tubes of paint. A broken easel sat in one corner, and multiple other whole ones in another.Huh.He shivered as he pulled off his sweater vest, then flicked through the clothes, his brow furrowing in slight amusement. True to his word, Minho had brought him clothes with no paint on them. A simple pair of medium wash jeans and a black sweatshirt. No logo, no hood.He’d never once looked so unassuming in his life, but…well, there was a first time for everything.Kibum changed into the jeans first, eager to be out of his gritty pajamas. A huge blank canvas caught his eye as he pulled the sweatshirt over his head, and he moved around to pull it out to look at it better.If he had to guess, it looked as if it would fill the blank space on his wall back home. He bundled up his clothes and opened the door just as Minho was coming down the stairs, two mugs of coffee in hand.“Where can I put these?” Kibum asked, and Minho stared at him, his eyes a little wider than usual. Kibum held up his handful of vibrant clothes in explanation when Minho didn’t answer right away.“Um,” he stepped off the stairs, setting both of the mugs on the somewhat organized table. “I’ll get you a bag. One of those, uh, coffees…it’s for you. I thought you might…”“Thank you,” Kibum said for what felt like the billionth time today.Nodding again, Minho hurried back upstairs, returning a minute later with one of the bags from his uncle’s cafe. Kibum took it when he offered it to him, eying Minho in bewilderment as he turned into the studio and, shaking his head, he stuffed his clothes in the bag and tied it off before setting it by the back door.Sighing heavily, he returned to the studio, pointing at one of the mugs. “Can I take this one?” Minho nodded without looking up from counting his empty paint palettes, and Kibum slowly took it, squinting slightly at him. “What are you doing?”Minho looked up, his brow unfurrowing after a second when Kibum gestured to the palettes before taking a sip of his coffee. “Oh, making sure I have enough for my class later today.”Kibum sputtered for a second, struggling to swallow the hot coffee. He covered his mouth, asking, “You teach?” Maybe the incredulity in his voice was too obvious. Minho gave him a pained smile, cocking his head as he shook it and setting the palettes aside. “Sorry, I just…I wasn’t expecting…”“It’s okay. I know.”“But you’re so quiet?” And awkward?“It’s easy to talk about painting.”Part of him wanted to stick around, just to see what Minho was like when he was vaguely more animated, but before he could ask if that would be possible, a knock at the front door distracted them both. Kibum turned his head as Minho stood, both of them finding Jonghyun waving at them behind the locked door.Kibum set the mug down, hurrying to grab his bag of clothes while Minho went to unlock the door.“Thanks for looking after him,” Jonghyun said before Kibum joined them in the store front.“You’re making it sound like I’m a petulant child,” Kibum said before Minho could respond, glancing his way when he let out a sniff of a laugh. “Thanks again.” He patted the chest of his sweatshirt. “I’ll return these soon.”“No rush.”He held himself back from saying “Believe me, I don’t want to wear them any longer than I have to.” Instead, he just offered Minho a small smile when he fleetingly met his gaze. “Good luck with your class.”“Thank you,” Minho said before Jonghyun dragged Kibum out of his shop.The sun was fully up now, suffusing the air with a little bit of heat as they walked along toward the cafe. Jonghyun smacked his shoulder, making Kibum wince. “Jesus, what?”“What happened to you? Where’d you go?” Kibum let out a huff as he rubbed his shoulder. “We were worried.”Kibum rolled his eyes and looked down at their feet. His bare feet. “Can we go back to the house so I can change into actual clothes?”“Kibum.”He let out a long sigh. “The asshole texted me, alright?” When Jonghyun didn’t have anything smart to say, he continued, “He and…they were trying to get into my place.”“What!”“I changed my code, relax.”“What if he guesses?”“It’s our anniversary, so he won’t remember.” Jonghyun sucked his teeth at him, and Kibum let out a clipped laugh. “I’m kidding, Jjong. It’s a random set of numbers. I don’t even remember it.” The code was scrawled down and tucked behind his I.D. for when he got back home.Jonghyun shot him an exasperated look, then sighed. “Are you okay?”Kibum squinted and looked up as he stopped walking. “What part of me looks like I’m okay?” Jonghyun paused too, looking back at him. “I’ve been fucking dumped and the asshole won’t leave me alone. I’m wearing the most boring clothes on the planet, and I couldn’t even…fucking mope properly because the most awkward man alive interrupted me and—“Jonghyun’s brow immediately furrowed, cutting Kibum off from continuing his rant. “Please don’t tell me you were rude to him when he was just trying to help.”“I—“ Had he been? No, he’d been as pleasant as the situation called for. “I don’t think I was.” When Jonghyun, who was still frowning, shook his head slightly, Kibum’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you and Taeng so protective of him?”To his surprise, Jonghyun looked around before gesturing to him to follow him to the car. Kibum clambered in, being careful to avoid stepping on loose gravel.“I don’t know the whole story,” Jonghyun said as soon as Kibum closed his door. He started the car, turning around to watch behind him as he backed up. “Because, well…” He squinted, working his jaw for a second before turning back around to drive forward. “Anyways, he only mentioned it once a few months after he moved here, but I guess that when he came out it didn’t go very well. At all.”Kibum sank back in his seat, his defensiveness melting away. “What happened?”Jonghyun shook his head. “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t say. That’s his story to tell. But,” he spared Kibum a glance when he paused at the light. “Taeng and I have been trying to be as nice as we can. Believe it or not, he’s extremely friendly compared to how he was when he first got here.” Oh god, he couldn’t even imagine… “I used to have to practically drag him out of his shop to come to the cafe, and even then he’d only order it to-go. Still does, but at least he comes on his own.” Jonghyun let out a long sigh. “If I had to guess—and this doesn’t leave this car—““Right, of course.”“—I think he thinks he’s better off not getting close to people. Like, he wouldn’t be able to get hurt again, or something.”Yeah, that would make sense. Both he and Jonghyun, when they came out to their families…it wasn’t exactly smooth, but now, everything was more than fine. They knew they were accepted as they were.He was roused from his musings when Jonghyun parked the car. “Hurry up and go get changed.”Once inside his and Jonghyun’s shared bedroom for the summer, Kibum grabbed his phone, turning it back on and tossing it screen up on the bed. He kept an eye on it as he started sifting through his suitcase for his own clothes. A few texts, mostly from Yerim—his little sister—but there were a few more from Joonwoo. He rolled his eyes, flipping his phone over and focused on putting an outfit together.He changed out of Minho’s clothes and into some light wash jean shorts, a white t-shirt with a design that was covered up by his abstractedly-wavy checkered kelly green sweater vest. When he finished tying his sneakers, he grabbed his darkest pair of sunglasses, his phone, and Minho’s clothes before heading back out to Jonghyun’s car.“It’s been a day already,” he said airily as he buckled himself in, flipping the visor down to check his hair.“It’s barely eight,” Jonghyun said, chuckling.“And?” He let out a long sigh as he started folding Minho’s sweatshirt. “I need a drink.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jonghyun glance at him. “What? I do.”He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat, and pointedly avoided Kibum’s gaze. “Taeyeon wanted me to talk to you about that.”“About…my drinking?”“Yeah.”“Are you staging an intervention or something?” he asked, letting out an incredulous laugh. “Jjong, you’re a bartender.”Jonghyun shot him a glare. “We’re just worried that’s all.” The light ahead changed to red, and Jonghyun braked with the other cars, turning fully to look at Kibum. “I get it. He broke your heart. But it’s not gonna do you any good to wallow in your feelings.”“Wallow?” Kibum bit back, Jonghyun looking back at the road when a car behind them honked. “You can’t expect me to get over this so quickly. Not after how long—““It’s been a month, Bum.”“Okay? And?”“I’m just saying, there are a lot of other things you can do here besides drink your feelings away.” Kibum rolled his eyes, which was hidden by his sunglasses. “You can go lounge at the beach, read all the books Jinki has in his shop, go on a food tour of the island…take a fucking art class, I don’t know, that’s for you to figure out.” He pulled up behind the restaurant, shifting into park a little rougher than usual. “You can be mad at me all you want, I don’t care. I’m just trying to look out for you.”“Whatever,” Kibum mumbled, picking at a thread in the neck of Minho’s sweatshirt.“I know it hurts, Bummie—““Do you.”Before Jonghyun could continue, Kibum unlocked his door, slipping out of the car and slamming it shut behind him. Maybe he’d regret that later, but for now, he’d let himself be as angry as he felt like being. He trudged through the back door of the cafe, throwing Taeyeon a glare as he passed her on his way to where the to-go bags were kept.“What are you doing?” she asked cheerily as Kibum stuffed Minho’s clothes into one of them. Ignoring her, he slipped out behind the bar, tossing the bag under the bar and before he could storm out the front door, he glimpsed a pair of sand-flecked mules below the counter. His black leather Balenciaga mules. The ones he had searched for months for at every consignment store he could find in Seoul. The ones he’d thoughtless thrown on this morning in his haste to escape. “Oh good, you saw them,” Taeyeon said as she pushed through the door and came up beside him. “Minho said you forgot those at the beach so he went back to get them for you.”Kibum blinked slowly, frowning at them. Man could barely look him in the eye when he spoke to him and yet he’d go all the way back to the beach just to find these for him? Shaking his head, he continued around the bar, heading toward the front door.“Where are you going?” Taeyeon asked, not glancing around as Jonghyun pushed through the kitchen door.He turned, looking back at them with a sardonic smile. “Somewhere without alcohol, apparently.” And with that, he pressed the door open, returning to the oppressively sunlit boardwalk.Most of the shops were still closed, or just barely opening. Jinki—who he had only met the one time—smiled and waved at him as he passed, to which Kibum responded with a forced smile of his own. The smell of freshly baked goods drew him into the bakery between Jinki’s shop and Minho’s and he bought a fluffy, chocolate and caramel filled croissant and an iced coffee before he left the shop.Out of curiosity, he glanced into Minho’s shop—which was still closed— and was unsurprised to not be able to see him. Not that it mattered, he’d see him tonight when he came to get his dinner. He could thank him…again…then.He hopped off the boardwalk when it came to a grassy end, looked both ways before jogging across the street and into the white sands of the beach. There were already people out enjoying the day. Families with young kids, mostly. He tramped over to a bench and plopped down, digging in the crinkling bag for his still-warm croissant and the accompanying napkins.Admittedly, he knew it was becoming a bit of a problem. He’d drank until he couldn’t remember a thing the first few nights after Joonwoo left, and since then, enough to leave him debilitated for the better part of the next morning.Still. It wasn’t great to hear.Any of Jonghyun’s suggestions would be better than continuing to be self-destructive. He knew that. Did he actually care, though?He was three angry bites into his croissant when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He chewed and swallowed quickly as he dug it out of his pocket, finding Yerim smiling at him from her tiny account picture. Sighing heavily, he answered the phone, tucking it between his ear and shoulder.“Did Taeyeon tell you to call?” he asked drolly as she let out the most exaggerated, drawn-out aegyo version of Oppa he’d ever been greeted with by her. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He asked, unable to stop himself from laughing.She laughed too, then cleared her throat seriously. “Yes, she did. She told me you were being a little shit.”“Did she?”“In almost those exact words.”“See, I don’t think I am.”“You’re too close to the situation.” Again, Kibum laughed, rolling his eyes in amusement this time. “Listen, Kibummie.” He sighed, tearing off another piece of his croissant and dipping it in the melted caramel and chocolate. “After what he did to you, do you really want to spend any more of your time being upset over him?” He stuffed the pastry in his mouth, chewing slowly as she continued. “You’re better than that. You’re better than him, so start acting like it.”He sipped his coffee, waiting for her to speak again. It took a few long seconds before she asked. “You still with me?”“Yeah.”“Well? Are you being quiet for once because you know I’m right?”“This one time…”“I take after Mom which means I’m always right.” He scoffed, shaking his head as he sipped his coffee again. “If you can’t be happy right now, I get that, but how do you think he’s taking all this? Knowing how devastated you are?”“I’m not devastated,” Kibum mumbled, though it didn’t sound convincing, even to him.She rightfully ignored it. “Be the one who got away. Haunt his nightmares with the knowledge that you—eventually—found someone so much better than he ever was to you.”“Oh, I’m never dating again,” he said immediately. “It’s not worth all this.”“Yeah, okay,” she said, a smirk in her voice.“I’m serious! I don’t want to go through this bullshit again. I’m better off by myself.”“Well then, that just means you need to start living the life you want out of pure spite. Become so amazing that he regrets his mistake.”“He already should, though.”“He will.”He took another drink of his coffee, surprised to hear her finishing off a drink on her end. “What’d you get?”“A pink drink!”He smiled to himself, swirling his ice in his coffee for a second. “I guess it would be pretty boring just to…to drink the entire time I’m here, huh?”“Exactly. Who knows when you’ll be able to do this again? Might as well make the most of it while you’re there.” Kibum opened his mouth to speak, but she plowed on. “Find something you can do everyday that’ll take your mind off of him, and someday, hopefully soon, you’ll stop thinking about him at all.”“You’re too wise for your own good.”“God, I know, it’s such a burden.” He sniffed a laugh, and she chuckled quietly. “Send me pictures of whatever you do, okay? I gotta get back to work.”“Thanks for calling, Yeri.”“Yeah, yeah, bring me back a good souvenir.”Both hesitated, and before Kibum could tell if she was going to say goodbye, she hung up the phone, beating him at the unspoken game he had started between them. “Dammit,” he whispered, smiling at his phone as he set it on his thigh.After a second of thought, he picked up his phone again and took a bite of his croissant, leaving the rest of it hanging out of his mouth as he snapped a quick selca. He sent it to Yerim immediately, and she opened it a few seconds later.
I want oneeeee
Too bad ㅋㅋ, he replied, and stuffed his phone back in his pocket so he could finish off the rest of his croissant.He meandered around the beach, picking up the occasional seashell that caught his eye, until he couldn’t ignore his hunger anymore. Reluctantly, he left the beach, heading back to the bakery to pick up two iced coffees before he slowly made his way back to the cafe. Jonghyun was busy serving customers at the bar when he walked in, but he still looked up at him. Kibum joined him behind the bar, wordlessly setting down one of the coffees on the counter by him before he slipped through to the kitchen.Taeyeon looked up at him as he took off his sunglasses, and he sheepishly glanced away as he passed her the other coffee. When he looked back, she was smiling. “Hungry?” He nodded. “Give me a second, I’ll bring you something in a minute.”“Okay.”He had just barely situated himself in his corner at the bar when Taeyeon brought him out a steaming bowl of jjamppong. He watched Jonghyun mixing drinks and talking up customers, his mind wandering to what he could possibly do to fill up the rest of his vacation. Maybe Jonghyun would let him borrow his car? He could go exploring on his own? A food tour would be kinda fun, but—“Wait, what is this?”Kibum looked up as he scooped up the last of his broth to see Jonghyun peering into the bag of Minho’s clothes. “Oh, hand that here.”Jonghyun glanced at him, curious, and Kibum gestured for him to hurry. So he did, and Kibum set it beside him, staring at it as he pushed his bowl aside.Sure, Minho was awkward and quiet and, for whatever reason, stubborn enough to rebuff Jonghyun and Taeyeon’s many attempts at cultivating a deeper friendship than their surface-level five-minute daily interaction. But there was this underlying desire for connection. Why else would Minho have butted in this morning when he had been crying? Why would he have gone out of his way to go back for his shoes when Kibum had, admittedly, been a tiny bit rude to him? Why would he come every day, without fail, to the cafe?He had to miss it, didn’t he? Genuine connection? Friendship?Well then.He was stubborn, too. Probably even more stubborn than Minho was. Besides, he owed him kindness in return after today, didn’t he?But…what could he do?The door opened, and Kibum glanced absently over his shoulder, doing a double take as Minho walked in. Their eyes met, and Kibum sat up a little straighter as he approached the bar.“How was your class?” Kibum asked as Minho asked “Did you get your shoes?”Both paused, Minho giving him a small smile. “Yeah,” Kibum said when Minho didn’t speak first. “I would have really missed them.”He nodded, looking over at Jonghyun as he hurried over to ask him about his day. Kibum inspected Minho, his eyes catching on every fleck of paint he could see. He was an artist. A painter who had an empty canvas big enough to fill the blank space in his home.Wait…he could commission him.He came to this conclusion as Minho was walking away with his dinner, and Kibum grabbed the bag of his clothes and darted after him. “Minho!” he called out as he stepped out onto the boardwalk, grabbing his attention before the door to the cafe swung closed. Minho swung around, eyes wide in surprise as Kibum hurried over to him. “I was gonna return these to you,” he said, holding out the bag, only for both of them to look down and remember that his hands were full. “I can carry it back.”“O-okay.”Kibum waited for Minho to start walking before he did, matching his gate. “I have a favor to ask.” Minho’s brow furrowed, and he looked over at him. “You know that big canvas in your store room? I saw it when I was changing earlier today,” he added quickly when Minho looked even more confused.“Oh, right.”“Do you have a plan for it already?” He shook his head. “I was thinking I could commission you.” Minho stopped walking, blinking rapidly as he stared at Kibum. “You see…” He glanced around, making sure there was no one else around before he leaned a little closer, lowering his voice to say, “I have a blank space on my wall now because my ex took the artwork that we had hanging there with him when he left.”Minho stopped blinking and he averted his gaze, frowning at the boardwalk.“And so, I thought you might be able to help me. I don’t care about the price at all, I’m willing to pay whatever, I just need to fill that space as soon as possible.”“Why me?” Minho asked after several quiet seconds.“I like your art style. And, I thought it’d be a good souvenir for me from this trip.” When the furrow in Minho’s brow deepened again, Kibum reached out, his fingers grazing Minho’s arm before he pulled his hand back. “You don’t have to answer right away. Just, let me know if you’re interested or if you’ll have time for this at all.”“Okay.”Minho stopped at his shop door, opening it and letting Kibum in first before he kicked it closed behind him, and Kibum led the way back to the studio. He set the bag of clothes on the table, watching Minho come around to the stairs. “One last thing before I head out, uh…” he froze when Minho looked at him again. “I’m…sorry, I probably came off as rude this morning. You didn’t deserve that.”Minho shook his head. “It’s okay, you were having a bad day.”“That’s still no excuse.” Minho shrugged dismissively. “But, anyways, I don’t want to keep you from your dinner. I’ll drop by sometime tomorrow and we can…figure it all out if you’re interested?”“Around what time?”“Uh…when would be good for you?”“Sometime after lunch. So, one.”“Alright.” Kibum took a step back, still holding Minho’s gaze. “See you then?”When Minho nodded, Kibum took it as his cue to leave, so he gave him a small smile before turning and heading for the door.Well, if this didn’t work out, he could always fall back on the food tour of Jeju as well as some retail therapy to occupy him for the rest of his vacation…* * * * *Minho stared at the door long after it had closed behind Kibum. He was only pulled out of his daze when he moved to sit and his jjamppong sloshed in its container.Right. Dinner.He looked down at the bundle in his arms, then to the bag of clothes Kibum had set down on the table. Was the canvas even in good enough condition? Should he go clean it?No, no. Food first. The newest episode was airing soon and he didn’t want to miss it. He trudged upstairs, flipping the lights on, setting his dinner down on the table, and turning the tv on before he went to get changed out of his work clothes and into his pajamas. He listened to the last few minutes of the drama that was airing before his as he picked up the mess he had made looking for paint-free clothes for Kibum earlier.The lack he had of clothes that didn’t have paint on them was honestly kind of sad. But it didn’t really matter, because it wasn’t like he was ever anywhere but here.The intro song of his drama started playing, so he stopped folding up his clothes and made his way to his tiny couch, pulling his soup and containers of rice and banchan toward him. He ate slowly, savoring his familiar dinner, and finished his last bite just before the previews for next week started to play. Leaving the tv on just for the noise, he cleaned up after himself before hurrying back downstairs.He let himself into his store room, flicking the light on and finding the canvas set out in front, fingerprints marring the layer of dust on it. Kibum must have pulled it out to look at it. Humming in thought, Minho brushed some of the dust off before holding it up, inspecting the canvas itself for cracks or tears. It was still stretched nicely, which was good. He’d just need to clean the dust off if he was going to do this.Which, why shouldn’t he? It’d probably be a good chunk of money that he’d need after the tourist season.But then…What if…What was Kibum doing this for? Was there some sort of…ulterior motive here that Minho just wasn’t seeing?He set the canvas down, frowning at it, then left the store room and turned the studio light on. Pity? Could that be it? He felt bad for being, what, rude earlier? Even now, as he thought back to their short interactions, he had been nothing but pleasant. Maybe he was even nicer than that usually?The furrow in his brow deepened as he reached for the bag of clothes, and he hugged it as he looked around at the many pictures—painted and photographs—littering the walls.Even if it were out of pity…he was, he was like him. He had an ex-boyfriend too…Yeunseo…He shuddered at the thought of him, then scratched absently at the place when Kibum had touched his arm. It still tingled, just a little. It had been…quite a while since anyone had touched him. Jonghyun had been the last, after he drank too much and let it slip why he came here. He had hugged him, then, and as soon as he was alone again, he had cried.Tears welled up in his eyes now, but he blinked them away quickly.He couldn’t stand being pitied; he could see it in Jonghyun and Taeyeon’s eyes whenever they looked at him.If he was ever gonna overcome this—and he would, eventually—he would do it on his own. He didn’t need help, he just needed more time. More space.He’d be fine.Clearing his throat, Minho sat at his workstation, looking about the room at all the pictures.No, he should do it. If it would help Kibum, then…he sniffed a quiet laugh, smirking to himself. Was he doing it out of pity for Kibum? That would be ironic.Sighing, he stood and turned off the light to the studio, working on untying the knot holding the bag straps together on his way back up the stairs. He returned his clothes to their places in his closet, then turned the tv down to a whisper before he went to brush his teeth.His mind was still buzzing with the possibilities of what Kibum might want him to paint for him by the time he crawled into bed. Not an ordinary beach scene, surely. He didn’t seem like the type. He turned over in bed, hugging his pillow. If he didn’t stop thinking about this, he’d never get any sleep.It did come eventually, so gradually that he didn’t even realize he had fallen asleep until he woke up to his alarm. Groaning, he pulled his phone off the charger, blearily checking the weather for the day before he rolled out of bed. Sunny, it looked like, so there would probably be a pretty steady stream of customers until…Shit.His painting class for kids. At one. When Kibum was gonna be here.Fuck, how could he have forgotten?Anxiety clawed at his stomach as he got ready for the day, his coffee perfuming the small space as he buttoned up his overly large black dress shirt. He took the mug downstairs with him, setting it aside to cool as he set the studio up for the later class. The table folded up and set against the wall, all but his own easel stuffed into the store room and replaced with the smaller models. By the time he had them all set up, it was time to open for the day.His abandoned coffee grew cold as customers took his attention away from even the thought of sitting down to enjoy it. Luckily, though, he had sold a few pieces before lunch rolled around. He threw together something quick and easy, distracted the whole time with whether or not he should run down to the cafe to apologize to Kibum and reschedule, or…Before he could decide, the first of the families showed up. A shy little girl and her mother, who kept trying to make her talk to be polite, and Minho wished she’d just let her be. He gave her a small smile before instructing her to paint her canvas with a thin layer of liquid white, but by then the next of the families came in.Was Kibum not coming?He had gotten the last of the kids settled when the door opened again, and in breezed Kibum, his shirt a shocking shade of pink, that, unless he was mistaken, could be matched with some alizarin crimson, white, and a touch of phthalo blue.His eyebrows shot up above his sunglasses, and he set the two iced coffees in his hands down on the counter so he could take his sunglasses off and look around at the waiting class.“Excuse me,” Minho muttered to the class before he joined Kibum in the store front.“Is this the wrong time? I could have sworn you said one.”Minho winced, looking away. “I did, I’m sorry. I…forgot about this class.”Kibum’s mouth opened in a silent Oh, and he went up on his tiptoes to peer over Minho’s shoulder. “I don’t mind waiting,” he said, looking back at Minho with a dimpled smile before he reached for one of the coffees and slid it over to him. “I asked Sooyoung what your order was but she said you never get coffee from her, so I got you what I get. Hope that’s okay.”Minho stared at the coffee for a few seconds before he took it off the counter. “Do you, um”—Why did his mind have to be a jumbled mess right now?—“want to wait in here?”“Oh, can I paint too?” he asked, his bright gaze snatching Minho’s before he could look away.“Sure, let me…you can use my station,” he said quickly, before he turned to head back into his studio. “I’ll be right back,” he said to the class as Kibum followed him in. He greeted the class as Minjo hurried upstairs to get one of his painting shirts to protect Kibum’s clothes. He handed it to Kibum as he passed him, then he stood before the class. “Let’s get started,” he said to the class after taking a deep breath.It was a simple painting, one that he had done a variation of at least a hundred times. A sunset—or sunrise, depending on how you looked at it— over the sea. He painted alongside them, walking around to show the kids how to hold and use their brushes to get different effects. They all looked like his had done when he was first getting into painting—messy and enthusiastic. He praised them all, because really, any painting is a good one, no matter if it’s not technically perfect.He stopped at Kibum’s easel, doing a double-take. It was…well, bright was too tame a word. Vibrant, maybe. He hadn’t followed what Minho was showing the rest of the class, not even a little bit. It was just, streaks of fluorescent colors intermingled together. No rhyme or reason to it. Kibum looked up at him, a few bright green flecks of paint dotting his cheeks like freckles. “I think I deviated a bit,” he whispered, looking back at the canvas and cocking his head to the side.“Am I that bad of a teacher?” Minho whispered back without thinking. Shit, what if he—Kibum laughed, reaching up to shove him lightly. Minho cracked a smile as his hand drew away. “No, I just like doing my own thing.”“What’s it supposed to be?”He shrugged, dipping his brush in the blueish-purple on his palette and adding a few more streaks. “No idea. I’m just playing around with color.”Hm.Minho cleared his throat and, before he could say anything else, he noticed one of the kids had their hand up, so he stepped away.While no one’s paint was quite dry, he had everyone title and sign theirs, showing them how to thin out the paint to make it glide easier for the signature. Then he helped the kids hang their paintings to dry, stepping back to give their parents ample space to take as many pictures of their kids’ art as they could. He glanced around, finding Kibum already watching him, and took a step or two back to stand beside him again.Curious, he peered over his head to see if he signed and titled his painting. “Son of a bitch” was written in English in the pen that he had given everyone. He coughed a quiet laugh, and Kibum looked up at him then followed his gaze. With a wry smile, he leaned a little closer, and Minho bent down so he could whisper “I know it’s in English, but I didn’t want the kids to see it.”“Why’d you give it that name?”“I was channeling my feelings in a constructive way,” he said dryly, and Minho scanned the mess of a painting again. Ah, the ex.“Well, if you had painted the scene I did, you could have named it ‘sun of a beach,’” he said, switching to English for the title.Again, Kibum shoved him with another quiet laugh. Minho staggered away a step, straightening up as he bit back a smile. Butterflies were fluttering like mad inside, but they gradually calmed as Minho rejoined the kids and their parents, accepting their thanks and seeing them out of the store front.When he returned, he found Kibum hanging his painting up to dry as well. Minho looked away before he turned around, starting to gather up the used paint palettes.“Is there anything I can do to help?” Minho frowned, shaking his head, starting at the sound of an easel being folded up. “Do these just go in the store room?”“Uh, yeah, I can get…them…though,” he said, his voice trailing off as Kibum took it back, letting himself in the back room.He made quick work of the easels, and Minho finished cleaning off the palettes when he came out after putting the last one away. “What next?”“Really, you can just sit and relax.” After a few seconds of hesitation, Kibum did, but Minho could feel his eyes on him as he walked around, straightening things just to have something to do with his hands. “So, what are you wanting? For the painting, I mean.”Kibum’s eyebrows slowly rose. “I’m not sure, really.”“Well,” he let out a sigh, his eyes flicking to and away from Kibum. “Landscapes are what I usually do, as you can tell from, well…” He gestured to all the pictures around the room. “I used to drive around to find views that interested me, but—““Used to?”“I don’t have time anymore.”“How come?”“I don’t take any days off,” Minho said with a quiet laugh. What was the point of time off when you weren’t gonna do anything besides work anyway?Kibum’s brow furrowed so quickly that it was almost funny. “What?” Minho shrugged, and Kibum pondered him for several long seconds. “Okay, then. Would you be alright with taking some time off to show me around?” Minho was about to protest, but Kibum cut him off. “This is my first time in Jeju, and I want this piece to be meaningful, you know? And it won’t be unless I see it for myself, right?”He…supposed he couldn’t argue with that. Minho nodded, and Kibum’s confused concern melted into a smile.“When would work best for you?”After some one-sided debate, the conclusion they came to was that Minho would take not this but next Sunday off. He put it off that long just so he could mentally prepare himself, but Kibum seemed happy enough with it, because it meant that they’d be able to narrow down places for Minho to take him. Which also, apparently, meant that Kibum dropped in nearly every day. Just for a little while. Sometimes with a coffee for him. He’d look at Minho’s pictures and talk with him about the locations so he could decide where he wanted to go on their rapidly nearing excursion.While he wasn’t quite sure why Kibum had to come in every day to do this, he was surprised to find that he didn’t mind too much.In fact, he sort of looked forward to it.By the time the Sunday rolled around, he was a bundle of nerves, but there was a bit of excitement tangled in there. As much as he wanted to tamp down the thought, he was starting to consider Kibum a friend—or as close to a friend as he’d let himself have in a very long time.Which, now that he thought about it—laying awake in bed as the night crept by, waiting for the sun to rise—it was sort of pathetic.They barely knew each other. Kibum was just being friendly, not a friend.This was all just for his commission.Minho sighed, rolling over onto his side, staring now at the dark, bare wall instead of the ceiling. But he didn’t sleep. As soon as the day dawned, he dragged himself out of bed and searched high and low in his closet for something that didn’t have paint on it. Wait, what would the weather be like today? He finished zipping up his jeans and grabbed his phone to check it.Hm, a little warm, but it’d cool down later…He threw on a plain black t-shirt that only had a couple splatters of cadmium yellow, phthalo green, and raw sienna on it and grabbed his black sweatshirt to stick in the back seat if it got too cold later. As soon as he finished tying his shoes, there came a knock from downstairs, so Minho grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone and hurried down, looking instinctively at the storefront door.Only, no one was there. Had he imagined it?Frowning, he went to the back door, expecting for no one to be there. But when he opened the door, Kibum was resting against the hood of his car, glancing back down the alley at Jonghyun and Taeyeon unloading groceries from their car.He was wearing a bright shade of orange today. A little more vibrant than a tangerine. Cadmium yellow with a bit of alizarin crimson and…white. Maybe some burnt umbre, to round it out, but just a touch of it.Kibum turned his head as Minho closed the door behind him, holding a coffee to him as he stood straight. “You ready?” he asked with a small smile.Minho nodded, stepping forward to take the coffee from Kibum before he unlocked his car. Taeyeon yelled something from the other side of the alley, but whatever it was, Minho didn’t catch it as he slipped behind the wheel. Kibum called something back before Minho leaned across the passenger seat to open the door for Kibum, whose hands were full with his own coffee and what looked like a bag of pastries from Sooyoung’s bakery.“Here, hold these,” he said, shoving both the coffee and bag toward Minho before he closed his door. Minho quickly set his drink in one of the cup holders, then dropped Kibum’s into the other as he buckled up.“Take whichever one you want,” Kibum said, gesturing at the bag. “I figured you’d skip breakfast. And, even if you didn’t”—He looked up, flipping the visor down to fix how his fringe was laying—“I think it’s pretty impossible to reject a croissant.”Sniffing a laugh, Minho peeked into the bag, a bit of steam caressing his face as he pulled out one of the croissants and held the bag back out to Kibum. He took it after a few seconds, looking over at Minho expectantly. “Do you have an aux cord?”Shit. He didn’t. He shook his head, and Kibum unbuckled quickly. “Hold on then, I’m gonna go steal Jjong’s.”He darted across the alley, and Minho sipped his coffee, watching him slip inside the restaurant. After a second of thought, he started the car, driving slowly up to the restaurant and parking behind the back door. Kibum soon emerged with the keys to Jonghyun’s car, followed by Jonhgyun, who diverted toward Minho’s car when he noticed him. Minho quickly rolled down his window as Jonghyun leaned in.“Where all are you guys going?”“Uh,” Minho listed the beaches he was taking Kibum to that he could remember off the top of his head.Jonghyun nodded seriously, though he had a hint of a smile in his eyes. “Will you be back in time for dinner?”“That’s the plan, but, we’ll see I guess.”“Well, just have Kibum text one of us if you’re not so we don’t worry, alright?” Minho nodded, both of them glancing over at the passenger side when Kibum got in. “Behave,” he said, in a much sterner voice, to Kibum.“You’re not my mother,” Kibum muttered as he plugged the aux cord into Minho’s car, then his own phone.“I could be, you never know.”Minho coughed a laugh, glancing back at Jonghyun. His eyes darted to meet Minho’s gaze, and he winked. Kibum turned the volume up a little louder than Minho was expecting, a girl group song he didn’t recognize blaring in his speakers. He turned to find Kibum flipping Jonghyun off, then he tapped Minho’s knee.“Just start driving before he tries to come with us.”Gently, he pushed Jonghyun’s arm off the sill before he shifted the car into drive, then he waved goodbye to him before he returned his attention to driving.Kibum turned the volume down as soon as they reached the road, then rolled down his own window. “Where are we heading first?”“To get gas.”“What if that’s what I end up wanting my painting of?”“Of the gas station?” he asked, sparing him a quick glance to see him nodding before he looked back at the road. “Then we could have walked there, I guess.” Kibum chuckled, shaking his head a little when Minho looked over at him again.Kibum went inside as Minho filled his car up, coming back out with a bag of snacks and drinks that he tossed in the backseat. And then, they were officially off, following the coast. It really was a pleasant day, both opting to keep their windows down as Minho drove, and Kibum just turned the music up a little louder to compensate when it was a song he really seemed to like.The beaches were all a bit too populated for Minho’s liking, but Kibum didn’t seem to mind. Minho followed his meandering trail around the lounging or roudy beach-goers, his camera in hand in case there was something particularly scenic that caught his eye.But, so far, nothing.By their third beach with no good shots, worry was starting to gnaw at Minho’s mind. Was he upset that they hadn’t found anything yet?As Minho pulled back out onto the road, Kibum’s hand rested on his shoulder as he twisted around, reaching for the snack bag. “Salty or sweet?” he asked as he turned back around and rummaged through the bag.“Salty.” Nodding, Kibum grabbed the salty snack, turning back around to drop the bag back behind them before he opened it. “We’re going to Sagye next. It’s one of my favorite spots,” Minho said quickly, as if to explain, to make up for not doing well on this road trip.If that were even possible.Kibum held the bag out for him to take some of whatever it was—something seaweed flavored, judging by the smell. “One of your favorites?” he asked, a hint of a smile in his voice. Minho tore his gaze from the road to see the smile for himself before he grabbed a small handful of the snack. “Why’s that?”Minho shrugged, popping a few in his mouth and relishing the crunch of them before he answered, “It’s close to Mt. Sangbansan, which catches the clouds sometimes. And that’s cool. It’s really pretty at sunset, too. And sunrise. Much more colorful.” And much quieter.Kibum hummed, reaching in to take some of the chips for himself. “So what you’re saying is we should go back at sunset.”“Only if you want to,” Minho said quickly, and he could feel Kibum watching him but he didn’t look away from the road.“How much farther do we have to go until we reach it?”“Ten, fifteen minutes. Depending.”Kibum let out a muffled okay as he ate a few more chips, and as Minho was trying to come up with an apology for how badly this was going, Kibum sighed. “This is so nice.” Minho blinked once, not daring to take his eyes away from the road. “I forgot how much I like driving around. But then,” he laughed, and Minho glanced over at him. “Driving in the city isn’t exactly relaxing, is it.”Minho sat back in his seat, allowing himself to relax at last, and shook his head. “Not from what I remember, no.”“Oh? Did you not grow up here?” When Minho didn’t respond right away, Kibum continued, “Jjong and Taeng did, so, I just assumed…”“Uh, no, I didn’t.”So much for relaxing. His chest started to constrict, tendrils of anxiety wrapping around him, closing around his throat.“Are you from Seoul originally? Or—““No.”There must have been something in his choked voice that told Kibum to drop it, because he fell silent, and Minho started breathing normally again when he could feel him look away. Guilt soon replaced the anxiety. Why’d he have to ruin this? Kibum had just said he was having a nice time, and he had to—“Oh! Sagye!” Kibum said, pointing through the windshield, and Minho sat up a little straighter, going a little faster to reach the parking lot, eager to get a bit of space again.He leaned against the car once he was parked and outside again, allowing himself a few deep breaths before he succumbed to Kibum’s call drawing him onto the beach.He couldn’t stop the flood of memories, the flashing images, the sounds echoing in his head. Crying, yelling, accusing. So clear, still, as if it had happened just yesterday. Might as well have, if he were being honest, with how little progress he had made in the passing years.“Minho!” Kibum called for him again, and Minho picked up his pace, hurrying over to him. When he tried to link their arms, Minho stepped away before he could. He didn’t seem perturbed, however, since Minho walked alongside him, just at a slight distance. “It’s really pretty here.”Minho nodded absently, looking up and covering his eyes so he could see the mountain better. “Here, come this way,” he said, leading Kibum through the few clusters of people at the beach. “It’s high tide now, so people won’t be here, but come sunset the tide should be lower, so we can walk out here a bit,” he said, coming to stand on a craggy rock, and Kibum came up beside him, steadying himself by grabbing Minho’s arm, but only for a second. “If you like this spot, that is.”He glanced at Kibum, pleased despite his anxiety to find him smiling. “I do. But, I would like to see it at sunset.”Minho nodded and hopped off the rock, standing still so Kibum could lean on his shoulder as he did the same. “I…I don’t just do oil painting all the time,” he said as he started leading them back to the car. “I like to try different mediums if I can get my hands on them, and…and this is my favorite place to come to when I work on practicing watercolor painting.”“Do you use the sea water for it?”“Yeah.”“Do you have any of them hanging up in your shop? I don’t think I saw any watercolor paintings.”“Uh, no, I don’t. I have them in a notebook in my apartment.”There was a pause, and Minho was sure that Kibum was gonna ask him if he could see them. Which, the answer to that was a definite no. It wasn’t anything especially private. Just practicing painting the sky in all its variations of colors and cloud shapes. There was just something he loved about the sky that he…it felt too personal to share with someone else.For whatever reason.Maybe someday he’d show him. Or anyone, really. Just not…now…Minho unlocked the car, letting them both inside.“So, what should we do until sunset? When is it today, anyways…” He dug out his phone, flicking to the weather app.“I’m not sure.” There were more beaches along the way, but…“Oh,” Kibum said, looking up from his phone. There’s this market that I’ve been wanting to go to since I got here.” He snapped his fingers. Minho made his way out of the parking lot and to the road, hesitating there so he’d know which way to turn. “Oh right! It’s called Jungang Underground…? I think? It’s in Seogwipo,” he added, and Minho turned to the right, picking up a bit of speed.Kibum looked it up on his Maps app, and Minho followed the directions that interrupted Kibum’s music.“I’ll look up a place to eat, too.”Minho’s eyes flicked away from the road for a second, and he cleared his throat. “Can you let Jonghyun know? That we won’t be home for dinner.”“Yeah, okay sure.” In what seemed like only a few seconds, he added, “He says ‘okay’ and ‘I hope you’re having a good time!’“ He texted a quick response, then slipped his phone back into his pocket. “Are you getting thirsty?”When he nodded, Kibum reached around to grab their drinks.While Minho was still antsy, waiting for more prying questions, Kibum didn’t seem to mind the silence. Though, he had been spending a bit of time with Minho almost everyday since he arrived, so he had to be used to it by now. They arrived in the city before Kibum could ask more about his old home, though, now that he really thought about it, the subject had been dropped long enough that Kibum probably wasn’t thinking about it any longer.“There’s one,” Kibum said, shaking Minho’s arm and pointing across the street to an empty parking spot. They had spotted the sign for the shopping center about ten minutes ago, and had been driving around the block since then searching for a place to park Minho’s car.He eased into the spot, checking the street to make sure there were no cars coming before he got out and joined Kibum on the sidewalk.“I think it was this way,” Kibum said, and Minho hurried to keep up with his quicker pace as they raced to the underground shopping center.An overwhelming number of clothing stores greeted them. There were other stores too, but Kibum was drawn particularly to the clothes. He’d make comments here and there to Minho—about the combination of colors of this, the feel of the fabric on that, how he’d been looking for the name brand version but it was way too expensive so he had to try this on. Minho nodded at it all, perusing the racks alongside him.He was certainly drawn to very bright shades, which wasn’t surprising. He was a vibrant person. He could pull them off effortlessly.Kibum looked back at him, holding up a gauzy yellow shirt to Minho. “I know it’s probably a bit more than you’re used to but…” He cocked his head to the side, inspecting the shirt critically. Minho looked down at it, finding it not to be just yellow, but rather a variety of shades spreading over the fabric like brush strokes. From as light and bright as cadmium yellow to as warm and rich as gold ochre. “I think you’d be able to pull it off.”Minho smoothed the fabric over his chest. “Really?”But before Kibum could respond, his phone rang. “Shit,” he muttered, letting go of the shirt while Minho was holding onto it so he could grab it. “Oh, it’s my sister. Do you mind?”Minho shook his head, and Kibum turned away, trailing down the rack as Minho followed him, still clutching the yellow shirt. He started to say hello, but was cut off by his sister. Then he chuckled, pulling out another shirt to look at before shaking his head and shoving it back in its place.“Hey, would you relax? I just forgot, that’s all. Mhm. No,” he said with a laugh as Minho stopped, pulling out a pale blue and green striped shirt. “I’m hanging out with my friend all day today, that’s why I haven’t yet.”Minho froze in his place, staring unblinkingly, unseeingly now at the shirt before him.Friend? Did he just…did he imagine..?Warm relief bloomed within him, soothing his mounting anxiety until it was almost non-existent. Well, non-existent for him at least.He could just be saying that because you’re right here and doesn’t want to speak his mind, he reminded himself, but even that thought wasn’t enough to end his sudden sense of calm.Absently, he grabbed the shirt he had been looking at and threw it over his arm with the yellow one, following Kibum to the next rack over. He was so distracted that he didn’t notice that Kibum had hung up the phone until he called his name. Minho looked up, surprised to find Kibum standing before a mirror, taking a picture of their reflection.“You don’t mind, do you?” he asked, holding Minho’s gaze through the mirror. “I promised I’d send a picture to my sister everyday of what I was doing.”“No, go ahead.”After he sent the picture, he received three texts in rapid succession as he made to stuff his phone in his pocket. Kibum held it up, scoffed at the screen, and met Minho’s gaze in the mirror before shoving his phone back in his pocket. “She’s so…” he let his voice trail off as he rolled his eyes, and Minho cracked a smile, returning his attention to the clothes.“Is she older than you, or..?”“She’s younger.” He dug out his phone again, swiping another notification from her away before he pulled up his instagram profile and scrolled down a little before turning his phone to show Minho. “She’s cute, huh?”It was a picture of Kibum and her at brunch. The resemblance was definitely there, even with Kibum's clear attempt at an awkward smile and the evident laugh glimmering in her eyes.Minho smiled and nodded.“She’s knows it, too. Uses it against me.”Another text notification flashed across the screen, but Kibum turned his phone back around before Minho could read so much as the name. “What’s her name?”“Yerim. But literally everyone calls her Yeri.” Minho nodded again, still smiling as he went back to sifting through the clothes before them. “Do you have siblings?”His heart stuttered, and he fumbled with the sweater he had pulled out to look at until it was hanging back on the rack. What was the harm in answering that? It was a simple question, even if he hadn’t heard from him since.But, if Kibum considered them to be friends, too, then…Minho cleared his throat. “Just one. An older brother.”“Do you get along well with him, too?”“I did.”Minho couldn’t make himself look away from the clothes, even if he wasn’t seeing them at the moment, but in his peripheral vision, he saw Kibum nod and glance away from him. Thankfully, he didn’t ask anything else, distracted now by a sweater with sharp, jagged slashes of black cutting through a mottle of white and chartreuse knit.“What do you think? Is it too much?” He held it up to himself, turning back toward the mirror and inspecting himself. But before Minho could decide on his input, Kibum scrunched up his nose, shook his head, and returned it to the rack.He picked out a few things, though nothing quite as vibrant and busy as the yellow shirt Kibum had chosen for him. Once Kibum finished buying his own clothes, they made their way back to the car, Minho setting his smaller bag next to Kibum’s larger one.“Where to eat now…” Kibum said to himself, pulling out his phone again as Minho pulled out onto the road. “Oh…that sounds good. Let me check their instagram.” Minho glanced over at him, finding him concentrating on scrolling, before he returned his attention to the road. “It’s close to Mt. Sangbansan! So we shouldn’t have too far to go to get to the beach, which means we can relax for dinner.”“What do they have on the menu?”“Let me check again.”He listed off a few things, but the one that stuck in Minho’s mind was the bacon ragu pasta, and he kept mulling it over until it came time to place their orders at the One and Only cafe. Kibum got the rosé pasta, and a Sanbang Mountain dessert to split once they had finished their dinners.Kibum sipped his water as he looked around at the stunning view of the mountain, the lush foliage around the cafe, and the sleek, modern cafe itself. “Cute place, isn’t it?”Minho hummed and nodded, picking at his nails as he glanced about the room. It was odd. After eating alone for so long, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do? He looked across the table at Kibum so he might have some sort of clue to find him fiddling with his phone.“Do you mind getting a few shots of me?” he asked, handing his phone to Minho. When Minho just stared blankly at him, Kibum laughed, taking his phone back and opening up his instagram again. “See,” he said, scrolling down a bit to a picture of him in a restaurant. Then a little further, another couple pictures. “It’s just something I like to do.” He swiped back to the camera app, holding his phone out to Minho.He took it, positioning it to get Kibum in the frame.“Just take a few so I can pick my favorite.”“Okay.” He snapped a few, making slight angle changes as Kibum shifted with each snap. “We don’t even have our food yet, though,” Minho said as he handed him back his phone.Kibum chuckled, taking it back to do a quick appraisal of Minho’s work. “We’ll just have to take more then, hm?”“I guess.”Kibum threw him a look he couldn’t quite decipher as he set his phone aside, leaning his elbows on the table. “I just like documenting where I go, you know? It’s nice to be able to look back on fond memories.” Minho’s eyebrows rose slowly as he searched Kibum’s gaze. “Besides, I try to keep my instagram as aesthetically pleasing as possible to help my shyer clients have an idea of what they should post.”“Clients?”Kibum’s brow furrowed for a second, the faint wrinkles clearing the next second. “Right, I haven’t mentioned it yet. I’m a social media manager for an entertainment company.” Minho must have looked shocked, because Kibum laughed loudly. “Don’t look too surprised.”“Do you like doing that?”“Oh, of course, I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t.” He cocked his head to the side, dimples appearing as he smiled again. “Which reminds me, can I see your shop’s instagram? I’ve been curious about it.”“I don’t have one.”It was Kibum’s turn to look shocked. Minho gave him a sheepish little shrug and a smile. “Well,” he said, leaning away from the table as their waitress came around with their dinners. “We can get that started tomorrow, then.”“Oh, no, you really don’t have to do that.” Kibum speared him with another unreadable look as he twirled his fork in his pasta. “Not on your vacation.”“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.” He passed Minho his phone again. “Just like three more, but be quick so your dinner doesn’t get cold.”Even if it wasn’t his usual quiet bowl of jjamppong while watching tv, it was still a nice dinner. Maybe…some nights…when he got back home, he’d be able to have his dinner in the cafe instead of always taking it home.Kibum’s eyes lit up as the miniature of Mt. Sanbangsan made out of chocolate covered mousse was set between them. He grabbed his phone as Minho picked up one of the spoons the waitress brought with the plate, but Kibum batted it aside so he could get a picture of it first.Minho watched him, amused, until he pulled his phone away to look through his pictures. “Am I allowed to start eating it now?”Kibum glanced up at his phone, snorting as he smiled. “Leave some for me, please.”That he could do. Minho carved off a bite of the chocolate mousse mountain, finding a layer of caramel between the mousse and layer of cake below that. He hummed as he ate it, and only took two more bites before Kibum set his phone aside and joined him.“Is it good?” Kibum asked, his spoon poised to take some for himself, but before he could, Minho impulsively grabbed the edge of the plate, pulling it closer to him. “Hey…” he said, pouting a little until Minho caved, grinning, and pushed it back, a little closer to him than it was before.Shaking his head, Kibum got a spoonful of their dessert for himself, narrowing his eyes at a still smiling Minho before he ate it. “Is this gonna be a habit now?”“What?”“Being a bastard just for the fun of it.”Minho blinked rapidly, but before he could apologize, Kibum smiled faintly and looked back down at the dessert, getting another bite.They left the One and Only as the sun was nearing the horizon, returning to the road and making their way back to Sagye Beach. The beach was empty once they arrived. Everyone who had been there previously must be on their way to dinner or back to their hotels for the night.The sun was sinking lower and lower, gilding the crests of the incoming waves, setting the underbellies of the clouds reaching across the shore aglow. A smooth mass of a cloud was clinging to the craggy peak of the mountain. It stretched far inland, nearly reaching where the night had begun to set in. The sky was almost fully pink now, save for the orange glow on the horizon where the sun was struggling to remain afloat above the sea.Minho looked back at Kibum to find him drawing nearer of his own accord, looking about in wonder at the sky. He glanced down at Kibum’s shirt. Earlier this morning, he had compared it to a tangerine. But, looking back out at the glowing sun’s remaining light, he knew now it hadn’t been as accurate a comparison as this sunset.“What about right there?” Kibum asked, nudging Minho’s arm and drawing his attention back to why they were there at all.Minho captured several shots. The mountain presiding over the sunset, the sea returning to the shore, the sun’s last stand before it conceded the battle against the night. Kibum, while still following him, hung back as he moved around, getting closer, lower, finding the perfect angle to capture the rapidly fading light.There was still a residual glow by the time he returned to Kibum, but it was fading fast as they made their way back across the beach to the car.“Here,” Minho said, passing his camera to Kibum once he was buckled. “You can look through and see if you like any of them. If not, we can try again another day.”“Oh, so pretty,” Kibum kept saying as Minho drove, flicking through the pictures. Minho smiled, keeping his focus on the road. “We don’t get sunsets like this in Seoul.”“No? We did in Incheon.”It had slipped out. Without a thought. He just…said it. Incheon.“Yeah, well, you were on the coast. Makes sense.”How could he have just said it? So…so effortlessly?“Is that where you’re from?”“Uh”—Wow, his throat was so dry—“yeah.”“Probably why you chose to move here, huh?” No, it was because no one he knew was here, nor were they likely to come. Especially not to a small town like—“I’m glad I came. It’s been…such a relief to escape, to be honest.”Yeah, he could relate to that.“Are you dreading going home?” Minho asked, risking a glance at Kibum when the light from his camera screen disappeared.“Yeah. A bit. It’s just so empty now, you know?” He shuddered, and Minho worried his bottom lip. “But I’m better off this way, I think. Without him.”“Probably, yeah.”“Sorry,” Kibum said with a clipped sigh. “You don’t need to hear all of this.” Then, he laughed. “My mouth runs when I get tired.”“I don’t mind.”He could feel Kibum looking his way, but it didn’t last long. It was good to talk about things—despite his own personal way of going about it—and…and if Kibum was his friend, it was his duty to listen, no? But, even so, the subject didn’t come up again. Silence between them returned, though it was filled by Kibum’s playlist playing softly so as to not disturb the night.Kibum sat up when they reached the edge of the town, directing Minho where his cousins lived, which only happened to be a few streets away from their cafe. Minho pulled up to the house, parking the car as Kibum unplugged the aux cord and wrapped it around his phone. Minho fiddled with the steering wheel, resisting the urge to look over at Kibum until he did. He met his tired eyes, and Kibum gave him a small smile.“Thanks for taking me out today, it was fun hanging out with you for a while.”Fun? Fun…hanging out? With him?“You’re lying,” Minho said before he could stop himself, but Kibum just laughed, giving him a half-hearted shove.“What? Did you not like hanging out with me? I see how it is,” Kibum said quickly, a pout rapidly creeping into his voice.“No, no, no, I didn’t mean that. I’m just…surprised.”“Cut yourself some slack. You can be fun when you want to be.” Minho couldn’t even begin to think of a reply to that, but he stopped trying when Kibum yawned and stretched. “I’ll get the clothes I bought when I come over tomorrow, okay? Okay. Bye,” he said, drawing out the farewell cutely while he opened the door. He let himself out and closed it behind him.Minho watched him go, rolling down the passenger window and leaning across the seat. “Kibum!” He turned back around, and though he was cast in shadow, Minho could feel his expectancy. “I had fun with you today, too!”“Oh, honey, I know.”Minho snorted a quiet laugh, then said, “Bye!”Kibum waved and turned back around, and Minho waited until he was inside before he headed home.He was still smiling, albeit faintly, by the time he crawled into bed, and his last thought before drifting off to sleep was that he missed the new episode of his drama.Ah…well, surely there was a way to watch it before the next episode aired.Right now, he couldn’t really bring himself to care all that much.* * * * *The lights were all off inside as Kibum closed the door behind him. Squinting to see a bit better, he slipped out of his shoes and tiptoed to his and Jonghyun’s room. A faint yellow glow emanated from the crack below the door. Was he still awake?Actually, that was a dumb question.Sighing heavily, he pushed open the door, his gaze landing on Jonghyun, who immediately cast aside his manga. “How’d it go? Did he have fun? Did you make him take those pictures of you at dinner?”Kibum stared at him incredulously.“What? Did he not have fun?”“Were you wondering about me at all or just him?”“Just Minho.” Kibum scoffed loudly, shaking his head as he tugged his shirt off. “What? This isn’t new for you, it’s very new for him. Do you know how long it’s been since he hasn’t gotten dinner from us?” Kibum glanced over his shoulder before digging around in his suitcase for his pajamas. “Probably like two years. This is huge for him.”“Don’t worry, he did have fun.” Jonghyun visibly relaxed, and Kibum grabbed the first matching set of pajamas he laid eyes on and made for the door. Bed springs creaked behind him, and he looked to find Jonghyun following him. “Am I not allowed to get ready for bed in peace?”Jonghyun sank back on his bed. “You’ll tell me everything when you get back?”Kibum rolled his eyes and left the room, making his way down the dark hallway to the bathroom.Two years was an awfully long time to be getting the same dish from the same cafe every night for dinner. He flicked on the light and quickly changed into his pajamas before clipping back his hair so he could start his face washing routine.What was there to tell, really? They went to a few beaches, went clothes shopping, and had dinner. A fairly average day off. Well, not for Minho, of course, but… He rinsed his cleanser off his face, reaching for the next product.He did have fun. He hadn’t been lying to Minho about that. But there were moments where Joonwoo was viscerally brought back to mind. At dinner, mostly. He’d always been the one to take the pictures for Kibum. And, well, it wasn’t as if they ever shared desserts because they had vastly different tastes, but whenever Kibum tried to take some of his he would have pulled the plate away, too. Only to relent a few seconds later.Kibum scrubbed his cheeks a little too hard, wincing when he pulled his hands away. No, he hadn’t been able to escape him today. Minho being so quiet didn’t really help all that much, either.Still, it had been fun. He hadn’t lied to Minho. That would have been cruel. He seemed to gradually be warming up to him, which was nice to see. Still hesitant to share really personal things, but then he couldn’t fault him there. Hopefully, by the time he had to go home next month, Minho would be feeling a bit more comfortable with the world in general.He finished washing his face and patting it dry before he brushed his teeth. Jonghyun was still sitting up, eagerly waiting for him, when he got back into the room. Kibum sighed again and flipped his suitcase closed before flopping down on his bed, facing Jonghyun.“What all do you want to know?”Jonghyun didn’t let him stop until he’d given him every minute detail of the day, which was honestly a bit much, but hey, he was just excited. Kibum grabbed his phone when Jonghyun finally laid down, opening his messages with Yerim.[18:43]
Oppa…

Are you on a date right now?

He’s so cute?????

Who is he? How did you meet?
[19:21]
Oppaaaaa~ are you ignoring me?
 
Whatever, enjoy your date~ tell

me everything~~ I hope it went well~~~
[19:52]
Oh, so it really was a date???

That pasta looks good
A date? Really? Kibum sniffed, scrolling back up to the semi-blurry picture of him and Minho he had taken earlier. Minho was just behind him, looking into the mirror because he called his name. Kibum zoomed in on Minho himself, critically inspecting him.Alright, yeah, she had a point. He was sorta attractive. Or, he would have been if Kibum were actually interested in anyone right now. But he was so quiet and reserved…Joonwoo had been, too. Still lively, in his own way, but…no. Nope. Not thinking about him again. And not dating ever again so it didn’t matter if Minho were his type anyways.Which, he wasn’t.So there.He plugged his phone in to charge and rolled over, facing the wall. But sleep didn’t come for what felt like hours, and his eyes were gritty when Jonghyun shook him awake.“We’re heading out soon, didn’t you want to come with us?”Kibum groaned something that might have been yeah, but he didn’t rouse himself more than that for several more minutes. When he finally pulled himself out of bed, he dressed lethargically—but carefully—before heading down the hall to where Taeyeon and Jonghyun were waiting for him.“Do you want breakfast before we go?” Taeyeon asked, watching him with slight concern. He just shook his head and yawned, following the pair of them out to the street.They went shopping for groceries, Kibum trailing behind them sleepily as they bickered over what they actually needed for the day. He helped them unload it the bags into the kitchen before he started heading all the way down the alley to Minho’s shop.Maybe it’s too early for him. Well, whatever. He knocked on the backdoor, not really expecting Minho to answer it after that. But the door opened almost immediately, startling Kibum.“Oh, hey!” Minho said with the brightest smile Kibum had seen him wear to date. “Sorry, I was just…come in!”He opened the door wider, letting Kibum in.Ah, he’d been in the store room, that’s why he had been so quick.“I was just cleaning the canvas so I could get started on your painting,” he said, taking him through into the studio. There was a laptop he’d never seen before in all his visits to the studio, and on the screens were Minho’s pictures from yesterday. “Go ahead and look through these again and pick your favorites. I’ll go make us some coffee.”Kibum turned, watching him disappear up the stairs before he angled the laptop toward himself.They were all pretty, but one in particular stood out. The wave in the picture was just receding, and there were clusters of seafoam sticking to the sand in streaks. The sky was such bright shades of pink and orange with a bit of purple creeping in. Puffy lines of clouds were strewn across the sky, and the mountain in the distance, boldly shadowed in the oncoming night, was capped with a sleek, almost dome shaped cloud. He was still staring at it when Minho came downstairs, only tearing his gaze away to look up at him as he handed him his coffee.“I really like that one, too.”“Yeah, it’s so…dynamic.” Was that the right word? Did he get enough sleep last night to care?Minho’s brow furrowed as he looked at him. “Are you okay?”“Yeah, I’m just really tired.” He plopped down in one of the nearby empty seats, dragging his hands over his face. “Jonghyun kept me up late talking, that’s all.”“Oh…” When he looked up at him, he found Minho looking around the studio before his gaze flicked upstairs. “Do you need to take a nap or something?”“I mean, it sounds nice”—He met Kibum’s eyes for a second, looking conflicted—“but I’ll be fine.”“If…if you need to, you can crash on my…on my couch.” He let out a shuddering breath, as if he were relieved to get the words out. Then, a lot quicker, he added, “Besides, I have to do the sketch first before we can talk colors and style, and that’d probably put you to sleep anyways.” He finished with an awkward little laugh, and Kibum sniffed in amusement.“Are you sure?”He hesitated, but he still nodded. And after a few more seconds of just looking at each other, Minho started upstairs again, and this time, Kibum followed him.Banisters protecting the stairwell were on either side of it, splitting the room in two. To the left, on one side lay a kitchenette with a small fridge, a stovetop, and a tiny countertop oven that looked like it had never been used, and on the other was a neatly made bed with a dresser pushed up against the back wall. To the right, a tv positioned right up against the banister with a small couch sitting before it, and behind that, a balcony overlooking the street and the sea.Odd that there was no artwork on the walls up here. Maybe he was just sick of looking at it downstairs and didn’t want to be reminded of work in his home.Minho was fidgeting with his hands as Kibum looked around at the small space. “Oh, a blanket. Let me get you one.”Kibum watched him dart off, digging in the drawers of his dresser for one. Only, when he looked back around, he found one draped across the back of the couch. “Min—“ Minho jumped at the sound of his voice. “—ho, there’s already one out.”“Oh. Right. Okay.” He took a step toward the stairs, glancing down them. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”He took a couple steps down before he cast a fleeting glance at Kibum, then hurried all the way down. Kibum looked around, humming in thought. This space probably suited him really well, but it was just so small compared to his own place back home, he couldn’t imagine living here… He made his way over to the couch, sitting there for a second, listening to Minho moving around downstairs before he pulled the blanket over him and curled up on the couch.There was a faint, almost floral scent clinging to the fabric. He must have recently washed it.Kibum watched the reflection of the slowly shifting clouds outside in the blank screen of the tv as his eyes started to droop. It sounded like Minho was painting now. Wait, already? Or maybe he was just sketching like he said he would. For a second, he thought about getting up to go inspect for himself, but he was too cozy now, and he dozed off before he could convince himself to move.When he came to, he stared about the unfamiliar room in total confusion until his eyes landed on Minho in the kitchenette. Kibum rubbed his eyes quickly, sitting up a little straighter, the blanket slipped down around him.”How long was I out?”Minho looked over at him, amusement brightening his expression for a second before he looked back at what he was making. Kibum self-consciously smoothed his hair. “A little while. It’s my lunchtime. Are…you hungry?”“Yeah, a bit,” he said as his stomach growled ravenously at the mention of food. Thankfully, it wasn’t loud enough for Minho to hear.“It’s almost ready, so you can just wait downstairs.”Kibum stared at him for a second, trying to process what he said before he nodded and made his way downstairs.Ah, so he had indeed just been sketching. Faint outlines of every major part of the picture had been transferred to the canvas. Which, had to have taken forever. Kibum stepped closer to it, trying to imagine what the finished project would look like when Minho’s footfalls sounded behind him.He had two bowls in his hands, passing one of them to Kibum. Ah, bibimbap. He took the offered spoon with a grateful nod and stirred the contents of his bowl before taking a bite.Hey, not bad.“So, I was thinking about how to go about this,” Minho said, taking the seat at his workstation while Kibum took another bite.“The painting?” Kibum asked, covering his mouth. Minho nodded. Kibum swallowed the rest of his mouthful. “Won’t you just do it like you usually would?”Minho cracked a smile and cocked his head to the side before looking down at his lunch, scooping up a heaping spoonful but not eating it yet. “That’s what I thought at first, but…I have an idea.”Kibum squinted, his eyebrow shooting up. “What is it?”He met Kibum’s gaze for a second before he set down his bowl and stood, striding across the room to grab a bound notebook. “I just do these for fun usually. Like, warm-ups before I get to the actual paintings I sell.” He untied the knot, shifting the notebook for Kibum to see for himself. They were all still definitely landscapes, but they leaned more towards impressionism rather than his usual, more realistic style of art. Abstract too, with some of the color choices and extra brush strokes. “I like experimenting with different styles when I can, because I like the challenge. And,” Kibum flipped the page, finding a painting of the shops on the boardwalk. “I was thinking that you’d prefer something like this.”Kibum blinked a few times before he looked up.“Like, with really saturated, bright colors, because you’re really drawn to them. It’d be a statement piece for your place.”Just how much had he been paying attention to his preferences? Because he was spot on.“Have you ever done a piece in this style on a canvas this size?” Minho shook his head, but his eyes were smiling. As if he couldn’t wait for the go-ahead to take on the challenge ahead. Kibum couldn’t help but smile in return. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do it, then.”To his surprise, Minho hurried back to his station, pulling out a much smaller sheet of thick paper and his palate before returning to the table Kibum was leaning against.“What are you doing?”“A quick practice one so I can decide on the colors.”Oh. Made sense. Kibum sat on one of the stools, watching him sort through his tubes of paint for a few minutes before he asked, “Will you need the reference photo?”“Not really, no.”“Good.” He slid Minho’s laptop around, setting his bibimbap aside. Minho looked up at him, confused. “I’m gonna set up your instagram.”“Personal or business?”Oh god, did he not have either? He lived in Jeju, how on earth…But then, he barely left his home or shop, so, he supposed that made sense.“I can do both for you.”He pulled Minho away from his paints long enough to type in his email and password so he could set up the accounts, then asked for his phone number so he could type it in.“Oh, hey, do you mind if I put your number in my phone?” Kibum asked, already whipping it out and opening his contacts.“Uh, no, that’s alright.”Kibum typed it in quickly, opening up a new message between them. It’s me~“Do you have any ideas for your handle?” he asked, setting his phone aside on the table.“Handle?”Kibum chuckled. “Like, your username.”“Oh, right. I knew that.” He shot Kibum a sheepish look that cracked both of them up. “Not really, sorry.”“It’s okay.” He typed out a few quick ideas, but they were either already taken or he didn’t like how they looked. “When’s your birthday?”“December ninth,” Minho said, not looking up from mixing paint on his palate to make…was that fuschia? He looked up with a frown a few seconds later. “Wait, why?”Kibum shook his head, playing around with a few more names including his birthday until he typed—“What about this?” he asked, spinning the computer around to show Minho choiminho_1209. He gave him an approving nod, and Kibum turned it back around to continue setting up the preliminary parts of the account—including setting it to private—before he switched over to making a business account for him.Again, it took a few tries, but he decided on artists_choice, and when Minho gave the okay, he got to work.Once both accounts were set up, Kibum picked his phone back up, following artists_choice first before requesting to follow choiminho_1209. He glanced across the table at Minho, who had just moved to get his brushes.He hadn’t been kidding about a saturated array of colors. Purple, fuschia, orange, a spot of green, and blue. Some black, white and brown. A bit of bright yellow. They were stunningly bold, even on the messy palette, so he could only imagine how they’d come together for the finished piece.“Hey,” Minho looked up after a few seconds, clearly distracted as Kibum reached for Minho’s discarded camera. “Is it alright with you if I get a few pictures around here?”“Yeah, sure,” he said, though Kibum wasn’t sure if he knew what he was agreeing to.Minho started painting before Kibum even slipped off the stool, and Kibum left him to it as he made his way outside to get a shot of the front of the store. Then, back inside and out of the sweltering sun, he took some more. Of the interior of the storefront, of some of the paintings themselves. Then back to the studio, with some more close-ups of the paintings and photos on the walls, one of the easels set up with a painting that Kibum assumed was drying.He stopped beside Minho, positioning the camera over his shoulder and watching his hands and the deft brushstrokes he was making with the orange paint for a few seconds before—
Click!
Minho jumped just as soon as he pulled his brush away to get more paint, hand over his heart with a breathy laugh as he met Kibum’s amused gaze.“Did I scare you?”“Would you believe me if I said no?” he asked, and Kibum shook his head, his smile growing. “Then I don’t know what to tell you.”Kibum chuckled, heading back to his spot in front of the computer on the other side of the table. He waited for Minho to get back to painting before he snapped a few more pictures of him in his paint-smeared…well, everything. There was even a bit of fuschia smeared on his cheek. He was so engrossed in his work again that he didn’t even notice the clicking of the camera.He took the sim card out and inputted it into Minho’s computer, selecting the photos he was satisfied with. He changed artists_choice’s profile to the one of the outside shot of the shop, then typed a bit in the description that Minho would hopefully update later. Then, just as he was finishing putting together a few drafts, Minho sat back, his eyes still on the practice painting, the biggest grin Kibum had seen him wear to date splitting his face.“Alright, so this is just the concept for it, but what do you think?”He turned the painting around to show Kibum, who leaned around the computer to inspect it for himself.A bit messy and rushed, but that was to be expected, given how little time Minho had spent on it. But…even so, there were emotions there. His emotions, somehow. About Joonwoo, about his aching loneliness…He could see it all in the swirling colors that mirrored the chaos inside that he had struggled to contain with the constant drinking but now…looking at it… A sense of calm, of peace warmed over him. How? With that vibrant color palette, he had no idea. But, some of the tension that had been accumulating within him since that night he walked in on them in his bed released.And this was only the practice painting.He slumped back on his stool, and heaved a heavy sigh, not able to tear his gaze away until Minho asked quietly, “Is there something the matter with it?”“No,” Kibum said, finally looking up and meeting Minho’s gaze with a smile. “I can’t wait to see the finished piece.”It was nearly time for dinner when Minho finished clearing up for the day, and after he finished, Minho took him around back to get his clothes out of the trunk before they made their way down the alley to the cafe.“Just go through the back,” Kibum said, nodding insistently when Minho hesitated. “They won’t care.”Kibum opened the door for them, stepping in to get Jonghyun’s keys after Minho reluctantly made his way inside. He let himself into the car, tossing the bag in the backseat and locking it again before walking back inside. Taeyeon had stopped Minho at the hot plate, chatting cheerily at him despite his apprehension at being back here clearly shown by his overly wide eyes.Kibum linked his arm with Minho, pulling him along. “Get back to work, Taeyeon,” he said as cutely as he could manage, which earned a laugh from Minho and a rude gesture from Taeyeon as he pulled Minho out behind the bar.Jonghyun looked over at them, immediately looking again when he spotted Minho. “Wha—““Shh, Jjong,” Kibum said, his fingers slipping away from around Minho’s arm as they reached the edge of the bar. “Don’t bother us, we have business to do.”“Business?” Minho asked, sitting on the stool beside Kibum.“Yeah, I’m gonna explain Instagram to you while you wait for your food.”It took until about ten minutes past when Taeyeon dropped off his to-go bag for everything to click in Minho’s mind. For a second, Kibum thought he was gonna stay and eat his dinner there but, after looking around at the full cafe and when the guy sitting on Minho’s other side accidentally bumped into him for the fifth time, Kibum knew it was a lost cause.They said good night, both he and Jonghyun waving goodbye to him when he turned to do so at the door, Kibum watched him until he disappeared behind the edge of the cafe before turning on his stool to face Jonghyun.“I don’t know what you're doing but…” His smile grew, and he looked back at the empty window. “Keep it up.”Taeyeon brought Kibum out a bowl of jjamppong, too, and just as he was about to start on it, his phone screen lit up. He turned it toward him, looking down at it to find:
choiminho_1209 started following you!
Kibum watched the notification disappear with a smile.* * * * *Almost as soon as he opened his shop for the day, his storefront was flooded with tourists and customers, despite the looming promise of rain perfuming the air and coloring the clouds. He barely had a moment to work on any of his paintings, including Kibum’s. No, he was practically chained to his register with just enough room to walk around and talk about his paintings with the customers. He recommended a visit to whichever beaches he had taken references from, if they were especially drawn to a particular piece.It had been like this for days, and he was exhausted.When lunchtime rolled around, he’d decided to skip it, just so he’d have some peace of mind and a bit of time to work on any painting at all—but honestly, probably Kibum’s. He’d just finished stocking some of the empty slots in his dwindling back stock of already completed paintings and was about to flip his sign when the door opened.He was barely able to mask his exhaustion with a smile as he turned to greet the new customer, only to find Kibum standing in the doorway watching him with amusement. Relief settled in his shoulders, his smile coming a little easier as Kibum said, “Oh, honey, is that your customer service smile?”Minho let out a huff of a laugh. “It is today.” Kibum tucked the to-go bag from the cafe into his arm and turned to flip the sign for him. “Thank you.” He held up the bag, leaving it in Minho’s open hands as he passed him on his way into the studio. “What is it?” Minho asked, peering tentatively into the bag.“Taeyeon made too many haemul pajeon for an order so she told me to give them to you, since I was already coming over.” He stopped at Minho’s station, looking blankly at the large canvas. “You haven’t painted any more since yesterday?”Minho’s shoulders slumped, though not out of relief this time, as he trudged to join Kibum in his studio. “I know, I’m sorry. It’s been so busy here lately.”“Oh?” Kibum looked back at him, his expression immediately brightening. “But that’s a good thing, right?”“I mean, yeah.” Minho slipped around him, sitting before the canvas and looking up at Kibum. “But I’m tired of people.”Kibum’s face didn’t exactly fall, but he definitely sobered a bit. “Do you need me to leave you alone?”Minho immediately shook his head. “You’re alright. I like being around you.”His smile returned, faint but pleased enough for a dimple to appear before he turned to sit at the table across from him. He declined the pancake Minho offered him, instead, choosing to sit on his phone in quiet company as Minho ate. It was nice. Almost like…when he put his phone to charge by his bed while he slept. Like the comfortable silence was recharging him. It did, enough at least for him to have the time to finish painting the purple base layer of the sea before his phone alerted him that lunchtime was over and he needed to get back to work.It was a much quieter afternoon leading into the evening, with only a handful of people coming in. He couldn’t exactly blame them. In the few glimpses he had of the outside world, the weather-app-predicted storm was definitely brewing.“How’s it looking out there?” Minho asked, taking his attention away from Kibum’s painting to look through the threshold at him. His lemon yellow shirt was exceptionally bright against the increasingly darkening clouds.Kibum glanced back at him, shaking his head, only to jump a second later when the door rattled with a violent gust of wind. Minho jumped up as Kibum hugged himself and whipped back around to look at the storm, slipping around him to turn the deadbolt and flip the sign.“I don’t think anyone else is—“Lightning crackled over the sea before Minho could finish, both of them looking up as thunder rumbled.“I think you’re stuck with me for a bit longer,” Kibum said, looking Minho’s way, even though Minho couldn’t tear his eyes away from the storm.“You don’t have to stay here. If you’re quick, you might be able to—“Again, Minho was cut off by lightning slicing through the air. Closer to the beach now. It was followed by a torrent of heavy rain and, in the time it took for Minho to look away from the storm to meet Kibum’s gaze, the power failing.They were cloaked in near darkness, save for the grim gray light seeping in from the storm.“You were saying?” Kibum asked, clearly amused. He turned away, heading back into the studio. “Do you have candles or anything?”“Yeah. Upstairs.”Kibum’s face was illuminated by another crack of lightning as he looked back around at him. “Do you want to bring it down, or…”Minho had to remind himself to breathe. Where would they sit to wait the storm out? His bed? There was no way. The couch? Neither were good; neither would be okay. But that’d be weird, right? For him to refuse to join him on the couch? But what if he thought…he didn’t want him to think that he…that he would ever…or could ever…“Minho?”He blinked, the storefront and a very concerned Kibum coming back into focus.“Are you alright?”Minho cleared his throat and looked away. “No, it’s okay…we…we can both go up.” Kibum gave him a long, searching look before he turned and led the way to Minho’s apartment.It was fine during the day with the sunlight and the promise of other people around. And in the car on their road trip last month, given that they were never too far from being with other people. Then it was fine being alone with him. But like this? In the dark?His hands shook as he grabbed the candle from his dresser, turning to find Kibum making himself comfortable on the couch. Minho hurried to the kitchenette, searching for the lighter in the top left drawer. Once he grabbed it, he brought both over, setting the candle on the table and lighting it as another roll of thunder sounded. Kibum leaned closer to smell it as Minho moved back to set the lighter back in its place. Then, slowly, very reluctantly, he returned to the table between the tv and the couch and sat on the floor on the other side.Kibum’s gaze flicked to meet Minho’s, and as much as he wanted to look away, he couldn’t. “What?”“Am I taking up too much space on the couch?”Minho shook his head, and when Kibum’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable. Because of me,” he said so quickly he wasn’t sure if it came out jumbled.“Uncom…” Kibum sat back, still watching him, his concern etched a bit deeper now. “Have I given you that impression?”“No!” If anything, he just looked more confused. “I just—“ How to explain? “Something happened. A while back. Before I moved here. And I don’t want to...to risk anything.”Realization dawned and Kibum sat back a little, his face now hidden in flickering shadow. “Do you want to talk about it?”Yes.Minho blinked rapidly. He hadn’t wanted to think about it, let alone tell anyone what actually happened since, but…but would he be able to? The story was lodged in his throat now, a hard lump keeping him from speaking.Kibum patted the cushion beside him, and when Minho hesitated still, he said, “I promise, you don’t make me feel uncomfortable.”For now, at least.It took every gram of willpower within him to stand, to move to join Kibum on the couch, even if he was as pressed against the armrest and away from Kibum as he could get. Kibum was still watching him, he could tell, but he couldn’t look away from the tiny flame.“Do you want to know the whole story? About my ex?” Minho blinked, his eyes burning as he turned his attention from the candle to Kibum. He smiled, albeit sadly. “We met in college, and I was…to my embarrassment now, immediately enamored. We were in the same year—different majors, of course—but, you know how people like us find each other.” Minho nodded. “Anyways, we went out to the same party during the first week of the anniversary and then…”His voice trailed off, as if he was lost in the memory.“And then we were basically inseparable. He wasn’t my first kiss but he was my first time, which obviously didn’t help with my infatuation,” he said, cringing. “But we were happy.”He squinted a bit, fiddling with his fingers as more lightning shattered the blooming darkness. “After college, we immediately moved in together. Into the place I live at now. At that point, we both had our own separate, surprisingly lucrative jobs that enabled us to stay in Seoul, despite our families wanting us to return to Daegu.”“Is that where you’re from?”Kibum nodded. “Isn’t that funny? We could have met at school, but, I guess we lived on opposite sides of town.” He let out a long sigh, neither of them speaking for several, rain-filled moments.“We had even talked about marriage, despite us not being able to. Obviously.” Minho nodded again. “But a pair of friends of ours that we also knew from college had a secret commitment ceremony that we went to. I had been excited and wanted to do the same—in our own way, of course—but while I was daydreaming of that, I guess Joonwoo had met Daejung. The other guy,” he added quickly when Minho’s brow furrowed. “Joonwoo became really secretive afterward. Staying later and later at work. I, in my foolishness, thought that meant he was saving up for a ring, planning his proposal.“I was taking a trip down to Daegu to surprise my mom for her birthday, and usually that’d mean that Joonwoo would join me and we’d visit his family, too. But he had to work. He’s a lawyer, claimed he had a new case he was working on.” Kibum rolled his eyes, sighing again. “So, I went alone, thinking that when I came back, I’d find him waiting to propose, but instead…instead I found them in my bed.”Minho gasped quietly, and Kibum lifted his gaze to meet his wide eyes. “To make matters worse, I can’t make myself block him. Part of me, however small it actually is, wants him back. Even now.”Minho stared at him until Kibum looked away. “He doesn’t deserve you, though.”“You sound like Jjong.”“He doesn’t, though. Not after all that.”“See, logically, I know that, but…I don’t know, maybe someday I’ll let go.”“I hope you can. For your sake.”Kibum smiled forlornly at the flame, eventually meeting Minho’s gaze again. “So that’s why I came here, I guess. I needed the escape. You’ve helped me a lot, actually.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up involuntarily. “Don’t look so surprised,” he said, chuckling. “You’ve been a nice distraction.” How in the world had he been a distraction? Some of his question must have been legible in his expression, because Kibum added, “I don’t know how obvious it’s been, but I’ve been trying to befriend you.”“Why?” Minho couldn’t stop himself from asking.He surveyed Minho quietly for several long seconds, clearly thinking. “Jjong said something had happened”—Minho froze—“when you came out and”—his stomach curdled—“I wanted to help you. If I could.”“What did he tell you?”“Just that.” Minho stared unblinkingly at the flame, thunder filling the silence. “You’re not a charity case, Minho, and I hope you don’t think that’s how I regard you. I have come to think of you genuinely as a friend, and I look forward to the time we spend together. And…since you’ve helped me, I really would like to help you. If you’ll let me.”He half-blinked, looking back at Kibum, his heart stuttering irregularly. “How can you help me?”“I can listen.” The story was getting closer now. Ready to spill out of his mouth. After this long, he had had enough practice with repressing the urge to let it happen, but— “I promise, whatever you say won’t leave this room.”It was time. It had festered long enough.“His name was Yeunseo.”Even that was a relief to say. Just his name.“I was in love with him, and he with me. We had been since middle school. Our families had been really close, so it was only natural, really…” Tears? Already? He turned away from Kibum, brushing his cheek to swipe the tear away before Kibum noticed. “Neither of us were out to our family, but we’d been together since second grade of high school, and still together after we completed our military service. Separated though, of course. We didn’t want to risk being caught.”He wiped his eyes again, not caring now if Kibum saw.“We’d only been back for a few weeks and we were still all over each other whenever we were alone.” Minho let out a choked chuckle. “His parents were gone for the weekend, and I had told mine I was gonna hang out there for his birthday. So, we were gonna have two blissful days together. Absolutely alone.”The words finally caught in his throat. He’d been expecting it to happen sooner, but this was also a good place for it to happen.Kibum let the silence linger for a while, finally breaking it with the quiet question: “Were you not alone?”“We were at first.”Another long pause. “What happened?”Minho averted his eyes, staring down at his folded hands. “Well, we started off with a romantic, home-cooked meal—Yeunseo was a really good cook—and got a bit…distracted while trying to clear up. They…his family a-and mine…they barged in. A surprise party,” he added weakly. “I don’t know which of us was the most surprised. But…he said…”The words caught again, and it took several throat clearings to start him speaking again.“He said I had forced him.” Kibum gasped, reaching across the couch to grab his hands, but Minho couldn’t stand the contact. He moved away, and Kibum released him, but didn’t return to his side of the couch. “That I came onto him. That I wouldn’t take no for an answer. But that wasn’t true. It never had been, he was just scared.”He was crying in earnest now, the words mangled by his repressed sobs.“Our fathers tried to…I don’t know. They beat me, though. Might have been trying to kill me if my mom hadn’t stopped them. Yeunseo just…he just watched them do it. I don’t think he could move.” Minho fell silent until he couldn’t bear it, then he added, “I lost everyone I’d ever known, that night.”Minho sniffed loudly, turning away from Kibum and wiping his wet face with the inside of his shirt. “Have you seen any of them since?” Minho shook his head before lifting it out of the neck of his shirt. “Minho, I’m so sorry that happened.” He still couldn’t make himself meet Kibum’s eyes. “I understand why you’d be worried about making me—or anyone— uncomfortable just by being around you, but I guarantee that’s not the case. Not with me.” Minho relented, looking over at him. “Nor with Jjong.”“Jjong?”Kibum let out a loud, somewhat exasperated sigh. “He’s basically frothing at the mouth trying to be your friend. It’s okay!” he said quickly when Minho’s brow started to furrow again. “I understand why you’d be so…reclusive, now. After all that. But really—““But he pities me.” He said it with such vitriol that it surprised even him.“Honey, you haven’t given him a chance to do much else.” Minho settled against the back of the couch, struck dumb. “I swear, if you give him even a hint of a genuine desire for friendship, he’ll take you along for the ride.” When Minho continued to stare at him, Kibum sighed again. “I know, it’s easier said than done. But you won’t ever recover from this unless you let yourself make some new roots here. New friends, new experiences…a new boyfriend, maybe.”Minho shot him an incredulous look. Friends and experiences he could do eventually, but boyfriend? That seemed like too big of a risk to try for again.“I know,” Kibum said with a laugh. “I’m feeling pretty against the idea of trying to date again, too. But who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky again someday.”Doubtful.Still, he allowed himself to relax fully into the couch, his head slumping against the back of it. Why the fuck did he feel sore? Had he been carrying the tension of that night with him all this time?Is this what peace felt like?It’d been so long, he’d forgotten.The lights flickered back on downstairs, drawing both of their attention. Minho jumped off the couch, making his way across the room to flip on the lights of his apartment. As he did, he found Kibum halfway to the balcony to look outside. There was still a hint of thunder, though in the distance. Rain pittered lazily outside, no longer coming down in sheets.Kibum looked up at him as he stopped beside him. “Should we go get dinner?”“Sure.”Minho led the way downstairs, flipping the upstairs light off, then the studio, then the storefront by the time Kibum joined him at the front door.“Wait, Minho.” He cast Kibum a curiously nervous glance shocked to find him leaning closer, his arms wrapping around him in a…in a hug.Every nerve was immediately alive as Kibum pulled him flush against him. His heart was beating wildly—were they close enough for Kibum to feel it? When Kibum rested his chin on Minho’s shoulder, Minho finally relented and turned his head, burying his face in his neck as he started to tear up again.Kibum’s hands stroked his back lightly. “I hope you feel better soon, Minho.”“I hope the same for you.”Minho’s eyes squeezed shut when Kibum held him tighter. Just for a few seconds. Then, Kibum started to release him, so Minho quite reluctantly let him go. His hands slid away from Minho’s sides as he looked up at him with a tired smile, and Minho repressed a sigh when Kibum’s hands finally slipped away from him.The cool, dank night greeted them, starting both of them shivering on the short trek down the boardwalk to the cafe. Minho held the door open for Kibum to enter the cafe first, surprised at how empty it was.“We’re cl—“ Jonghyun started to say as he pushed through the kitchen door, but cut short at the sight of them. “Did you lose power, too?” Both he and Kibum nodded. He gestured for them to hurry up to the bar, both of them choosing a stool right beside each other. “I’ll let Taeyeon know you’re here, Minho, so she can make your—““Oh, I’m not very hungry, so, uh, if she wants she can just make some more of those haemul pajeon. For here,” he added quickly, stifling a chuckle at the look of shock on Jonghyun’s face.His wide eyes turned to Kibum for a second before returning to Minho. “I’ll go tell her.”Kibum waited until Jonghyun slipped back into the kitchen before he swiveled toward Minho, knocking their knees together. “For here, huh?”Minho shrugged with a small smile. “Gotta start sometime, don’t I?”He returned the smile with a nod, but was unable to reply when Jonghyun burst back out the door. He grinned at Minho as he moved around the bar, hurrying to the front door to lock it.“Here, we’ll sit at a table. Taeyeon is gonna join us.” Minho took the place beside Kibum and Jonghyun plopped down on his other side, still grinning.Dinner was simple, but boisterously fun. The trio of cousins kept him laughing with embarrassing stories about the others from growing up. By the time he thanked them and said his goodbyes, the sense of peace that had begun in his apartment had filled him completely.He’d be okay again.Sooner rather than later, it looked like.* * * * *“What happened?”“Yeah, what’d you do?”Jonghyun and Taeyeon’s questions were rapid fire as soon as the door closed behind Minho.Kibum had been drinking the last of his water, and he choked on it as he started to laugh. “Would you two relax?”“No.” They said in near unison.“We talked, okay?” Both of their eyes widened, Jonghyun starting to speak before Kibum cut him off. “He told me everything. And no, I’m not gonna say anything. If he wants to tell you, that’s on him.”“Was it really bad?”Kibum gulped, then nodded. He wouldn’t have wished that on anyone. Not even Daejung.“Don’t smother him, though. Let him come to you.”“What do you think I’ve been doing?”Pitying him, apparently. He couldn’t really blame Minho for keeping his distance, if that’s how he felt about it, but he also couldn’t blame Jonghyun for feeling that way either.But things were looking up now, for both of them.“Does he know you’re leaving next week?” Taeyeon asked. Kibum shook his head, sighing. “You should probably tell him.”“I know.” And he would. Tomorrow probably, when he went over to keep him company in his studio.He helped them clean until Taeyeon decided it was time for them to head home. He hopped into the backseat, glancing down the dark alley toward Minho’s shop as he pulled out his phone, unlocking it absently.Joonwoo stared back at him.He hadn’t had the heart to change his home screen yet.But it was over. He had to admit that.As much as he missed him, as much as he longed for him to return to him, he’d never be able to fully forgive him.So…it was time to say goodbye, then…Kibum opened up his camera roll, scrolling through the pictures to find one to replace it. He stopped at the picture he had taken at sunset on Sagye Beach, zooming in over the sea. Yeah, that’d work for now. He set it to his lock and home screen and then, after admiring it for a few seconds, he opened his Instagram.He tapped open his following list, typing in Joonwoo’s handle, then hesitated before pressing unfollow. Quicker now, he did the same with his follower list, making him unfollow Kibum. He let out a sigh as he exited the app, swiping to close it before he shifted to his messages.The ones with Joonwoo were pinned to the top of his messages, and without scrolling through to read them, without even glancing at the last string of texts that Joonwoo had sent him, he blocked him.His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he stared at the unblock button, but before he questioned his resolve, he swiped back to the screen with all the messages so he could delete the entire thing. He didn’t hesitate, he just hit the red trash can icon and…and…He was gone.Kibum was finally free.He leaned his head back against the seat, letting the relief fill him completely. Going back home didn’t sound so daunting anymore. He smiled at the night, his eyes slipping closed in what was almost contentment.Tomorrow came all too soon, and he didn’t have a chance to drop in at Minho’s until mid-morning. He bought a couple of croissants and coffees for them, going around the back when he saw that Minho was busy with customers. Letting himself in, he set Minho’s coffee down by his station and peeked into the bag, pulling out the sweet and spicy red bean paste-filled croissant that Minho favored, and took his stuff over to the table to wait for him to finish with the customers.Even though his mouth was full, he smiled at Minho as he came through, and was a bit dazzled at the brightness of Minho’s expression when he saw him.“So you’re just letting yourself in now?”“Is that okay?”“Of course it is.” Minho sat at his station, tearing off a bit of his croissant. “Still busy today, but I’ve been able to get some stuff done so far.”“That’s good.” Minho took another bite of his croissant. “How are you doing today?”He chewed quickly, covering his mouth as he swallowed to say, “Good. I’m…feeling better than I have in quite some time.”“Me too.” When Minho shot him a quizzical look, Kibum went on. “I blocked Joonwoo. Deleted all of our messages.” Grinning, Minho wiped the croissant crumbs off on his paint-stained jeans, leaning across to high-five Kibum, who obliged him with a laugh. “Hopefully,” he said as he settled back on his stool, “it’ll make going home easier.”“When do you have to head back?”“Sunday.”Minho’s expression fell, even though he looked like he was struggling not to let that happen. “Did you have fun here?”“I did, yes.”“Do—“ He let the question drop with a shake of his head.“What?”“Do you think you’ll want to come back?”Kibum cracked a grin. “Of course.” Minho nodded, averting his eyes, despondently squeezed a bit of the paste out of the center of the remainder of his croissant. “I’ll miss you, too, Minho, but I’ve already decided to save up my vacation days and come back next summer, too.”There it was. The light was back in his eyes. “Really?” When Kibum nodded, Minho relaxed against the back of his chair. “I can’t wait.”“So you want me to leave now so you can get a taste of the waiting, or…” He laughed when Minho scoffed loudly. “Nah, I’m kidding. You’re stuck with me until dinner.”“I can deal with that.”By the time Sunday came around, he was dreading leaving again, but not because he had to face his empty home. He had really come to love it here. Before, he never really understood why Jonghyun and Taeyeon felt so out of place when their family came up to Daegu to visit his—because who didn't like to visit the city?—but now, after visiting their small town, he understood. He’d miss the quiet quaintness of the tourist trap of a town they lived in. The beaches…the shopping…He glanced across the back seat of Jonghyun’s car to where Minho was sitting, currently laughing at something Taeyeon said. He’d miss him, too. All of them. He’d been relieved when Minho asked if he could come with to drop him off at the airport, even though it’d be just as hard to say goodbye there as it would be in his shop.Both he and Jonghyun grabbed one of his suitcases, and Taeyeon walked with him into the airport, leaving the pair of them to trail behind while Kibum checked into his flight.“Text us when you land?” Taeyeon asked, looking up at him after she hugged him.“Of course.”Jonghyun hugged him tight, patting him a bit roughly on the back before letting him go. He almost looked like he was gonna cry, but he shook his head dismissively when Kibum eyed him with concern. “I’m fine.”“Why are you acting like you’ll never see me again?”“I mean, you never know…”Shaking his head with a laugh, he held out his arms to Minho, pulling him into a hug. “You have my address, right?”Minho nodded against his shoulder. “I’ll send you a picture as soon as I finish it, too.”“Thanks,” he said as he slipped away from Minho. “I guess I should go.”Jonghyun wrapped him up in one last hug before Taeyeon pulled him away so that Kibum could join the line to security. He looked back at them when he reached the front of the line, waving when they did, then hurried up to the agent so he could head through to the terminal.* * * * *Night had long since enveloped the world outside his studio, but Minho was too engrossed in his work to notice. Rain pittered merrily against the window, drowning out any thoughts in his head aside from the ones that were allowing him to focus on Kibum’s painting.A few more brushstrokes, then Minho pulled the brush away as he stepped back, surveying the whole thing.“I’m…done…”He blinked his burning eyes, looking around for his phone. It was nearing Halloween, which meant that it had taken him at least two more months than he had been expecting to be satisfied with the finished project. He lined it up in the camera, framing it symmetrically within it before he snapped a picture.[19:58]
Finally done
He sent it and the text to Kibum, setting his phone aside so he could thin out some of the fuschia to sign his name. It vibrated just as he reached the right consistency, and he reached for it, opening their messages.
Oh my god

I love it so much

When can you send it??
Minho stuck his paintbrush between his teeth and balanced the palette on his knee.
As soon as it fully dries and after I can varnish it.

So, sometime this next spring

That’s too far away

Sucks to be you then ㅋㅋ

Fuck you ㅋㅋㅋ
Minho laughed aloud, looking back up at the painting before returning his attention to his phone.
Don’t worry, Bummie, I’ll take care of it for you until then

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

[12:09]
Has your mail arrived yet?
Kibum rolled his eyes with the tiniest of smiles, setting aside his phone and returning his attention to the meeting. Minho had been texting him that question every day for the past week since he sent his painting. He’d done what he intended, though, because now he was distracted. 12:11. Maybe he should go home for lunch to check if the rather large package had arrived yet.He drummed his fingers on the table, impatient now. He wasn’t even gonna be involved with this VIP’s account, why did he have to be here?Eventually, the meeting ended, and Kibum left as quickly as he could, dropping by his cubicle to grab his keys before hurrying to the car park. He only had an hour for lunch, but luckily, he didn’t live too far from work. Despite his better judgment, he ran up the stairs, and to his dismay, there was no painting waiting for him. So, with a groan, he let himself inside.[13:01]
You need to stop being so annoying ㅋㅋ

Did you actually send it this time??
He set his phone down on the kitchen counter and shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it over the back of one of his chairs so he could put together a quick lunch for himself. Just as he was about to reheat his take-out leftovers, his doorbell rang. He whipped around at the sound, only to turn quickly back so he could finish pressing in the time and start the microwave.The doorbell rang again, and Kibum, muttering about impatience, hurried over to answer the door.A very young delivery boy stood there, his hands resting lazily atop a rather large brown-papered rectangle. “Kim Kibum?” he asked, sounding bored. When Kibum nodded, he reached into his jacket, pulled out his handheld computer, and presented it for Kibum to sign for it before passing the painting to him. He left as Kibum thanked him, and Kibum let the door fall closed behind him as he pulled it inside.He flipped it around, searching for a seam to open it, only to find an envelope taped to the back. His address was there, of course, but when he pulled it off, he felt something inside. Without any of his usual decorum, Kibum ripped it open and peeked inside.A small, folded piece of Minho’s familiar thick painting paper waited for him, and he took it out, flipping it over to look at the painted front. Oh, it was one of his watercolors?It was a simple painting of the sky, the wisps of clouds tinged partly pink. Kibum smiled at it before he flipped the card open.
I hope you like the title.
Kibum’s brow furrowed as he pocketed the card, and resumed his search for a way to open his painting. Once he found it, he carefully tore into it, slowly revealing the finished piece.The picture Minho sent didn’t do the stunning vibrancy of the colors any justice whatsoever. He stood there, staring at the impression of that beach they had visited what felt like a long time ago until he was jolted out of his trance when the microwave beeped. Right. He was supposed to be looking for a title.He scanned the front, but there was nothing, so he went around behind it, eyes darting wildly over every centimeter until they caught on a black scrawl on the bottom left corner of the folded-over canvas. Kibum crouched down, squinting at it.Sun of a Beach, it read, and Kibum snorted, grinning.“I should book my flights,” he said to himself as he shook the painting free of the paper and carried it over to the empty spot.He set it on the table below where it would hang, carefully rearranging the potted plants that had accumulated there over the months since his return from Jeju. Then he stepped back, smiling up at it before he retrieved the little card to place on the table between two of his succulents.“There.”He grabbed his take-out from the microwave and then his phone from the counter, sitting down at his little table to eat and get his flights sorted out. Once they were booked, he went to text Minho, only to get distracted by an Instagram notification from Jonghyun.Oh right, it was his and Minho’s shared day off, wasn’t it?He pressed on it, scoffing immediately as the post loaded. They were eating at a ramen place in town that Jonghyun had taken him to when he was there last. Jonghyun was posing with the ramen halfway to his wide-open mouth, and Minho was sitting behind him, his face contorted in mock judgment. He swiped to the next picture, sighing with slight exasperation at the two of them posing “cutely” with peace signs over their mouths.He liked the post, shaking his head, and checked the time. Shit, he had to head back soon. Pausing as he passed it, Kibum took a quick picture of the painting and sent it to Minho as he made his way to the door.[13:42]
I need to try to remember to get stuff to

hang this when I get off work
He switched over to his and Jonghyun’s texts as he made his way to his car, texting, I remembered to book my flights today. I’ll be there June 2nd.* * * * *A richly deep blue sky surrounded Minho. Puffy white clouds stretched around and above him, tinted a pale gray in the defining shadows. Tall green grasses and long-stemmed yellow wildflowers danced all around him in the breeze.Well. Almost all around him.He glowered at the last stretch of the mural he had left to paint, his paintbrush between his teeth as he massaged his aching hand.Jinki had hired him last week to paint a new “relaxing” mural in the reading room in his shop to prepare for the new round of tourists set to come through for the summer.He flexed his hand a few more times, then grabbed his paintbrush and resumed. This was his third day in a row of working on this, and as nice as it was to have Jinki around more often, he was ready to be finished. Being trapped in this small room for this long was starting to wear on him, even with Jinki, Taemin, and Jonghyun dropping by to occasionally keep him company.It was sort of ironic that he felt this way, given how he had been about the world outside his little shop down the boardwalk a little over a year ago.“How’s it going?” Jinki asked, his gentle voice drawing Minho away from his thoughts and the strand of grass he was painting. “Oh! It’s looking amazing!”Minho smiled up at him before he shifted his focus back to the wall. “Will you want help moving everything back in here?”“I should be fine. Taemin already offered to drop by and help me later. Once it dries.”Minho nodded. “You can come get me if you need me, you know. I don’t mind helping you with—“The tiny silver bell above the front door tinkled softly, both of them turning to the threshold leading out to the rest of the bookshop. Jinki left him, and Minho listened for a second before he resumed painting, only…Jonghyun’s bright yet somewhat breathy laughter filled the empty shop, and Minho cracked a smile, not looking up. Of course, Jonghyun was here. He dropped in nearly every day, didn’t he? Was often a bit late on his visits to Artist’s Choice, sighing a bit wistfully as he glided into the room. Jinki said something, but his voice was too quiet to make out more than a low mumble, but whatever it was must have been funny for Jonghyun to laugh like that.Minho schooled his features as their footsteps drew near, not even bothering to look around as they stopped in the doorway.“See?” Jinki asked. “Isn’t he doing a good job?”Minho smiled, looking back at him, only to find Jonghyun watching Jinki without even bothering to look around at the mural. “Yes, very pretty.”God…It took all of his effort not to laugh, but as Jonghyun’s friend—best friend, maybe—it was his sworn duty to keep his amusement in check when he was around his long-standing crush. That’d have to wait until they were alone.And possibly drunk.He glanced back at Jonghyun, suppressing a smile when he caught his eye. The tips of Jonghyun’s ears immediately flared red, and Minho turned back around, painting another stalk of grass.Jonghyun cleared his throat, his voice slightly higher pitched than usual when he asked. “You almost ready to head out?”Minho’s brow furrowed, and he glanced down at his makeshift paint palette to switch to a different shade of green. “Head out…where?”“Kibum’s flight will be here in—“ Oh, right. Minho turned back around, watching Jonghyun dig into his pocket for his phone to check the time. “—An hour, and it’ll take us that long to head into town, so…”“Yeah, okay.”He turned back around, setting his paintbrush on his palette. He’d been so distracted with painting that he had almost forgotten. Not quite, of course. Anxiety had been creeping into his mind since Jonghyun let him know when Kibum would be back.It’s not that he wasn’t looking forward to seeing him again, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. He most definitely was. Only…part of him was worried that, with how depressed and reclusive he’d been last time Kibum was here…and the role Kibum had played to help him climb out of the deep, dark hole he’d been trapped in for years… Part of him was worried that he’d worked Kibum up in his mind to be this flawless, saintly, mythical figure and when he’d see him again, he wouldn’t live up to his expectations.Not that any of this was Kibum’s fault, of course.He was looking forward to getting to know him. Actually getting to know him. Hopefully, Kibum would still want to be his friend.But then, if he didn’t, why would he have continued to text him over the rest of the year?No, he needed to stop worrying. He was past that now.“Minho?”He stirred, looking back at the pair of them. “Yeah sorry, lost in thought. Uh,” he met Jinki’s gaze, whose eyebrows raised in silent question. “You good with me coming back to finish this up after we get back?” He nodded, smiling softly. First at him, then at Jonghyun, whose eyes started to widen slightly at the sight. Minho pushed himself up, shaking his head with a smile, then glanced down at his clothes. Shit, they were, like usual, all covered with paint. “I don’t have time to change, do I…”“Why would you need to change?” Jonghyun asked, following Jinki to the door. “Come on!”Minho squinted as soon as they were back outside, failing to stifle an aggressively loud sneeze before he hopped into the passenger seat of Jonghyun’s car. As he buckled, he looked up, wholly unsurprised to find Jonghyun lingering to talk to Jinki. Minho watched the pair of them with growing amusement.He hadn’t figured out that Jonghyun liked Jinki until about a month after Kibum left. Minho had started eating over at the cafe regularly, just to hang out with Jonghyun and Taeyeon more. Because of that, he got to see how absolutely pitiful Jonghyun was whenever Jinki was around. And—according to Taeyeon—had been since their school years.Did they let Jonghyun be about it?Unfortunately for him, no they didn’t.Just from watching Jinki, however, he hadn’t been able to make up his mind if Jonghyun’s feelings were reciprocated. He was just plain nice. To literally everyone. And he didn’t know him well enough to be able to judge whether he was into guys or not.Jonghyun said he had only dated women so far, which was why he hasn’t said anything. But he still hadn’t lost hope.Minho’s expression shifted to one of incredulity when Jonghyun glanced at the car, smiling when Jonghyun did a double take. He opened his door, letting Minho in on the end of their conversation.“Will you be coming by for dinner today?”Jinki gave him a sad smile. “No, Mom wants me to come home tonight.”“Alright then,” Jonghyun said with a quiet little sigh as he sat behind the steering wheel. “See you later.”“Bye!”Minho returned Jinki’s wave, and Jonghyun reluctantly closed the car door, his forehead thunking against the steering wheel as soon as Jinki was back inside.“Bro…”“Don’t say a fucking word.”Chuckling, Minho rubbed his back until Jonghyun sat up and started the car. Jonghyun turned down the radio a bit before he drove off, and Minho kept his mouth shut until the second chorus came around.“Are you ever gonna tell him?”“Why would I?”Minho looked over at him. “To put yourself out of your misery?” Jonghyun shook his head, sighing again. “Either he does or he doesn’t like you back. If you ask him out, then you’ll have your answer, and you’ll either have the boyfriend of your dreams or you’ll be able to move on.”He left off the finally, but it was heavily implied, and he could tell by the way Jonghyun clenched his jaw that he had felt its absence.At Jonghyun’s muttered whatever, Minho let it drop.Jonghyun continued to mull over his feelings in silence, and Minho contented himself with watching the countryside pass them by. There was the field of flowers that he had been intending to paint for months now. Then, a few kilometers past that, the orchard of tangerine trees that Jonghyun had struck a deal with the farmer so he could create a special summer cocktail with them.It was a beautifully cloudy day. His attention was snagged away from an interestingly shaped cloud when he spotted a plane flying towards the city they were heading to.“Think that’s Kibum’s?” Minho asked, breaking the silence.Jonghyun ducked down, looking up through the windshield at it before returning his attention to the road. “Yeah, probably.” He sped up enough for Minho to grab onto the handle of the door. Jonghyun laughed. “What? I don’t want him to bitch at me for being late to pick him up.”Minho snorted, looking away from the plane long enough to grin at Jonghyun, but then he kept watching the plane until it landed behind the terminal. They parked as close as they could to the arrival doors, hurrying into baggage claim. Both were slightly winded when they reached it, but luckily, Kibum didn’t text Jonghyun that he had landed until about five minutes after they had arrived.“Should we go wait for him by the gate?” Jonghyun asked, looking up at Minho when he stopped pacing.“Do you know where it is?”“Yeah, I think so.”Minho let him lead them to the gate, his mingled anxiety and anticipation growing with every step closer. When Jonghyun stopped, Minho paused beside him, sticking close and out of the way of the flood of people exiting the terminal.He scanned every face, searching for Kibum’s.And when the crowd parted, there he was.The world around him slowed as he drew nearer. His hand reached up to brush his fringe out of his eyes, but his glossy black hair only fell right back across his forehead. Jonghyun moved forward, waving to grab his attention, and Minho’s heart threatened to stop—or beat right out of his chest, he couldn’t tell which—when Kibum spotted them. His faint smile bloomed into a grin so wide that dimples indented both cheeks.And Minho…He found himself wishing he had learned to paint portraits.The world around him returned to regular speed when Jonghyun squeezed Kibum in a very tight hug, and Kibum’s gaze finally met his.How had he forgotten about his eyes? They were so—“Minho?”—spellbinding. They widened slightly as Kibum gave him a quick once-over.Why the fuck hadn’t he insisted that he go home to change?“Is that you?” Kibum asked, looking up at him in what could have been alarm.Fuck, he was scaring him off. He blinked, looking over at Jonghyun for a second. “Yeah, sorry. I wanted to come with, to, uh…pick you up.”But Kibum was still staring up at him, more confused now than alarmed. “Have you always been this tall?”Minho snorted, allowing himself to relax at last. “Unless I had a growth spurt I didn’t know about, then yes.”Kibum blinked rapidly, looking back at Jonghyun before leaning a little closer to Minho. “Maybe it’s just because you’re next to Jonghyun that you look taller.”“Hey!” Jonghyun said indignantly as Minho burst out laughing. Jonghyun raised his fist to punch Kibum, whose hand slipped around Minho’s arm, and ducked behind him with a grin. “Shut up and get your luggage before I decide to leave you here.”* * * * *The pilot’s intercom clicked off after he welcomed them to Jeju and told them they were allowed to use their phones. Even though the seatbelt light wasn’t off, Kibum unbuckled his, stretching out as much as he could as he reached for his phone to turn it on. He tapped it against his thigh as he waited for it to boot up again so he could text Jonghyun that he was here.[13:23]
Just landed
He was about to exit out, but the text was almost immediately read.
Alright, we’re waiting in baggage claim for you
We’re? Who the fuck was with him, Taeyeon? Frowning, he started to gather his things, eager to get away from his still-snoring seatmate. It took an age for them to deboard, and Kibum made his way as fast as he could manage without looking like he was expending more effort than necessary toward baggage claim.He brushed his hair out of his eyes, blinking when it fell back into place. Maybe he should get it cut somewhere. Jjong’s hair looked nice usually, maybe he should…Oh, there he was! Standing up on his tiptoes, waving over the crowd. Kibum grinned at him, his gaze flicking to the tall guy he had been standing beside before he moved to wave at him. Was that the we? Did Jjong have a boyfriend, finally?Before he could look at the guy anymore, Jonghyun yanked him into a tight hug. Kibum’s eyes closed in contentment for a second before he opened them to see who…ever…Wait a second.“Minho?”It could have been no one else.Flecks of paint were smattered in his hair that was effortlessly tousled back off his forehead—had he learned how to style it since Kibum left? More paint was scattered over his cheeks and…arms. Bare arms. Toned, muscled arms. The sleeves were…inexplicably cut off his kelly green Thrasher t-shirt, exposing his sides almost to his waist.Had he looked like this last summer? No…no, he couldn’t have… Kibum would have definitely remembered.“Is that you?”Minho, who had been watching him, averted his eyes and glanced at Jonghyun. “Yeah, sorry. I wanted to come with, to, uh…pick you up.”Had his voice always been that deep? How had he forgotten…Like, sure, he’d been in a rough place last year, but…had he been fucking blind? And deaf?“Have you always been this tall?”Come on, Kibum, get it together…What kind of stupid question—Minho let out a quiet snort, smiling bashfully. “Unless I had a growth spurt I didn’t know about, then yes.”Growth spurt…Kibum looked over at Jonghyun, alarmed to find him watching him with a small, almost knowing smile. As if he were reading his mind.Shit.“Maybe it’s just because you’re next to Jonghyun that you look taller.”“Hey!”Minho burst into an obnoxiously loud laugh that Kibum hadn’t gotten to hear last summer when Jonghyun made to punch him playfully. Grinning at the sound, Kibum moved toward him, his hand automatically going to Minho’s arm.To use him as a human shield, of course. No other reason.He looked over Minho’s shoulder at an exasperated Jonghyun when he said, “Shut up and get your luggage before I decide to leave you here.”But he had already moved to follow the crowd before Kibum could fire back. With him gone, though, Kibum redirected his attention back to Minho.Damn it, he smelled nice, too. Was there no end to this?Maybe it would help to stop holding onto his arm.He let go slowly, clearing his throat in the silence. “It’s nice to see you again,” he said at the same time Minho said, “Sorry, I probably should have told you I was coming.”Minho gave him another shy smile, his eyebrows lifting ever so slightly, and Kibum returned it before he pulled him into a hug. “I don’t mind. It’s a nice surprise,” he said, patting Minho’s back a few times before releasing him, his hands slowly slipping away from Minho. “I guess we should probably go find Jjong, huh?”Minho’s smile turned into a cute little crooked grin. “Yeah. Don’t want to piss him off.”Minho was a few steps away before Kibum realized he hadn’t moved, then he hurried to catch up to him.Really, Kibum? Snap the fuck out of it.Had he learned nothing with Joonwoo? He rolled his eyes, huffing quietly when he fell into step beside Minho. Just because he was apparently….hotter than he remembered and nice on top of that didn’t mean a goddamn thing. He’d sworn off dating for a reason, hadn’t he? And he’d stuck to that since he returned home.Granted, he hadn’t exactly been all that tempted.But still.He wasn’t about to fold so quickly for a cute guy, even if it was someone he genuinely liked as a person.“These are yours, right?” Jonghyun asked, pointing to the two suitcases he pulled off the conveyor belt.“Yup.”“I can take them,” Minho said when Jonghyun reached for them. Both of them looked up at him. “What? It’s not a long walk to the car.”And without waiting for either to agree, Minho picked up both suitcases with surprising ease, leading the way back to Jonghyun’s car.Okay… no dating but…maybe he could do a little friendly flirting.Just for fun.Jonghyun unlocked the trunk for Minho to stuff Kibum’s luggage inside while Kibum slid into the passenger side. He immediately flipped the visor down, checking his hair, only to look Jonghyun’s way when he cleared his throat.The knowing smile was back.“Shut up.”The smile grew quickly. Annoyingly. “I don’t think I said anything.”But before Kibum could respond, Minho squeezed into the backseat, and Jonghyun looked away, still smiling as he started the car. “So what all have you been up to?” Minho asked, leaning forward between them as much as his seatbelt would allow.Kibum shrugged. “Not much outside of work, unfortunately. Visited my family a few times but that’s it.”“You should invite them down sometime this summer,” Jonghyun said, glancing behind them to make sure the lane was clear to merge into.He shook his head. “Can’t. They’re taking Yeri to Europe.”“What?”“Why didn’t you go with them?”Chuckling, Kibum glanced between them. “I’d already booked this trip!”“You could have canceled it!” Jonghyun said. “We would have understood, right, Minho?”He nodded fervently, and Kibum shot him an incredulous look before he looked back at Jonghyun. “If you don’t want me here, just take me back to the airport right now.”Jonghyun glanced through the rearview mirror at Minho, whispering, “Should we take him back now and be rid of him or wait a few more minutes so it looks like we thought about it?”Minho met Kibum’s eyes, his own agleam with unexpected mischief, then whispered back to Jonghyun, “Wait a few minutes. It’s more polite.”“Hey…” He looked back at Jonghyun, smacking his shoulder. “Stop being a bad influence on our Minho…”Minho’s laughter filled the car, and Kibum turned back around, his face scrunching up a little as he shook his head in amusement.“What do you want to do when we get back?”“Nothing too strenuous after my flight.”“Your hour-long flight,” Jonghyun cut in.Kibum ignored him. “Maybe relaxing on the beach for a while. You’re off today, right?” Both Jonghyun and Minho shook their heads. Kibum blinked, glancing between them. “Then why are you here?”“Someone needed to pick you up. I’m not needed for another few hours anyway.”Nodding, he looked at Minho for an explanation. “My boss said I could go with Jonghyun for this.”“Your boss,” Kibum said with a laugh, reaching around the seat to shove Minho, who cracked up and fell back for a second before scooting back up between them again. “What are you working on today?”“Still that mural for Jinki. I’m almost done, though.”“Oh? Can I come see it?”“Yeah, just come with Jonghyun next time he drops in on the bookshop.”Kibum almost snorted, and Jonghyun let out a drawn-out sigh as he glowered at Minho through the rearview mirror. Kibum glanced back at him to find mischief glimmering in his eyes again.Did he know about Jinki, too?“Can you guys just leave me alone? I deal with enough shit about him from Taeyeon.”“Yeah, okay, sorry Jonghyun,” Minho said, looking slightly abashed until Jonghyun returned his attention to the road. Then he grinned at Kibum, who smiled back.“Uh,” he said quickly, glancing at Jonghyun to make sure he hadn’t witnessed that before he looked back at Minho. “Will you be dropping by for dinner then tonight?”Minho nodded eagerly, and Kibum sat back in his seat, smiling to himself.He left them almost as soon as they got back to the cafe, waving goodbye before he jogged around the front to head to the bookshop. Kibum watched him go, his gaze lingering even after Minho disappeared around the corner. Until Jonghyun’s car door slammed shut, that is. He gave his head a little shake and turned, hurrying to join Jonghyun on his way through the kitchen.“He’s here,” he called out to Taeyeon as he hung his keys up on the hook.Within seconds, Kibum was nearly bowled over by her, but he managed to steady himself before they fell over. He gave her a tight hug, and she squeezed him tighter until he said, “Okay, Taeng, can’t breathe…”Laughing, she smacked his back and pulled away to look up at him. “Come help me with prep.” She didn’t wait for him to agree, she just turned and walked away as Jonghyun made his way through to the restaurant.Kibum slipped out of his loose button-up and took one of the spare aprons from the hook, replacing it with his shirt. “Please tell me you’ll pay me for this.”“Of course! You get…the pleasure of my company.”“I don’t know if that’s enough.”“It’s gonna have to be. Cut the cabbage for me.”“For kimchi?” She nodded, and Kibum watched her for a second before he took one of the knives from the magnets on the wall and rolled one head of cabbage toward him. “How much do you need?” She gestured to the bag filled with cabbage and carrots and scallions and onions and ginger. “All of that?”“We’re running low.”Kibum let out a quiet harrumph, which only made her laugh, and started chopping it up. “Starting to get busy again?”She nodded, sighing heavily as she shook some gochugaru into the bowl between them. “It’s a good problem, but god, summer makes me so tired.”“You should take more time off, then.”“And make Mom and Dad come down here to cook? Please…”“I mean, you could hire someone to help. Just for the busy season.” He looked over at her as he scooped up some of the cabbage and dropped in it the bowl. “Are there some high school or college kids in town who’d be interested?”“Maybe.” Before Kibum could press the issue any further, she added, “I can talk to Jonghyun about it later.”Nodding, he grabbed the next head of cabbage. “Speaking of…”“Hm?”“How has he still not asked Jinki out?” She motioned for him to be quiet, looking around him to the back of the kitchen. “He went up front, remember?”“Oh, right,” she said, whispering. Kibum leaned a little closer to hear her. “I don’t know. I keep telling him to, but he insists that it’ll ruin whatever they have now if he does. I just hate seeing him so—““Miserable,” Kibum supplied.“Yeah. And, like, you know Jinki…”“Sorta.”“Well, he’s really nice, so even if he didn’t return Jonghyun’s feelings, I don’t think he’d treat him any differently.”“Yeah, but…” But if it were him, and he wasn’t sure about how the guy he liked felt toward him… “There’s a bit more risk, here.”“I guess that’s true.”A comfortable silence settled between them, Kibum’s mind wandering as he started on another cabbage. Jonghyun had gotten pretty close to Minho in his absence. There couldn’t be that many other gay men in town, so even if things with Jinki didn’t work out…His brow immediately furrowed. It was almost too weird of a thought to entertain, and yet…Minho had gotten quite comfortable with him. Comfortable enough to divulge the reason he moved to Jeju. Maybe…it was a possibility…“What about Minho?”“What about him?”“Him and…” he gestured with the knife to the door to the bar, and she followed the movement, only to look back at him with an incredulous laugh in her eyes. “What? It’s possible.”She snorted loudly, moving away to get some water. “For which one of them?” Kibum shrugged, watching her fill up a container to bring back over to dump in the bowl. “Jjong is too far gone, and Minho—“ Her brow knit together, and she half-shrugged. “He just seems to regard him as a friend. Nothing more. Besides, he teases Jjong about Jinki almost as much as me. I don’t think he’d do that if he were harboring feelings for him.” Kibum nodded, his shoulders relaxing a bit as he went back to chopping. “Why do you ask?”“No reason. Just thinking out loud.” He could feel her watching him as he grabbed one of the carrots. “What? There can’t be a lot of gay people in town. It can get lonely.”She wasn’t looking away. “They’re friends, at least. That’s gotta help, right?”Kibum nodded, starting to peel the carrot.He still had most of his friends after his breakup with Joonwoo last year. But he did lose some. For whatever reason, some of them took /his/ side. If he got lonely, and he did, he could only imagine how isolated they felt here in this tiny town.But at least they had each other, now.Jonghyun came in, pale iced green teas in hand for each of them, and the subject was dropped.Taeyeon kicked him out of the kitchen once they were finished with prep, so he threw his overshirt back on, heading out to keep Jonghyun company at the bar while he waited for Minho to arrive. He was taking the occasional sip of his second Tangerine Sunset of the night—Jonghyun’s summer cocktail—when the bell above the door jingled.In walked Minho, and Kibum didn’t have to wave at him for him to notice where he was. He combed his fingers through his hair as the door closed behind him.Kibum, whose head was buzzing delightfully in his almost tipsy state, rested his chin on his hand as he watched Minho approach the bar. His hair was slightly damp around his ears. At the nape of his neck, too. And his clothes…as far as he could tell, didn’t have a speck of paint on them.Still surprisingly boring for an artist, but they suited him.Not that he was boring.Just…“You clean up nice,” Kibum said as Minho took the seat beside him.Okay, wow, Kibum. Not what you meant by friendly flirting. At all.He pushed the cocktail away as Jonghyun came over to see what Minho wanted to drink. He ordered one of the cocktails while Kibum asked for water. Minho clasped his hands together on the counter, his thumb twitching back and forth. Kibum cleared his throat, and Minho looked over at him with a small smile.“Did you get to finish the mural?”“I did, yeah. Had to help Jinki move the furniture back in once the walls were dry. That’s why I showered.”Shit, he had made him feel awkward. “Minho, I—““I’m just messing with you,” Minho said quickly, a hint of the mischief from earlier today shining in his eyes—or maybe it was just the bar lights…or his slightly inebriated state. It was gone when he turned to take the cocktail from Jonghyun before he slid a glass of water to Kibum. “Will you guys come see it tomorrow?”“I don’t see why not.”Jonghyun leaned on the counter across from them. “Why not what?”“He finished the mural and wants us to go—“His smile fell so quickly that Kibum stopped talking. “Give it a rest,” he said before he pushed away from the bar and slipped into the kitchen.“What…”“Did he think we were talking about—“Kibum’s mouth clamped shut when Jonghyun came back out with a tray of food for someone in the restaurant. But he didn’t look their way.“Maybe we should give him some space for a while,” Minho said, his voice so low that only Kibum could hear it.His hand found Minho’s arm, and he pulled himself a little closer so he could whisper back, “But you weren’t teasing him, were you?” Minho shook his head. “Me neither, I was just—“Jonghyun stopped before them, and Kibum’s grip on Minho's arm tightened for a second before he let go. “What do you guys want to eat?”“The bokkeumbap,” Minho said.“Jjamppong, for me.” Nodding, Jonghyun returned to the kitchen. “You don’t get the soup anymore?”Minho smiled slowly, then shrugged. “Sometimes I do. But I’ve been trying to experience new things. You know…”“Branch out a bit.” He nodded, his expression brightening a hint more. “I know we kept in touch but in person is just different. How have you been?”“Good.” He nodded, glancing around when the karaoke machine started up. “Keeping busy. Taking breaks, though.”“When’s your next day off?”“Tomorrow. Jonghyun, too.”Kibum sat up, meeting Minho’s gaze with a smile. “Maybe we can all do something fun.”Minho kept him company until every last customer was gone, and it was just them sitting alone at the bar. It was so nice to see him again, especially now that he was clearly much more comfortable with himself. He was almost sure that the alcohol had all but left his system, what with all the food and water he had, but he was still feeling a bit dazed, sitting there, listening to Minho talk about his next big commission.His eyes got so bright and wide, his expression so animated when he was talking about something he was this passionate about.They were a bit distracting. His eyes. If he allowed himself, he could have very easily gotten tangled in the golden brown web of them, but before he could, his attention was snagged away from Minho’s gaze when Jonghyun trudged behind the bar, heading to the front door to lock it.“I know, I’m talking a lot. I’m sorry.”“No, honey, it’s fine,” he said, absently patting Minho’s arm, his attention still on the obviously glum Jonghyun. “Jjong, what’s the matter?”Minho swiveled his stool, turning to follow Jonghyun’s progress across the room.Jonghyun shook his head. “It’s nothing.”“Clearly,” Kibum said flatly, and Jonghyun rewarded his sarcasm with an attempted glare. “Just tell us.”“Can we help you?” Minho asked, his voice tender. Kibum’s eyes flicked over to Minho in surprise. But just for a second.“You guys will just make fun of me.”Kibum sat back in his stool, sighing heavily. “We won’t—““Yes, you will! You do! Every day! I’m sick of it!” Kibum resisted the urge to glance over at Minho, to see how he reacted to his outburst. “I get it, okay? I’m pathetic.” The admission rang in the air, and Taeyeon peered through the kitchen window. “It’s pathetic that I’m so…so…that I like him this much. That he probably has never once thought of me like that and he never will. It’s pathetic that I can't get past that. Or…or work up the courage to ask him out like you all say I should.“But, if I can’t…if we don’t date, if I never tell him…then I won’t lose him. And I can’t lose him.”He gulped thickly, his eyes red-rimmed. He turned and ducked through the kitchen door as Taeyeon opened it. She spared them both a glance before she followed her brother into the kitchen.Neither Kibum nor Minho spoke for a moment, both watching the kitchen door.“Maybe I should head home…” Minho said quietly.“I’ll walk with you.”“You don’t have to.”Kibum sniffed a quiet laugh as he slid off his stool. “I know.”He peeked through the kitchen door, surprised to find it empty. Minho followed him in when he gestured for him to, and Kibum led him to the back door, only…Taeyeon was sitting cross-legged on the floor by the bathroom door, and she looked up at them as Kibum reached for the door handle.“Is he in there?” Kibum whispered so quietly that the words barely escaped his mouth.She nodded, then pushed up from the floor with a wince, shooing them out of the back door while following them. “Maybe lay off the teasing for a while?” she said, still quietly, despite the closed door.“We weren’t even—“She cut off Kibum with a wave of her hand. “I know, Bummie. But just…we all should.”“Will he still want to hang out tomorrow?” Minho asked.“Probably. Either he or I will text you in the morning to let you know.” He nodded. “But, odds are, he’ll feel better in the morning.”“Yeah, okay.”“See you tomorrow, Minho,” she said before she fiddled with her keys in the dark and let herself back into the cafe, leaving them alone.“Shit, I feel really bad, now,” Minho mumbled.“Me too,” Kibum said, linking their arms as he started them down the alley toward Minho’s darkened shop. “I wish there was something we could do to help him.” Minho nodded, sighing.But what could they do? Aside from…wait…Could they, somehow, figure out how to get them together? What could they even do? Would Jonghyun be mad about them meddling?But if he got to date Jinki in the end, did it really matter?Kibum stopped a few steps away from Minho’s back door, staring straight ahead.“What?” Minho asked, looking back at him.“What if we did help him?”He let himself be pulled along by Minho, who was digging his keys out of his pocket. “How can we?”“I’m not sure yet. But maybe…I don’t know.” Minho flipped on the light inside, the warm golden light within spilling around him like honey as he looked back at Kibum. “Maybe we can find a way to get them together, you know?”“But how?” Minho asked.Kibum shrugged, stepping a bit closer to him. “I’m sure we’ll be able to think of something, though.”“As long as he doesn’t get hurt. Or, you know, upset at us.”Kibum smiled up at him. It was sweet that he was so worried. “He won’t.”Minho squinted at him, giving him a crooked little smile. “How can you be so sure?”Kibum patted his arm. “I just am, trust me.” Minho laughed, but the sound of a car door down the alley drew Kibum’s attention away. One of his cousins was getting into the car, which meant— “I should go.”“See you tomorrow?” Minho called after him as Kibum stepped away from the light of his shop.“Of course!” Kibum said, waving goodbye before he jogged through the night toward the lights of Jonghyun’s car.* * * * *The rear lights of Jonghyun’s car disappeared around the corner and Minho slumped against the doorway, unable to look away. He sighed into a small smile before he pushed off from the door jamb and made his way inside.If they could help Jonghyun, that would be beyond amazing. Even if he didn’t quite see how they could. But Kibum would think of something good. If anyone could, it’d be him.He didn’t bother turning on the lights of his storefront, as he was just double-checking that he had locked the door. He had, so he returned to the backdoor, locking it before flicking the light off and heading upstairs, taking two steps at a time to get ready for bed.It was so nice. Having Kibum here again. Even now, as he tucked himself into his bed, he was still smiling. He was still just as vibrant and fun as he remembered. Warm, too. Just, genuinely comfortable to be around. As worried as he had been that he had worked Kibum up to mythically unattainable expectations, he was still just the same.Such a relief.He had nothing to be worried about.It was stupid, really, that he had been at all.He rolled over, hugging his pillow, his brow knitting together as his thoughts drifted back to Jonghyun. He hadn’t intended to upset him, but the intent didn’t matter, did it? And even if he had teased him—though, not just then at dinner—shouldn’t he know better by now? Just because they bantered and argued for fun on a daily basis, it didn’t mean that Jonghyun couldn’t be hurt by those sorts of comments.Frowning now, Minho sat up and reached for his phone, opening his texts with Jonghyun.[23:48]
Hyung, I’m sorry. I never intended

to hurt your feelings like that. I

definitely understand the position

you’re in and how stressful that’s

gotta be, so I’ll back off now. I hope

you can forgive me for any badgering

or teasing or stress I’ve added to and

please let me know if I’m overstepping

again. I really don’t want to hurt you,

you’re my closest friend and I love you

very much. I’m here for you
After reading through it twice, he sent it and set his phone beside him in bed, waiting for a text that might never come.But it did.[00:03]
Thanks, Minho

See you tomorrow
As much as Minho wanted to respond, he left him alone, switching to his and Kibum’s texts.[00:04]
Is he okay?

Yeah, we talked.

Don’t worry about it and try to sleep

Sorry for bothering you

ㅋㅋ you’re never a bother
Minho smiled at the screen before he stretched to plug his phone in for the night. Sleep did eventually find him, and he dreamt of things that escaped him seconds after he opened his eyes.He took much longer than usual to pick out his clothes for the day. Nothing he had seemed right, even if he was gonna be having a relaxing day off. He opted for something more casual, with one of his white cut-off t-shirts and ripped jeans with his swimming trunks on underneath, since they’d probably end up at the beach.Oh, would they be playing volleyball later? Well, he’d be going to Sooyoung’s in a minute, he’d ask her then.He made his way downstairs, grabbing his sunglasses on the way out the back. It only took a few strides before he reached the bakery, and he knocked twice, paused, then a third time before letting himself in.“Sooyoung!” he called out, adding a touch of a cute lilt to his voice as he closed the door behind him. She let out an exasperated sigh from somewhere further in, and he laughed as he made his way into the kitchen.She looked up from brushing egg wash on a pan of croissants. “Get the salt, will you?”Minho nodded, turning around and opening the cupboard to the left of the sink, grabbing the jar with the large flakes of salt. He unscrewed it, reaching in for a pinch to sprinkle over one of the ones she had already finished with. “You coming to the beach today?”“Hopefully. Why, are we taking on the Kims again?”“Maybe. I haven’t asked yet.”She hummed as she brushed the last bit of wash on the croissants. “Either way, I’ll probably come. Taeyeon needs me.”“She really does. Too many guys,” he said, his face scrunched up as he shook his head.Laughing, she took the pan away and balanced it with one hand before she opened the oven. “You say that like you’re not part of the problem.”“I can’t help it.”Sooyoung pulled out her phone, assumedly setting her timer. “Your’s is in the oven now, but the other two are ready.”“I don’t mind waiting.”“Good, because you have no other choice.” She said it so seriously, but her stern expression cracked into a smile when she met his wide eyes. “So,” she said, leaning across the table toward him. “Did you get to see him yesterday or were you too busy?”“See who?” Her expression shifted into an are-you-fucking-kidding-me glare, and Minho shrunk back from her, glancing away. Had he brought up Kibum that much? He hadn’t noticed… “Yeah, I went with to pick him up from the airport.”“And?”“And…what?”“Did it go alright?”Alright? Maybe she’d been able to tell how nervous he was about Kibum’s imminent return. He nodded, meeting her curious gaze with a smile. “I’m happy he’s back.”She smiled to herself as she turned to grab another tray of pastries.As soon as his croissant was cool enough to pick up, he had his, a plain one, and a banana custard-filled one with three coffees in hand as he made his way down the alley toward Taemin’s family’s shop. “Morning,” he said, letting himself in through the already-open back door.Taemin, who was packaging one of his pieces, shook his hair out of his eyes as he turned around, giving Minho a bright smile. Minho dug out the banana custard croissant and grabbed one of the coffees, handing it to him. “Aren’t you taking the day off?”“Supposed to.” He plopped down in his stool before the switched-off kiln, facing Minho. “Taehyun will be here later. He’s got a doctor's appointment.”Minho nodded, grabbing one of the chairs and sitting before he dug out his very warm croissant. “I’m not sure what the plan is, but we’ll probably be down at the beach today if you wanna come hang out.”“Which beach?” Jinki asked as he made his way inside Taemin’s workroom.Minho held out the remaining coffee and plain croissant, waiting for Jinki to take them. “I’m not sure. Jonghyun hasn’t mentioned one yet.”The corner of Jinki’s mouth twitched in what might have been a smile, but it was so quick, Minho wasn’t sure if he had imagined it. “Well, just let me know. I have a bit of admin to do before I can relax today.”“Yeah, h—“ He froze. What if Jonghyun considered him setting up the expectation that he would be the one to text Jinki to be teasing? “I’ll text you.”He stayed long after he finished his breakfast, Jinki leaving first to head next door. Minho helped Taemin box his custom glassware until nine o’clock rolled around and he had to open his storefront. He checked his phone on his way back, but neither Kibum nor Jonghyun had texted him yet.So, while he waited, he tidied up from his busy week, scraping up paint splatters and cleaning palettes and wiping down easels and dusting every surface he could think of.A loud rapping at his front door startled him enough to fumble with his duster, and he peered outside to see Jonghyun there with Taeyeon and Kibum in the car behind him, waving for him to join them outside. Minho grabbed his keys with a grin and hurried to join them. But before he bothered to lock his door, he pulled Jonghyun into a tight hug.“I’m okay, Minho, really,” he said, after a long while of hugging him back. Minho squeezed him a little tighter, then patted his back gently.“Come on, come on, let’s go,” Kibum was saying as they climbed into the car—Jonghyun into the front passenger seat by Taeyeon and Minho scrunched up in the backseat with Kibum.“Just relax, Bummie. The beach will still be there,” Taeyeon said as she switched into drive as Minho and Jonghyun buckled up.“Whatever.” Minho shot Kibum an amused look and was met with a dimpled smirk.“I asked Sooyoung and Jinki and Taemin if they wanted to meet us later, I hope that’s okay?” Minho asked, looking between Jonghyun and Taeyeon, his gaze settling on Jonghyun. “If not, I can just let them know…”“No, that should be okay,” Taeyeon said, but Minho didn’t relax until Jonghyun nodded. “We’re heading to Gwakji.”Minho dug his phone out of his pocket, hurriedly going to text the three of them, when a message from Kibum appeared at the top of his screen.
Already getting started?
Minho blinked, looking over at him. On…He glanced at Jonghyun in the front seat, who had his hand out of the window, making waves with his arm in the wind, then back at Kibum, who nodded. Not really, but Minho still shrugged and nodded.Kibum mouthed, We’ll talk about it later, and Minho nodded again before he finished texting the others.* * * * *The parking lot to Gwakji stretched along the beach, and Taeyeon took her time finding a parking spot that was a little ways away from other cars. Kibum unbuckled before she switched the car off, and once he was outside, he was looking around at the restaurants and little cafes that he could spot across the street.“Oh, Taeng,” he said, sidling up next to her as Jonghyun and Minho ran ahead of them to the white sands. “Did you see the bingsu place?”She didn’t look up from digging around in her purse. “Oh, yeah, it’s good.”“We should go after we’re done here.”Nodding, she pulled her sunglasses out. “Okay, sounds good.” Then she looked back over the beach, raising her voice. “Jonghyun!”Minho turned around, but Jonghyun was too far away. She waved Minho back, tutting under her breath about sunscreen. “Do you want me to go get him?” Minho asked after he bounded back to them.She let out a heavy sigh, and shook her head, returning to digging around in her purse. “He’d probably just ignore me anyways.” She pulled out the sunscreen, holding it out to Kibum. “Need some?”“I put some on already, but maybe in an hour or two.”Both looked at Minho expectantly, and he let out a little laugh. “I’m good, I don’t wear that.”Taeyeon speared him with a look reminiscent of both their mothers, and Minho quailed under it, his eyes widening a little as his attention flicked to Kibum. There was a silent plea in them, but not enough to sway Kibum.“Do I need to look up skin cancer and show you what it looks like?” Minho laughed in slight disbelief, looking between them again as Taeyeon handed the bottle off to Kibum, who then held it out to Minho as she started for the beach again, yelling for Jonghyun. “Take it.”Minho’s eyes met his again, eyebrows raised in the middle with what was clearly amusement. “Are you gonna keep me from enjoying the beach unless I do this?”“Yes.”“How.”Kibum shrugged, and grabbed Minho’s hand, stuffing the bottle into his palm. “I can do anything I set my mind to. Don’t test me.”Minho laughed as Kibum walked past him, following Taeyeon’s path through the sand. He was grumbling behind him, and Kibum rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh. Jonghyun, who was already wet from being in the water, was being dragged back to a pair of empty seats. Kibum arrived first, Minho a few steps behind him.“It feels weird,” he said, a definite pout in his voice as he tossed something over the back of the seat that Kibum was thinking about taking.“Don’t be such a ba—“ Minho came around before him, his shirt completely off. “—by.”Oh god.Pull it together, Kibum.Okay.Well.Yeah.So, he’d definitely been working out with Jonghyun like he said he was.Joonwoo never worked out. Ever. Which was really…But then…at the moment…he couldn’t really remember what he looked like. At all.“But it feels gross,” Minho said so annoyingly casually. As if nothing had happened. And then, to make matters worse, he unzipped his jeans, pulling them off so he’d just be in his swimming trunks. Kibum let out a quiet, distracted laugh, grateful for Taeyeon and Jonghyun rejoining them so he’d have something…someone else to focus on.Jonghyun said something, but Kibum didn’t catch it. He was too busy not looking at Minho, only to reflexively glance their way when something flew between them.Ah, just the…uh…the bottle of sunscreen.What was wrong with him? It’s not like this was his first time seeing a shirtless man—which would have been quite the feat, at this point in his life…but that was beside the point. Sure, it was his first time seeing Minho shirtless, and he, well, he…kinda drove any other man he’d ever seen out of his mind.Just for a moment.A long moment.“Alright, I’m heading back out,” Jonghyun said, grinning up at Minho as he tossed the sunblock onto one of the chairs, then looked at Kibum. “You coming?”Minho bent over, grabbing the bottle again. “I gotta finish putting this shit on. I’ll be right there.”Jonghyun nodded, looking back at Kibum, his eyebrows raising in question. Kibum cleared his throat. “I’m not sure yet.”“Suit yourself!” he said, shrugging, and darted off across the sand again.Taeyeon pulled out her wallet, glancing between them. “Can you watch our stuff? I’m gonna go get waters for us.”“Sure.”And just like that, they were alone.Kibum scratched the back of his neck, still not looking directly at Minho, and stepped around him to situate himself in the chair beside him.“Do you not like being in the water or something?”He squinted up at him. “I do.”Minho’s eyebrows rose a little behind his sunglasses, and he gave Kibum a half-smile. Shit. “So why don’t you want to come with us?”“It’s not that I don’t, I just don’t feel like it right now.” Minho squirted a bit more of the sunblock in his hand, reaching around to get his back, sort of wincing as he did. “Can you not reach?” Kibum asked with a laugh.Minho snorted. “Not really. Do you, uh, mind?” he asked, holding the bottle out to Kibum.Oh.Okay…Kibum shook his head and pulled his hat back out of his eyes before crossing his legs under him as Minho came around to straddle the end of the beach chair, his back to him. “So,” Minho said as Kibum put a generous squeeze of sunblock across his…sculpted shoulders. “Did you come up with a plan?”“Plan?” he asked before his brain could catch up to the question as he started to spread the sunblock over Minho’s back. “Oh, plan. Right.” He cleared his already dry throat—when would Taeyeon be back with the waters? “Well, first things first, we have to figure out if Jinki is interested. Because otherwise, there’s no real point to any of this.”“That’s true. But,” he turned his head, giving Kibum a glimpse of his side profile as he squeezed out a bit more sunblock. “How do we go about doing that?”“If he comes today, then we can try to observe, and hopefully we can figure out more.”Neither of them spoke for a moment, Minho clearly lost in thought, and Kibum distracted by the few freckles dotting his tanned back.“Is he really feeling better than he was last night?” Minho asked after a while, and Kibum suppressed a small smile. “Because if he’s not…”“No, he is.” He had finished rubbing the sunblock evenly over his back, so he brought his hands up to his shoulders, rubbing the excess sunblock from his hands off onto them. “He’d just been in his head all day about it, and it built up to that.” He patted Minho’s shoulders before shoving him lightly away. “Go on, have fun.”“Are you sure you don’t want to come?”He looked so eager, he almost hated to disappoint him. “Maybe in a bit.” Minho gave him one last lingering look before he turned and jogged away. Kibum stared after him until he lost him in the crowd.When he finally looked away, he grabbed one of the towels Taeyeon brought with her, wiping the remaining sunblock off on it. He let out a huff of a sigh before he reached around for Minho’s shirt, folding it and setting it on the chair, then he shook the sand out of Minho’s jeans before folding them as well.Alright, so. Minho was attractive.So what?It didn’t mean anything that he thought that. Really. He just was. That was a plain, observable fact.It didn’t matter that he hadn’t found anyone attractive since last year.In fact, he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that he found Minho attractive. Which, lying was never a good thing, not even to yourself. Wait, no, you especially shouldn’t lie to yourself.And he wasn’t.He looked up, glaring through his sunglasses in the direction Minho went.It was just…he really didn’t want to date again.But then, why would he even be considering that? Dating. Why put himself out there only to probably get hurt again? Definitely not worth the hassle. And he hadn’t gone on even a casual date since…since…what’s his name.Joonwoo. Right.Oh, god.He snorted softly in disbelief, shaking his head as he set the jeans on top of the t-shirt, and looked up, peering through the crowd to see if he could find Minho again.“That was a long line,” Taeyeon said as she approached, tearing Kibum away from his search. “Got some for all of us, though.” She sat beside him in the empty chair, setting the bottles in the sand between their chairs. “Did you skip your ears this morning?” Kibum frowned, looking over at her in confusion. “When you were putting on sunscreen.”“...No?”“They’re just a bit red, that’s all.”Kibum pulled his bucket hat back down to cover his ears, shrugging without saying anything, and luckily, she didn’t comment further.She stretched out beside him, rearranging her sunglasses as she settled in her chair. As she set her phone on the armrest, her screen lit up, and she tipped it toward her, only to pick it up to text whoever it was back. Probably her boyfriend.He leaned back, his head knocking against the back of his seat as he looked out over the crowded beach. Casual soccer games and the occasional building of sand castles dotted the beach. Squealing children being chased by their parents, tourists laughing and chatting. A little ways away, a picnic was being had by a group of older women. Some college-age kids a few paces away were already drinking and slightly rowdy.Through all the chaos, he only caught glimpses of Minho and Jonghyun, but they were still down in the water. What they were doing exactly, Kibum couldn’t tell but—Taeyeon sat up beside him, peering between their chairs to look behind him before she smacked his arm. “She’s here. Get out.”“What?”He looked around too, finding the baker next to Minho’s shop striding onto the beach from the parking lot, two iced coffees in hand. Taeyeon sat up, waving her over, and her smile immediately bloomed into a grin as she started jogging over to her.“Are you really kicking me out of my chair?”“Yeah, obviously.”“Wow. Your own cousin…”“Look, we don’t get to hang out very often anymore,” she said when Sooyoung stopped beside his chair as he clambered out of it, then slipped into it and passed Taeyeon her coffee. “And I’m stuck with boys all the time so it’s nice to—““But I'm good at girl talk.”“I don’t care. This is sacred.” Kibum let out an exasperated huff, and they both chuckled. “Go be a lifeguard or whatever to the other two,” Taeyeon said, settling back in her seat and taking a sip of her coffee. “Who knows what they’re up to down there.”“Remember last time when Jonghyun said a squid latched onto him and almost dragged him out to sea,” Sooyoung said, laughing when Taeyeon sighed.“He’s so dramatic, I swear. Minho said it just floated past his foot. Though, I wish he would have caught it so we could have taken it back to the cafe.” She shook her head, then both of them looked up at Kibum, and she shooed him away. “Go away.”“Seriously?”They both shooed him away, with cheery smiles this time, and Kibum rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses before he reluctantly turned away, trudging across the warm sands to where he had seen the pair of them last. He made it all the way down to the water, but they weren’t playing there anymore. Squinting, he looked this way and that, scanning everywhere for Minho and J—There. On the outcropping of rocks. Minho was standing on it, poised to dive. He was looking back at Jonghyun who was standing thigh-deep in the ocean, filming him. When Jonghyun gave him a thumbs up, Minho nodded, lifted one arm straight up, looked over at Jonghyun again, and got a running start before jumping feet first into the ocean.Kibum had reached Jonghyun’s side by the time Minho surfaced with a laugh that was almost drowned out by the waves crashing around them. Water spilled around him as he swam close enough to stand, and just for a second, the world slowed.Sunlight caught in the water clinging to Minho, glittering in the air around him as he shook his hair out of his eyes before carding his fingers through his hair.No.Stop.He closed his eyes, thankful for the cover of his sunglasses for the moment.You’re not about to fall this easily again. You’ve learned your lesson.Stop this now before you hurt yourself.And him.He opened his eyes again, and the world had returned to normal. Minho was just a few steps away from them, his eyes on Kibum now, his smile getting bigger still. “Finally decide to join us?”Jonghyun looked up at him, surprised. Must not have heard him walk up.“The girls kicked me out of my seat,” Kibum said, shrugging as he glanced between them.“Is J—are the others here?” Jonghyun asked, looking up at him expectantly.“Not that I know of.”When Jonghyun glumly looked back down at his phone, Kibum chanced a glance at Minho, unsurprised to find a smile twinkling in his eyes. Kibum pursed his lips to keep from smiling as he looked quickly away.Poor Jonghyun.Well, maybe Jinki would be here soon.* * * * *Water frothed around his knees as the wave surged inland, but Jonghyun didn’t look up from his phone as he waited for Minho to resurface before he ended the video. He squinted through his sunglasses, watching the replay to see if they needed to try filming it. Again.“Finally decide to join us?” Minho asked, a smile in his voice.Frowning, Jonghyun looked up. Originally at Minho, but then at Kibum when he noticed him standing beside him. Kibum shrugged, looking from him to Minho and back again. “The girls kicked me out of my seat.”“Is J—are the others here?”“Not that I know of.”Letting out a clipped sigh, Jonghyun looked back at his phone, not actually seeing what was on the screen. Hopefully, he’d show up. It was always so fun when he did. Granted, he was biased in thinking that, and had been since forever, but…well, after yesterday…after he had time to think…maybe being more direct would be the way to go.Because he didn’t want to live like this for the rest of his life. Hoping that Jinki might like him in return. He’d never know for sure, anyway, unless he—okay, well, he wasn’t sure what he’d do, but he’d figure out something.“What are you guys doing?” Kibum asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced between them.“Just fucking around in the water,” Jonghyun said before Minho could answer. “Come on,” he added, starting toward the outcropping of rock Minho had been on a moment ago. Judging by the sound of sloshing water, they were both right behind him until Minho overtook them with his longer strides. He clambered up first, helping them both up with an outstretched hand. “Take off your shirt.” Kibum’s eyebrows shot up from behind his sunglasses in surprise. “What?” he said with a laugh, gesturing to his and Minho’s bare chests. “I need to hide my phone somewhere and ours are back at the chairs.”Kibum’s jaw worked for a few seconds before he slipped out of his shirt and bucket hat and reluctantly passed them over to Jonghyun, who folded his phone up in them. He set them down in the shade of the biggest rock, only to turn around to find Kibum still hugging himself and pointedly looking away from Minho. Jonghyun glanced between them.Yeah, okay, he understood. They worked out together so Minho’s physique barely phased him anymore, but even he felt a bit insecure sometimes just standing next to the guy. Especially when they were both shirtless.“Relax,” Jonghyun said, shoving Kibum lightly and earning a glare in return. “Or did you forget to put sunscreen on your chest this morning?”“No, I did,” he said, looking at the water surrounding them. “I’ve just never swam in the sea before.”Jonghyun’s eyebrows rose as he pulled off his sunglasses. Minho caught his gaze immediately, looking back at Kibum for a second before he met Jonghyun’s eyes again. Neither of them needed words to communicate anymore, so when his eyebrows slowly rose in question, Jonghyun nodded. They both lunged, grabbing him on their dive into the sea.It was a shallow area, so barely any swimming had to happen, but Kibum came up sputtering, grabbing Jonghyun by the hair and pulling him under for a second in retaliation before Jonghyun shoved him away with a sputtered laugh. Minho was already jogging away, albeit backward, grinning as he watched Kibum chase him onto the beach. For whatever reason, despite Minho’s head start, Kibum caught up to him, shoving him away from him while Minho laughed. Though, he lingered close enough for Kibum to latch onto his arm and pretend to want to punch him.They were too far away for Jonghyun to hear them, but—The thought trickled away as he turned his head to find Taemin, who was also already shirtless, booking it for the water, with Jinki leisurely jogging behind him.He combed his fingers through his wet hair a few times before he half-ran, half-swam back to the rock ledge to get his phone. Jinki was glancing all around, searching for someone until Jonghyun waved, snagging his attention.The way his smile immediately grew…blossoming into something so bright that it could have rivaled the sun…He sighed, thankful for the distance to conceal the moment of weakness, and smiled in return before ducking his head and starting for him. Jinki met him at the edge of the rocks, extending his hand for Jonghyun to hold as he descended. Did he need the help? Probably not, but who was he to deny such a thoughtful gesture? His hand slid into his, his heart fluttering as Jinki’s grip tightened for a second.Jonghyun hopped down beside him in the dry sand. Jinki’s hand clenched slightly as soon as Jonghyun pulled his hand away. “Sorry, it’s probably wet, huh?”“Well, I mean, you were just in the water,” he said, his eyebrow raised in quiet amusement. Jonghyun smiled back, and Jinki’s brow furrowed for a second before he cleared his throat. “Taeng said we were playing volleyball?”“You can referee if you want to. I can probably bully Kibum into joining one of the teams.”Jinki smiled again, looking past him to where Kibum and Minho probably were, but Jonghyun couldn’t look away. Not even when he met his eyes again. His expression softened slightly, and he licked his lips, looking away. “I’ll go get Taemin.”“Okay.” Jinki made it a step away before Jonghyun added, “Minho and I set up the volleyball net down there.”He gestured over his shoulder, a little way down the beach where it was slightly less populated. Nodding, Jinki turned away, hurrying over to where Taemin was playing with some random dog in the water. Reluctantly, Jonghyun looked back around, finding Kibum standing at the edge of the water, arms crossed, and a hint of amusement seeping through his irritation as he called out to Minho, who was retreating into the water, wearing Kibum’s sunglasses and a shit-eating grin.Kibum let out a huff as Jonghyun stopped next to him.“Minho!” Jonghyun called out with a laugh. “Come on, it’s time for volleyball!”“Volleyball?” He nodded as he looked over at Kibum. “Can I ref?”“Nope, Jinki’s gonna ref,” he said, waving Minho back in.Minho jogged toward them, still grinning broadly, and slipped the glasses off his face. Kibum held his hand out expectantly for them, but Minho ignored it, instead choosing to put them back on Kibum himself. “I’ll go get the girls,” he said, glancing between them before he darted off.“He has too much energy for his own good,” Jonghyun said in explanation as Kibum, whose ears were rapidly reddening, turned to follow his progress across the beach.“Yeah,” he scoffed, clearing his throat and looking back at Jonghyun. “Do I actually have to play volleyball?”“Even teams would be nice to have.”He let out a very long sigh. “Give me my stuff back, at least.”Just as he was unraveling his phone from Kibum’s shirt, Taemin ran past them, heading for the net, and Jinki fell into step on the other side of Jonghyun a few seconds later. “What are the teams gonna be?”That question wasn’t answered until everyone was gathered. Jonghyun and Taeyeon, of course, paired up, as did Minho and Sooyoung, but when it came time for Kibum and Taemin to be chosen, Taemin spoke up before either of them could. “Nope, I’m on Jonghyun’s team,” he said, already ducking under the net to join them.Minho looked mildly affronted while Sooyoung laughed. “Why?”“You know why” was all he said in response—which started Jinki laughing—and even with Kibum’s glasses being on, Jonghyun could sense his apprehension as he looked between the two teams. Still, he joined Minho and Sooyoung on the other side of the net.“Come here,” he said, throwing his arms around both their shoulders and bringing them into a huddle. “We have the advantage here because we already know how we all play. I don’t think Kibum has ever seen a volleyball in his life.”Taemin grinned, peeking over their heads to glance across the net while Taeyeon said, “But their height, though…”“Doesn’t matter. We’ve still got this.”“Jjong!” Jinki called out, ripping his attention away from the huddle. Minho was already waiting on the other side of the net beside Jinki, who was twirling the volleyball between his hands. Jonghyun patted both Taeyeon and Taemin’s backs before he jogged over to them. Minho stood a little taller as Jonghyun stopped on the other side of the net, looking a bit smug. “You already know what to do.”Both of them clasped their hands behind their backs, Jonghyun getting a little tenser as he waited for Jinki to count them in.Jonghyun threw rock. Minho did, too.Squinting and smiling, Jonghyun held his hands behind him again, waiting for Jinki’s cue.Both scissors.“Stop copying me,” Jonghyun said, and Minho just gave him a toothy grin as he held his hands behind his back again.“One, two, three—“Minho threw rock, which Jonghyun only realized as he started to form scissors, and he deftly changed it to paper.“Hey!”“What? It was paper!”Minho shook his head adamantly, laughing as he nudged Jinki. “Come on, he cheated!”“Looks like paper to me,” Jinki said so sincerely that Jonghyun almost believed that he had missed the switch. Until Minho turned around in a huff, that is. Then, Jinki tossed the volleyball to him with what could have been a wink. “Good luck.”Grinning, Jonghyun went back to his sister and Taemin, tossing the ball to her so she could start the game. Minho went back to his team as well, and he was showing a disinterested Kibum how to hit the ball when it inevitably came to him. He cast a furtive glance at Jinki, who was watching the pair of them in mild amusement. Just for a second, then he motioned for Taeyeon to serve, and the game began.The ball went directly to Kibum, who immediately dodged it. Minho dove into the sand behind him, lobbing it up for Sooyoung to set. He scrambled up and was at the net quicker than should have been humanly possible, smacking the ball down between Jonghyun and Taemin. The volley lasted only a few more rounds, ending when Minho attacked with a bit too much vigor and Jinki declared the ball to be out of bounds.Jonghyun swung back around as Taeyeon ran to retrieve the ball, fully expecting Minho to be passionately laying into Kibum for not playing to his standards, but…but he was dusting the sand off of Kibum’s bucket hat that had fallen off mid-volley and setting it back on his head with one hand as he gestured with the other. Blinking in surprise, Jonghyun’s attention was taken away from them when Jinki motioned for Taeyeon to serve again.It took several volleys for Kibum to get into the game, despite his general distaste for any sports outside of the waterskiing he did as a kid. To everyone’s surprise, Minho only raised his voice at him once, and that was after Kibum called for a ball that flew over his head and fell without being touched by anyone on that side. Taemin shot Jonghyun a bewildered look when Minho backed off after Kibum adamantly denied calling for the ball at all.They played two matches, Jonghyun’s team winning both times. Though truth be told, more points could have gone to Minho’s team. Jinki seemed more distracted than usual and all but three of the times the ball supposedly went out of bounds, he ruled the play in Jonghyun’s team’s favor.Not that he was complaining. At all.In an effort to ignore Taemin’s jubilant tauntings, Minho trudged off back toward the incoming waves when Taeyeon and Sooyoung linked arms and started making their way back to the distant chairs. Jinki grabbed Taemin’s shoulder before he could follow Minho, shaking his head when he looked back at him questioningly.Kibum glanced over at Jonghyun, who nodded in the direction Minho went and, after looking between him and Jinki, Kibum started after him as Jonghyun made his way over to Jinki. “He’ll be okay, right?” Jinki asked, looking after Minho as Jonghyun stopped beside him.Jonghyun leaned against the net, staring past Jinki to watch Kibum step up beside Minho where he was standing ankle-deep in the sea. “Yeah, he just hates losing.” Jinki looked back at him, and when Jonghyun tore his gaze away from Kibum and Minho, Jinki quickly looked away from him, squinting as he surveyed the packed beach with sudden interest.He cleared his throat, nodding. Still not looking away from the crowd. “Makes sense.”The warm breeze was toying softly with his fringe. Almost tauntingly. Jonghyun meant to look away, too, but he couldn’t force himself. Not even when Jinki finally looked back at him. They searched each other’s gaze for a second, and Jonghyun’s eyebrows slowly rose as Jinki looked as if he were about to speak. Until—“Didn’t Taeyeon say something about going to get bingsu?” Taemin asked, ducking under the net and walking around to face them.Jinki looked away first—Jonghyun sighed in an attempt to not get exasperated with the kid—and over at Taemin, as he mused aloud, “I haven’t had that in ages.”“Do you want to come with us?” Jonghyun blurted out, glancing between them, his gaze settling expectantly on Jinki.His expression gradually started to brighten into a small smile. “Yeah, sure.”Taemin started to run off toward the girls until Jonghyun called after him “Go tell Minho and Kibum!” He promptly changed direction, running toward the sea, then shook his head with a sigh as Jinki chuckled. “This kid…”“He’s cute, isn’t he?”Cute was one word for Taemin, but then Jinki had basically decided to adopt him as the younger brother he’d never had. Still, he couldn’t pretend to be annoyed with Taemin right now. Not now that Jinki was coming with him…them. Okay, so maybe it was lame to get excited about a non-date, but still, Jonghyun shot Jinki an amused look, then ducked under the net to follow him back to where Taeyeon and Sooyoung were.Hopefully, they’d be heading over to Sulbing soon.* * * * *Kibum jumped back, startled by the spray of sand that flew past him as Jinki called the game point for Jonghyun’s team. He whirled around to find a sullen Minho, his arms, abs, and knees rubbed red—almost raw—from the many times he dove to save a ball that Kibum failed to deflect. He was glaring across the net though, not at him, as Taemin leaned across the net, grinning at them.Whatever he said, Kibum didn’t hear more than a few words of it, as his attention was snagged by Minho leaving the makeshift court in a huff.He barely registered Taeyeon ducking under the net to join Sooyoung, focused as he was on Minho’s retreating back. Then, when he lost him to the crowd, he looked back at Jonghyun, who nodded toward him.It was his fault they lost today. He should probably try to make it up to him or something.Letting out a resigned sigh, he started after him, picking up his pace once he was clear of the net.There he was, down by the water again. Kicking up little splashes as he walked along the shoreline. Kibum slowed the closer he got, unsure now of what he could say to make up for his terrible attempt at volleyball. Which, to be fair, it was his first—and hopefully last—time playing, so expectations should have been low. But, whatever…“Minho?” he said, more to let him know that he was approaching than anything else. He whirled around, eyes wide and slightly red-rimmed. Kibum’s brow immediately furrowed and he closed the distance between them, his hand resting on Minho’s arm for a second. “Wait, were you crying?”“No,” Minho said emphatically, shaking his head as he looked back down at his feet.Kibum pursed his lips, retracting his hand from Minho’s arm. “Are you mad?”“Sorta. Yeah.”“I know, I sucked, but—““No, no,” he cut Kibum off, eyes wide again. Almost imploringly. “Well, yeah, kinda, but that’s not why I’m mad.” Kibum snorted, grinning as he immediately relaxed. “I’m sorry you thought that. No, it’s just—“ He kicked at the water again. “It’s dumb.”“What is?”He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Losing is…the worst. I’ve always felt that way. I blame my dad for me being like this,” he added with a laugh.“Is…” Kibum hesitated, eyeing Minho before he continued. “Was he into sports?”“Oh god, yeah. The man was obsessed.” Minho shook his head with a small smile. “Coached me and Minseok—that’s my brother, have I mentioned him before?”Kibum nodded. “In passing.”Minho hummed thoughtfully, and Kibum fell into step beside him when he started walking through the foamy waves again. “We played every little league game you can think of, and he tried to coach them all. Then he was our P.E. instructor up until high school.”“Jesus…”Minho cracked up, smiling over at him. “I know, right? He was such a perfectionist, too. I’d get in trouble if I fucked up during practice or if my team lost…so, I don’t know”—He faltered when Kibum touched his arm consolingly—“Just kinda stuck with me, I guess.”“I’m sorry for making us lose, then.”Minho nudged him gently, shaking his head with a small smile. “It’s not your fault.”“Then wh—“But before he could ask, Taemin’s voice cut through the air, startling Kibum. “Hey, losers! We’re gonna go get bingsu!” He darted off, back up the beach, before either of them could retort.Minho let out a long sigh, and Kibum laughed as he grabbed his arm, dragging him along after Taemin. “Who’s fault was it? Sooyoung’s?”“What? No, it was Jinki’s.”Kibum blinked rapidly as he let go of Minho’s arm. “How in the fuck—““Didn’t you see him? Couldn’t keep his eyes off Jonghyun.”Kibum smacked his arm lightly, and Minho turned toward him, feigning hurt. “But that’s a good thing!”“I know, but—““But what? That means we can move forward with the plan—““That we still don’t have.”Kibum smacked Minho again, who outright laughed this time. “We’ll figure it out. Keep an eye on them at Sulbing, too.”“Yeah, okay, well I don’t know if I want to help them anymore,” he grumbled under his breath, only to immediately crack up when Kibum leveled him with a glare.Kibum shook his head, smiling when he turned away, and started back for where the girls had been, Minho bounding to catch up to him. He glanced over at Minho, who was back to his pre-volleyball-game self, then down at his still-red arms. His gaze slipped to his abs again, and it was then that he noticed Minho watching him.He cleared his throat, reaching out to grab Minho’s wrist, turning his arm to show the sand burn better. “Does it hurt?”Minho shrugged and brushed some of the sand off of his raw skin, an audible wince slipping out as he did. “No, it’s fine.”Kibum sucked his teeth, dropping Minho’s wrist. “Maybe Taeyeon has some cream for this in her purse.”“Bummie, I’m okay.”Yes, well, it was his fault, wasn’t it? Might as well do what he could to make him feel better, right?As it happened, Taeyeon didn’t have anything that would help. Sooyoung did, though. She plopped Minho down on the chair, shooing everyone away as he started applying some to his stomach and her to his knees and shin. “We’ll be there in a minute. Save us a seat.”Taemin was already on his way, Jinki and Jonghyun following after him, and Taeyeon slipped her arm through Kibum's, pulling him away from the Chois to follow the others.“So,” she said quietly, her eyes on Jonghyun and Jinki. “What do you think about that?”“I think I’d have to be crazy to play volleyball again.”She sucked her teeth at him. “You know what I mean.”He smiled, eyes darting between the back of Jonghyun and Jinki’s heads, settling on Jonghyun when he turned to look at Jinki. He could feel the affection in his gaze, even from here. “I’m curious to see how it’ll play out.”Sulbing’s was packed once they reached it. Jinki took everyone’s orders—Taeyeon and Jonghyun supplying Sooyoung’s and Minho’s orders—and Jonghyun accompanied him in line while Kibum and the others squeezed together in a corner. Kibum went up on his tiptoes, waving Minho and Sooyoung over to join them. Sooyoung slipped between him and the wall, sliding up beside Taeyeon to keep her company, while Minho pressed close to Kibum and the window, inspecting the flock of American tourists beside them curiously before his attention redirected to Kibum.“Are you off tomorrow, too?” Kibum asked when Minho gave him a small smile.“Uh, probably not. I haven’t been open the past two days, so I should probably make up for lost time.” Kibum nodded mutely, biting back a frown. “Why?”“Oh, Jjong and I are probably going tangerine picking tomorrow.”“Oh, that’s fun! They’re really good.”“Has he taken you before?”Minho nodded, then, smirking, he added, “Watch out for spiders.” Kibum glared at him, and Minho laughed. “I’m just saying—““No, I know.” Still, he shuddered, and Minho chuckled. “It’d be fun if you could come with, though.”“Yeah, someone has to be able to reach the ones up high.”He shied away with a laugh when Kibum made to punch him. “You’re not that much taller than me.” Glancing back up at Minho, he found him watching him with an annoyingly amused expression. “Nevermind, I don’t think you should come with us at all, actually.”He laughed again, and Kibum found that he had to work very hard to keep himself from smiling. So, he looked away, finding Jonghyun and Jinki in line. Close together, though probably because of how full the shop was. However, did Jinki’s hand have to be resting at Jonghyun’s waist because of that?Kibum looked back at Minho, nodding toward the pair of them, and Minho peered around him to see for himself. Then he leaned closer, Kibum turning his head so Minho could whisper in his ear.“Maybe we don’t have to do anything.”“You think?” He pulled away from Minho enough to see him shrug. Kibum lifted his chin, and Minho ducked so Kibum could whisper in his ear. “Maybe not, but let’s still keep our eye on them.” Minho nodded, the shell of his ear nearly brushing against Kibum’s lips. “It’d be nice if we didn’t have to, though.” Minho pulled away, frowning at him, only to dip his head again when Kibum tilted his head up. “It’s my vacation, I shouldn’t have to work at all, right?”Minho chuckled as he straightened, Kibum involuntarily smiling at the low sound, and he regarded Kibum with a small smile of his own.Jonghyun returned with spoons for all of them, Taemin hurrying to help Jinki with the many bingsus they had ordered while everyone else shuffled out of the packed shop and back to the beach. The chairs were unfortunately taken, but there was a stretch of sand in the shade that they staked out, Minho settling in the sand beside the rock that Kibum had perched on. When Jinki and Taemin arrived, Jonghyun jumped up to help him pass them out.“Oh my god,” Jinki said as Jonghyun handed Kibum his patbingsu topped with a scoop of matcha ice cream. “We’re missing one.”“Who’s?” Jonghyun asked, digging in his shorts pocket for the list, his eyes quickly scanning it before he looked down at Minho. “Shit, Min, we can go back and get it for you.”He shook his head, his hand raising between them placatingly. “No, no, it’s okay. They’re really busy.”“But—““It’s fine.”Kibum nudged his shoulder with his knee. “We can share if you want.”Again, he shook his head. “It’s yours. You don’t h—““It’s a huge portion, I don’t mind sharing.” Minho met his gaze as Kibum held it out to him, reluctantly taking a tiny spoonful for himself. Jonghyun and Jinki turned away, giving Sooyoung her bingsu before they sat together with their own. He let out a surprised little hum when he tasted it. “It’s good, right?”Minho nodded, digging in, getting a bigger spoonful. “I usually get peach, but this is good.”“Leave some for me, will you?”Minho’s eyes flickered to meet his again, amusement glimmering there before he looked back down at the bingsu. “Do you…” He cleared his throat, reaching up to steady the paper bowl as he got another spoonful. His fingertips accidentally brushed against Kibum’s. “Do you think you’ll be able to hang out much at the studio this summer?”He wasn’t looking at him. Not at first. The barest hint of the shyness that had been so prevalent last summer lingered in the quiet question. Kibum smiled, watching him. “Yeah, I think I’ll be able to.” His eyes lifted to meet Kibum’s again, wide now. Hopeful. “I’ll be there as often as you can stand my presence.”Minho opened his mouth to speak but clearly decided against it. He turned back to the others, but not before Kibum caught just how pleased he looked. Licking his lips, Kibum returned his attention to his bingsu, unable to keep from smiling himself.* * * * *Night had completely fallen by the time the Kims had dropped Minho off at his shop. He slipped reluctantly out of the back seat, grinning lethargically back at the car as Jonghyun rolled down his window and Kibum leaned across the seat Minho had been in. He was, perhaps, still a little bit tipsy, as was everyone except Taeyeon, given that she was the one driving. But before they could all say a sleepy, slightly slurred, affectionate goodbye more than twice a piece, Taeyeon drove off.Minho barely registered her wave, but the abruptness of the departure did nothing to subdue the contented warmth filling every bit of him.He stumbled back, struggling with his keys until he was back inside his studio, where he slumped against the closed door.He was grinning still, uncontrollably now. But at least the darkness was his only audience. He had long since lost track of just how many times the thought of I’m so glad Kibum is back had crossed his mind today alone. It was true, though. Any of his apprehension and anxiety surrounding his return had melted away early enough in the day that it didn’t put a damper on anything.Sighing, he pushed away from the door, ambling up the dark stairs to his apartment. He fumbled around in the pitch black, not bothering with the lights to guide him or the tv for noise. No, he stripped out of his jeans and t-shirt but fell into bed before he could change out of his swimming trunks.He found his pillow, hugging it tight and burying his face in the crook of his elbow, inhaling deeply. The salt of the sea was still strong on his skin, but that was to be expected. He’d have to shower before work after he woke up. But…he sniffed again, his brow knitting together as he tried to place…the other…Sunscreen.Once again he was thankful for the night. As well as his being totally alone.His face inflamed despite his best efforts, and he pressed his face deeper into his pillow.Though he was used to being touched again—Jonghyun had taken care of that himself almost single-handedly—nothing could have prepared him for Kibum helping him with that. Maybe it was pathetic to still be thinking about…about the feeling of his hands. About how nice it was for Kibum to offer in the first place. Or, wait, had he been the one to ask Kibum to help him? Had he imposed on him? What if he hadn’t wanted to?He sat up quickly, his head spinning, his heart thudding in his ears, and he steadied himself as he stared out at the moonlight glimmering over the sea.No, stop, you’re past this, he told himself.Kibum wasn’t Yeunseo. He wouldn’t have taken the sunscreen in the first place if he were uncomfortable with the idea of touching him, would he? No. And it didn’t mean anything, really. He was just helping him out because he asked, literally nothing more. Despite his own feelings—Wait…He stilled, staring wide-eyed at the darkened wall beyond his bed. His feelings? Minho sat up slowly, dragging his fingers roughly through his hair. Was he even allowed to have those for people anymore? Or, rather, would he allow himself?There was no point in denying that he did. Like him, that is. Because he did. Quite a lot. He was fun and interesting and distractingly beautiful. He had no other choice but to get caught up in the whirlwind that was everything Kibum.Technically, objectively, he wasn’t in the wrong. His…his having feelings toward Kibum. It was perfectly natural, after everything. However, was it smart? Was it good for both of them? Kibum himself had said last summer that he wasn’t interested in dating anyone.Sighing heavily, Minho slipped out of bed, heading blindly for the coffee maker. As soon as it finished brewing, he took his cup to the balcony, sitting on one of the chairs overlooking the star-strewn sea.It would probably be for the best to try to shut down that part of himself—the part of him who longed for…dreamed of experiencing romance again. He’d thought—when he had been with Yeonseo—that he had found the one. His only one. Until now…that he was back with Kibum again…He sipped his coffee, humming thoughtfully.No, it wouldn’t do to be rash about any of this. He was probably just excited that there was a glimmer of something, again, even if it were only one-sided. Ultimately, it would be best to ignore and tamp down these feelings, if possible. Kibum would just be his friend.A very good friend.He pressed two fingers to his neck, resting his chin on the other two as he sighed again. Then, he rolled his eyes with a rueful chuckle.Maybe he should have foreseen this development after last summer. But, then, he couldn’t be surprised if Kibum never returned the feelings.Ever.Actually, no, it would be foolish to.Would he be able to come to terms with that?Sighing again, he stood, turning his back on the sea and making his way through his darkened apartment, slipping on one of his oversized painting tunics before he made his way downstairs. He sat at his station, setting aside his mug and flipping through his sketches.It didn’t look like he’d be getting any sleep tonight, so he might as well get a bit of work done, right?He taped down his choice—the beach and sky framed by rocks and flower-filled bushes from Sagye beach—and started mixing a color palette. The reference photo was somewhere on his computer, but he didn’t need it. He remembered the moment well. It had been sunrise, and the opalescent sky stuck in his mind even now.The colors he mixed were much more vibrant than they were that day, and he did eventually lighten them with white until they were more pastel.Kibum would probably wear all of them.He chewed the inside of his cheek for a second, shaking his head with a huff of a sigh. Pushing aside the thought, he finished mixing the colors for the rocks and the bushes and the flowers…that may or may not have been the same shade of bright pink that Kibum’s shirt had been yesterday.But again, that thought was pushed aside and he started to paint.Night shifted gradually into day without Minho’s notice. By the time he was down to the finishing touches, the rising sun shone in his eyes, tearing his attention away momentarily. It was then that he realized just how exhausted he was. He rubbed his eye with the hand that was holding his paintbrush, probably sending a streak of purple through his hair or something.He had just finished adding the last sheen of residual water on the outcropping of rocks when the door handle to his backdoor jiggled. Blearily, Minho looked around, frowning at the door for several long seconds, getting up when the handle shook again. He lumbered toward it, leaning against the wall as he opened it to peer out, surprised to find a bright-eyed Kibum standing there, a plastic convenience store bag in his hands, with Jonghyun waiting behind him in the car.“You look like shit,” he said at once, concern creasing his forehead. “Are you that hungover?”“Oh, no, uh…” The furrow in Kibum’s brow deepened when Minho chuckled. “Couldn’t sleep. Painted all night.”Kibum reached out, grabbing his paint-flecked arm. “Honey, no…” Despite his best efforts, his heart fluttered madly until Kibum broke their eye contact and looked around at Jonghyun. “I’ll be right back!” he called out to him before he pushed Minho inside.The door fell closed behind them, casting both of them in the shadow of the narrow hallway. “Are you okay?” His heart felt like it was swelling now, about to burst. Distance…was necessary. With a great effort, he turned away, heading back for his station. He sat back in the chair, looking at the painting he’d almost finished. “Is this what you were working on?” Minho nodded, not looking away from the iridescent clouds. “It’s very pretty.”“Thanks.”“Where was this?”He looked up at Kibum, pleased to find him so interested in the piece. “Sagye.” Kibum’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Minho smiled sleepily up at him. “It’s a bit further down than where I took you last summer.”“You should have taken me here, too.”“I mean, we could still go.”Kibum finally met his gaze, searching his expression for a few seconds. “Why couldn’t you sleep?”Minho gulped, then shrugged. “Sometimes you just can’t, you know?” Kibum’s eyes narrowed slightly, so Minho asked quickly, “Why’d you stop by?”“Oh, right.” He looked down, holding up the plastic bag between them. “Got you a hangover remedy on our way into town.”“Oh.”“Just in case, you know.”“Right. I just—“ Kibum met his gaze again expectantly. “I don’t really use them.”“That’s what Jjong said, but that’s stupid.” Minho snorted as Kibum turned and started for the stairs. “I'll stick this in your fridge, then I have to go.”“Alright.” Minho watched him disappear up the stairs, turning quickly around when his footfalls sounded in the stairwell again. “Have fun today!” he said as he looked down at his palette, trying to distract himself with picking which color to choose for his signature.“I’ll try.” Minho started at how close Kibum’s voice was, looking up when Kibum was standing beside him again, his attention fixed on the painting again. “What else are you adding to it?”“Oh, I’m done, so just my signature.” Minho held up the palette. “Can’t decide which color, though.”To Minho’s surprise, Kibum smirked, reaching out his finger. To point, he thought, at the mess of colors on the palette, but instead, he swiped the tip of his finger across his forehead. When he pulled away, he held it up between them to show a smear of the pale purple he’d used as part of the sea and the highlights and the sky. His dimpled smile drew heat to his cheeks and the tips of his ears, and he was sure that Kibum could feel it as well as see it when he poked Minho’s cheek with his painted finger before wiping it clean off on his shirt.Well, shit. He wouldn’t be thinking about anything else today, would he?He was still dumbstruck as Kibum called out his goodbye and let himself out the backdoor. Jonghyun may have waved to him in the split second between Kibum slipping out of sight and the door closing—Minho barely registered the movement.So much for keeping his crush in check.He started thinning out the purple with a sigh, effortlessly signing the painting before hanging it to dry. Then, he dragged himself upstairs, catching a whiff of Kibum’s lingering cologne.Is it a crime to have a crush on a friend? Even if it would never be returned?Hopefully not.It would probably be better this way. In the end.But for now…well, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he should try to get a few hours of sleep before opening for the day. Then, just maybe, he’d be a little less distracted when he woke up.As days shifted into weeks, sleep came a little easier, even if his poor brain was rarely given a reprieve from thoughts of Kibum.He flitted in and out of his days, whether he kept him company in his studio while he worked—helping him decide on his color palette or making him laugh or helping him update his Instagram. Those days, more often than not, he dragged Minho over to the cafe to eat lunch with Taeyeon and Jonghyun. His nights too were full of Kibum, either with him sitting beside him at Jonghyun’s bar, engaging him in whispered quips about anything that came to mind or at Jonghyun and Taeyeon’s house for their weekly drama night.Either way, there was no escaping him. As if he wanted to in the first place, but…As the summer wore on, he grew increasingly accustomed to Kibum’s presence again. Not that it helped put a damper on his growing feelings in the slightest. Quite the contrary. Still, he looked forward to seeing him every day. Despite knowing that it would probably be best for both of them for him to maintain a bit more distance.But he liked the new routine. He liked being able to get to know Kibum even more than he did the summer before. He liked how normal it felt for Kibum to have woven himself into his daily life, even if it were just for the summer.Kibum breezed in one such day, iced coffees from Sooyoung’s in one hand as he reached up to pull off his sunglasses and bucket hat. Both got set aside on Minho’s cleared-off table, the strings of Kibum’s hat drooping lazily over the side before Kibum handed Minho his coffee.“Do you have a class today?” he asked as he turned, pulling his usual stool closer to the edge of the table. Closer to Minho. He shook his head. “Good, you can keep teaching me how to use watercolor, then.”Minho sniffed a quiet laugh, throwing him an incredulous look. “I’m still learning myself.”“Doesn’t matter,” Kibum said with a dismissive wave of the hand holding his coffee. “Will you be too busy, or—““Of course not. I just have to finish a few paintings before lunch and then I can.”Thankfully, it was a slow morning, so he was able to finish all of the paintings he needed to before Kibum popped over to the cafe to get their lunch. He ended up helping him out, telling him to keep painting whenever a customer came in, and talking about his paintings and ringing them up. To his surprise, Jinki opened the back door for Kibum, whose hands were filled with their drinks and takeout, and followed him inside.“Straws are in my back pocket,” Kibum said as he handed Minho his kumquat tea, staying close enough for Minho to flick aside Kibum’s colorful floral overshirt and grab the straws for both of them. He held one out for Kibum, who grabbed it between his teeth before he peeled the paper off and looked up at the slightly-out-of-place looking Jinki.“What’s up, Jinki?” Minho asked as he speared his tea with his straw, taking an appreciative sip and a half-glance at Kibum as he set their bag of food on the table before heading back up front. Probably flipping the sign.“I just had a quick question for you before I went home for lunch.” Minho’s eyebrows raised in question, and he was quite proud of himself for not looking away and back at Kibum as he reentered the studio. “Would you want to go into town with me this weekend? Just for the afternoon.”Minho was about to ask what for when Kibum cut in, his voice slightly sharper than Minho was used to. “Are you asking him on a date or something?” Jinki chuckled and was soon joined by Kibum, and Minho was sure he had imagined the tonal shift.“No, no. We just sometimes go together. I have a book fair to attend and I was wondering if you were running low on paint and needed to head into town.” Minho nodded as he took another sip. “So?”Eh, he could probably stock up on a few tubes of paint and a couple of pads of paper, but—He made the mistake of glancing Kibum’s way. For just a second. He gave him the slightest shake of his head. “Uh, no?” A tiny nod and smile, and Kibum went back to unpacking their lunch. “Sorry, I’m all stocked up.”Kibum snapped his fingers, drawing both of their attention back to him. “Jonghyun,”—Minho grinned, quickly hiding it with another sip of his tea. Ah okay, that’s what he was doing.—“he just mentioned to me when I was over there that he needed to pick up more glasses for the cafe. Maybe he’d be willing to go with you?”Jinki stared at Kibum for several long blinks before asking, “You think he’d be up for that?”Kibum shrugged nonchalantly, throwing him a very innocent, definitely not meddling smile. “Only one way to find out.”Minho coughed a laugh, covering it as if it had been a sip gone wrong when they both looked over at him.“I guess I’ll go ask him, then.”Both he and Kibum called out their goodbyes when Jinki turned to leave, then froze, waiting for the door to fully close behind him on his way out. “Quick thinking,” Minho said as soon as Kibum looked his way with a dimpled grin.“I don’t know what you mean.” Minho snorted, and Kibum chuckled as he started laying out their take-out containers. “Come over here and eat before it gets too cold.”Minho was scooping out the dregs of his jjamppong when the back door burst open and Jonghyun stumbled inside. Kibum, who was sitting across from him, started and whirled around in his stool, cutting himself off mid-story about one of his more annoying clients. Both of them watched him approach the table, where he stood between them, leaning against it with a heavy sigh.“You okay?” Minho asked, searching Jonghyun’s slightly dazed, bewildered expression.“Jinki just asked me out. Not as a date,” he added quickly when Kibum’s mouth opened to speak.“Is this…” Minho started to say, and Kibum finished it for him with, “...a bad thing?”“No, but—” He sighed again, with more of a dramatic air than the last time. Minho’s eyes flicked over to Kibum to find him rolling his eyes, and he suppressed a grin. “—That was the day I was supposed to be picking tangerines for the shop and now I’ll have to wait another month because the farmer is very particular about who comes to pick when which is obviously fine but we’re running low and the ones at the store aren’t as sweet which is just—”“Jjong,” Kibum said flatly before he could spiral further. “Do you want us to go for you?” Minho’s eyebrows shot up, and he looked over at Kibum again, but he was watching Jonghyun.“You’d do that for me?”“Of course.” He met Minho’s gaze as he asked. “You said you did it before, right?” Minho nodded. “You wouldn’t mind?” He shook his head. “Then that’s settled.”Jonghyun left a few minutes later, muttering something about not knowing what he was thinking. But as the door closed behind him, Kibum whirled around with a bright grin, and Minho set aside his empty takeout container, holding his hand up for a high five. “Good work,” he said with a smile as Kibum obliged him, their fingers interlocking for a second before Kibum pulled his hand away. “I didn’t know you were such an evil mastermind.”“Yes, be very afraid of me.”“Oh, I am,” Minho said, making it quite obvious that he was joking. Kibum glanced up at him as he reached for his soup again, his dimples indenting his cheeks.* * * * *“I have nothing to wear.”“What are you talking about? You have a ton of clothes.”Jonghyun sighed, glaring at the desolate contents of his closet. “Are any of them good enough, though?”Kibum stepped up beside him, crossing his arms then almost immediately unfolding them to pull out a pair of pinstripe pants. “What about these?”“Won’t that look like I’m trying too hard?”Kibum shot him an amused look, letting it fall back amongst the other clothes. “Aren’t you?”“Yeah, but I don’t want to look like I am.”He hummed thoughtfully, looking back at his closet. “I guess that’s true.”Jonghyun continued to stare helplessly at his dismal closet as Kibum pulled items far enough out to inspect before releasing them again. “What do you usually wear for dates?”“This isn’t a—““Yeah, yeah, I know. Answer the question.”Shrugging, Jonghyun stepped back, flopping backward onto Kibum’s bed. “I don’t fucking know. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been on an actual date? You and Joonwoo were still happily together.”“Seriously?”“It was a long-distance thing, too. He was from Busan.” Kibum looked back at him, stunned. “What, there’s not a lot of gay guys in the area here, unless you count Minho.”His expression shifted to something more neutral. “And you don’t?”“Don’t?”“Count Minho.”“Not for me, no. He’s like the little brother I never had.” Nodding quickly, Kibum turned back around, facing his closet again. “Speaking of, maybe I should help him set up a dating profile or something.”Kibum cleared his throat, pulling out the pinstripe pants again. “It might be too soon for him, still,” he said as he draped the pants over the foot of Jonghyun’s bed.“True. I didn’t think of that.”“But, anyways,” Kibum said airly as he pulled out a loose white top, laying it over the pants. “Dressing for a date is easy if you think about it—““Not all of us can convert a second bedroom into our closet.”Kibum waved him off with a slight smile. “Yes, but the mentality is still true regardless. You pick out one of your favorite items, whether it’s a shirt or shorts or pants or whatever, and pair it with something that makes you feel confident. Both have to be appropriate for wherever you’re going, too, which”—he laid the pants he picked haphazardly over Jonghyun’s legs, then the same with the shirt over his chest as Jonghyun started to sit up. He held it to his chest as he looked down at himself as Kibum went on. “Luckily for you, this is classy yet casual enough for a book fair. And possibly a meal before you come back home.”“You think?”Kibum nodded when Jonghyun looked back up at him. “You’re lucky you have good taste in clothes. Makes it easier for you.” Over on the nightstand by Kibum’s bed, his phone vibrated. He went over to it, checking the message with a gradually growing smile before he unplugged the charging cord to text back. “We should hurry. Minho says he’s ready whenever we are.”“Alright, go ahead and wait in the car. I’ll be right there.”Kibum looked over at him, his scarred brow raised, as he pocketed his phone. “Are you sure? I thought maybe you’d want me to dress you too after all that fuss.”“Just shut the fuck up and go away.”Cackling, Kibum left, leaving the door slightly ajar for Jonghyun to shake his head and finish closing it himself before he stripped out of his pajamas to change. A whirl of clothes and a few puffs of cologne later, Jonghyun was hurrying out the front door to where Kibum was waiting for him in the car. He set his phone screen down, looking over at Jonghyun as he situated himself behind the wheel.“What?” he asked as he started the car when Kibum didn’t look away.“The cologne might be a bit much.”Jonghyun’s eyes widened. “Really?” Kibum’s concerned demeanor shattered as he grinned, and he laughed and shied away when Jonghyun made to smack him. “You’re evil.”“If you wanted someone to be nice, you’d have asked Taeng for help.”“And listen to her talk about how it’s taken me long enough?” He huffed, shifting the car into gear and backing out of the driveway. “It’s not even a real date.”“Keep telling yourself that,” Kibum said, just loud enough for Jonghyun to hear.Thankfully, it was a short drive, so he didn’t have to endure Kibum’s teasing for much longer. Or…at all. He was oddly quiet for the rest of the drive, even up to when they pulled up next to Minho’s little car behind the cafe. He was leaning against the hood, wearing what looked like his best jeans and a nice pale blue button-down. A bit of a strange choice for going tangerine picking in the middle of July, but—Kibum brushed his fingers through his fringe a few times before sliding out of the car, and Jonghyun was right behind him, looking over at Minho when he let out an annoying wolf whistle at the sight of him. “Shut up.”“Looking good, Jjongie!” he said with such an obvious smile in his voice, he didn’t even need to look over at him to know that he was.Sighing, Jonghyun opened the trunk, pulling the baskets out of his trunk, stacking them, and tossing them both to Minho as he approached. “I’m giving you both but just one should do it until I can go again. But get as much as you like.”“Don’t worry, Jjong,” Kibum said absently, fishing his sunglasses out of his bag before he tossed them into the passenger seat of Minho’s car. “We know what we’re doing.”“Do you really?” Jonghyun asked, but Kibum missed the sarcasm, as he was already in Minho’s car, closing the door.Minho closed the trunk of his car, walking over to Jonghyun and pulling him into a quick hug. “Good luck today!”“It’s not a date,” he held himself back from saying for what felt like the billionth time. Instead, he waved to Minho when stopped to open his door, getting a bright grin in return before he ducked to get behind the wheel. The car started and idled for a few seconds before Kibum rolled down his window and gestured for Jonghyun to come over.He leaned in, glancing between them. “What?”“Just…try to relax, okay?”“I mean, yeah?” he said, well aware that he was currently anything but relaxed. More like…a slightly trembling bundle of anxiety and excitement. As if the two could coexist. Kibum tapped his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, giving him a droll glare over the top of them. Jonghyun sighed. “I’ll try.”“It’s just Jinki, remember that. You’ve known each other for ages.”True. That was true. “Thanks again for going for me, you two. I really appreciate it.”Kibum smiled up at Jonghyun as he straightened, but it was the shy glance that Minho threw to Kibum that caught Jonghyun’s eye. But before the question could be articulated in his mind, Kibum rolled up his window and Minho shifted the car into gear, carrying them away.Leaving him alone.To wait.He twirled his keyring around his finger, the tinkling together of the keys filling the silence. Was he not coming? Was he just running late? After two more trips back and forth past the back door of the cafe, he shook his wrist, looking down at his watch. He was supposed to be here five minutes ago…Frowning, Jonghyun glanced down the alley, his gaze curving around to where Jinki’s shop sat. What if…Squinting, Jonghyun jogged a few paces down the sidewalk, coming to a walk again before he reached the boardwalk before all of their shops and there Jinki was. Standing in front of his shop, hands clasped behind his back as he looked out over the beach across the street with a serene smile.His heart stuttered slightly as he moved toward him, his smile somehow coming easier the closer he got to—”Jinki, hey.”He turned immediately to him. “Oh, hey! I was expecting—”“I parked around back.”“Oh right, duh. You usually do that.”Jonghyun chuckled, scanning his expression quickly. “Do you…I can make us teas? For the road? If you want, that is.”“You wouldn’t mind?” Jonghyun shook his head quickly, then nodded back to his cafe. Jinki jogged a few steps to catch up to him, then he easily matched his stride, staying close when Jonghyun stopped to unlock the door and hold it open for him. “Oh, thank you!” he said brightly.Jonghyun stayed holding the door open for a few seconds after Jinki crossed the threshold. It was…just too early for him to process being in Jinki’s presence. Whatever, he needed to get it together and quickly if he was going to survive the day ahead. “What flavor do you want?”“What are my options?” Jinki asked as he leaned against the bar, watching Jonghyun walk around before him. He laughed when Jonghyun let out a groan. “What, are there a lot?”“Yes, please don’t make me do the spiel .”Jinki laughed again, and Jonghyun could have sworn the sun shone a little brighter through the window behind him. “Okay, fine.” He leaned closer, eying Jonghyun, the tiniest tip of his tongue poking out to wet his lips. “Surprise me.”Jonghyun grabbed two to-go cups and filled them halfway with ice, setting them on the counter before he ducked down and opened the cooler below to check out his current inventory. Hm…he grabbed the jug of honey-sweetened green tea, swirling the contents a little as he inspected the array of juices. For himself, he grabbed the bottles of watermelon and lychee juices—to test the flavors of a cocktail he was dreaming up for next summer—and for Jinki…He glanced up, doing a double-take when he found Jinki leaning further over the counter, watching what he was doing. He gave him a fleeting smile before he looked back in the cooler, pulling bottles of different fruit juices aside until he found the blended pineapple and passionfruit juice. Ever since they were kids, Jinki had always been drawn to pineapple-flavored things. Mom always made sure to have pineapple sorbet on hand whenever Jinki came over to study with Taeyeon.Jonghyun grabbed the bottle, precariously standing and setting them on the counter. Jinki reached out to steady the jug of tea that threatened to tip over.“Thanks.”“What are you making me?” Jinki asked as Jonghyun poured a measure of the pineapple juice into one of the cups.Jonghyun glanced up at him with a playful little smile. “I thought you wanted me to surprise you?”Jinki leaned his head to one side with a cute, lopsided grin. “Am I not allowed to change my mind?”Looking quickly away, Jonghyun bit his smile back from growing any further. “No, actually. It’s sorta like lying. Which is rude.”“Is it?”Jonghyun stopped pouring the lychee juice into his cup, setting aside the bottle with a flourish before slapping his hand down on the counter. “Honey,” he said with a sigh, infusing as much this-is-a-joke into his voice as he could. Jinki’s eyes brightened in amusement as he continued, “If you don’t think it is, then I don’t think this date can continue.”Please take it as a joke. Please.Jinki’s expression shifted, his eyebrows lifting in faux worry. “I’m sorry, please don’t break up with me.”Jonghyun held back a laugh as he reached for the bottle of watermelon juice. As if he would ever, given the option. “I’ll give you one more chance.”“I don’t deserve you.”Don’t look at him…don’t…It unfortunately took a gargantuan effort not to, but he succeeded, up until he finished quickly pouring their drinks, topped them off with lids, and handed Jinki his with a straw. He slid off the stool, and as Jonghyun made his way to the kitchen door, he looked back at Jinki, surprised to find him halfway to the front door.“Jinki…where are you going?” he asked when Jinki met his gaze.He gestured to the front door. “To…your car?” Chuckling, Jonghyun stepped toward the kitchen door, holding it open as Jinki scurried over to him. “I didn’t think you’d want me in the kitchen.”“Don’t worry, it’s empty. Besides, it's Taeng you have to worry about, not me.”“Oh, god, you’re gonna make me have flashbacks,” he muttered as he passed Jonghyun, who started laughing as he followed him.“You think you have flashbacks? Try living with her.” Jinki tried the door, unlocking it and then locking the door again once it was open. He held it open for Jonghyun and stayed beside him while he double-checked the lock. “Car’s unlocked, by the way.”“Oh, okay.” But he still didn’t leave his side until Jonghyun turned to head to the car. “Do you know where we’re going?”Jonghyun shook his head as he started the car, fishing his phone out to plug in the aux cord. “You do, though, so hopefully that’s good enough. What do you want to listen to?”“What do you have?” Jinki asked, taking a sip of his tea. “Oo, pineapple!”Jonghyun smiled as he tapped on his Melon app. Internally, he was grateful to himself for having the foresight to not have any sort of stupid, yearning, unrequited love song playlists on any of his music apps. Not that he didn’t listen to them. Obviously, he did. Needed something to listen to for his workouts that wasn’t Minho jabbering away. So, he handed his phone to Jinki with only the mildest hint of apprehension. “Have fun.” He pulled out of the alley, glancing over at Jinki when there was no music playing yet, finding him scrolling through his library with a slightly bemused expression. “What?”“Are these…anime soundtracks?”“Oh my god,” he whispered, shaking his head and trying not to smile as he looked back at the road, his eyes snapping shut when Jinki hit shuffle, bringing up the opening from the third season of Sailor Moon.Jinki was evidently still scrolling through the playlist, because he asked “No shonens? Oh, wait, there’s Naruto.” with such an obvious laugh in his voice that Jonghyun let out a resigned sigh.“I can’t help having superior taste.”“No One Piece?”“Do I look like Minho?” Jinki snorted, and the song changed to one that sounded distinctly like a closing theme, but he couldn’t place which anime it went to at the moment. “We don’t have to listen—”But then Jinki started singing along in what might be able to pass as Japanese in a breathy falsetto, despite clearly not knowing the song. So, Jonghyun turned up the music a little louder, joining in with the actual words while Jinki did some weirdly cute dance to the upbeat song. Or, as close as he could remember the words being. There were a few times—he was actually quite proud of himself for restraining himself—when he felt compelled to turn the music down to explain in vivid, rambling detail the story arc attached to whichever song triggered his need to do this. He was in the middle of passionately breaking down his rankings for the most annoying filler arcs in Naruto when they reached town and Jinki had to start navigating.Thankfully, Jinki didn’t get him lost, though it did take longer than expected to find parking somewhat close to the warehouse. “So,” Jonghyun said once they were parked, out of the car, and making their way toward the sidewalk. “What are we looking for?”“I’ll know it when I see it,” Jinki said, slipping around Jonghyun to be closer to the busy street.Jonghyun glanced over at him with a slight smile. “I didn’t know bookshop owners could be so mysterious.”“It’s just part of my charm, I guess.” Jonghyun sniffed a laugh, and Jinki cracked a small smile, casting a lingering glance his way. “But really, it’s just whatever catches my eye.” They reached the line, and Jinki went up on his tiptoes, gripping Jonghyun’s arm for balance. “Oh, my line is over there. Let’s go,” he said, giving Jonghyun a gentle nudge to the left, guiding them out of the larger line and toward the one that had a sign saying “Business” hanging over the check-in desk.Jinki bowed politely to the woman sitting behind the desk. “Hello, Ms. Park. It’s nice to see you again.”He held out his hand, and she automatically slipped a deep red band around his wrist, looking up at him with a too-friendly smile. Friendly in a way that made Jonghyun want to crawl out of his skin for even thinking that Jinki might ever, could ever think of him as anything but a friend.If he was gonna have to stand here and watch Jinki get hit on…Was there an open bar at these things?She could have spoken, he would have never noticed. He was only drawn back to the conversation when Jinki reached for him, pulling him a step closer. “Oh, he’s with me. My visitor.”Ms. Park inspected Jonghyun curiously, and he gave her a smile he was well aware didn’t meet his eyes. Which, admittedly, was probably rude. And for no good reason, too. But neither she nor Jinki seemed to notice, and she secured a royal blue bracelet around his wrist before looking back at Jinki with the same, overly bright, definitely hopeful smile, “I hope you have a wonderful day.”“You too!”It’s stupid to be jealous. You’re better than that, he told himself as he followed Jinki into the venue. He sighed heavily, looking around at the booths surrounding the maze of bookshelves in the middle of the room. It would be hard—but so necessary—to finally let go of his feelings for Jinki. They were never going to be anything other than friends, and that wasn’t secondary to a relationship.He could begrudgingly admit that. Eventually.But, maybe, after today, he could find the inner strength to do just that. To let go of the thought of them and what they could be together.It’d be the healthy thing to do, really.“Where to first?” Jinki asked, his bright voice slicing through Jonghyun’s sudden inner gloom.“I literally have no opinion,” Jonghyun said with a slightly sardonic laugh. Get it together. “You’re the one in charge today.”“I mean, here, at least, yeah.” He shot Jonghyun a briefly concerned look before nodding over to one of the booths. “Let’s go meet some authors.”It was fascinating to watch him at work. So effortlessly charming, when in his experience, Jinki was quiet around strangers. So this talkative, outgoing Jinki was quite a pleasant surprise. Asking the authors questions about their works, both past and the one they were currently promoting. Making jokes and his adorably dumb little puns that made the authors laugh politely and Jonghyun had to turn away to hide his smile. He put in a few orders with some whose novels sounded interesting, sliding a book from each of them into his bag to take back to his shop.Once they had completed the circle around the room, Jinki’s hand went briefly to Jonghyun’s waist to prod him toward the maze of bookshelves. Jonghyun stopped beside him once they reached the first of them, not even aware that he was watching him until Jinki glanced his way, doing a surprised double-take.“What?”“I didn’t know you had it in you.”“Had…what?”Jonghyun nodded toward the last of the booths, looking back at Jinki when he glanced over his shoulder at it. “I don’t think I’ve seen you talk that much to people you don’t know.”Jinki was wearing a shy grin as he redirected his attention to the books before him. “I usually make up for it by not talking for three days straight after.”“Ah, so it’s a…balance thing for you.”“No, my throat just hurts.” Jonghyun chuckled, looking over at the books for the first time. “Gotta recover.”“That makes sense.”It took several shelves before Jinki slipped one of the books he picked up off the shelf into his bag, but the glimpse Jonghyun caught of a very wet, distraught-looking, half-dressed man prompted him to dig into Jinki’s bag to pull it out again. “What’s this?” he asked, looking over at Jinki to find the tips of his ears tinged bright red as he continued sifting through the shelf. “Together for a Day?” Jinki cleared his throat, evidently to keep from laughing, judging by his smile. Grinning, Jonghyun flipped the book over, reading the back flap aloud in his most dramatic voice.“When the day begins with your boyfriend breaking your heart, you’re bound to want to get through it and leave it far behind. Hopefully forgotten. For Chaewon, it is unfortunately impossible. Her world shattered that day, and before she could pick up the pieces, the day began again. And again. And again.” He emphasized that, glancing over at Jinki when he snorted.“She has long since stopped keeping track of how long she has been trapped in her worst day, but no matter what she does, nothing changes. Until she runs into Siwoo, that is. Their catastrophic meeting ensnares him into the time loop and reinvigorates her desire to escape the day she had long since resigned herself to keep living. Will they find a way to escape this prison time created for them? Or will they discover happiness again being Together for a Day?”He turned the book back over to the front cover, inspecting Siwoo, apparently. “Why is he almost shirtless? And wet.”“No idea.” Jinki laughed, reaching for the book to take it back, but Jonghyun turned away. “What are you doing?” he asked as Jonghyun started flipping through it.“Finding out. Aren’t you curious?” Jinki sighed, reaching for another book and quickly scanning the back flap. “Unless this is a book for you and you don’t want spoilers.”“It’s not. It’s what we in the business like to call a ‘lighthearted beach read’.”“Hm…I don’t know if I believe you.”“I learned my lesson about lying, remember?”Jonghyun, who had been about to read a passage aloud from the book, lost his voice for a second. He looked over at him, but Jinki wasn’t looking his way. His ears were still pink, though. “Yes, well,” he said, at last, snapping the book closed and stepping closer to slip it back into Jinki’s bag. “I was just testing you.”“Did I pass?” he asked, looking away from the books. Meeting Jonghyun’s gaze. Jonghyun could only nod, and Jinki returned his attention to the books with a slightly self-satisfied smile.He asked for Jonghyun’s opinion on all the books he picked out before they made it to his bag after that. More “lighthearted beach reads,” some in Chinese or Japanese that both of them could get the gist of, some in English for international tourists that both of them hoped were okay. And, to Jonghyun’s surprise, a volume of poetry.It wasn’t a surprise that Jinki picked it up in the first place, nor that he wanted his thoughts on it, but rather, as he handed it to him, he said, “Oh, you’re the expert on this. What do you think?”Jonghyun flipped tentatively through it, his brow furrowing. “How am I the expert on poetry?”Jinki shot him a bewildered look. “You used to write it.” How the hell did he know that? He asked as much, which made Jinki laugh. “You don’t remember?” Jonghyun shook his head, confused. “You brought some of your poems to Taeyeon when she and I were studying one day. Asked her to proofread them, I think. Anyway, I read bits of the one on the top. It was really good.”And…he remembered it? All these years later?“Do you still write poetry?”“Uh, no, I don’t.” He closed the book, slipping it into Jinki’s bag with the other books. “Haven’t felt all that inspired for quite a while.”“Who knows,” Jinki said quietly as he moved on to the last of the bookshelves in the maze. “Maybe you will again soon.”Somehow, Jonghyun doubted it. Nothing new ever happened in their sleepy little town, except for the influx of tourists during the summers, but even that was ending soon.Jinki didn’t find anything that interested him there, so they went up to the register, the cashier stacking all of his books neatly into boxes and taking notes of the authors while Jinki pulled out his debit card. He paid and Jonghyun grabbed the box for him, folding his cloth tote and setting it atop the books inside while Jinki pocketed his wallet.“I can take that,” he said, already reaching for the box, his hands sliding over Jonghyun’s before he relinquished the box to him. “Where to next?” he asked as Jonghyun dug his keys out of his back pocket. “Don’t you have to get glasses? For your restaurant, not your face.”Jonghyun sniffed a laugh, glancing his way. “I mean, might as well while I’m here.”“Is the restaurant supply store far away?”Jonghyun shook his head, unlocking the trunk for Jinki to drop off his books. “We can walk if you don’t mind. It’s just a few blocks from here.”“Oh, that’s nice.” Jinki shut the trunk and hopped back on the sidewalk, taking the side closer to the road again as Jonghyun started them walking the opposite way. “Minho’s art supply store is clear across town. I always feel bad making him come all this way for me.”“I’m sure he doesn’t mind.”“No, probably not.”A comfortable silence lapsed between them until they stopped at the crosswalk. I was broken by Jinki starting to ask “Are—” but he cut himself off as the light changed to let them walk.“What?” He shook his head, glancing around at the crowd. “No, what is it?”“Is there something going on between them?”“Between…”Jinki lowered his voice, leaning closer. “Minho and Kibum.”Jonghyun blinked rapidly, leaning away from him in surprise. “What makes you say that?”He shrugged. “I was just curious if you noticed anything.”Jonghyun’s eyes widened and he sidled closer to him with a grin. “Have you?” Jinki hesitated, gradually grinning when Jonghyun nudged him. “Come on, you have to tell me, now.”“Well—oh, is this it?” Jinki asked as he halted, pointing to the store on the other side of Jonghyun.Jonghyun whirled around. “Oh, yeah.” Jinki moved first, opening the door for him to enter first and following Jonghyun inside. “So?”“Where are the glasses?”“Jinki, I swear to—”He snorted, grabbing Jonghyun’s arm and prodding him to start walking. “I’ll tell you, let’s just get what you’re here for.”“Fine.” Jonghyun glared around the room, locating the sign near the back, and nodding toward it. “This way.”Once they had slipped into the furthest aisle from the register, Jinki continued. “It’s really not much, I just noticed that they’ve been spending a lot of time together since he came back.”“So do we, and that doesn’t mean anything.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. Jinki looked away with a slow blink and an eventual nod. Why…was his mouth…bigger than his brain sometimes?“I know, but, haven’t you noticed that Minho talks about Kibum a lot?”“I suppose?” He ran through all the times he’d seen them together this summer, the memory of the unseen look Minho gave Kibum this morning coming to the surface. “Maybe?”Jinki stopped walking, and it was only then that Jonghyun realized they had reached the section with the glasses. “I’m probably just imagining things,” he said, sounding strangely…sad. “Which ones do you need?”“Look for some tall, thin ones.”After about ten minutes of searching, they found some, but only the display versions. Jinki lent him a pencil to jot down the product number on the palm of his hand, and they returned to the register so Jonghyun could put in an order for them.“Sorry you couldn’t get them today,” Jinki said as he held the door open for him yet again.Jonghyun waited for him to fall into step beside him again before he started back down the sidewalk to his car. “Eh, it’s okay. I’ve still got a couple. Some drunken idiot dropped two the other night—”“Sorry about that.”Jonghyun huffed a laugh, nudging a grinning Jinki away as he continued. “And I just prefer to have a full set in case we get busy.”“That’s—”Jonghyun looked up as raindrops pittered in his hair, despite the sunshine. As he lifted his hand to cover his hair, Jinki grabbed his arm, dragging him over to stand under a colorful awning for a tiny cafe. Both of them looked out at the sunny downpour, then at each other for a second before Jinki looked back into the cafe. “You wanna?” he asked, nodding to the door when he met Jonghyun’s gaze again. “Who knows how long this’ll last.” When Jonghyun hesitated, Jinki gave him a small smile. “My treat?”“Alright, fine.”He opened the door, letting Jonghyun in, the little bell above the door jingling. The staff behind the counter greeted them warmly as they approached the counter, where Jinki ordered a matcha latte and Jonghyun a cappuccino, and a slice of the cafe’s chocolate roll cake with fresh berries stuffed into the center of the cream. Two forks. He took the number the cashier gave them, leading the way to the corner table by the window.“I haven’t been here in ages,” Jinki said quietly as he settled in the seat across from Jonghyun.“I’ve never been here before.”“Really?” He looked genuinely surprised, and Jonghyun just shrugged. “I used to come with my ex all the time. It was her favorite place.”“Eunae?”Jinki’s brow furrowed. “Mikyong.” Ah, the one at the tail end of high school. Broke up with him a few days after he got home from the army.Jonghyun wrinkled up his nose, and Jinki chuckled at his reaction. “Well, I promise I won’t cheat on you the entire time you’re in the military.”“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Jinki looked up behind him, moving the little number card aside as the cashier came over with the tray with their drinks and cake. After she arranged it before them, they thanked her as she bowed and Jinki grabbed his fork, digging into the cake.Jonghyun grabbed his fork, but he didn’t move to start in on the cake. It must be nice to have memories of romance tied to places, even if the relationship didn’t work out, in the end. Knowing that it was possible for someone to love you…willing to make time for you, be seen with you, enjoying the time you do spend together. In all the time he’d been out, he’d yet to have an official boyfriend. Sure, there were guys he’d gotten attached to, they’d gone on dates. But they were all long distance, most broken off before they could meet. And the one time that didn’t happen, he’d gotten the text ending it by the time got home from his weekend trip.“Is something wrong?” Jinki asked him, and Jonghyun met his eyes.“Uh, yeah.” He twisted the fork between his fingers before leaning forward to cut off a bite for himself. “Sorry.”“What is it?” Jinki asked, clearly not fooled.Jonghyun shook his head. “It’s stupid.”“I’m sure it’s not.”He ate the cake off his fork, chewing slowly and swallowing before cutting off another piece. “I was just thinking it must be nice to have places you remember from relationships.” Jinki’s eyebrows knit together. “I know, you guys broke up, but still…”“Don’t you have places like that?”“Sorta? It’s harder when you can’t even call them relationships.”Jinki blinked rapidly. “What about Jaeseong?”Jonghyun closed his eyes in surprise as he ate his next bite. Fucking Jaeseong, the asshole from Busan. The one who broke everything off before they could get started. Had he mentioned him to Jinki? He didn’t remember that. “That was nothing, really. Just a fling.”“Ah.” He sank back in his seat, looking down at the decorative foamy leaves in his latte as he fiddled with the handle of the mug. “Are you not interested in relationships?”This was not the direction he had expected any of their potential conversations to go today. Jonghyun couldn’t meet his eyes anymore, so he took a sip of his too-hot cappuccino, licking the foam from his upper lip as he went for another bite of cake. “I mean, theoretically, yeah. It’d be nice. But it feels impossible, at this point. So I’ve decided not to get my hopes up for anything.”“But…you’re not opposed?”Oh, god, did he have a gay cousin or something he was trying to set him up with? At least he knew what his personal version of hell was like now, for future reference.“If the right person comes along, then no.” He gulped, looking across at Jinki, finding him watching him, his gaze oddly intense. But then he blinked, his expression softened, and Jonghyun was sure he imagined it. “What about you?”“I feel the same way. I know what I want, and I don’t want to settle for anything less.” Jonghyun nodded, looking away again. Well, whoever she was, hopefully his future partner knew how lucky she was.The sunshower had long since ended by the time they finished their drinks and cake, and they were well on their way home by the time the actual downpour began. “Shit,” Jinki mumbled, squinting up at the clouds through the swishing windshield wipers. “Do you think it’ll stop by the time we get home?”“I mean, hopefully sooner. I hate driving in the rain.”“I’m sorry—”“Jinki, it’s fine,” he said with a laugh.“My poor books…”Oh right, the books. “Check the backseat. Taeng usually keeps an umbrella back there.” Twisting in his seat, Jinki rummaged around for a few seconds before letting out a bright peal of laughter that almost made Jonghyun look away from the darkening road. “What?”“What is it with you two and Sailor Moon?”“It’s Sailor fucking Moon,” he said, as there was no other explanation necessary.“I’ve never seen it.”Jonghyun did look away from the road this time, his disbelieving look making Jinki’s eyes crinkle up as he laughed again. “How the hell were you at our house so often growing up and you never watched Sailor Moon with us?”“You never invited me?”“So now it’s my fault?”“We can blame Taeyeon.”Grinning, Jonghyun settled comfortably in his seat again, catching a glimpse of the exit for their town in the headlights. “Well then, your next day off that you don’t already have plans, come over and we can start you on it. You’ll just have to bring your own snacks.”“I can do that.”Jonghyun took the exit, heading to their neighborhood. Jinki only lived a few streets up from them. His parents’ car was already in the driveway, so he parked along the street, reaching for the umbrella once he pulled his key out of the ignition and popped the hood. Jinki hopped out and Jonghyun opened the umbrella as he ran around behind his car, covering Jinki and the books as soon as he reached them.“Are they okay?”“I think so,” Jinki muttered, bent over the box to inspect the spines and exposed pages. “I won’t know until I get inside.”“Let’s hurry, then.”Jonghyun closed the trunk lid once the box was free, and he walked alongside Jinki to his porch. The porch light flickered on, bathing them in golden light.“Thank you for taking me today,” Jinki said, his voice softer than it had been all day. So soft that it almost startled Jonghyun. Instead, he just met his gaze, slightly mesmerized by the smile glittering in his eyes. His eyes that dipped slowly down to Jonghyun’s lips.W…what…Jonghyun’s brain short-circuited as Jinki’s gaze caressed its way back up to his eyes. All words escaped him when Jinki smiled again.“I’ll see you tomorrow?”The only thing he could do was nod.“Bye, then.”And with that, Jinki opened the door, giving Jonghyun one last glimpse of his smile before it closed behind him.The light turning off from his lack of movement was what made him realize he hadn’t left the porch. He looked around at the rainy night, still completely dumbstruck. Then he stepped off the porch, and he would have walked all the way home had his keys not jingled in his hand.He was pretty sure he didn’t blink once until he was back inside. Taeyeon’s head peeked over the back of the couch as he toed his shoes off. “How'd it go?” Hopefully, he mumbled something close to “good”, but he couldn’t be sure. “Have you heard from Kibum yet? He’s not answering my or Yeri’s texts.”“Mm,” Jonghyun murmured on his way back to his room.Had Jinki wanted to kiss him?The thought fully sank in as he leaned against his bedroom door, closing it behind him.In his limited experience, that’s what it had always looked like when a guy wanted to kiss him. But this was /Jinki/.Jonghyun shook his head firmly, pushing away from the bedroom door only to flop fully clothed into bed. His hand went to his hair, and he slowly twirled a few locks.Had he wanted to?Maybe he’d find out tomorrow.His eyes widened in alarm, the thought sending an electric course to his nerves.If he had…well then, maybe Jinki was right—maybe he would get back to writing poetry again.* * * * *“Well, I was gonna ask if we wanted to get some coffee, but it looks like you’re a step ahead of me.”Minho looked away from Jonghyun and down to the drinks in the cupholders between him, then to Kibum before he shifted the car into gear and started down to the main road.“Which one’s mine?”He tapped the one closest to the stick. “I hope you don’t mind?”“Nope, but only if it’s the right drink.”Minho sniffed a laugh as he watched Kibum pick it up and slowly arrange the straw before he took the tiniest of sips. “Does it pass?” Minho asked with a barely contained laugh as Kibum smacked his lips.“I suppose.”Snorting, Minho turned off onto the road heading out of town. “Oh, wait,” he said, gaining a bit of speed. “I don’t remember how to get there.”“Well, I mean, me neither.”“No,” Minho laughed. He grabbed his phone from its cubby behind his stick, holding it out to Kibum. “I’ve already got the address in here, can you turn it on?”Kibum grabbed his phone, but before Minho could pull his hand away, Kibum took it, too, extending Minho’s finger to unlock the phone. Minho had never been so grateful to himself for the idea he had in March of following the prompting of his new phone to set up a fingerprint password. A stroke of brilliance. Kibum released his finger, and he couldn’t help but glance over at him as he plugged the cord in so it’d play over the speaker. It only took a few seconds for him to get the directions going, but he wasn’t putting Minho’s phone down.“Do you have music we can listen to?”“Uh, yeah, I have a few playlists.” Hopefully all relatively normal. Another glance over and Kibum’s brow was furrowed slightly behind the bridge of his sunglasses as he slowly scrolled. “We don’t have to if I don’t have anything good.”Kibum looked up at him, and even without the sunglasses coming off, Minho could still sense his utter bewilderment. He tapped a song or playlist, and a second later, there was a crinkle, then a bit of—”Was that Japanese?” Kibum asked. Minho shrugged. A jazzy, upbeat song started playing, followed by the smooth voice of Michael Buble.Even with his attention on the road, he could feel Kibum looking at him. “What?”“I just never pegged you as the type to listen to English artists.”“Am I not allowed to like his voice?”“No, no, you’re fine,” Kibum said, and when Minho looked over, he found him wearing a dimpled smile. “It just surprised me.”Minho let out a tired sigh, drawing a clipped laugh out of Kibum as he reached forward to turn the volume down or change the track, only for Kibum to smack his hand away. “His voice is lower and I can actually sing along sometimes, okay?” When Kibum didn’t respond right away, Minho looked over at him to see him watching him expectantly. “I’m not gonna right now.”Kibum sucked his teeth, looking away. “Fine, be that way.”“I will.”When the song changed, it was once that Kibum evidently knew, because he started humming along to it. Minho reached over, turning the volume up a little bit more for him.It only took about an hour and a half to get to the orchard, and the time was filled with idle conversation…or Kibum singing a few lines at a time of his apparent favorites from Minho’s playlist. Which, Minho wasn’t surprised that he found himself liking Kibum’s singing voice, too. Even if he wasn’t being remotely serious about it. It was just as…as vibrant and enchanting as the rest of him.There’s no way he’d be able to listen to these songs without thinking of him, now.Not that that would be a problem. At all.Once they arrived at the farm, Minho pulled slowly up to the yard, both of them peering through Kibum’s window at the place. “It looks right…right?” Kibum asked, glancing at him.“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?” Minho unbuckled, popping his door open. “I’ll be right back.”A woman—the owner of the orchard, it turned out—answered the door, confirming that it was the correct place and that they could just go around back and stay as long as they needed. Minho thanked her with a bow and jogged back to the car.“Yup, we’re good,” he said after he had opened Kibum’s door for him, closing it once he was standing beside him. Then he unlocked the trunk, pulling out the baskets Jonghyun had given him and prying them apart before he handed one to Kibum. “We can race to see who fills it first!”“If you’re gonna make a competition out of this I’m gonna stay in the car.”Laughing, Minho clicked the lock button on his key fob until the horn honked. “Good luck with that.”Kibum fell into step beside him with a dramatic sigh, and Minho glanced down at him, worried for half a second that he was upset with him. Judging by his small smile and shake of his head, he was still good.As they made it around the back corner of the house, a large, very friendly, black and white dog came bounding up to them, detouring their short trek to the grove for a few minutes with his demand for attention. Kibum hunkered down beside him, trying to get a picture with and then of him, but he wouldn’t stay still long enough. He loped before them, his swishy tail wagging as he looked back, waiting for them to catch up with him.Kibum’s shoulder bumped into his as they walked along, and he muttered a quiet apology. Minho glanced down at him, then at his phone screen. “He sure is sweet, huh?”“Hm?” Kibum looked up at him, then back down at his phone. “Yeah. Makes me miss having dogs.”“You used to have them?”“Never just me. My family did though. Always had a gaggle of tiny dogs.”“What kind?”“Always poodles. Had to have two at a time, my mom was adamant. I tell Yeri all the time that that’s the only reason our parents decided to have her.” Minho cracked a smile when Kibum laughed, who then smacked Minho’s arm. “Oh, hey, speaking of, we should get a picture together before we get sweaty and gross.”“What for?”Kibum tapped his sunglasses a little further down the bridge of his nose, meeting his gaze over the frame. “What do you mean ‘what for’?.”“You said ‘speaking of’?”“Oh.” He shoved his glasses back up his nose, reaching down to pet the farm dog as he wedged himself between them before running ahead to the grove again. “Yeri is pestering me for more pictures because apparently three a day isn’t enough.”“I can take some of you. You know, for your Instagram, too.”Kibum looked back at him as they reached the shade of the first of the trees, giving him a small smile. “I’d appreciate that. But first—“ He reached for Minho’s shoulder, pulling him close under the dappled light. “Let’s make it weird. For her.”“Weird how?” Minho asked with a laugh, and Kibum shrugged, holding his phone up, the camera facing them.Without really thinking, Minho slung his arm over Kibum’s shoulder, leaning fully into him while Kibum threw up a peace sign and flashed the most awkward smile Minho had ever seen him wear. He burst out laughing and would have leaned away had Kibum not grabbed his wrist to hold him in place.“Stop, stop, be serious again for a second, I didn’t get it.” It took them several tries and an accidental slip into video mode to finally get it. Minho stepped away, watching him fiddle with his phone for a few seconds more before he crouched down to pet the dog again. “Shit, I don’t have any service out here.”“I guess your sister can wait.”“It’ll do her some good,” he said, sighing as he pocketed his phone. “She’s spoiled enough as it is.” His attention shifted from the dog to Minho and back to the dog again as he reached out to scratch behind his ears. “I suppose we should get to the tangerines, huh?”“Yeah, probably.”“If I come across any spiders, you have to deal with them. Okay?” he said as he left them to go pick up his basket.Minho’s eyebrows shot up as his gaze trailed after him. “Yeah, okay.”Kibum grabbed both baskets, holding one out to Minho as he approached. “Do we want to work on separate trees or the same one?”“You can just say you don’t want to hang around me. I’m tough, I can take it. I was in the Marines, after all.”Kibum’s expression shifted from incredulity to mild faux irritation. “You’re so annoying.” He rolled his eyes when Minho shot him a grin, and turned away, heading to the nearest tree. Minho followed him, heading to the other side and setting his basket down on the tangerine-strewn ground between him and the trunk. “What do we want to do after this?”“What do you mean?”He dropped the three tangerines he just picked into the basket, three light plunks in quick succession. “I mean, it's your day off, don’t you want to do something fun?”“Did you have something in mind?”“We’re sorta close to town, aren’t we?”Minho pointed between the branches at Kibum, sternly amused. “We’re not gonna go spy on Jonghyun and Jinki if that’s what you’re thinking.”Kibum grinned, moving to another section of branches, the patches of sunlight filtering through the leaves casting a perfect shadow of his dimple. “What makes you think I would have suggested that?” Minho squinted at him, and Kibum’s smile grew a tad more impish. Minho wished his sunglasses were off so he could see the twinkle he was so sure was there in his eyes. “But, like, if we just happened to run into them…”“No!” Kibum chuckled, glancing at Minho again as he tossed another few tangerines into his basket. “We need to let them be. Let nature run its course.”“Nature?” Minho nodded adamantly, and Kibum shook his head, returning his attention to the branch above him. “Fine. But we should get something to eat at least before we head back.”“You know what I haven’t had in a while?” Kibum hummed in question. “Tteokbokki.”“Ooo…that does sound good.”“Right? I know a good place in town, we can go.” Nodding, Kibum went back to picking more, his face contorting in disgust when he stepped into a cobweb. “Oh, shit,” Minho muttered, dropping the four he just picked into his basket and coming around to where Kibum was. “Is there a spider?”“I don’t think so.” Kibum sputtered as he dragged his hand over his face, knocking his sunglasses off in an effort to get the cobwebs off of him.Minho caught them when they fell between them, holding them out to Kibum when he looked up at him. “Here, let me,” he said, reaching out to peel a few more strips of cobwebs off the rim of his bucket hat.It took a few seconds for him to meet Kibum’s gaze, and when he did, Kibum blinked quickly and looked away before he stepped back to slip his sunglasses on again. “Thanks.”When his heartbeat returned to normal, Minho gulped and looked away, but he didn’t return to his side of the tree. The dog came up between them, his tail slapping the back of Minho’s thigh as he ducked his head into the basket, gingerly grabbing one of the tangerines and dropping it at Minho’s feet. He sat, looking up at him with an expectant smile, and Minho looked up at Kibum.“Does he want me to throw it for him?”“I think so,” Kibum said with a laugh in his voice.Minho bent down, picking up the slightly slobbery tangerine, and poised to throw it. The dog tensed, his eyes on the tangerine, eagerly waiting for Minho to toss it. When Minho finally did, he burst after it, skidding past it in a cloud of dirt as he raced back around the trees. Minho watched his progress in complete confusion, but Kibum just laughed, fondly directing the dog to go retrieve the tangerine. It took a few tries, but he did come back, tangerine plopped before Kibum this time.“You just don’t want us to get any work done, do you?” he asked in a baby voice as he hunkered down in front of the dog, scratching roughly behind his ears. The dog’s tail wagged on the ground, collecting fallen leaves with every swipe. After a little prodding, the dog rolled onto his side, tongue lolling out as Kibum started to scratch his belly.Minho, abandoning any pretense that he had been trying to continue picking, joined him.Kibum was looking at the dog with a sad pout, and Minho let out a sniff of a laugh. “You really want a dog again, don’t you?”“Yeah…” Kibum sighed, meeting Minho’s gaze again, though the pout didn’t go away quite yet. “Maybe when I get home I can start looking into getting one.”“Or two.”“True.” He continued scratching the dog’s belly, his fingers accidentally bumping into Minho’s. “Would you like to get a dog?”“I like the idea of that if I’m being honest. It’d be nice to have a buddy. I just don’t have much experience with them.”Kibum frowned. “Did your family not have pets?”“No, we did have a dog. A Samoyed, I think they’re called? My mom’s dog before she got married to my dad. Her name was Cloud.” Kibum smiled, sitting back on his heels. “I think they had to put her down when I was three, so I don’t have many memories of her.”“That sucks, I’m sorry.”Minho shrugged. “My mom has…or, had, probably…a picture of me when I was around two asleep on top of Cloud in the middle of the kitchen. It was on the fridge still when I got back from the military, but…” He shook his head, looking over at Kibum when his hand rested over Minho’s. “Probably not anymore, I imagine.”“I’ve been meaning to ask, how have you been doing with that?”“Not too bad, thanks to you. Every day it gets a little easier not to dwell on it.”Kibum patted his hand with a small smile. “I’m so glad to hear it.”“What about you? Still doing okay without the ex?”Snorting, Kibum pulled his hand off Minho’s. “Oh yeah. I realized ages ago how shitty he was for me. I think it was…for the best that things ended. Just, obviously, I wish it had ended slightly differently.”“How was he shitty for you?” he asked as he joined Kibum on his feet again. “Besides the obvious, of course.”“Well…it was a lot of things. Little things.” Kibum pulled down a branch, picking two tangerines with his free hand before dropping them in the basket. “I think I figured out that I had settled for him. Because I didn’t want to end up alone, and our options being so limited…”“Right, I understand that.”“Yeah, so, I’ve come to terms with that, I think. Or I’m well on my way to getting there.”“Getting…where?”“Getting to the point where I’m okay with being alone.”Oh.Minho looked away and up at the tangerines again, picking a few. So, there really wasn’t a chance, huh? He could respect that. It was probably for the best, anyways. He’d probably never be ready for a relationship again, either. It had been nice to dream for a little while, though. But then, friendship wasn’t a downgrade. Especially not with someone like Kibum.He’d have to keep reminding himself of that for a while.Minho cleared his throat with a tiny shake of his head. “I need to keep working on that.”“It’s a process. Not easy, because sometimes—“ he cut himself off so abruptly that Minho ducked his head to look over at him between the leaves. It was no surprise that he wasn’t looking at him. “I don’t know…”“What?”Sighing, Kibum pulled his sunglasses off, cleaning the lenses with his shirt. “I feel like I wasted my one chance at finding love on someone who would cheat on me. What would be the point of me trusting someone like that again only to get my hopes up and then dashed again? It’s just not worth the risk, to me.” He looked over at last, his gaze searching Minho’s for a second before he slipped the sunglasses back on with a wry smile. “Sorry.”Minho frowned, confused. “What for?”Kibum shook his head with a shrug. “I didn’t mean to lay all this on you. It’s kind of a lot for picking tangerines,” he added with a laugh.Minho chuckled for a second, then sobered. “I don’t mind. Really. Like I said, I get it. Probably better than most.” He looked over at him again, and even with the sunglasses on, Minho could feel his scrutiny. “I think…if I ever were to find someone again…I’d have to trust him implicitly before I could even think of beginning a relationship.”“Yeah, I’ve learned my lesson there. I’m not an impulsive eighteen-year-old anymore.”“Sixteen, for me.”“See? You totally get me.” Kibum patted his shoulder with a small smile before returning his attention to the tree.It only took three and a half trees to fill the first basket, which Minho promptly took back to his car while Kibum started on the next one. Or, at least that was the plan, but by the time Minho jogged back, Kibum was sitting at the base of the next tree, Minho’s barely-started basket a little ways off, the farm dog half in his lap, and a few tangerines in his hand held out of reach of the dog.“He really wants these,” Kibum said as Minho sat in the shade beside him. “It’s too bad we’re not sharing,” he said, slipping into the baby voice as he passed two of the tangerines to Minho.“Are they not good for dogs?” Minho asked, flinching when a bit of the oil from the rind spritzed his face and shirt as he started to peel the first one.“No clue. I’m just selfish, I don’t like sharing.” Minho looked over at him with a fleeting grin as he peeled the rest of the skin off. Once the segments were free of the pith, he handed it wordlessly to Kibum, who didn’t immediately take it. “No, that’s yours.”Minho held it out insistently. “I don’t mind.” Kibum reluctantly took it, and Minho started on the next for himself.“You know, Jonghyun did say we only needed one.”“True, but…” Minho pried the first of the segments apart, popping it in his mouth. “Might as well, while we’re here.” After a second, he looked over at Kibum, who was taunting the farm dog by holding one of the segments just out of reach of his mouth. “Unless you’re ready to be done?”“No, I’m fine.”The dog snapped at the tangerine segment, and Kibum pulled it back just in time, eating it with a triumphant smile. “You’re so mean.”“I am, aren’t I.” He cast a sly glance Minho’s way, his smile donning dimples when he looked back at the peeled tangerine in his hand. “That’s just something you’re gonna have to live with if you’re gonna be my friend.”“I think I can handle it.”One of Kibum’s eyebrows shot up, but he didn’t look away from the tangerine. “Is that a challenge?”“It’s whatever you want it to be.”Kibum polished off the rest of his tangerine, chewing slowly. Thoughtfully. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said as he started peeling the other tangerine. When he finished, he passed it wordlessly to Minho before he started on the next one for himself. As soon as he was done eating it, he wiped his fingers off on his shorts and reached for his phone, pulling out his camera. “Still up for taking a few pictures for me?”“Yeah, sure,” Minho said, shoving the last few segments in his mouth before he reached for the camera.Maybe they got a little carried away.Minho lost track of how many pictures he ended up taking, most of them unusable because one or both of them started laughing at a quip the other said, resulting in a blurry photo. After a while, Kibum stole the phone back to take a few selfies, but also somehow ended up snapping a few pictures of Minho, all of which got progressively more ridiculous the more Kibum directed him. The dog bounded after them when Minho started to chase Kibum through the trees to get the phone back so he could delete the latest picture of him—one where he had an open-mouth, wide-eyed crazy looking grin.He caught him in a hug from behind, his arms holding him firmly despite his effort to get away, both panting to catch their breaths.“Let go of me,” Kibum said, a barely restrained laugh in his voice.“Delete it first.”Sighing, Kibum held his hand up as far as Minho’s hold would let him so they could both see the screen, and Minho rested his chin on Kibum’s shoulder, watching him delete it with a flourish. Slowly, Minho released him, taking a half-step back as Kibum fiddled with his screen for another second or two before he pocketed his phone with a satisfied smile. “You did delete it, right?”“You saw me.” And before Minho could retort, Kibum shoved him lightly back toward the grove. “Enough distractions, let’s get back to work.”“But it’s my day off,” Minho said with an exaggerated pout, which only made Kibum roll his eyes and shove him again when Minho started laughing.They had barely reached the brim of the second basket when a sunshower started. Kibum ducked further beneath the tree as the dog ran inside, both of them looking around at the sunny shower of rain. Minho gathered up the basket and started for the car, and Kibum hurried along under the trees until there were no more, then jogged over to the house to let the farmer know that they were done for the day. Once he was sitting behind the wheel, Minho started the car, leaning forward to watch Kibum’s progress across the yard. Almost as soon as the door closed behind him, the sunshower stopped.“Seriously?”“It’s fine, we were done anyways. Tteokbokki?” Kibum nodded, and Minho started them toward town as soon as he unlocked his phone and handed it to Kibum. Which turned out to be a mistake, because he kept picking Michael Buble songs, until Minho ripped his phone away, setting it in its cubby with a laugh. “Just let it shuffle normally, goddammit.”“What if I told you that’s what I was doing?”“Then I’d say I don’t like being lied to.”Kibum scoffed, shifting in his seat. “You’re no fun.”Minho cracked a smile, glancing over at him for a second before shaking his head and looking back at the road.Kibum got service again when they were about fifteen minutes outside of town, so he sent some of the pictures they took earlier to Yeri, and he debated with himself which ones he should post on Instagram. Minho was no help, not only because he was driving. Kibum did ask his opinion, though, despite often choosing the ones that Minho didn’t.“I’ll post them in a few days,” he said as he pocketed his phone again. “It’s good to space them out.”Minho, who still barely had a handle on what he should post to Instagram, simply nodded as he took the exit to get into town from off the highway. Kibum chatted aimlessly while Minho silently navigated his way to his favorite tteokbokki shop, doing his best to avoid potholes and mostly succeeding, and interjected with the occasional thought whenever Kibum paused. Once he was parked, they both slipped out, and Kibum was waiting for him at his side of the hood, and Minho opened the door to let him into the shop first.“Just tteokbokki?” Kibum asked him as he sidled up next to him at the back of the line.“Do you want something else?”“I mean, I was wondering if it’d be enough with us sharing?”“True.” Minho scanned the menu with a slight furrow in his brow. “What else sounds good? Should we get rice?”“Probably…” Kibum looked away from Minho and at the menu, too. “Bibimbap?” Minho hummed, his furrow deepening. “Jajangmyeon?”“Maybe…their fried chicken is really good, too.” Kibum’s eyebrows shot up. “We can get the jajangmyeon, too if you want.”“You don’t mind sharing all that?”Minho shook his head, looking down at Kibum again. “I should be asking you that.”“Why? Do you eat a lot?” Minho smiled, then laughed when Kibum rolled his eyes and let out a sighed “Of course.”He stepped up to order and Kibum broke away to find them a table. He joined him by the window, taking his seat across from him, setting their drinks down, and looking out at the sea a few blocks away. “Would you mind if we headed to the beach for a bit on the way home?” Kibum sipped his tea and shrugged. “It just looks like it’ll be a nice sunset and I want to try to paint it.”Kibum glanced out the window, smirking slightly when he met Minho’s gaze again. “It looks like it’s gonna rain.”“And? The clouds will be cool.”“Can’t fault that logic.” Kibum sipped his tea again, searching Minho’s expression. “Did you bring supplies with you?”“I have a traveling watercolor set in my glove compartment.”Kibum’s dimples barely started to show before he schooled his expression. “Of course you do.”“If you want to go straight home after this—““No, no, don’t worry about me. I’m okay with it.” He leaned forward a little, peering out the window. “It does look like it’ll be a cool sunset.”When the food arrived, they both went straight for the tteokbokki, Minho snatching a rice cake from the top of the heap while Kibum dug around for a few seconds, extracting a hidden fish cake. Minho chewed thoughtfully, watching him immediately start digging for another fish cake as soon as he was chewing the first.Minho swallowed, still watching him. “Do you only like the fish cakes or something?”Kibum looked up at him, doing a double-take when he found him watching him. “Sorta? Why?”He leaned on the table, grabbing another rice cake from the top. “Because I only really like the rice cakes.”Kibum covered his mouth as he laughed. “We’re tteokbokki soulmates then, I guess.”“Works for me,” Minho said, quickly lowering his gaze to the tteokbokki between them. And when his next choice of rice cake revealed a fish cake below it, he dug it out and set it on Kibum’s side of the tteokbokki before grabbing his rice cake again.The sun was getting closer to the cloudy horizon by the time Kibum ate his fill, and Minho polished off the remnants of all the dishes a few moments later, and they were off. Minho opened the car door for Kibum before he went around to his side and let himself in. Kibum was on his phone by the time Minho settled behind the wheel, and Minho looked around at the baskets of tangerines.“They make it smell good in here, don’t they?”Kibum hummed in agreement, then added, “Hopefully you’re ready for at least a week of it. I swear I’m still gonna be smelling like it for a month after I get home.”“At least it’s nice,” Minho said, sliding his hand behind Kibum’s seat as he backed out of the parking lot. “We probably won’t have service at the beach, you know.”“Now you tell me.”Minho chuckled. “Just say the word and we’ll head back to Jjong’s.”“No, it’s okay,” Kibum grumbled, and Minho glanced over to see a resigned sort of amusement settling into his expression.There was a bit of a detour on their way out of town, construction on one of the roads. Though, the route that Maps took him on, the roads were just as dilapidated. Even though he was going as slowly as possible, the potholes were hard to avoid. He hit a big one, reaching out to steady Kibum when the sudden dip jostled him, when he swerved out of the way of a couple of jaywalkers. Kibum rolled down his window to yell at them, but they were already too far away.“They should work on this street next,” Kibum muttered, still glaring back at the jaywalkers.“Probably. Are you good?”“Yeah. It’s a good thing I didn’t have a drink, huh?”The storm clouds were just starting to get tinged with pink by the time Minho pulled into the empty parking lot for the beach. He reached across Kibum, opening the glove compartment and rummaging around for his supplies. Kibum, in his long-suffering benevolence, followed him around until Minho found the ideal vantage point for him to attempt to paint the horizon. Minho passed his tin of paints and pad of paper off to Kibum while he fished his shot glasses out of his pocket and ran down to the oncoming waves to collect some water. He walked back to where Kibum was sitting in the sand, being careful not to spill, and sat beside him.He took the pencil out of the tin and sketched a light outline of the cloud shapes, which only took a few minutes. Then after a few moments more, he chose his color palette, mixed a few colors, wet a bit of his paper, and got to work.He could feel Kibum watching him. Or, rather, watching him paint. Quietly, so he didn’t distract him. By the time Minho finished laying down the pink, his temple rested on Minho’s shoulder. Only for a second, though. He lifted his head with a quiet /sorry/, and Minho turned his head slightly toward him.“It’s okay, I don’t mind.”Eventually, his head rested there without moving. Minho sighed into a smile as he mixed a shade of indigo. He'd be quite content to stay in this moment for as long as he could, but unfortunately, it didn’t last very long.Raindrops splattered his head, his painting. He covered his painting, looking up at the sky as Kibum scrambled to his feet. He dumped out the water and gathered his supplies, jogging after Kibum and running back to the car. Only…His steps slowed, and he stood frozen in the downpour, staring at the front driver’s side tire. The very flat tire…how...Kibum, who was already inside the car, popped Minho’s door open, leaning partially out to call to him. “What are you doing? Do you want to catch a cold?”Minho came to, hurrying inside the safety of his car, and Kibum looked up at him expectantly. “We have a problem,” Minho said a little louder than he usually would have, because of the rain. “I’ve got a flat tire.”“How?” Minho shrugged, shaking his head. Kibum’s eyes widened, and he looked out at the rain before returning his gaze to Minho. “What are we gonna do?”“I’ve got a spare, and I can fix it, but—““Not while it’s raining, though.”“No, I know.” They stared at each other for several heartbeats. “I’m sorry, Kibum.”“What are you talking about? It’s not your fault.”“Yeah but,” he pulled his phone out with a sigh, the lack of bars not a surprise. “You don’t happen to have service, do you?”“What do you think?” Kibum asked sardonically, pulling out his phone to check anyways, and shaking his head. Slowly, Minho turned his head, looking at the backseat. After a second, Kibum leaned closer, looking back, too. “There’s no way we’ll fit back there.”“No, I know, but the seat folds down. Hold on.”Haphazardly, Minho climbed into the backseat, folding himself up to fit between the full baskets of tangerines. Shimmying around, he managed to maneuver the first of the baskets between the front seats to the waiting Kibum, he carefully shoved it into the driver’s seat. Minho had the next basket ready for him, which he just held while Minho worked on unfolding the seat and releasing the back portion to open up the trunk.“You know what’s kinda ridiculous?” Minho looked back at Kibum as he half-stood, half-crouched over the folded-down back seat, his eyebrows raising in question. “How such a tall guy can have such a tiny car.”Minho laughed as he stretched into the trunk, feeling around in the dark for his spare sweatshirt and beach towel. “I’ve always liked these cars, though.”“Do you still?” Kibum asked drolly as Minho extracted himself from the trunk.“Believe it or not, yes.” He sat back on his heels and leaned back against the side, looking back at Kibum. “This is it.”Kibum peeked over the headrest, looking dismally at the limited expanse of the trunk. “I didn’t know this hotel had such…charming accommodations.”“I know, it sucks,” Minho said with a quiet chuckle. “We have some options, though. We could share the trunk, or one of us could take the trunk and the other could take one of the seats and lean back to sleep.”Kibum’s gaze shifted to Minho, a definite smile in his eyes. “Are you worried that people will think we’re gay if we both take the trunk?”“I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” Minho said, laughing.The smile dimmed a little, and he sat back before shifting the second basket of tangerines into the passenger seat so he could crawl back and join Minho. “Which side is yours?”“Side? You know how it’s been since I’ve shared a bed with anyone?”“So? I still sleep on my side of the bed.”“Which side is that, then?” Kibum patted the left side of the trunk, and Minho nodded, relaxing against the side again.Kibum leaned back, too, and for another several heartbeats, they just stared at each other. “Now what?”“Wait out the night, I guess.” Kibum sighed, his head knocking against the window and he turned, looking out at the darkening sky. “I’m really sorry.”Kibum looked back at him. “Was it that one pothole?”“Probably.”He shook his head with a rueful smile. “Those fucking jaywalkers.” Minho could feel his gaze, even in the dark. “You should have let me yell at them.”“I’m not sure if that would have helped much.”“You just don’t want me to be happy.”“Apparently not.” He laughed when Kibum let out an exasperated sigh, then both fell silent, listening to the heavy downpour for a moment. “Should I start the car so we can have heat throughout the night?”“Hm. How much gas—““About half a tank, I think.”“Shit.” Minho nodded even though Kibum couldn’t see him. “No blanket? Besides the beach towel?”“Nope. You can use the sweatshirt if you need a bit more warmth.”“I’ll be fine.”Minho smiled, tracing Kibum’s silhouette with his gaze. “It’s okay, I usually don’t sleep in much…so…” Oh god, why’d he say that? Of all the things. He could have said. He said that. “Because I’m usually warm, I mean.”Kibum cleared his throat, the tone of it clearly amused. “If you’re sure.”Minho felt around for it, and once his fingers brushed it, he grabbed it and passed it to Kibum. There was a rustle of clothing for a few seconds, then, “I’m assuming you don’t have pillows stashed in your trunk.”“You’re right, but that’s not a bad idea, maybe I should start.” Kibum snorted, and Minho scooted down into the trunk, shaking out the beach towel as much as he could in the cramped space. “Should we…”“Attempt to get comfortable?”“If that’s even possible.”Minho scooted more until he was laying down, Kibum’s knees knocking into his as he did the same. He shifted several times beside him, but Minho stayed as still as possible, eyes wide in the nearly suffocating darkness.He started when Kibum’s fingers brushed his thigh. “Oh, sorry,” Kibum said. “Where’s the towel?”“Do you need that, too?”“I thought we were gonna share that,” he said, a laugh in his voice.“We can.”Even he could hear the strain in his voice, so it was no surprise that Kibum found his hand in the dark. “Minho,” he said softly, and Minho turned toward him. “Try to relax, okay?”Minho nodded, and though Kibum couldn’t see him, he patted his hand before releasing it to lie down beside him. Not touching him, though. But he did drape the towel over both of them before letting out another sigh. “Despite, well, this,” Kibum said. “I still think it was a pretty good day.”“I’m glad I didn’t ruin your vacation.”“Ruin? Nah.” Kibum nudged his elbow with his own. “We’ll just call it an adventure.”Minho grinned, a bit of tension leaving his shoulders as he finally let himself relax beside him.Sleep found Kibum first, though it wasn’t until the storm almost passed. Minho lay there, eyes growing slowly drowsy, listening to the steady sound of Kibum’s breathing and the depleting rain until it was replaced entirely by the sound of the waves racing to shore. He had been about to succumb to sleep himself when Kibum’s breathing changed, coming in shorter breaths than before. Frowning, Minho glanced his way, unsure what was wrong until Kibum started shaking a little. Panic coursed through him, and he nearly hit his head on the driver’s seat back as he sat up.“Kibum,” he said, but Kibum didn’t stir. Tentatively, he reached out, finding his shoulder and giving it a gentle shake. “Bummie.”“Hm,” came the partially asleep reply.“Are you okay?”“Mm,” he said at first, then it was followed by a pout-filled “Cold.”Minho blinked slowly, hesitating.No, it wouldn’t be right.But Kibum continued to shiver, and he was a bit cold, too, if he were being completely honest with himself.He sat there, contemplating every outcome that presented itself to his mind, until his teeth were chattering, too. It’d probably be smart to share body heat…right? Was he thinking about this too much? Probably. Actually, definitely.Kibum was right, he needed to relax.Shaking his head, he laid back down, and after several more seconds of waiting, he tentatively reached for Kibum. His arm wrapped around him, holding him close as Kibum leaned into him. It only took a few minutes for Kibum to not be shivering like he was, and Minho was warmer.Warm enough to drift off at last.* * * * *Soft sunlight streamed through the droplet-strewn windows and draped over Kibum. He stirred, the light bright behind his eyelids, and blearily looked around.Right. They had to camp out in Minho’s car.He yawned as he started to stretch, only to freeze a second later as he suddenly realized that there was something unexpectedly heavy around his waist. He looked down with wide eyes, staring at what could only be Minho’s arm. He shifted, turning back until he and a sleeping Minho were almost nose to nose.Kibum blinked slowly, staring at him. He must have gotten cold in the middle of the night. Or maybe Minho was just a cuddler when he slept. He could see that being the case.Joonwoo had never been like this. Sure he was physically affectionate at times, especially at the start before the honeymoon phase wore off. But when it came to sleeping, he never really wanted to cuddle. He obliged Kibum sometimes, but never for very long.So this was new.He shifted, rolling onto his back and slipping out of Minho’s hold. Carefully, he crawled out of the trunk to sit on the folded-down seat, his attention shifting back to Minho once he was settled.He looked a lot younger, less care-worn, while he slept. At peace in a way he couldn’t quite achieve while awake. Kibum reached out, brushing his thick, slightly wavy hair off his forehead. Still sleeping, Minho turned his head at the touch, the corner of his lips twitching up in what would have been a smile if he were awake.There was a freckle there, too. On his chin, just below his lips.He looked away, reminding himself for probably the millionth time in the last twenty-four hours that he wasn’t ready to consider dating again. That he wasn’t going to be impulsive about entering into a relationship again. That Minho himself said yesterday that he wasn’t ready for another relationship. That he needed time as well as trust in his potential future boyfriend.Still…he could do a whole lot worse than Minho…He looked back at him, smiling softly when he stretched and shifted in his sleep. After a second, Kibum reached over him, readjusting the beach towel over him so he was covered and hopefully warm.“Stop it,” he whispered to himself as he leaned back before he could fuss with Minho’s hair again.It wouldn’t be right to try to start anything between them, even if there was a glimmer of longing within him that he was trying desperately to ignore every time he was with Minho. Even if he thought he saw hints of the same longing in Minho’s eyes whenever he looked at him. They’d both been hurt terribly and he knew he needed more time to heal before he let himself be seriously involved with someone else again.Which, if he needed more time, then Minho certainly did.Maybe…some space was necessary. After they got back, of course, since it’d be hard to achieve that in such a tiny ass car. For both their sakes. So he—or they—could clear his head and be sure that it wasn’t just the excitement of the possibility of something new clouding his better judgment.Minho shifted again, stirring now. He wiped sleep from his eye as he looked up and around, finding Kibum sitting up.“Good morning,” he said, his voice lower than usual. Slightly cracked, too, from being asleep.Shit.“How’d you sleep?”Kibum shrugged. “Not bad, considering.”Minho rubbed his eye again, lethargically looking around. “Sorry if I was still holding you when you woke up. You were shivering before I fell asleep, so—“That damn sense of longing flared up again, stabbing him through the heart. “You were, but it’s okay. I, uh, wasn’t sure if that’s what it was or if you were just a cuddler while you slept. Or whatever.”“I have gotten that complaint before,” Minho said with a sheepish chuckle.Complaint? Kibum mentally added another item to his list of things to yell at Minho’s ex about if he ever had the misfortune to run into him. When Minho met his eyes again, Kibum looked away, searching for something to fill the silence to keep him from saying something stupid. His gaze landed on the tangerines in the front seats, and he reached over, grabbing a few.“Made you breakfast.”Minho let out a sleepy sniff of a laugh as he sat up and combed his fingers through his hair. It flopped back over his forehead, looking slightly more disheveled than before.This didn’t bode well.“Thanks, it’s been a while since someone else cooked breakfast for me.”Kibum bit the inside of his lip to keep himself from blurting out that he was a pretty good cook himself. Instead, he simply passed Minho two of the tangerines before peeling one for himself.“You’re sure you can fix the tire?”Minho didn’t look up from his half-peeled tangerine. “Oh, yeah. It’s actually pretty easy.” He broke a segment free and popped it into his mouth. This car was used when I bought it and the tires were so worn out, so I’ve had a bit of practice.”“See, when something goes wrong with my car, I take it to a mechanic.”Minho snorted, prying another segment free. “Yes, but that would have required talking to strangers.”Kibum watched him thoughtfully for several long seconds before asking, “So you’re not naturally shy?”“I mean, I have my moments. Everyone does. But, no, I was the kid getting in trouble for being the hyper one in class.”“I can see that,” Kibum said with a grin that he tried to hide by ducking his head to start on his first tangerine.“Can you?” he asked with an incredulous laugh. Kibum pursed his lips together. “Am I that annoying?”“Obviously.”He could hear the smile in Minho’s voice without looking up at him again, but oh, he was tempted. “What, were you a perfect angel in class? Did you remind the teacher about homework?”Kibum sucked his teeth with a shake of his head that made Minho laugh. “And if I did?”“Then I don’t know if we can be friends.”“You're in luck, then, because I didn’t.” Kibum glanced up at him as he discarded the peel, slightly dazzled by the sparkle of daylight in Minho’s dark eyes. He looked back at his lap quickly, splitting the segments apart. “I was the instigator, never the one in trouble.”“That makes sense.”Frowning, Kibum’s head snapped up, catching Minho’s annoyingly gleaming gaze. “How?” he asked, affronted.He shoved the rest of his tangerine in his mouth, chewing with a growing grin for a second before saying, “Gotta go work on the flat now.”Kibum watched him crawl into the front seat with a blank glare, letting out a droll “Really?” as he opened the driver’s door. He watched him walk around to the trunk for a few seconds before ducking back in there, propping his chin on his fist while he waited for Minho to pop the trunk. “What’d you mean by that?” he asked amidst Minho’s peal of surprised laughter.Minho tapped his arm before prodding him. “Move, I have to get the spare.”“Not until you answer my question.”“I seem to remember only one of us being referred to as an evil mastermind.”“Pretty sure you were the one who called me that.”“Yeah?” Minho flashed him a bright, lopsided grin. “And you agreed pretty quickly if I remember right.”He patted Kibum’s arm again, and this time, he moved. Minho pulled back the carpeted plastic, handing the edge of Kibum to hold while he slid the spare and the jack out of their home in the trunk. He let the plastic fall back once Minho had moved away, and he crawled out of the trunk after him.A niggling voice in the back of his mind reminded him as he followed Minho around the car that he had, mere moments ago, decided that they needed some space to clear their heads.He ignored it for the time being, however, plopping down on the pavement beside the car while Minho got to work.The day was bright and warm already, despite the sun just barely starting to rise. The air was clear and fresh from the storm last night, and a nice, light, salty breeze was blowing in off the sea. Kibum breathed deeply in, his back settling against the fender of Minho’s car.“Can you hold this for me?” he asked, and Kibum held out his hand without looking away from the sea, only glancing over when he felt fabric instead of some sort of tool.His shirt.Kibum blinked slowly, taking in the partially-shirtless Minho. He wasn’t quite sure if he was happy that he had one of those white, skin-tight tank tops under his shirt. Actually, no, it was a relief. Dealing with a shirtless Minho on a crowded beach was one thing, but one-on-one like this probably would have been too much, especially this early in the morning. Sighing, he started to fold the shirt in his lap, tracing one of the pale lines in it, before he squinted, looking at it closer.“This looks familiar.”Minho stopped cranking….whatever that tool was…and looked over at him. “Yeah, I bought it last year when we went shopping.”“Ah, that’s why.” Minho started cranking again for a few more seconds before stopping to set a metal thingy between them before he started on the next one. “That was a fun place to shop. Have you been back there since then?”“Mm-hm. Sooyoung and I go together.” He set another one of the things between them, and Kibum reached for it, pausing when Minho asked, “Do you want grease on your hands?”Ah, no. “See, that’s why I don’t work on cars.”“The single reason.” Kibum met his gaze, both of them cracking up before Minho dropped another one on the pavement. “Can you move for a second?”“So demanding,” Kibum muttered as he moved out of the way with a furtive glance at him as he released the wheel and went around back to stick it where the spare had been.It had to be sort of heavy, though it didn’t look like it with the way he carried it one-handed so he could unlock and open the trunk. He looked away when Minho disappeared behind the open trunk, shaking his head with a sigh.
Get a grip, Kibum…
He avoided looking over at Minho as he returned to fix the spare where the flat had been, focused instead on smoothing the wrinkle in Minho’s shirt collar.Minho was right, it didn’t take him long to replace the tire. In just a few minutes, he had it fitted back on the…whatever that’s called, and then Minho was running off to go wash his hands in the sea while Kibum set the jack in the trunk and started folding up the back seat. Minho was back in time to help him move the tangerines, and then they were off, heading into town for some coffee before starting for home.Both of their phones burst with notifications after about five minutes on the road. “Sixteen calls from Taeyeon, seven from Jonghyun…Jesus, twenty from my sister.”“Texts, too?” Kibum hummed his assent. “Who called me?”Kibum picked up Minho’s phone, and it prompted him to give the password. He squinted at the screen before typing in 1-2-0-9. It unlocked, and Kibum snorted. “Honey, you need a better password.”“You guessed it?” Minho asked, looking at him in apparent surprise.“Are you really shocked that I remembered your birthday?” Minho huffed a laugh, and Kibum scrolled through his notifications. “I can’t believe this.”“What?”“Jjong called you more times than me.” He pressed on the missed call notification on Minho’s phone, immediately calling Jonghyun, putting the phone on speaker, and shushing Minho when it dialed.The phone picked up after one and a half rings. “Oh my god, are you guys okay? What happened? Is Kibum alright? Where have you guys been, we’re all so worried,” Jonghyun blurted out before Kibum could speak.“How dare you call Minho more than me. Do you even care about me at all?”Minho glanced over when neither Jonghyun nor Kibum spoke for a moment, cracking up when Jonghyun replied “Are you fucking kidding me?”“Of course,” Kibum said at the same time that Minho said, “Jjong, it’s okay, we’re totally fine.”“What happened?” Taeyeon asked. They must have been on speaker in the cafe, too.Kibum let Minho explain while he held up the phone between them, and after Minho gave them an estimate of when they’d be home, Kibum hung up, setting Minho’s phone back in its place while he called his sister, setting her on speaker, too, while it rang.“Oppa!” she practically yelled into the phone as soon as she picked up. “What the fuck?” Minho laughed out loud as he took the exit, and the spiel Yerim was about to go off on died in the air after a few syllables. “Who is that?” she asked after a pause.“Sorry,” Minho said, still laughing. “I’m Minho, your brother’s friend.” Kibum looked over at Minho with what he knew was an overly fond smile, but Minho was thankfully paying attention to the road so he didn’t see.Another pause, then, in a politely sweet voice that she had never used with him, “Hello, it’s nice to finally meet you.” Minho’s eyebrow raised and he looked over at Kibum as he turned the speaker off and pressed the phone to his ear before she added, “That’s not what I was expecting you to sound like.”“You’re off speaker now,” Kibum said quickly.“Good. Are you two on a date or something?” When he didn’t reply immediately, she continued. “Are you gonna tell me what’s going on or do I have to fly down there?”Kibum gave her an even more condensed version of the story than Minho gave Jonghyun and Taeyeon, pausing when they arrived at the drive-thru and it was time to place their orders. She asked to be put on speaker while Kibum picked what he wanted, and she helped Minho decide to get choux cream bread for both of them for breakfast. She put in a valiant effort trying to get him to not order his usual iced americano, but in the end, he was too set in his ways. Kibum listened to her, though, and got an iced earl grey latte with a couple of shots of espresso. They said goodbye before they hit the highway again so that the sudden lack of service didn’t cut the conversation short.“She’s fun,” Minho said as Kibum finally set his phone on his lap, and Kibum smiled.“Yeah, I taught her well.”Minho snorted, then nodded at his phone. “Go ahead and put something on.”Kibum grabbed it and unlocked it, scrolling through his music and setting it on shuffle, gasping when he saw that it was a song from one of his favorite girl groups. He turned the music up a little louder, absently singing along until he noticed Minho glancing at him with an amused smile.“What?”Minho shook his head, his smile growing as he turned the music up a little louder, and Kibum went back to singing along.It was a pleasant drive back to the cafe. Somehow, he wasn’t sick of the smell of tangerines yet, and they perfumed the whole car. There were still a few clouds in the sky, puffy and white compared to yesterday’s blanket of gray. “A Toy Story sky,” he called it, looking over to see Minho smile at the reference, and as he did, he spotted a vast field of yellow and pink flowers on Minho’s side of the road. He leaned toward the dashboard to see it better, the movement catching Minho’s attention. He glanced at Kibum, then over at the field.“Oh, yeah, it’s pretty, isn’t it?” Kibum nodded even though Minho wasn’t looking at him. “I’d like to go try to paint it someday.”“Why not right now?”Minho’s brow furrowed as he chuckled. “I don’t have my oils.”“Yeah, but you’re watercolors—““I know, but I’d want to use oils for those.”“Well, we should go before I head home.” Minho blinked, not looking away from the road. “If only to get reference pictures.”“You’d want to come with me?” he asked after a few seconds of silence.“Unless you don’t want me to?”“No, I do. It’d be fun.”Kibum smiled, looking back at the road and seeing a sign for the turn-off fast approaching. His heart started to sink—their time alone was coming to an end.He looked away over the countryside, nibbling on his lower lip. He was being ridiculous and he needed to snap out of whatever this was as soon as possible. Even with that thought lingering in the back of his mind, he was still reluctant to leave the tiny car once Minho parked behind the cafe.“You can run in and get Jonghyun. He can help carry these in.”Kibum shot him a disgruntled look. “I can do it.”“Yeah, but he should do at least a little of the work with these, don’t you think.”“True.” Smirking, Kibum turned, popping the door open and letting himself out.He knocked a few times on the backdoor before racing footsteps approached and Taeyeon pushed the door open. She gave him a relieved smile, ushering him inside. “Did you get breakfast? Do you need lunch?”“Calm down, mom, I’m fine. Is Jjong up front?”She nodded, and Kibum left her side, making his way through the door. “Hey, Minho wants”—But he was enveloped in a suffocating hug, forcing him to squeak out—“you to go help with the tangerines.”“We were so worried about you guys.”“Okay,” Kibum said, patting Jonghyun’s back. “Well, we’re okay, so…”“Yeah…” Jonghyun squeezed him a little tighter, just for a second, before letting go to head into the kitchen.Kibum followed a few steps behind him, finding Minho already inside with one of the baskets, towering over Taeyeon as he set it on the counter beside her. His back was to him as he directed Jonghyun, squabbling with him about how much they had brought back before Jonghyun slipped out the back door. Kibum still made his way over to them, leaning against the counter on the other side of her.“How is there more than this?” she asked, pulling one out to eat, apparently, given that she just started peeling it.Minho turned back around. “That’s the smaller one.”“Smaller?”Kibum snorted, glancing at Minho over her head and smiling when he met his gaze. Jonghyun came in a second later, his arms wrapped around the basket. “It’s stupid how many you got.”“Not my problem anymore,” Minho said with an almost roguish grin. “I’ve gonna go get my tire replaced. See ya.” He looked around at everyone, his eyes settling on Kibum last before he jogged out of the kitchen. “Be back in a bit!” he yelled back before he disappeared beyond the threshold.Kibum watched the empty doorway for a few seconds more, coming to when he felt Taeyeon’s scrutiny. His eyes flicked to meet hers, and she smiled to herself before eating another segment of her tangerine, her attention returning to Jonghyun as he stood, hands on his hips, surveying the two baskets.“What the fuck am I supposed to do with all this?”“No idea.”“Sorbet?” Taeyeon suggested, grabbing another one.“But for what, though?”“That might be good in a cocktail,” Kibum said.“I’ve already got a tangerine cocktail, dumbass, I can’t make another one.”Kibum rolled his eyes, grabbing one for himself and holding it up to his squinting eye. “Does it have to be for the store?”“I guess not.”“I’ve got to get back to work,” Taeyeon said, scooping up the peels and carrying them over to the trash. “We open in an hour.”“Yeah, yeah,” Jonghyun grumbled, taking the less full of the two baskets up to the bar.As soon as the door swung shut behind him, Taeyeon snorted, and Kibum glanced toward the door. “Did it not go well last night?” Kibum whispered as he sidled back up to her.“No, it did.”Kibum squinted at her then past as she started thinly slicing green onions on a bias. “So why is he frustrated?”“That’s a whole conversation, but,” she paused, glancing at the door as she scraped the onions sticking to her blade off into the bowl beside her. “I got the impression that they almost kissed last night.”“What?” Kibum whisper-shouted, but she still shushed him.“That’s what he said, anyways.” She nodded toward the kitchen. “But I guess only time will tell.”“Interesting.”Neither spoke for a moment, letting the rhythmic shink-shink-shink of her knife and Jonghyun’s muted banging around in the front of the house fill the silence. Then, suddenly, she asked, “Where’d you guys end up sleeping?”He blinked at the question, looking back at her, but she had turned away, grabbing her prepared bean sprouts to add to the bowl. “Uh, his car. It was—” Cramped. Miniscule. Confining. “—surprisingly comfortable, considering.” She hummed, and he hurried to explain, “Obviously not my first choice. But we made it work.” She hummed again. His eyes narrowed. “Stop it.”“Stop what?”She looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. Was he just being paranoid? “Nevermind. I’m gonna try to look for something we can do with these,” he said, nodding across the kitchen to the tangerines.He hefted himself up on the counter beside the basket, whipping out his phone and typing tangerine recipes into the search bar. There were a few things, but nothing sounded good, so after a few moments of fruitless searching, he switched his keyboard to English, tapping on the prompt for “tangerine marmalade”. He mouthed the word as he scanned the recipe, then hopped off the counter.“Do you have sugar? Like a lot of it?”“Uh,” Taeyeon looked up from her phone, too, hiding the screen when Kibum approached to search on that side of the kitchen for some. “Yeah, in the pantry. Why?”“I was thinking we could make marmalade,” he said, heading back there, finding a half-full bin of sugar on the shelf. He checked the recipe again. Yeah, that should be enough.He had just finished getting everything set up when there came the crunch of tires against gravel outside. Kibum leaned back, catching a glimpse of Minho’s car as he drove down to his end of the row of shops. Would he come back over? Or would he have his shop open for a few hours?His question was answered a moment later when Minho bounded in, smiling at Kibum when he looked over. “Good, you’re back. Come here and help me.” He came without question, looking over his shoulder as Kibum finished peeling the first of the tangerines. “You can peel, I’ll chop the rinds.”“Just be careful, that knife looks sharp.”He pursed his lips for a second to keep from grinning. “Okay.”“How much do we need?” Minho asked after a few quiet moments, to which Kibum shrugged. They were standing close enough that his shoulder brushed against Minho’s. “So it won’t matter if I just—” Minho popped a segment in his mouth, laughing when Kibum smacked at his hand. “What, do you think we’re gonna run out?”“No, we just—hey!” he exclaimed when Minho did it again. “You’re terrible.”“Taeyeon,” Minho said, looking over his shoulder. “Kibum is bullying me.”“Kibum, be nice,” Taeyeon said disinterestedly as Minho shied away from Kibum’s elbow digging into his ribs.“Tell him to leave me alone, then.”“No.”“Get away from me,” Kibum said to Minho when he came back up beside him.“Kids, stop fighting.”They both looked back at Taeyeon, Minho laughing as she gestured between them with her knife. He turned back around first, Kibum looking up at him for a second, half-aware of just how fond his expression must be at the moment. He came to before Minho noticed his distractedness and went back to slicing the rinds.Once they got everything in the pot, he let Minho stir it uncertainly as he turned to Taeyeon. “We need to go get canning stuff, can you watch this for a bit?”“I don’t need to stir it constantly, do I?”“No, I don’t think so.”She shrugged, turning back around to continue prepping. “Yeah, alright then.”A few moments later, he and Minho were back in his car, pulling out and driving around the boardwalk. “Where do we even find canning stuff?”“At the grocery store? I think that’s where my grandma would get it from.”“Did she do a lot of canning?”“Oh my god, so much. She always wanted me and Yerim to have our favorite summer fruits during the winter.”“That’s really sweet. Literally,” he added after a second, and he laughed when Kibum smacked him.“She was, yeah.”When they reached the grocery store, Minho trailed after him down the aisles, balancing everything he handed him in his arms. They were back at the cafe just in time to divide the marmalade between the jars they had just bought.They had filled almost six when Minho let out an excited /oh!/ and left his side, going to the other side of the kitchen and grabbing Taeyeon’s canister of gochugaru. Kibum looked at the flakes, then up at Minho.“Are you insane?”“What? You don’t think it’ll taste good?”“I mean…”“Spicy and sweet!” When Kibum didn’t answer right away, Minho’s eyebrows slid up pleadingly. “Please?”Kibum looked away from him, sighing. He tipped the pot towards him, checking the contents. “What will we even use it for?”“I don’t know.”Sighing again, Kibum scooped out two more spoonfuls, filling the sixth jar. “Fine. But not too much.” Minho popped the container, grabbing a healthy pinch and dumping it in before going for another. “Nope,” Kibum said, turning his back on Minho, protecting the rest of the marmalade as he stirred the chili flakes into it. “Go put it back.” He waited until he could hear Minho’s receding footsteps before he set the pot back down and started to fill the last two jars.Taeyeon shooed them out of the kitchen by the time they pulled the last of the jars out of the water bath because even though they were tucked into a corner and as out of the way as two grown men could be, it was a small kitchen and the lunch rush. She needed the space.So, they went back to Minho’s shop, Kibum sitting on his usual stool and keeping Minho company while he tidied up, ignoring the thought yet again that they needed to not hang around each other as much. But, that could wait until tomorrow. It’d be weird to completely ditch him after their little trip, right?Well…In theory, it was a good idea, but for whatever reason, each day that followed he was unable to make himself stay away. From Minho, from his studio, from helping him set up for his summer classes and then helping him tear it all down. In a word, they were inseparable, and no matter how many times he mentally berated himself, he couldn’t seem to find the willpower to stay away.Which, truth be told, was just plain odd for him. But he could ignore that, too.Because Minho was fun to be around. Sure, he could be annoying and loud and mischievous, but he was funny and sweet and kind-hearted in a way that Joonwoo had never been in all the years they’d been together.“What I really need to do,” he muttered to himself one day when he was walking down the boardwalk to get their lunch. “Is try not to compare the two of them anymore.”No such luck, of course.Especially not with a day at the beach the following day, as it was one of Jonghyun and Minho’s last days off before Kibum had to head home. Just two more weeks and he’d be home—well, back to Daegu to catch up with his family after their European vacation.No volleyball today, yet somehow Minho convinced Kibum to come down to play in the water with him and Jonghyun. Jinki joined them, too, after a while but they mostly stuck together in ankle-deep water while Minho picked Kibum up to toss him into the waves. Only, Kibum fought against him so much that he lost balance and they both tumbled into the water.Minho came up laughing, then laughing harder still when Kibum pushed him back under for a second. When he came back up, Kibum was still sitting there as the waves crashed and sprayed around him, shaking his head. Minho, who had looked for a second like he was about to get up, settled beside him.Jonghyun called something out to them, but the sea was too loud for either of them to hear. Kibum cupped his hand around his ear, leaning toward them a bit to hear Jonghyun say, “What do you guys want to drink?”Minho leaned closer, his bare shoulder pressing into Kibum’s. “What do you want?”Kibum shrugged, then called back, “Just surprise us!”Both Jonghyun and Jinki gave them a thumbs up, then Jinki’s hand settled on Jonghyun’s waist as he said something to him. Then, after a few pats, he dropped his hand and they turned to leave the sea.Kibum watched the pair of them traipse away across the white sand to where the girls were lounging. Another wave crashed over them, and Kibum closed his eyes until it started to recede, but once he opened them, he’d lost sight of them. Minho grunted as he stood, then turned, holding his hand out to Kibum to help him up.He eyed his palm warily, squinting up into his cheery face. “How do I know you’re not gonna just push me into the water again?”“You’ll just have to trust me.”Ha. If it hadn’t been so bright, he would have rolled his eyes.He reached out, taking Minho’s hand. His grip was firm. Warm, somehow, but that could just be the sun bearing down on them. He hefted Kibum up, steadily on his feet, neither letting go right away.To have somewhere else to look beside Minho, he glanced around, finding Taemin half-buried in the sand and scooping more over him. “Should we go help him out?”Minho hummed in question, and when Kibum nodded over to Taemin, he snorted. “Yeah, sure.”But he didn’t move. Not until Kibum finally released his hand. Kibum watched the back of his head, the sway and bounce of his wavy wet hair as he jogged a few steps. Trust was a fickle thing, wasn’t it? But, you have to start somewhere. Sometime, he reminded himself as he started after him.* * * * *“Yeah, okay, I see what you mean, now,” Jonghyun said as Jinki returned to his side after tripping over a protruding shell and falling into the ocean.“About what?”Jonghyun nodded out at the sea, and Jinki turned to see Minho scooping Kibum up and laughing as Kibum clung to him, yelling at him to put him down. Jinki sniffed a quiet laugh, looking back at Jonghyun. “I’m just glad I’m not crazy.”“I never said that!” Jonghyun said indignantly, which only made Jinki laugh.“It was implied.”“No, it wasn’t.” Jinki turned back out at the sea, his satisfied smile shifting to a grin when both Kibum and Minho fell together into the ocean. “Serves them right.” He nodded, looking back at Jonghyun, their gazes meeting.In that second, Jonghyun realized that this was the first time they had been alone since they said goodbye on Jinki’s porch. Granted, they weren’t as alone as he’d like to be, given they were on a crowded beach, but…His attention dropped to Jinki’s wet t-shirt and swim trunks, and he cleared his throat. “Do you want to go dry off?”“That’d probably be nice, yeah.”“We can bring drinks back for everyone, too.”“Sounds good.” Kibum was no help, and neither was Minho and Taemin. Taeyeon and Sooyoung offered to help him make the drinks, but Jinki’s hand went to his waist again. “I can help him.”Taeyeon’s expression brightened a fraction as her gaze shifted back to Jonghyun, and he worked very hard not to start laughing. Out of nerves or happiness, he wasn’t sure. Both, probably.They jogged across the street, their slides slapping against their heels with every step, and to Jinki’s shop. “Lucky I didn’t lose these, huh?” Jinki asked as he dug his keys out of his pocket. He shook some of the excess water off of them with a jingle, and let them in. “Go ahead and lock it. We can go out the back way.”“Okay.” He held it closed, switching the deadbolt before following the damp trail Jinki was leaving to his office.Jinki’s shirt had been discarded, but his back was turned to the door as he slid his head through a dry t-shirt. Jonghyun leaned against the threshold, averting his eyes so Jinki didn’t feel uncomfortable. His attention shifted to his desk, and he snorted, reaching in to grab Together for a Day.“So is this any good?” he asked, flipping through it until he reached the bookmark.The bracelet from the book fair. His was tucked under his pillow so Kibum would stop teasing him about it, but he was hopelessly in love with Jinki or as close as he could be without actually dating him. But…“You kept this?” His voice was softer than he would have liked as Jinki turned around to look at the book.“Of course.”“Do…do you usually?”Jinki’s gaze met his. “No, I don’t.” Jonghyun blinked as a smile glimmered in Jinki’s eyes, his hand going to Jonghyun’s waist again. “I’m ready.”Ready?Oh, right, to go make drinks.Jonghyun backed out the doorway, Jinki’s hand lingering for a second more before he lowered it and followed him out. He waited beside him as he locked the alley entrance to his shop, then Jinki followed him to the back door of the cafe. Jonghyun let him in first, closing and locking the door behind them while Jinki made his way up to the bar.“What do you want me to do?” Jinki asked when Jonghyun joined him behind the bar.“Oh, you can just keep me company. This shouldn’t take long.”“Works for me.” But Jinki didn’t move around to sit behind the bar. He stayed, leaning against the bar, sorta out of his way as Jonghyun bent to get his different teas and juices and boba. “Listen, Jjong,” he said after a minute, once Jonghyun had spooned the variety of boba into the seven different cups. He looked up as he scooped the ice and was just about to tip some of it into the first cup when Jinki added, “I want to ask you out on a date. A real one.”Taemin’s cup got the full scoop of ice, which was unfortunately over capacity. It spilled out onto the counter and the floor, but Jonghyun just stared at Jinki. “Is this some sort of joke?”“Why would I joke about something like this?”Well, yeah, that was true, however…“I’m just…you like me?” Jinki gave him a shy grin and nodded. “How…long?”“A while now, if I’m being honest, which I already know I should be if I don’t want you to break up with me.”Jonghyun let out a breathy, would-be sarcastic laugh, and he turned his wide eyes to the scattered ice. To the overfilled cup. He picked up a piece of the ice, tossing it into the sink. “I’m sorry, I just—” Don’t say it. Don’t you say it. “—I’ve wanted this for so long—” Shit.“I know.”Fuck. “You did?” He couldn’t even look at him anymore. Was this a pity thing? Was that why this was happening?“No offense, but you were kinda obvious.” If the ground could just swallow him up right now, it would be kinder. “I thought it was cute.” Slowly, Jonghyun looked up, meeting Jinki’s eyes again. “But, that's why I had to be absolutely sure before I came to you.”Jonghyun tapped the empty ice scoop on the counter, filling the silence. “Am I the only guy you’ve ever…had any sort of feelings for?”To his utter surprise, Jinki shook his head. “You’re the only one who’s ever made me want to confront those feelings, though.”Ah, well… “If we do this, it’s gonna be a lot different than what you’re used to. With women.”Jinki chuckled. “Yeah, I figured as much.”How the hell was he so calm right now? Some of his question must have been legible in his expression because Jinki sobered slightly. “Look, Jjong, if it’s too much right now, I understand.”“No, no, I’m just not…not sure that this is actually happening. I guess.”Jinki’s smile returned, softer than before, if that were even possible. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Jonghyun shrugged, so Jinki stepped forward, relieving Jonghyun of the empty scoop and setting it on the counter beside them. He took his hand in his, his touch gentle. Jonghyun looked up at him, his heartbeat quickening in his ears. “Is it okay if I kiss you?”As if he would have, or even could have, said no to that question. But…even Jinki seemed to be holding his breath, waiting for confirmation. “If you’re sure, then—” He couldn’t bring himself to finish that, just in case, so he nodded.Jinki leaned a little closer, then, his nose nearly brushing Jonghyun’s. Halfway in, waiting for Jonghyun to meet him. So, before he could talk himself out of it, he went up on his tiptoes a little, finally…finally kissing Jinki.He consciously held himself back, just in case Jinki changed his mind. Any second now, he’d pull away, scrub his lips clean of him, and say he had made a mistake. It had happened to him before…but…no…Jinki’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist, pulling him closer as he deepened the kiss. Jonghyun relaxed at last, smiling when Jinki did. “Should we go tell the others the good news?” Jinki whispered once he pulled away, his lips softly brushing against Jonghyun’s with every word.Jonghyun’s heart did a giddy little flip, and he was barely able to contain his smile. “They’re sorta smart. Let them figure it out.”Jinki laughed and Jonghyun, who felt as though he had done more than enough waiting in his life, kissed him again.* * * * *“What’s taking them so long?” Taemin asked, still brushing sand off of himself as Kibum sat on the other side of Taeyeon’s towel. She cast a glance at Sooyoung, who suppressed a smile. “Should I go get them?”“No!” the girls said together, and Minho froze halfway to sitting down on Sooyoung’s towel. “Just let them be,” Sooyoung said.“They’ll come back when they’re ready,” Taeyeon added, and Kibum turned his head when he saw Minho look his way in his peripheral vision.He leaned a little closer so Minho could whisper, “Is it time, do you think?”Kibum nodded as Minho pulled away, and he mouthed We’ll see as Taemin draped himself across both towels, only for Taeyeon to immediately prop her feet up on his stomach. Despite Taemin’s protests, Sooyoung joined her. Minho was about to do the same when Kibum spotted the door to the cafe opening, Jonghyun and Jinki emerging with drinks in hand. He smacked Minho’s arm, nodding across the street to them.All five of them watched their progress across the road, then the sand. Kibum squinted as he looked up at them when they reached the towel, smiling slowly when he saw just how big Jonghyun’s smile was.“Here,” Jinki said, crouching to set the drink carrier on Taemin’s chest while Jonghyun went around to give Taeyeon her drink. Ignoring Taemin’s grumbling as he tried to sit up without spilling, he continued, “We’re gonna head out.”“On a date,” Jonghyun added, as if unable to contain it any longer.Minho froze as he was reaching out to grab his and Kibum’s drinks, looking up at the pair of them with a bright grin. “It’s about time!”Taeyeon aimed a kick at him, but her legs were too short and her heel landed hard on Taemin’s stomach. He coughed roughly, clearly offended, and made to get up, but Minho saved the drinks from his chest before he could spill them. Taeyeon warded him off with an outstretched hand pressed against his chest, ignoring him to look up at Jonghyun. “Go ahead and stay out however late you want. Minho can drive us home.”“Oh, it shouldn’t be that late,” Jinki said, his attention trailing over to Jonghyun when his head snapped toward him. Jinki’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Or…maybe it will be?”“Don’t wait up,” Jonghyun said, his smile somehow growing bigger than before. And with that, he grabbed Jinki’s arms, pulling him away while the others called Have fun! and Bye! after them.“You don’t mind being volunteered, do you?” Taeyeon asked Minho as Kibum sidled up next to him, grabbing his and Minho’s drinks from the tray.“Nope.” Kibum passed Minho his and sat back, watching him until he settled beside him, then he held out his drink to him. Though confused, Minho clinked the rim of his against Kibum’s. “What’d we toast to?” he asked as Kibum finally took a sip of his tea.“To a job well done, of course.”Minho snorted as he took a sip from his straw. “I still say we didn’t do anything.”“And that’s where you’re wrong. We were integral.”“Whatever you say,” Minho said, shaking his head with a small smile.Jonghyun and Jinki didn’t reappear before sunset, and Taemin’s older brother had long since gotten him to help him close up shop. So now, he, Minho, Taeyeon, and Sooyoung were sitting in her bakery, wiling away the time while they waited for Sooyoung’s boyfriend to come pick her up. They were splitting their second croissant when a familiar car pulled up, only it was Taeyeon’s boyfriend, not Sooyoung’s.Kibum frowned as she started to gather her things. “I thought you were going home?”“I was going to, but he got off work early, so…”“Yeah, whatever.”“You don’t mind, do you, Minho?” He shook his head quickly, not meeting Kibum’s eye when he looked his way. She glanced back at Sooyoung, who immediately sipped her coffee to hide her smile.They stayed with her until her boyfriend arrived, too, standing together on the boardwalk as she locked her front door and waved goodbye to them before he swept her away into his car.Minho cleared his throat as the car rounded the corner and disappeared, scratching the nape of his neck as he looked back at Kibum. “Kinda weird that everyone else is on dates, huh?”“Taemin probably isn’t.”“He might be, you never know.”Kibum chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets, the breeze toying with his overshirt. “Seems kinda early to go home, though.”“Well, I mean…” Kibum looked up at him, curious and slightly concerned at what he was about to say. As much as he had thought about it, he knew he wasn’t ready for anything yet, and if Minho were about to— “There is a new episode tonight, and I’m not gonna not watch it just because Jonghyun is on a date.”Kibum grinned, relaxing immediately. “Let’s get some snacks and then head to his place. How much time do we have?” Kibum asked as they made their way around to the back of Minho’s studio.He dug his phone out of his pocket, tapping the screen. “Uh, about forty-five minutes.”“That’s plenty of time.” It was just enough time for them to get all the snacks and drinks their hearts desired and plaster on two of Kibum’s sheet masks before the new episode of Minho and Jonghyun’s drama started. Luckily, Kibum had been here for the full thing, so he didn’t have any questions about who was who and what the fuck was happening. “Sucks that he’s missing the finale,” Kibum said as he fished around for a chip.“I have a feeling it hasn’t even crossed his mind,” Minho said as the opening theme started playing.Yeah, okay, that was probably true.By the time the finale ended, it was still too early to call it a night, they decided. So, while Minho searched for another drama for them to start, Kibum tossed their face masks and finished his skincare routine after changing into his pajamas. Minho still had the clip holding his fringe back on when Kibum came back in, mindlessly snacking on some honeyed rice crisps.“I’ve already watched this one but I think you’ll like it,” Minho said, his mouth half full as Kibum sat beside him again.“You don’t mind a rerun?” he asked, tipping the bag in Minho’s hand toward him so he could snack, too.Minho shook his head, pressing play. “I haven’t seen it in ages so it’ll probably be fresh.”They were two episodes in when Kibum started to get drowsy. He rested his head on Minho’s shoulder during a commercial break, staring blankly at the screen as a female voiceover talked energetically about a new vacuum.“Do you want to go to bed?” Minho asked. He must have been looking down at him because each word gently buffeted Kibum’s hair. “We can stop it here and I can go home.”Kibum shook his head. “I can hold off until we finish the episode at least.” He sniffed, his gaze tracking the smooth turn of the vacuum. “I should get one of those.”“The vacuum?” Minho asked, a laugh in his voice.“Mhm. I think I’d clean all day and do nothing else.”“Just be sure to swing by my place so you can clean it, too.”“That’ll be twenty million won per hour, then, honey.”Minho chuckled. “Good thing it’ll only take you like three minutes because I don’t have that kind of money.”Kibum snorted softly as the commercial ended, scooting a little closer to Minho without lifting his head so he didn’t have to strain his neck anymore.He didn’t make it to the end of the episode. In fact, he barely remembered the rest of the commercial break. But when he woke in the morning, Minho was still there, asleep beside him, the blanket from the back of the couch draped over them. Slowly, so he didn’t disturb him, Kibum lifted his head and moved away from him and out from under the blanket.Quiet clinking sounds in the kitchen drew his attention away from arranging the blanket around Minho. He quickly patted it in place going around the corner to find his aunt making a pot of coffee.“Is he up, too?” she asked as Kibum sat down on one of the stools on the counter. He shook his head, and she grabbed two cups. “Where are Taeng and Jjong?”“On dates,” Kibum said, stifling a yawn behind his hand. “Did they not come back?”“Not yet.” She poured coffee into one of the cups, handing it to Kibum, who reached over the counter for the sugar cubes. “Who is Jjong out with?”“Jinki.”She sighed heavily, taking some sugar for herself, and plopping them in the dark brew. “It’s about time.”Kibum grinned as he offered her the spoon so she could stir the sugar into her coffee. “Right?”“So, was this a date, too?” When Kibum looked confused, she nodded toward the living room, then smiled when Kibum’s face inflamed. “No?”“Uh, no. Everyone else left us, so…”“I see.”Kibum’s coffee was almost to the right drinking temperature by the time Minho joined him at the counter, murmuring his thanks to Aunt Miyeon when she poured him a cup of coffee, too. “I did mean to leave after you fell asleep, but I didn’t want to wake you up,” he said, rubbing his hand over his face before yawning. “I was thinking—““Good for you,” Kibum said, sipping his coffee and grinning when Minho made to shove him but didn’t.“Today is my last day off before you have to head home.”“Mm.”“So…if you still wanted to go with me to get pictures of that flower field…”“Oh. Hm…”Did he?Well, yes he did. The pictures he could get would look good on his Instagram, and…more time with Minho would be nice, too. But, would it be smart to spend so much time with him when he was already conflicted about his growing feelings?Though, now that he was thinking about it, what were a few more hours in the grand scheme of things? Wasn’t he already gonna be apart from him for the majority of the year? He could put off clarity of mind until he boarded his plane home.“Yeah, just let me shower and change, first.”He caught a glimpse of Aunt Miyeon’s amused expression as he slipped off the stool, but, like everything else in his life lately, he ignored it.He showered quickly, leaving him ample time to pick his outfit for the day. Something cute, because flowers, but effortless, so Minho didn’t think he was putting the thought that he /was/ into his choice.He laid out beige shorts, a pair of bright pink socks, and a pale periwinkle button-down with embroidered white flowers on it. His white ball cap, too, and his Converse. He scanned his jewelry as he tied on his first shoe, picking up a chunky beaded necklace to put on only to then spot a bright purple scarf. That’d be nice if it got too warm and he needed to wick sweat away…He wrapped the necklace around his wrist instead, tying on the scarf when he returned to the bathroom to check his hair.Once he was happy with the way it was laying, he returned to Minho in the living room. “Ready!”Minho looked up at him, his gaze lingering as he scanned Kibum before standing. “My turn!”“You have clothes here?”Scoffing, Minho shook his head and made his way out to the backyard, Kibum trailing behind him. “Aunt Miyeon?” Her head peeked out from over the scallions in her garden. “We’re heading out! Thank you for letting me crash here for the night,” he said, bowing to her.She smiled, waving them away. “Anytime, honey!”Minho’s hand found Kibum’s back, and he gave him a gentle push toward the backdoor. It was only when they were already pulling out of the driveway that Kibum realized that he had forgotten his sunglasses.He got out of the car with Minho when they got to his studio, Kibum lingering there with his camera in hand while Minho jogged upstairs for a quick shower and change of his clothes. And, when he said quick, he meant it, because he was back downstairs in maybe five minutes, hair still damp and very askew, a pair of his paint-flecked jeans and black t-shirt on. He jogged the few steps across the room to Kibum, taking the camera when he offered it to him, a wave of his lightly spicy cologne wafting over Kibum.Hm.His eyes darted from speck to fleck of paint before glancing up at Minho himself.Maybe it wasn’t that bad of a look.His eyes widened slightly as he looked away. Maybe he was already too far gone if he was thinking that about paint-stained clothes.He could never admit this aloud, though.Minho finished replacing the SD card in his camera before he looked down at Kibum. “Ready to head out?”“Mhm.” Minho led the way out, locking the door behind Kibum, who was plugging his phone into the aux cord by the time Minho slid into the driver’s seat. “You’re in luck, I made a playlist that’s only Michael Bublé.”“Shut the fuck up,” Minho said with a laugh as he pulled out, and Kibum hit shuffle, a girl group song filling the speakers.It wasn’t that long of a drive, or maybe it just didn’t seem like it was. With the open road and the nice breeze streaming in through the windows and the cerulean sky with puffs of clouds and the bright, summery music playing, it would have been hard not to relax and enjoy himself. Minho pulled off to an off-road after a while, taking them down to a tiny parking lot with a scenic outlook and a few meandering paths that led into the vast fields of flowers surrounding them.Kibum leaned forward, poking his head out of the window and breathing in the sweet floral fragrance clinging to the breeze. They were all myriad colors—how Minho would pick his eventual color palette, Kibum shuddered to think—though, in some areas, there were more yellow or pink flowers.Minho just barely parked before Kibum unbuckled and let himself out, nearly running for the nearest path. “Bum, hold on!” He paused at the start of the path, watching Minho grab his camera before jogging over to him. “I didn’t know you were that excited about this.”“I just really like flowers, okay?”“Okay,” Minho said back, clearly amused. “Lead the way.”And so he did, Minho hanging back every once in a while to snap a few pictures. He caught up to Kibum when he stopped at a stretch of dark and light pink flowers, and he let his camera dangle around his neck as he reached for his phone. “Here, let me get a few shots of you.” Kibum looked up at him. “For your Instagram.”“Yeah, alright.” Being careful not to crush any of the blossoms, Kibum stepped into the tall grass. “Where do you want me?”“Wherever works for you.”Kibum sat in the sea of pink flowers, his hands moving up to adjust his cap after a few moments of mindless poses. “It’s so pretty out here.”“Yeah, it is,” Minho said, eventually lowering his phone when Kibum started to get up. “Wait, let me get some with my camera, too.”Kibum looked up at him in surprise as he pocketed his phone again. “Would you paint it?”“Yeah, I’d like to try. I’ve been thinking about attempting portraits lately.”“Aren’t portraits usually close-ups?”Minho laughed, lowering his camera. “Yeah, but let me ease into it. I’m a landscape artist, Bum.”“Whatever.” Minho hid his smile behind his camera, crouching down for a different angle. Don’t say it…don’t… “I’m just saying, shouldn’t you get some up-close shots, too?”“Probably.” Minho lowered his camera, neither of them looking away from the other. “Would you be okay with that?”Slowly, Kibum nodded, and Minho looked away, stepping in Kibum’s footprints to join him in the field. Kibum took off his hat, running his fingers through his hair as he glanced around. There had to be some smaller flowers around here somewhere.“Hold on,” he said, standing when Minho reached him. “There was this photoshoot one of my clients did this spring that I liked.” He pinched a tiny blossom off of one stem, then a slightly bigger one off of another. “Can you put these around my eyes?” he asked as he knelt amidst the flowers again, holding the blossoms out to Minho to take. “Just here and here,” he said, pointing to both corners of his eyes.Minho set them gently in place, adjusting the one so it rested against the bridge of his nose. “Can I fix your hair, too? It’s kinda sticking up.”“Yeah, of course.”He bent over him, his fingers oh so lightly primping Kibum’s hair this way and that, making the tiniest adjustments. “Okay, is this the pose, or…”“Uh, I think he had his hand in his hair, too.” So Kibum put his hand up, messing up what Minho just fixed, probably.Before Minho took his pictures, he pressed the blossoms into place gently again, just to make sure they stayed put. The shutters snapped a few times before Minho pulled his camera away from his eye, and crouched down beside Kibum to show him the digital display. “You okay with these?”Kibum hummed his assent, pressing his thumb over Minho’s to go back and forth over the snapshots. “I think these turned out better than the original.”Laughing, Minho slapped Kibum’s back before he got up, only to hold his hand out to help Kibum up. “Come on, let’s go check out the other side.”They didn’t stay nearly as long as Kibum would have liked, though any longer and they might as well have held hands while strolling through the flower fields. Which…no, don’t think that. Minho got several more pictures, a few of them of Kibum, before they left, heading back to Minho’s studio.He kept Minho company while he uploaded the pictures to his computer and started on a few quick sketches for the shop. He was able to finish about five, complete with little post-it notes listing which colors he was thinking should go. Kibum sat beside him on the stool, helping him as much as he could with his opinions on colors and always being ready with a post-it note when Minho needed one.To both of their surprise, the cafe was open and Jonghyun was behind the bar, chatting amiably with the customers sitting there as they walked up to their usual spot in the corner. He slid their way after he finished making the customers’ drinks at the other end, his grin hilariously cheery. “What can I get you?” he asked, glancing between them.“I don’t care,” Minho said as Kibum asked, “How was the date?”“Oh, you know.”“I don’t need the gory details,” Kibum said quickly when Jonghyun leaned closer.Minho snorted, elbowing Kibum, as Jonghyun laughed and said, “That’s probably for the best. It went…very well.”“Good. Give me one of those sunset drinks, then.”“Yeah, me too,” Minho added.“Coming right up!”The remainder of his vacation flew by, his time torn between Minho—who, true to his word, took no more days off to push through the final batch of summer tourists—and his cousins, who kept him quite occupied with shopping trips when they didn’t have to work. On the morning of his flight, Minho arrived at the house early, which made Kibum pack a lot more haphazardly than he would have usually. Everything that he vaguely recognized as his made it into his suitcases. The marmalades jars were wrapped individually twice before being triple bagged, just in case they broke on the flight. He lugged his suitcases out into the main room before joining the rest of the family—and Minho—for breakfast before Jonghyun and Minho took him to the airport.Like he had when Kibum first arrived, Minho took care of his luggage, hefting everything but his carry-on onto the scale for him while he checked into his flight. Jonghyun pulled him into a hug, squeezing him tightly right outside of the security checkpoint.“You’re coming back next year, right?”“I’ll do my best,” he said, catching Minho’s eye over Jonghyun’s shoulder and rolling his eyes. Minho grinned, glancing away.“Have a safe flight, okay?”“Jjong, it’s just to Daegu. I’ll be okay.”“I know, but you never know.”Kibum patted his back a few times before he leaned away, and Jonghyun let him go, relinquishing him to Minho, who wrapped him in a hug, too. He closed his eyes, leaning into him. Neither of them spoke for a second, and the silence was broken when Kibum said “You’ll post pictures of the finished paintings, won’t you?” softly.“Definitely. Do you want me to tag you?”“Do you know how to do that?”Minho chuckled, and Kibum patted his back, pulling away to look up at him. “I’ll figure it out. Just for you.”“Thanks.” He patted Minho’s sides before he stepped away. “I’ll text you when I’ve landed, okay!” They both nodded, then waved as Kibum turned, heading for the back of the line.They stayed until Kibum reached the front of the line, where he turned to wave to them one last time. Jonghyun turned away almost immediately, but Minho stayed, going up on his tiptoes for one last wave before Jonghyun tugged him away. Kibum made it past the ID check, and when he turned back to see if they were still there for whatever reason.But they weren’t.A pang of longing turned to a sort of…loneliness pooling in his heart, and he sighed heavily, turning back to head further in.* * * * *You’re being…so stupid… Minho thought forlornly as he trudged after Jonghyun to the car. It’s not like you can’t talk to him while he’s not here.He took a deep breath in when he reached Jonghyun’s car, letting it all out before he opened the passenger-side door. As he started to get in, he froze when he found Jonghyun watching him. “What?”“How’re you doing, kiddo?”“Kiddo?”“Don’t change the subject,” Jonghyun said, pointing at him. “Are you ever gonna tell him?”Minho blinked rapidly, and he could have sworn his heart stopped beating for a few seconds. “What?”“Are you really gonna make me say it.”Gulping, Minho sat back in his seat, buckling himself in. “Am I that obvious?” he asked at last.Jonghyun chuckled as he started the car, throwing him an exasperated glance before shaking his head and starting for home.He left the Kim’s house almost as soon as they arrived back, eager as he was to get back to his paintings. There were several that he just had finishing touches left on, and he was still struggling to find the perfect shade of periwinkle to match Kibum’s shirt. What felt like near-constant interruptions by customers didn’t help much either, as they kept pulling him away from his work. But, as he had to keep reminding himself, they were the reason he was able to stay in business.He painted throughout lunch, finishing the clouds of one and the flowers of another, and was about to add a bit more definition and shadow to the stalks of another when he remembered that he should probably flip his sign again.Despite Jonghyun’s pouting, Minho ordered his dinner to-go, just like old times, painting between bites.By the time the sun was setting, though, he was done. With all of them. Except for the signing. So he thinned a few of the brighter colors—and periwinkle for the one with Kibum in it—signing each of them quickly. Then he spread them out, inspecting them critically.The one with Kibum would be getting posted, of course, but which other two should he choose? Well, he liked the shadows on the clouds of this one, and that one, he’d done a pretty good job depicting the breeze that had been sweeping over the field at the time, so…He took a picture of each, being careful not to catch his shadow in it. The first he posted without a caption, tagging the location instead. Kibum’s sort-of portrait was next, the center of this set, and he sat there for several moments, thinking of anything he could say in the caption. After much deliberation, he settled on:
He really enjoys the flowers.
Hesitating for a second, he posted it. And then, as if to cover it up, he posted the third picture, Putting ☁️🌸. as the caption.He sat back with a sigh, setting his phone aside to hang the pictures to dry. When he came back to clear up and head upstairs for the night, his phone screen lit up, and he grabbed his phone, glancing at the screen.bumkeyk liked your post!Minho tapped the notification with a smile, looking at the painting on his screen. He stared at the depiction of Kibum until his screen timed out, then he pulled his watercolor paper pad toward him and grabbed his nub of a pencil before flicking through his pictures on his computer, pulling up one of the shots of Kibum with the flowers around his eyes.It was finally time to attempt an actual portrait.* * * * *“There he is!”Kibum turned, smiling immediately at the sound of Yerim’s voice. He went up on his tiptoes, waving at his parents before she bowled into him. Laughing, he held her tightly, picking her up a little as he hugged her. “How was your trip?”“Amazing, of course. Did you go on any more dates or was it just the one?”“Shh!” he hissed, but it wasn’t fast enough, because Mom asked “Are you giving dating a try again, honey?” before she hugged him, too.“No, Mom,” he said, glaring at Yerim over her head, only to be met with an annoyingly innocent smile.They both let go of him to let Dad have a turn, who patted Kibum’s back roughly before he suggested they head to baggage claim to get Kibum’s stuff. Mom took one arm and Yerim clung to the other as they followed Dad through the terminal. “We’ve got to get you home soon. I’ve got your favorite waiting for you.”“Aw, Mom, you didn’t have to.”“Of course, I did.”He leaned a little closer to Yerim, whispering out of the corner of his mouth, “It’ll be edible, right?”“Don’t worry,” she whispered back. “She ordered take out.”“Oh, thank god.”Lunch blended into dinner, as they didn’t leave the table—except when Dad scurried off to grab his box of photos from their trip to Europe. He got to hear all about their adventures there, and he was only slightly jealous that they went without him. He showed them pictures from his trip, too, and it was only then that he realized just how many pictures he had of Minho on his phone. Yerim noticed because he caught her knowing look several times across the table.If Mom and Dad caught on, he couldn’t tell. They didn’t say much about the frequency of his appearances in his camera roll aside from Mom’s occasional “What a nice looking young man” comment whenever he popped up.“Are you even allowed to have that?” Kibum asked Yerim as she grabbed a bottle of white wine from the fridge after Mom and Dad had said their goodnights, pouring them both a glass.“I’m twenty,” she said, shooting him a bewildered look as she picked up both of the glasses. She passed him his glass on her way past him into the living room, then looked up at him expectantly until he relented and sat across from her on the loveseat. Once he was settled and had taken a sip of his wine, she asked, “So, what’s the deal with you two?”“It’s nothing.” She rolled her eyes, releasing a dramatic sigh before she took a sip of her wine, too. “I’m serious!”“Right.”He glared at her, sinking back in his seat as he took a long drink. It was one thing to think all the things he had about Minho these past few weeks. Well, months. But it was a whole other thing to say it out loud. To his sister.“It’s not a crime to like someone again, you know?” He looked at her over the rim of his glass. “Okay, poor choice of words, but it’s technically not.”He finished his wine, setting it aside but not letting go of it, twisting the stem back and forth for a few seconds. “I don’t know what to say if I’m being honest.”Silence stretched between them, broken by a quiet ding! from Kibum’s phone. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen.
artists_choice made a post!
Kibum smiled absently, tapping on the screen and opening Minho’s artist profile. Three new posts, like usual, and they were from their recent trip. The picture in the center caught his eye, because of course it did, and he opened it up, looking at Minho’s impression of himself.It was softer than he had been expecting.He tapped the photo twice, a heart appearing in the center, and looked up when Yerim cleared her throat. “What? Sorry.”“Do you like him?”Kibum sighed as he set his phone aside, tipping his glass towards him, just in case there were a few more drops of wine in there. “Yeah. More than I probably should, if I’m being honest.”He didn’t have to look at her to know that she was grinning. “I know I haven’t met him yet, but I already like him more than Joonwoo.”Sniffing a laugh, Kibum looked over at her. “How can you say that if you’ve never met him?”“You just seem a lot happier, that’s all.”That was probably true. He shook his head, dispelling the thought for now. “The thing is…speaking of Joonwoo…I don’t want to repeat that. It was a disaster and I don’t think I can go through that kind of heartbreak again.” Okay, maybe he didn’t need any more wine. “And, Minho’s been hurt, too. I don’t want to be the cause of that if…if we don’t work out, you know?”“Why do you think it wouldn’t work between you two?”“Experience.” She huffed, taking a sip of her wine. “Look, you just don’t get it. I don’t want to jump into something right now. I need to think about it for a bit. Maybe…” He paused as the thought fully struck him. “Would it be stupid or like…completely heartless of me to…to start casually dating again?” Yerim’s eyes widened as she stared at him. “Just to, like, see if what I’m feeling for Minho is genuine. If I’m just lonely, then…”“No, no, it might be a good idea. Just, be careful out there. Guys are assholes.”“You don’t have to tell me.” She let out a quiet little laugh, and he got up grabbing his glass. “Want more?” She shook her head, and he returned to the kitchen, pouring himself another glass.He didn’t leave Daegu until Sunday, which turned out to be a family road trip to Seoul. Dad insisted, despite Kibum’s repeated suggestion that he just fly back to the city. But it was nice, having a bit more extra time to spend with his family. When they left, he sat on his empty couch in his empty apartment, the silence gnawing at his ears.“Maybe I should get a dog,” he said to himself as he dragged himself off the couch. “That might help.”He grabbed his luggage, rolled it behind him into his laundry room, and plopped down on the ground to start sorting through it. All three of the marmalade jars made it safely, which was a relief because he didn’t want to clean any of that up. He set them aside, reaching for the…sweatshirt below it.It was Minho’s.Easily distinguishable, on account of the paint flecks, sparse though they were.He pulled it out of his suitcase, shaking it out, just about to start wondering how he accidentally ended up with this when he remembered—he’d just never given back the sweatshirt after their trip to get tangerines for Jonghyun.And now it was here.With him.A little piece of Minho.He ran his fingers over it, pausing to caress a speck of paint. “There’s just no escaping you, is there?”The sweatshirt, being inanimate, refused to answer.He let out a long, exasperated sigh at himself before he pulled off his shirt to toss in the dirty pile before slipping into Minho’s sweatshirt and, shaking his head, got back to sorting.Hopefully, by tomorrow he’d have his head on straight and he’d be able to easily get back to work. But, as he caught a hint of Minho’s cologne lingering on the sweatshirt, he started to doubt that that would be possible at all. He could try to ignore it and all the memories now tied to the fragrance like he’d been doing with everything else these past few weeks, but…did he really want to?No.Not at all, actually.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Rain pittered against the windows, the jagged tempo the only sound in Minho’s studio as he dipped his paintbrush into the water and then the well of the palette. He delicately tapped the brush in the painted pool of water surrounding Yerim’s nearly finished portrait. Violet pigment bloomed and swirled as Minho tipped the paper this way and that, letting the color spread on its own. Once he was satisfied, he wadded up a paper towel and started dabbing up the excess.He had finished Kibum’s portrait with the flowers about a month ago and was as satisfied as he could be with how it had turned out. Nothing he could have done would ever be able to perfectly depict Kibum. Not the way he saw him, at least. But he did eventually send a picture of it to him, once he worked up the courage. Only for him to be added to a group chat with Kibum, Jonghyun, Taeyeon, and Yerim, all of whom posted pictures they wanted Minho to attempt next.This one was a cute one of Yerim. Her smile reminded him of Kibum’s whenever he was about to laugh, and her hair was a bit of an intentional mess, but it had been an interesting challenge to tackle in watercolor.He pulled the paper towel away, looking at it to see if there was any more tweaking that could or should be done, but it was as good as it was gonna get, now. So, he snapped a quick picture, sending it with a text saying, Still a bit wet, but it's done. Who’s next? He set his phone aside, picked up the paper, and took it over to where he had tacked the other’s up. He posted it on the board, just under his first one of Kibum, his attention lingering on the painted eyes.Was it pathetic to miss him as much as he did? Probably. Did he care? Not really, no.He probably should, though, considering he was probably going out on another date tonight. Or, was that tomorrow night? Well, whenever it was, he’d probably end up staying up late into the night chatting with him like he usually did after Kibum got back home.Which, now that he thought about it, really did land him firmly in the pathetic category.But, again, he didn’t care.He could understand what Kibum was doing. None of the dates were truly serious, according to him. He was just…testing to see if he was ready again. After Kibum told him about it during one of their phone calls, Minho downloaded one of the dating apps. And, though he did get a few guys who liked him on there, he couldn’t quite bring himself to like them back.Nothing against them, of course. Most of them looked nice enough that, maybe in another life, Minho would have considered completing the match, but they were all complete strangers. And that alone didn’t appeal to him at all. His attraction to his crushes and Yeonseo himself had never been based solely on looks, but it also depended on how compatible they were in real life.Hopefully, the men on those dates with Kibum realized how lucky they were and treated him with the care and respect he deserved. If not…well, there wasn’t much he could do from here, except for hoping that Kibum would be happy, even if it didn’t involve being with him.Sighing, he glanced back at the portrait of Kibum, torn away when his phone buzzed.It was from Kibum, who was the only one who had checked the group chat yet.
[15:33]

범범키

I thought you were doing Comme Des next

밍~

Send me a better picture, then.
Minho lowered his phone, watching the four change to a three with a smile. He could almost hear Kibum’s indignant scoff from here, before—

범범키

I think you need to get your eyes checked
And then he sent one of not only Comme Des, but Garcons as well. They were in what looked like a laundry hamper, looking up at whoever was taking the picture. So, Kibum. Minho immediately saved the photo, but before he could respond, the numbers decreased again.

옒

No, wait, Minhoppa!!! Do this one instead!
And she immediately sent a picture of Kibum holding both of his dogs, making an almost kissing face to whoever was beyond the camera. Minho couldn’t save it fast enough. He set his phone aside to grab his pencil and notebook, glancing at it when someone texted back.

범범키

I thought I told you to delete that…
옒
😌
You should know by now that I don’t listen
to you~

범범키

Whatever, stop being a brat

Why do you guys only send bad pictures of

me in here,
I don’t understand

쫑쫑
Because that’s our only option you should

try to do better when you take selcas

밍~

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

범범키

…..

Shouldn’t you both be busy with work

right now??!

Stop texting, or I’ll let your bosses

know you’re slacking off

옒

Before you do that, Minhoppa~ thank

you for the portrait~~ it’s so pretty~~~
Minho smiled, looking down at her tiny profile picture. She had changed it to his painting.

밍~

Of course, Yerimmie~ anything for you~

범범키

Why are you never that sweet to me

탱구

Which one are you referring to? ㅋㅋ
All the numbers were gone now, and Minho held his phone out, waiting for Kibum’s response to Taeyeon.

범범키

Both of them

Obviously
Minho tapped the message bar, his thumbs hovering over the keys before he quickly typed, Okay, I’ll try to do better before exiting out to his camera roll and opening up his newest picture of Kibum to start sketching it while he waited for a customer to materialize in his shop on this dreary, rainy day.* * * * *The lights of Seoul twinkled like stars in the all-encompassing night. Snow drifted peacefully past the window of the Night Bus, as Kibum had been calling it, the quiet chatter of the other occupants a low, comforting sound. A hand touched his, and he almost jumped in surprise, but when he turned, he found Chinhwa, his date for this Valentine’s Day, watching him. “I think our stop is next.”Kibum scooted forward, turning fully away from the window and toward him. “Alright.”It was their second date, and probably ill-advised, given that their next available day to see each other had been Valentine’s Day. But, luckily, they had both agreed over text that two dates were a bit too early to make any sort of huge deal out of such a holiday. So, it was just an ordinary date, despite the other, more obvious couples around them.His gaze settled on Chinhwa’s profile as he watched out the window, clearly searching for something. Probably the sign for Namdaemun Market, which was their last stop for the night before they could finally part ways.He was…nice enough. Genuinely sweet. Quiet, but not withdrawn. More thoughtful. A good listener, so far, and able to keep up with Kibum’s rambling stories about work. But…he was just not all that interesting.Nothing against him, of course. This wasn’t his fault, after all.“Oh, this is us!” Chinhwa said, jumping up and waiting for Kibum to join him before he made his way to the exit with the other passengers who were leaving. Kibum hopped off after him, immediately hugging himself as a huff of winter chill tried to open his coat. Shivering slightly, he followed Chinhwa toward the market, ducking under the first awning with him and looking around.It was about as packed as he was expecting, which was probably good. Much less chance of two men being alone together on Valentine’s day pointed out as odd.“What do you want to eat?”Kibum brushed his fringe out of his eyes, the remnants of the snowflakes that had just been caught there sticking to his fingers. He adjusted his scarf, looking over at Chinhwa, who was watching him expectantly. “Uh, something a little spicy I think.”“Yeah, we need to warm up,” he said with a lingering smile before he looked back at the vendor, stepping up to order— “Two tteokbokkis, please.” Shit, well, there went this date officially. “And…” He looked back at Kibum, whispering, “Do we want drinks, too?” When Kibum nodded, he turned back to the vendor, “And two pomegranate juices, too. Thank you.”Kibum gulped, giving Chinhwa a fleeting smile when he looked back at him.“Is something the matter?” he asked, his brow furrowing in genuine concern.Try to stay present for him until you say goodbye, at least, Kibum thought as he shook his head. He’s too nice to not be polite. “No, sorry, I was just lost in thought for a moment.”“Ah, okay.” Chinhwa looked back up again when the vendor called to him, and Kibum accompanied him, grabbing his order of tteokbokki and the pouch of juice. They both thanked the girl behind the counter before moving on to the next booth and then the next until they found the trinkets. “If you see anything you like, just let me know.”Kibum set a rice cake aside before getting a fish cake for himself. “Oh, you know I will.”But, nothing jumped out at him that he had to have. There were a few trinkets that he thought he might come back for another day to send home to Mom and Yerim. So, they just walked around the Market, maintaining pleasant, if boring, small talk until they finished the loop around back to the entrance.“Well,” Kibum said, looking up and around at the glittering snow. It was barely falling anymore. “I should probably head home. Let my dogs out, you know.”“I can walk with you?”Kibum turned toward him, eyebrows shooting up. “Oh, no, that’s alright. It’s a short walk.”Chinhwa scrutinized him then chuckled to himself as he slipped his glasses off to wipe off the specks where the snowflakes had been. “There’s not gonna be another date, is there.”It wasn’t a question.Kibum sighed, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry to do this to you on Valentine’s Day…It’s not your fault.”“Is there someone else?” Kibum opened his eyes, looking across at him. “No hard feelings if there is. Honest.”“There is,” Kibum said. “Again, I’m sorry.”Chinhwa replaced his glasses with a small, slightly-defeated smile. “It’s okay. We were never exclusive…”“Right.”“And we’re all just trying to find our own version of happiness in this world. So…I hope things work out for you with him.”Kibum nodded his thanks, then added, “I wish you nothing but the best, Chinhwa.”“Yeah.” The corners of his mouth twitched into a fractionally bigger smile. “Same to you.”And with that, he turned, Kibum lingering to watch him for only a second more before he started for home. Perhaps a bit too eagerly. But that couldn’t be helped.He entered his code at the entrance of his building, shaking the snow out of his hair as soon as he was inside. He slipped his phone out of his pocket as he reached the elevator, opening his messages with his sister.
[20:46]

I think I’m done with the dating shit now
The door opened and he stepped aside, letting the couple out before slipping in behind them. He pressed his floor and leaned against the back, glancing down at his phone as the number disappeared beside his text.
Yeah??
 
Are you okay? Or is just nothing working

with them?
He sniffed a laugh, looking up when the door dinged. His floor, so he got off and made his way down the hall.
I’m fine, Yeri, don’t worry

And no, but it’s not their fault

Still can’t get him off your mind?

Nope
Kibum unlocked his door, sticking his foot out to keep his excited puppies inside before he slipped in. “Hi, my babies,” he said, switching to the baby voice he always did with them. He pocketed his phone. “Give me a second, let me get your leashes.”It was a bit of a chore to get them into their harnesses and leashes with how much they were running around and climbing into his lap, but he persevered. And soon, they were off. Just a quick walk around the block, enough time to do their business and get a bit of energy out before bed.Once they were back home, he let them out of their harnesses before he started to unravel his scarf. His phone vibrated in his pocket as he slipped out of his shoes, then again as he hung up his coat. He took it out of his back pocket, the boys on his heels as he started for his bedroom.
[21:23]

New episode tonight!!
 
Oh, wait, it’s Valentine’s day huh…

are you busy???

I just got home, don’t worry
He set his phone on his dresser as he took off his sweater, tossed it into the closet across from his bed, and grabbed one of his haphazardly folded pajama sets from inside. The screen lit up again as Kibum tied the waist of his pajama bottoms, and he glanced at the new text from Minho.
If you’re not up to watching it, that’s fine
Rolling his eyes, Kibum pressed the phone icon, holding it up to his ear as it dialed. Minho picked up after a few rings, and Kibum immediately said, “What makes you think I wouldn’t be up for it?”Minho laughed. “Hello to you, too.”“Hi.” Kibum wandered out of his bedroom, the puppies a few steps behind him. “How’s your day been?”“Uneventful.” Kibum smiled to himself, opening his fridge. “Oh, are you getting a snack?” He hummed his assent. “Good idea.”“I tend to have them,” he said, listening to Minho walk around his little apartment. He grinned when Minho scoffed. “You can deny it all you want but you know I’m right.”“Whatever,” he said, but Kibum could hear the smile in his voice. His fridge opened, too. “What are you gonna have?”“Just chips, I think.”“You keep your chips in the fridge?”Kibum snorted. “Shut up, I was looking for a drink, too.”“Yeah, okay, I believe you.”“Did Jonghyun abandon you today?”His Of course came out like a sigh, and Kibum chuckled. “He’s so happy, though, so I can’t be mad at him.”“Yeah, true.” Kibum grabbed a bottle of mineral water, letting the fridge fall closed behind him before he rummaged in the pantry for a bit to grab a snack. “Did you get much painting done today?”“Mhm. Drove out to Hallasan to paint the snow on the mountain.”Kibum frowned, putting Minho on speaker and opening up Instagram. “You didn’t post it yet, did you?”“No, I’m not finished yet.”Kibum plopped down on the couch, letting out a relaxed sigh as the puppies clambered up into his lap, Garcons sniffing at the phone. “Hi, Comme Des,” Minho said, his voice sweeter and higher than usual.“Garcons,” he said, turning on the TV and flicking through the channels until he reached JTBC.“I’m sorry, Garcons, hello!”“Oh, Min, it’s starting.”“Shit, okay.” A few quickened steps before it sounded like he hopped onto the couch, shifting around to get comfortable. The TV turned on a few seconds later. “Maybe Minjun and Yeseung will get together today.”Kibum laughed, turning the volume down a few clicks so he could hear him over the drama. “Why do you always get your hopes up for that? You know they’re not gonna put the two male leads together.”“Why do you insist on ruining my fun?”“Because.”“Thank you for elaborating.”Kibum opened the bag of chips, snacking throughout the episode, laughing at Minho’s quips about the sappiness of the romance today—“Obviously, they’re just laying it on thick because it’s airing on Valentine’s day. This is stupid.” “Would you mind if Minjun was saying all this to Yeseung, though?” “...No…”—and just, theorizing about the new clues that arose while the commercials played.When it ended, Kibum took the phone off speaker, tucking it between his ear and shoulder as he started to tidy up his living room. “So,” Minho said, drawing the word out a little. “Are you still planning on coming down this summer?”“Of course. You can’t get rid of me.”“Dammit.”Kibum snorted when Minho laughed. “Why do you ask?”“I was just thinking,” Kibum hummed, prompting him to continue as he tossed his empty bottle and the bag of chips. “What if we switched things up a bit this time?”“What do you mean?”“What if you surprised them?” Kibum’s eyebrows shot up, his gaze darting around his empty apartment, landing on the Sun of a Beach painting. “Like, I could come get you from the airport and drop you off. Would you be okay with lying to them for this long?”“Oh definitely.”Minho was smiling now, he could almost hear it. “So you want to?”“Sure, it’ll be fun. Boys, come on!” he said, calling the puppies off the couch before he flicked off the kitchen light.“Are you going to bed? Do I need to let you go?”“Yes and no, as long as you don’t mind listening to me wash my face.”“No, that’s okay. Did you have to work today, or did you have it off?”“Ugh, yes I did. Wait, did I tell you about this new client? He’s such an asshole. Hold on, let me put you on speaker again.”“What’d he do?” Minho asked, his voice filling the bathroom.Minho listened attentively as Kibum ranted about this dumbass he had to help. It was his least favorite type of client, the kind of entitled idol that needed a complete overhaul of his social media after a scandal. As he finished washing up and patting his face dry, he realized that the tension from his day and date was completely gone.Huh.“What about you?” he asked with a tired sigh as he crawled into bed, the dogs hopping in after him. “Do you need to vent, too?”Judging by the sounds on the other end, Minho was getting into bed, too. “Like I said, today was very uneventful.”“So, no?”Minho chuckled, the low sound starting his stupid heart fluttering. “No. This is the most exciting thing I’ve done all day.” Kibum started petting one of the puppies’ heads when he snuggled up against his side. “Watching the new episode, I mean.”Kibum smiled, shaking his head as he reached around to turn off his bedside light. “Right, of course.” He rolled over on his side, the dogs adjusting to the shift, and looked over at the empty side of his bed. “So, why’d you have the idea about me surprising my cousins?”“Oh, well”—It sounded like he was stretching a little—“Jonghyun was talking matter-of-factly about you coming in June and I thought it’d be fun to surprise him.”“Well, this is good to know.”“What is?”“You’re just as annoying to other people as you are to me. Here I was thinking I was special,” he said, finishing with a pout that made Minho laugh.“You are,” he said, his tone placating. “You’re just not here.”“Eh, summer will be here before you know it. Then you won’t be able to get rid of me like I said.”“Oh no, that sounds terrible,” Minho said dryly, then chuckled again. Kibum snuggled under his thick comforter, relishing in the warmth of his bed and Minho's voice. “So, uh, how was your date?” When Kibum didn’t respond right away, he hurried to add, “Or was that not today?”“No, it was tonight.” Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. “Minho, we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”“Why wouldn’t I want to?”“I don’t know.”“Was it really bad or something?”Did he sound hopeful? Or did Kibum just want him to sound like that? “Not bad, just…he wasn’t my type. Kinda dull, to be honest.” Minho let out a low Mhm, and Kibum went on. “Broke it off with him, if you can even call it that after two dates.”“Yeah, I’m not sure. It’s been a while.”Kibum sniffed a laugh, his thumb absently brushing back and forth over his lips. “I think I’m done with it, now. The casual stuff.”“Yeah?”“Mhm. I think…“ he hesitated, listening to Minho’s quiet breathing. “I think when the right guy comes along—whoever that lucky bastard is—“ Minho chuckled at that, and Kibum started to smile. “I’ll be ready then.”“Well, I’m happy for you. That you’ve been able to get past what Joonwoo did. Or, this far, at least.”“Me too.”Minho’s sigh grew distant for a second, only for him to come right back. “Wow, we’ve almost been talking for four hours.”“Really?” Kibum pulled his phone away, checking the time. And, yes they had. It was almost one in the morning. “I guess I should try to sleep.”“Probably.” Neither of them hung up, though. As much as Kibum usually hated to talk on the phone, it was nice, rather than a nuisance, with Minho. “I’ll let you know the details when I buy my ticket. It’ll probably be soon.”“Yeah, okay, sounds good.”Okay, one of them had to initiate this, or they’d never hang up. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”“Yeah, for sure.”“Bye then, Minho.”“Goodnight, Kibum.”Kibum forced himself to pull his phone away from his ear, hanging it up with a forlorn sigh that, thankfully, only his dogs heard.Should he buy his ticket right now? Or would it be best to wait until after his time off got approved? Probably after, but since the gentle way Minho said his name was still ringing in his ears, rational thought was a bit of a struggle. He rolled over, dislodging the puppies for a second, and plugged his phone in after setting his alarm. He could put in the request for time off tomorrow when he went in and then he could go from there.* * * * *
[09:23]

Boarding now, I’ll text you when I land

Okay, see you soon
Minho tossed his phone on his bed, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at the clothes strewn over it. Honestly, he should already be on the road right now, but showing up to the airport in boxers and a t-shirt to pick Kibum up wouldn’t exactly match the impression he was trying to give off.The importance of his outfit right now was weighing too heavily on his shoulders.“I’m fucked,” he whispered aloud.He wasted five more minutes holding different shirts up to his chest before a familiar, syncopated knock sounded from downstairs. The door opened, and Minho called, “Noona, I’m up here!”“Where were you this morning?” Sooyoung asked as she started up the steps. “I had your croissant ready and…everything…” She slowed when she reached the top, looking around at the mess. “Is this how you get ready every morning?”“What? No,” he said with a nervous laugh. “I…I…” Her brow furrowed as she stepped forward, hand outstretched to him in concern. “Okay, do you promise not to tell Taeyeon?”Her eyebrows shot up. “Yes. What the fuck is happening?”“Okay. Kibum is on his way. Very soon. I’m gonna go pick him up, but—“ He gestured around at the clothes.“Got it.” She stepped up beside him, surveying his selection. “Give me a minute. What were you thinking?”“Well,” he reached across the bed, grabbing his yellow paint stroke shirt, and holding it up to his chest as she inspected it. “I know it’s…more than I usually wear. But it’s one I bought when we went shopping together.”“You’re really gone on him, aren’t you?” Minho sighed, nodding, and she patted his shoulder with a fond smile. “Do you trust me?”“S…sure…”Five minutes later, he was hurrying downstairs, dressed more fashionably than he ever had in his life. White loafers that he didn’t remember buying, a pair of dark gray shorts that barely covered his mid-thigh, and Raybans that Sooyoung had found for him on one of their shopping trips at an incredible bargain. He glanced back at the door, wondering for a second if he should go offer again to help her put his clothes back in his closet since he had been the one to make all that mess, but she insisted that he leave right now so he could make it to the airport on time.But he’d already wasted so much time, it seemed an impossible feat.Even with speeding a little, he was still ten minutes late, based on when Kibum’s plane was supposed to land. Muttering strings of curses under his breath, he eventually found a parking space at the top level of the parking garage. As soon as he took the keys out of the ignition, he took his phone off the aux cord and, ignoring the texts Kibum already sent, called him.“I’m so sorry,” he said as he stepped into the elevator. “I was running late, and—”“Minho,” Kibum said, the fondness in his voice cutting off what would have been a rambling apology. “Just relax. It’s fine.”Gulping, Minho stepped off the elevator with the others, skirting around them before he started jogging toward the terminal. “Where are you?”“We just barely got off the plane, so I’m heading for baggage claim.”“Alright.” A whoosh of cold air from the air conditioning washed over him, and Minho slowed as he stepped further inside the airport. “I’ll meet you around security, then,” he said before he started running toward the stairs.“I mean if you want to. Wait…Are you running? Why?”Minho laughed at how incredulous he sounded, pulling his phone away from his ear for a second as he slowed down. “I just didn’t want you to wait for me.”“Minho, I swear to god—““Am I not allowed to be excited to see you?”He could almost hear Kibum rolling his eyes at him. “Yeah, you are, but do you see me running to find you?”“No, because I can’t see you.”“Well, believe me, I’m not.”Minho grinned, glancing up at the signs then around, finding the exit from the gates and starting for them at a normal pace. When he reached it, people were already exiting, and Minho half-listened to Kibum in his ear as he searched for him in the crowd. He spotted him after a minute, his smile, somehow, getting bigger as he waved to him.Kibum stopped talking immediately, and even from here, Minho could see the furrow in his brow. “What?” he asked, but Kibum had already hung up. He stepped out of the throng, Minho moving to the same side, walking towards him. “What?” he asked again when Kibum started shaking his head as he drew nearer to him.His gaze meandered over him, clearly inspecting his outfit. “Are you the real Minho?” he asked, his hand pressing against his chest and keeping them apart. Minho nodded, watching him eagerly as Kibum's hand trailed down the line of buttons before he pulled away. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear this much color. When did you get this?”“When I was with you?” Kibum’s eyes flicked to meet his at last, and Minho couldn’t help but smile a bit more. “Hi.”“Hey.” Kibum slung his carry-on around his back before he pulled Minho into a tight hug. “It’s good to see you again.”Minho closed his eyes as he tried to resist the urge to bury his face in Kibum’s neck. “You too.”Kibum’s hands lingered on him even after he had pulled out of the embrace. “Baggage will probably be there soon, so, we should…”“Yeah, okay.”He stuck close to Minho, almost half-tucked behind him as they walked back toward where baggage claim was. All of the sense of urgency that had been coursing through his veins before this had been replaced with peace. That, and a wish that each moment would overstay its welcome, now that Kibum was here.“Did you have a good flight?” Minho asked, glancing over at Kibum when they stopped at the right carousel.“It was alright. Nothing all that special.”Minho nodded. “When do we want to surprise your cousins?”“Mm, so you were able to keep it a secret from them?” Minho nodded again. “Good for you, I wasn’t sure you’d be able to pull it off.”“Hey, I’m great at keeping secrets.”“I don’t know if that’s something to brag about.” He eyed Minho suspiciously, the slight twinkle in his bright brown eyes Minho’s only warning before he smiled, his dimples appearing. God, he had missed him so much. “It’s drama night tonight, isn’t it?” Minho nodded. “You good with being stuck with me until then?”“Sure,” he said as if he wouldn’t have immediately agreed to anything Kibum said at the moment.Kibum’s attention darted away from Minho for a second. “Oh, those are mine.”They both stepped forward, each grabbing one of the suitcases, then Minho led the way to his car. “So you decided against bringing the kids?” he asked as they stepped outside.“Yeah, sorry, I know you wanted to meet them, but I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to take them on a flight or not.”“That’s understandable.”“I brought them to my parents' house instead, so Yeri’s looking after them.” Minho looked over at him, amused when he heaved a heavy sigh. “Which just means they’re gonna be even more spoiled than usual when I get them back, I guess.”“Is that such a bad thing?”“Oh, you have no idea. They’re little terrors,” he said fondly.“So they take after their dad?” Minho asked as he hit the button for the elevator, then laughed when Kibum smacked his arm.“Don’t start with me or I’ll head home right now.”“No, you won’t,” he said without thinking as the elevator opened.He followed Kibum in, pushing the button for the top floor, then held the door for the other people who were rushing to reach it. It was a little too packed in there when he turned back around to be able to stand next to Kibum like he wanted, so he had to settle for standing across from him.When he met his gaze, Kibum didn’t look away. Instead, he searched Minho’s features, shaking his head with a small smile when Minho raised his eyebrow in silent question. But still, he maintained his hold on Minho, eventually looking away when the elevator dinged and a few of the people got out. Minho glanced up. A few more floors to go.There was a bit more room now, so he excused himself, moving around to stand beside Kibum in the corner. Once again, Kibum’s attention slid up to meet Minho’s, a sly sort of smile shimmering in his eyes and indenting his cheeks. Clearly, he thought of something funny, but he wasn’t about to say it in front of strangers. Unfortunately for Minho’s curiosity, there were still people in the elevator with them by the time they reached the top floor. And, once they had broken off from the pack, Kibum wasn’t wearing the same smile anymore.He took a deep breath in, though, eyes closed. “It’s so good to be back.”Minho glanced over at him as he unlocked his trunk, smiling when Kibum sighed contentedly and opened his eyes to look around at the cerulean sky stretching around them. “I feel like it’s getting harder and harder for you to stay away.”“As if it’s my fault.” Blinking, he stopped beside Kibum at the trunk and was about to ask him to clarify what he meant. But, before he could do that, Kibum peeled back the carpeted plastic, revealing the spare tire. “Just checking.”“We’re not gonna get a flat today,” Minho said with a laugh, and Kibum hefted his suitcase into the trunk.“How can you be so sure?” he asked, heading around to the passenger seat and waiting for Minho to stuff the other suitcase in and unlock the doors. He squinted across at Minho when he came around to the driver’s side. “Did you plan the last one?”“What?” A burst of laughter escaped him, and Kibum’s lips twitched in what would have been a smile. “Come on, be serious.” Kibum hummed, his eyes narrowing even more before he ducked into Minho’s car. Minho tried to subdue his smile before he did the same, sliding in behind the wheel. “You want something to drink before we head back or—““Oh!” Kibum’s hand brushed Minho’s shoulder as he buckled himself in, resting there as he asked, “What about that coffee shop we went to last time?”“That’d be perfect. It’s right on the way out of town.”Kibum’s hand retracted from Minho’s shoulder as he backed out of the space, and he pulled his phone out. “Do you mind if I call Yeri?”“No, no, that’s fine.”Once it was dialing, he put it on speaker, holding the phone between them as Minho made his way toward the exit. As soon as she picked up, Kibum motioned for Minho to keep quiet.“Hello?”Minho glanced over at him, finding him shaking his head and pressing his finger over his lips again. Nodding with a grin, Minho looked back out at the road.“Oppa? Hello?”“Oh, did he land already?” another woman asked. Their mom, Minho assumed.“I think so, but he butt-dialed me. Oppa, I’m hanging up.”And she did.“Just messing with her?” Minho asked as he drove up the on-ramp to the freeway.“Of course. It’s my duty,” he said as he called her again.“Are you kidding me?” she said instead of hello this time. Minho failed to stifle a laugh, getting louder still when Kibum smacked him with his free hand. “I can hear you, you know.”“Hey, Yerimmie,” Minho said sweetly, then laughed when he looked over at Kibum to find him glaring at him. “What? Am I not allowed to be nice to your sister?”“You are, but just not nicer than you are to me.”“Get over it,” Yeri said flatly to Kibum before matching Minho’s gentle tone with her own, “Hello, Minhoppa!”“Remind me to never let the two of you near each other, for my own sake.”Yeri hesitated for a second before asking, “I’m on speaker, right?”Quicker than Minho was expecting, Kibum pulled his phone away, taking it off speaker and holding it up to his ear. “Not anymore.” Minho could hear her voice, if only barely now, just not what she was saying. Whatever it was, it made Kibum laugh and cast a glance Minho’s way. “Yeah, I know. Mhm. I mean…” He sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes when Minho tore his attention away from the road to look at him. “Alright, I’m hanging up on you now. I just wanted to check in,” he said as Minho pulled off the freeway and back into town, the cafe straight ahead.And without any preamble, he hung up, dropping his phone in his lap as Minho pulled into the parking lot.“No goodbye?”“We promised we’d never say goodbye,” he said tearfully, then laughed when Minho shot him an incredulous look. “I’m kidding. We just like messing with each other.”“As all siblings should.”Minho crept up in the line, rolling down his window as he reached the speaker. Once he was greeted by the barista inside, he leaned out of the window a little. “Hello, can I please get a medium iced americano and an earl grey latte, please?”“Hot or iced for the latte?” she asked.He looked back at Kibum, finding him watching him curiously. Fondly, even. “Which one?”“Iced, of course.”Nodding, he turned back around to complete the order. He pulled up a little, glancing back over at Kibum again when he heard the shutter sounds of a picture being taken. “Wait, did you just…” He leaned over when he braked, tipping Kibum’s screen toward him.The picture was of both of them, but only Kibum was looking at the camera. Which, made sense since Minho had been sort of driving. But he had sent it to Yeri with the text Never pays attention to the camera 🙄. The number by the message and photo disappeared and Kibum slipped his screen out of Minho’s view.“Take pictures of me when I’m not driving, then I can pay attention to the camera.”“You were barely driving,” Kibum said, but whether he was smiling at what he said or Yeri texted, Minho couldn’t tell. Before Minho could retort, however, Kibum tucked his phone away, hitting Minho with a dazzling smile. Dazzling enough that the growing urge to pick a playful fight fizzled quickly. “Thanks for the drink. I really appreciate it.”“Yeah, uh, no problem.”Kibum started to say something else, but the car ahead pulled forward and out of the drive-thru, making it their turn to go up to the window. They got their drinks, officially setting off for home.“Do you mind if I put on some music?” Kibum asked, leaning toward him on the armrest before taking a casual sip of his latte.“No, not at all.”So, Kibum grabbed Minho’s phone from the cubby and his hand from the wheel, using Minho’s fingerprint to unlock his phone as he did once last year. Minho gulped, glancing his way for a split second as he navigated his way to Minho’s music. “Oh, good, you have a road trip playlist now.”“I do like to be prepared.”Kibum hit shuffle, a familiar boy group song faintly playing in the speakers. “That’s such a Marine thing to say.”“Thank you.”“Did that sound like a compliment?”“Well, I’m taking it like one, so sure.”Kibum chuckled, and Minho almost forgot himself and sighed at the sound. “So”—Kibum was leaning across the armrest between them again—“have you been going on a lot of road trips?”“I wouldn’t say a lot, but, yeah, sorta. Got a bit more free time for painting trips now that Jjong is dating.”“Figures,” Kibum said, scoffing. He took another sip of his drink, shaking the ice for a second. “But anyways,” Kibum’s free hand settled on his arm, and he continued, “do you have any places you want to paint this summer?”Why did his brain have to go blank now? Why couldn’t he think of a single location… “I’m not sure yet.”“If you do, just let me know.”“You’d wanna come with me?” he asked, perhaps a touch too eagerly. He couldn’t help but look over at him, and Kibum nodded with a small, pleased smile.Well, shit, now he had to come up with at least one road trip, if not several. As many times as Kibum wanted to hang out, he was beyond willing to accommodate him.They were clear of the city now, nearly to the exit where Jonghyun’s farmer lived. Minho’s gaze drifted as it so often did whenever he drove past the countryside where the farm lay further inland.“Does he still get tangerines from her?” Kibum asked.Minho blinked, looking over at Kibum in surprise before returning his attention to the road. “No, he’s got a new cocktail this year. He gets lychee from her now. Jinki goes with him, though.”“Ooo, a lychee cocktail…”“It’s so good, I have a hard time not getting one when I go. I think you’ll like it.”“I’ll have to try it soon,” Kibum said, a smile in his voice.“It’s got watermelon in it, too, but he gets that from Jinki’s mom’s garden.”When Kibum didn’t respond right away, Minho looked over at him, finding him smiling softly. “I’m happy things are working out so well for them.”“Me too, they deserve it.”“Yeah…” Kibum’s voice trailed off, and when Minho looked over at him again, he was looking past him at the countryside passing by. Ah, it was the flower fields. “Did you ever go back there?”Minho shook his head. “I’d like to, though. The paintings sold well.”“Yeah?” Kibum was smiling again, but Minho made himself keep looking at the road. “Maybe that can be one of our trips.”One of…Minho turned his head to hide his smile, catching one last glimpse of the flower fields before they disappeared around the bend.A complication that should have been foreseen arose as they pulled into the alleyway behind the shops on the boardwalk and parked behind Artist’s Choice. Both Jonghyun and Taeyeon were out behind the cafe, too, bringing groceries inside. Kibum immediately ducked down when Minho caught a glimpse of them, tucking himself close to Minho as Minho’s arm settled over him, holding him in place.“Did they see me?”“I don’t think so.”Minho took the keys out of his ignition, keeping his attention trained on the Kims. Jonghyun looked like he was holding a box of liquor bottles, while Taeyeon had bulky cloth tote bags slung over both shoulders. “What are we gonna do? Don’t wave at them!” he added with a light slap at Minho’s thigh when Minho did just that. “You’ll just draw more attention to us.”“It’d be weirder if I didn’t,” Minho whispered back, though he didn’t know why he was speaking so quietly when neither Jonghyun nor Taeyeon would have been able to hear him anyways. Taeyeon was fiddling with her keys, Jonghyun waiting beside her to be let in. Minho looked away from them for a second, sifting through his meager collection of keys before finding the one to the back door and passing it to Kibum. “Take this, and head inside when I say to.”The backdoor of the cafe swung open, Jonghyun propping it open with his foot so Taeyeon could enter first, and as soon as both of their backs were turned, Minho unlocked their doors.The door fell shut. “Okay, go.” Slowly, too slowly, Kibum peeked over the bottom edge of the window. “No, go, go, we don’t have much time!”Kibum scrambled out of the car, the door slamming behind him in his haste as he made for the back door. Minho slipped out of his side, closing the door a little more gently while Kibum unlocked the door to let himself inside. He barely slipped inside when the cafe door opened again, and Minho lunged for the open door before posing as casually as he could so he didn’t look suspicious as Jonghyun sauntered back outside, whistling.“What are you doing?” Kibum asked through gritted teeth. “Get in here.”But, Minho took his time taking his keys out of the lock, his car chirping at him when he checked that it was indeed locked with his key fob. Jonghyun’s attention swung over to him, a pineapple falling out of his bag as he stared.“What?” Minho called out to him, doing his best to ignore Kibum’s hissed Just get inside, goddammit.“Where were you going dressed like that? Were you on a date or something?”Of all the times for Kibum to fall silent. Minho stepped forward, hiding his inflamed face from Kibum behind the door. “No, I just had some errands to run.”“Dressed like that?”Minho looked down at his clothes. Was it really that weird that he wanted to look nice to see Kibum? But, then, Jonghyun didn’t know that. “I was just trying something, I don’t know.” But Jonghyun’s expression wasn’t shifting away from incredulity. “We still on for tonight?”“Of course we are! It’s the finale tonight!”“What do you want us to pick up?”Shit. Fuck.But Jonghyun didn’t seem to catch that, thankfully. “Snacks, I think. As salty as we want, Taeyeon has a date with Chanwoo so she won’t be there long.”“Okay, see you then.”He started to go inside, or at least he turned, meeting Kibum’s inscrutable gaze when Jonghyun asked, “Wait, you’re not coming over for lunch?”Kibum’s eyes darted back and forth between Minho’s, before he nodded back in Jonghyun’s direction. “No, not today!”Jonghyun, when Minho looked back at him, was staring at Minho like he’d grown two heads. “Are you sure you’re okay?”Minho laughed, a little higher and more awkwardly than he usually would have. “Yeah, I’m positive. See you later, hyung!”And with that, he stepped inside, closing the door behind him as he squeezed into the narrow hallway before Kibum. It was still a bit dark in there, even with the daylight flooding the studio. Neither of them looked away. Kibum scanned Minho’s expression, his small smile colored with a hint of amusement.“What?” Minho asked, not sure why he was still whispering.Anything else would have been too loud right now, though.Kibum shook his head, his dimples blessedly indenting his cheeks. “You’re such a bad liar.”Minho’s eyes widened, his eyebrows slowly raising. “He bought it, didn’t he?”Sniffing a quiet laugh, Kibum’s scarred eyebrow shot up. “Did he?”Before Minho could respond, Kibum’s gaze dropped—just for a second—to Minho’s lips. Or at least it looked like it. But Kibum had slipped further in, leaving Minho to stare in shock at the blank stretch of wall before him.“We should probably just leave my stuff in your car, hm?” Kibum asked, somewhat airily, as he glanced around at Minho’s painting-strewn walls.Minho cleared his throat and shook his head a little before following Kibum out into the light. “Yeah, unless you’ve got anything perishable in there.”“Nope, nothing.”“Alright then, I should probably get some work done.” He took a few steps up to his apartment, looking back at Kibum. “I’ve just gotta go change real quick, do you want anything to drink?”“No, I’m good, thanks.”Nodding, Minho hurried the rest of the way up, breathing a sigh of relief when he found no trace of his panicked mess of trying to pick out a suitable outfit.He’d have to remember to thank Sooyoung for that later.* * * * *Kibum’s attention trailed away from up the stairs at the sound of Minho’s distant sigh, and he smiled to himself as he continued to survey the studio, meandering around the island to the space where Minho had been pinning his portraits of him, Yeri, Jonghyun, and Taeyeon.Somehow, they looked different, in real life. Like, he could read the thought that went into every swipe and blossom of color.To think that he had been nervous about coming back mere hours ago. Nervous that he had just imagined whatever was happening between him and Minho, or that he had just been too wrapped up in his own bullshit and the remnants of his relationship with Joonwoo haunting his brain that he had latched onto Minho, in a way. Nervous that, when he saw him again at the airport, his feelings for him would dissipate just as they did for the other guys he had dated these past months.But he wasn’t nervous anymore.Not after seeing him again.The months of wondering whether or not he’d ever be ready to take that leap of faith with someone again—even someone he trusted, like Minho—were firmly behind him.All that was left was…to be patient. Not his strongest quality, but, for Minho…he’d wait as long as he needed to. With how everything ended with his ex and his family, Kibum couldn’t really blame Minho for not being open to the idea of dating again. He’d be apprehensive, too, after all that.Footsteps sounded above him, and Kibum looked up, trying to tamp down his eagerness to see Minho again. Still, he smiled as Minho reappeared on the stairs, Minho’s grin blooming too as his gaze landed on Kibum again. “Oh, you found them!”Kibum looked back around at the portraits. “Were you trying to hide them?”“No,” Minho said with a cute little chuckle as he descended the remaining stairs. Kibum was glad that he wasn’t facing Minho so he could conceal his growing smile. “Well, I guess I should get some work started.”“If you must. Or,” Kibum perched himself on the edge of his usual stool at the table, watching Minho bustle around to get ready for his day. “You could be like me and take a long vacation.”Minho threw him a half-amused, half-bewildered look. “A vacation?”“Oh, I’m sorry, have you never heard of that before?” Minho snorted and Kibum cracked a grin, swiveling around to watch him slip into his storeroom. “Wait, have you not taken a vacation since you got here?”Minho was frowning when he emerged from the store room, his arms full of easels. “Should I have? I’ve only been here for…” His voice trailed off for a second, and Kibum hopped off the stool, relieving Minho of two of the easels. “Holy shit, I’ve been here for almost six years.”“Okay, see, that’s a long time to go without taking a break.”“I mean, I take off two days in a row in a week, now.”“A whole two days, hm?” Kibum asked sardonically, spurring Minho into laughter as he set up the first of the easels. “I’m not saying you have to take three months off at a time, but—”“Well, that’s good.”“But, like, if you think about it, it would be good for you to travel and see new places. You never know, it might inspire you.”“I suppose that’s true. Can you put this over by the window?” he asked, tapping the first easel.Kibum nodded, gingerly picking it up and carrying it over. “Class today?”“Yup, in an hour.”“Do you want my help?”He looked back when Minho didn’t respond right away, watching him fiddle with the last of the easels for a few more seconds. Minho still wasn’t looking at him when he said, “Only if you want to.”“Tell me what to do.”So, Minho had him help pick out his reference picture, then the color palette. Kibum busied himself with replicating Minho’s palette on the ones for the students while Minho finished setting up the canvases and chairs around his studio. By the time the first of the students for the day arrived, Kibum left Minho on his own, heading upstairs to his apartment alone.How did he keep it so tidy up here? Well, he supposed it was a small space, and everything had its place, so…maybe it made sense.Another student arrived, Kibum turning his head at Minho’s cheery greeting. Smiling now, Kibum went to the kitchenette, inspecting the coffee maker so he could make himself a cup. Then the fridge, just to see what was in there. Was it snooping? Maybe, but Minho probably wouldn’t mind.Oh, hm…he pulled out a bag of fish and rice cakes with the sauce packets to make tteokbokki. Should he make this for them for lunch? With a couple of eggs? He had those, right? Yes, okay, that sounded good.The coffee finished brewing, and Kibum poured himself a mug before heading out to the balcony.Had Minho always had two chairs up here? Was someone else…no, he would have mentioned that he was seeing someone, surely.Still, the thought niggled tauntingly at the back of his mind.The nervousness flared up again, but he tamped it right back down. Minho, Jonghyun, or Taeyeon even would have mentioned it if Minho were dating someone else, he just knew it. So he relaxed in the chair on the right, clutching his mug as he looked out Minho’s usual view of the sea stretching out beyond his balcony.How nice it must be to wake up every day here.Not that he didn’t enjoy and thrive in his life in the city, because he did. Just…the thought of something simpler. Quieter.Minho’s voice carried up the stairs, though he was still downstairs. Kibum looked back, surveying the empty room, listening for another strain of his voice.Well, in any case, he had a while to think about it. His lease wasn’t up again until next year, and that was assuming that Minho truly was interested in him. If Minho ended up not wanting to date, then that answered that question.His stomach growled, and he patted it absently before he took a sip of his coffee. When would Minho be done? Should he start the tteokbokki right now? Eh, he could probably relax for a few more minutes.Only once he finished his coffee did he slip out of the chair and head back inside. He glanced around the kitchenette, a frown furrowing his brow. Did Minho not have a dishwasher? Had he been hand-washing all this time?No wonder he got takeout so often.It took a little digging to find a pot and a little portable burner, but soon the tteokbokki was started, and Kibum’s gaze was wandering around the room as he stuck close to the kitchen so he could monitor their lunch. His attention was snagged by a few pieces of art. Unframed, but clearly Minho’s work—Kibum could tell from here.He set the spoon down after a few more stirs and went over to look at the pictures hanging on the otherwise blank wall on the other side of Minho’s bed, a small smile growing as he drew nearer.The one he recognized immediately, as the much larger and finished version hung in his apartment. It was the brightest piece, so it drew his eye first. He glanced at the others, a warm sense of peace settling over him. One was of the flower field, and it was the abstract portrait of Kibum that he had posted on Instagram after that excursion. And the other…he cocked his head to the side, staring at the stormy sea. It did look familiar, with the wisps of peach and gold lining the dark clouds, but Kibum couldn’t quite place…Oh, wait.Was this the painting he had started that night they got the flat tire? It had rained, then…Smiling, he glanced back at the balcony on his way back to stir the tteokbokki. The nervousness was gone again, for good this time, he hoped.By the time he was searching for plates or bowls or something to put this in, Minho came bounding up the stairs. Kibum turned, pleased to find him wearing his cute little crooked smile. “It smells so good up here!”Kibum smiled back, turning around. “Where are your bowls? Or plates?”“Oh, they’re up here,” Minho said, coming up behind him. Kibum looked up, the back of his head resting on Minho’s shoulder as he reached around him to grab two bowls. “I’ll get utensils, too,” he said before he moved away, and Kibum watched him go.“What about the, uh…something to protect the table?”“Oh, yeah, towels are below the sink. I’ll get one,” he said quickly when Kibum bent to pick one out. “Just bring the pan over to the table.”“Alright.”Minho met him there, laying out the towel so Kibum could set the hot pan down, then he hurriedly put the spoon in the pan then bowls and chopsticks on either side of the pan. “Don’t sit, let me get you a cushion.”“Oh, Min, I’m fine.”“No, no, let me.”Sighing in exasperated amusement, Kibum’s eyes followed Minho back to the kitchen where he came back with a single cushion. “Don’t you have another one?” he asked when Minho held it out to him.“Why would I need more than one?”Any inkling of nervousness that remained was replaced by smugness. Kibum took the cushion with a smile, sitting then on one side of the table, and Minho on the other, his knees brushing and resting against Kibum’s once he settled.“Thank you for cooking this for us. My stomach was growling during the class when I started smelling it.”“Well, I hope you like it.”“I’m sure I will,” Minho said, looking across the steaming pan with wide, earnest eyes. Kibum had to look away after a second, ducking his head and pressing his lips firmly together so his smile didn’t get too big as he reached across for Minho’s bowl, serving him first before taking some tteokbokki for himself. “Do you want something to drink?”“Water or whatever you have is fine.”“Okay.” Kibum watched him go, then grabbed his chopsticks and leaned across the table, picking the fish cakes out of Minho’s bowl and replacing them with his rice cakes. He froze when Minho’s legs appeared in his periphery, looking up as he sat across from him again. “Is this okay?”“Are you kidding?” Kibum sniffed a laugh. “This is so nice. I thought of you every time I ordered this last year and had to pick around the fish cakes.”Kibum blinked slowly, smiling softly as he searched Minho’s expression. “Did you order it a lot?”Minho averted his eyes as he set a glass of water before Kibum, his smile shy now. “I might have.” Kibum cleared his throat, his mind whirring into action. Sure, he was intending to be patient, but did he have to be? Before Kibum could decide, Minho went on quickly. “So, what’s your plan for this summer?”“What do you mean?”Minho snatched a rice cake, raising it to his mouth but not stuffing it inside until after he said, “Well, you’ve just always had an agenda when you’ve been here.” When Kibum only looked confused, Minho added, “Two years back, you were extracting me from my hermitage. Painfully, I might add.”“You did most of the work,” Kibum said, laughing.“And then last year, getting Jonghyun and Jinki together.” Kibum hummed airily, focusing on splitting the soft-boiled egg in his bowl. “So, what’s the plan this year? Can I help?”Kibum snorted softly. Helping was one way to put it.“You can.”Minho’s eyebrows shot up, mingled excitement and interest gleaming in Minho’s eyes. “What is it, then?”Kibum chuckled, looking away and finding another rice cake. He dug it out and held it out, dropping it in Minho’s bowl. “You know? I don't think I’m gonna tell you. You’ll find out eventually.”He almost laughed aloud at the blank look on Minho’s face. “How can I help you if I don’t know what it is?”“Oh, you’ll find a way, I’m sure.”Minho looked so confused, but where was the fun in telling him point blank that his “agenda” this summer was to find out if Minho was ready for a relationship again? And, if he was, they could start dating. Kibum just gave him an impish smile, and before Minho could think of another plea for information or before Kibum could think of how to distract him, the downstairs door opened.They stared at each other, Minho squinting after a second, clearly listening hard.Light footsteps started up the stairs, and Minho turned around, waiting for the intruder to show their face.Taemin’s head popped above the banister, a to-go bag from the cafe swinging in his hand as he came around the corner. “Woah, Kibum, you’re here!” he said instead of a greeting.“Obviously.”He dropped the bag on the table with a resounding flop—must have been some haemul pajeon—and said, “No, Jonghyun hyung just never mentioned that you were coming! He usually talks about it all the time.”“We’re surprising him,” Minho said as Kibum dug into the bag. Yup, a few seafood pancakes, just like he thought. “So don’t tell him, Taemin…”“What? I’m good at keeping secrets!”Minho leveled him with a glare that made Kibum laugh. “You’re not and you know it.”Taemin’s gaze slid over to Kibum, and he gave them both a shyly shit-eating grin. “Maybe not.”“But please, Taemin—““Taeyeon told me to bring those over for you on my way back from lunch,” he said, gesturing to the pancakes Kibum was pulling out of the bag. “But I have to get back to work now, so…”He turned, heading back for the stairs, shooting one last look at the pair of them before he disappeared behind the banister. A few seconds later, the downstairs door opened and closed.Minho let out a long sigh. “He’s probably already texting him.”“It’s okay, Jjong’s reaction will still be funny, and that’s what we’re doing this for. Right?”“True.” Kibum tore off a bit of the pancake, tapping the remaining closer to Minho before he dunked his piece in the tteokbokki sauce. “Oh, good idea.”“I like to think so.”Minho ripped off a piece, too, doing the same before eyeing Kibum. “Are you sure you’re not gonna tell me?”“Pretty sure, yeah.”“Hm.”“If you think you can break me, then you’re very mistaken.”Minho grinned, eyeing him again. He glanced away with a shake of his head, dunking the other half of his pancake in the sauce. “Is it Taemin’s turn this year? Are you gonna try to find him a girlfriend?”“Girlfriend? He’s on his own there, I don’t care enough.”Minho picked up another rice cake, his eyes flicking up to meet Kibum’s again. “What about Yerim for him?”“You shut the fuck up!” Minho leaned away, covering his mouth as he laughed. “No!”“Why, is she already seeing someone?”“I—no?”“Maybe she should come meet Taemin.”Kibum sucked his teeth at him, which only made Minho start laughing again. “Just stop it.”“Who knows, they might hit it off.”“Honey, stop it.” Minho grinned, tearing off another piece of the pancake. “You’re so annoying.”“You like it, though.”Kibum let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Am I that transparent?” he asked drolly. Minho’s eyes were sparkling with mirth when he met Kibum’s gaze again. “Just shut up and eat your tteokbokki,” Kibum said before Minho could respond, and Minho chuckled before placing another fish cake in Kibum’s bowl.Minho helped him with the dishes after they finished eating, then Kibum joined him downstairs to keep him company while he finished his day of work. He kept to the studio when Minho had to go greet customers, doing some light tidying up while he waited for Minho to get back. When it was time to close, they were out the door within five minutes after Minho washed up and changed.The trip to the grocery store took a little longer than he had expected, given the sheer number of options for snacks and drinks and their differing opinions. They ended up getting way too much, which would probably be alright, given that Minho would likely end up spending the night, and they’d need all the late-night snacks they could conceivably have.The sun was nearly set by the time Minho pulled up to Kibum’s uncle’s house, setting the clouds ablaze behind them.“Looks like they’re not back yet,” Minho said, ducking down to look out of Kibum’s window.“Perfect timing, then.”Aunt Miyeon, who was also in on the surprise, let them inside. Kibum dumped their bags of snacks on one edge of the couch while Minho brought Kibum’s luggage inside and back into Jonghyun’s room. He followed him, and Minho sat on Kibum’s bed while he started to unpack.“Oh, hey, I’ve been looking for that,” he said after a few minutes when Kibum picked up a shirt to hang it in Jonghyun’s closet and the accidentally stolen sweatshirt from the previous summer was revealed below it. Minho reached in, pulling it out. “How come you had it?”Kibum shrugged, shaking his head a little and hoping Minho didn’t catch the way his face was heating up. “You let me borrow it, remember?”“Oh, yeah.”“And I accidentally packed it.”“Oh. You could have mailed it to me.”Kibum let out a noncommittal hum of agreement, pointedly avoiding meeting Minho’s eyes when he felt his scrutiny. Thankfully, before Minho could ask more questions, the front door opened, and the sound of Jonghyun and Taeyeon’s continued conversation floated through the house. Both he and Minho turned to the open door, watching, waiting.Footsteps drew nearer, and a second later, Jonghyun rounded the corner, his eyes landing on Kibum. Then Minho. Then Kibum again.“I fucking knew it,” he said, pointing at Minho when he started to laugh.“When did you figure it out?”“This morning,” he said, stepping further into his room and tossing his shoes toward his closet. “You were acting weird.”“Plus,” said Taeyeon from the still-open door. “Taemin told Jinki.” Kibum dropped the shirt he was still holding back into his suitcase, going over to hug her. “Hi.”“Hey,” he said, hugging her back tightly.“How long have you two been lying to me?” Jonghyun demanded incredulously, though he still hugged Kibum when he came over to him.“Since February.”“Feb—seriously?”Kibum snorted, looking back at Minho, who was watching him with shining eyes. “It was Minho’s idea, not mine.”“Wow, thanks for that.” Kibum winked, and Minho followed his progress back to the bed where he sat, now, beside him. “It was, I thought it’d be funny.”“Well, are you amused now?” Jonghyun asked flatly. “Have I been entertaining enough for you?”“Just about, yeah,” Minho said, laughing.Taeyeon pushed away from the doorway. “I’ve got to go shower before Chan gets here. Will you help me, Min?”Kibum blinked, looking over at Minho in utter surprise. “Yup, whenever you’re ready.”“I’m sorry, what?” Kibum asked as Taeyeon made her way down the hallway to her room.Both Minho and Jonghyun started laughing, but before Minho could explain, Jonghyun slapped his knee, Minho’s mouth snapping shut. “No, let’s surprise him this time.”“Yeah, okay.”“Wait, hold on—”“Nope,” Jonghyun said, smacking his knees as he stood and started for the door. “Let’s figure out what we want to eat.”“Oh, Kibum and I bought snacks…” Minho started to say, his voice trailing away as he followed Jonghyun back out to the living room.Kibum stared at the empty doorway for a few seconds before looking around, his gaze settling on Minho’s sweatshirt. He reached out, stroking it for a second before shaking his head and following the sound of crinkling snack bags and Minho and Jonghyun’s conversation. He ripped open the bag of one of the seaweed crisps and plopped down on the couch, Minho glancing his way for a second. Kibum smiled up at him, eating a few more crisps when Minho returned his attention to his argument with Jonghyun.“I just don’t see why she’d come back from America, just for him?” Minho said, reaching for the bag in Kibum’s hand and grabbing a few of the crisps for himself. “He’s been an asshole this whole time.”“You’re just saying that because you prefer Jaejoon.”“So?”Jonghyun scoffed. “He’s the second male lead and you know he’s not gonna end up with Minjung.”Kibum cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “I still say she and her friend…what’s her name—”“Gwiboon,” Minho supplied, sitting down beside him on the couch, and Kibum tipped the bag toward him so Minho could get more if he wanted.“Yeah, her. They should get married.”“Kibum,” Jonghyun said with an exasperated laugh. “That’s even less likely than Jaejoon and Minjung.”“Yes, but you haven’t considered one very important factor.” Jonghyun’s eyebrows raised in question, and Kibum suppressed a smile. “I don’t care.”Minho leaned against Kibum as he laughed, and Kibum couldn’t help but smile now. Jonghyun’s gaze flicked between them. “You two are so similar, I swear to god.”“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Kibum said, resting his head against Minho’s shoulder and linking their arms together. “I think you’re just selfish.”“Selfish?” Jonghyun sputtered. “How the fuck?”Minho laughed again, and Kibum felt the weight of his gaze when he said, “Yeah, you already have a boyfriend, so you don’t care about other gay people’s happiness. Typical,” he added as an aside to Minho, who sobered quickly and nodded.Taeyeon emerged—dressed in a flouncy, bright-colored floral sundress—before Jonghyun could think of a comeback, drawing their attention away when she called for Minho. All three of them looked her way, and Minho jumped up a second later, hurrying over to sit in the armchair while she perched on the armrest. She dropped a handful of nail polishes into her lap, the bottles clinking together, and both of them leaned in, whispering together.“What—“ Kibum started to ask, but Jonghyun answered his question before he could get any further, saying, “He helps her pick her nail colors, and paints them for her, too.”“Oh,” he said, drawing the quiet sound out as he looked back over at them. Minho’s hand was splayed out, hovering just above her knee as Taeyeon painted a fluorescent pink on his pinky nail. Then, when she pulled the brush cap away, he held his finger to the fabric of her skirt, looking contemplative before plucking a dark teal bottle that Kibum could see hints of in the floral pattern even from here.He smiled at the way Minho readily presented his next nail, laughing at something Taeyeon whispered to him. A warm sense of fondness bloomed within him as he watched the pair of them, his thoughts slipping back to how Minho had been just two years ago. Reserved and reclusive, scared of letting himself be known and loved by anyone and everyone. To see him now, like this, at peace with himself and the world, willing to receive acceptance and friendship and love...He had come a long way, in the short time Kibum had known him, and if he had any luck left in this world, he’d be able to accompany him on the rest of his journey.Or, however long Minho would be able to stand being his.If he wanted to in the first place, that is.He looked away from them when Minho started painting her nails—the dark teal color—and once they were dry, she was out the door with a call of goodbye, hurrying to the waiting Chanwoo’s car.Just in time, too, because the drama was about to start. Minho collected the bottles, clearly intending to go put them away, but he glanced over at Kibum when he gestured for Minho to come over.“You should paint mine, too,” he said, smiling when Minho looked pleasantly surprised. “I like doing it but I’m so bad at doing it myself.”“Well, I’m not that bad with a brush, if I do say so myself.”Kibum snorted but was quickly shushed by Jonghyun as he turned the tv up when the familiar intro started to play.Minho took his spot beside Kibum again, dropping the myriad bottles in his lap for Kibum to peruse so he could pick colors out for himself. “What are you thinking?” Minho asked quietly when Kibum picked out a few of the brighter shades.“I don’t have a design in mind. I trust you.”Minho’s gaze flicked up to meet his, his expression softening as he searched Kibum’s eyes. “Something abstract again?” When Kibum nodded, Minho looked back at Kibum’s choices, a mix of vibrant and pastel shades of pink, purple, and a hint of blue.Truth be told, he had no idea what the fuck happened in the episode. Funnily enough, he had been looking forward to it, but he was too distracted by Minho’s carefully calculated brushstrokes and the gentle way he was blowing to dry the design before he added another color.No nail was the same design, but they looked like they connected. Curved lines of pale purple crossed with thinner bright pink lines with the occasional squiggle or dot of a cornflower blue. Minho was just finishing up applying the clear coat by the time the episode ended.“Do you do this for Taeyeon?”He chuckled. “No, she doesn’t let me. She can’t wear nail polish at work so she doesn’t want me to waste my time.”“Mm, makes sense.”“But, I’ve seen a few of my customers have these kinds of nails so I’ve been wanting to try to do it.”“Well, anytime you get the urge again, just let me know.”Minho met his gaze again, but Jonghyun coughed pointedly, drawing both of their attention to him. “Did you guys even watch it?”“Yeah,” Kibum lied as Minho said, “Of course” quickly.Jonghyun scoffed, shaking his head a little before pushing himself up off the couch. “I’m gonna go shower, you two have fun.”Kibum watched Jonghyun disappear around the corner, turning back to Minho when he said, “I guess I should head out, too. I have a few things I want to do before I open tomorrow.”“Okay,” Kibum said, with a little pout. “I’ll walk you out.”“Oh, you don’t have to.”“I know.” Minho gave him a shyly curious smile before he scooted off the couch, and Kibum followed him to the door, holding it open for Minho to exit first before he followed him out. “I’m glad you had the idea to surprise them. It’s been fun to have this secret with you.”Chuckling, Minho glanced at him, the streetlights and moonlight gilding his profile. “Yeah, it has. I’m glad it all worked out.”“Me too.” Kibum clenched his fist, fighting the urge to reach out for his arm or hand just for the sake of touching him. “Are you okay if I hang out with you tomorrow?” he asked when he reached Minho’s tiny car, leaning against the driver’s side.“Yeah, of course.” Minho fiddled with his keys, clearly in no rush to leave.“You want your usual?”Minho sniffed a laugh, giving Kibum a sidelong glance and a crooked smile. “Am I that predictable?”Kibum laughed, finally reaching out to pat Minho’s arm. “A little, but it’s fine.”“She’s got a new filling I think you’d like. Yuzu and ginger curd.” Kibum’s eyebrows shot up in interest. “Right? It’s good.”“You tried it?”“Yeah, she made me. I was hanging out when she was working on it.”“See, it’s good for you to try new things.” Minho held his gaze again, searching it. “Makes life more interesting.”He gulped, his eyes dipping to Kibum’s lips. Just for a second. Kibum took a half step closer, allowing himself to look at Minho’s lips, too. He had a freckle there, in the corner. Slowly, indulgently, his eyes glided back up to meet Minho’s again, and he smiled at his stunned expression.“I’ll let you go.”“See…see you tomorrow,” Minho said as Kibum pushed away from the car and started back for the lighted porch. Once he reached it and opened the door, he looked back, watching Minho’s car until he started for his studio.Smiling to himself, Kibum stepped inside, locking the door behind him.Jonghyun still wasn’t back from his shower, so Kibum changed into his pajamas, foregoing his usual matching set and throwing on Minho’s sweatshirt instead before he started unpacking again. He was nearly done by the time Jonghyun returned to the room, wearing only his usual pajamas of boxers and a tank top. He flopped down on his bed, Kibum looking over at him when he felt the weight of his scrutiny.“What?”“Finally made up your mind?”Kibum squinted at him. “About..?”“You know what I’m talking about.” When Kibum didn’t respond right away, Jonghyun glanced down, nodding at him. “Nice sweatshirt.”Kibum grabbed the front of it, the soft fleece bunching in his hand. “I did make up my mind, yes.”“Good. Want my advice?” Kibum’s eyebrows slowly rose in question. “Just be patient. Don’t try to rush him.”“I wasn’t planning on it.”“Good.”Kibum dug out his bag of toiletries, holding it up to him before he slid off the bed. Jonghyun nodded, grabbing his phone as Kibum left the room.Be patient.Yes, he knew that.Even though it wasn’t his forte, he would be as patient as he needed to be until Minho was ready for a relationship again.Because he just knew that Minho would be worth that wait, however long it was.* * * * *“Kibum wanted to kiss me.”A statement, not a question.One Minho had said aloud to his empty car several times on the drive home and now, sitting in the alleyway behind his studio, staring blankly at the back door.“He wanted to kiss me.”Minho blinked, looking around at the oppressive darkness surrounding him.“He—I need to go inside.”And yet he sat there, hand on his keys in his ignition, staring dazedly out his windshield. He had, hadn’t he? That’s what Yeunseo had always done when he had wanted to kiss him but they couldn’t. Hell, that’s what he did just now, too.But…Kibum…“Let’s go inside, Minho, come on.”Slowly, he pulled his keys out of the ignition, finally exiting his car. He fumbled with his keys at the door, struggling to find the right one—out of his two keys—and let himself in.“Was I imagining that?” he whispered to himself as he leaned against the wall of the hallway, staring at the opposite side. It would be too good to be true if he did. Because…He had said months ago that he was waiting for the right guy to come along. That couldn’t be him. Could it?It didn’t seem possible.He dragged his hand over his face with a heavy sigh before he reached over and locked the door and trudged upstairs. The lights stayed off as he got ready for bed, but he barely noticed as he puttered around his studio. He meandered out to his balcony, plopping down in the left chair, staring up at the star-strewn sky, and listening to the sound of the waves rushing onto the distant shore.If he had wanted to kiss him, then, well…what then? What happened next? Would they start dating? Kibum might be ready again, but…was he?The idea was almost too good to be true. It had been at the end of last summer when he had been half full of hope that something like this would happen and Kibum would show definite interest. But now that it was happening, he couldn’t escape his memories of Yeunseo.Not that Kibum was anything like him, of course. They couldn’t be more different.But…The last time he kissed Yeunseo—or anyone else, for that matter—had been that night when it all went wrong. Six years ago. And not just that. It had been the last time he had made love as well. Or, at least attempted to. At the thought of it now, the scared look on Yeunseo’s face when their parents burst in flashed behind his eyes, the memory of all that happened next pounding in his head with every beat of his heart.He shuddered, his eyes snapping open, and he leaned back in his chair, looking up at the sky as he tried to relax again.Kibum wasn’t Yeunseo, though.He knew that.The circumstances here were so vastly different, it seemed stupid to compare the two. But it was all he had. Yeunseo was his only romantic experience, so…“I need to shut my brain off,” he whispered to the night sky, and after a few more minutes of just staring up at the stars, he steeled himself before slipping off the chair and heading back inside.Within minutes, coffee was made and he poured himself some before plodding downstairs where he finally flipped on a light. There was some work he could do for tomorrow—as there so often was—but he grabbed his watercolor tin and paper and two glasses of water then shook his masking fluid before wetting one of his thinner brushes with it and applying clusters of dots.He had never painted the night sky before. He’d mostly done cloud studies, sometimes sunsets or sunrises with vivid color palettes. But never a starry night.Once the masking fluid was dry, he wet his paper to mix dark indigo. And, as soon as the first bloom of color hit the paper, his brain started to relax. Thoughts of Yeunseo thankfully dissolved to nothing and were replaced now with his contemplation of what color he should lay down next.He relaxed then, his free hand holding his head up as he painted languidly with the other. Adding colors here and there. A hint of purplish light at the horizon. The sign of a new day beginning to dawn.Minho nodded off sometime after he started peeling away the masking fluid, waking to find that the sun had risen and someone was knocking at the door.Oh, shit. Kibum.Blearily, Minho hurried to the backdoor, wholly unsurprised to find Kibum standing there, wearing soft yet bright summery colors that Minho, in his sleepy state, was struggling to mix in his head. Then Kibum smiled at him, his amusement gleaming in his eyes. “Did you fall asleep while painting?”Minho nodded, turning his head to follow Kibum’s progress as he squeezed past him and into the studio. “Do I have some on me?”Kibum snorted as he set their coffees and bag of croissants down by the new painting. “The real question is when don’t you.” Minho let out a quiet laugh, dragging his hand through his hair as he started back toward Kibum. “Here, sit,” Kibum said, patting the stool Minho had just vacated to let him in. “I’ll get it off you.”He obeyed, gaze trailing after Kibum as he hurried upstairs. A drawer opened and closed. The water shut on and off, and Kibum started back down, a wet washcloth in hand.His hand cupped Minho’s cheek, holding his face steady as he started to dab at his other cheek. “Were you having trouble sleeping or something?” he asked softly.“Sorta. I needed a distraction.”Kibum’s eyes met his, searching his gaze for a few seconds. “Is everything alright?”Minho nodded, the brush of Kibum’s fingertips and palm against his cheek was comforting and calming. “It is now.”“Do you want to talk about it?”Minho started to shake his head but stopped before he could. He trusted Kibum, didn’t he? Kibum would understand better than most. “I was just thinking about Yeunseo a bit more than I would have liked. Really, I’m fine now,” he added when Kibum frowned, clearly concerned as he moved the washcloth up a bit further, wiping his cheekbone. “Jesus, how much paint do I have on me?”Kibum’s concern broke into a soft smile. “A fleck or two more than usual.” He smirked when Minho chuckled. “Thought you might have fallen asleep with your face in the palette or something.”“This probably won’t shock you, but I have done that before.”“You’re right. That doesn’t surprise me at all.” He patted at Minho’s hair, too, with the washcloth before brushing his fingers through it a few times and arranging his fringe. “There.”“Thanks, Bum.”“Your croissant is still warm,” Kibum said as he stepped away, heading back upstairs, probably to toss the washcloth in the hamper in Minho’s closet.Minho pulled both of them out, setting Kibum’s aside on the paper bag they came in and sucking the yuzu and ginger curd off of his thumb before he tore into his own. He dragged the bag around, putting it on the table in front of the stool beside him as Kibum hurried back down the stairs.“I can’t believe you didn’t immediately take time off to accommodate my arrival,” he said as he sat beside Minho, ripping off one of the curled ends of his croissant. “It’s quite rude.”“Do you not feel very welcomed?” Kibum shook his head emphatically, and Minho smiled. “I’m sorry that I have to make money to survive.”“Me too.” Kibum shook the ice in his coffee before taking a sip. “So why were you thinking about Yeunseo?” Minho worried his bottom lip, pulling apart one of the layers of the croissant, half-shrugging. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”“No, it’s okay. I—” How to word this… “Sometimes...I just get reminded of him. Our time together. That last night.” He cleared his throat, eyes flicking up to meet Kibum’s again. “I’m really fine now, I swear.”“Am I not allowed to be concerned about you?”“If you want to be, sure,” Minho said with a chuckle.“Well, thank you for your permission,” Kibum said, the sarcasm laced in every word. Minho sniffed in amusement and tore another bit of his croissant off, revealing the sweet red bean filling. It was still steaming. “But, I get it, you know? There are times I’ll be walking around Seoul and I’m just hit with a Joonwoo memory that happened there and it throws me off for a bit.”“That must be tough.”“It’s not ideal.” He gave Minho a small smile that didn’t meet his eyes, then he laughed dryly at himself. Then, he sobered, his hand resting over Minho’s, the tips of his fingers almost interlocking with Minho’s. His palm and fingers were cold from his iced coffee, and Minho had to fight the urge to close his hand over it to warm his hand up. “Just take it easy today, if you can. Try to distract yourself, if you keep thinking about him.”With Kibum being around today, that should be sufficiently distracting. But he couldn’t say that, could he?Or…Could he…Before he could second-guess himself, Minho leaned a little closer to Kibum, searching his gaze. “Maybe that could be your job today. Distracting me.”Kibum gave him a slow smile, this time it gleamed in his eyes and indented his cheeks as he brushed his thumb against Minho’s hand. “I think I can do that.” And then his eyes dropped to Minho’s lips for a second, his hand lifting from Minho’s hand to cup his cheek again so he could swipe something off of Minho’s lips. “There was a croissant crumb,” Kibum said before he pulled his hand away and went back to his croissant.Okay then.Yeah.Kibum could definitely do that.Distract him, that is.Mhm.“That’s pretty,” Kibum said, gesturing toward the almost-finished painting Minho had started last night with his iced coffee.Minho’s head swam as he turned to look at it as well, his heart still pounding madly. “Uh, thanks.”“Do you have a class today?” Minho shook his head. “I know it won’t be great for you, money-wise, but it’ll be nice for us.”
Us.
Alright.“You could, um,” he coughed to clear his suddenly dry throat. “You could help me pick out my next set of projects?”Kibum leaned away, his head lolling to the side, and Minho’s gaze wandered to his neck, tracing the line of it up to the cut of his jaw until Kibum spoke again. “Sounds like fun.”It was a wonder he accomplished anything today. With Kibum there. Just there. Existing. In his vicinity.But he did. He painted while Kibum kept him company, chatting during the lulls in business and sharing lunch. He even let Kibum convince him to paint alongside him, sharing a canvas and palette.Well, it wasn’t like it took a whole lot to convince him.One bright-eyed, hopeful look after the question, the appearance of the dimples…yeah, there was no way Minho could deny Kibum anything after that.They went upstairs together, Kibum picking out some of Minho’s clothes to paint in before Minho set up his station. They crowded together on two of his small chairs, the palette balanced on their knees. It started alright, Kibum predictably doing his own thing and ignoring Minho’s guidance. But then Minho’s brush slipped, accidentally swiping blue where Kibum had been painting a cloud.“Hey,” Kibum said, drawing the word out in a whine.“It’s a really easy fix, trust me. Look.” He tucked the offending brush behind his ear, reaching for a clean one to dab into the white and a bit of the gray. But then Kibum’s paint-laden brush left a mingled white and blue stripe across Minho’s forearm when he lifted his arm to the canvas again.“Oops,” he said with a smug smile when Minho looked over at him.Blinking, Minho looked down, scanning the array of colors on the palette. He loaded up his brush with a glob of alizarin crimson, the palette wobbling on their knees and thighs as Kibum tried to escape. But he was between Minho and the wall, and Minho was quicker with his brush. He let out a yelp of a No! as Minho reached around with his free hand, holding his head in place so he could smear the red across the tip of Kibum’s nose. Kibum tried to shake his head out of Minho’s grip, but in doing so, Minho painted red across his cheekbone, too.The palette slid against the easel legs, clattering to the floor as Minho leaped up and away from Kibum and his brush with a high-pitched laugh, darting across the room and brandishing his brush between them. Kibum tossed his brush aside, picking up the palette and holding it as menacingly as he could toward Minho, paint-side out.“You don’t want to do this,” Minho said, grinning brightly as Kibum approached. “What will customers think if they see me covered in paint?”“Oh, so now it matters to you?” Kibum asked, his brow raising sharply.Minho’s back hit the far wall, and he held his hands up placatingly between them as Kibum drew nearer. “Please, don’t…”Ignoring him completely, Kibum slammed the palette against Minho’s chest, jumping back in surprise when some of the paint-splattered him from around the edges. Then he too ran away, around the edge of the counter, as Minho peeled the palette from his tunic and dropped it on the floor. His hands were covered now with a bizarre mix of colors. Some of the paint had reached his face, and he wiped some of it off on his sleeve before he set his sights on Kibum.Kibum’s giddy No, no, no’s filled the little studio as Minho started chasing him around the island, eventually faking left and capturing him in a hug when Kibum hurried around to Minho’s right. He smeared the paint from his face onto Kibum’s shoulder, laughing when he let out a defeated sigh as Minho released him.“At least these are your clothes.”“I think you’d kill me if I got paint on yours.”Kibum snorted, attempting to glare at him, but the amusement shining in his eyes undermined it. “Probably.” He wiped at his nose, smearing the red paint up the bridge and onto his other cheek before pulling his hand away to inspect the damage.Minho laughed when Kibum glared at him again, throwing his hands up. “Truce?”“Fine.”Wiping his hands off on a previously paint-free part of his tunic, he whipped his phone out of his pocket and threw his arm over Kibum’s shoulder, pulling him in for a quick selca where he was grinning and Kibum gave the camera an adorably disgruntled look. It was a little blurry because once Kibum realized what Minho was doing, he tried to break out of Minho’s hold. He sent it to Yeri before Kibum could snatch Minho’s phone out of his hand, hurrying to delete it.Someone cleared their throat, both Minho and Kibum looking up at each other in question, then to the hallway leading to the backdoor.Jonghyun was standing there, eyes wide as he surveyed both of them.“How long have you been here?” Kibum asked him when he didn’t say anything first.“Just…came in. Do I want to know?”Minho glanced over at Kibum when he said, “Probably not, no.”He glanced between them, his attention settling on Kibum. “I need to make a quick grocery trip for Taeyeon and was gonna ask if you want to come with me, but…probably not?” Kibum snorted softly, looking over at Minho for a second before shaking his head. “I’ll see if Jinki can step away, then.”“Sorry, Jjong!” Kibum called after him when he turned around to head back outside.“Don’t worry about it! Have fun!”And then the door closed behind him, and they were alone again.“Do you still have that washcloth?” Minho asked as Kibum wiped at his face again. He gestured upstairs, so Minho bounded away, finding it again and wetting it before hurrying back downstairs. “Here, let me.”“But you have way more on you,” Kibum said as Minho made him sit on one of the stools and grabbed his roll of paper towels to get the majority of the paint off before using the wet washcloth.Minho worked in silence for a few moments, taking care to not be too vigorous with the washcloth as he cleaned Kibum’s face for him. He could feel Kibum’s gaze on him, despite the close proximity, but it took a little while before he let himself meet it. “Are you upset with me?”Kibum shook his head. “Are you?”Minho frowned. “Why would I be?”Fondness shimmered in Kibum’s eyes as he smiled. “I’m just making sure.”After Minho finished cleaning Kibum’s face for him, Kibum once again took the washcloth and did the same for Minho. He only allowed himself the most fleeting of glances Kibum’s way, and each time, Kibum’s gaze captured his with a hint of a smile before Minho forced himself to look away.He wanted to take that step forward so badly, especially now that it was so clear that Kibum wanted that, too. And yet…Would Kibum be ashamed of him, too? Would he keep his distance and have them be his dirty little secret that he tried so hard to keep the world from finding out? True, it wouldn’t be smart to be overly affectionate in public. Even now, he couldn’t begrudge Yeunseo for trying to hide them from everyone and everything, but…he’d never been great at hiding his love, whenever he felt it.And if he were ever to be in a relationship again, especially with Kibum, that wasn’t something he’d want to do.He blinked, the world coming back into focus, and he found a very concerned Kibum watching him. “Are you okay?” Nodding, Minho averted his eyes, but Kibum tucked his finger under Minho’s chin, holding him in place so he couldn’t look away. Slowly, sheepishly, his gaze glided back to meet Kibum’s. “Are you sure?”Gulping, he nodded again, neither of them looking away.Should he just tell him?But, what if he was imagining Kibum’s interest? What if this is just how Kibum was with his friends and he was just an idiot whose hopes were set too high? What if this meant nothing to him?He couldn’t ruin everything on a selfishly desperate whim to alleviate his stupid anxiety.“Yeah, I’m sure.”The bell above the front door jingled, and both of them looked up at it. “I’ll help them, you’re still a mess,” Kibum said, handing Minho the washcloth and heading out to greet the new customers.Minho’s fist clenched around the washcloth as he bounded upstairs to finish cleaning himself up. “Get a grip, Minho,” he whispered harshly to himself as he scrubbed the rest of the paint off, tossing the washcloth into the hamper before shedding his soiled tunic and grabbing two new ones. He pulled one on as he descended the stairs, and he found Kibum waiting for him at the counter. “Here,” he said, handing the spare one to Kibum. “I can take the other one up.”“Okay,” Kibum said with slight hesitation, and Minho avoided looking at him before hurrying back upstairs.He tossed Kibum’s tunic in the hamper atop the one he had been wearing before he sank to the floor of his closet, his head in his hands. The anxiety had shifted to almost panic now, squeezing his insides as his thoughts raced out of control. It was stupid, he was so stupid to even be considering this again if this is how he was going to react to the merest hint of romantic interest. Sure, it’d been all well and good—the idea of dating Kibum—while he was on the mainland, but now that he was here and apparently interested, too…now that was different. It made it tangible in a way that his hopes and dreams could never achieve.The thought gnawed at his brain, and he squeezed his eyes tightly shut to suffocate it.The urge to retreat into his comfortable, shadowy shell was back in full force. He’d be safer there, it’d just be him and him alone. He’d weathered that quiet sort of life for years, he could do it again. Easily, probably.But before the thought could fester further, soft footfalls sounded. Coming up the steps into what had been his solitary sanctuary for so long. He tensed, staring past his knees at the hardwood below his feet.“Minho?” Kibum said, his voice painfully gentle in the quiet of the room.He wanted to tuck himself further into the closet, but…it was almost ironic how few places there were to hide in here, with how long he had done so before.He didn’t look up as Kibum approached, slipped into the closet, and sat before him, their legs somewhat interlocking from how cramped it was in there. It took several minutes for him to speak. Maybe he was waiting for Minho’s breathing to calm.“I wish you’d stop lying to me.”Minho looked up then, his hands falling away from his hair, his eyes stinging as he met Kibum’s worried gaze.“And don’t tell me you’re not, because you are.”“I’m sorry,” he said automatically.Kibum heaved a deep sigh, leaning forward and taking one of his hands in his. “Is it about him?” Minho gulped, and a tear must have fallen because Kibum swiped at his cheek with his free hand. “I wish there was something I could do to help ease the pain he caused you.”“It wasn’t all his fault.” Kibum sucked his teeth at him, and Minho let out a watery chuckle. “What, it’s not like he knew our dads would do that to me.”“Still, he should have stood by you. I—“ He cut himself off, his jaw clenching. “What would help you most right now?”His first thought was being left alone, but he was pretty sure Kibum wouldn’t accommodate that one right now. Besides, it was sorta nice, if he ignored the silent screaming in his head, to be so close to Kibum. To hold his hand; to lean into the touch on his cheek. It was the simple, casual intimacy he had always wanted but Yeunseo had so rarely given him.His next thought, however, he said aloud. “I’m not sure, Jonghyun usually takes me to the gym when this happens.” He chuckled at the way Kibum’s eyes seemed to glaze over. “But any kind of exercise would work, I think.”“A walk?” Minho nodded with a faint smile at the relieved eagerness in Kibum’s voice. “That I can do.” Kibum pushed himself up, holding his hand out for Minho to take to help him stand. He didn’t need the help, but he took his hand anyway, though he didn’t meet his gaze. Kibum pulled the fresh painting tunic off, his soft hair ruffled until he shook his head and reached up to fix his fringe. “I’ll go flip the sign and lock the front door.”Minho nodded, watching him head back downstairs before he pulled his tunic off, too. He folded it, then Kibum’s, and stacked them at the foot of his bed before he wondered if he should put on something other than his plain t-shirt and jeans. He decided against it since that would take too long—and besides, that’s basically all James Dean wore, and it worked for him.He met Kibum at the foot of the stairs, and he followed out the back door, which he locked behind them as they slipped outside. Kibum sidled up beside him as they started for the beach, their arms brushing together with every step.Neither spoke until they reached the sand, both stopping to slip off their shoes. Minho could feel his eyes on him for a few seconds before he cleared his throat.“You don’t have to tell me exactly what’s going on, but just promise me—“ he hesitated when Minho looked his way. “Promise me that you won’t retreat again.” Minho blinked slowly, then nodded, and Kibum reached out to pat his arm, his hand resting there. “You know you can lean on me or Jjong or any of us whenever you’re struggling again, right?”“I know.”“Good.”Kibum’s hand didn’t fall away from Minho’s arm for another few seconds, and Minho missed the warm weight of it once it had.Try as he might, as the days blended together—each one of them filled with an overwhelming amount of Kibum—he was persistently plagued with thoughts of Yeunseo and what had been. And what could have been, had things not gone completely wrong. But also, with what could be, should things go right with Kibum. And, with the onslaught of thoughts came old habits that should have been left far behind.He was quieter, though still social enough. At first, at least. He started taking his dinners to-go again, claiming he had to do his books for the store or catch up on work when in reality, he sat alone in his studio, the tv quietly filling the all-encompassing void he was trapped in.The others noticed. He knew it. They had no choice but to if he were being honest with himself. And maybe it was a cry for help that he was hoping would get answered by Kibum or Jonghyun. Or Sooyoung, even.When the knock came at his back door early on one of his few days off at the tail end of June, he answered it, expecting to see Kibum and his dimples and his shining eyes enticing him to let all his guards down.But it was Jinki. His smile was softly questioning as he scanned Minho’s surprised expression. “You up for a trip into town?”“Is Jonghyun okay?”Jinki chuckled, the fingers of his right hand fiddling with the silver band on his left ring finger. Their couple band—Jonghyun had a matching one on his right hand. “He’s fine. He’s doing something with Kibum this morning. I just thought…it’s been a while, and I’ve missed hanging out with you one-on-one.”Minho squinted. Sure, all that might be true, but he could still see right through him. Regardless, Minho stepped back, letting Jinki inside. “What do you need to get?”“Nothing in particular. Junmyeon got a new shipment in and wants to let me have the first pick if I want it.”“Oh, alright. Yeah, uh, let me get ready, I guess, then I’ll look at what I need.”Jinki nodded, staying downstairs while Minho hurried up to get changed. After Minho made a list of paint colors he was running low on, they stopped at Sooyoung’s for a coffee and breakfast before heading off for town.Time spent with Jinki was usually filled with stretches of comfortable silence. The drive into town was no different, but whenever the silence was broken by an offhand comment or a question about where they should do lunch after they ran their errands, Minho tensed, preparing himself for the probing questions he was expecting from Jinki.It didn’t come until after they finished at Junmyeon’s shop and Minho’s art supply store and were back on their way home after having a hearty lunch of jjajangmyeon. Jinki had let out a long sigh followed by “So…” and Minho yet again tensed. “What’s been troubling you, Minho?”Minho gulped, his grip tightening on his steering wheel. “Did Jonghyun put you up to this?”“Mm-m,” Jinki said, shaking his head. “He is concerned, though. Almost as worried as Kibum is.” Minho tore his attention away from the road to look at Jinki, who was fiddling with a tassel hanging out of the old book he’d procured earlier. “But, no, nobody did. I just thought you might want to talk to someone…less connected…about all this.”“Less connected?”Jinki sniffed a laugh. “Yeah. Someone who’s not Kibum or related to him.” Minho blinked, slowly at first, then picking up speed as his surprise set in. “So, what’s going on?”Minho sighed then, the back of his head resting against the headrest. Out of everyone that wasn’t Kibum, Jinki would be the least likely to blab about this. He could trust his confidence, couldn’t he?So he unloaded everything. His anxiety surrounding relationships and how he doesn’t want to disappoint Kibum and how he’s been bombarded with memories of his ex and he hasn’t been sleeping well at all. Jinki listened quietly, nodding along whenever Minho glanced his way. Only when Minho fell quiet at last did he interject his thoughts.“But, won’t it always be scary? Starting something new? I mean,” he added when Minho didn’t respond right away. “I was terrified when I finally asked Jonghyun out, even though I knew he liked me back.”“You were?”Jinki nodded, then chuckled. “I was so nervous. But…it was time.”“How did you know?”“That it was time?” Minho nodded, fighting the urge to keep his attention on the road and not solely on Jinki. He laughed softly. “Well—wait, have I not told you about this before?”Minho shook his head. “I know you only dated women before him.”“Right, yeah. But…” he hesitated, then went on. “But I had known for quite a while before I asked him out, officially. About that. About myself. Does that make sense?” Minho nodded immediately. “But, I’d never acted on any of my feelings for men before, and I didn’t want to hurt him if I was just imagining my feelings.”“Yeah, that makes sense.”“So, I just…didn’t say anything for two years.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up. “Yeah,” Jinki said, chuckling again. “It was a long time of me just overthinking everything and wishing I was braver.”“Mm.”“That’s why I wanted to talk to you. Because if I can help you find happiness like I did, then…” Minho looked his way again. “I’d love it, honestly.”“So you don’t think I’m imagining his feelings?”Jinki let out a bright laugh, or at least he started to, and then coughed to cover it. “Not at all.” He sobered then, clearing his throat. “And I think he understands you best out of all of us. So, even if you are still struggling with all this after, he’ll understand.”“So I should just…do it.”“If you’re ready.”Silence lapsed through the car for a moment. “What if I never feel ready?”“Then you’ll never know if he feels the same way about you.” Minho’s brow furrowed, and he glanced up when the exit sign for their town flashed by. “You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met, Minho. If anyone can overcome a history like yours and go on to live a happy life, it’s you.”But could he overcome it? And if not, should he even consider putting Kibum through that?Before he could make up his mind, they were approaching the boardwalk. He drove around the back, pulling in behind the Kim’s cafe to find Taeyeon hopping out of the car with another familiar young woman who had two miniature poodles in her arms.A red one. And a black one.He screeched to a halt, both he and Jinki bracing themselves as they looked back around at the girls. “Is that—“ Minho started to ask.“Yeah, that’s Yerim, I think. It’s been ages since I’ve seen her, though, so…” But whatever else Jinki said was lost on Minho as he resumed driving slowly down to park behind his shop. Both he and Jinki exited the little car, Taeyeon and Yeri looking their way. “Do you want to go meet her?” Jinki asked as Minho moved around the hood of the car, his attention trained on the pair of cousins.“Would that be okay?”“Why wouldn’t it?”As if to emphasize the question, Taeyeon waved at them, gesturing for them to come over. So Minho jogged toward them, reaching the women first because Jinki didn’t bother with hurrying. Taeyeon smiled up at him, but he only had eyes for Yeri, who looked up at him with bright eyes and a beaming grin after he gave her a polite bow. “It’s nice to finally see you in person, Minhoppa,” she said, almost whispering. “I’ve seen a lot of pictures of you, and I’ve heard so much about you.”Taeyeon shot her a fleeting warning look as Minho said, “It’s nice to meet you, too,” matching her volume as he held the back of his hand out for the puppies to sniff. Garcons’ tail started wagging as soon as he smelled him, and Comme Des licked his hand before he pulled it back so he could pet him. “Why are we whispering?”Taeyeon nodded to the backdoor. “Jjong and Kibum are inside. We’re surprising Kibum.”“Oh,” Minho said with a growing smile as Jinki stepped up beside him, greeting both of them. “Well then,” he stepped back, opening the door to let them all inside. Taeyeon entered first, followed by Jinki and Yeri, but she hung back, keeping behind Minho as they walked through the dark kitchen to the bar where
both Kibum and Jonghyun were sitting.Taeyeon stuck behind the bar while Jinki went around to sit beside Jonghyun, greeting him with a kiss. Kibum’s full attention landed on Minho immediately as he stepped through the door, concern mingled with something happier etched in his expression at the sight of him. Minho gave him a small, hopefully reassuring smile, then stepped aside to reveal Yeri and the puppies.Kibum’s eyes widened at the sight of them, both of the dogs whimpering and struggling to free themselves from Yeri’s hold as soon as they realized it was Kibum. She had to set them down, but Kibum was already out of his seat, coming around to pick the wiggling puppies up himself, greeting them with a baby voice that Minho had only heard over the phone.Now that her hands were free, Yeri turned to Minho, pulling him into a tight hug. He embraced her, too, patting her back gently.“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” Kibum asked her, his tone incredulous.Jonghyun scoffed loudly, drawing a laugh out of both Taeyeon and Jinki. “You’re one to talk.”“It was Jjongie’s idea,” Yeri said, still holding Minho tightly. “And I took the ferry,” she added quickly when Kibum looked up at her. “I know you were worried about them on a plane.”He nodded, looking fondly back at his puppies who were trying their best to wiggle out of his arms in their excitement. Minho’s hand fell away from Yeri’s back as he watched Kibum crouch behind the bar, trying to keep his kids in check. She let him go, too, and Minho hunkered down across from Kibum, reaching out to pet Comme Des’ puffy little head. His gaze flicked up to Kibum, who was fondly watching Garcons try to clamber into Minho’s lap.“You missed them, didn’t you?”Kibum met his gaze. “Of course.”“They probably need to run off some of their energy, hm? Do they like the beach?”“Technically they’ve never been unless you count the Han River.” Minho sucked his teeth, almost in a perfect imitation of Kibum, which made him let out an amused sort of cackle. “Should we go find out?”And so, Jonghyun and Jinki stayed behind to make them all drinks, and Taeyeon and Yeri leisurely followed him and Kibum as the puppies led the way across the street to the beach, eager to run as fast as their leads would allow. Minho surged ahead with Garcons, laughing as he tried to catch up with him. Once he did, he scooped him up, kissing him as he panted. Kibum jogged up a few seconds later, the thin strings of his lacy bucket hat swaying in the breeze off the sea.“Can we let them off their leashes?”“Yeah, we should be able to.”Minho knelt in the sand, Kibum almost flush beside him a few seconds later as they both worked on unhooking the puppies from their leashes. Garcons bolted first, getting a few meters away before looking back and waiting for Comme Des to join him. They both bounded away, and Minho was on his feet, chasing after them with a laugh. They turned at the sound of his voice, running after him as he ran off in the other direction.Every time he glanced Kibum’s way, he found him in the same spot he had left him, watching him run after the puppies with a faint smile. He stayed there as Minho romped with the kids, only moving to get up after Minho flopped down in the sand and the puppies descended on him, Garcons licking his face while Comme Des laid belly-up against Minho’s side, his head tucked in the crook of Minho’s arm as he rubbed his belly.Kibum stepped up beside him, smiling down at him before crouching beside him, pulling Garcons away from his face. “Leave him alone, kiddo.”“I don’t mind.”Especially not when Kibum reached out to brush some sand off his cheek. His heart thumped a rapid staccato as Kibum’s hand pulled slowly away to hold Garcons back. But he still slipped out of Kibum’s grip, climbing onto Minho’s chest and looking back at Kibum defiantly. Minho chuckled, reaching up to scratch Garcons’ chest.“I’m glad they like you,” he said, his gaze darting between both of the puppies. “Not that I was worried, but…”“Was it important that they did?” Kibum’s gaze held his, Minho’s staccato heartbeat becoming irregular as he nodded. “Maybe they recognized my voice, you know, from all the phone calls.”Kibum’s expression softened slightly. “Probably.” His attention shifted to Garcons, who was lying down now, and reached out to scratch the top of his head.If it really was important to him for the dogs to like him—and why would he lie to him—then…that had to mean that Jinki was right…right? And if that were so, then it was true. There was no reason to wait, even if he could feel the panic clawing at his throat as the words threatened to spill out right now. Words…what words would even suffice? What could he even say to tell Kibum how much he meant to him, how much he cared about him, how badly he wanted to be his.His brain was too jumbled of a mess right now…The thin ribbons blew toward him, and Minho lifted his hand from where he had been scratching Comme Des’ belly to catch it. He twirled it between his fingers, resisting the strong desire to look up when he felt Kibum’s gaze on him.“Kibum…” he said, all thought escaping him at Kibum’s soft, questioning Hm? He couldn’t blurt out just anything. Kibum deserved better than that. “I—”“Hey, you two!” Yeri called out, both of them turning her way, both Garcons and Comme Des’ tails wagging at the sight of her. “The ice in your drinks is gonna melt if you don’t hurry!”What did he care about ice right now? But…actually, no. He was grateful to her. Because he still had no clue what to say. The puppies climbed over him, tearing after her as she ran back to where the others were waiting. He released the ribbon of Kibum’s hat, letting it flutter over him on the breeze as Kibum held his hand out to help him up. Then, to brush the sand off the back of him.Maybe he’d figure out how to put his thoughts into words in another minute. Or an hour from now. Or even later on, in a quiet moment when they were alone. But as the day progressed to twilight, the possibility of that narrowed considerably when the lot of them trooped back to the cafe, now with Sooyoung and Taemin in tow, for dinner and drinks and karaoke—at Yeri’s suggestion.Well, if he couldn’t find the words on his own, then maybe a little bit of liquid courage could help.* * * * *“Do you want me to take them back to the house real quick?”Kibum looked away from the puppies in Minho’s arms—he had insisted on carrying them—and down at Taeyeon. “Do you mind?”She shook her head. “I’m hoping that them being here will convince Dad to let us get a dog again.” Minho chuckled at that, and Kibum cracked a smile, looking back at him for a second. “What? It’s been ages. I miss having one.”“I don’t blame you.” He touched Minho’s arm, who then held out the dogs to Taeyeon for her to take. “Have fun using the kids as bargaining chips.”“Thank you, I will.” And as soon as the dogs were situated in her arms, she called out “Be back in a minute!” to the rest of them before she hurried around the corner, heading to the alley.Now that his hands were free, Minho surged ahead, holding the door open for everyone. Kibum looked up at him, holding his gaze. After the past few weeks of mild avoidance and a hint of a return to the awkwardness that Minho had embodied when they originally met, he was surprised that Minho didn’t avert his eyes. Kibum perched on one of the stools of the bar, tipping his bucket hat back as he watched Minho approach. He swiveled around when Minho leaned against the bar beside him, barely registering Yeri hopping up on the stool on his other side.“What do you guys want to drink?” Jonghyun asked as he slipped behind the bar, Jinki on his heels.“The watermelon lychee drink,” Kibum said, and Minho nodded. Jinki started slicing a few paper-thin slices off the watermelon while Jonghyun crushed a few lychees in the bottom of his cocktail shaker.“Oh, you were telling me about that,” Yeri said excitedly as Jinki curled the slices in long, thin glasses and Jonghyun poured a few measures of watermelon juice into the shaker, followed by shots of vodka. “Can I have that, too?”“Make it virgin for her, she doesn’t need to drink.”He laughed when Yeri shoved him and fell into Minho, who caught him immediately. Sooyoung and Taemin put in their orders, too, but Kibum wasn’t paying much attention to them at all. Not with Minho’s hands still at his waist, even after he had righted himself on his stool, only to slip away a second later.Was he back to his normal self? What had happened?Jonghyun cracked open a bottle of seltzer, topping off the drinks before Jinki set them before each of them. Minho held his out to Kibum, and Kibum clinked the honeyed rim of his glass against Minho’s before taking a sip. Sweet, summery, and delightfully bubbly. Kibum sighed before taking a long drink.He set a tall glass chock full of fruit and ice and a bit of alcohol slipping between the cracks in front of Taemin, topping it with a pink umbrella, and before Sooyoung, a short tumbler with an old-fashioned, complete with a thick curl of a yuzu peel.His attention shifted to Jinki, then, with a soft smile and a whispered question meant for Jinki’s ears alone. Kibum looked away, giving them as much privacy as he could. Yeri slipped off her stool with her glass, and she made her way over to the karaoke station to inspect the setup. After a moment, Taemin trailed after her, pointing out something on the screen that made her laugh.Minho poked his arm, and Kibum turned his head. “Hm?”He nodded at Yeri and Taemin. “Maybe I was right.”Kibum looked around at them, finding Taemin’s eyes crinkled in a smile as Yeri was talking excitedly, probably about one of her favorite latest releases. Minho was wearing a smug little smile when Kibum turned around, glaring at him. “I’m gonna need more alcohol if you’re gonna be like this.”Minho’s smile morphed into a laugh, and it had been so long since he had seen Minho this at ease that Kibum’s irritated demeanor broke. “What do you have against Taemin?” Minho asked, polishing off his cocktail with one last drink.Damn, he drank that fast.“Nothing against him specifically. He’s just…a man.” Minho snorted, his eyebrows raising in incredulous question. “No, I know,” Kibum said, grabbing his arm and squeezing a little before shoving him playfully. “It’s different for us because we already know what we’re dealing with. But her?” His face scrunched up, and he shook his head. “She doesn’t deserve to put up with them. Straight men.”“Yeah, true.” Minho looked past him, watching the pair. “Is she…like us?”Kibum blinked. “Not that I know of. I feel like she would have told me by now.”Minho nodded, then looked back at Jonghyun when he set another cocktail before him—the same watermelon lychee one—and gave him a small smile before Jonghyun turned back to Jinki who glanced between the pair of them briefly. Kibum watched Jinki lead Jonghyun away from the bar, leaving them alone—or almost alone—for the first time in days. Minho sipped his cocktail, letting out a pleased little hum, then looked up as Kibum leaned closer to him.“How are you doing?” he asked, his voice laced with the concern that had been building for weeks. “Feels like we haven’t—“Minho ducked his head, dragging his thumb through the condensation on the glass. “I know. I’m sorry.”He placed his hand on Minho’s arm again, letting it linger as Minho met his gaze again. “It’s nothing to be sorry for.”The corner of Minho’s lips twitched into what might have been an attempt at a smile before it bloomed into one. “I’m doing better, though.”“That’s good!” He watched him, curious if he would expound on it, but maybe it was still too crowded in here, even with no one else around. “I’m glad.”“Me too.” He averted his gaze again, and Kibum retracted his hand. As soon as he did, Minho lifted his glass, taking a long draught of his drink.Taeyeon returned a moment later, whipping up a dinner for all of them with surprising speed. Taemin and Minho pushed a few tables together and helped Kibum and Sooyoung arrange the chairs around them. Jonghyun and Jinki made the drinks, of course, and helped Taeyeon carry out all the food and side dishes. Minho pulled out Kibum’s chair, then Sooyoung’s on his other side before he sat between them, scooting his chair a little closer to Kibum’s.Yeri caught Kibum’s eye across the table, concealing her pleased smirk with a turn of her head to listen to whatever Taeyeon was saying.Minho reached across him, dishing up some tteokbokki in a bowl and setting it between them. He took one of the rice cakes from the top before he started grabbing another plate and got a few ladles full of fish stew and ramyeon. As much as he wanted to hide it, he couldn’t force the fond expression from his face. Even when he looked Minho’s way. He gave Kibum a soft smile, a searching look that caught at his lips before darting up to his eyes again.Dinner was filled with stolen glances between them and accidental brushes of one of their arms or hands against the other’s. It was distracting enough that Kibum barely registered the food. Aside from the tteokbokki, of course.Once they had all eaten their fill, he and Minho helped Taeyeon clear up and put away the food while the others cleaned up the dining room. As soon as they had finished wrapping everything up, the colored lights of the karaoke station glowed through the window of the kitchen door.Taemin was up first, belting a ballad so soulfully that it erred on satiric. Which, judging by the grin he was trying to tamp down, that may have been the intention. Taeyeon and Yeri were up next, singing a bright, upbeat duet from a 90s girl group. Then Jonghyun, a sappy love song that he directed at Jinki, who was beaming at him.Minho glanced between them as the song drew to a close, then at Kibum when he grabbed his arm and dragged him up to the stand. “Do you know ‘Breathe’?” Kibum asked quietly as he flicked through the available songs.“I’ve heard it before,” Minho whispered back.“Well, that’s good. We couldn’t be friends otherwise.”He didn’t know the lyrics like Kibum did, nor did he know the choreography, but he gave both his best effort. Leaning against him, squinting at the lyrics flying by on the screen, laughing before watching Kibum guide him through the dance steps. The song was over far too soon, and Minho took the microphone from Kibum when he stepped down from the little platform, so he could set it aside for the next person coming up to sing.But when he had sat back down at the bar and turned, Minho wasn’t there. He swiveled around, finding Minho frowning in concentration as he flicked through songs on the screen. Kibum only looked away from him when his phone vibrated.Oh, Taeyeon had sent him a video of their performance.He looked back up, and Minho was crouching now, still examining the screen. Jonghyun broke away from the bar, heading over to help him find whatever song he was thinking of. Kibum glanced at Jinki, leaning toward him to ask, “Does he sing karaoke often?”Jinki shook his head. “If he does he’s pretty tipsy. I’ve only seen him do it once.”Nodding, Kibum looked back, curious. Especially now that Minho was digging out his phone and Jonghyun was connecting it to the display. He scrolled through his music, Kibum assumed, before he stopped, grabbed the microphone, and looked up.His eyes found Kibum before he looked back at his screen and hit play.It was a familiar song. The counting in—in English, no less—the piano. He’d heard it somewhere, but—Minho started singing, joining the vocals of Michael Buble. It had been a song that had played during one of their road trips, or…or one that he had listened to in the months leading up to this, because, yes, he had added some of his songs to his playlist.Just because they reminded him of Minho.“Babe, you’re my guiding star,“ Minho sang as Kibum returned to the present, surprised to find his eyes on him.And only him.They stayed on him, too, as Minho’s voice grew a bit stronger. Less timid. There was a smooth warmth to his singing voice. It mingled well with Buble’s voice, and Kibum leaned in, both amused and enraptured by the spectacle of it all. Especially when Minho switched the hand holding the mic, his eyes closing as he smiled and sang, “You’re the first, my last, my everything…my everything…ayyy, let’s go!“Someone wolf-whistled as he did a little twirl and stepped off the platform. Sooyoung, he thought, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Minho as he danced around the room in the instrumental interlude, hyped on by clapping and cheering from the others. His smile was growing, and Kibum’s was too, he could feel the ache in his cheeks as Minho ventured nearer, bringing the mic up to his lips again, joining Buble when he started singing—“I know, I know, that there is only one like you.“ He was getting closer, his attention fully back on Kibum now. “There’s no way they could have made two.” He stopped before him, pulling Kibum’s bucket hat back so he could look into his eyes. The pinks and purples of the karaoke lighting shone around Minho, settling on his shoulders, glowing in the waves of his hair, and twinkling in his dark, beautiful eyes. “Boy—“ he sang as Buble sang Girl “—you’re my reality, yet I’m lost in a dream.“You’re the first—“He plucked the hat off of Kibum’s head.“—you’re the last—“He plopped it onto his head, the long thin ribbons draping over his chest.“—my everything—“He winked at Kibum, and if the others reacted to that, it didn’t register in Kibum’s mind at all as he watched Minho flounce back to the stage to finish the song.It must have ended, because Minho put the microphone down a moment later, but the song…Minho’s voice…was still ringing in his ears. Others were moving around him, speaking. But Kibum just watched Minho approach, his heart giving a giddy flip as he sat back beside him. If he were embarrassed—and he very well could have been—it was deftly hidden beneath the rim of the stolen bucket hat. Jonghyun was already pouring a tall glass of ice water for him.“Let’s get some water in you,” he said as Minho took his seat beside Kibum again.“I’m not drunk.”“You’re well on your way, then.”He shook his head adamantly, and Kibum finally looked away from Minho to say, “Leave him alone, Jjong,” as his phone vibrated twice in his hand.“Whatever,” Jonghyun said with an exasperated sigh, and he left them alone. For the time being. Until Jinki finished singing his love song, at the very least.Kibum rested his chin on his hand, leaning closer to Minho, his mind abuzz with everything he was thinking of saying. But there were too many people around for him to consider what he wanted to talk about, so instead, he asked, “Are you sure you’re not drunk?”Minho eyed him with a small, somewhat bashful smile before reaching for his glass of water to take a few sips of it. “I’d say more buzzed than drunk.”“Would you?” Minho nodded, his gaze settling on him this time. His hand found Minho’s arm, his fingers grazing his forearm back and forth. “Interesting…”The night wore on, the outside world growing darker as inside the cafe glowed brighter still in the lights of the karaoke machine long after the bouts of singing merged into quiet conversations. He and Minho, leaning toward each other, Kibum burning to finally say what was on his mind; Jinki and Jonghyun, whispering together, Jinki fiddling with Jonghyun’s hand with a faint smile as Jonghyun rambled on about something; and the others, huddling together at one of the larger tables of the restaurant, laughing about something now.“Maybe I should, um,” Minho faltered when Kibum looked back at him. “Head home?” he finished, the question in his voice sounding almost like an invitation.“I’ll walk with you,” Kibum said, sliding off his stool before Minho could protest.If anyone noticed them slipping out the kitchen door, they made no show of it. The pink light streaming in from the cafe was the only light in the kitchen, so Kibum found Minho’s arm, his hand sliding down to Minho’s hand. Grasping it as he led him out to the alley.The velvety warmth of the night embraced them as the kitchen door swung closed behind them. Kibum glanced down the back of the shops, Minho’s car sitting idly behind the studio. A visual marker for how short the journey was between the two shops.He had so little time to figure out what he wanted to say.“You have a nice singing voice, you know,” he finally settled on as they walked along. “Which, I suppose, isn't a big surprise. But—““It isn’t?”Kibum shook his head, sidling closer to him. “What did surprise me was how much of a performer you are?” He looked up then, grinning when he caught a glimpse of Minho’s embarrassed smile in the shadow of the bucket hat. “Didn’t know you had that in you.”Minho scratched at his neck, chuckling sheepishly. Cute.“I mean, you have a nice singing voice, too,” Minho said quickly when Kibum opened his mouth to speak again as they both stopped before Minho’s back door.His brow furrowed immediately. “When have I sang for you, other than tonight?”“On our…our road trips.”Hm, he didn’t remember doing that. He must have been really relaxed. The keys jingled in Minho’s hand as he jiggled the knob, unlocking the door. “Well, maybe next time you should sing with me.” Minho let out what could have been a wistful sigh as he opened the door, holding it open. “But, speaking of—”Minho hummed in question as he stepped inside the dark hallway and wordlessly, Kibum slipped through the door behind him, though neither of them let it close. Not just yet. He was looking up into Minho’s moonlit face, his fingers finding the delicate ribbons on the bucket hat Minho stole from him.Twining in them.Pulling him a step closer.“—did you mean it?” Kibum asked, gulping when Minho licked his lips. “The song?”His dark eyes searched Kibum’s as if he were trying to read his thoughts before his attention dropped—yet again—to Kibum’s lips and softly said, “Every word.”Kibum let go of the ribbons at once, one of his hands dropping to Minho’s waist, the other slipping to his jaw, his fingers holding his neck. Both hands pulled him closer as he went up on his tiptoes, kissing him.His lips tasted of watermelon, lychee, and a hint of honey. It felt familiar, somehow. Being here in his arms. He was…warm…Warm like every summer’s day they had spent in each other’s company. It felt right. Comfortable. As if this was where he was meant to be.Minho smiled and held him tighter still as Kibum curved into Minho. And together, they stumbled, legs tangled, until Minho’s back met the wall. Minho melted beneath him, urging Kibum to get closer, somehow.Anything to keep him smiling like he was.They parted long enough for Minho to let out a breathy sigh, but even that was too much time apart. Minho seemed to agree, given the way his arms wrapped tighter around him when Kibum kissed him.Over and over and over again.“Minho,” he whispered eventually, once they both had pulled away for a second. He chuckled at Minho’s distracted Hm?, unable to keep himself from kissing him again before he asked, “Should we go upstairs?”“Upstairs?” he asked, and then, not even a second later, he tensed. “Why?”“I want to spend the night with you.” Minho didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Kibum started stroking his side soothingly. “We don’t have to do anything if you’re not ready.”Even in the dark, he saw Minho’s eyes meet his again. The hand in his hair slipped down to cup his jaw, and Minho leaned into the touch.“I promise. No expectations whatsoever.”“If you’re sure you won’t mind waiting…just for a little while.”“As long as you need.”When Minho relaxed again, Kibum reached behind himself to take one of Minho’s hands that had made itself quite comfortable at his waist. He interlocked their fingers before he led him down the still-dark hallway and up the stairs to Minho’s apartment.“Here, let me find you something to sleep in,” Minho said, flipping the light over the living room on, leaving his bedroom still partially cloaked in shadow. He sat at the foot of the right side of the bed, watching Minho hurry over to his closet. He emerged moments later, holding out a stack of clothes. “I tried to find some without paint on them but I don't think I was very successful.”Kibum shrugged, smiling up at Minho when he stopped before him. “I don’t mind the paint anymore.” Minho stared at him in surprise as he stood then went up on his tiptoes again to kiss his cheek. Minho’s expression softened so much and so quickly, that Kibum kissed his cheek again before slipping away. “I’ll be right back.”He took the proffered clothes and returned to the closet, setting them on one of the shelves before he dug out his phone, swiping the screen until he reached his and Jonghyun’s messages.
[22:57]

I’m staying at Minho’s tonight, so don’t

worry
when I don’t come back
And then he turned off his phone completely, deciding to ignore the texts from Taeyeon until morning. He slipped it into his back pocket before changing into Minho’s soft, well-worn clothes. When he emerged, Minho was sitting on what Kibum assumed was his side of the bed, so Kibum took the other side, eying him cautiously. “Is this okay?” Minho nodded quickly, glancing his way as Kibum scooted down, getting comfortable beside him, even if Minho was still sitting up. “Are you sure?”“Yeah, sorry, I just—it’s just been a while. You know.” Kibum nodded. He’d assumed that. “I haven’t shared an actual bed with anyone since him, let alone…” He let the sentence trail off, but he didn’t need to finish it.Kibum sighed as he sat up, scooting closer and grabbing Minho’s hand, taking care to lace their fingers together. “I meant what I said. There are no expectations on you at all.” He lifted their hands, kissing Minho’s knuckles before looking up and meeting Minho’s gaze. “You can set the pace for us, and when you’re comfortable, then…then we will. Okay?” Minho nodded, and Kibum kissed his hand again. “Is there anything I can do to help you tonight?”Minho shook his head, a painful softness lingering in his gaze. “You’re already doing more than enough.”Shrugging a bit playfully, Kibum cocked his head and smiled. “I’m just sweet like that,” he said with a wink, and Minho’s face lit up as he laughed. Sliding closer, Kibum reached up, cupping his cheek with his free hand. “Is it okay if I kiss you again?” His answer was written plainly in his eyes, in the quiet eagerness, in the way his attention dipped to Kibum’s lips. So he leaned closer, smiling when their lips met again.It took Minho a moment to reach out for him, to hold him, but when he did, Kibum melted in his arms. He was too distracted to notice how or when they laid down, but he settled comfortably over him all the same when Minho’s arms stayed around him.Keeping him close.“I’ve been wanting to do this,” Minho whispered against his lips when they parted long enough for him to speak. “For a long time,” he managed to say before Kibum kissed him again.Hopefully, he understood that to mean, Me too. Because it did.It had been a long time for him, too. Kissing anyone, let alone anything else. So he was more than content for an excuse to take things slower. But he knew he was in no rush. He would have all the time in the world to explore everything to do with Minho. He hoped so, at least. Now that they were finally here, in each other's arms, he didn’t think he’d ever want to leave the safety of that. Which, perhaps, was his intimacy-addled brain getting ahead of his common sense, but for the moment he couldn’t care less.Neither of them bothered to keep track of the time, but their kisses grew languid and gradual and sweet. Minho let out a contented sigh when Kibum pulled away for a second.“How are you feeling, honey?” Kibum asked softly as he fussed with rearranging Minho’s fringe.Minho smiled sleepily up at him, his eyes slipping closed as Kibum continued to mess with his hair. “A little too good, I think.” Kibum grinned slowly, and Minho’s hand slipped away from its place on his back—Kibum already missed the warm weight of it—and he reached up to caress Kibum’s cheek. His dimple. “You know what?”“Hm?”“I think you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”His face scrunched up a little as his smile turned bashful, and he buried his face in Minho’s neck, mumbling something that sort of sounded like Stop…Minho kissed his temple and Kibum sighed into his neck. “You are, though. Inside and out.”Kibum lifted his head, finding that Minho’s smile had shifted into an almost shit-eating grin. “So are you.”He shook his head, eyes shining. ”We’re not talking about me right now. Stay on topic.”“Are you still drunk?” Kibum asked with a quiet laugh. Minho opened his mouth but seemed to think better of it. Kibum leaned back a little as his smile fell, so he could see Minho better. “You’re not, are you?”He was about to slip away from him, to give him some space when Minho’s hand still at his side gave him a few reassuring pats. “No, no, I was just gonna make a dumb joke. Sorry,” he added, his expression earnest as Kibum gingerly settled back around him again.Kibum squinted at him. “What was the joke?”“I was gonna say that I’m drunk on you, but—““Shut up, oh my god,” Kibum scoffed, unable to keep from smiling as he leaned closer to Minho again. “You’re so—“But whatever Kibum was going to say, neither of them ever heard it, because Minho kissed him yet again.* * * * *Kibum snored.They weren’t loud snores that ripped rhythmically through the night. They were quieter, almost snorts. Every time it happened, it made Minho smile at the dark ceiling and caress Kibum’s shoulder again.Minho hadn’t been expecting him to snore.But, if anything, he was even more endeared toward him than he had been before. If that were even possible.He was tucked against Minho’s side, snuggled close to him. He was using his shoulder and chest as a pillow, which only meant that Minho was catching the faintest hint of his peach-scented shampoo with every breath. Minho pressed a soft kiss into Kibum’s hair, which only made Kibum’s hold on him tighten, his face nuzzling against his chest.To think that just this morning, the possibility of this reality seemed unattainable. Impossible. Yet here they were, wrapped in each other. Sharing their warmth on a summer’s night.Kibum snored again, and Minho closed his eyes, his smile buried in Kibum’s hair.If he could, he would live in this moment forever. Hidden from everything in this tiny apartment, ignoring the world outside of the four corners of his bed. It would be perfect.But, of course, it wouldn’t last.Eventually, they’d have to untangle themselves from each other. Leave the comfort of this haven, venture out into the world…and, what then?What then.A thought of Yeunseo tickled the back of his mind. Though he knew that, logically, they were two completely different people, he couldn’t help but let his anxiety creep back.Would Kibum be ashamed of him? When the dawn broke and they had to face the world outside this room, would he keep a safe distance?Kibum murmured something now, his slightly damp lips caught on Minho’s t-shirt. Minho hummed in question, his hand reaching up to stroke Kibum’s hair automatically, but Kibum fell quiet again.Maybe he was dreaming.Maybe he was asleep enough for Minho to slip out from under him so he could think without distractions.Slowly, so slowly, he shifted. Inch by inch, careful not to disrupt his slumber, Minho gently lowered Kibum to where he had been lying and replaced himself in Kibum’s arms with a pillow. Then he navigated his way effortlessly through the dark to his balcony, sinking into the seat on the left.His eyes slipped closed as the almost cool, damp air settled over him like a thick blanket. The chorus of the cicadas and the rushing of the waves soothed his mind, for now, as it wandered aimlessly. To Kibum, to Yeunseo, to the aftermath of that night, to how much it cost him to rebuild his life after.Not just financially, of course.But would it be the same?If things went wrong here, would he have to move again? Would he have to overhaul his entire life to escape the haunting memories of Kibum?The thought itself was abhorrent.And yet…He clapped his hand to his face with an exasperated sigh, dragging it down. Why was he being so stupid? They had only been together for, what, a few hours? And his mind was already wandering to what would happen if they broke up. Maybe he should stop being such an idiot, that might help.Shaking his head, he let it fall back against the chair with a thunk. Clouds were rolling in, puffy and a deep blue—a shade or two lighter than the night’s sky. Would it rain tomorrow? Hopefully not, as that would mean business would be down…oh, but tomorrow was another day off, so maybe a bit of rain and sleeping in was in order.Did Kibum like to sleep in? He was always at the studio so early. Maybe he was an early riser.Regardless, he was excited to find out.And he really was excited, despite his lingering anxiety. He never would have imagined that he would—The sound of shuffling footsteps derailed his train of thought, and he looked around, finding Kibum emerging from the shadows, his whole face frowning in sleepy concern. “Why are you out here?” he asked groggily as he sat in the other seat.“I was just thinking,” he said as Kibum rubbed his eye, looking slightly more awake as his fist dropped to his lap. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”“You didn’t. Not really. I’m just a light sleeper and noticed you had left.” A light sleeper. Good to know. “Is everything alright?” Minho nodded, but despite that, Kibum reached for him, taking his hand. “Are you sure?”“Mhm. I’ve just been…struggling with anxiety a bit lately. Thinking about…about the possibility of us.” Kibum sat up a little straighter, his gaze keener, more alert. “That’s why I was retreating like I said I wouldn’t, I know, I’m sorry, but I’m better now, I think, I was just being stupid—”“Minho,” Kibum had to say several times before Minho cut off his rambling. “You weren’t being stupid.” Minho gulped, watching the shadows of his face as Kibum’s thumb stroked the back of his hand. “Honestly, I feel like it’d be strange if you didn’t feel like this after him and what he put you through, so—“ He kissed Minho’s knuckles, Minho nearly melting into the chair at the softness of it all. “But please, let me know when you’re struggling with this. I want to help if I can.”Minho nodded, then frowned. “Are you anxious about it, too?” He could understand that if he were. But to his surprise, Kibum shook his head.“I was at the end of last summer. That’s why I went out on all those dates. So I could sort out my feelings for you.” Minho let out a drawn-out Oh, and Kibum chuckled, kissing his hand again. “I’m sorry if it stressed you out.”“I’m just glad to know why, now, to be honest,” Minho said, deciding on the spot not to mention the confused feelings of dread and elation whenever Kibum mentioned that he had a new date. Because while that meant he was out with another man, which was an unbearable thought in and of itself, it also meant that he would call him as soon as possible afterward so that they could talk on the phone for hours on end. “The calls make more sense, too.”Kibum snorted softly, then let out a quiet laugh. “Wanna know something funny?” Minho nodded. “I usually hate talking on the phone for very long. But I like talking to you.”His heart fluttered as he asked “Really?”“Mhm.” Minho relaxed against the back of the chair, still watching Kibum, still holding his hand. “Let’s go back to bed, honey.”As if Minho could have ever declined such an offer.So, when Kibum stood, he did too, letting himself be led back into the shadows of his apartment. Only, he gathered Kibum up in his arms once they were out of sight of the empty street, kissing him. Kibum turned pliable in his arms, and he pressed himself as close as he could, his hands caressing lazily up and down Minho’s back until they broke apart.Once they had clambered back into bed and settled, it was Minho’s turn to be held. His head rested on Kibum’s shoulder and chest, listening to the soft beat of Kibum’s heart as Kibum stroked his back and left the occasional, tender kiss into his hair.The combination of the warmth and gentleness of it all contributed to him finding himself more relaxed than he had been in years. So, it was no surprise that he succumbed so quickly to sleep.When he woke, he was still there, comfortably wrapped up in Kibum’s arms. He turned slowly, just in case Kibum was still sleeping. But he wasn’t. His eyes were on him, the beginnings of a smile glimmering in his eyes.Minho propped himself up, bracing himself around Kibum, whose fingers curled around Minho’s arm. He looked so beautiful—well, always, but especially now—drenched in the soft daylight streaming in from the window above his bed. It softened the sharp, striking structure of his face, gilded his usually dark eyes to be a glinting amber, and gleamed in the slight waves of his sleep-mussed hair.“Good morning,” Minho murmured.Kibum gave him a pleased, dimple-indented smile. “It sure is.” He couldn’t help but smile, too, as he leaned in, kissing Kibum. Kibum’s hand shifted from his arm to his neck, his thumb stroking his cheek, even after Minho broke the kiss. “How are you doing?”“Pretty damn good, at the moment.”Kibum let out a happy hum, pulling Minho back down to kiss him again.However long they stayed there, wrapped up in each other, it wasn’t long enough for him. He could have stayed there indefinitely, grateful to the powers that be that he remembered how to kiss anyone at all. Maybe it had just been so long, but he didn’t remember kissing alone being this addicting. One was never quite enough, and the pauses between to breathe or to just savor the moment were too damn long.He’d probably be craving just one more kiss from Kibum for the rest of his life.Their hands roamed gently over the other, Kibum’s settling finally under Minho’s t-shirt, his fingertips digging into his sides. Sparks danced over his skin every time Kibum’s hands moved, starting a wildfire in Minho’s mind. For a second, for a beautiful, fleeting second, he thought he might be ready for more.But then Kibum’s hand lifted, resting on his cheek.He was flung back to that night, and he was kissing Yeunseo again, not Kibum. Their clothing was half-discarded, and they were on the verge of making love, but then…the door swung open. Their families…Kibum’s hand shifted, but it didn’t feel as tender as he knew it was in reality. It was the first blow Yeunseo’s father landed across his face after he had ripped him away from his son.Minho winced, breaking away from Kibum before his father got a hit in, squeezing his eyes shut as he struggled to catch his breath, to free himself from the waking nightmare.“Min,” Kibum said in Minho’s ear as Minho rested his forehead on his shoulder. “Is everything alright?”“Sorry, yeah, I just—“ His voice cut off when Kibum’s hand settled at his side. “I’m sorry.”“There’s no need to apologize.” Was he disappointed in him? His stomach curdled at the thought as his eyes squeezed tighter shut. “Do you need some space, honey?”“I don’t know,” he whispered, biting back another I’m sorry.Kibum stroked his side, stopping after a second. “Is this okay? Or is it too much right now?”In answer, Minho wrapped his arms around Kibum, holding him tightly. Kibum rested his cheek on Minho’s head, resuming his soft strokes at his side. They lay there like this until Minho relaxed and his breathing steadied, but they only stirred when his morning alarm went off.Minho lifted his head, untangling himself from Kibum to turn it off, but when he went back to hold him again, Kibum had already slipped out of bed. “I’ll be right back.” And he was, after ducking into the closet to retrieve his phone. “I just remembered,” he said as he slipped back under the covers, laying beside Minho, his head resting on his shoulder as he unlocked his phone and opened up his messages.There was a flurry of messages from Jonghyun and Yerim and Taeyeon, but Taeyeon’s was the one he opened, scrolling up past the texts and stopping at a pair of videos.Videos of them at karaoke. Singing “Breathe.” And him alone singing “The First, My Last, My Everything.”“Oh my god,” he said, covering his eyes with his hand as Kibum cackled.“Come on, we have to watch these.”“It’s gonna be so embarrassing,” Minho said in an almost whine.“And cute.” Minho sighed, and Kibum reached around him, his hand slipping around to cup the back of his head. His finger twirled absently in the hair at his nape, and Minho lowered his hand, his head resting against Kibum’s. “Are you ready?”Minho nodded his head against Kibum’s, watching the screen as he hit play on the video of them together. His pitiful attempts at the choreography were vastly overshadowed by Kibum’s precision. Both in the dancing and singing. In the video, Minho kept watching him, though, mimicking his movements when he could, doing his best to keep up with him. The video cut off a second after they finished and Kibum had handed him the mic. Right when he had decided to enact his plan.After watching Jonghyun sing for Jinki, that’s when his idea started to form. But none of the songs felt right. Then Jonghyun had asked if he had any on his phone, and that one day last summer, when Kibum had been teasing him about having Buble’s songs on his playlist, came to his mind. And he knew right then that nothing else would work.“God, that’s such an old song,” Kibum mused as he scrolled a little down, his thumb hovering over the video of Minho singing to Kibum.“Yeah, I was surprised you knew it so well.”“I have a very good memory. So be careful, in the future.”Future.It was such an offhand comment, but the fact that Kibum thought that they had a future at all comforted him.He let himself sink a little further into bed, into Kibum. “Let’s just get this over with.”Kibum sniffed a laugh and tapped on the video.The camera was trained on him, but he wasn’t looking at it, since Taeyeon hadn’t been sitting at the bar. He was plugging his phone into the speaker, then looked up, the scene panning over to follow his gaze, finding Kibum leaning away from Jinki to meet Minho’s gaze.“Sooyoungie,” Taeyeon whispered, and both she and Yeri stopped chatting, looking around past the camera at Taeyeon. “I think it’s happening.”Sooyoung’s eyes went wide and she whipped around as the song began.Minho closed his eyes, preemptively cringing as on-screen him began to sing. So much for putting his trust in a bit of liquid courage…but then, look where he was now. Maybe it wasn’t all that bad.He forced himself to open his eyes, squinting now at the screen right when he hopped off the little platform. The urge to burrow under the covers was nearly overwhelming as on-screen him did the dumb dance that usually accompanied most of the songs on his playlists. In the absolute privacy of his home or car, of course.Sooyoung let out a sort of cheer, Taeyeon’s hand appearing in the camera’s line of sight to shove her shoulder with a laugh as she followed Minho’s progression to Kibum. Once he reached him, Kibum only had eyes for Minho. In the distance, the camera could only catch a hint of the intensity of Kibum’s gaze.But Minho remembered.Even in the haze of the drinks he had, the memory of how Kibum was watching him was burned into his mind. The barely contained smile. The way he was bathed in the ever-changing neon lights, that even now, Minho was making a mental note of the color palette so he could replicate it, someday.Minho snatched Kibum’s hat and stole back to the stage. As soon as he stepped away from the bar, Kibum sat back, still completely focused on Minho, but their divergence revealed a laughing, crescent-eyed Jinki and a wide-eyed, open-mouthed Jonghyun who was also following Minho’s progress back to the platform. The camera jerked back as if Taeyeon remembered she was filming Minho originally and stayed on him until the song ended. Then it whipped back to Kibum, who was still watching Minho, waiting for him to return to him.Taeyeon’s phone lowered, filming the tabletop now. “How much do you want to bet that they’ll leave together in like, an hour.” Both Sooyoung and Yerim laughed, then harder still when Taeyeon added, “Oh, shit! The video’s still going.”And with that, the video ended, returning to the original thumbnail.Neither of them spoke for a moment, and Kibum switched back to the texts between him and Taeyeon, scrolling through them until he reached the bottom. Minho only caught a few of the texts, but the one that stuck out to him was, I’m so happy for both of you, Bummie towards the end.“Should we see what Jjong or Yeri has to say first?” Kibum asked as he exited out of those messages and looked at the ones waiting for him.Minho looked down at him, even though he wasn’t looking at him. “You don’t mind me seeing?”“Of course not.”“Either, I guess.”Kibum opened Yerim’s first, chuckling almost immediately at the mass of excited aegyo. She too was happy for them, talking about how they should make plans for Minho to come visit them all in Daegu for Chuseok. Minho’s attention trained on that particular text, watching it as Kibum read the others before switching to Jonghyun’s.Chuseok?He hadn’t celebrated that since…Jonghyun and Taeyeon always invited him, but it seemed too intrusive, taking up space at their family’s table. Which was stupid, but… if Kibum thought it was a good idea…and if they did have a future together…it’d almost be like he had a family again.He gulped, his throat suddenly tight, and refocused on the screen that was just a little blurry now. He blinked a few times, eradicating the tears before they fell.Jonghyun was happy for them, too, of course. Waxing eloquently in his texts about how now Kibum has a real excuse to spend so much time with Minho now. Kibum let out a huff as he tossed his phone aside, and Minho didn’t need to be looking at Kibum to know he was rolling his eyes.“He’s such a pain in the ass,” Kibum said, his smile belying his irritation as he rolled over, laying half on Minho as he looked at him. He lifted his hand, fussing with Minho’s fringe. Maybe he read Minho’s conflicted desire to be as close to him as humanly possible and the anxiety crawling around under his skin that would only be alleviated with a bit of distance. “Do you want some coffee?”“That would be nice.” His throat was still tight, and his voice strained. The flicker in Kibum’s eyes told Minho that he had noticed. “Thank you,” Minho added softly, his eyes slipping involuntarily closed as Kibum leaned closer to kiss his brow before he slid out of bed.He needed to get over this somehow, or else he’d ruin this relationship before it was able to truly start. His eyes followed Kibum’s progress to the kitchen, watching him explore the cupboards in his search for mugs. Should he apologize again? Or would Kibum claim he didn’t need to?God, if only he could disconnect his brain from his past so he could just…fucking overcome this already.Before he could stem the flow of his annoying thoughts, Kibum returned, two mugs of coffee in hand. He handed one to Minho then sat back on the bed, facing him, their knees pressed together. “I know I already said this, but you really don’t have to rush yourself, you know. I’m not in a hurry to do anything more than what you’re comfortable with.”I’m sorry was teetering on the tip of his tongue, but instead of letting it loose, he said, “I wish I felt more ready. Believe me.”Kibum smiled. “I know.” He hesitated, then added, “I swear, if I ever meet him or your family, I shouldn’t be held responsible for my actions.” Minho let out a sad sort of chuckle, then sighed. “Just, really though…be sure to tell me if it gets to be too much, okay? I don’t want to overwhelm you.”“It’s not you that’s overwhelming. Well,” he added quickly, “you are, but….”His expression shifted to something a whole lot more vulnerable—in the lift of his eyebrows, the slight widening of his eyes, the nearly imperceptible downturn of his smile. “Yeah?” he asked, searching Minho’s gaze.What he was expecting to see, Minho wasn’t sure, so he nodded and said, “You have been since the day I met you, honestly, and...I love it.”Kibum blinked a few times, then set his coffee on the waiting nightstand. “Can I kiss you again?” Minho smiled then, and Kibum scooted closer, leaning in.The touch of Kibum’s hand on his cheek was so tender that he could never have mistaken it for the memory of anyone else’s. And the kiss…the sweet gentleness of it….He just knew he'd be distracted by the thought of it for the rest of the day.* * * * *Minho’s eyes were still closed when Kibum pulled away from the kiss. They stayed closed for a few seconds more, up until Kibum reluctantly slid his hand from his cheek. Then, they opened slowly, meeting his gaze with a slightly dazed look and his lips parted as if he wanted to say something but he had just forgotten what it was.Overwhelming, huh?Maybe for once that wouldn’t be a bad thing when it came to describing him.“Do you have to work today?” Minho shook his head, half-blinking. Kibum pursed his lips with a sniff of a laugh, trying not to smile too broadly. A thought struck him, but if Minho was still being haunted by thoughts of his ex and his family, then maybe…but it didn’t hurt to ask, did it? “Would you rather we hang out with my sister and cousins for the day, or—“ he said quickly when Minho’s brow furrowed a fraction, “—would you want to escape for the day? Just the two of us?”Just from the way his eyes lit up and his eyebrows rose, Kibum guessed Minho’s answer, but he still asked, “Don’t you want to be with your sister, though? She came all the way down…”“Yeah, but I can see her anytime. Besides, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to get to know her later on.” Minho, who had just started to speak again, faltered. “And she’ll understand that we want to spend some more time together, so…”“So…” Minho continued for him. “Where would we go?”Kibum leaned in, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. “Wherever we want.”Minho grinned.While they finished their coffee, Minho made a quick breakfast for them of rice and fried eggs. Then, Kibum helped him with dishes before shifting his focus to picking out an outfit. For himself, at first, but after Minho’s suggestion that they stop by Jonghyun’s house so Kibum could get a change of clothes, he picked out something for Minho instead. A thin cornflower sweater that he must have picked up on one of his shopping trips with Sooyoung.He didn’t bother changing into his clothes from last night. Because, well, he was quite comfortable like this in Minho’s clothes, and he felt like it’d be a waste of time since he’d just be changing in a few minutes again anyways.“You know,” he said as Minho came around to the driver’s side to slip behind the wheel. “I could put together an overnight bag so I can stay here without us having to make this trip every day.” Minho started the car, not looking over at him. “Or…I could just move in for the rest of the summer…if that’s okay?”Minho blinked slowly, clearing his throat. “It’d be nice if you did.”“It won’t be too much to have me around so often?”He cracked a smile then, his arm coming around to rest on Kibum’s seat so he could back up. “Depends on what you mean by that.” Kibum’s eyes narrowed as he watched him turn back around to drive forward, mentally debating what he meant. But Minho clarified quickly. “Bum, I’d love it if you stayed with me for the rest of the summer. Longer even.” Kibum, who had just been looking away at the road, snapped his gaze back to Minho. The tip of his ear was glowing red now, and Kibum leaned his head against the headrest with a sigh. “I know, I’m still…still dealing with my shit but…I can’t overcome it if I can’t face it, right?”Kibum reached out, taking Minho’s hand from where it rested on his thigh and holding it. He let Minho interlock their fingers before he said, “As long as you don’t feel like I’m rushing you.”“I don’t.”“Good.” Kibum kissed the back of Minho’s hand, glancing up again to see if his ear was still red.To his delight, it was.When they arrived at Jonghyun’s house, Kibum bundled his clothes in one arm and grabbed Minho’s hand as soon as they were back by each other’s side. Minho glanced around several times, scrutinizing the quiet street on the way to the front door.“Just let us in,” Kibum said, nodding to the handle. Minho obliged, and Kibum slipped inside, bringing Minho along. “Hello, hello!” he called out to the house as a whole.“Hello!” came Taeyeon and Aunt Miyeon’s sing-song replies from the kitchen. Kibum led Minho toward them, still holding his hand once they reached them. Taeyeon’s eyes lit up at the sight of their joined hands, and she glanced between them. “Good morning.”“It has been,” Kibum said with a happy sigh, his head resting on Minho’s shoulder. “Is Yerim up yet?”They both shook their heads. “I think Jjong and Jinki are still asleep, too.”Kibum froze, open-mouthed, whatever he had been about to say falling off the tip of his tongue. “Wait, they’re here?”“Why wouldn’t they be? The loft above Jinki’s shop is still being renovated, so it’s not ready for them to move in yet.”“Ah.” Kibum looked around at Minho when his grip tightened, his brow furrowing in question. Minho simply shook his head, and Kibum returned his attention to Taeyeon and his aunt. “Well, we’re gonna go on a road trip to…” he looked back at Minho. “Where? We’re not sure yet,” he said with a laugh, “but we’ll be gone all day. At least.”“Have fun!” Aunt Miyeon said, her voice following them back out into the living room.Kibum tugged on Minho’s hand, pulling him a bit closer so he could say “Just stay out here, I’ll only be a few minutes,” softly in Minho’s ear before he kissed his cheek—just because it was there—and released his hand. He made his way back to Jonghyun’s room, slipping soundlessly inside.True to his aunt’s word, Jonghyun and Jinki were snuggled as close as they could be in Jonghyun’s bed, both still dead to the world. As quietly as he could, Kibum dug around in his suitcases, picking out his outfit for the day while also packing his bags. Once they were all zipped up, he deposited them outside the bedroom and left without disturbing the sleeping pair. He hurried into the bathroom then, changing his clothes and doing his best to fix his extremely tousled hair before heading back to Minho, his suitcases in tow.“Do we want to drop these off at your place before we head out?” Minho shrugged and nodded before grabbing both of them. Kibum opened the door for him as he lugged them outside. “Where are your keys? I can unlock the car for you.”“My back pocket, but I can—“Disregarding that, Kibum leaned back, looking at both pockets before reaching into the right one and extracting the keys. He popped open the trunk, leaning against the tail light as Minho hefted the first, then the second suitcase into it. His gaze flicked to meet Kibum’s once the trunk was closed, his eyes glimmering in amusement when Kibum held out his keys.“So,” Minho said when they had started back for the studio. “Do we really not want to know where we want to go?”Kibum let out a prolonged, high hum of thought that made Minho chuckle. “I don’t care if I’m being honest. We’ll have fun no matter what, and I trust you.”Minho blinked, his brow furrowing as he turned into the alley behind the shops. “Okay.” It was cute how determined he looked now as he pulled up behind his shop, clearly lost in thoughts of planning their destination. “I’ll be right back.” With that, he ducked out of his car, taking Kibum’s suitcases just inside before closing and locking his back door before jogging the few steps back to the car. “Let’s go!”Kibum grabbed Minho’s phone when the car started again, unlocking it and opening his music, scrolling through until he found the song Minho had sung for him last night. He plugged the phone in and waited for it to connect, turning to watch for Minho’s reaction as he hit play. He had been about to start driving when it registered in his mind. His eyes blew wide as he turned slowly to look at Kibum, who gave him an impishly pleased smile.His cheeks were flushed now, too.“You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”“Why would I want to do that?” He searched Minho’s eyes, looking for a hint of irritation or distress, but instead found them smiling as their attention dropped to Kibum’s lips. “I’ll be bringing this up for years and years.”“I look forward to it,” Minho said, smiling too before he shifted the car into drive.When the song ended, Kibum repeated it, and for the first time since they started going on these trips, Minho joined him in singing along.A warm breeze swept through the open windows as they sped along the familiar highway. Puffy clouds blanketed the sky, thinning the further inland they stretched. Kibum held his free hand out the window, letting the air thread between his fingers as he released a sigh. The other, Minho held, their fingers laced together as their joined hands rested on Minho’s thigh.Overwhelming.The thought returned in the comfortable silence, in the warm squeeze of Minho’s hand.He let his fingers dip into a dive only for them to be pushed back up in the wind.Joonwoo had called him that, too. Often, actually. Though, he’d always meant it to mean that he needed to dial it back. With his reactions to things or his fashion choices or…anything, really. How had he managed to stay with someone like him for so long? Was it the fear of being alone? Did he think he’d never be able to find someone who was better for him? Someone who would appreciate him for who he was…someone he would be comfortable being completely himself with…He looked over at Minho, leaning his head against the headrest. His hair was blowing in the wind, fluttering back and forth over his forehead. Tempting him to reach out to brush it out of his eyes. He couldn’t help it; it looked so soft. Kibum sighed, a bit louder than he thought, apparently, because Minho glanced his way.His brow furrowed behind his sunglasses. “Is something wrong?”Kibum shook his head, “I’m just thinking.”“Good things, I hope.”“Very good things.” Minho’s lips curled in a smile as Kibum looked away, his attention snagged by a sign for Sagye Beach. He blinked, pointing at it as they zoomed past. “Sagye?”Minho’s smile grew. “We’ll head there after.”Kibum’s eyebrows shot up. “So you do have a plan for us?”“Sorta.”“Care to share?” Minho shook his head, laughing when Kibum added, “You’re so annoying.”“I know.”Kibum glared at him, but it turned into a smile after Minho kissed the back of his hand.Their surroundings were looking more and more familiar the closer they got to town. Cafes that Jonghyun had taken him to, shops that Taeyeon had shown him on her days off. Kibum looked around as Minho parked the car, his gaze finally landing on the sign for Jungang Underground. The same market that they had gone to on their very first road trip.Minho was watching him when he sat back in his seat, eyes wide. “I thought we could go to that restaurant after we finish here. The One and Only.”So, a recreation of their first day trip together. Back when they were still tentatively drawing closer, becoming friends. Only now, returning with this new context of this cautious start of their relationship.Kibum smiled, wishing that there weren’t so many people around so that he could kiss Minho again. “Sounds perfect,” he said, squeezing Minho’s hand before letting it go, hoping that that would suffice until they were alone again.They explored more of the shops today, Minho following him up and down every aisle, offering his opinion on the colors or laughing at his sarcastic comments or snapping pictures of him as he played around with some of the more outrageous items that Kibum might have readily worn in another life. They both found some things to buy, Minho opting for practicality and comfort over Kibum’s fussier, much more colorful choices. Though, he did concede and get a few of the brighter things that Kibum picked out for him.Any touches between them were fleeting. A brief touch on Minho’s shoulder snagged his attention so he could look at something new he found, a brush of his fingers across Minho’s chest as he splayed a soft yellow sweater vest over his torso. Only, every time he did, Minho would tense up under his hand. So, he tried to refrain, remembering that Minho was still working on being comfortable in a relationship again.Eventually, they returned to the car, Kibum letting Minho stuff their bags of clothes into the trunk as he let himself into the passenger side. Minho joined him a few seconds later, and as soon as he shifted into drive and pulled out of the parking spot, Kibum reached for his hand, unable to hold himself back any longer. Minho shot him a softly amused look before he finally relaxed.The cafe was just as cute as he remembered, and they were lucky to get a semi-private, corner booth with a nice view of the mountain and the distant beach. Without him having to ask, Minho took some more pictures of him, both before and after they got their food. When Kibum asked him why he was doing this—not that he minded, he was just curious—Minho simply said that he wanted to remember everything he could about today.So when the dessert came out, Kibum got out his phone, too, getting Minho in the frame. The sunlight was hitting him just right, shimmering in his hair, turning the patches where it kissed his skin to gold. He waited until Minho looked up at him, a spoonful of chocolate mousse halfway to his mouth, before he took a picture. Then another, at the way the corners of his eyes crinkled as he laughed. And again at the sight of the slightly rosy embarrassment spreading across his cheeks as he set his spoon down. Then one last one, focused on Minho’s hand now as it clasped Kibum’s briefly where it rested on the table between them.“If you’re allowed to, then so am I,” Kibum said haughtily as he tucked his phone away and Minho retracted his hand.Once they finished their dessert, Minho paid and they headed outside, Kibum yearning to hold his hand, his arm, or his waist on the short walk to the car. Minho followed him around to the passenger side, where he held the door open for him, the clear longing in his eyes letting Kibum know that he was feeling the same way.Kibum glanced around the car as Minho made his way to the driver’s seat, checking for any sort of passive audience. But there was no one close enough to see into the car. Not in the fading light of day. So, when Minho settled beside him, Kibum looked around at him, catching his attention as he inspected him.“What?”Kibum brushed at the corner of his lips, a slight frown. “You’ve got a bit of chocolate…” Minho’s brow furrowed, rubbing at his lips to get the nonexistent chocolate off them. “Other side,” he said, repressing his amusement when Minho switched sides. “Here, let me, honey.”Minho turned to him and Kibum leaned a bit closer, cupping his cheek and instead of taking care of the chocolate for him, he drew him into a soft, lingering kiss. It must have surprised Minho, given the quiet yet pleased noise he made as his hand curled around Kibum’s arm, holding him there.As if he would rather be anywhere else.“There was never any chocolate, was there,” Minho whispered, and in answer, Kibum simply smiled and kissed him again. Quickly, this time, just in case someone was watching them.Minho blinked slowly, smiling faintly while being fully focused on Kibum as he sat back in his seat. He blinked again, looking around now, seemingly realizing that they were out in the open. He cleared his throat and sat up, starting the car again.“We need to hurry if we want to get there before sunset,” he said in explanation, and within moments, they were speeding along the open road.They reached the beach again before twilight had even begun to settle in, the last of the stragglers leaving the beach as Minho gathered his watercolors from the glove compartment and a large beach towel from the trunk. Once the beach was empty, Kibum grabbed Minho’s hand, jogging to keep up with his longer strides. The sun was rapidly nearing the horizon, tinging the sky and the clouds and the glittering sea a pale pink. Minho came to a stop just before the sand was still wet from the tide, and he bent sideways to pull off his shoes with his free hand.“Here, give me yours.”“Why would I want to take off my shoes.”“Why wouldn’t you want to?” Minho asked, laughing. “Come on, Bum, it’s the beach.” Sighing heavily, Kibum reluctantly slipped them off, handing them to Minho, who bounded eagerly over to a large rock, setting them down before he ran back to his side. He grabbed Kibum’s hand, kissing the back of it before he pulled him along. “Come on.”The wet patch of sand was cool as Minho led him down further than they had come since the last time they came to Sagye beach together. Kibum smiled at the thought, glancing up at Minho for a second before he looked back up at the jagged outcropping of the cliff Minho was taking him to. There, at the base, was a flower-filled bush that Minho released his hand to pull aside for him.“Just keep your head down for a few steps and you should be clear.” Kibum looked back up at Minho, their noses almost brushing together, and smiled when he found Minho’s gaze caressing his face. “I’ll be right behind you.”Without a thought, Kibum leaned in for a quick, soft kiss—just because they were so close—before he started down the narrow path through the bush.It truly was only a few steps before he was free, and he straightened, surveying the secluded patch of beach. Bushes with the same almost fuschia flowers stretched down almost to the water. They were taller than he was. And then on the other side was the outcropping of a cliff that stood proudly in the water.Minho joined him a second later, shaking out the beach towel to lay over a patch of sand.“It’s nice here,” Kibum said, watching Minho lay out his supplies. “So secluded.”“It is,” Minho said, his voice almost a relaxed sigh as he sat on the towel. And that’s when it hit him—Minho hadn’t been fully at ease since they left his studio. Until now. “Come here.”Distracted as he was by the thought, Kibum obeyed without question, holding his hand out to Minho and letting himself be guided to rest against Minho’s chest, held in his embrace, to face the sea. His head fell back on Minho’s shoulder as his arms reached around him, one to hold him steady while the other grabbed his paper and paints.“Won’t this make it hard for you to paint?” Kibum asked, watching as he started to lightly sketch the scene before them.“I like to think I’m up to the challenge,” Minho said, the words tickling Kibum’s neck.Challenge, hm?He turned his head, unsurprised to find Minho’s expression to be a mask of concentration. The sharp intake of breath when Kibum’s lips caressed his jaw was nearly satisfying enough to sustain him. But, the thought of drawing more of a reaction out of him…wondering just how long it would take him to abandon the painting altogether…It compelled him to sit up a little bit more, to hold Minho’s face steady as he let himself gradually explore the expanse of his cheek and jaw and neck readily available to him.“You don’t mind, do you?” he asked after a few minutes. Minho shivered despite the radiating warmth of the day still clinging to the air, goosebumps erupting across his neck. “It’s not too much for you?”“No,” Minho said, his voice cracking.Kibum smiled, nuzzling his nose right below Minho’s ear before he planted another kiss there. “Because I wouldn’t want to distract you from your work, you know.”Minho let out a half-hearted chuckle, clearly distracted even though he was trying so hard not to be. “I appreciate…that.”Kibum hummed, his lips parting against Minho’s skin. He smiled when Minho let out a shaky breath. “I really can stop anytime you want me to,” he said, the hand on Minho’s cheek slipping around so his fingers were in his hair. He lightly scratched small circles along Minho’s nape as his other hand snaked around his waist, pressing them together.“Please, don’t stop.”“If you insist,” Kibum said softly before he devoted his attention to Minho’s neck again. To the freckle there just begging to be kissed. So he did, but then another one was exposed when Minho tightened his hold on Kibum and the neck of his sweater shifted. “Did you know you had freckles?”“Yeah, but I don’t remember where they’re all at.”“I’ll find them, don’t worry,” he said before he left a trail of kisses between the two freckles.Minho let out a long sigh, and Kibum grinned as he pulled away from his shoulder, looking up at his flushed cheeks—or could that just be the light of the setting sun?—then down at the painting.He had started on actually painting now, but Kibum noticed that some of the sketch lines were darker and a bit shakier than his usual work. The color too was blotchy, but based on the many hours he had watched him use his watercolors, that could be easily fixed later.“It’s turning out really pretty,” Kibum murmured between kisses, feeling the vibration of Minho’s chuckle against his lips.“It’s a mess.”“Hm, I wonder why.”Minho sighed again, sounding almost exasperated now. Kibum detached himself from Minho’s throat, admiring the faint mark he’d just made before he looked up at Minho. He was tossing the paper and palette haphazardly aside so he could gather a grinning Kibum up in his arms, kissing him in return. At last.God, he had missed this so much.Lavishing someone with teasing affection until the only thought in his head was to kiss him in return. And Minho was so fun to tease, and his lips were so soft against his… He was pliable in Minho's arms, so willing and eager to reap his rewards. And what rewards they were—Minho’s kisses, his wandering touches, the way Kibum could tell he was smiling as Minho stole his breath away.He was gentle as he turned them around, laying Kibum down on the towel beneath them. Kibum pulled him down with him, one hand at his side, the other pressed over his heart, feeling for the steady beat of it.Eventually and far too soon for Kibum’s liking, Minho severed the long string of kisses, his heavy breaths warming his lips. “Are you gonna let me paint while there’s still a bit of light? Or are you gonna keep this up?”Kibum leisurely searched his gaze, the tips of his fingers absently dragging back and forth over Minho’s chest. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see.” Minho tried to roll his eyes in frustration, but the way he couldn’t keep from smiling belied that. “Maybe just one more, and I’ll be good for a while.”Minho obliged him, but just one more turned into another…then another…then several. So many that he thought—vaguely, in the sort of dizzy pleasure of the moment—that if they kept this up much longer, he might just melt through Minho’s fingers.He broke the kiss again, leaving Kibum’s lips tingling and him yearning, yet again, for one last kiss.But he didn’t succumb to Kibum’s silent plea, and Kibum let him sit back up, gather his things, and get back to work in the rapidly fading light of day. He was still feeling a bit too warm and like his heart was beating a tad too quickly for him to be able to sit still for long.So he got up, heading over to the flower bushes to grab a couple of the blossoms to bring back to Minho. “So you can match the shades,” he said in explanation as he laid beside him, his head resting on Minho’s thigh while he stretched out—half on the towel and half in the still-warm sand.Minho smiled down at him once Kibum settled, his attention then trailing back to the painting. Kibum’s gaze didn’t falter, though.If only he could paint, too.Because then he’d be able to capture how he was feeling, much better than he would if he took a simple picture right now.Minho looked, well, radiant, caught like he was in the tangerine light of the setting sun. The way it set him aglow made it nearly impossible for Kibum to look away, but then, why would he want to? His gaze shifted from the painting back to Kibum for a second, but Kibum didn’t bother with pretending like he wasn’t staring at him like he might have done last summer.He gave Kibum a shy smile before looking back to his other side, and Kibum let out a quiet huff of a sigh as the thought I love you threatened to take root in his mind.It was too soon. Much too soon for him to be thinking that. Hadn’t he learned his lesson from last time? Shouldn’t he know better by now?Still…this was Minho. It wasn’t like they had met three weeks ago after getting absolutely wasted at a party in college where they impulsively hooked up. They’d known each other for ages now, so loving him…being in love with him already wasn’t adolescent stupidity.Not that he was, because it was too soon.However, even he couldn’t deny that he was well on his way.Huh.Funny that the thought didn’t absolutely terrify him.Scare him, yes, just not as much as he had expected. He thought it might just, petrify him if he were lucky enough to find someone after everything he went through with Joonwoo. But it didn’t. Just enough to know that he shouldn’t and wouldn’t blurt it out before he was ready.But this was Minho.He already trusted him so thoroughly, so implicitly…and, truth be told, Minho had had his heart safe and sound in his paint-flecked hands for some time now, even if Kibum had been too scared to admit it before.He wasn’t now.Kibum smiled to himself, then at Minho when he looked back at him. “What?” Minho asked. He shook his head in answer, and Minho reached out to cup his cheek, his thumb caressing his bottom lip. Kibum barely lowered his head, neither of them looking away as he kissed the pad of Minho’s thumb. “I’m almost done.”“Take your time.”Behind Minho, stars were starting to appear in the darkening sky. He kept painting until the last light of day was nearly extinguished, then he packed up his supplies.“Are you ready to head back?”Kibum shook his head against Minho’s thigh. “I’m so comfy right here.”He could hear the smile in Minho’s voice when he said, “What if you get cold?”“I’m sure we’ll be able to think of something to do to fix that.”Minho chuckled. “I have some blankets and pillows in my car if you really do want to sleep out here.” Kibum’s brow furrowed in question, and it must have been just light enough for Minho to see that, because he added, “You know, just in case I—or we—got stranded like we did before.”“Ah.” As…enchanting the thought of falling asleep with Minho beneath the stars was… “What about high tide?”“Oh. Hm.” Last he checked, the tide was still low, but the waves were probably starting to roll in a bit nearer, now. “We’ll just head back, then,” said Minho, who sounded about as disappointed as Kibum felt that the idea wasn’t realistic.“We could,” Kibum said as another thought struck him.“Could?”“Or we could camp out in your car again.”Minho looked taken aback, but still clearly pleased. “I thought it was too small for you last time.”“I don’t think that’ll be a problem tonight, do you?”“Probably not,” Minho said, grinning as he bent over to kiss him quickly before he started to slip away from him. Kibum lifted his head so it wouldn’t thunk down on the towel. “I’ll go get it set up, just give me a few minutes.”“Okay.” But Minho was already ducking through the bushes on his way back to the car. “God, he’s so easy to convince,” Kibum said to himself, though he couldn’t wipe the fond smile from his face as he collected the towel, Minho’s art supplies, and the blossoms he had picked.He pushed the branches up and out of the way, looking back over his shoulder at the last glowing line of sunlight on the horizon before he stepped carefully through the bushes. Once free of them, he rearranged the stuff in his hands and arms, shifting it all to one side so he could get his phone out of his pocket to use as a flashlight. Originally to find his way through the sand, but once he remembered them, to find the rock that Minho had put their shoes on.He wandered around for a bit until Minho poked his head out of the door to let him know that he had already picked them up. So Kibum jogged over to where they had parked, setting the stuff in his arms in the front seat and the blossoms in one of the cup holders so he could brush the sand off his feet and climb into their makeshift bed for the night. Minho was already back there, watching and waiting for him to join him.“You ready?”“Mhm.”Kibum closed the door behind him before crawling into the flattened-out backseat. Two blankets lined the trunk, covered by another fluffier one. There was a pillow for each of them, too, and Kibum patted the one on his side before he flipped down the blanket on top and slipped into it. Minho was quick to join him, though Kibum didn’t lay down immediately like Minho did. He watched him instead, waiting for him to stop fidgeting.Minho looked up at him after a few seconds. “How come you’re not laying down?”“I’m waiting for you to settle first.”“Oh, okay.” He shifted a few more times before he patted the space beside him. Kibum sidled up as close as he could manage, half draped around him, his head resting on Minho’s chest and shoulder. Minho sighed. “This is nice.”“It is, isn’t it.” He patted Minho’s chest, closing his eyes when Minho pressed a kiss into his hair. “Just think, we can do this whenever we want now.”“Well, not whenever.”“You know what I mean.”He could hear the annoying grin in Minho’s voice. “I’m just saying—““Oh, shut up,” Kibum said with a half-hearted laugh.“Make me.”Kibum’s eyebrows shot up as he sat up, leaning over Minho, staring at the gleam of moonlight shining in his eyes. “What?”“You heard me.”Smiling now, Kibum sank back down, Minho’s hand at his waist holding him steady. Closer, then, the tips of their noses brushing, the little puffs of Minho’s quickened, anticipatory breaths tickling his lips. “Will it actually work, though? Because I don’t want to waste my time if you’re gonna keep being a nuisance.”Before Minho could fully laugh, Kibum’s lips captured his, engulfed by Minho’s enthusiasm. Satiated contentment bloomed warmth within him as Minho parted his lips, letting Kibum deepen the kiss. Even if Kibum wanted to stop kissing him or pull away for a second to tease him or simply to breathe, he couldn’t. Not with the way Minho was holding him against himself. So tightly, so securely. As if he were worried that if loosened his grip on Kibum even slightly, the world might rip him away from him.But Kibum would never allow that to happen. No matter what.Gradually, the pauses between each kiss lengthened, though, they didn’t last for long. Even now, Kibum convinced himself he needed just one more every time he had to breathe, and with Minho so willing to accommodate him, how could he make himself stop?Maybe there would be no point to stop until the sun dawned again, and really, would even that be enough of a reason?He was overly relaxed though, trapped as he was in Minho’s embrace. Just a little too warm, but not unbearably so. The heat radiating between them beneath the blankets was enough to make him sort of sleepy, but not tired enough to stop.Unfortunately, he did still need air occasionally.At one such inconvenient time, he pulled back to take a deep breath or two. Undeterred, Minho kissed his jaw, then his neck. Kibum let out a breathy chuckle. “Are you leaving a hickey, too?”To Kibum’s disappointment, Minho’s lips left his skin. “Too?”“I might have given you one earlier,” he said, kissing his cheek. The corner of his lips. “It was faint. You didn’t let me finish.”Minho hummed before he nuzzled Kibum’s neck, his lips parted against his skin, the tip of his tongue lightly tracing before he started to make his mark. Kibum bit his bottom lip as his head fell back, giving Minho as much room to work as he desired. When he moved a little further down to where his neck sloped into his shoulder, Kibum wondered if it were possible to get kiss-drunk off of the way Minho’s lips felt as they caressed trails across his skin. His mind was swimming in the uninhibited, uncontrollable pleasure of it all.The absent thought that these would be visible in the morning flitted aimlessly through his mind, but he sent it away with the reminder that the concept of concealer existed and that he had some in his suitcase back at Minho’s studio.Hm.Maybe they should stop soon.They were barreling toward the point of no return, and Kibum had meant what he said when he told Minho he was ready and willing to wait as long as he needed. Unless…was he ready now?“Honey?”Minho hummed in question, detaching himself from Kibum’s neck when he didn’t finish the question immediately. “What?”“I’m just checking in.” He could sense Minho’s confusion in the darkness. “Are you ready for more right now?” He had his answer in the way Minho stiffened beneath him. “Because if not, I think we may need to…slow down.”“Okay.” Silence for a few heavy breaths, then, “I’m sorry.”Kibum shook his head, clasping his hands over Minho’s chest and resting his chin there with a happy sigh. “Don’t worry about it, Min. I just didn’t want us to get carried away and for you to…” Get upset? Overwhelmed? What was the right turn of phrase? His mind was still too hazy…“Right.”There was a despondent note to his voice, and an ache clenched Kibum’s heart at the sound. “It’s my fault, really. For being so tempting.” Minho snorted, and for a second, Kibum caught a flash of his smile in the moonlight. He smiled, too, adding airily, “I’ll try to stop being such a good kisser.”Minho laughed out right then, and said, “Please, don’t.”“Okay, I won’t.”Neither of them spoke for a while. Kibum stayed where he was, watching the faint outline of Minho below him while Minho eventually reached out to start playing with his fringe. Brushing it this way and that. Trying to tuck the longer locks out of his eyes and behind his ear. Just an excuse to touch him, Kibum thought, and he couldn’t say he minded it.But then he stopped suddenly.“Do you think she meant it?” Minho asked quietly after several long moments, his tone tentative and unsure.“Who meant what?”“Yerim. About…about me coming up for Chuseok.”“Oh. J—me and my ex would go to both our families’ celebrations, so she’s probably just expecting it.” He hesitated, frowning. “Do you not want to?”“No, that’s not—I didn’t mean—I was just wondering, that’s all.”Kibum watched the darkness for a shift in Minho’s silhouette, but all that changed was that he was playing with his hair again. “Maybe that could be your first trip to Seoul. We could squeeze a trip to Daegu in. Incheon, too, if you wanted.”“No, that’s okay,” Minho said a bit too quickly. “Not Incheon. Maybe later.”“Okay.”“But I would like to come visit you in Seoul.”“Well, good, because it’s your turn.” Minho laughed, and Kibum leaned against his palm, smiling at the sound. “Imagine if I had to keep being the one to visit you. It’d be an unbalanced relationship.”Still chuckling, Minho cut him off, “You’ll have to take me to those restaurants and art museums you post about on Instagram.”“Yeah?”“I can be your personal Instagram photographer for however long you want me to be.”“That long, hm?”“Mhm.”Even though he couldn’t make out his expression, Kibum could tell Minho was smiling. Kibum set his chin down on his clasped hands. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”“That’s a relief.” Kibum yawned, shifting his hands to cover his mouth before he settled again. “Am I boring you?” Minho asked, a laugh coloring his voice.Kibum shook his head. “You’re just warm. And I’m comfy. And very relaxed.”“Ah, I see.” He closed his eyes as Minho ran his hand through his hair again, leaning into the touch. “If you want to try to sleep, I don’t mind at all.”“No?”“Mm-m.”“Okay.”Kibum stayed still for a few more rises and falls of Minho’s chest, then he shifted, curling one arm in between them while the other wrapped around Minho’s middle. His head was pillowed on Minho’s chest and shoulder, and while Minho held him with one hand, the other kept playing with his hair. The occasional stroke; a soft caress. He hadn’t expected to fall asleep as quickly as he did, but he was just so at peace…When he opened his eyes again, sunlight gleamed over the bottom of the car door window. Kibum squinted at it for a few seconds before he lifted his head from Minho’s chest. He was, of course, still sound asleep, his hand lying limp a few centimeters away from where Kibum’s head had been.He must have fallen asleep still playing with his hair.Sighing, Kibum settled back over him, his chin resting once again on his chest as he watched his sleeping face. His eyes barely shifted beneath his closed lids and Kibum leaned a little closer, allowing himself this quiet moment to fully appreciate Minho’s features.There was no furrow in his brow at the moment, but there were hints of lines stretching across his brow from years of concentration on various paintings. His lashes were long and feathery, casting shadows on his cheeks. Oh, there was another freckle, right by his eye. Faint, yet clearly there. Kibum slipped a hand out from under his chin and brushed his thumb lightly over it.Minho leaned toward the touch but didn’t stir further.On his other cheekbone lay a scar. From what, though? That night, perhaps? Kibum frowned at the thought, glaring at the mark. It could have been from anything, but…maybe he shouldn’t ask, just in case. He switched his hands on Minho’s chest, pressing a kiss to his thumb before he swiped it over the scar. A little late, yes, but Mom had always claimed that kisses healed wounds.His hand settled gently on Minho’s cheek, the bit of stubble there scraping his palm. He touched his own jaw, finding it feeling the same. Well, when they got back to Minho’s place, they could take care of that.Continuing his leisurely exploration of his features, Minho’s lips captured his attention next.They were naturally a beautiful shade of pink, though just barely chapped. The shape was nice, too. Both to look at, and to kiss. He leaned a little closer, licking his own lips and wishing he could kiss Minho now, but…maybe Minho wouldn’t like that. Not with his history. For now, he would just wait until he woke up to indulge himself in as many kisses as Minho wanted—which, based on their very short time together as a couple, there didn’t seem to be a limit to how many Minho wanted.So, he would wait, yes.He blinked slowly, eyelids still drooping with sleepiness, and watched the sunlight gradually stretch across Minho’s face. It cast the shadow of his nose across his cheek and his lips across his chin. It glistened in his hair, turning some strands to gold.When Minho’s lips parted, Kibum’s eyebrows rose, expecting to hear a snore or an exhale. Definitely not, “Are you just gonna stare at me all morning or are you gonna kiss me?”Kibum’s eyes immediately narrowed, his attention shifting back up to Minho’s eyes, finding one of them barely open, watching him. He was smiling, too, the little shit. Kibum sucked his teeth and sighed, which only started Minho chuckling.“You’re infuriating.”“Good morning to you, too.”“Shut up.”“What, am I not allowed to wish you a good morning?”“No.”Kibum shifted with another sigh, moving to get off of Minho in his embarrassed exasperation. But it was a small car, and there was nowhere to turn, nowhere to hide from Minho’s gaze as he sat up and rolled them both over. His arms caged him in, Kibum’s hand automatically reaching for one to steady him as Minho leaned closer. The embarrassment melted away as Minho kissed him, and his heart did this stupid little flutter as Minho deepened the kiss. He was grateful to the powers that be that Minho would never know about it because then he’d just be embarrassed all over again.When Minho regrettably broke the kiss, Kibum’s head fell back against the blanket. He watched Minho’s lips curl into an irritatingly enticing smile. “What about now?”“How long were you awake?” Kibum asked instead of answering, and Minho’s smile only grew.“A little while,” Minho said as he leaned back in. “Long enough.”“If you’re gonna be this smug about it—”Minho’s breathy laugh caressed his lips, and Kibum couldn’t help but arch into him as Minho kissed him again, the tirade he had been about to start withering away to nothing in his mind.Nothing…Nothing but the thought of getting just one more kiss.Eventually, though they weren’t in any rush, they made it back to the boardwalk. Sooyoung and Taeyeon’s cars were parked behind their shops, but none of the others were outside when they pulled up. They unloaded the car, both grabbing their shopping bags. Minho switched the hand he was holding the bag with so he could unlock the door, and Kibum caught his gaze with a smile as he opened the door to let him in before him.Though he probably should have opened for the day, Minho stayed closed, choosing instead to help Kibum unpack and make himself at home in Minho’s tiny apartment. They only left again to head to the cafe for dinner at Kibum’s suggestion. Minho, for whatever reason, kept his distance as soon as they stepped out of the front door, his head turning this way and that as they made the short walk down toward the other end.Their usual seats at the bar were open—the ones tucked into the corner—so they took them, Kibum smiling at Jonghyun when he glanced their way while refilling another customer’s drink. Minho sat beside him, swiveling around to look at the other customers sitting behind them.“What can I get you two?” Jonghyun asked with a bright grin once he was finished with the other customers.“Just a water for me,” Minho said quickly, still not looking away from the other customers.Jonghyun’s brow furrowed at him until Kibum swiveled a bit, then his attention darted over to him with a questioning raise of his brows. “The lychee thing.”Nodding, Jonghyun went to work fixing their drinks, and Kibum’s hand went to the small of Minho’s back. To his surprise, Minho jumped at the light touch. Kibum pulled his hand back as Minho swiveled back around to almost face him, eyes blown so wide that Kibum was nearly taken aback.“Sorry,” Minho muttered, his hands clasping tightly together on the counter as Jonghyun slid the tall cocktail toward Kibum before he scooped some ice for Minho’s water.“Min.” Kibum leaned toward him, hand outstretched, but not touching. “Are you okay?” He nodded sharply. “Do you want to get our dinner to go?”Minho shook his head but didn’t speak.Kibum ordered for them. Tteokbokki to split, of course, as well as two bowls of jjamppong accompanied by a host of banchan. Minho started to relax marginally after their food arrived. Maybe he was just distracted by it…but he didn’t fully return to the relaxed and affectionate Minho he’d been acquainted with since karaoke night until they were safely tucked away in his studio again.He thought that maybe Minho would grow to be more comfortable as more time passed. But now, several weeks after becoming official, that wasn’t the case. Not even when they were just relaxing with Jonghyun and his family…and Jinki, of course. He still kept his distance, then, and moved away after a few seconds of casual touch.It was…perplexing. Especially when they were alone at last at the end of the day when Minho couldn’t seem to find a way to be close enough to him.He wasn’t sure what to do about it, besides asking Minho what exactly was bothering him. But a good opportunity to do so had yet to arise. Maybe tonight, he decided on the short drive to his uncle’s house one night that everyone had off. His uncle was hosting a barbeque, and everyone from the boardwalk as well as he and his wife’s closest friends were all invited. He hadn’t been expecting Minho to be any level of clingy around his uncle’s friends, which was good because he wasn’t, but he just wasn’t sure what to make of his awkwardness around Jonghyun, Jinki, Taeyeon, and her boyfriend Chanwoo.Okay, maybe he could understand not being sure about Chanwoo. But the guy had yet to say anything that could even be remotely considered homophobic to Jonghyun and Jinki, which was a feat in and of itself for a straight guy.The six of them were sitting huddled together by the pool, ignoring all the actual adults who were lounging half inside, half outside, chatting merrily amongst themselves.“So,” Taeyeon said after taking a sip of her wine, her attention fixed on Minho. “When are you planning on heading up to Seoul for a visit?”“Um,” Kibum looked over at Minho, finding him watching him with wide eyes before his gaze darted away. “Not quite sure, yet. I—we—I was thinking maybe around the end of September and into October. For his birthday.”“And for Chuseok,” Jonghyun blurted out, sort of jokingly glaring at Minho. “After asking you over so many times only for you to refuse…” He might have continued teasing him, had it not been for Minho’s awkward little laugh as he got up from the chair he was sharing with Kibum, excusing himself to go get more food.Kibum watched him go until he disappeared inside, concern making itself quite at home in his mind.“Did I say something wrong?” Jonghyun asked, bringing Kibum’s attention back to him.“I don’t know. Maybe don’t bring it up again until he does.”Jonghyun nodded, his attention turning to Jinki when he said something. What, Kibum didn’t know. His eyes were on the back door, waiting for Minho’s reappearance.But he never showed.Kibum didn’t bother excusing himself. He simply stood and made his way inside, looking around at all the strangers, then over to the front door. Well, his keys were still on the hook, so he had to be here somewhere. Maybe he was tucked away in the kitchen with Aunt Miyeon? He headed that way, and she was indeed there, but she was alone. She smiled up at him as he paused on the threshold of the kitchen. “Have you seen Minho?”She nodded, combining the contents of two plates so one could go into the sink. “He said you needed something out of the car.” Kibum blinked slowly. “Did he not come back yet?”Kibum shook his head, turning to leave, only to turn back around quickly to thank her for all the good food and to say goodnight. Then, he hurried through the crowded living room, snatching the keys from off the hook and darting outside to the waiting tiny car.Did something remind him of Yeonseo tonight? Where would he walk from here, back to his shop?Once the car was started, Kibum zoomed away, keeping half of his attention on the road and the other half darting around to see if he could spot Minho.It took him a while, unfamiliar as he was with navigating the roads here, but he found him—he would have recognized his silhouette anywhere—at an almost empty beach. Standing in or close to the waves, staring out at the sea.“Shit,” Kibum muttered to himself as he unbuckled, then he tossed his shoes inside before grabbing the keys and starting across the sand toward him.* * * * *“So, when are you planning on heading up to Seoul for a visit?”“Um.” It was an innocent question. Minho knew that. It still made his stomach curdle, though. He looked over at Kibum until he met his gaze, then he looked quickly away. At Chanwoo, then down at his wringing hands. “Not quite sure, yet. I—we—I was thinking maybe around the end of September and into October. For his birthday.”“And for Chuseok.” A wave of cold crashed over him as dread settled in his stomach. Jonghyun said something else, but Minho couldn’t hear it over the ringing in his ears. He hopefully managed to mumble something about getting more food before he stood and lumbered inside the full living room.Strangers met his gaze no matter where he turned. They knew, didn’t they? They knew what he was. What Kibum meant to him. Was that why they were here? To finish the task his and Yeonseo’s fathers had started?His throat was so tight, whatever breaths he was taking were coming in shallow.He had to get out of here.Now.They parted for him, letting him slip through to the doorway where he lunged for his keys, but they slipped out of his hand without leaving the hook. “Oh, Minho?” Jonghyun’s mother’s voice swam through the air he was drowning in, bobbing just out of reach. “Are you leaving without Kibum?”“No,” he managed to say as he fumbled with the handle, finally opening the door. The cool, sweet air cascaded over him, luring him away from the suddenly stuffy house. “He forgot something in the car.”And with that, he stepped outside, ambling past the cars and into the road.He just needed to find someplace to breathe.Truth be told, he had been expecting this to happen, this flight from the Kim’s house. His anxiety had been steadily mounting ever since Jonghyun dropped by to invite them over for the barbeque this morning. He called it a “family gathering” and said that of course they both had to be there.So it wasn’t like he had any other choice, really.Family.It was like this, wasn’t it? He remembered that much. His dad used to throw events like this too, and of course, the Songs were invited. Yeunseo’s dad and his were friends, too. That’s partially what allowed them to grow closer, to start dating.If you could even call it that. They never actually went out on any real dates.He stumbled as his feet struck sand, and he looked around, finding himself at a beach. The raging waves snagged his attention, and he started absently for them.Honestly, he was lucky that someone like Kibum even looked his way in the first place. How he was putting up with an anxious piece of shit like he’d been since they started dating was beyond him. He didn’t deserve him; he didn’t deserve any of them. Treating him like he’s family when he’s one wrong move from fucking it all up again. And, what, would they still want him to be part of their lives if, or more likely when they broke up?No, he was expendable.Easily, too.They’d move on and they’d have each other and he’d have no one.He’d be all alone.Again.Water soaking into his jeans alerted him to the fact that he had reached the water. He looked down at it, the receding sea foam blurring as tears formed and fell without permission.“I can’t do it again, I can’t. I can’t,” he whispered, so only the sea could hear him.“Minho?”He frowned at the sea rushing past his shins. Had he gone so far as to imagine it speaking back to him? The voice called his name again, and this time, he realized that it was coming from behind him. He turned, his gaze immediately landing on Kibum, who was barefoot and walking into the sea after him, not even bothering to roll up his jeans.“What’s going on?” he asked as Minho turned back around, hastily wiping his cheeks, though it didn’t help much. The tears kept coming, regardless. His eyes squeezed shut once Kibum’s hand settled on his back. “What happened?” Minho shook his head as Kibum stroked his back. “Talk to me, please. Help me understand.”His thoughts kept tugging him in different directions, muddling his mind. There was the shame of being found like this, the embarrassment that it was Kibum who discovered him, the gratitude that Kibum came after him in the first place, but mostly there was the fear of finally revealing the anxiety that had been plaguing him all summer.Kibum was still stroking his back, being far more patient with him than he deserved. Just one more breath, and you’ll say it. But the breath came and went, and he didn’t speak. Another, and nothing. Kibum’s stroking turned to light scratching. In little circles. Between his shoulders.Minho took another breath, shuddering a little as he released it. “I’m terrified,” he said at last, wishing just then that the waves would take him back out into the sea with them.“Of what?” Kibum asked, his voice as soothing and as gentle as his touch.“Being alone again.” Kibum’s only response to that was to stop scratching for a second. “If something happens and we break up…I’ll lose you. All of you.” He was crying again; he couldn’t stop it this time. “And I know I’m not actually a part of the family but it feels like I am and if we break up I’ll have to face the world by myself. All by myself. And I can’t, I just can’t. Not again.”He was rambling now, he knew it, but the words were just spilling out and he couldn’t have stopped the flow of them if he tried. Not even when Kibum moved before him, pulling him into a hug.“And I know I probably deserve it with how stupid I’ve been lately but I just can’t stop thinking about the possibility and I’m reminded every day just how much I would lose”—his face was buried in Kibum’s shoulder now, the words probably barely audible—“I’m being selfish, I know. I’m sorry.”“Selfish?” Kibum asked as he pulled away from him, taking care to dry his cheeks, now that his tears had ebbed. “Minho, you’re many things, but I don’t think selfish is one of them. You’re sweet,” he continued, cupping Minho’s face in his hands, not letting him look away from him. “And thoughtful. Creative and artistic. Mischievous. Annoying,” he smiled softly at that, and despite the storm rolling through his mind, Minho chuckled. “Passionate, too, and not just when it comes to painting. You’re so kind, though not always to yourself. I wish you were, though.”Minho tried to shake his head, but Kibum was still holding his face. He went up on his tiptoes to press a kiss to Minho’s brow. Minho froze, his eyes slipping closed as panic clutched at his heart. There were still people here. At the beach. They could see them, they could hurt them if they were paying attention. Undeterred, Kibum kissed his closed eyelid. So gently. Then the swell of his tear-dampened cheekbone.Yeonseo would have never…Would he have even come after him at all?If he had, he would have already stepped away, keeping his distance. He wouldn’t be peppering his face with heart-achingly soft kisses.Minho's eyes opened slowly, and Kibum pulled away from him so he could look into his eyes. The sun had nearly set, the peachy pink and gold and indigo of the sky softening the waves and beach behind him. Turning it almost to a blur, so that the only thing in focus for him was Kibum.Kibum, who had proven time and again now that he would be there for him. That he could trust him, that he wouldn’t abandon him. That he would never have done, and never would do, what Yeonseo did to him, no matter what happened between them. There was a level of care and affection and, well, love, with Kibum that he had never felt with Yeunseo.If that was the case—and it definitely was—then what was the point of continuing to cling to the past? It was doing him no favors. But maybe, with Kibum’s help, he could finally be free.He held Kibum’s unwavering gaze, entranced by the warmth of his dark brown eyes. He searched his expression imploringly for any hint of fear or apprehension.But there was none.Not even when Minho leaned closer to kiss him.In public.The reckless abandon of it nearly made him reconsider, but then Kibum’s lips met his, and all caution was lost in the wind whipping around them from off the sea. Any thoughts that weren’t about how kissing Kibum filled him with comfort and peace just…flitted away.When they broke the chaste kiss, he sighed heavily, the remaining tension that had been lingering since that fateful night all those years ago leaving his body with his exhale. He drew forward and into Kibum’s embrace. Where he belonged. Where he knew he was safe.“Are you okay?” Kibum asked.“I am now.”He smiled, reaching down to clasp Minho’s hand. “Come on, let’s get you home.”But, I am home, he thought as he let Kibum guide him out of the sea. Maybe it was too much, too soon, after the weeks of anxiety, but right now, in this moment, with Kibum…he had found home again, at long last.Kibum holding his hand was the only thing tethering him to the ground. Otherwise, he was pretty sure he could have just floated behind him, with as light as he was feeling right now. Kibum dug the keys out of his back pocket, handing them to Minho so he could drive them back to his studio.The sky had almost completely darkened by the time they reached the boardwalk. Once they were out of the car, Minho held his hand out to Kibum as soon as he reached the hood, and Kibum quickened his steps, slipping under Minho’s arm and holding him around the waist as they made their way together to the back door. He opened the door, letting Kibum enter the hallway first.Kibum flipped the light on as he hurried up the stairs, Minho on his heels. “You didn’t eat much tonight, are you hungry?”Now that he mentioned it…Minho’s stomach growled, which meant that it had probably been doing that for ages and he just hadn’t noticed. “Yeah, I guess I am.”“Let me throw something together, then.”“You don’t have to cook for me—“Kibum threw him an incredulously amused smile as he made his way into Minho’s tiny kitchen. “Go ahead and get comfortable for the night.”Alright, then.He watched Kibum inspect the contents of the fridge for a few seconds before he turned away, heading into his closet to get changed for bed. Once he was in just his boxers and a loose t-shirt, he reemerged, coming back around to the kitchen where Kibum was stirring something in a pot.“What are we having?” Minho asked as he walked up beside him, peering through the steam and into the pot.“Ramyeon.” Kibum turned his head, kissing his cheek. “Can you watch this for a second?”“Of course.”Kibum let out a happy hum before he kissed his cheek again and moved away. Minho watched him go with a faint smile, returning his attention to the broth when Kibum disappeared around the corner. He stirred it a few times, disturbing the vegetables in their rhythmic rolling boil.He’s been so mesmerized by the soup that he didn’t hear Kibum’s quiet footfalls. He was alerted to his arrival instead by Kibum’s hand slipping around his waist. Minho looked down at him. “How’s it taste?”“Oh, I didn’t try it.” Kibum blinked, looking up at him. “Am I allowed to?”Scoffing, Kibum shook his head and slipped away from him long enough to grab a spoon. “If I’m making something for us, I want to make sure it matches both our tastes.” He dipped the spoon in, swirling it around a little before he brought it out and blew on it. Then he cupped his hand beneath it and held it up for Minho to taste.He never would have been able to tell if it needed anything else. It just tasted good.“Well?”“It’s good!” Nodding, Kibum set the spoon aside. “Aren't you gonna taste it, too?”Kibum smirked, and before he could think to ask what that meant, Kibum kissed him, pulling away after a second and smacking his lips softly in thought. “I think it needs a bit more salt.” He met Minho’s stunned gaze with amusement, grabbing his arm. “Would you mind peeling the eggs for me?”“Uh, no.”“Thanks, Min.”Dazed, Minho turned to the fridge, grabbing the container of eggs Kibum had boiled off the other day and taking out two. When he turned back around, Kibum was sprinkling salt into the bubbling broth.Once the noodles were cooked, Kibum gathered the bowls, utensils, and towel so Minho could set the pot between them at the low table in the living room. Kibum stirred it a few times before ladling up some for Minho, then for himself.Minho waited for Kibum to take his first bite before he did the same. God, it was good. Just the right amount of spice for him. Maybe it was just the fact that his appetite was possibly making a return for the first time in a while, but this might be one of the best ramyeon he had ever had.It had been a crazy few weeks though, hadn’t it? Months, almost, now that July was ending next week. Ever since Kibum arrived, everything had internally been thrown into upheaval, but maybe now…now things might be able to settle.He looked across at Kibum, who was busy slurping up a mouthful of noodles, and the urge to take a picture of him to commemorate the moment—this moment of realization that things would only ever continue to improve for him, now that he was finally putting his past behind him, thanks to Kibum’s patience with him—was strong. So strong that he got out his phone. First to take a picture of their meager, delicious spread, then of Kibum himself, who was blowing on another bite of noodles.His head snapped up at the shutter sound, his eyes meeting Minho’s. “What are you taking a picture for?”Minho shrugged. “I just wanted to remember this moment.”If Kibum was confused, he didn’t show it.Once they finished eating and the dishes were drying on the counter, Minho got down two mugs. “Do you want some coffee?” Kibum shot him an incredulous look, and Minho laughed. “It’s decaf, don’t worry.”“Decaf?” Kibum asked, somehow looking more bewildered. “What’s the point of drinking coffee then?”“Hey, I like decaf…”“Then you’re weird.” Minho snorted and set one of the mugs back on the shelf before he got one of his decaf pods out. Kibum left the kitchen area and crossed the room, opening the balcony and letting in the warm breeze. “Mind if we sit out here for a bit?”Minho shook his head, and Kibum turned, disappearing behind the door, presumably dropping into one of the chairs. Once his coffee was finished brewing and he had put a handful of ice cubes in it, Minho hurried to join Kibum outside. As he made to sit, he held his coffee away from him and toward Kibum, who snatched it out of his hand to take a sip for himself. Only, he could barely swallow it while laughing at the shocked look on Minho’s face.“I thought you didn’t want decaf?” Minho said with a whine as Kibum covered his mouth, waving his hand between them as if to placate Minho while he kept trying not to laugh.“It was just a sip, calm down,” he finally managed to say.Minho scoffed as he settled and was only able to utter “But—“ before Kibum left his seat to join Minho in his, his back resting against Minho’s chest. The hand not holding his coffee moved instinctively to hold Kibum closer than he already was, and Minho leaned back a little as Kibum’s head settled on his shoulder.He’d forgotten what he’d been about to say. Or argue. But it probably wasn’t that important in the first place.Kibum nestled closer still, his hair tickling Minho’s cheek. “This is nice.”“Yeah,” Minho said, wishing he could say something that sounded smarter. It was just…he was distracted by the hint of peach he could smell in Kibum’s hair.Kibum grabbed the hand that was holding Minho’s coffee mug, lifting it so he could take another sip. “Are you up to talking about what happened?”Ah.Maybe he should have been expecting this.He cleared his throat, the back of his head resting on the seat back, and looked up at the glittering net of stars cast over the sea. Surprisingly, at this moment, the thought didn’t terrify him. Or embarrass him. They should discuss it, especially now when he felt so at ease.“Sure.”Kibum turned his head, and Minho leaned back so he could meet his gaze. “First of all, I’d like to apologize to you.” Minho’s brow—his whole face, judging by Kibum’s softly amused smile—scrunched up in confusion. “The last thing I wanted to do when I arrived this summer was to rush you into a relationship before you were fully ready. So, if that was the case—”“No, no…Bum, no.” Kibum held his gaze with wide, imploring eyes. “You didn’t. I’ve just been in my head too much, I’m the one who should be sorry.” Kibum shook his head. “I should have already gotten past all this shit. It’s my bad.”“That’s not what I meant,” Kibum said, sighing. “It’s not your fault that you’re still struggling with all of this. I probably would be, too, if it had happened to me. But,” he added after several silent seconds, “if you’re okay with it, I’d like a bit more of an explanation so I can understand better.”“Explanation of what?”“What scares you so much about being in a romantic relationship?” Minho’s grip on Kibum tightened involuntarily. “If you don’t want to—”“No, it’s okay.” God, why was it so hard to put into words? He didn’t want to ramble again, he wanted to just…speak his fucking mind without sounding stupid and potentially pathetic.Kibum stayed quiet, still watching him, waiting for him to speak. It took several minutes. The lights of the shops across the street had shut off by the time he could put words to his thoughts, cloaking them in near-total darkness, aside from the moonlight, the distant streetlights, and the warm light somewhere deep within his apartment.“As I said before, I was…am terrified. I don’t want you to get hurt. And I don’t want to get hurt again, either.”“Why would we get hurt? Do you mean if we break up?”“Sorta. No. I mean, yes, it would hurt if we break up, but I meant like. Physically.” He looked at Kibum, watching his words settle over him and understanding dawn in his gaze. “I know I’m being paranoid, but after…after everything, I see the potential for it every time we leave my place.”“Even when we’re with Jjong and the others?” When Minho didn’t answer right away, Kibum nodded eventually. “Especially with them,” he conceded with a sigh. “Because you consider them family.” Minho nodded, too. “That makes sense, now.”Relief flooded his chest. Kibum could just be saying that to ease his mind, but the mere fact that he wasn’t ridiculing him for these ridiculous thoughts was more than he could have hoped for, having finally voiced them.“And I keep having flashbacks to it. That night. Different parts of it. And I know you’d never hurt me like that but I can’t help it when my mind is so—”“I know, honey,” Kibum said, his voice so tender that Minho, who hadn’t realized he had closed his eyes so hard that they were starting to hurt, opened his eyes. “I know.” He reached out, cupping Minho’s face in one hand. “I’m not expecting any of this to go away right now, or even by the time we wake up in the morning. All I ask from you is that you let me know when you’re struggling with any of this, okay?”Minho tried to look away, but Kibum held his face fast, and reluctantly, Minho looked back at him. The distant stars were caught in his dark, mesmerizing eyes. Or maybe it was just the streetlights…whatever, they looked like stars to him.“You’re not alone anymore. You have me now. You don’t have to face these fears on your own anymore.”Minho blinked slowly. “Bummie…”“I want to be there for you, but that means you have to let me.”“It doesn’t seem fair.”Kibum’s brow immediately wrinkled. “What do you mean?”“It’s too much. I don’t want to be a burden on you.”“Let me be the judge of that.” When Minho pursed his lips, Kibum let out a long sigh. “Would you think it was too much if our roles were reversed?”“Of course not,” Minho said without thinking.And that, it seemed, judging by the smug little smile Kibum gave him before he kissed his cheek, was all the answer Kibum needed. When Minho set his mug down on the armrest, Kibum slipped his arms around Minho, holding him close as Minho did the same. Peace rushed over him, softly, gradually like the waves lapping at the shore across the street. Minho smiled into Kibum’s peach-scented hair before he kissed him there.Maybe things really would be better from now on.He really was comfortable out here. The night was warm, the nearby ocean was soothing, and the starry night was blanketing them as they rested in each other’s arms. He could have stayed out here forever, but when he realized Kibum was asleep, it took a long while of gentle maneuvering to carry him bridal style back inside. He got there in the end, miraculously not waking him as he set him in bed.Minho must have been tired because he didn’t second-guess himself when he kissed Kibum’s brow before he left his side to tidy up a little bit before joining him in bed. Kibum stirred enough to turn and latch onto him, murmuring something Minho couldn’t decipher.It was amazing how relaxed he was now, almost as if he had had enough soju to be pleasantly buzzed. Without a care in the world.What a strange thought.It lingered as he drifted off, coloring his dreams that he only vaguely remembered when he opened his eyes. Whatever they had been, they couldn’t compare to the beautiful sight of Kibum’s head still resting on his chest, subtly rising and falling with each of his breaths. The view lasted for only a few seconds, however, as Kibum lifted his head to look at him.His dimples indented his cheeks as they so often did when their eyes met, and Minho held his gaze, following his movements as he sat up and cupped his cheek, readily accepting his first kiss of the day. He thought about possibly breaking the kiss to murmur Good morning against Kibum’s lips, but neither of them could seem to make themselves part long enough for Minho to attempt it.The dim awareness of just waking was rapidly fading with every kiss, replaced by a growing sense of anticipation. It spread through him, igniting that spark again. The wildfire in his mind that had been so suddenly and swiftly extinguished that first morning together had been lying in wait, smoldering all this time. Each kiss, each wandering caress breathed new life into it, the leaping flames of it licking over his skin wherever Kibum touched him.He’d give anything in the world to be consumed by those flames. By Kibum’s touch. His lips. His everything.Minho’s fingers slipped into uncharted territory—under Kibum’s t-shirt, his fingers exploring where the waistband of his pajama bottoms met his skin. When the tips of Minho’s fingers tucked beneath the waistband, Kibum broke the kiss, pulling far enough away so he could see Minho’s face. He contemplated him for several long seconds, and Minho, in his nervous eagerness, unwaveringly met his gaze.His lips parted, and Minho’s attention shifted down to them for a second, distracted then by the way they faintly glistened in the sunlight. “Minho.” It was entrancing, watching his lips, especially when he started to smile. Minho slowly looked back into his eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready?”There were so many things he wanted to say. The words jumbled into a confused mess in his head, lost to the flames of the wildfire until all that was left for him to do was nod and say, “I trust you.”But that, apparently, was enough.Because Kibum was kissing him again with a fervor he had seemingly been suppressing for Minho’s sake. Both were pulling the other closer, Minho’s hands slipped beneath Kibum’s shirt again, gliding across his surprisingly toned back. He let out a low groan when Kibum pulled away, which only made Kibum laugh quietly. “It’s just for a second, babe,” he said as he discarded his shirt, tossing it somewhere. Off to the side.Minho would never know where.Because how could he have looked away from Kibum now, his natural beauty ethereal, enchanting, and alluring with the way the morning sunlight draped over him. Not for the first time this morning, words failed him as Kibum leaned close again. Not to kiss him, to Minho’s disappointment, but to reach for the hem of his shirt.“This is okay?”Minho nodded, then moved to help him along. He couldn’t be free of it fast enough. And, once he was, Kibum’s hands were on him, mapping out the expanse of Minho’s chest. He licked his lips, his gaze snapping up to meet Minho’s.He couldn’t take it anymore; he had to kiss him again. To worship him like Kibum deserved to be, like he had longed to do from the first brush of their lips.Kibum was holding onto him as Minho laid him down in the pool of sunlight spilling onto his bed, kissing the canvas of Kibum’s skin laid out before him. Lingering at his neck, his shoulders, his chest long enough to leave blossoms of color in his wake. Alizarin crimson, liquid white, with just a bit of raw sienna and phthalo blue, Minho thought absently after a glance at the marks he had made before he continued his journey further down.It was nice, not to be rushed. There was no urgency to make it quick, no need to hide just in case someone stumbled upon them. They were safe here, he realized that fully now. Safe and able to take as much time as they wanted.It was intoxicating, the waves of heady pleasure that flooded his mind with every new reaction he drew from Kibum. The way he arched at Minho’s touch. Holding him as close as he could as Minho teased quiet moans and needy sighs out of him. The way his fingers tangled in his hair and clawed at his back. How his breathy utterances of Minho’s name hung in the air, spurring Minho on his desperate search for another reaction.What he hadn’t been expecting was for Kibum to reciprocate. At all. In his limited experience, he had been the one to give. So when Kibum met each of his kisses and caresses with some of his own…he had never felt so cherished, so desired. He couldn’t help but savor the new feelings, to share them with Kibum.It was a vicious cycle.One they might never escape from if they were lucky.The pool of sunlight painted the foot of the bed by the time they were both spent, but neither of them bothered to untangle themselves from the other to check the time. Kibum’s sigh tickled Minho’s shoulder, and Minho instinctively kissed the crown of Kibum’s head in response.“Are you still okay? It wasn’t too much?”“M-mm,” Minho said, shaking his head as he pressed another kiss into Kibum’s hair. He couldn’t seem to stop doing that. Kissing him wherever he could reach.It was a good thing Kibum didn’t mind it.In fact, his arms wrapped a little tighter around him as he let out a contented hum.* * * * *Kibum didn’t remember drifting off.He must have, though. They both must have, given that when Kibum finally stirred, he was still locked in Minho’s embrace, though slightly looser than it had been before he dozed off.What time was it, even?He thought about rolling over to grab his phone, but that would require extracting himself from Minho and…did he want to do that? Not necessarily. Eventually, though, they would both have to get out of bed to return to the world outside of Minho’s studio. But then again, maybe five more minutes of this would be alright.Kibum stretched sleepily, pressing closer to Minho in those few seconds before he settled again. And then, because it was there, laid bare before him, just waiting for him, he kissed Minho’s shoulder. Then his neck. Then the freckle on this side of his throat. Then further up, where his jaw met his neck, just below his ear.Minho shifted with a sleepy sort of hum, and Kibum pulled away, sitting up a little so he could look at him. He was awake now, if only just, and Kibum smiled down at him as he reached out to brush his hair out of his eyes. “Hi.”He closed his eyes with a small smile. “Good morning,” Minho said in sleepy English, a cute lilt to his voice.Kibum’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he ruffled Minho’s hair before he leaned over him to grab Minho’s phone from the nightstand. “Holy shit, it’s almost noon.”“Already?”“Mhm.” Kibum settled back over him, amused to find his eyes still closed. “Maybe we should get up and get lunch.”“Maybe.”“Aren’t you hungry?”Minho’s smile grew, but his eyes didn’t open quite yet. “I’m starving.”“What sounds good right now, then?” Kibum asked, mentally running through the items he could remember from Minho’s cupboards and fridge.“Kim—“ Kimbap? That sounded good, but did they have the gim for that? “Kibum.”He opened his eyes then, watching Kibum eagerly and then laughing when he sucked his teeth at him. “Oh my god.”“What?”“You’re so—“ Embarrassing. Adorable. Endearing. A mix of all three. “—fucking annoying.” Minho just grinned up at him, accepting the kiss Kibum begrudgingly bestowed upon him. His eyes were shining when Kibum pulled away from the kiss, imploring, almost. “Do you want something?”“You.”Kibum let out a very long sigh, much to Minho’s apparent delight. “You already have me.” But Minho was still watching him, his smile so fond that Kibum could feel the flush spreading across his cheeks. He kissed him again, just to distract him so he wouldn’t continue to be the focus of his undivided attention.That was a mistake, if you could call it that, because Minho’s hand slipped up to his neck, holding him there so he could kiss him as much as he liked.He wasn’t used to this…this unabashed adoration. He thought he had been getting it when they first got together, but all this attention was just…on a different level. Would it continue past this summer? Or would it reduce to a simmer as their relationship continued?When Kibum pulled back to catch his breath, Minho immediately shifted focus to Kibum’s neck again. “Are you just insatiable now or something?” Kibum asked, his eyes fluttering half-closed as Minho made another mark.“I told you I was starving, didn’t I?”God.Maybe food could wait. For as long as Minho wanted…which turned out to be quite the commitment.By the time they finished showering together—in his tiny ass shower…really, did the man own anything normal-sized for his build?—Minho was still shooting him these adoring looks every time their eyes met in the mirror.Would he ever be satiated? Did Kibum want him to be?He smiled to himself after catching Minho’s eye again before dabbing some concealer over one of his hickeys. “I think I need to get some more of this.”“Are you almost out?”“At the rate you’re going, I will be by tomorrow.”“I’m sorry,” Minho said, almost sounding it.Kibum’s gaze flicked to him again. “Don’t worry, honey. There are much less enjoyable problems I could be having.”Minho grinned, then, glancing at Kibum’s neck, reached for the bottle of concealer and the sponge when Kibum made to set it down. “You missed one. Let me.”He started lightly dabbing it on the slope of Kibum’s shoulder, oblivious to Kibum's scrutiny as he watched him in the mirror. He bore several of Kibum’s marks too, though they could all be covered if he kept his shirt on. Which was a pity…he’d have to do better next time, though his concealer wouldn’t work for Minho. Maybe they should get some in his shade before coming back here for the night.“There,” Minho said, pulling the sponge away and inspecting his work.“Aren’t you gonna sign it?” Kibum asked, his eyebrows raising when Minho looked back at him in the mirror.“I would, but you’d just cover that up, too,” he said with a wink and a cheeky smile. Then he cupped Kibum’s cheek on the side opposite him, holding him in place so he could kiss his temple before he left the small bathroom.They got ready for the day, Kibum choosing his outfit deliberately to tease Minho—the shirt in particular. A wide-necked, gauzy peach sweater that he didn’t bother wearing anything underneath. If he moved at all, the neck would slide this way or that, exposing his neck and shoulder in such a way that he hoped with everything he had that it would drive Minho just a little bit insane until they came back home.Judging by Minho’s roving eyes and stunned expression, he was already well on his way.The lunch rush had ebbed by the time they graced Jonghyun and Taeyeon’s cafe with their presence. Jonghyun was wiping down the bar, and there was a pair of foreign women sitting at a table in the corner by the window, neither of them bothering to look up at them as the bell announced their arrival.Jonghyun looked up, doing a shocked double-take as they approached the bar. He glanced between them as Kibum sat and Minho braced his arm around him, his eyes narrowing. “Something’s changed.”Kibum smiled, and Jonghyun’s attention darted up to Minho when he said, “I don’t know what you mean.”Jonghyun glared at him, then looked past him at the women who were still picking at their food, distracted by their conversation. “We’ll talk when they’re gone,” he said, almost in a whisper.“What, it’s not like they’ll be able to understand us,” Kibum said with a laugh, his voice following Jonghyun on his way back into the kitchen.Minho’s hand rested on the back of Kibum’s stool as he sat beside him, swiveling toward him. Kibum waited a few seconds to look over at him, leaning against the counter as he did, the neck of his sweater dipping past his collarbone. Almost off his shoulder. His reward came immediately when Minho’s gaze fixed on the exposed skin, gulping thickly, before eventually and sheepishly meeting Kibum’s gaze.“Still hungry?” Minho nodded, and Kibum smiled at him, trying to keep his amusement from coloring his voice when he said, “You’ll be able to eat soon, don’t worry.”Scoffing, Minho shook his head with a grin and swiveled away for a second, looking over at the women before turning back to Kibum. He reached out to touch his arm under the pretense of feeling his sweater. For a few seconds, several of Minho’s fingertips slipped into the varied holes of the knit, grazing Kibum’s skin. “It’s a nice color.”“Mhm. Peach.” Minho’s hand stopped moving, his gaze darting up to meet Kibum’s. Kibum gave him a sly smile. “Is it your favorite color, too?”Minho hesitated, then gave him his cute crooked smile. “At the moment, yeah.” Kibum rested his chin on his palm, leaning a little closer to him. “Pretty much whatever color you’re wearing is my favorite.”“Good to know,” he said, then looked away at the sound of the kitchen door swinging outwards.Jonghyun reemerged, casting a glance their way with a smirk before hurrying over to the table of women, thanking them for coming and clearing away their plates. Kibum followed his progress back behind the bar and into the kitchen, and once the jingling bell announced the departure of the women, he burst back into the room, his hands-free of dirty dishes.He eyed them both suspiciously, Kibum covering his mouth with his hand so he could hide his amusement. “So what happened?”“What do you mean?” Minho asked innocently.“Do you want all the details?” Kibum asked before Jonghyun could respond to Minho. “Because—““N-no…” Still, somehow, his gaze narrowed, a small smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “I’m good, I think. Last night, you were just…a bit tense,” he said, his expression shifting to curious concern as he looked over at Minho. “I thought maybe I had offended you or…something.”“No, uh, I’m doing better. We talked and, um, yeah. I’m okay. Great, actually. Better than I’ve been in a long time.” Kibum caught Minho’s eye, winking at him and starting the tips of his ears flushing.Judging by the look in his eye, Jonghyun noticed. But instead of teasing Minho, he asked, “What do you two want for lunch?”They ate heartily, both Jonghyun and Taeyeon keeping them company intermittently between helping customers or slipping back into the kitchen to take care of something real quick. Once they finished eating, they headed out the back with teas in hand, lingering for a few moments when Taeyeon asked their opinion on a new recipe she’d been tweaking for the past few weeks. As soon as they were outside, Minho glanced around, making sure that no one was passing by on the cafe sidewalk before he reached for Kibum’s hand, interlocking their fingers on the short walk to his car on the other end.Kibum looked up at him, just knowing that his expression was embarrassingly fond. He was grateful that Minho wasn’t looking at him at that second. When Minho’s head barely turned to him, seemingly having sensed Kibum’s attention on him, Kibum quickly looked away, but not far enough away to miss Minho’s soft smile in his peripheral vision.Minho only let go of Kibum’s hand when he had to unlock his car and open Kibum’s door for him. Then he hurried around to the driver’s side, and they were off.“Which store do you want to go to get the concealer?” Minho asked, pulling out of the alley while Kibum fiddled with the aux cord, putting on a playlist at random.“Uh,” he looked around down the street as if there’d be a cosmetic shop right there. “What cosmetic shops do you have here?”Minho just laughed. “How should I know?”“Oh right, I forgot. You refuse to wear sunscreen. Why should you know these things.”“I wear it sometimes,” Minho said defensively, still with a laugh in his voice.“Sometimes,” Kibum said, sarcasm dripping from every syllable, then yelped and swatted at his hand when Minho reached over to lightly pinch his thigh. “So where do you get it from, then, if not at a cosmetics shop?”“You can get two for one at the convenience store.” Kibum turned slowly toward him, mouth agape. Minho glanced at him, then did a double take when he stopped at a light. “What?”“Two…for one…”“It’s a good deal?”Kibum’s eyes narrowed at him. “This isn’t like shampoo somehow, too, is it? Like those bullshit three-in-one products they make for men—““No, no,” Minho said, laughing again.“Because if it was—“ He cut himself off, holding himself back from making the joke that he would break up with him because maybe Minho wasn’t ready for that level of banter yet.“You’d break up with me?” Minho finished for him, to Kibum’s surprise. “You’ll just have to show me today what I should be buying from now on, then.”Kibum blinked, looking back out at the road, hoping that Minho wasn’t witnessing his surprised smile.He ended up having to look up directions to the nearest Olive Young on Minho’s phone, the occasional instructions from the mild female voice cutting into Kibum’s playlist and personal concert for Minho. It was in a slightly larger beach-side town about twenty minutes away from the one Minho lived in, and it turned out to be located in a shopping mall.Kibum must have had a pleased audible reaction because Minho chuckled and asked, “Are we going to all of these stores today?”“Just the good ones.”Olive Young wasn’t their first stop. As soon as they were out of the car, Kibum spotted an LG appliance store and grabbed Minho’s arm, dragging him a few steps toward it.“Babe,” Minho said, almost stopping Kibum in his tracks, as that was the first time he had called him that.“What? I’m shopping around for a new fridge at my place.”“As long as you don’t buy it today. I can’t fit something like that in my car.”“You can barely fit us in your car.”Minho laughed, then absently reached for Kibum’s hand before remembering that they were at a crowded shopping center. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as Kibum glanced back at him in amusement, and he gave Kibum a wide-eyed, tight-lipped smile in response.Funny how that worked…one night after admitting what had been scaring him enough to keep his distance, he relaxed enough to want to hold his hand in public. If the world had been a little kinder, maybe he would have always been like that. If it were, they’d probably be able to hold hands right now. Or they’d even be able to kiss each other on a whim, too, if they wanted.He sighed, shaking his head as Minho rushed to open the door for Kibum to enter the aggressively air-conditioned appliance store. If only, he thought, following Minho and the assistant who was showing them refrigerators. But life couldn’t be lived properly and to the fullest if you focused only on what could be. It was better, he decided as he watched Minho giving the attendant his rapt attention, to live in the moment. To enjoy what you already have and try not to worry about what’s coming. Besides, what he had now was pretty good, even if he was potentially getting ahead of himself for thinking it.He trusted Minho, though, which gave him that bit of confidence not to regret that thought.They left with pamphlets and the card of the attendant as well as the person to ask for at the store in downtown Seoul who could give Kibum a good deal on the fancy fridge he liked. Minho had been especially excited about the multiple ice cube options, which…well, was cute. Kibum tucked the pamphlets in his bag, matching Minho’s longer stride as they walked along, searching for another shop to look in at.There was an electronics store that was way too expensive for them, but they did linger to try out the massage chairs. After that, there was an office supply store where Minho dragged Kibum into so he could stock up on shipping envelopes and post-it notes—he let Kibum pick out the brightest shades they had. Two stores down was a little sundae shop that they peered through the window at, deciding to stop in there for dinner before heading home.Only then did they head inside Olive Young, and Minho trailed behind Kibum as he perused the lighted shelves, searching for a suitable brand of sunscreen for him. “Oh, here it is,” he said after a few quiet, scrutiny-filled moments, pulling the thin bottle from off the shelf. “This is what I use.”Minho took it out of his hand, looking nonplussed at the label before unscrewing the cap to sniff it. “Hm, smells okay.”Kibum laughed, taking it back from him to replace the cap. “Does it matter what it smells like?”“Yeah? I don’t want to smell like sunscreen all day.” He wrinkled his nose at the thought, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he looked back at the shelves.“What coverage do you need?”“Coverage?”Kibum’s eyebrows rose slowly. “SPF coverage? Fifty? A hundred?”“Oh, uh,” his brow furrowed, then he shrugged. “What’s the difference?”Letting out what was quite possibly the longest recorded sigh in history, Kibum grabbed the SPF 50 bottle of the brand he preferred. “It’s a wonder you don’t have skin cancer. Come on, let’s get some concealer.”The makeup brand Kibum used for his concealer was on the other side of the store, and Minho dutifully followed him, peering over his shoulder as Kibum inspected the different shades. “That one is yours, yeah?” he asked, pointing to the shade he had been searching the labels for.“Did you memorize the shade this morning or something?” Kibum asked, snorting as he reached for the bottle.“No,” Minho said with a small smile. “It’s just the same color as you are.”Oh. Could he tell that at a glance?Minho leaned a little closer, his chest pressing against Kibum’s shoulder. “Should we get two?”“Will we need two?”He looked over at Minho, whose gaze slid over to meet his eyes. Then he reached around Kibum to grab a second bottle. “Just in case,” he said, then grinned just as Kibum could feel his ears inflaming.“We should get one for you, too, then,” Kibum said as nonchalantly as he could manage. Minho glanced at the array of bottles again, picking out a concealer on the shelf of shades below and handing it to Kibum. It looked like it would work, but— “Don’t you want to test it?”“Are we allowed to?” Kibum sniffed a laugh, unscrewing the cap and dabbing a drop on the pad of his finger. He blended it out on Minho’s neck, slowing as he realized it was a perfect match. “What?” Minho asked at Kibum’s shocked expression.“I thought you said you didn’t know anything about cosmetics?”“I don’t?” Minho stepped away from him, picking up a color corrector palette and flipping it open. “What’s this do?” Kibum explained briefly, and Minho nodded, grabbing a second one. “This will help us use less concealer, yes?” Kibum nodded. “Then we should have one at both of our places. Do we need anything else in here?”“No, I think we’re good,” Kibum said, struggling to tamp down his smile at Minho’s mention of him coming up to Seoul.It was about damn time he came to visit him, after all these years. What would they do? When would he come? Should they start planning now? They had already sort of talked about it, but they could stand to do a bit more planning when they got back to Minho’s for the night. Yeah, that’s what they’d do, he decided absently as he paid for the makeup then waited for Minho to buy his sunscreen and makeup as well.He was excited to get him to Seoul. To show Minho around his favorite haunts, to watch him experience bonafide city life for the first time in a while. And, truthfully, something else he was excited about was creating new memories with him to eradicate the last of the memories of Joonwoo that still plagued him.He couldn’t wait to introduce him to his parents, too, because he just knew they were gonna love him, but…maybe this Chuseok would still be too soon for Minho. Which, he could understand that. But still, they’d have to discuss it.They were shown to a table in the corner of the sundae shop, tucked up against a frosted partition. Somewhere close to the kitchen, Kibum guessed, given how they could overhear the cooks’ raucous laughter and swearing every time a server went through the door. They looked at the menu, agreeing on the banchan to accompany their entrees. Once the server was gone, Minho cast a glance around before he grabbed Kibum’s hand and brought it up for a quick kiss.He grinned boyishly, so adorably, at Kibum’s surprise as he rested their still-joined hands on the table. Only when the server came around with their drinks did he release it. Kibum sipped on his drink, watching Minho take in the shop with bright eyes and a residual smile of the grin from before. It was amazing, really, the difference. What a heavy burden that anxiety and paranoia had to have been for him to be this bright and buoyant once it was lifted.Or rather, shared between them.Because, of course, he shared those same fears. That someone could see them being affectionate with each other and try to harm them. Even though he had never personally been on the receiving end, he still had them. And Minho, having gone through what he did with Yeunseo and his family…it wasn’t even remotely a surprise that it had lingered this long.But even now, as cheerful as he was in this moment, moving their drinks aside so the server could lay out their abundant spread of food, Kibum was quite sure it wouldn’t last. It would still come back to haunt him, he was sure, but this time, Kibum was determined that he would help him shoulder it once more.“It smells amazing,” Minho said, sighing as he grabbed the bowl of chilis and began heaping them into his bowl of soup.“It does, doesn’t it?”They were quiet for a spell, aside from the occasional sounds of enjoying their dinner or an audible gesture to try one of the banchan. Then, after the server came to check on them and refill their waters, Kibum picked up a piece of sundae thoughtfully. “Min..?”“Hm?” Minho asked, his cheek bulging as he paused midway through chewing.“When do you think you’ll be able to take some time off to come up to Seoul?”He had started to swallow as he was concentrating on Kibum’s question, then paused, his eyes widening before he finished. “I’m not sure,” he said when his mouth was empty. “It’s been so long since I’ve taken off work, I just—““I don’t need a definite answer right now,” Kibum said quickly, but Minho was already setting his chopsticks aside and grabbing his phone, assumedly pulling up his calendar. “I’m just…wondering.”“Your birthday is September 23rd, right?” Had he mentioned that before? He couldn’t remember. “Hopefully before then. When—oh, it’s a Friday. How long would you want me to stay?”As long as you want. Forever, even, his brain immediately supplied, but thankfully he held back from saying it aloud. It was way too soon for it and he knew it.Kibum shrugged, looking pointedly back at his soup and stirring it needlessly a few times. “I’m not saying I’m expecting it, but…Chuseok is about two weeks after that.” He looked up at Minho, almost surprised to find him still relaxed. “Again, I’m not pressuring you, but I would like you to meet them. My parents.”Minho’s brow furrowed a little as he nodded, then he went back to his calendar, his lips silently forming words that Kibum struggled to grasp. Then, after a few seconds, it registered that he was counting.He was about to ask what he was counting for when Minho looked up, meeting his eyes. “Yeah, that’ll work. I’d like to meet them, too.”“You would?” Kibum asked, the flood of relief obliterating the question he had been about to ask. “They’ll love you, I’m sure. They’re really sweet. Embarrassingly sweet.”Minho’s smile fondly met his eyes as he set his phone down on the table. “They have to be if they raised you and Yeri.” Kibum sucked his teeth at him and looked back at his soup, unable to rid himself of his smile this time. He looked up again at the click of Minho’s phone camera, surprised until Minho whispered, “Sorry, you were just really adorable just then.” He sat back, twisting his water glass in short movements. “It’ll be kinda nice? Going on vacation.”“I can’t believe you haven’t since you moved here.” Minho shook his head, a hint of his shy, awkward smile from before they were friends brightening his features. “I mean, you live in Jeju.”“I know.”Kibum sighed, then popped another bite of sundae into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. What if…he blinked quickly, his attention darting away from Minho for a second as he thought about pulling his phone out. But no, that’d be rude. He could wait until the drive back to Minho’s place.By the time they finished and were heading back to Minho’s car, Kibum’s mind was burning with anticipation. He didn’t want to say anything, in case nothing was available on such short notice, but the possibility of whisking Minho off on a weekend getaway to somewhere in Jeju that neither of them had been yet…it sounded like a perfect way to cap off their summer.He dutifully put on a playlist as soon as Minho started the car, one that leaned more romantic. Once they were on the freeway, Minho reached out, his hand resting on Kibum’s thigh until Kibum picked it up to hold it instead, pressing the occasional kiss to it as he booked an air b-n-b for them at the end of August.He finished and tucked his phone back into his pocket just as they were pulling into the alley behind Artist’s Choice, internally satisfied with himself that he had been able to pull it off before they got back. Minho reached around, getting their Olive Young bags from the backseat as Kibum slipped out of the car.Twilight had long since fallen, tinging the world around them in gold from the remaining daylight with a violet, almost lilac sky above. Minho locked the car behind him, absently slipping his keys into his back pocket, his gaze landing on Kibum where he was waiting for him on the driver’s side of the hood. His smile was gradual as he started for him, and Kibum couldn’t help his own smile growing as Minho drew near.Though they had only just started dating, he knew that that look in Minho’s eye could only mean one thing—the night was still young, and they would not be sleeping any time soon.The hand holding the Olive Young bags hooked around Kibum’s waist, pulling them together at the hips. The other hand cupped his cheek, his thumb stroking his skin softly. “I’ve been looking forward to doing this all day.”“Doing what?” Kibum whispered back, even though he knew the answer. Minho’s eyebrows slowly rose, amusement glistening in his gaze. “Do it then,” he said before Minho’s smiling lips met his.He couldn’t stop smiling, too. They stumbled back together, Kibum’s back resting against the wall, cushioned by Minho’s arm. Minho’s leg slotted between his, both only breaking the kiss for an occasional necessary breath.“Minho…” Minho hummed in question, his lips barely leaving Kibum’s as Kibum reached around behind him, slipping his keys out of his back pocket. “Let’s head upstairs.”Minho grinned, and somehow, though he wasn’t quite sure how he managed to keep himself from kissing him again, Kibum pulled away from Minho so he could let them both inside.* * * * * “Hey, babe,” Minho called out, not looking away from his painting. “Can you grab the—“ He looked up, taking in the empty studio. Oh, right, Kibum was in town today with Taeyeon. How could he have forgotten…Shaking his head at himself, he tucked his paintbrush behind his ear and slipped out from behind his easel. Back in his storeroom, he grabbed a new tube of cadmium yellow and made his way back to his painting. He was attempting a new concept today—three separate paintings that were all connected—and he wasn’t sure if he liked it yet. He plopped down before the easel again, balancing his palette on one thigh as he started to mix more of the sunlight-glinting-across-the-water color.It was a quiet day, or maybe it just seemed that way with Kibum being gone. He had stayed pleasantly busy, a constant trickle of customers dropping in, more often than not leaving with one or more pieces.So, it was profitable. And he was much less distracted with Kibum off somewhere with Taeyeon. But…He sighed heavily, glancing around the empty studio.Kibum would be heading back to Seoul in a few weeks, and he couldn’t help but preemptively miss him. Which was terribly pathetic, but at least he could admit that. Things were arguably better now for him—mentally, he meant—than they had been since he moved here. He didn’t think that would go away when Kibum did, but he couldn’t help the flicker of anxiety within whenever the thought crossed his mind.It wasn’t that he was dependent on Kibum for his happiness or mental well-being. It was just that, when he was around, Minho was happier. More at ease with himself and the world, and he rather liked feeling that way.“You’ll be okay,” Minho muttered to himself as he dabbed a bit more sunlight on the crests of the half-formed waves. “You’ll be back together soon enough.”But how long would their separation last? Would they remain in a long-distance relationship…for years? Would one of them move? He blinked, pulling his paintbrush away from the canvas. Would he be willing to move back to the mainland?For Kibum, he’d be willing to do just about anything.He shook his head. It was much too early to even be thinking about this. He could carry on this train of thought later when the time was right.He reached for the tea that Sooyoung had brought over for him an hour ago, realizing only when he found what he thought was the straw that it wasn’t his tea at all. His lips closed around something hard and wooden, and he pulled the cup away to find that he had grabbed his jar of water to clean his brushes off in, and had mistaken one of the brushes for a straw. Snorting at his distractedness, he set it back in its place, taking the time to locate his tea.The afternoon proved to be quiet, as was typical of most Mondays during the summer. A new batch of tourists had just arrived for the week, and usually, that meant that they were out on the beach instead of in shops after lunch. Which was nice for him, because it meant he got to focus on his work.He readily helped the few that dropped in, though, attempting to be as charming and personable as Kibum was when he worked the front for Minho. In doing so, he sold two more pieces before he closed up for the night. And, since Kibum hadn’t returned yet, Minho sat back down behind his easel and flicked on the lamp beside him. It wasn’t dark enough for it yet, but he’d be too distracted with his work that he wouldn’t remember later when he needed the light.Kibum didn’t call until an hour after Minho closed, letting him know that he’d be back in about an hour. Minho could barely hear him over Taeyeon’s obnoxious teasing after Kibum called Minho jagiya, and it took a while for him to stop grinning after hanging up with him.An hour passed, and they weren’t back yet. Minho checked his phone, for a text or a missed call, but there was nothing. He tried to get back to painting, but he couldn’t focus on it anymore, and his eyes were starting to blur from the strain. So, he started to clean up his mess from the day, impatiently checking the clock every five minutes or so.He was cleaning off the blank canvases he’d need for tomorrow’s class when the sound of crunching gravel just outside tore his attention away. The back door was unlocked already, waiting for Kibum’s return, and he was just about to toss the canvas aside so he could get the door for Kibum when it opened. He looked up, eagerly watching the threshold of his storage room for Kibum to appear.When he did, Minho could feel his whole face light up. Kibum smiled in return, holding up a takeout bag. “Brought back dinner.”Minho set the canvas down and crossed the storage room, smiling brighter still when Kibum looked up at him, leaning closer expectantly. He couldn’t help but oblige him with the kiss he was asking for. Kibum’s free hand found his waist, holding them close even after he broke the kiss.“How was your day?” Minho asked softly, neither of them moving away from the other, Minho relishing in the continued closeness.“Really nice. What about yours?”“Good. Got quite a bit done.”“Hm, probably because I wasn’t here distracting you.”“I like being distracted.”Kibum grinned, going up on his tiptoes to kiss him again.When Kibum moved away, Minho followed him, flicking off the storage room light. Both of them looked over at the illuminated easel which still bore the middle of the three paintings he had been working on. Minho frowned at it, spotting from here the changes he needed to make before he could consider it worthy of being sold, but Kibum gasped.“Which panel is that?” he asked, setting the takeout bag on a stair and making his way over to the easel to get a closer look. Minho trailed after him once he had locked the back door. “I love how you did the sky.”“Thanks.” Minho reached around him, setting the other two paintings up around the one that had caught Kibum’s eye. “It’s supposed to be either twilight or dawn. Whichever the viewer wants it to be.” Ugh, he shouldn’t have moved them. He had smudged one of the waves.“It’s so pretty,” Kibum whispered, then sighed happily. “Which beach is it? One I’ve been to?”“The one you found me at.”He’d been half tempted to paint two figures in the middle panel, knee-deep in the water, embracing like they had that night he had come clean about his fears. But he had decided against the idea. That would be too personal to sell, and he could get quite a bit of money for something like this, so he didn’t want to ruin it with his sentimentality.Kibum turned to him, and Minho forced himself to look away from the spot he had been intending to paint the couple to meet his eyes. He held Minho’s gaze, blinking slowly, almost like he had heard of cats doing when they wanted to say—“Let’s go eat our dinner before it gets cold.”Kibum snatched the bag of takeout on his way up, and Minho was right behind him after turning off the downstairs light. When he mounted the stairs, Kibum was perched on the couch, setting up their dinner on the low table. He looked up, smiling as Minho approached and broke apart one of the pairs of chopsticks before handing them to Minho.“So,” Minho said, grabbing the nearest container, not paying much attention to what was inside. Whatever it was, it was tasty. “What’d you get today?”“Get?” Kibum asked distractedly, picking around his chosen container for a floret of broccoli.“Didn’t you guys go shopping?”Kibum stared blankly at the black tv screen for a few very long seconds. “Yes, but I didn’t find anything I wanted.” Minho choked on his bite of noodles. That was a feat he thought was impossible. He coughed, Kibum patting his back. “That’s why we were gone so long,” Kibum added quickly with a nervous laugh. Or did it only sound that way to Minho? “I was trying to find something, but—“ he shrugged, perhaps a touch too casually. “No luck.”Minho’s eyes narrowed. He set his takeout container on his knee, fixing Kibum with his suspicious gaze.“What?” Kibum asked nonchalantly.“Did you actually go shopping?” Kibum squinted back at him, but his passive demeanor broke into a smile after a few seconds and he looked pointedly away, directing all of his focus on the food in his hand. Minho couldn’t help but smile too, despite asking, “Why are you lying to me?”“I wouldn’t call it lying.”“What then?”“Avoiding the truth to maintain a surprise,” he rattled off quickly.Minho’s eyes widened, his chopsticks resting in his noodles as he stared at his boyfriend, waiting for him to expound. When he didn’t, Minho prodded his knee with his own, making Kibum look up at him. “Surprise?”Dimples immediately indented Kibum’s cheeks, and Minho softened at the sight of them. “Just trust me.”“But—““Nope, no hints. You’re not gonna get anything out of me.”Minho set his container down with enough force that a few noodles flopped and dangled over the sides. “That sounds like a challenge.”“You seem to like those, don’t you,” Kibum said drolly before meeting Minho’s eyes again. Just in time, too, because Minho was moving to gather Kibum into his arms. Once he was cradling him, he peppered his face with quick kisses all over his face, trying not to grin when Kibum let out a delighted laugh. “That’s not gonna work, honey,” he said, laughing still.“Worth a try,” Minho said between kisses. Besides, there were other tactics at his disposal.But no matter what he did, nothing worked. Days later, Kibum still hadn’t cracked under the pressure of Minho’s undivided affection and attention. He kept dropping more clues that something was definitely up. Like, looking through Minho’s clothes and then his own luggage, as if he were deciding between things. Then there was yesterday when they were at the cafe for dinner. He leveled Jonghyun with a stern glare after he suggested that the four of them—Jinki included—went out on a double date this Saturday only for Jonghyun to quickly correct himself that this Saturday wouldn’t work for him.It only made Minho make even more of an effort to get the information from him. Which, now that he was thinking about it, was probably intentional, on Kibum’s part.Saturday dawned and Minho stirred when Kibum slipped out of bed beside him to head into the bathroom. Though still bleary, Minho listened attentively to what sounded like quiet packing. Was he…were they going somewhere? Was that the surprise? He rubbed his eyes, his neck smarting a bit now since he was craning his neck to keep looking at the ajar bathroom door.Kibum emerged as Minho was sleepily sitting up, both of them locking eyes with each other.“What are you doing?” Minho asked at the same time that Kibum said, “Shit, did I wake you?”They paused, Kibum being the one to speak first. “I’m packing.”Minho frowned. They still had a week left before Kibum had to head home. Was this not the surprise and he was just getting ready preemptively, or—Kibum sank back into bed beside him, excitement sparkling in his already beautiful eyes. “Do you remember the surprise I mentioned?” Minho scoffed, and Kibum’s smile grew. As if he would have forgotten. “Well…”“Today’s the day?” Minho asked hopefully.Kibum nodded, leaning closer, the tips of his fingers caressing Minho’s cheek and drawing him into a kiss. Minho’s hand slipped around Kibum’s waist, pulling him flush against him as he laid back down.“Where are we going?”Kibum smiled smugly, kissing him again instead of answering. When Minho broke the kiss quicker than he could usually stand to, Kibum laughed. “You’ll find out soon enough.”“Why can’t you tell me now?”Kibum kissed him yet again before saying, “Because it’s fun to see you like this,” and then one more time as if to punctuate the statement. Minho huffed an exasperated sigh, which only made Kibum laugh again.“Are you gonna tease me like this the whole time?”Kibum grinned and leaned in to kiss him, though not quite enough for their lips to touch. “Will it bother you if I do?”God, no.“When do we have to leave?”“I’d like to leave right at two, and…” He sat back without kissing him, then leaned across Minho, grabbing Minho’s phone from where it lay charging, to check the time—Minho’s eyes didn’t leave Kibum’s face. “It’s only just nine, so…”“So,” Minho continued for him, “We have time to kill.”“Yes, but…” Kibum’s voice trailed off with a smile, correctly interpreting the look in Minho’s eye. “But we still have to get packed.”Minho’s attention dropped slowly, relishing in the leisurely journey his gaze took from Kibum’s eyes to his lips.Kibum’s smile grew. Then, he relented, kissing Minho again at last.They did meet Kibum’s goal of leaving by two, if only just. Minho’s little suitcase was packed to the brim with both of their things and they stopped at the gas station to fill up the tank as well as get a few snacks and drinks for the road by two o’ five. On the way back to the car, Kibum snatched Minho’s keys out of his hand, flouncing over to the driver’s seat while Minho stared at him, dumbstruck.“What?” Kibum asked as he unlocked the car for both of them. “I’m the one who knows where we’re going.” Minho just blinked at him, still mute in his surprise. “Min, I can’t very well whisk you away on a romantic vacation if I’m not the one who drives.”Okay, well, he could concede to that.Once they were both in the car and buckled, it took a few minutes for Kibum to get his phone situated with the navigation to their mysterious destination and his chosen playlist for this excursion. Then, they were officially off, Minho sitting awkwardly in the passenger seat of his car as Kibum took them further inland.He was a very careful driver, Kibum. Both hands firmly on the wheel where Minho would have been using only one, the other likely resting on Kibum’s thigh or in his hand. He did his best to maintain the exact speed limit, too, which was frankly adorable. Maybe he was just being overly cautious because it wasn’t his car?When he made it up to Seoul to visit him, he’d have to compare how he was with his car to this.Even though he wasn’t used to being a passenger, he had to admit that it was very good for his creative brain. The countryside Kibum was taking them through—at an ambling, safe pace—was gorgeous. Rolling hills adorned with flowers of yellow and pink and even what seemed to be a spontaneous garden filled with bushes of clusters of pale blue blossoms. Secluded pools peeked out from behind trees where Minho caught a fleeting glimpse of the occasional waterfall pouring into the clear green water. The verdant trees and the dark volcanic stone crags jutting out of the hills…He had lost count of the number of paintings he was composing in his head by the time they reached the city. Kibum followed the directions the mild female voice doled out exactly, until they were led out of the city once more, now following the serene shoreline toward—A lone cottage?“Babe,” Minho started to say when Kibum parked in front of it and dug out his phone, but then Kibum shushed him. So he sat back, his gaze darting between Kibum—who was intently doing something on his phone, Minho couldn’t see his screen—and the cottage.It was a little further out from the smattering of other houses they had passed on the winding road to here, their apparent destination. It was painted a pastel shade of yellow with sage-green shutters and trim, and it was set on a bluff overlooking the sea below, its back facing the soon-to-be setting sun.“Okay,” Kibum said in English, looking away from his phone and at Minho at last. “Let’s go.” He made to get out of the car, only to sink back in his seat when Minho didn’t immediately move. “What?”“Is this where we’re staying?” Kibum nodded. “Why not a hotel?”“I didn’t think you’d be comfortable in a hotel.” Minho blinked rapidly in surprise. “We’ll have to cook for ourselves but we have private access to a portion of the beach that looked very pretty from the pictures and—“But Minho had leaned across the car, cutting him off with a kiss. For a second, he thought about breaking it to apologize for that, but judging by the way Kibum was smiling into it and his fingers were tangling in his hair, he didn’t seem to mind.It was just so considerate.Not that he expected anything less of Kibum at this point. But, arranging all this in the first place, keeping Minho’s anxiety in mind to ensure that he would be as relaxed as possible on his first vacation in years…There were no words to express how touched he was.Kibum broke the kiss, his sigh tickling Minho’s lips as his forehead pressed into Minho’s. “Okay, let’s go for real this time. We need to go get groceries, probably.” Minho chuckled and readily obeyed.He grabbed their bag from the trunk while Kibum hurried to the front door to search for the key to let them inside.A sitting room painted the lightest shade of blue greeted them, the furniture pointing to a TV that would probably get little use from them. It led into a surprisingly modern kitchen that had Kibum oooing and peeking into the cupboards and fridge before Minho grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall. At the end of the hall were three doors, one led to a bathroom, one to a small bedroom painted in a faint shade of seafoam, and the other to a dark stairwell.Kibum flipped on the light, but neither of them moved. “What’s up there?” Minho asked.“I think it’s the master suite.”Minho ventured forward first, Kibum right behind him.It was indeed the master suite. The walls were painted a light shade of raspberry pink—warm yet pastel enough to match the rest of the chosen colors. A lush bed sat against the wall with a skylight set above it. The rest of the room was simply furnished, and after Minho dropped their bag at the foot of the bed, he followed Kibum through the double doors into the bathroom.The wall facing the sea was mostly window, and before it sat a spacious tub. /Big enough for two/, Minho noted with a glance at Kibum, who was wearing a faint, knowing smile. The shower, too, had to be at least four times the size of his own at his apartment, with matte glass walls surrounding it. Kibum shot him a look on his way back into the bedroom, which immediately lured a grinning Minho into following him.On the other side of the bed sat another set of double doors that Minho hurried to open for Kibum. It was a balcony overlooking the country and the sea below. Minho joined Kibum at the banister, looking down to find the beginning of the trail that presumably led to the beach. Kibum leaned back against the banister, facing the bedroom and Minho.The wind was dancing in Kibum’s hair, the sun highlighting his features. He was just…so mesmerizingly beautiful, Minho couldn’t help but be drawn closer to him. Just to be near him, really, but when Kibum looked up at him expectantly, who was he to deprive either of them? So, he kissed him and Kibum smiled again, melting into Minho’s embrace.“I can’t believe you did this for me,” Minho said when their lips parted.“It was a little selfish, I have to admit.”Minho smiled, brushing his nose against Kibum’s, who lifted his chin in the hope of another kiss. “How will I ever be able to thank you?”“I can think of a few ways.” Minho laughed at that, and Kibum grinned up at him, his mingled affection and amusement twinkling in his amber eyes. “Dinner first, though.” But not before they indulged in one last kiss to leave them both breathless, the memory of it hopefully lingering until they could return upstairs.But, until then, Minho tramped back downstairs, dutifully sitting at the kitchen table and making a list for Kibum, who was brainstorming what to make for dinner. Minho was hoping for Korean food, but Kibum didn’t like to cook it if he could help it—it took too long and he wasn’t as experienced with it. So, Italian it was.He had yet to have much of Kibum’s cooking. They usually ate at the cafe because Minho’s kitchen was rather lacking in both equipment and space, so he was curious how good of a cook Kibum was. Hopefully better than he was. When they arrived at the grocery store, Minho trailed after Kibum with a basket in hand, giving his opinion when Kibum asked which ingredients he preferred, though he wasn’t sure how much help he was being.Still, there was something so…domestic about this. Grocery shopping with his boyfriend. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought as Kibum perused the selection of fruits for their dessert. Never would he have thought that he would be so lucky to do something as painfully simple as this. He knew he shouldn’t look at Kibum too much while this thought danced merrily around in his head, because his happiness would be far too legible in his expression. Everyone who even so much as glanced at him would know what was happening.At the moment, though, he was struggling to think of that as a bad thing.Who cared if the whole world knew how he felt about Kibum? Who cared if everyone knew they were dating?If only it were that simple.He sighed as Kibum bagged up two peaches, and gave Kibum a small smile when he met his gaze. “I just need a few more things,” Kibum said as if the sigh had been indicating Minho’s impatience.“Take your time, I don’t mind.”He grabbed a bag of cherries, too, as well as some strawberries, then they went over to the vegetables so Kibum could deliberate with himself over which ones would be best with their pasta. In the end, he chose scallions, zucchini, a variety of mushrooms, and multicolored tomatoes as well as a few bunches of herbs Minho didn’t catch the name of.They checked out, Minho carrying the overstuffed bag back to the car while Kibum yet again slipped into the driver’s seat.“Do you like driving it?”“Yeah, she’s surprisingly nice?”“She?” Minho asked, incredulous.Kibum just smirked as he pulled out onto the road. “What? My car is a she, too.”Minho grinned, sitting back in his seat. “Does she have a name?”“Does yours?”“Not yet.”Kibum hummed with a small smile. “Then you don’t get to know yet, either.”“Wow.”He turned off onto the winding road leading to their cottage with a laugh. “Someday, maybe I’ll tell you.”“I look forward to it.”The sun was nearing the horizon now, the saturated golden light intensifying and painting the clouds stretching over them in swatches of pinks. Minho absently got out of the car, still clutching the bag with their dinner, distracted by the beauty until Kibum called for him to come inside. Minho jogged to meet him on the porch, being careful not to let anything spill out of the paper bag. Kibum’s eyes were shining with something—amusement, maybe?—when Minho reached him, but he shook his head at Minho’s questioning lift of his eyebrows and let them inside.“What do you want me to do, babe?” he asked as he set the bag on the counter and Kibum pulled it closer to himself to unload it.“Can you clean the vegetables?”“Yeah, no problem.”Kibum rummaged around him, looking in drawers and cupboards for knives, cutting boards, pots, pans, and plates. Once he had everything laid out, he got to work.For whatever reason, he hadn’t expected Kibum to be so deft with a knife. It seemed effortless for him to slice all of that, so evenly, too. Whereas Minho, if it had been him, would have had to make slower, more deliberate motions, and even then it wouldn’t have looked as pretty.“How spicy do you want it?” Kibum asked, pulling out the fresh chilis they had bought.“As spicy as you can stand.”Kibum sniffled a laugh, then cut them into thin rounds before adding them to the sizzling oil and butter and cooking them with the garlic and scallions. He tipped the pan forward, flicking the aromatics back with ease.“Woah, you know how to do that?”“Mhm.” The hum was fond, though there definitely was amusement coloring Kibum’s expression, he was sure of it now. But, Minho couldn’t help but be impressed. He’d only seen people doing that on tv, and the one time he had attempted it had been disastrous. “Do you want to try?”Minho nodded eagerly, and Kibum shifted the pan handle toward him so he could take it for himself. He held it up, above the flame, and jerked the pan up and back down again, but nothing happened. The aromatics didn’t even catch any air. “See!” Minho said, holding it back out to Kibum, who seemed to be struggling not to laugh. “It’s impossible!”“No, it’s not,” Kibum said, his left hand settling around Minho’s waist as he sidled up behind him, his chin resting on Minho’s shoulder. “I’ll show you. Here, take it again.” He did, and Kibum’s other hand closed over his. “Hold it up, yup, now—“ Kibum made him tip it forward, waiting for the aromatics to collect in the curve of the pan. “—toss it back.” And he did so, the aromatics splattering gracefully across the expanse of the pan again. “See?”“Let’s do it again so I can get the hang of it.”Kibum, who had started to move away, settled back around him, his thumb stroking distractedly at his waist.They did it a few more times before Minho felt confident enough to do it on his own, and then Kibum added a bit more oil and butter before he dumped in the mushrooms and zucchini. He let Minho keep tossing them—“Keep them on the burner though, honey, so they can cook”—while he worked on putting together the rest of the dish.When Kibum added the pasta to the boiling water, he told Minho to add the tomatoes. By the time he was draining the cooked pasta, the tomatoes were bursting, creating a sauce of their own. Kibum took back over then, tossing the pasta in the vegetables and sprinkling some cheese in there before he plated, crowning each heap of steaming pasta with some plump seasoned prawns.“Grab those, I’ll pour us some wine.”“Okay. Where do you want to sit?” he asked as he took both bowls into the living room.“Anywhere is fine.” Minho glanced at the couch and then at the table before heading over to the couch. Kibum came in a few seconds later, holding out a glass of white wine that Minho took before Kibum settled beside him. “How is it?” he asked as Minho took his first bite, then smiled at Minho’s pleased hum.“So good,” he said as soon as he swallowed, then grabbed a piece of shrimp to try next. “So what gave you the idea?”“For…the dish?”Minho laughed, covering his mouth full of food with his hand, then chewed quickly so he could clarify, “For this trip.”“Oh, well…” Kibum cleared his throat and carefully started putting together a bite that had a bit of everything. “You said it had been a while since you took a vacation, so I thought it’d be nice to get a practice run in before you came to visit me.”Minho smiled, stirring his pasta for a second. “It’s gotta be like…ten years since I’ve been to Seoul.”“Have you ever been to Daegu?” Minho shook his head. “I can show you around,” he said with a wink as he picked up his wine.“Too bad I can’t show you around Incheon. Though, I don’t know how much you’d like it.”Kibum frowned. “Why not?”“Didn’t do much aside from playing sports, so all I’d have to take you to is a bunch of courts and fields and maybe the occasional art classroom.” Kibum rolled his eyes with a sigh, which just made Minho laugh. “Did you never go to sporting events at your school?”“Only if the jocks were cute.” Minho snorted, then nodded, almost begrudgingly. Yeah, there had been some cute guys on both sides of the field. Yeunseo played alongside him in the sports he did, so… “I probably would have gone to all the games you played, if I had gone to your school.”The fleeting thought of Yeunseo disintegrated before it could take hold. “Yeah?”Kibum nodded. “Wouldn’t have understood a thing but you would have had your own cheerleader.”Minho smiled slowly, shifting to face him. “Did you do that for someone in high school?”The tips of Kibum’s ears inflamed, but he poked at his food, acting completely unbothered and unashamed. “Of course. But I don’t think he knew I existed.”“I would have known.” Kibum smiled, almost shyly, not looking up. “I would have been looking for you in the stands.” Kibum met his gaze then, his expression achingly fond before he shook his head slightly and went back to his pasta. “What? I would have!”“No, you wouldn’t have. Our paths wouldn’t have crossed. I was the very closeted theater kid in high school who thought he knew everything about fashion but really he just liked bright colors and obnoxious patterns.”“So what you’re saying is you would have been easy to spot in the stands?” Kibum coughed a laugh and shoved him away, the fondness glimmering in his eyes again. Yeah…he would have made such a fool of himself to get Kibum to glance his way in high school. “Were you in any plays?”“Oh, god, so many.”And while they finished their dinner and cleaned the kitchen together, Kibum regaled him with stories from backstage and after-parties gone slightly awry. He even included some of the choreography from Into the Heights that he miraculously remembered, much to Minho’s amusement as he rinsed their dishes off.The golden light of the setting sun caught Minho’s eye as he turned off the kitchen light. Kibum was already making his way to the stairs when Minho bounded up to him, catching his hand in both of his. “Do you want to go for a walk while it’s still light?”Kibum eyed him for a second before nodding, and they slipped out the back door and started down the steep steps to the beach. Since the stairs were so narrow, Minho walked before Kibum—still holding his hand—ready to steady him just in case. Minho kicked off his slides as soon as they reached the sand, which was warm beneath his feet, though not unbearably so. Kibum followed his lead, though a touch more reluctantly, then fell into place beside Minho, who was matching Kibum’s shorter strides.“You brought your supplies, right?”“I’ve got some in the car.”Kibum nodded, looking around at the view, and Minho’s gaze followed his. The light of the fading day had turned everything, even the air itself, a dusty shade of rose. The froth of the sea, the waves themselves, and the stretches of wet sand left by the receding tides all shone in the remaining light.Kibum was caught in it too, of course. Streaking through his hair, making hints of shadows out of the shape of his lips… He looked back at him then, but Minho wasn’t ashamed to be caught. Though he smiled, it was Kibum who broke the eye contact. He cleared his throat, and Minho kept watching him, eager to hear what he might have to say.“I can’t stop thinking about high school, now. And like, how much different things would have been for us.”“Mm, yeah.”“It was such a weird time.”Minho nodded, his eyebrows raising. So weird and awkward and uncomfortable for many reasons, but especially when he realized he was gay. Knowing how different and how much of an outsider he was and how dangerous it would have been to voice any of the thoughts he was plagued with, even the most innocent ones…All while being a teenager.“It was hell,” he said quietly, and Kibum squeezed his hand lightly.“Do you really think we would have interacted?” Minho nodded adamantly, his brow furrowed. “Really?” Kibum asked with a laugh. “The theatre nerd and the star jock of the school would have been friends?”“Ah, but see, you forget. My dad was the coach, so I would have been on the bench more often than not.” Kibum sniffed disdainfully, and Minho chuckled as he kissed his temple. “Why does it surprise you that I think that, Bum?”“I don’t know.” He linked his arm with Minho’s, pulling him closer as they walked along through a patch of shining wet sand. “I just feel like you were probably pretty popular, and I was… not.”“No? That surprises me. Did you not have a lot of friends?”“I had a few very close friends. I work with one now, actually. Joohyun. Have I mentioned her?” Minho shook his head. “Hm, that’s weird. I thought I would have by now,” he added with a laugh. “We go to work functions together because we can’t come with dates, so—““Oh, is she gay, too?” Kibum nodded eagerly. “That’s nice that you were able to stay connected.”“Yeah.” He nudged Minho with his elbow, jostling him slightly. “What about you? Did you have many gay friends?”“Oh god,” he said with a defeated chuckle. “Just Yeunseo, that I know of. There might have been more, but…I didn’t keep in contact with anyone. Well, actually—“ he paused, blinking a few times in thought until he felt Kibum’s scrutiny. Then he cleared his throat and went on. “There was my art teacher from high school. She and her—well, they were basically married…her wife, they were the ones who helped me. After. Her wife is a nurse.”“Ah.”“I didn’t know where else to go and she was my favorite teacher and the only adult I could think of who might, you know, help me.” Kibum reached around with his other hand, patting Minho’s arm gently. He cleared his throat again. “But enough about that.”“Min, it’s okay—“But Minho plowed on, eager for a subject change. “How do you think we would have met if we had gone to high school together? Same classes, maybe?”Kibum didn’t answer right away, but when he did, he said, “Art class, probably. I took it, too, though obviously, it didn’t stick as well as your lessons did.” Minho sniffed a laugh, shaking his head as he scanned the beach, subconsciously looking for good angles for paintings. “But, an artsy jock who’s as sweet as he is annoying?” Kibum rolled his eyes as Minho looked back at him, laughing now. “There would have been no hope for me, I’m afraid.”“I think that’s when you would have caught my eye, too. Art class.”“Yeah, because my clothes were so garish. I swear, my mom should have waited to introduce me to thrift shops—““No, not because of your clothes. Just, you would have, I’m sure.” Kibum leveled him with a disbelieving look. “That’s how it was for me when we first met, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.”The disbelief melted away to surprise. “What do you mean?”Minho shrugged, thinking back to the first night they met. At Jonghyun’s bar, when he was still painfully stuck in his rigid routine and avoiding all unnecessary contact with other people. He’d gone in like he always did, and the stranger at the bar had turned, capturing his entire attention in a single, cursory glance.“There’s just something about you. It’s hard to put into words. Your eyes, maybe.”“My eyes?”“They’re beautiful—“ Kibum snorted, shaking his head. Minho smiled shyly. “But not only that. I think what it was…is that, for the first time, I felt seen, almost. I know we didn’t know each other at all, but…I don’t know. I’m not making sense.”“No, it’s okay,” Kibum said quickly. “I think I understand. That’s how I felt with you, too.” He hesitated for a few moments before he added, “We were both hurting, and I think we just…recognized that.”Minho nodded, looking up at the distant sound of running water. There, pouring off the edge of one of the cliffs and fanning out into the sea, was a waterfall. The mist of it was iridescent in the remaining light, and for a second, Minho thought he glimpsed a space behind the falling stream of water.“Let’s head back,” Kibum said, tugging on his arm. “Before it gets too dark.”“Okay.”He glanced back over his shoulder at the waterfall, making a mental note of it so he could come back sometime tomorrow to take a reference picture. Or two.“What about college?” Kibum asked, bringing Minho’s attention back around to him. “Would we have met at a party, do you think?”“Maybe? I’m not sure, I didn’t make it to college, so I don’t have any experience to base it on.”“Mm.” Kibum sidled closer to him, his head resting on Minho’s shoulder as they retraced their footsteps. “Sorry, I don’t know why I’m asking all this.”“It’s okay. It’s kinda fun to wonder about what ifs, you know?” Kibum hummed, nodding without lifting his head. “It’s interesting to think about how little things can, like, change the whole trajectory of our lives.”“Right.” Kibum started to say something else but held back until Minho asked him what it was. “It’s cheesy.”“I like cheesy.”“I know you do.” Then, he sighed heavily, as if steeling himself, then said, “Despite the whole thing with J—with my ex, I’m glad that it led me to you.”Minho gulped, his throat suddenly tight with emotion. He pursed his lips to keep from smiling too big. “Yeah, I’m glad we found each other, too.”Kibum’s grip on Minho’s arm tightened, and Minho turned to press a kiss into Kibum’s peach-scented hair.The sun had settled halfway below the horizon by the time they reached the crest of the cliff behind the cottage. Minho held the door open for Kibum to enter first, Kibum’s slight smile and bright eyes holding his rapt attention. He released the door without a thought to follow him, the sudden sound of the door closing surprising him.“I think I’m gonna take a bath,” Kibum said as Minho came around the corner. He slipped through the door heading up the stairwell, only to peek back out when Minho quickened his step to catch up to him. “Wanna join me?”Minho nodded eagerly, and Kibum’s smile was back in his eyes as he disappeared behind the doorway again.The bathroom doors were thrown open and the water was already running by the time Minho reached the master suite. Kibum was nowhere in the bedroom, so Minho peered into the bathroom, finding him hunched before the cabinet pushed up against the wall. He looked up at him and beckoned him over, so Minho hunkered down beside him, looking at the array of scented salts and bath bombs.“What do we want?”“What are our options?” But before Kibum could answer, Minho grabbed one of the bottles of rose-scented salt and popped to top off to smell for himself.There were florals and fruits and even some with spices…but they decided on the rose, combining the salt and the bath bomb—which was revealed to have rose petals inside it, once it had dissolved into the steaming water.Minho had left as soon as Kibum started stirring everything in, gathering what they’d both need from their bags once they were done with their bath and probable shower. He took his clothes from the day off in the bedroom, too, folding them neatly and setting them aside. Shivering a little, he picked up all of their stuff and made his way back into the bathroom.Kibum glanced back at him when he entered the bathroom, doing an appreciative double-take before saying, “Oh good, you can get in first.”“Okay.” He set their stuff aside on the spacious counter, letting it sprawl out as it settled. Then he stepped into the pleasantly-scalding, pink-tinted water, sinking into it and getting situated so that the water was lapping at his chin. His gaze flicked up, and he was unsurprised to find Kibum watching him. “You coming in fully clothed or what?”“Will you make some room for me?”“You can just drape yourself on me, I don’t mind at all.”Kibum snorted, shaking his head as he started unbuttoning his shirt. Once he was undressed, Minho sat up and back, giving Kibum space to get in, too. For a disappointed second, Minho thought that he was going to settle on the opposite side of the tub. Not that he would have minded facing him—because why the fuck would he mind that—but all he wanted right now was to be close to him.Thankfully, Kibum must be able to read his mind, because he sidled up before him, his back resting against his chest, his head on Minho’s shoulder. Smiling, Minho leaned his head so it rested against Kibum’s, and he watched the steam curling off the surface of the water, the last vestiges of the day setting the wisps aglow before they dissipated.“I should get a bigger tub at my place,” Kibum said as Minho’s arms wrapped around him, holding him closer still. “So we can do this when you get there.”“Do you have all the bath bombs and stuff, too?”Kibum nodded, and Minho lifted his head, kissing just to the side of his scarred brow. Then, when Kibum turned his head, a coy little smile curling the corners of his lips, Minho started peppering lazy, worshipful kisses wherever he could reach.He sighed heavily. So heavily that it took Minho’s attention away from kissing him. “Is something wrong?”“I just remembered that I’m going home on Friday.” Friday. Less than a week now. Minho gulped, his shoulders drooping slightly. Kibum sighed again, shifting against him. “I’m dreading it, to be honest.”“I thought you missed the dogs.”“Of course, I do, but…I’ve been practically living with you since we started dating…it’ll be weird. Existing alone again.”“Yeah.”“I’ll need to get a heated weighted blanket so I don’t go through withdrawals. And you’ll need a body pillow.”Despite his sudden dour mood, Minho chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I should probably get one, huh.”Kibum shifted again, but to the side this time, so they could look at each other. “I wish you could come with me.” Me too. “But, it’ll only be like…what, twenty days apart before you head up to Seoul?”“Right,” Minho said, brightening slightly. “I’ll be there on the 22nd.” That’s still so long, though, after this summer.“I already can’t wait,” Kibum said, the coy smile returning as his hand reached up to cup his cheek, then guided him into a kiss. “We’ll have so much fun.” Another kiss, a little less chaste. Minho melted into him, and Kibum’s smile grew.That’s what he had to do—remember that however long they’d be apart, it wouldn’t be for too long. But then Kibum shifted again, fully facing him, settling into his lap. Still kissing him. Minho’s hands gripped Kibum’s waist a little tighter, pulling him a little closer, forgetting for a few blessedly long moments that he had been sad at all.When the water in the tub went cold, they moved to the spacious shower. Warm water cascaded over them from all sides as Minho reached for the shampoo, Kibum’s eyes slipping closed with a pleased smile as Minho started to work it through his hair. He was careful to keep the suds from dripping close to his eyes, and Kibum leaned into his touch with every swipe of his thumbs. Once Kibum’s hair was free of shampoo, Minho inclined his head, kissing his forehead.He sighed as Minho pulled away, dimples indenting his cheeks as he opened his eyes to look up at him. “Don’t forget conditioner.”“Yeah, yeah,” Minho said, shaking his head with a smile as he turned to grab the bottle. “I think you just like being pampered.”“And I think you like pampering me.” Minho stopped squirting the conditioner into his palm, then squinted over at Kibum, who was watching him in amusement. “Am I wrong?”Instead of answering, Minho rubbed his palms together, trying not to smile as he massaged the conditioner into Kibum’s hair. Kibum’s eyes were closed again and his hand was at Minho’s hip. Maybe to steady himself. Maybe just to touch him. Either way, Minho wasn’t complaining.Once Minho finished rinsing the conditioner out of Kibum’s hair, he turned to get the body wash, but Kibum reached around him. “No, honey. It’s your turn.” Minho gulped, nodding as he watched Kibum getting ready to shampoo his hair for him. He lowered his head, closing his eyes, so Kibum could start working the shampoo into his hair. His heart clenched as soon as Kibum’s fingertips made contact with his scalp.God, he’d miss him so much. He knew it’d be different than it had been before—their separation after the summer. They’d probably facetime pretty often, and they’d be making trips back and forth until next summer, but…how would he readjust to life without Kibum there? Sure, it had only been almost two months compared to years and years of living alone, but now that he had experienced what life could be like with him, why would he ever want to be without him?Absence supposedly makes the heart grow fonder, but how much fonder was it possible for him to be?Well, he was bound to find out for himself soon enough.Kibum stepped closer to him, reaching around him again to grab the conditioner. Only, he glanced up at his expression, concern wrinkling his brow. “What’s wrong?”Minho shook his head. “It’s stupid.” Because it was.Kibum eyed him, then started carding the conditioner through Minho’s hair. “Somehow, I doubt that.”He wasn’t even gone yet, there was no reason to miss him already…so he shook his head again, and Kibum sucked his teeth at him. Minho couldn’t help but crack a smile at the sound.Once they finished washing up, Minho turned the water off and grabbed one of the waiting plush towels, wrapping Kibum up in it before kissing his forehead again. Then he grabbed one for himself, drying off so he could complete his nightly routine. He finished a while before Kibum did, and he ventured back to the dark downstairs, flicking on the overhead light in the kitchen and flooding the room with a warm glow before he started searching for some tea.There was quite the variety available, so he started the kettle and found two mugs, putting a bag of earl grey in one and some plain black tea in the other. And…was there anything to snack on while they had tea? Did they need that in the first place? Regardless, he looked around a little more, opening cupboards and drawers and doors until he reached the fridge, finding the fruit Kibum had picked out earlier.He pulled the peaches and cherries out, washing both and heaping some of the cherries into a bowl before starting to cut off slices of the peaches. Kibum appeared on the threshold as he was pouring the tea, his eyebrows rising in surprise.Minho looked back at him, his eyes wide. “If you don’t want any of this we can just go straight to bed. I just thought—“But Kibum started walking up to him, slipping his arms around him. Minho instinctively held him in return, smiling when Kibum went up on his tiptoes to kiss his cheek, then he looked down at the mugs. “Which one is mine?”Minho slid the bright green one toward him. “It’s earl grey.”Kibum smiled to himself as he let go of Minho to grab the mug, and Minho took up his own, squeezing the excess tea out of the bag and moving away to toss it aside. “Honey?”“Hm?” Minho frowned, wondering for a second why Kibum was using bokkul rather than jagiya, only for it to register in his mind when Kibum laughed, his free hand clapping on Minho’s shoulder and shoving him lightly. “Let me look for some,” he said, his face heating slightly as he started searching in the cupboards again.When he found the jar of it, he popped it open and brought it to Kibum, who accepted it with a sickly sweet “Thank you, honey.” Minho closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh, trying and failing not to smile. “You’re so cute,” Kibum said, still chuckling.“Whatever.” Grinning, Kibum set aside the spoon he stirred the honey in with and grabbed one of the slices of peach, biting into it. “So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?”Kibum hummed in thought, reaching for a handful of cherries now. “I did sign us up for a few things. Classes,” he added at Minho’s curious look. “Taeyeon brought me over here—that day I was gone, remember?” Minho nodded, sipping his tea. “And I checked out the shops and things. I thought it’d be fun.”“What are the classes?”“You’ll see.” Minho sucked his teeth at him, which only made Kibum laugh again. “We’ll be coming away with some nice souvenirs, is all I’ll say.”“Fine. Be that way.”“I will, though I don’t think I needed your permission for that.” Minho sighed again, to which Kibum responded with yet another cheeky grin, his dimples out in full force. He finished off the last of the cherries in his hand, then reached for another slice of peach. “You’re being so easy to mess with right now.”“I know.” Minho grabbed a slice of peach for himself now, savoring the sweetness of it before grabbing another one.“Are you tired or something?” Minho shook his head, grabbing two slices this time. “Are you gonna leave any more peaches for me?” He looked up at Kibum with a grin, shaking his head again. “Fine,” he said, snatching one of the last slices of peach before Minho could, holding it far out of his reach before sipping his tea demurely, still watching him intently. “When do we want to be up in the morning?”Minho shrugged. “That’s up to you, isn’t it? When do our classes start?”“Not until afternoon.”“So, a nice, lazy morning, then. Or—“ His voice trailed off, his eyes widening slightly. Kibum’s eyebrows shot up, clearly curious about what had brightened his expression. “There was this stretch of beach I wanted to go get some shots of.”“Would you want to paint it, too?” Kibum asked before taking a longer drink of his tea.Minho shook his head. “That’d take too long. Besides, I’d want to use oils.”Kibum nodded, finishing off his tea with a contented sigh and passing off the empty mug to Minho for him to put it into the empty sink. “How early are you thinking?”Minho shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I already have a few color palettes in mind for what I could do with it.”“Do I get to know what it is?”Minho shook his head, his smile growing. “If you didn’t spot it already, then you get to be surprised,” he said, popping the last of the unclaimed peach slices into his mouth.Kibum’s eyes narrowed, then gave Minho a coy half-smile. And then, with deliberate slowness, it seemed, at least to Minho’s imagination, he ate the last slice of peach. In two bites, the juice of it glistened tantalizingly on the curves of his lips. He stepped back into Minho’s space, whose hand went automatically to Kibum’s hip to hold him there, and up on his tiptoes to kiss him again.Peaches had never tasted as sweet as they did on Kibum’s lips.His eyes were still closed, his brow slightly furrowed as he tried to burn the memory into his mind. Of delightfully warm summer nights, the taste of his favorite fruit, and of course, of Kibum, all rolled into one.“I guess we should head upstairs then,” Kibum said, clearly still close enough for his breath to tickle Minho’s lips. “Get some, uh, rest before tomorrow.”Rest. M-hm. Sure.Minho opened his eyes at last, meeting Kibum’s bright, intoxicating gaze with an eager nod. He let himself be guided upstairs—tethered to the world, to Kibum, by the tight hold of his hand—and into the awaiting promise of the night ahead.* * * * *The ray of sunlight streaming in through the window above the bed, while soft, was still bright. Bright enough to blind Kibum through his closed eyelids. His face scrunched as he rolled over, into Minho, and buried it into his bare shoulder. Out of the light at last. The musky scent of the body wash they had used last night in the shower mingled with the faint remnants of rose from their bath still clinging to Minho’s warm skin.Kibum nuzzled closer, and Minho did, too, in his sleep.It was gonna be a lot tougher than he cared to admit to return home to his empty bed. Maybe he really should get that weighted blanket. He smiled into Minho’s shoulder, then sighed.As nice as it was to return to normalcy after these long and refreshing vacations to Jeju…he just wished he could bring Minho back with him. Find their new normal together, in Seoul. But after just a few months of dating each other… “That would be too impulsive, Kibum,” he whispered to himself.Besides…Minho might not want to move to Seoul. His life was here, now, and he’d worked so hard to cultivate and build back the social circle he had lost. He’d have to start completely over in Seoul. Should…would it make sense if he moved here? To Jeju? Were there even social media managers here?He closed his eyes tightly, sighing, exasperated at himself.“What did you just say, you idiot,” he whispered again.Still, they couldn’t be long-distance forever. One of them would have to move. But that’s something to tackle in the future. Maybe a year from now. But would even that be too early?It was too early in the goddamn morning to be worrying about this at all, anyways. He needed to stop.To distract himself, he lifted his head, propping his chin up on Minho’s chest to look at his sleeping face. Always so carefree in sleep. So soft. He cupped Minho’s face in his hand, the pad of his thumb brushing ever so gently over the lid of his closed eye.Should he get up and make them breakfast before their day starts? Or should he stay here, basking in the warmth of Minho’s embrace?He could stay here for a little while longer. It wouldn’t hurt.He laid his head back down on Minho’s chest, closer to his heart, listening for the beat of it. There it was, soft and steady. Smiling, he snuggled closer still, Minho’s arm settling around him, his hand on his back. Well, see? Now he had no choice but to stay here a little while longer. Maybe drift back off…for a little while…When he came back around to dim consciousness, Minho’s hand was slowly carding through his hair. Kibum let him continue for a few more strokes before looking up, and Minho’s hand settled at the back of Kibum’s head, grinning sleepily at him.“Maybe I should get a weighted blanket, too.”Kibum smiled, scooting up to kiss him. “We can get a matching set,” he said before he kissed him again, and Minho chuckled as Kibum broke the kiss.“Do they even make those?”Kibum shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to find out.” He sat back, holding Minho’s gaze. The unabashed adoration and affection in his warm, brown eyes was almost too much to withstand this early in the morning—he’d find a way to cope, though. “Good morning, honey,” he said, using the word for actual honey that Minho had thought he had called him last night.His reward was Minho’s eyes closing as he smiled ruefully, letting a sighed Why? escape him.“If you think I’m letting that go any time soon then you’re sorely mistaken,” Kibum said, leaning in to kiss him with a smile. “When do we want to head out for the pictures?”“Whenever we feel up to it,” Minho said, his eyes still closed from the kiss. As if he were waiting for another one. Kibum indulged him, and Minho’s arm wrapped back around him, holding him there. “Do we want breakfast first?”Minho shrugged beneath him, and Kibum pulled far enough away so he could see his expression. “How long will it take you?”“Not too long. I just want to get a few different angles.”“Okay.”They lay wrapped up in each other for a few more moments until Minho shifted below him, and Kibum reluctantly got up. Minho slid out of bed, the meandering trail of his kisses from last night still bright red across Minho’s chest and abdomen. Kibum’s gaze latched on him as he rummaged through his bag, pulling only his swimming trunks out to cover himself.“Okay, I’m ready.”Kibum blinked, a blush creeping over his face that he hoped Minho didn’t pick up on. No shirt? “Isn’t it too early for that?” Minho shot him a confused look. “For you to be shirtless.” Like, yes, it was a private beach, and it was early…the odds of anyone spotting them were slim…but…Minho’s slow smile only made Kibum’s blush bloom even more. He crawled half-back into bed, leaning on one knee to stretch across it to kiss him again. “And here I thought you were a morning person.”So much for having the upper hand after Minho responded to bokkul instead of jagiya last night. Whatever. He’d just have to fight to get it back before it slipped too far away from him today.He put on his fluorescent pink swimming trunks—to contrast Minho’s blue ones—as well as a loose lacy overshirt after applying sunscreen to both himself and Minho, who was still smugly adamant about not putting a shirt on. It was just to annoy him, at this point…but he couldn’t help but appreciate the view as he followed him back down the steps to the beach below.Minho kicked off his slides as soon as they reached the still-cool sand, setting them on the bottom step, then eagerly gestured for Kibum to do the same. He did so, begrudgingly, then Minho took up his hand, and started a light jog—an almost-run, for Kibum—down the beach. Only, Kibum was in no mood to run, so he started to slow down. Minho did, too, to keep pace with him, Kibum thought at first, but his true intention was to scoop him up in his arms. Kibum yelped in surprise, clinging to him, and Minho laughed—the sound high and bright like the rapidly rising sun.He slowed after a few more steps, twirling them. It was dizzying, focusing on Minho while the air and the sea and the sand swirled and blurred around them. Until Minho stopped spinning them, that is. The adoration was back in his eyes—had it ever left?—but with it now was something distinctly sad.Kibum took one of his hands from around Minho’s neck, holding his face. “What is it, honey?” he asked, using jagiya again so that Minho would know he wasn’t teasing him. “Is something wrong?”Minho shook his head, sighing defeatedly as he set Kibum gently back on firm ground, though neither of them released the other. “I’m just…I keep thinking about how much I’m gonna miss you.” Kibum gave him a small, tight-lipped smile, opening his mouth only to close it again a second later. “I know, I’m being pathetic.”“That’s not what I was gonna say.” Minho’s gaze trailed back to him, a sad sort of curiosity shining in his dark eyes. But, now that he was looking at him, the words he wanted to say seemed too cheesy. Too much to say to his face. Right now, at least. “We’ve still got a little while,” he said instead.“Less than a week.”“So?” Minho’s lips protruded in an annoyingly cute pout, so Kibum went up slightly on his tiptoes to kiss him. “Let’s make the most of the time we have left, then.” Minho nodded, and Kibum kissed him again before he stepped away and looked around. “What did you want to get pictures of?”“Oh,” Minho said, grabbing Kibum’s hand and kissing the back of it. “It’s down here.”Their joined hands swung between them, occasionally bumping into one or both of their hips, because of how close they were walking. Where was Minho taking him? This was the same direction they walked in last night, which meant that there had to be something at least somewhat significant down this way. How had he missed…whatever it was.Minho paused a few times on the way to it, hunkering down to get angled shots up the cliffs and the sky beyond them. Once they rounded a bend in the jutting crags, Kibum no longer had to wonder what the subject of Minho’s next painting would be.The rush of the waterfall greeted them first, the mist creating a rainbow cloud that billowed and dissipated over the pale almost-pink sands. The brilliant blue of the sky slashed with streaks of white clouds. The dark, volcanic rock of the cliffs framed the water spilling over the edge. The lush, verdant grasses swayed over the sharp edges of the cliff. Minho left his side to take his pictures, but Kibum couldn’t tear his gaze away from the sight to watch him.Maybe, if he asked nicely, Minho would paint him a picture of this so he could take it home.When he could finally look away from the waterfall, he searched for Minho in the mist. But to his surprise, Minho had already turned toward him, evidently taking a picture of him. Or several, judging by the softly crooked smile he was giving him.“Let me see,” Kibum said, reaching for Minho’s phone, only for him to relinquish it with no fight whatsoever.There were indeed several pictures of him, staring up at the waterfall. Transfixed. With an awed smile. He swiped back through them, accidentally switching back to the camera, which he pointed at Minho without looking up at him. He was, of course, still watching him, wreathed in the iridescent mists, his expression the painfully soft expression he’d grown accustomed to in these weeks that they’d been dating. He took the picture, moving immediately to send it to himself.“Did you just—“Kibum grinned, wrenching Minho’s phone out of his reach before he could snatch it out of his hand. He opened Minho’s messages with himself, struggling to send the picture as Minho gave chase.It was futile to run. Minho would catch him sooner rather than later. So when he ducked into the spacious area between the waterfall and the cliff face, he knew he only had seconds. He finished sending it just in time, as Minho burst into the space, his attention latching onto Kibum immediately. His phone vibrated in his pocket as he backed away, still grinning as he hid Minho’s phone behind him.Kibum’s back met the rock wall, and he glanced back at it in surprise, only to turn back around to find that Minho’s hand was resting on the wall by his shoulder, leaning over him. Minho was grinning, too, his eyes alight with a playful sort of fire.He was caught at last.“What, were you playing hard to get?”Kibum searched Minho’s gaze, slipping Minho’s phone into his pocket next to his—he had a feeling he’d want his hands free in a few seconds.“Something like that.”“So, then,”—Minho leaned closer—“What happens now?”Kibum shrugged and looked down to the space between them, reaching out to slip a hand around Minho’s waist. “Whatever you want.”Minho’s finger tucked beneath his chin, tilting his face up so that they were looking at each other again. His thumb brushed across Kibum’s lips, and he leaned in, almost close enough to kiss him. But he didn’t. Instead, he whispered, “What if I said I wanted to go get breakfast?”“Are you fucking serious,” Kibum said flatly, which made Minho throw his head back in echoing laughter before he finally kissed him.The hand that had been holding Kibum’s chin slipped around to cushion the back of his head as Minho pressed him against the rock wall. Kibum’s other hand slid around, gripping Minho’s back as he arched into him, pressing close to him. Minho—who was smiling now, Kibum could tell—moved his other hand to span across the small of Kibum’s back, holding him there as he deepened the kiss.The roar of the waterfall mingled with the crashing of the waves beyond and the mist settling around them. The effect made the world around them fade to nothing. For Kibum, at least. It was as though there were only he and Minho, alone together, without a care in the world except for prolonging this moment.Minho must have broken the kiss, because Kibum hadn’t been about to, and Kibum’s hold around Minho tightened instinctively. Minho chuckled, his eyes half-lidded as he met Kibum’s gaze. “I’m not going anywhere, babe.”“Then why’d you stop?”Smiling, Minho lifted his hand from Kibum’s back to hold his face, his thumb caressing his cheek. “I just wanted to look at you for a moment,” he said, leaning again to whisper, “Is that okay?” before he kissed him again.Lightly.Tenderly.“I suppose,” Kibum said, and Minho kissed the corner of his smile.Then his hand shifted so he could kiss his cheek. “You really are the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.” Higher up, kissing his cheekbone now. “Not like I could ever forget, but”—His other cheek. Could Minho feel how warm it was, now?—“I just want to remember every detail I can. Before you go home.” Then, right where his dimple would be. “I can’t believe how lucky I am.”Kibum moved one of his hands up to cup Minho’s cheek, pulling him into another hopefully long kiss.It was a rare thing for him to feel so…cherished in a relationship. With Minho, the feeling never really went away. It lingered in every look, in every casual touch, in every shared smile. There were moments, like this, where he was nearly drowning in the feeling and there was nothing he could think of to say. To let him know that he felt the same way.There were worse things he could be overwhelmed by. He could deal with this, even if he thought his heart might burst.When Minho broke the kiss again, he didn’t move away. Instead, his forehead rested against Kibum’s for the span of a few breaths, Kibum’s thumb caressing his cheek still. Then he lifted his head, kissing where his forehead had been pressed against Kibum’s and reached for his hand. “Let’s head back.”Kibum opened his eyes, wishing yet again that he knew how to paint. The sunlight filtering through the rushing waterfall behind Minho had doused him in a pale blue. Almost teal. Gleaming in his hair, highlighting his features as he turned his head to look out beyond the waterfall. The shifting shadows across his face as he stepped back, then smiled at him, were striking.His heart clenched when Minho squeezed his hand and then interlocked their fingers as he started them back toward their cottage on the cliff. Kibum leaned closer, his free hand reaching around to grab Minho’s arm. He looked up at him, knowing that he was probably smiling a bit too broadly to not be a little embarrassed by it. Not that he could help himself, but…Minho turned his head, and before Kibum could make himself look away, Minho’s at-ease-with-the-world smile shifted to a grin. Kibum’s eyes slid closed when Minho leaned over to kiss his temple.At the moment, he wasn’t sure if he could be happier.Until he remembered that he would be leaving soon.No. He wouldn’t let the thought taint the rest of the day. Or his time in Jeju. Just like he had told Minho, they would just need to make the most of the time they had left together until Minho came to Seoul.He released Minho’s arm—not his hand—once they reached the steps, letting him lead the way up to the cottage. Minho opened the back door for him, letting him enter first. Kibum hurried upstairs, Minho close behind him.“Do we want to go out for breakfast?” Kibum asked as he plopped down before his suitcase, searching for his actual outfit for the day. Something cute but not impractically so, given that with the classes he had signed them up for, his clothes might get dirty…“Sure,” Minho said as he slipped into the bathroom. “Did you find any cafes on your surveillance trip here?”Surveillance. Kibum scoffed, shaking his head. It was true, that was what he had been doing, but it was just funny to say it out loud. “Uh, yeah, maybe. But Taeyeon and I didn’t stop at any of them.”“You can choose one of them, then.” The water turned on, distracting Kibum for a second as he slipped into his jeans. “I’m not picky.”“Okay.”The chunky beads of his necklaces clinked together as he put them on in succession, then he grabbed the straw hat he had bought for this summer and one of his more colorful bucket hats that he’d had for a while, weighing both options. Frowning, he picked both of them up and headed into the bathroom, finding Minho shaving.“Which one do you think?” he asked as he met his gaze in the mirror, holding up both of the hats. “This one?” He dropped the bucket hat on his head, holding Minho’s unblinking gaze for a few seconds before he removed it and replaced it with the wide-brimmed straw hat. “Or this one?”Minho blinked at last, looking away and completing that last couple of swipes with his razor before rinsing his cheeks again and patting his face dry. “The second one,” he said as he shook out the towel, hanging it back up on the rack beside the sink. Then he turned, stroking the front of Kibum’s shirt for a second. “The texture is a nice contrast with the lace.”He gave Kibum a bright smile before he moved away, Kibum’s gaze roving over his bare shoulders and back until he vanished beyond the doors. Minho was intermittently humming and whistling as he got ready in the other room, and Kibum listened with a growing smile as he applied another layer of sunscreen. Minho burst back in a few moments later, his grin brightening at the sight of Kibum.“Ready to go?”“Mhm,” Kibum said, reaching for his hand.Minho drove them back into town, both of them searching for a promising-looking cafe. There was one next to the candle-making shop they would be going to for their first class, but that didn’t start for another hour. “This one looks good,” Kibum said, gesturing to it, and Minho obliged him, pulling into the nearest empty parking space.Kibum waited for him at the hood of his car, resisting the urge to reach for his hand, now that they were in public. He followed him inside the airy, charmingly lit cafe, glancing around at the string lights and the pastel greens and gold decorating the small space. Minho was already up at the counter inspecting the menu when Kibum stopped taking in the room. He hurried to return to his side, tucking himself half behind him as he quickly ran through the menu.“Do you want the earl grey latte?” Minho asked, turning his head slightly toward him.“That does sound good.”When Minho stepped forward to order, Kibum did too, only to inspect the pastries within the case. Puffy croissants and choux buns with matcha-colored craquelin on top and delicate palmiers gleaming with caramel in their many-layered curls and gold-dusted macarons with what looked like some sort of curd between the crisp meringue cookies populated the case. A small selection, but a quality one from the looks of it.Kibum hummed in thought as he looked at them all, and Minho slid back next to him.“Which of these do you want to try?”“Would it be weird to say all of them?”He looked up at Minho, who met his gaze immediately, a bright twinkle in his eye, before he looked back at the cashier. “And one of each of the pastries, please.”The cashier loaded up a tray for them to take to a nearby table with the promise that their drinks would be there shortly. Minho carried the tray back, setting it between them on the table while Kibum sat down opposite him. He was about to ask which one should they start with, but Minho took up the palmier, splitting it into two curled halves, the broken ends of the puff pastry splintering over the tray as he passed the bigger half to Kibum.Just in time, too, because their drinks arrived. Minho’s dark shot of steaming espresso, and Kibum’s wide mug with delicate foamy leaves adorning the top of his earl grey latte.There was a bit of cinnamon and orange in the caramel, and the macarons had indeed been filled with mango curd. The croissant was not filled but not diminished because of that, as it was still warm from being recently baked off. The choux bun was filled with sweet red bean paste mousse, and Kibum was surprised that Minho shared it with him at all after discovering that.By the time they had finished, there were only ten minutes before the class was set to start. Minho piled everything on the tray while Kibum cleaned up their few crumbs, and Minho carried it back to the counter as Kibum stood and made for the door. Minho met him there, hurrying to get the door for him.“So when’s our class?” Minho asked before the cafe door could shut behind them.“In…” Kibum drew out the word as he held up his phone, the screen illuminating to reveal the time. “Three minutes.”“Three minutes?” Minho asked incredulously, fumbling for his keys. “How late are we gonna be?”“Not at all.” When Minho looked confused, Kibum just laughed, guiding him next door and opening it for him this time.The lush perfume of florals wafted over them as they entered the candle shop, and then, once they stepped inside, there was an underlying note of something muskier that Kibum couldn’t quite place. Sandalwood, maybe. Minho was looking around at all the candle-strewn shelves, just as Kibum had when he had been here with Taeyeon. So many options, but they weren’t here to pick a candle off the shelves.“Good afternoon,” the young woman behind the counter said brightly. “Is there something I can help you find?”“We’re here for the 12:30 class?”“Oh!” Her brows shot up in pleasant surprise, and she gestured to the door to the side, stepping out from behind the counter. “Let me show you in.”“Thank you,” Kibum said, his hand going to the small of Minho’s back to nudge him along, as he was still distracted. “Is this okay?” he whispered to Minho, hoping that she wouldn’t hear. “If you don’t want to—““No, no, it’ll be fun. I’ve never done this before.”“Me neither. I was thinking”—They reached two empty stools around the workstation, glancing around at the others populating the class. Tourists. Mothers and daughters—“we could make one for each other. Like me for you and vice versa.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up in interest. “Something to remind us of each other, when we’re, you know, apart.”“I like that,” Minho said as an older woman, presumably the owner of this shop, came around to stand at the head of the table.Kibum sat back, still watching him, pleased that he didn’t think it was a dumb idea.They listened attentively as the woman explained the process of weighing out the wax, the wick options available, the quantity of fragrance oils to use with the amount of wax that they would need for their candles—“Not too much, or the fragrance output will be weak. And don’t choose too many different oils, or the result will be a muddy perfume.” She also showed them the blocks of wax dye—an impressive array. Minho cutely perked up at the sight of them—and demonstrated how to blend the colors to achieve different hues.After she was done, they were given free rein to peruse the shelves and instructed to pick no more than five fragrance oils for their candles. Minho had already pulled down two bottles but was smugly refusing to show Kibum his choices.Fine. Be that way, he thought with an attempt at an irritated glance that may have come out as a smile.Nothing was standing out to him, though. Minho moved away from him, clearly on a mission, and Kibum stepped closer to the selection of floral oils. What were the flowers called? The ones that were in that field Minho had taken him to last summer? He squinted at the little pictures, searching for flecks of pink until he landed on orange blossom.He cast a furtive glance over his shoulder, making sure that Minho wasn’t beside him again, and uncapped the bottle, taking a sniff. While it was strong—concentrated as the fragrance was—it took him back to last summer. To their day in the tangerine orchard. To the first night they spent together, wavering somewhere between platonic and romantic.Smiling now, he kept looking, giving up hope of finding those flowers as the seconds passed, only to catch a fleck of that familiar pink in the corn that of his eye. Cosmos. That’s what those flowers were called. He took the bottle down, too, and sniffed it, his eyebrows raising as once again he was transported to that flower field. Minho’s caption was right—he did love the flowers.But, would these two scents work together? He worried his bottom lip, stepping away from the floral selection and over to the fruits. Where Minho had been.Peach would be fun to get, but it was already gone. Maybe…what about the cocktail Minho had drunk that karaoke night…where was it? Ah, down there. He snatched the lychee bottle, then looked around for the watermelon, but it was also gone.He stepped away, meandering around with the stragglers to look at the other shelves, just to see if anything stood out to him. He was about to turn to head back to his station and then his attention was snagged by the Honey label. Grinning, he reached for it, unscrewing the cap to make sure it wasn’t grossly artificial.But it wasn’t. It was perfect. Just what he needed to finish off his candle for Minho.He took his bottles back, positioning them away from Minho, who was curiously looking over at what he was doing. He had already been back at his station for a while, judging by how much his wax had already melted.Kibum weighed out his wax and started warming it in the little pot provided by the instructor. He sniffed a quiet little laugh to himself. It was dumb, he knew, but the little pot brought him back to his childhood. He and Yeri used to pretend that they were witches and wizards on their way to Hogwarts. Every stick was a wand, every pot a cauldron.Didn’t the potions change colors, too? Which color should he choose for his candle?Minho nudged his elbow, and Kibum looked up at him, his eyebrows raised in question. He held his long, thin spoon out, pointing at the smooth surface of his wax, and whispered, “Expelliarmus!” Kibum blinked, taken aback that Minho’s mind was on the same train of thought as his own. “You know, like in—““No, I know,” Kibum said, reaching out to squeeze Minho’s arm as he let out an almost silent laugh. Minho grinned, seemingly proud of his joke, and went back to measuring out his fragrances.Kibum watched him for a few seconds more before he remembered that they weren’t alone and if anyone were watching them at the moment, they’d be able to tell that…that he was…No. Not yet. It was still too soon.Gulping, he glanced around, grateful that no one was paying him any mind. Minho included. He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter, reaching for his bottles of fragrance. Measuring them out like the instructor had said to, he stirred them into the hot wax. Minho’s hand entered his peripheral vision, and he followed its progress as he reached for the blocks of dyes. He grabbed the bright pink, the orange, and the white. When he noticed Kibum watching him, he grinned and unnecessarily hid his choices behind his hand.“I already saw them, dumbass,” Kibum said softly, and Minho’s gaze flicked back to him, his smile gleaming there. “Save some of the pink for me.”“Okay, got it.” He shaved off a bit of the white, then cut off more substantial chunks of the pink and orange. Then, he passed the pink over to Kibum, who grabbed the purple and the red as well.He was gonna shoot for the same magenta that had adorned that flower field last year, but he didn’t have Minho’s eye for color mixing… Still, he did okay, he thought, once he had stirred the color in. Maybe it’d be a bit dark, but he doubted Minho would mind too much. Minho’s wick was centered, his wax was poured, and he had started on the label by the time Kibum was reaching for his waiting wick. Oh god, he’d have to do a label, too, and he just knew it’d be nowhere near as pretty as Minho’s.But this wasn’t a competition, was it…Sighing, he held the stick keeping the wick in place steady as he poured the vibrant wax into the glass jar. Once the little pot was empty, he set it aside and reached for the blank label. He glanced at what Minho was doing, but he was successfully hiding it behind his hand this time, and he pulled the tray of paints closer to him, squinting at the label before him.What to do…Something abstract? That’s what he usually went with. Minho, too, when it came to him.Hm.“Are these watercolors?” he whispered to Minho, startling him away from concentrating on his work. “Sorry—““You’re good. And yeah, they are.”Nodding, Kibum glanced between the label and the tray of paints. Something simple, then. Maybe just choose the colors of the scents. That could work. He dabbed clean water on the label, then into the pink, blotching some on and letting the color spread around before he cleaned his brush and went for the orange, then the golden yellow. He dabbed up the excess water, pleased with the simple mix of colors he achieved. And, once it was dry enough, he reached for the pen, tapping the end of it against his left hand as he thought.What would be a good title? Something not too cheesy, although Minho did really like that. He looked Minho’s way again to find him still engrossed in his work. So, before Minho could see, and before he could talk himself out of it, Kibum wrote as neatly as he could:
The Story of You and I
Once the ink had dried, he peeled the back off and stuck it to his jar, picking it carefully up and placing it on the shelf where most of the other candle jars were already cooling. Minho was setting his brush aside with what Kibum assumed was a contented sigh, his other hand jerking to hide the artwork from Kibum.“Oh, come on, I’ll be seeing it all the time once I get home.”“Can’t it be a surprise until then?”Kibum rolled his eyes. “Fine.”Then he turned away as Minho reached for the pen to title his. What would his be? Why was he being so goddamn secretive about it? He started to look back at Minho at the sound of the stool legs scraping against the floor, but then Minho breezed past him on the way to the shelf.Once he returned to his stool, they were sent on their way by the instructor after she told them to return before closing to retrieve their waiting, completely cooled candles. Minho jumped up, hurrying to get the door for not only Kibum but also for the rest of the class. Kibum smiled up at him as he passed him on his way out the door, and Minho caught up to him before the door had fallen shut.“Where to next?” he asked.“Well,” Kibum said, crossing his arms to keep himself from holding Minho’s hand. “We have some time to kill, so I thought we could explore a bit. I spotted an art shop when I was here last time, and there were some cute, uh, artisan shops, but I wasn’t sure if you’d be interested in those…”Minho’s eyes were alight with curious interest as he glanced around at the surrounding shops. “Lead the way!”Their first stop was the bakery across the street. They sampled the fresh crusty bread, spreading the offered whipped honey cinnamon butter over the steaming, pillowy middle. Minho chatted with the flour-dusted bakers, who were watching him with bright eyes as he waxed eloquent to them about how good their bread was. Meanwhile, Kibum perused the shop, glancing occasionally toward Minho and the rapidly enamored young women behind the counter.Shaking his head with a smile, Kibum looked back at the honey selection, choosing one of the darker varieties and bringing it up to the counter where Minho was picking out more bread. Presumably for their dinner tonight. Kibum set the jar of honey down on the counter, his attention immediately on Minho when he looked down to inspect what Kibum picked out.His eyes narrowed, his lips pursed in what would have been a wry smile, but he didn’t say anything.Beyond pleased, Kibum pulled out his wallet to pay for their selections while one of the girls bagged everything up for them. Kibum grabbed the bag, smiling his thanks while Minho bowed slightly to the two women, and Kibum held the door open for him.Minho waited until the door was firmly closed behind them to say, “Fucking honey? Are you serious?”Kibum half collapsed in laughter against his side, leaning on him for support for a few seconds. Minho laughed too, shaking his head in exasperation as Kibum straightened and let him go. “Your reaction was worth it, I’m not even sorry.”“Whatever.”They walked along a few more steps, Kibum glancing in the shop window to peek at Minho’s reflected expression. To see if he was mad or not, but he wasn’t. He was smiling faintly, looking quite fond and at peace with the day. Kibum turned his head to look at the real thing, sidling closer to him. “I got it for you to remember me by.”“Shut up,” Minho said, a laugh still in his voice, and Kibum looked away to hide his grin.Their next stop was a perfumery, where they deliberated over a perfume for Mom, as a just-because gift. Then a handmade jewelry shop, where Kibum picked out some earrings for Yeri and Taeyeon while Minho wandered around near the rings and bracelets, coming back when Kibum asked his opinion on the natural pearl earrings he had his eye on for Taeyeon.Kibum took the bags from Minho—who had insisted on carrying them—once they reached the art shop. He trailed after him, endeared by how engrossed he was in everything he saw and amused at the way he kept making these quiet little comments to himself that Kibum couldn’t quite decipher. Kibum got distracted looking at the vast selection of brushes, looking away from them at the sound of Minho’s excited voice.He was yet again talking to the woman at the workstation behind the counter, so Kibum meandered over, tucking himself half-behind Minho and looking over his shoulder to find her…smearing a dark red paint over a glass cutting board with a bulbous glass pestle? No, it only took a few seconds of listening to realize that she was making her own paint.Would Minho like to do something like that?His attention flicked up to Minho, trying to read his expression. The wide, bright eyes, the easy smile, the way he was engaging with her…yes, he probably would like to attempt it, at the very least.When there was a lull in his questions and her answers, Kibum cleared his throat, asking, “How much would something like this cost?”Minho’s shoulder tensed beneath his; clearly, he was anticipating the response. “Oh, it can go anywhere from 350,000₩ to 1,000,000₩.” Minho’s shoulder immediately slumped. He’d never spend that much on himself, that much Kibum knew. “This set that I have was about…450,000₩. I got it from Japan.”Kibum nodded, and in his peripheral vision, Minho did as well. Kibum’s hand settled on Minho’s lower back. “Did you have anything you wanted to get here? Our next class is starting soon.”“Oh, right, uh…” Minho looked around, leaving Kibum’s side to go fetch whatever it was.Kibum watched him for a second, making sure he wasn’t paying attention before he leaned into the counter, the owner’s eyebrows shooting up in question. “Can you tell me where you got this?” he whispered, and there was a knowing twinkle in her eyes as she handed over her card with a handwritten note for the website she had purchased hers on.They left then, Minho flicking through his new sketchbook with thick, handmade paper—“Her husband makes the paper in the back room and then binds it for her to sell.”—as Kibum directed him toward the chocolate shop.Once inside, the sweet, earthy scent of chocolate was clinging to the air, drawing them further into the shop. On one side of the shop, little clear boxes filled with shards of hand-ground chocolate that were tied off in satin ribbons neatly lined the shelves. Labels with the different flavors mixed into the chocolate were tacked on the edge of the shelves. On the other side, custom tea sets, perhaps handmade by the shop as well, with a table set up below the shelves, a little bit of steam curling out of the spout.There was a folded sign by the teapot and amidst a host of tiny, ceramic cups: Please, help yourself to a sample of our chocolate tea.Kibum moved over to it, Minho on his heels, and poured them both a little of it. Minho held his out to Kibum, who clinked them together before he took a sip. The tea was robustly rich in dark chocolate flavor, sweetened slightly with the addition of cinnamon and other spices. Cardamom, maybe. Or nutmeg. Minho let out a pleased hummed exclamation before he downed the rest of his to pour himself another.Kibum savored his, looking around to the beaded-curtain obscured threshold behind the counter. He could just make out a stone slab and an array of spices before a hand split the beaded curtain, revealing a bright-eyed, middle-aged man wearing a thick brown apron.“Here for the class?” he asked, and when Kibum nodded, he gestured for them to join him in the workroom. Minho’s hand found the small of Kibum’s back, gently pushing him forward so he could enter first.It was a circular room, the windows facing a garden with the sea glittering in the afternoon sun as far as the eye could see. The places where the walls weren’t windows housed placard awards and articles about this shop and pictures of the owner—the man who had welcomed them inside and was sitting down at the other side of the table—and his son, assumedly, harvesting cacao pods from somewhere tropical looking. Somewhere in South America, if Kibum had to guess.There were a few other obvious couples at or around the table, all eyes turning toward him and Minho as they entered and took the empty pair of seats at the curved table. The owner welcomed and thanked everyone for coming, then promptly launched into an explanation of what they’d be doing today. Minho fiddled with the metalpil—the long, thin rolling-pin-shaped stone that he would be using to grind the cacao nibs—as the owner explained it and the metate’s uses.Then, he brought out the freshly roasted cacao beans that they would be using today, measuring them out into bowls and passing them around to each pair of guests along with a second bowl. He showed them how to break them down into nibs, the room lapsing into a concentrated quiet as they got to work. Minho leaned a little closer to him, his forearm pressing against Kibum’s and staying there as he grabbed another bean. Kibum looked over at him, both amused and endeared as Minho fleetingly met his gaze with an adorably sheepish grin.And yet he still didn’t move away.So, glancing around and finding themselves unobserved, Kibum scooted a little closer to Minho, until their knees were touching. He looked up at him again, just for a second, happy to see him so pleased by the simple, minimal contact.He had a feeling that Minho would be a tad clingy when they got back to the cottage for the night, as today might just be the longest that they—or, specifically, Minho—had had to survive without frequent physical contact while in each other’s presence. Somehow, he’d have to figure out how to endure a touch-starved Minho. Maybe dinner tonight should be something that needed to stew for a while so that they could cuddle on the couch for a while…or something.Truth be told, he was missing them too. The random, uninhibited, and casual touches throughout their days together tucked away in Minho’s shop. But he’d never admit that unless he was coerced.Their knees were still pressed together by the time they had all finished with the cacao beans. And now, everyone in the room was paying rapt attention to the instructor as he started the laborious process of grinding the nibs with the metalpil. When he gave them the go-ahead, Kibum carefully poured their collected nibs onto the metate and Minho started grinding them while the owner nodded to the mix-ins arranged in the center of the table between them all. Citrus peels, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, coffee beans, cardamom pods, thin, spicy-looking peppers, and sticky caramel or honey to sweeten the chocolate, if they so desired.Kibum looked back at Minho, the question of what he would want to mix into their chocolate teetering on the tip of his tongue. His attention had been snagged by Minho’s furrowed concentrated expression and the way his muscled forearms and biceps were accentuated by the repeated grinding motions. It took him a few seconds to snap out of his distracted state, and Minho looked up when he quietly cleared his throat.“Which flavors do you want to put into it?”Minho shook his head. “Whichever you think would be best.”Kibum’s eyes narrowed into a brief squint. “If we’re gonna share, I want your input.”He stopped grinding with a clipped sigh, regarding Kibum with a crooked half-smile that fully reached his eyes. Kibum’s eyebrows rose while he watched him, waiting for his response. “Cinnamon,” he said after flexing his hands for a few seconds. “And whatever else you want.”“See, was that so hard?”Minho sniffed a laugh, resuming grinding the nibs, and Kibum weighed out the cinnamon. Then some coffee beans, crushing them together in the offered mortar and pestle until the owner interjected in the private conversations between the pairs with, “Your chocolate is coming along just fine, but if you want to add a sweetener, now is the time to do it.”Kibum looked over at Minho, who nodded, and Kibum reached for the honey, grinning when Minho let out a heavy sigh. He was shaking his head with a slight smile and holding the metalpil at the ready as Kibum swirled the honey over the dark brown paste smeared across the metate. The other couples were doing the same, some with the caramel, and Kibum passed the honey jar over to the woman who was waiting patiently for it. Kibum went back to breaking down the cinnamon and coffee beans until the owner instructed him and the others to add the other mix-ins.It took a few more minutes until the chocolate was ready to be hardened for them to take home. Kibum and the ones who were not doing the grinding were tasked with cleaning the edges of the metate and keeping the chocolate contained on the stone plate. They were also the ones who scraped it off the stone and deposited it onto the parchment-lined metal sheet pans.The chocolate hardened pretty quickly, given that the sheet pans had been stored in a nearby refrigerator. And, once it had, they worked to break it into shards and put them in clear plastic boxes. Kibum tied theirs off with a pretty lilac ribbon, thanking the owner with Minho and the others before they left the chocolate shop.They let the others leave first, Kibum’s gaze trailing after a few of the couples when they immediately linked arms, held hands, or sidled closer to each other as soon as they were on their own again. Minho’s grip tightened around the box of their chocolate, and Kibum looked up at him before following his eye line to the couple ahead of them whose arms were wrapped around each other—his around her shoulders, hers around his waist.“The candles are probably ready now,” Kibum said, drawing Minho’s attention back to him. “Do we want to go pick them up and then get stuff for dinner?”“And head back to the cottage?” When Kibum nodded, Minho picked up the pace, a slight spring in his step now.Their candles were ready for them to pick up, and Minho laughed when Kibum made a big show out of concealing the label from him. Neither of them could hide the color, though. Kibum’s, a shade of bright, rich pink reminiscent of the flower field, just like he had wanted. And Minho’s, a lovely shade of peach. Which was probably why the peach-scented oil had been missing when he was looking for it.Kibum eyed the color with the beginnings of a smile, looking up at Minho when he tried to cover the whole jar with the span of his hand.“What do we want for dinner?” Kibum asked, sidling as close to him as could be considered normal by anyone who passed them on the street.“Something tasty?”“Care to be more specific?”“Nope.” Kibum huffed, and Minho laughed again, unlocking his car with a press of a button on his key fob.“You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met,” Kibum said as soon as they had both climbed into Minho’s car, doors closed behind them.“Yeah?” Minho asked with a stupidly cute grin. “Even more than a drunk Jonghyun seconds after Jinki has left his line of sight?”Kibum snorted despite his attempt at keeping his annoyed expression. “A very close second, then.”“I’ll take it,” Minho said as he pulled out of the parking space.By the time they reached the grocery store, Kibum still had no idea what to do for the night. Minho was still being no help, aside from grabbing the first basket he saw and dutifully following Kibum around as he trailed up and down the aisles.What to make?After all their running around, he wasn’t in the mood to make anything too extensive or difficult, even if he did still want to impress Minho with his cooking. Even something simple sounded too tedious, but he didn’t want to get a ready-made meal either…that wasn’t romantic enough, by his standards.Sighing heavily, he looked around at the heaps of fresh produce, trying to calculate his options. They had that fresh bread and honey…that could be a component of their meal. Squinting, he scanned the fruits, putting a bag of red grapes in the basket as he passed that section.Basket…He stopped walking suddenly, Minho accidentally bumping into him. “Oh shit, sorry, Bum.”Kibum shook his head dismissively, his brain shifting into overdrive. A picnic by the beach? There had been a basket in the pantry back at the cottage, he remembered seeing it when he was on the hunt for a pot to cook the pasta last night. So, what would they need, then? Maybe more fruit? He could mash up some avocados to spread on the bread, and they already had chili flakes from their dinner last night. Wine, too, was a given. Minho would probably want some sort of meat element…He grabbed fruits at random, then picked a few perfect avocados and tomatoes before heading over to the cured meats. “Do you like prosciutto?” Kibum asked, pulling a packet of it off the shelf.Minho shrugged. “Never had it before.”“Really?” He tossed it into the basket with the other items. “Well, I'm sure you’ll like it. Let’s go pick some wine.” He searched the white wines, finding one from 1991 and smiling as he plucked it from the shelf and set it in their basket. “Anything else you want?” Kibum asked.Minho held the basket up between them, peering into it. If he was questioning Kibum’s choices, it didn’t show on his face. “It all looks good to me.”“Let’s go check out.” Minho’s head snapped up, giving Kibum a thorough once-over before he met his gaze again with an amused smirk as Kibum’s face flared with heat. “I meant the food.”“Oh.”But Minho’s eyes were twinkling now, and Kibum rolled his eyes with a—fondly—muttered idiot, which Minho must have heard because he chuckled as he followed him to the register.They were back to the car and on the road again in no time, Kibum quiet as he plotted how to throw this together quickly so it was still a surprise to Minho. He dug around in their bags once they were parked before the cottage again, searching for the fresh bread and honey and tossing them in the grocery bags. “Do you mind bringing everything else in if I get the food?”“Oh, no problem, babe.”Kibum smiled at the returned use of the term of endearment. He cupped Minho’s cheek, kissing the cheek closer to him quickly before letting him go. Minho grinned too, lingering for a few seconds beside him as if he were loath to part with him now that they were alone again. But he did, letting Kibum trek up the stone-laid path by himself. Once he had the door unlocked, he hurried inside, unpacking the bags quickly and waiting until Minho had made it upstairs before he pulled out the picnic basket so he could pack it.The wine and glasses were in, the fruits were washed and arranged neatly inside, the bread was sliced and the honey was nestled against the slices, and Kibum was mashing the avocados when Minho emerged into the kitchen. “I put your candle in your—“Kibum looked up when Minho’s voice trailed off, pleased to find him looking so happily incredulous. Before Minho could ask what Kibum was doing, though, Kibum asked, “Hey, honey, would you mind grabbing a few blankets and pillows?”“Uh…no?”Minho left again, and Kibum scooped the mashed avocados into a container and pressed the lid on top, rearranging the bread a little so he could fit it inside. He washed and sliced the tomatoes and put them and the bottle of chili flakes into the basket by the time Minho’s quickened footsteps sounded in the stairwell again. He latched the basket as he reappeared in the kitchen doorway. Kibum slid his arm through the handle, letting it dangle off his arm as he reached out for Minho’s free hand.“You ready?”Minho took his hand readily, still watching him incredulously. “Where are we going?”Kibum simply smiled, tugging Minho along toward the backdoor.The air was warm and inviting, floral notes from flowers growing off of crags on the cliff mingling with the brine of the sea. Their descent to the beach was slow, as Kibum didn’t want to release Minho’s hand and he was certain that Minho felt the same way. Even as they looked for a flat stretch of sand to spread the blanket out on, neither let go until Minho had to shake out the blanket. Once the blanket was laid and the pillows and basket were arranged, they sat, gravitating toward each other as Minho unlatched the basket.“You hungry?”Minho shrugged with a sort of nod, breaking off a handful of grapes before sitting back, their shoulders pressing together.“You can help yourself to whatever.”“Okay,” Minho said, with an air of soft cuteness.Once Minho finished the grapes, he sat forward again, this time Kibum joining him, and together they fixed their dinner. Minho was a tad skeptical about the prosciutto at first, nibbling on the tiniest piece he could peel off before heaping several slices over his avocado…well, not quite toast, but the same sort of idea. He even let Kibum drizzle a little bit of the honey over the prosciutto and the tomatoes and the chili flakes. Minho had two pieces of “toast” to Kibum’s one and was happily munching on a mixture of grapes and cherries Kibum had brought with him as he leaned back on the blanket, away from the basket again. As soon as Minho had settled, Kibum leaned toward him, his head lightly resting on Minho’s shoulder as he looked out at the sparkling sea. Minho wasted no time planting a kiss in Kibum’s hair, and Kibum smiled to himself, his attention trained on the leisurely setting sun.“Today has been so nice,” Minho said after kissing the crown of his head again before resting his cheek against Kibum’s hair.“It was.” The foamy waves lapped at the shore and receded several times before Minho lifted his head as he reached for more of the fruit between them. “What were you saying—before, back at the cottage—about my candle?”“Oh!” He shifted on the blanket to face him, his knee resting against Kibum’s as if he couldn’t bear any lack of physical contact now that they were free to do so. “Just that I put it in our bag without looking at the label. Or smelling it.”Kibum forced himself not to grin as he popped another cherry in his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully for a few seconds before asking, “Are you saying you’re not curious? Do you not care about me at all?”“I thought you wanted it to be a surprise!” Minho spluttered, and Kibum couldn’t help but cackle at that, leaning forward to clasp Minho’s shoulder for support.“I mean,” Kibum said once he sobered a bit. “I probably would have.” Minho sighed into a smile, the breeze off the sea toying with his hair. “Would you have minded?” Kibum asked, reaching out to brush his fingers through Minho’s hair, just because he could.Minho’s eyes half-closed at the contact, so Kibum combed his fingers through his hair again, smiling softly when Minho leaned into his touch. How Minho had survived as long as he had without physical affection, with as much as he appreciated it, Kibum wasn’t sure.“No, I wouldn’t have.”His thumb caressed his brow before he took his hand away, Minho slow-blinking a few times as Kibum sidled closer. “Well, I promise I won’t. Not until I get back to Seoul.” Minho nodded, and Kibum reached into the basket. “Do you want some wine?”“Sure.” He passed Minho the bottle to open while he got the glasses out. Minho poured some into each of the glasses, and Kibum held his out for them to toast before he took a sip of it. “Are we drinking to anything in particular?” Minho asked, his eyebrows quirking as if to emphasize the question.“To us.” And our hopefully long future. Minho watched him fondly, and for a second, Kibum was worried that he had said the second thought aloud. But then, Minho took a drink of his wine, smiling faintly as he looked back out at the sea. “Everything okay?” Kibum asked, eyeing him half-warily. Had something reminded him of Yeunseo?“Hm?” He looked back at Kibum, taken aback by his concern. “Oh, yeah, it’s…I’m fine. I just thought of something.”“What?”Minho’s eyes closed tightly and he shook his head; he was clearly embarrassed. “I was thinking again about how nice today has been and, I don’t know, it reminded me that I’d never really done anything like it before. Like, with Yeunseo”—Kibum squinted as he watched Minho, trying to work out where he was going before he could finish his thought—“we never really had the opportunity. To do stuff like this. Or to go on real dates, even. There was already someone around and…yeah.”“So,” Kibum swirled the wine around in his glass, though he didn’t look down at it. “What you’re saying is that the first time you were ever on a real date was with me?”Minho shrugged, not looking at him. “Pretty lame, huh?”“Not really.” Surprised, Minho’s gaze flew to meet his, and Kibum offered him a small smile. “It’s not like you had any other options. And I didn’t go on any real dates until college, so…” His voice trailed off as another thought struck him, so before he could talk himself out of it, he asked, “Was…Is there something that you’ve been wanting to do? Like, as a date?”Maybe it was just the effect of the setting sun, but Minho’s cheeks were looking a little rosier. He shook his head, his smile a tinge embarrassed again, and he looked up when Kibum shoved his shoulder lightly.“I’ve always…liked the idea of going…dancing.”“Like, in a club?” Kibum asked, hoping he didn’t look crestfallen. He’d done more of his fair share of that in college, every time with Joonwoo. Sure, it’d be nice to rewrite some of those memories with Minho instead, but he wasn’t exactly keen to, at the moment.“Oh, no, I’ve done that before. Back when I was in the military.” Kibum blinked rapidly and Minho laughed. “I was the designated driver when we went to the club during the weekend.”“Always the designated driver?”Minho nodded. “Didn’t want to get drunk and do something I might regret.” Yeah, he could understand that. “But, I don’t know…it’s always seemed like such a nice idea. Dancing. With someone you…like.”Like, huh? Kibum’s eyes narrowed again as he searched Minho’s expression. “What kind of dancing were you thinking, then?” Minho’s gaze flicked over to him again, wide-eyed now. Hopeful. Kibum leaned in, his lips curling into a smile. “Like, tango? Salsa?”Minho was grinning incredulously. “Do you know how to do those?”Kibum shook his head. “I’m sure we could figure it out.” Minho’s eyes were so bright, even in the dwindling light. “Not tonight, though. We can start simple.”“Tonight?”Kibum’s brow furrowed as he nodded adamantly, then downed the rest of his wine and gestured for Minho to follow him. He stopped a little ways away from their blanket, holding his hands out, waiting for Minho to join him. “I’ll lead,” he said, as Minho stopped before him.“We don’t have music, though?”“That’s easily fixed.”Kibum took his right hand, then placed his left on his shoulder before slipping his other hand around Minho’s waist and pulling him closer. “I’ll just teach you the basics first, then we can add music.”“Okay.”“So, just step like I do. To the side,” and he did so, Minho stepping with him. “Then forward for me,” Minho stepped back when Kibum stepped forward, his forehead pressing against Kibum’s as he looked down between them, watching their footwork. Kibum gently pressed his side, guiding him in that direction as he stepped that way, then he stepped backward, bringing Minho forwards. “It’s like a little circle, see?”“Yeah, that makes sense.”“It’s really simple,” Kibum said, starting them on their next slow revolution in the warm sand. “Some people just sway together, but this is a bit more of a waltz, I think. You can do a spin, too,” he added after a second, then lifted their joined hands, pushing Minho slightly away so he could revolve on his own, only to fall back into his arms with a growing smile. “Do you like it?”He nodded eagerly, then asked, “Do you?”Kibum nodded, searching Minho’s expression for a second. “Honestly, this is the first time I’ve danced like this with a man.” Minho blinked rapidly, his lips parting, his brow furrowing in surprise. Kibum laughed, tugging him a bit closer. “I went to dancing classes with my friend, Joohyun.” The furrow in his brow deepened for a second until he, assumedly, recalled Kibum mentioning her before. “Her girlfriend is a dancer, and she wanted to impress her, so we took the class together.”“I’m guessing it worked, then?”“If you count them being together for two years as ‘working’, then, yes.”“I’d say so, yeah.” Minho’s smile was gradual, his gaze softly imploring, Kibum’s eyebrows raising slightly in question. “Can I spin you?”Kibum pushed away from Minho, his lips pressed together to keep his smile from being too big as he lifted their joined hands and started to turn on the spot. With a little flourish, of course, his eyes flicked back to Minho just as he tugged Kibum back to him.“Okay, I think I’ve got the hang of it now.”“Do you…want to stop?” Kibum asked, hesitating because he couldn’t read Minho’s expression well when they were this close. Maybe he was just distracted.“Not really.” Then, with a hint of a gleam in his eye—which was Kibum’s only warning—he leaned closer, their cheeks pressed together, his lips brushing against Kibum’s ear as he whispered. “I don’t want to let you go, to be honest.”That was the last thing Kibum wanted, too. To hide his smile again, he buried his face in Minho’s neck and shoulder, his eyes closing tightly when Minho kissed his temple as if to savor the sensation.For a second, he thought about pulling himself out of Minho’s arms to put on some music for them to dance to. But what music did they need, with the symphony of the crashing waves on the shore mixing with the beating of their hearts?God…He lifted his head, grateful that Minho couldn’t read his cheesy thoughts, and turned it so that his temple rested on Minho’s shoulder and looked out at the setting sun, hidden now by the crags of the cliff.It had been a perfect day, from start to finish. He couldn’t have asked or wished for anything better. This thought intensified when Minho buried his nose in Kibum’s hair, humming something—a song, probably—as they continued to dance. Kibum’s eyes closed as he listened, trying to pick out the tune.Yes, a perfect day. A day he would carry with him long after, during those lonely nights back home. Now that night was falling, the oncoming darkness dragged with it the reminder that he would be leaving soon. Was there anything he could do to delay the inevitable? Realistically, no. However…he could prolong today, as much as possible.Minho stopped humming as Kibum lifted his head, looking down at him curiously. “What if we slept out here tonight?” Kibum asked quietly.“You’d want to do that?”Kibum shrugged with a little nod. It sounded like a perfect way to cap off their day, snuggling close beneath a blanket of stars.So, at Minho’s insistence, they moved their spread a little closer to the cliff, just in case the tide came in while they were sleeping. Minho took great care in arranging their blankets and pillows before the day was extinguished. He wrapped them up together in the oversized plush one, Kibum lounging between his legs, his back resting comfortably on Minho’s chest. Minho was holding him as tightly as he could manage, it seemed his chin perched on his shoulder as they watched the moonlight glinting on the surface of the ocean.Kibum leaned his head back with a sigh, letting it rest on Minho’s shoulder as he stared up at the half-full moon and the twinkling stars. He didn’t register that Minho had turned his head until he felt his lips on his neck. “Don’t leave too many marks,” he said so halfheartedly that he was sure Minho would ignore him.“We bought concealer for a reason, didn’t we?” Then, he nipped lightly at Kibum’s neck, just before kissing him there. Kibum smiled at the twinkling stars when Minho kissed him again, a little closer to his jaw.Apparently, he had been wrong.It had been possible for the day to be even more perfect, after all.* * * * *The sea was calm and the sky was surprisingly clear, though the humidity clinging to Minho’s skin and threadbare clothes was nearly unbearable. The sun glaring down at him was no help, but that wasn’t a surprise. He adjusted the way his elbow was slung over her stinging eyes, wincing as he did.It’s hard to sleep when lost at sea, but there was nothing else he could do. The storm had washed away the provisions he had gathered from the island he had been stranded on, and he had spent his remaining strength on trying to flip over his capsized raft.But that had been fruitless. And now he was tired. Hopefully, sleep would be enough to refill his stamina, but—The raft rocked violently, jolting Minho from his attempt at sleep. He flung his arms out to steady himself, squinting through the sweltering heat rippling in the air around him, the sun glittering blindingly off the water. The raft rocked again, and Minho tried to peer over the side of it, only to be met by a pair of eyes.For a second, he thought it was his reflection, but the eyes were far too stunning to be his. Sharp, bright, and cunning, with a smile shining in them. They blinked, which was enough to stun Minho, and then moved, the head they adorned breaking through the surface, revealing the most beautiful man he’d ever laid eyes on.His hair was sleek, long, and dark, pooling like spilled ink in the waves lapping around him. His arms came up over the edges of the raft, folding as he pulled himself closer, steadying himself against the current, which was undoubtedly trying to pull him away beneath the surface. His arms, neck, and what he could see of his chest was covered in what looked like an iridescent fishnet. There were bits of coral caught in the fine weave, though it didn’t look like it had been an accident.Minho blinked as the merman’s smile grew, reassuringly familiar dimples indenting his cheeks. “Hey, are you awake?”“Awake?” Minho asked, his voice coming out more like a croak. How long had it been since he had had fresh water?“Minho,” the merman said, his voice a bright, melodious laugh that was so mesmerizing that it almost didn’t register that the merman knew his name. “Come on, Minho, get up.” And then he shook the raft again, knocking Minho off balance and out of his trance.He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them, there were clouds in the sky. He wasn’t on a raft in the middle of an ocean; he was somewhere soft and still and shaded. Frowning, he looked around, finding the merman leaning over him.No, it was an extremely amused Kibum. His Kibum. His Kibum who was haloed by the sun itself…though it was hard to tell which one shone brighter to Minho, at the moment.“Are you awake now?” Kibum asked, a barely concealed laugh coloring his voice.“I think so.” He sat up, propping himself up on one elbow as he rubbed his eye. The dream he had just escaped was fading fast, leaving him with a faint recollection of mutiny and mermen.m“What were you dreaming about?”“Oh god, was I talking in my sleep?” Minho asked with a groan, falling back on their blankets and covering his embarrassed wince with the crook of his elbow.“Something about a beautiful merman.” Even though he couldn’t see him, Minho could still hear the pout in his voice. “Should I be worried?”Frowning again, Minho uncovered his eyes, looking up at the still-pouting Kibum, relaxing only when he read the amusement dancing in his eyes. “I’m pretty sure it was you, so…”Kibum’s scarred eyebrow arched. “Only pretty sure?”“Your hair was long…but he had your eyes.” The same eyes that were softening a little now, as he smiled.“Do you talk in your sleep often?” Kibum asked, reaching out to fuss with his fringe.“That’s a question for Minseok, and good luck finding him to ask it.”Kibum sighed, his head lolling to the side, and Minho’s gaze dropped to his neck where he found the two new hickeys he had made last night. He reached out, brushing his index finger over them before meeting Kibum’s eyes again.“If I’m your merman, I guess this”—he gestured to his neck—“ makes you my vampire.”Minho cracked a smile, and Kibum pursed his lips with a shake of his head. “Are you saying that’s what I should go as for Halloween? Dracula? I can try to do the accent.”Kibum cackled, shoving Minho’s shoulder when he attempted to say I vant to suck your blood in an exaggerated, somewhat German accent. It was all wrong, he knew it, but Kibum’s reaction was always worth making a bit of a fool of himself.“Come on, we have to go check out—of the cottage,” he added with another laugh as Minho’s gaze dropped, beginning a thorough survey of Kibum. He shook his head as Minho, who was grinning now, met his eyes again. “God, you are the most…”“Annoying?” Minho finished for him, his hands settling on his waist, pulling him a bit closer. “Incorrigible?” Kibum braced himself around Minho, his tongue barely peeking out as he licked his lips. “Insatiable?”Kibum smirked then, his attention dropping to Minho’s lips for a second before slowly moving back up to his eyes. “Somehow, all three.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up in the middle as his smile grew, searching Kibum’s expression eagerly in anticipation of the kiss he knew was coming.He was not disappointed.Kibum took Minho’s face in one hand, closing the distance between him. The kiss was sweeter than he had been expecting after teasing Kibum—sweet and tenderly deepened as Minho wrapped his arms around Kibum’s waist, pulling him as close as possible. Kibum smiled, and Minho did too. Only…Kibum pulled away, far enough to speak.Minho didn’t bother opening his eyes.“We really should head out soon.”“Just one more.”Sighing, Kibum obliged him until their lips naturally parted again. “Don’t we want to get back as early as possible?”Minho nodded, lifting his chin in the silent question of Another? Please?And so, again. “So we should head up to finish packing.”“Probably. But…”“Minho,” Kibum said, his name coming out in a fondly exasperated laugh. “I know you. You’ll just want more.”“I can’t get enough of you, is that my fault?”“If it’s not yours then that means it’s mine, so…” His eyes narrowed. “I can’t keep enabling you. People will talk.”“Let them.”Just as Minho expected, Kibum’s lips met his yet again, the fervor of the kiss and the gradual return of Kibum’s smile both fanning the flames of the wildfire within. Kibum pulled away too soon and too far for Minho to readily kiss him again. Minho pouted slightly as he looked up at him, unsurprised to find him still smiling.“That’ll have to tide you over until we get home. Come on.”They gathered the bedding and picnic gear, Minho walking a bit further out onto the beach to make sure nothing had blown away in the night. Once they were back inside the cottage, Kibum started unpacking the picnic basket and Minho stuffed the bedding—both what they had taken downstairs as well as the bedding from the master suite—into the washing machine and started it. He had most everything packed by the time Kibum made his way upstairs.“I’m gonna shower, I think,” Kibum said once he was beside him, pulling open their bag that Minho had just been about to zip up. Minho looked over at him, eyebrows raised in silent question until Kibum looked up at him, then again with a small smile. “Yeah, okay. Just remember,” Kibum added, his hand splaying over Minho’s chest when he moved to take off his shirt. Minho froze, waiting for him to continue. “We want to get back before it’s dark out.”Minho sniffed a laugh, and Kibum’s stern demeanor cracked with a smile as Minho said, “I think we can manage that.”They did.They managed to get out of the shower before the water went completely cold. Minho’s post-shower routine was shorter than Kibum’s, so he kept him company, sitting on the closed toilet as he watched Kibum shave, apply color corrector and then concealer to his neck wherever necessary, and then finish with his skincare routine.Once the bedding was safely in the dryer, the car was packed, and they had triple-checked the entire cottage to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything, they left at last. They made their wait to the nearest convenience store to gas up and grab a few samgak kimbap filled with tuna and spicy kimchi for the road since they hadn’t had time to make breakfast.They made it back to the boardwalk before noon, even with the many times they stopped for either Minho or Kibum to take pictures of the scenery. They stopped at Minho’s shop first, dropping their bag off upstairs before locking everything up again and heading straight over to the cafe. Instead of taking up space at the bar—given that summer was nearly over, it just meant that tourists from all over were flocking to Jeju to pack in one last vacation before school started again—they hung back in the kitchen, helping Taeyeon and her assistant cook match the dishes to the tickets and keep all the orders in check. And, during the lulls, they showed her and Jonghyun pictures from their little vacation.Real life returned the following day, with Minho working on getting as many paintings done per day as possible and Kibum keeping him company in the studio when he wasn’t out in the shop helping customers. He was grateful to his past self for getting such a wide variety of backstock finished before summer hit because there was no way he would have been able to keep up with the demand. There were even a few commissions that Kibum helped him book throughout the week that would help once the wave of summer tourists finally ebbed.Before dawn even broke on Friday morning, Kibum’s alarm ripped through the still-dark loft, waking Minho immediately. It had been the sound he was dreading, and his sleep was restless in anticipated dread for it. Kibum rolled away from him to shut it off, but as soon as he settled again—sighing—Minho snuggled closer, wrapping his arms around Kibum.Kibum’s hand was in his hair a second later, softly tussling it. “I have to go, honey.”“I know.”Silence blanketed them. Softly. Delicately. Kibum continued playing with Minho’s hair, and Minho turned his head slightly, looking at the luggage lining the banister, outlined by the burgeoning morning light seeping through the balcony doors. Kibum was all packed except for the handful of toiletries he’d need before leaving and the clothes he had laid out last night.He was even wearing some of Minho’s pajamas, just to make this morning more streamlined.“We’ve still got like”—the sound of him picking up his phone again made Minho look up and around at what he could see of his face—“an hour before Jjong will be here. So we can stay like this for a little while longer.”Not long enough, though.Kibum’s arm slipped around his back, pulling him closer still as he let out a heavy sigh. The tips of his fingers grazed the curve of Minho’s shoulder, back and forth, with an occasional swipe of his thumb.It would be so strange to go back to living alone. How had he managed it for so long? It seemed an impossible feat, now, after Kibum. He sighed again, and Kibum kissed the crown of his head. A silent commiseration. His eyes slipped closed as he shifted his head, listening for the faint beat of Kibum’s heart. The steady cadence of it combined with Kibum’s continued fiddling with his hair was practically a lullaby to him, still drowsy like he was…The alarm sounded again, jolting him back into dim awareness. For a second, Kibum’s hold on him tightened. Then, he released him, shifting a little. Minho sat up, looking down at him, despondent.The dawn was purple, no, a pale shade of lilac. It was as if Kibum was soaking up the faint light coming in from the window above his bed, surrounded as he was by the moody navy and indigo of the shadows still clinging to them.“I guess we should get ready,” Kibum said, his voice flat.“Yeah.”Neither moved, though, until Kibum gave him a sadly amused smile. “Come on, Min.”He nudged Minho’s knee before sitting up at last and sliding out of bed. Minho dutifully followed him to his closet, sifting through his clothes without really seeing them as Kibum changed into the clothes he had picked out last night. He picked items at random, which luckily seemed to go together because Kibum would have made him change if they hadn’t.“Would you mind”—Kibum’s hand slipped around his bicep, holding him close as they reemerged into the bedroom portion of his loft—“checking the studio and shop to see if I forgot anything down there?”“No, I don’t mind.” Kibum kissed his cheek in thanks, regrettably releasing his arm.Minho trudged downstairs, flicking on the light at the base of the stairs and glancing around. There didn’t seem to be anything, but he really should do a careful sweep, just in case.There were touches of Kibum everywhere in the studio. Forgotten coffee cups, splatters of dried paint on the floor from their “fight” when Kibum first arrived, the lacy hat he had worn that karaoke night—Minho stretched across the table to pick it up.There were of him in the paintings themselves, too. Colors that made him think of Kibum, places they had gone together…He stopped at the cork board that was full of his practice portraits and random landscapes and pulled off the one that had immediately caught his eye: the painting he had attempted to do at Sagye beach. Where Kibum was trying to be as distracting as humanly possible. And succeeding. Minho smiled to himself as he traced one of the thicker, wobbly lines. For a second, there was the ghost of Kibum’s kiss on his neck.Not his best work, but…this time, he didn’t have a problem with it.Minho sighed, flipping it over and glancing at the blank back of it, then looked around for a pencil. He found one just as the water switched off upstairs, and he glanced up toward the stairs. He had maybe a minute before Kibum would come down here, which wasn’t enough time for everything he wanted to say. Or even enough time to draft a proper note. He scrawled quickly, though, a bit too messily. Hopefully, Kibum would be able to read it later.He stuffed it into the hat just as Kibum started to descend the stairs, tossing the pencil aside. It rolled off the table and clattered on the floor as Kibum ducked his head below the ceiling to locate him. “Did you find anything?” Minho held the hat out to him, making sure the painting was concealed within, and Kibum took it with a small smile and went back upstairs to slip it into his luggage. If he found the note, he made no indication of it as he made his way back to him, his phone now in his hand. “Jjong just texted me, Said they’re heading out.”“They?” Oh, him and Jinki. Of course. “Should we get breakfast first?”Kibum's eyebrows rose in question, and Minho nodded toward the wall he shared with Sooyoung’s shop. When he nodded, Minho followed him down the hallway, reaching above Kibum’s head to hold the door open so they could both slip out. A too-bright and cheery day greeted them as they took the short walk from Minho’s backdoor to Sooyoung’s. The welcoming scent of buttery croissants and freshly ground coffee drew them further in.There wasn’t much time for conversation, because as soon as Minho’s americano was finished brewing, the alley gravel crunched outside, announcing Jonghyun and Jinki’s arrival. Sooyoung bagged up their croissants and hugged Kibum goodbye before letting them go.Jonghyun was already outside his car, popping the hatch of his trunk. “Where’s all your stuff?”“Upstairs,” Kibum said as Minho pointed to the upper floor of his shop. “We’ll be right back.”They handed their croissants and coffee over to Jinki so their hands could be free to grab Kibum’s things. One final sweep of the loft and studio confirmed that Kibum had everything in his luggage. Minho dutifully grabbed both suitcases, then cast a forlorn glance Kibum’s way as he waited for him to lead the way back downstairs. Kibum was watching him, too, his eyes wide and slightly watery, as if he were on the verge of tears. He turned away before Minho could ask if he was okay and led the way downstairs.Minho hurried to catch up to him, Kibum’s luggage knocking against his legs in his haste. He set the bags down in the dark hallway, reaching out for Kibum before Kibum could open the door. Kibum looked back at him, his lips pressed tight together, only for him to crack up slightly at Minho’s look of concern. “I’m being stupid,” he said with an attempt at a laugh. “I know we’ll be seeing each other so soon, but—”Minho smiled as he cupped Kibum’s face in his hands, swallowing past the lump in his throat as his thumbs brushed over Kibum’s cheeks. “I’m gonna miss you, too. So much.”Kibum slowly searched Minho’s gaze, then sighed. “Yeah, but it’s dumb to want to cry. We’ll be seeing each other soon enough as it is.”Minho’s eyebrows shot up and he glanced away, as if in thought. “You could stuff me in your suitcase. I wouldn’t mind.” Kibum scoffed when Minho looked back at him with a grin. “I think it could work, too. Just punch a couple of air holes in the side—”“You want me to ruin my luggage for you?”“Do you want me to suffocate?”Kibum shook his head, his amused exasperation twinkling in his beautiful dark eyes. “I think you’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met.”“Thank you.” Minho chuckled when Kibum let out a sigh, then kissed Kibum’s brow before lowering his hands. “We should probably—”But before Minho could turn away to grab the bags again, Kibum’s hand found his waist. Minho looked back at him, finding Kibum watching him expectantly, his attention dropping to his lips for a second before meeting his eyes again. Without hesitation, Minho obliged him, melting into Kibum as soon as their lips met. His back rested against the wall as he hugged Kibum as close as he could, savoring this last kiss of the summer.He wanted more—he always did—but when their lips parted, Minho let Kibum slip away from him. Reluctantly, for both of them. But there was his plane to catch, so they had to go.Jonghyun helped Minho stuff the luggage in the trunk while Kibum got into the backseat behind Jinki. Minho followed Jonghyun around to the driver’s side, sliding in and closing the door before he took his croissant and coffee from Kibum after sitting beside him rather than on the opposite side of the back seat.“Thanks for offering to take me,” Kibum said as Jonghyun pulled out of the alleyway, and Minho nodded, grateful that he wouldn’t have to drive back all alone.“Yeah, no problem.”“Happy to help.” Minho looked up at the rearview mirror, finding Jonghyun looking back at him, a sad sort of smile in his eyes.The drive to the airport was more subdued than it usually was. Jinki and Jonghyun carried on a quiet conversation, not bothering with disrupting the pair of them with their discussion of the logistics of moving in together. Kibum, however, once he had finished his croissant, rested his head on Minho’s shoulder, lifting it only for the occasional sip of his coffee. And Minho…he let his mind wander over these past few months. Years, really. Ever since he met Kibum. How his life was so much better, so much richer, now that he had let people in again after so many years of a reclusive existence.He brought up their joined hands to kiss the back of Kibum’s, who shifted somehow closer in response.Once they arrived at the airport, they all trooped down together to the terminal, leaving Kibum to check in his luggage on his own as he waited to say goodbye. Minho watched him go, his attention shifting between him and Jonghyun and Jinki, who, while not talking to each other at the moment, were standing close, facing each other. Clearly connected without having to say a word. Minho’s eyes narrowed at them as a thought struck him before his gaze shifted back to Kibum.Hadn’t Kibum said he had a plan for this summer—like he did last summer for the pair of them—that he refused to explain to Minho? Had he accomplished it? Would he tell Minho now that the summer was over?He watched him approach in silent anticipation, the question perched on the tip of his tongue. Kibum hugged both Jonghyun and Jinki first before he rounded on Minho, but he seemed taken aback by the look in Minho’s eyes. Minho sniffed a laugh as he pulled Kibum into a hug.“Honey, are you okay?” Kibum whispered into his ear.“Yeah, I’m fine. I just remembered something I wanted to ask you.”Kibum pulled away from him, but Minho shook his head before inclining it to whisper in Kibum’s ear. “Remember when you first got here? And said that you did have an agenda for the summer but wouldn’t tell me what it was?” Kibum’s snort of laughter puffed against Minho’s neck. “Do I get to know now, or…”His voice trailed off as Kibum pulled away from him, eyes shining in what could only be pent-up laughter. Minho’s eyebrows rose expectantly, and Kibum nodded, lifting his chin as Minho lowered his head again so Kibum could whisper back, his lips brushing against Minho’s ear, “I wanted to figure out if you were ready for a relationship again. And, if so, then maybe we could start dating.”What had Kibum called the “right guy” on the phone all those months ago? Lucky bastard, if he remembered right. Had that been him this whole time and he was, what, just too dumb to see it? Minho blinked slowly as Kibum pulled away from him again, staring blankly at the shiny tile floor until Kibum reemerged in his line of sight.“Are you mad?”Mad? Sure, a little bit. At the world, because he couldn’t kiss Kibum like he wanted to at the moment. And a little bit at himself for not realizing it then. But really, the dominant feeling was amusement, that this had been the plan all along. Still, he shook his head and pulled Kibum into one last hug before they had to part for good.Or, rather, for now.As soon as Kibum was out of his embrace, he had to hurry to get into the line for security. Jonghyun called after him, “Be sure to say hi to Yeri for us!” and Kibum waved in response. Yeri…Minho smiled to himself as an idea struck him, and his hand twitched for his phone in his pocket to put it into action, but he didn’t want to take his eyes off Kibum. So, he waved whenever Kibum looked their way, up until he disappeared beyond the wall. Minho watched for several more seconds until Jonghyun patted his back. “You ready?”Minho nodded, casting one last glance over his shoulder as if Kibum would have exited security for yet another wave, and trudged after them. He finally pulled his phone out of his pocket, triple-checking to make sure that it was just the chat with himself and Yeri before he texted:
[07:34]

Hey, I have a favor to ask you, if you’re up for it.

It has to do with teasing your brother… ㅎ
The response wasn’t immediate, but it didn’t take her long. They had just reached Jonghyun’s car by the time his phone screen lit up with a notification from her.
Minhoppa!!! What is it??? I’ll do anything for you~~~

Especially when it comes to teasing Bummie ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Minho, grinning now, started to type again.* * * * *Kibum tore his gaze away from the Daegu skyline as the plane touched down on the runway. He absently reached for his phone, tapping his finger on the back of it while he waited for the pilot to give them the go-ahead to turn off airplane mode. Once that call came, Kibum immediately did, opening his texts with Minho to let him know he landed. Then, he scrolled back up, smiling at the blurry picture of the distant flower field that Minho sent him.The little New Messages bubble popped up at the bottom of the screen, so he scrolled back down.
[09:12]

Off the plane yet???

Not quite

Soon though I think
He turned his music up a little louder as he waited for the plane to taxi to the terminal, his patience wearing a bit thin as he waited some more to finally deboard. But, when that happy time came, he trailed after the others, splitting off from those who were heading to connecting flights and following the ones who were on their way to baggage claim.Yeri was almost immediately spotted, in her bright purple and pink ensemble. Kibum grinned at the sight of her, especially when she went up on her tiptoes to wave him over to her. “Oppa! You’re finally here!” she said as she wrapped both arms around him. She beamed up at him as she pulled away from him, one arm staying around his waist as she looked over his shoulder, looking mildly concerned.“What are you looking for?”“Minhoppa. I thought you wouldn’t be able to leave him behind.” Kibum blinked at her, then scowled when a shit-eating grin broke through her mock worry. She laughed, dragging him along, a slight pout in her voice as she continued. “You know Mom and Dad really want to meet him. It’s not fair that you won’t let them.”“He did offer to sneak into my luggage…”“And you didn’t take him up on it? Gosh…” She tutted quietly, almost exactly like Mom did when she was disappointed about something.Kibum snorted, glancing down at her before looking back up for the baggage claim sign. “Calm down, he’s coming to celebrate Chuseok with us.”“Is he really?”Kibum looked back down at her, bewildered. “I feel like I should be offended. You’re more excited at the idea of seeing him than you are of actually seeing me.”“Yes, well,” she waved her free hand dismissively. “I see you all the time. He’s still a novelty.” Kibum sighed heavily, which only made her laugh again. “Let’s find your stuff quick. The kids are waiting in the car.”Both Comme Des and Garcons were stretching to look out of the passenger-side window, their excited barks echoing through the parking garage. Kibum tossed his bags in the trunks and hurried to open the door so he could greet them properly. Yeri had taken them halfway home before he finally got them calmed down enough.“Maybe I should bring them with me next time I visit. They’ll probably do okay on the plane.”“Mm, yeah probably,” she agreed absently, checking the rearview mirror before turning on her turn signal. “I wouldn’t mind going down more often. It was nice to hang out with Taeyeon and Jonghyun again.”“I’m sure they’d love to have you—”“Besides, Taemin…” Kibum’s head whipped around to face her. She glanced over at him nonchalantly. “What?”“What about Taemin?”She shrugged, a hint of a smile toying with the corner of her lips as she slowed when the light before them turned red. “What do you mean? He’s cute. And sorta funny. And I think he might have liked me, t—” Her voice cut off in a bright laugh when Kibum let out a choke of surprise. Luckily, she composed herself by the time the light turned green. “Minho said you’d react like this,” she said, still giggling.“Minho put you up to this?” In answer, she grinned again, and Kibum whipped out his phone, calling Minho and setting it to speaker. It only took two rings for him to answer. “Hi, honey,” he said, using bokkul instead of jagiya.Yeri shot him a confused look of amusement as Minho let out a long sigh, and she shook his head, mouthing Later to her. “Are you back home already?”“No, I’ve just been having an interesting conversation with my sister.”“Oh, yeah?” Minho asked, his smile so apparent in his voice that Kibum wished he could reach through the screen to flick his forehead. “What about?”Kibum sucked his teeth at him, which started both him and Yeri laughing. “I swear, I’m not going to be able to stand being in the same room as the pair of you.”“That’ll make Chuseok interesting,” Minho said.“What if you didn’t come to Chuseok and just Minho did?” Yeri asked.“I could see that working,” Minho said thoughtfully.“Do you want me to hang up on you? Because I will.”“No,” Minho said, drawing out the word cutely.Kibum rolled his eyes. “You’re on speaker phone, you know.”“I don’t care,” he said, somehow even more cutely.“I’m hanging up now. Have fun painting or whatever.”Minho laughed, managing to say “I miss you, too, Bum,” before Kibum hung up.“He’s so embarrassing,” Kibum said as he tucked his phone away with a fond shake of his head and a smile he couldn’t make himself conceal.“Yeah, you look really upset about it.”By the time they arrived home, Dad was still at work, though Mom said that he’d be back within the hour. Kibum dumped his bags in his old room before heading to the kitchen to work on whipping something together for dinner. The dogs were on his heels the whole time he puttered around the kitchen, Mom and Yeri keeping him company until Dad got home. After dinner, he showed them most of the pictures that didn’t make it to Instagram, filling in the stories that he hadn’t had time to tell them during the summer.Mom took the phone from him, scrolling back to a picture of Minho that had stood out to her. It was one he had taken yesterday while Minho was working and he was waiting for another customer to come in. The golden light had been hitting Minho just right, and, well, he couldn’t help but try to capture the moment.Mom was looking at the picture intently—Dad was as well, over her shoulder—before she looked across the table at him. “He makes you very happy, doesn’t he?” Kibum nodded, and she looked back at the picture.“I’m looking forward to meeting him,” Dad said.“Yeah, it’ll be nice to finally introduce him to you both.”He set off for home the next day, the kids romping around in the back seat as he drove from Daegu back to Seoul. It was one of the playlists he had put together for his and Minho’s road trips, so the empty seat beside him felt exceptionally amplified. Once he was parked, he brought his luggage up first before taking the puppies on a long walk down the river to get their energy out and so they could do their business before he set to work unpacking.He let them loose in the apartment, filling up their water and food dishes before he rolled both suitcases over to the living room to get started. After unzipping them both, he glanced between the mess that was his packing job and sighed. There was a faint scent, probably Minho’s candle that he made for him. Summery…fruity…Kibum dug for it, finding it tucked away between layers of clothes.The color of the wax was a coral-y peach, and the label was a miniature painting of a sunset from the point of view of Minho’s balcony. The title he had given it was Summer Memories. Kibum uncapped it, his brow furrowing slightly as he smelled it.Ah, so that’s where the peach essence had gone.But it wasn’t just peach. There was some sort of citrus in there, too. And something muskier. Sandalwood, maybe.He sniffed it again with a smile, holding himself back from lighting it immediately or getting up to put it by his bedside. Unpacking first, then he could.When he looked back at his open luggage, his attention was snagged by the lacy bucket hat he had left in Minho’s studio, so he started there, pulling it off the top of the pile.There was a hint of pink peeking through the lace…Frowning, he opened the hat, blinking rapidly at the sight of one of Minho’s paintings hidden inside. It was on his smaller paper, which meant that it was from the sketchbook he kept in his car. Kibum pulled it out, and once it was in his hand, he recognized it instantly. The messier lines, and blotchier paint…he smiled to himself at the memory of that particular twilight, flipping it over to see if Minho had given it a cheeky title like he had with Sun of a Beach.Instead, he was met with a note. Scrawled quickly, but still legible, if only just. It read:
My Bum,

I can’t even begin to describe how much you mean to me. You’ve filled my life with so much happiness and color, which is saying a lot, given my profession ㅎ My heart aches at the thought of you not being here all the time anymore, but I know it won’t be for long. I know I’ll see you again in just a second after I finish writing this, but I already miss you, and I can’t wait to see you again in just a few weeks.

Forever yours, Minho
Kibum patted his hand over his heart, his lips pressed tightly together. “When did you write this?” he whispered as he got up, grabbing the candle and abandoning his luggage for a moment.He slipped into his bedroom and set the candle down on his nightstand and propped up the painting against the lamp so that it would be the first thing he saw when he rolled over. He fiddled with it for a second, making sure it was stable and wouldn't flop over before he sighed, resigning himself to unpacking once more.* * * * *It was almost funny how quiet it was after Kibum went back to Seoul.Sure, it probably had something to do with the steady decrease of tourists after school started back up again, but Minho attributed the stark tranquility to Kibum’s absence. Not that Kibum was all that loud—true, he had his moments—but for Minho, the silence, while bearable and comfortable, at times, was just a blatant reminder that Kibum wasn’t there.He tucked his paintbrush behind his ear, cocking his head slightly as he inspected his new painting. This wasn’t one he was intending to sell, given the subject matter and color palette. It was…too personal for that.It was of the waterfall on that beach they found on their weekend getaway. Slightly more abstract in the strokes of paint than he usually went for with his landscapes. And, there was the addition of two figures joined at the hands emerging from the shadows behind the waterfall. The color palette, well, it had been tucked away in his head since the end of June. The pinks and purples and teals from that karaoke night were so vivid in his mind's eye and created a much more fantastical scene than the real thing, but, he was okay with that.What would he do with it, once it was finished? Hm…maybe add it to his collection upstairs? Give it to Kibum?He could figure that out later.He slipped his paint brush out from behind his ear and lifted his palette, dipping it in the darker of the teals to add a bit more shadow to the cascading water. Little touches were all that was needed now, a bit of highlight here, some contrast theirs, creating a bit more shape to the wave, making the mist at the base of the waterfall…mistier…Darkness had fallen and Jonghyun was probably wondering where he was by the time he declared himself done. He sat back, surveying the finished product with pride before he whipped out his phone and centered it before he took a quick picture. Not to post to his artist's Instagram, since he wasn’t going to sell this one. Instead, he opened up choiminho_1209 to make the post.He added no filter to it, hurrying along to leave a caption, only to hesitate.What would work? He frowned at his phone.Hm…His eyebrows shot up, as the thought struck him: this palette is taken from that night, so why not use lyrics from the song? He typed it into google, squinting as he read the English lyrics and grinning once he landed on ones that would be perfect, based on the abstract quality of the painting itself.He wrote I’m lost in a dream. and posted it, stuffing his phone in his back pocket with a sighed smile as he made his way to the front door on his way to the cafe. His phone buzzed as he sat down at his and Kibum’s place at the bar, and he pulled it out.
bumkeyk liked your post!
Grinning now, he set his phone aside, screen up, looking away from it as Jonghyun set a beer before him.“What do you want to eat?”“Tteokbokki, please.”“Anything else?”Minho shook his head, glancing back down at his phone as his screen lit up again.
[18:54]

God, you’re so sappy
Minho snorted, nodding in greeting to Jinki as he plopped down in the seat beside him, Jonghyun sliding over to greet his boyfriend with a blindingly bright smile.
I know ㅋ

You love it, though~
He could almost hear Kibum’s bemused snort through the screen as the number by his text disappeared, then,
So what if I do?
Minho took a sip of his beer, thinking about what he wanted to respond with when Kibum texted again.
I’m about to sit down to eat.

Do you want to facetime?

Or are you busy

Not busy, just getting my dinner too
 
Give me a minute
“Hey, Jjong? Can I get it to go?”He glanced down at Minho’s phone before looking up at him with a smirk. “Got a hot date?”“Something like that.”“Yeah, sure.”Minho had it dialing as soon as the door to the cafe was closed behind him, holding his phone up. Kibum answered it quickly, his kitchen dimly lit up behind him, then fussed with propping his phone up on the table. Once he fixed his hair, his focus shifted to Minho, who was watching him with heart-aching fondness, waiting for him to speak.“Hey,” Kibum said, at last, the simple sound of his voice a soothing balm for Minho’s heart.“Hi.”“What’d you get for dinner?” Kibum asked as Minho pushed his front door open, then struggled to lock it.“Tteokbokki.” He looked from the doorknob at Kibum’s laugh, confused at the reason for it. “Why, what’d you get?” Kibum held up his takeout bowl, revealing that he had gotten tteokbokki as well. Minho sighed—happily? Sadly? He wasn’t sure himself—and leaned against the locked door. “I miss you so much, Bum.”Kibum propped his chin on his palm, watching Minho with a small smile. “I really miss you, too.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Shafts of light peered through the half-open blinds in Kibum’s darkened bedroom, stretching across the ceiling. They shifted periodically—must have been headlights of passing cars on the street below. He squinted when one was particularly bright then rolled over to face the shadows of the far end of the room.Any minute now, he’d have to get up to face another day.Sighing, he pulled his phone toward him by the charging cord, holding his phone up and waiting for the screen to light up. 5:49. He groaned as he let it drop back down on his nightstand with a clatter, and buried his face into his pillow. He squeezed his eyes tight shut, willing himself to fall back asleep for the last ten minutes before he had to get out of bed.He didn’t.Of course.His alarm rent the air, and he slapped around his hand to find his phone, only taking his face out of his pillow once he latched onto it so he could shut it off.He sat up then, glaring blearily at the darkness before he planted his face onto his bed, his drawn-out groan muffled in the rumpled, downy comforter. He had to get up so he could feed the dogs and take them for a quick walk and make some coffee and get ready for work before actually heading out.It was all so tedious, honestly.His phone vibrated as he pushed himself back up and he half-turned to grab it, tugging the charging cord out of the port.
6:13

Good morning beautiful~
Kibum smiled sleepily at his screen, knowing full well that beautiful could not be a very apt description of himself at the moment. But it’s how Minho greeted him every morning since they had been separated. Always around this time, which was his final sign that he really should get out of bed right now if he wanted to make it to work on time.Good morning, he texted back, with as much aegyo as he could stuff into the greeting. It was immediately read, and even though he couldn’t see Minho, he knew he had to be smiling. Busy day ahead?He slipped out of bed at last, as reluctantly as he could without not getting out at all, and slipped open the baby gate barring his door with his free hand as he looked down at his phone, waiting for Minho’s response. Both Comme Des and Garcons hopped off the couch at the sight of him, their puffy little tails wagging furiously as they bounded up to him.“Good morning, good morning,” he said to them, crouching to meet them at their level, holding his chin up so they couldn’t lick his face as they tried to jump into his lap. “Do you want to go outside?” Their ears perked up. “On the balcony?” Garcons barked as Comme Des's head cocked to one side. Their favorite words, other than walk and let’s go. “Outside? Let’s go!”They leaped off of him, leading the way to the sliding glass door, and Garcons was immediately pawing at the glass in his eagerness. He followed them leisurely, his hand resting on the handle as he looked down at their eager faces.He opened the door a crack.Both dogs jumped at the sound, raring to go—Garcons so much that his head bonked into the glass. Kibum chuckled, opening it a bit wider, then a little more, each minuscule movement sending an anticipatory jolt through his puppies. At last, once Comme Des was stretching his paw through the crack, Kibum relented with a cackle, opening the door wide to let them outside.They bounded off, no doubt to wreak some havoc in his tiny garden, but at the moment, all Kibum cared about was coffee. He glanced down at his phone again as he shuffled into the kitchen, unlocking it to read Minho’s texts.
yeah, it will be kinda busy I think. I still have

that one last commission to finish up and

backstock to fill and I’d like to head out later

for some inspiration and new reference photos,

if possible. But I also need to head into town so

I can get some more phthalo blue and…one

other that I can’t remember let me go check.
 
Oh right, it was phthalo green ㅎ
 
You’d think I’d be able to remember that after needing phthalo blue ㅠㅠ
 
What about you? Still dealing with the little shit?
Kibum snorted, setting his phone down for a second so he could get some coffee brewing. Then, while he waited, he leaned against the counter, tapping the message bar to respond.
You sound like Joohyun, calling him that
 
But yes, I have another meeting with Seonho today
 
And your day does sound pretty packed,

is Jinki going with you into town?
The little ones were still by his texts by the time his coffee finished percolating, and he reached into the cupboard, grabbing one of his tumblers to fill it with ice and then the fresh coffee before he joined his dogs on the terrace.
Nope, but Yerimmie’s boyfriend will come with me.

He’s got to pick up some more glass rods
Kibum sucked his teeth disdainfully at the phone, then set it down on the table, shaking his head at the dawning morning. Why on earth had he attached himself to someone who said whatever he could to get a reaction out of him, just for the fun of it? He wasn’t even here, and yet…well, truth be told, the same could be said about himself, too.He picked up his phone again, smiling sardonically at the screen. Well, honey, I hope you two have fun.See, two could play at this game.His eyebrows shot up when the one immediately disappeared, his smirk soft in silent anticipation for Minho’s response.
Okay, truce
Kibum chuckled.
You’re being so easy on me this morning

I figured you’d appreciate it ㅎ
 
Do you have time for a call this morning?

Regular or video?

Whichever
Kibum hummed in thought, glancing up at the time. 6:28. Technically, yes he did, if he could focus on getting ready for the day while they chatted, but…well, he usually got distracted when they talked on the phone, which was why they normally waited until they were both done with work for the day.He took another drink of his coffee before setting it aside to respond with, probably not ㅠㅠ
Yeah, I don’t think I do, either
Kibum sniffed a laugh, shaking his head a little.
Then why’d you ask??

I just wanted to hear your voice, is all
Kibum sighed, his thumb stroking the edge of his phone for a second before he pressed the microphone button, holding his phone up to say, “I miss you, too.” He sent the voice note, and the one beside it immediately disappeared again.He watched his screen, waiting for the voice note he assumed was on its way. And, sure enough, not a moment later, one popped up.“See, you just made it worse. Now I don’t want to do anything but listen to your voice.”Kibum closed his eyes with a satisfied smile as he listened to it again as if to savor the sound of his boyfriend’s voice. Had it been all that long since he last heard it? No, they had talked long into last night—up until Kibum was barely able to keep his eyes open. But there was just something so…so good about the hoarse, almost raspy quality of Minho’s voice right after he woke up.It brought back fond memories of quiet, lazy mornings spent in Minho’s warm embrace. Mornings he longed to return to.Soon, he would.He just had to wait for ten more days, then they’d be together again. If only for a little while.
Sucks for you, because now you have to wait until tonight

I have to get ready for work

Just one more? Please?
Kibum sighed as he lifted his phone again, holding the microphone button down, with no real thought to what he would say. The wind picked up, ruffling his hair and rustling through the leaves of the yuzu tree that hadn’t quite taken to his garden yet. “Fine, I suppose I can,” he said at last, smiling as Garcons clambered onto the ledge around the garden. “I hope you have a good day, and a safe trip into town and back, and that you get a lot of work done.“And I…” He hesitated, nibbling his bottom lip for a second as he wondered if he should continue. Would it be too embarrassing? But then, this was Minho…he could trust him not to tease him too much when he was a tad more vulnerable… “I can’t wait to see you again. I keep thinking about you being here soon and it’s making it very hard to care about work.” He chuckled, cringing slightly at himself. “It’ll be so fun, having you here. I hope…you’re excited, too.”He stared at the screen for several more seconds before taking his thumb off of the microphone. Before he could second-guess himself, he sent it.It only took a few seconds for the one to disappear. Kibum immediately stuffed his phone in his pocket, feeling oddly self-conscious, and called the dogs inside. He cleaned their paws before he let them in, then made his way to the bathroom to wash his face. He dug his phone out of his pocket, tilting the screen toward him to see if Minho had responded yet.He had. Another voice note. Kibum turned his volume up and hit play as he started to wash his face.He was met with the sound of bed sheets rustling. Minho must have been shifting. Sitting up, maybe. He cleared his throat softly into the speaker before his voice filled the bathroom.“Of course, I’m excited to see you again. I can’t wait either. I know it hasn’t been that long, considering how long we had gone between seeing each other before, but”—he sighed, and in it, Kibum could hear his smile—“it feels like it’s been too long. I just miss you, you know? All I want to do is hold you again…and kiss you…and show you just how much I—I adore you.”Kibum, who had been halfheartedly attempting to pat on toner, stopped completely and stared at his phone.“What really doesn’t help,” Minho went on, a hint of a laugh in his voice now. “Is just how many memories we managed to make here last summer. Everywhere I turn, not even just in my apartment or studio, I’m bombarded with the thought of you. Not that I’m complaining, of course”—Kibum smiled at his phone—“but now Jonghyun won’t stop teasing me about being, in his words, pathetic.”“Rich, coming from him,” Kibum said under his breath right as Minho said, “Which, I don’t know how he’s forgetting what he was like before he and Jinki started dating, but whatever.”Kibum snorted and reached for his moisturizer, squeezing a little out. “But, anyway, I just wanted to say that I can’t wait to see you again and do whatever it is you have planned for us. It’ll be great, whatever it is, because we’re together. I just know it.“I guess I should get up too, but, I just wanted…and I know this might be too sappy for you, but, I wanted to say that I’ll carry you with me in my heart until we can see each other again.” He chuckled then, low and soft, as if he had just witnessed Kibum nearly dropping his sunscreen in surprise at Minho’s gentle admission. “Talk to you later, Bummie. Lo—“ he cleared his throat again, a little louder this time. “Bye.”Kibum stared at his phone, his sunscreen poised to dispense some into his palm, but he hadn’t squeezed it yet.Love? You? Had that been what Minho was about to say?He cast an absent glance at the toilet, and when he found that the lid was down, he seated himself gingerly as he stared at the wall across from him.Was it too soon? Hadn’t he, though, for at least a moment…just one moment of weakness, thought that a few weeks ago? Yes, but…But he had concluded then that it was too soon to be thinking those things. He wasn’t an enamored kid anymore, caught up in the whirlwind of emotions that accompanied the early days of a relationship.What was he, then?Because that thought, that seed…it had already been planted. And it would continue to grow.Was that such a bad thing?Maybe not. Minho didn’t seem like the type to play around with him like Joonwoo had done. But…But.He wasn’t ready for this. Not yet. He knew that much if Minho almost saying that was enough to cause this moment of panic.What if…what if when he came up…what if he said it then? In person. How would he respond? Would Minho expect him to say it back? Would he be able to say it back?“I want to be able to,” he whispered to himself, blinking finally and looking away from the wall.Ten days was still a long time. Maybe by then, when they were back together again, he’d be able to…to lose himself in the moment? Not overthink it?He finished getting ready to head out, his mind a bit hazy from the anxiety that, now that he was walking out the door to his car, starting to dwindle at last. By the time he reached the Starbucks drive-thru, it was nearly behind him.“Yeah, hi, can I get a venti choux frappe, with an extra shot of espresso, and a venti iced earl grey latte with soy milk? Thanks.”Once he had his drinks situated, he started for work at last, heading for the parking garage across the street from his office. Only when he reached the third floor…his parking spot was taken. Grumbling under his breath, he crept along to search for the nearest available spot.He parked with a sigh, unplugging his phone from the aux to see if Minho or anyone else had texted him. Minho, of course, had, but so had Yerim.He checked Minho’s first.It was a picture of the cloud-strewn, otherwise-blue sky stretching out over the shimmering sea, looking like one of his watercolor paintings, with the accompanying text The sky is pretty today.Kibum smiled at his screen, then turned on the light in the car before he hit the camera button in kakaotalk so he could send a quick selca. Casually posed, with his hand tugging slightly at the neck of his sweater and his head tilted just a little. There was enough of a smile for his dimples to show, and the swoop of his fringe was making his hair fall into his eyes just so.It only took two tries, a feat he was proud of.He sent it with a text asking Prettier than me? then slipped his phone into his jacket pocket and slung his bag over his shoulder before he grabbed the drinks. He haphazardly locked the door on his way to the walking bridge between the garage and the office.He half-bowed quickly to everyone he passed on his way to his cubicle, and once he reached it, he leaned against the wall of the opposite end, holding out the choux latte to the woman sitting in the chair. Joohyun looked up at him, then down at the drink, then back at him. “I already had coffee at home. Chaejin made some for me.”Kibum held it out a little more insistently. “Well, this time your work-wife is making it for you.”She snorted, relenting at last and taking it from him so he could finally head to his seat on the other side of their cubicle. He plopped down in it, revolving slowly as he took a sip of his latte, and dug out his phone to see if Minho had responded yet. He had.
Of course not ㅋㅋ

It can’t even compare to you
“Good answer,” Kibum muttered aloud, looking up when Joohyun turned toward him. He nodded for her to come over, and she pushed her rolling chair until she was right beside him. He showed her the exchange as she popped the top off of her drink to swipe some whipped cream onto her finger.She shot him an amused look before she went in for some more whipped cream. “You’ve got him so whipped.”“That’s how it should be, though, right?”“True.” Her eyes narrowed slightly as she suppressed a smile. “But then you’re not really one to talk, are you?” Kibum blinked as he watched her scoot back across to her side of the cubicle. She looked back at him, laughing at his expression. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”Before he could retort, Kibum’s phone rang and he swiveled around to answer it. “Kibum’s desk.”“Mr. Kim, hello!” The strained voice of Miyeon pierced through his phone, and he squinted in a wince. Seonho must be here, he stressed her out whenever he was. “Mr. Lee is here to see you.”Yup, he was correct, as usual.Kibum swiveled back around to face Joohyun, turning his fingers into a gun and pointing it at his temple. Nodding, she reached for her purse and began rummaging around inside. “I’ll be right there. Conference room three, please.”“Yes, sir!” she said shrilly before hanging up.Kibum sighed heavily, looking over at the sound of tupperware opening. Immediately, the smell of freshly baked cookies wafted over to him, and he discarded the receiver before scooting over until his armrest bumped into hers. “What is it today?”“Snickerdoodles, I think.” She opened the lid a little wider so Kibum could reach in for one, closing it quickly so the smell didn’t spread too far. “Hopefully it’ll give you the boost you need to deal with the little shit.”“Yeah,” Kibum said, his mouth already full of half the snickerdoodle. He closed his eyes to savor the buttery, vanilla-y goodness of it. “Tell Chae I owe her my life.”“Will do,” Joohyun said, opening the container again to get one for herself.“What’s the occasion?” Kibum asked as he slid back over to his side so he could gather his things for the meeting. “It’s not an anniversary is it?” She didn’t respond immediately, and when he looked back, the smile she had donned was so mischievous, that he almost pocketed the landline instead of his cell phone. “Was it?”She shook her head as he set the receiver back in its proper place. “She just wanted to thank me,” she said, lowering her voice so that it would only carry to him.“Thank you? For what?”She shrugged, the smile returning. “We had a nice time last night. That’s all.”Kibum blinked slowly, then let out a long, dramatic sigh that turned her smile into a cheeky grin. “Ten more days.”“That’s hardly any time at all.”“Oh, shut up.”Her laughter followed him out of the cubicle, and he shook his head with a small smile of his own before he stuffed the rest of the cookie into his mouth. Once he had his laptop in hand, he was off, down a side hallway to the elevators. He went up two more floors, hurrying past the dance studios to the conference rooms, hoping that he would make it before Seonho did.He was in luck; Seonho was probably grabbing a drink from the cafe downstairs before leisurely making his way up here. As if he had all the time in the world and was Kibum’s only client he had to deal with today.Kibum took the seat at the far end of the table, getting himself organized while he waited for the idol to join him. He checked his phone again, answering Yeri’s question and then texting Mom to ask her when she wanted him and Minho to come down for Chuseok. And then, he opened his and Minho’s messages.There was just a new picture, this time of himself. His hair was a bit longer than it had been when Kibum had left. Wavier, too. He was out on the beach, no doubt getting his new reference shots for the day, but he must have already painted something today because there were little yellow and green freckles of paint adorning his face. Kibum shook his head with a small smile as he started to zoom in a bit, only for the door to unexpectedly open.Kibum immediately flipped it screen-side down on the table and plastered his customer service smile on as the young idol slouched into the room, already looking bored. He was followed by Eunyeong, one of the managers of his group. “Please, take a seat so we can get started.”It was always tedious work, trying to impress upon some idiot kid that his actions did in fact have consequences and try to teach him how to have manners, both online and in real life. But, by the time lunchtime rolled around, Kibum was free of the entitled idol and able to switch his focus back to his usual workload—managing the social media accounts of the girl groups under the company he worked for. He worked through lunch, splitting the sandwich with Joohyun that she brought back from the cafe from the lobby as he typed out posts about one of the group’s upcoming tour to Japan.The afternoon was a mess of emails from managers with new pictures of their charges to be posted on the official accounts, of which Kibum had to make or schedule or post updates across all social media. By the time his inbox was cleared, his brain was nearly fried and his eyes were burning from staring at a screen all day. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes until they were tingling, then lowered his hands so he could gather his things to head home at last.He parted ways with Joohyun at the elevator in the parking garage, leaving with another cookie for company on his walk back to his car. Once he was inside and the car was started, he sat there with his forehead pressed against the wheel. Just for a few minutes, until the tension seeped out of his shoulders. Then he plugged in his phone to the aux and opened his and Minho’s shared playlist.Of course, a Michael Buble song was the first one to play. Even if it wasn’t the one that Minho sang to him that night, he still caught a glimpse of him up on that makeshift stage in the cafe, bathed in a neon glow. Smiling now, he pulled out of the parking spot and headed for home.The sun was almost set by the time he reached his apartment, the city lights shimmering over the Han River. He dug his airpods out of his bag, put them on and waited for the music to switch over before he turned off his car. Then, he gathered his things and began the climb up to his apartment.He shifted everything over to his left hand except for his phone, and with his right, he busied himself with putting in an order for some ramyeon that he just finished as he reached his door. So, he slipped his phone in his pocket and unlocked the door.Comme Des and Garcons were immediately there, eagerly awaiting his arrival. “Hey, kids,” he said, realizing then how tired he sounded. “Just give me a second, and we’ll head out.”Once he set his things down haphazardly on the couch, he opened his and Minho’s messages, sending him a quick I’m home now before heading into his room. He changed out of his work clothes, kicking them off and into the floor of the closet, then tugged off his sweater so he could change into his sweatsuit for the dogs’ walk.He glanced at his phone when there was a ding in his ear from the airpods, the screen lighting up to show that Minho had texted back.
Still on the road, should be able to call soon
He squinted at the screen, hesitating only for a second before he called. It was immediately picked up. “You’re not texting while driving are you?”Minho’s laugh was joined by one he vaguely recognized. “No, no, Taemin texted for me.”“Oh okay.” He stopped himself from automatically asking about his day. Minho’s phone was on speaker, judging by the ambient road noise, and he was in no mood for an audience when he caught up with Minho after a stressful, busy day. “When will you get home?”“We’re just leaving town so at least an hour.” Kibum sighed, and Minho chuckled. “I’m sorry, Bum.”“Don’t worry, honey,” he said without thinking, remembering a second later that Taemin was still in the car. “Call me whenever you’re ready?”“Will do.”Kibum could hear the smile in his voice through the phone, and he started smiling, too. “Bye, then.”“Talk to you soon.”He caught Taemin saying Hyung, you’re so— with a laugh so clearly evident in his voice, but whatever he said was cut off when Kibum hung up.So…what? Should he ask when Minho called him when he got home? His smile grew a little as he left his room to find his dogs’ leashes, and then went back outside with the dogs in tow, letting them lead the way along the river.The half-moon was peeking out behind wisps of clouds, tentatively overseeing their trek down the river. It was near impossible to see the stars in the lights of the city—if he were with Minho right now, they’d be in the country with nothing to look at but the stars. He sighed a touch forlornly, then tugged on Garcons’ leash to get him moving again when he stopped to smell a tree. The thought returned, now that he was alone and not inundated with work, from this morning. That Minho might have almost said he loved him.Out loud. So casually.It was a reverent admission, to him at least. One that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Maybe that’s what stopped him from saying it earlier. He wanted to wait to see Kibum in person and say it then? But then…how would he respond to that?Ideally, he’d be able to say it back immediately. But even just having that thought, his stomach churned and anxiety clenched his heart.He would like to…he would very much like to…but, well, he wouldn’t know how he would feel until the time came.He rolled his eyes at himself before he pulled his phone out to check the time, then he kissed the air at his puppies, both of them perking up at the sound. “Let’s head back,” he said to them, tugging their leashes to turn them around.It wasn’t like him to be so unsure about things. Granted, he had been very sure about Joonwoo, and look how that had turned out. Not well was an understatement. But that hadn’t been how it had started, of course. And everything was starting so, so well with Minho…“Why is your brain like this, Kibummie,” he muttered to himself as he unlocked the door to let the dogs inside. He had to prod them in, though, because his ready-to-cook dinner had arrived and they were sniffing eagerly at the bag containing everything.He dropped it off on the table before hunkering down to unclip the dogs’ leashes and clean off their paws, letting them run rampant throughout the apartment while he started putting together his dinner. By the time Minho got around to face-timing him, Kibum had already changed into his pajamas and was getting his bowl, chopsticks, and spoon to eat his ramyeon with. He bolted ungracefully to the table, the bowl and utensils clattering on the surface.He quickly composed himself as he propped the phone up against the extra glass he’d gotten for this exact purpose before he answered the call. Immediately, he was fixing his hair in the display, until Minho’s camera loaded. And then he stopped, locking eyes with his exhausted but still breathtakingly handsome boyfriend who relaxed against the couch with a sigh at the sight of him.“Hey,” Kibum said, his smile blooming.“Hi, babe,” Minho said, sounding as tired as he looked. “How was your day?”“Crazy. How about yours?”“About the same. Kinda crazy.”“Did you get everything you wanted to get done…done?” Kibum asked as Minho dragged his hand through his hair, ruffling it slightly before he let his arm fall back to his side.“Yeah, just about. The brand I usually get was out of the green but they came out with a few new colors, so I can’t wait to use them.”“Oh?” Kibum reached out for the ladle to dish himself up his dinner. “What’d you get for dinner?”“Taeyeon had some jjamppong waiting for me.”“Ah, your old standby.”Minho snorted, his smile lazy yet bright. “What about you? What’d you get?”“Ramyeon.” Minho sighed heavily, and Kibum glanced over at him, amused, as he picked up some of the noodles with his chopsticks. “I’ll order some when you get here, don’t worry.”Minho perked up at that, finally leaning forward to take the lid off of his dinner.They chatted aimlessly while they ate, filling each other in on the parts of their days that didn’t make it to their texts. Cleaning up after dinner was a bit cumbersome, as he could only do it one-handed so he could still carry Minho around with him. Still worth it, though. Then he retreated to his bedroom, taking care to set Minho up safely against the mirror so that they could still talk while he did his nightly routine and while Minho got ready for bed.He pulled his hair back into a clip, the thick tuft striking straight up and splaying out in a dark fan. Minho chuckled, and Kibum glanced down at his phone, then bent a little so that he could see himself on the screen and fussed with his hair. “I think this is how I should show up at the airport.”Minho’s smile grew and he leaned a little closer to the phone. “I’d be able to spot you easily.” Shaking his head with a smile, Kibum turned on the water so he could start washing his face.He plugged in his phone as he crawled into bed after turning off all the lights except the one by his bed, then he reached into the nightstand drawer for his lighter so he could light Minho’s candle for the night. It only took a few seconds for the fresh scent of peach to fill his bedroom.“Oh, good idea,” Minho said as Kibum settled into bed, and Minho stretched over the phone so that Kibum got an extremely up-close view of Minho’s bare chest. Then there was the clicking of a lighter, and when Minho leaned back, he was bathed in the flickering warm glow of the candle Kibum had made for him. Minho laid back down, hugging his pillow with the hand that wasn’t holding his phone. “So…”Kibum’s eyebrow rose a little in anticipation of what Minho would say next.“I’ve been thinking about my question all day.”This was something they had decided to do a few days into their separation after their summer together. Every day, one of them would ask a question—any question—as a way to learn more about the other. They alternated, so tomorrow Kibum would be distracted all day while he thought about what he wanted to know about Minho.“What’d you come up with?”“It’s really simple, or”—his brow immediately furrowed—“at least I hope it is.” Kibum hummed encouragingly, and Minho cleared his throat, snuggling closer to his pillow. “How’d you get the scar?”Kibum lifted his head, pointing to the scarred eyebrow that had been hidden in his pillow. “This one?” Minho nodded, and Kibum let his head fall back down on his pillow. “It happened when I was really little. I don’t personally remember it, but my dad likes to tell the story.” Kibum rolled his eyes, and Minho chuckled. “But, uh, I guess we were at my Grandma’s house after Yerim was born and I was running around the room being chased by her poodles, and I guess I lost my footing and my brow”—he gestured unnecessarily to his eyebrow—“hit the edge of the table when I fell.”Minho winced, and Kibum smiled. “Yeah, so we all had to go back to the hospital my mom just left. I was screaming, Yerim was screaming because I was, it was all very dramatic. But, I got stitched up and I’m just left with this conversation starter.”Minho laughed, adjusting his hold on the phone. “Do a lot of people ask you about it?”He nodded. “Kids, mostly. Their parents are usually embarrassed but I try to make up stories as to why I have it.”Minho’s eyebrows shot up. “What kind of stories?”“Oh, you know…that I got into a fight…basic stuff. But, there was this one time I remember, this kid at the grocery store was wearing a shirt with a pirate on it, so I made up this whole story about it. Including having a fake eye,” he added, smiling when Minho started to laugh. “It was very elaborate.”“Sounds like it.”“Kids are fun to mess with, though. So gullible.”“True.” Minho sobered a little, and Kibum searched his expression, trying to read it. “They can be really cute, though, too.”Kibum hummed his assent, still watching him. There was this slight twist of his mouth as he started to worry his bottom lip and a barely-there furrow in his brow. “Honey…” Minho met his inquiring gaze. “What’s on your mind?”“It’s stupid.”“I’m sure it’s not.”Minho sniffed a quiet laugh. “Right, well…” He sighed heavily. “I was just wishing that we—I” he interjected quickly “—would be able to adopt someday. But that doesn’t seem very likely, does it.”Not a question, more like…a defeated statement.Kibum gave him a small, sad smile, wishing he could be there in person to offer him more comfort. “Not really. It would be nice, though, wouldn’t it?” Minho looked back at him, eyes bright and wide with a twinkle of candlelight dancing in them. “But for now, we can have our—my puppies.”Damn it, Minho started it. That would be his defense if Minho brought it up.There was a glimmer of more than just candlelight in Minho’s eyes as he sat up a little, looking eager to ask him what he meant by that, but Kibum was too quick for him. “What about you? Your scar,” he amended when Minho was looking confused.“Which one?”“The one on your cheekbone.” The furrow in Minho’s brow deepened and he propped himself up, patting around his cheeks as Kibum laughed as he searched for it. “No, a little further up. Min—”He stopped moving his fingers when he found it, and he dragged the tip of his finger back and forth over it. “Oh my god, I forgot I even had this.” Kibum relaxed into his pillow, relieved that it wasn’t likely tied to that night. “I think Minseok and I had been playing in the backyard or something and this happened. Or maybe we were playing football.”“Oh, wow, you’re into sports? I had no idea,” Kibum said in a droll voice.Minho sucked his teeth at him, then broke into a grin when Kibum laughed. “Why are you teasing me?”“Oh, honey, I would never.” Minho closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, Kibum’s smile softening as he shifted so he could hug his pillow, too, since he couldn’t hold Minho at the moment.“Is it weird that I’m already packed?”Kibum buried his smile for a second before he propped his chin up on the puffy fold of his pillow. “Only if it’s weird that I already bought a pillow for you.” Minho’s expression brightened, and he sat up a little as if he’d be able to peer over Kibum’s shoulder. Kibum lifted his phone, rolling over and taking Minho with him so he could see it waiting for him on his side of the bed. “It’s just like mine, only the next size up.”He resettled around his pillow, holding his phone out before him again. Minho’s expression was almost too fond to behold, so he glanced away to the bottom of his screen and opened up the filters. Fake cherry blossoms swept across the bottom half of the screen, some catching in his hair before he switched to the next filter.Minho, distracted now, pulled his phone closer too, zipping through the filters.Lines of rainbow light danced around Minho’s otherwise black-and-white screen, but then he switched, and it looked as if he were wearing a full face of makeup. Laughing, he switched to the next one, which happened to be flames wreathing him and every visible surface on the screen. He let out a laugh, then pretended to quietly scream.“Oh, no, are you okay?” Kibum asked, his voice devoid of any real concern as he rapidly swiped through to find the makeup one, only to pause when pink hearts bubbled up around his face. The filter made his eyes just a little bigger, too, and added a hint of blush. He sat up a little to admire the effect better, glancing up when Minho swiped out of the flames.He was going through them quickly, too, his brow furrowed in concentration. Was he searching for the hearts, too? Or—He had his answer when Minho paused at last on a filter where kisses were peppering his face. He held his phone away like Kibum had, watching Kibum with a small smile.Oh, how badly he wanted to be there, kissing Minho to his heart’s content. He hugged his pillow with his free hand again, resting his chin on the fold. Minho, who seemed to be able to read his thoughts, glanced away until he switched back to having no filter. It was then that Kibum realized there were still hearts bubbling up around his face.The “Sleep” bubble appeared at the top of his screen as he was lazily scrolling through filters, indicating that his phone was now in do-not-disturb mode until his 6:00 alarm tomorrow morning. The terrible thing about these nightly video calls was that they made it that much harder to fall asleep. He sighed heavily as he finally found the makeup filter, just as Minho pulled his phone close again.“You worked hard today,” he said like he said every night before they signed off around this time.“You too,” he said automatically, his insides taut with the desire to say more. That he missed him terribly. That he wished they could be together right now, embracing as they drifted off to sleep together, like they had so often this summer. That all he wanted in the world right now was to be able to kiss him. But it would be too embarrassing to say all of that. So instead, he went with “Nine more days.”Minho’s smile blossomed into a grin, and he settled back around his pillow, the candlelight highlighting the waves in his hair and the sculpt of his face. “I can’t wait.”“Me neither. And I wish we could keep talking, but—”“No, I know, I saw the time. You need to sleep.”“Unfortunately.”Minho sniffed a quiet laugh. “Talk to you tomorrow, then?”Kibum nodded, as if that were even a question. “Goodnight, Min.”“Goodnight, Bummie.” He hesitated for just a second before he ended the call, and set his phone to charge on his nightstand with a long sigh.He let the candle burn for a few more moments, sleepily entranced by the light and the way the shadows writhed around the room. Then, he put the lid back on, snuffing the flame and rolling over. He hefted his weighted blanket over him and then reached for Minho’s pillow, holding it close like he would have if it were really Minho.The summery scent of the candle lingered in the air until he at last succumbed to sleep.* * * * *There was still a hint of Kibum’s shampoo on his pillow.It was barely there, obviously, since it had been so long since he had slept here, but…Minho swore he could still smell it as he buried his face a little deeper in the pillow. His eyes slid drowsily open at the sound of his alarm—a tinkling piano jingle that he didn’t mind letting play for a few moments. Eventually, he rolled over and unlocked his phone, heading straight to his messages with Kibum.
06:06

Good morning, beautiful
He unplugged his phone, letting his head thud against his pillow as he watched his screen, waiting for the little one to disappear. When it did, he blinked rapidly, rousing himself a bit more.
Good morning~~~ ❤️

How’d you sleep?
He sat up a little, tapping the message line so he could type. Not bad. Would have been better if you were here, though.
Well, yeah, of course
Minho snorted, typing and sending the text Five more days just as it appeared from Kibum. Not that we’re counting or anything
No, not at all

You have today off, don’t you?
A sigh escaped him as he laid back down, rolling over onto his side. Technically? But I’m still gonna do a bit of work before I hang out with Sooyoung and TaeyeonThe little one didn’t disappear immediately, so Minho sat up completely, going up on his tiptoes to stretch as he started for his kitchenette. Once his coffee was brewed, he shuffled out to his balcony and slumped in the left chair. He closed his eyes, letting the sound of the waves and the softly salted air wash over him before he took a sip of his too-warm coffee.The fishing boats were making their way into port. Taeyeon would be heading there soon to get her seafood for the day. He watched one vessel bobbing in the oncoming waves as he sipped his coffee, looking away from it only when his phone vibrated again.Kibum had sent a selfie. In the photo, he was also on his balcony, bathed in sunlight. It shimmered in his hair and highlighted the bridge of his nose, the sculpt of his cheekbone, and the slope of his neck. He was holding Comme Des, his head tilted to the side and resting on the top of Comme Des’ head. His smile was faint, no dimples in sight—it mostly manifested in the coy look in his eyes.
Why are you taunting me?

You started it
Minho scoffed, setting his steaming coffee aside. When? His text was immediately read, and a few seconds later, a screenshot of their messages appeared, cropped to show the text where he had said he’d be hanging out with Taeyeon and Sooyoung today. Grinning now, Minho shifted in his seat, scooting down, getting more comfortable. I didn’t mean that to be a taunt
Yes, well, you can fix it by telling me

what you’re up to with them

I told you, it’s a surprise

For you
Kibum immediately sent him an exasperated Neo emoji, and Minho laughed out loud.
Do you want me to ruin the surprise?

.....no

Then I don’t know what you want from me
The one disappeared, but a text didn’t appear for several minutes. The delay was long enough for Minho to set his phone aside and pick up his coffee, getting a few sips in before his screen lit up again. He picked up his phone and unlocked it, finding a voice message waiting for him.He was met with a long sigh when he opened the voice message, and Minho smiled at the fondly defeated sound. “You know what I want? For you to be here already. Like—” He sighed again, and Minho held his phone speaker closer to his ear, just so he could hear his voice a little better. “I don’t know, mornings are just better with you. Afternoons, too.” Minho’s eyebrow raised as he waited for Kibum to continue, smiling again when Kibum chuckled. “Nights, too, obviously. I’m just…I’m getting impatient, waiting. The day you arrive is taking too long to get here.”One of the dogs barked, and Kibum kissed the air, then called out to him, “Come on, get out of there!” He sucked his teeth, and the legs of Kibum’s chair scraped against the ground as he presumably stood. His voice had switched to baby-talking mode as he said, “Why do you never listen to me, hm? I just want what’s best for you, why can’t you see that?” Kibum huffed, and judging by the jingling, Minho guessed that Kibum had picked up one of his dogs.“I suppose I should get ready for work. Have fun preparing your surprise,” he said, emphasizing the word with amused disdain. “I’ll try to be patient.” Then, with a clear smile in his voice. “I’ll talk to you later.”And with that, the message ended.Minho listened to it again as he finished off his coffee, clearing his voice to leave his own as he made his way back inside. He dragged his hand through his hair as he yawned, glancing around his empty apartment. His attention landed on the kitchen, where they had prepared most of their meals together last summer. To the couch, where they had sat either cuddled up or one stretched over the other as they caught up on the drama they were binging together or whichever reality show was on at the time. Then, the bed…Here, his studio, his car…the boardwalk, even…nowhere was safe from his memories with Kibum.He pressed on the microphone, exhaling a sniff of a laugh. “If you think you have it bad, try living here. I can’t escape any memories of you. And I know what you’re gonna say,” he added quickly, glancing down at his screen. “This isn’t a competition. And you’re right”—then he lifted his speaker to his lips, and dropped his voice to a whisper as he said—“but I’m winning.” His laughter echoed in his apartment at the thought of Kibum’s exasperated expression after hearing that. “I’m kidding, obviously, Bummie, but…”He stopped at the top of the stairs, looking down into his sunlit studio before moving into his bedroom and plopping down at the foot of his bed. His attention landed on his eagerly waiting suitcase, and he smiled softly.“I do agree with you, though. Any time spent with you is just better. And I know I keep saying it but I really can’t wait to see you again. I hope you’ll like your surprises. Yes, surprises, there are more than one. Not meant to tease you—well, okay, maybe just a little bit—but because I know you’ll love them. Or, at least, I hope you will.”“Anyway,” he said, prolonging the word with a sigh. “I should go. Wanna get a run in before I get started on the work I need to do before…you know…” His voice faded as he grinned, picturing Kibum’s reaction. “I hope work is easy for you today, and I’m looking forward to our call tonight. Bye, for now, Bummie.”He bit his bottom lip as he hit send, watching the little one disappear almost immediately. Then he exited his messages and turned his phone volume on so he could hear the notification when Kibum responded while he got ready to exercise. It came as he was pulling on his windbreaker, so he grabbed his sneakers and returned to his bed, picking up his phone to check the message.
Why do you continue to be the most annoying

person on the planet?
Annoying? Minho texted back with a laugh, his eyebrows shooting up in anticipation when the one disappeared right away. He reached blindly for the first of his shoes, tying the laces as a new text popped up.
Yes.

You’re lucky I tolerate you

True…I’m the luckiest man alive
The one was immediately gone again, and in his mind’s eye, Minho could see the shy yet pleased grin brightening Kibum’s features. Then, after a few more seconds, a text bubble popped up with Enjoy your run~Grinning, Minho dropped the laces mid-tie of his other shoe and picked up his phone.
Will do~~~

Wish you could come with me, though~
Kibum immediately sent the emoji where Neo was shaking Frodo, which made Minho sniff a laugh as he opened up his emojis too, scrolling through the pack they had both gotten until he found the one where Frodo was carrying Neo with a fond smile. He sent it, watching the screen again as he finished up his laces and started downstairs. He could almost hear Kibum’s sigh as the next text appeared. A series of red hearts, which Minho usually took as stand-ins for kisses. Smiling, he sent a few back before he pocketed his phone and headed out the backdoor, jogging towards the road once he was sure the door was closed.It was an unusually cloudless day, save for the tiny puffs of white floating in over the sea. The unhindered sun was beating down on Minho as he ran, showering him in a pleasant warmth that lingered even in the occasional patch of shade. Passing cars were few and far between, now that their town was quiet and empty of many of the tourists. He waved at the locals he recognized as he jogged along, breathing in the fresh air of the delightfully sunny day.It was perfect. Or almost. The only thing that would make it better was if Kibum were waiting for him at home.He paused in the shade of a copse of trees between the road and the rocky beach to catch his breath, looking around to see if there was anything here to take a picture of. Nothing stood out to him. Frowning, he pulled out his phone, but there were no new texts. Though, judging by the time, Kibum was probably driving to Starbucks for him and Joohyun before heading to work.So, he opened up his camera and flipped the cameras so it was facing him and not the ground. He held it up, squinting in the sunlight, and turned around so that his back was to it. But it was too late, as a series of sneezes wracked his body. Once the tingle at the back of his nose was gone for good, he shook his head and raised his phone again. Scrunching his face in a smile, he took a picture, then one more before checking them. He was more satisfied with the second, so he sent it to Kibum with the accompanying caption: It’s a beautiful day~He let out a huff of a happy sigh as he pocketed his phone again, glancing around to reorient himself before he continued on his run, heading back towards town.Sooyoung’s Open sign was flipped by the time he jogged up to the boardwalk, so he shifted directions, heading inside the front of her cafe. She poked her head out of the back, doing a double-take before she stepped out behind the counter.“I’m not ready for you yet?”“I figured,” Minho said, shaking his head as he was catching his breath. “Just wanted some breakfast.”She nodded behind her, gesturing for him to follow. “Do you want coffee too?”He shook his head again. “I’m good, thank you th—oh…“ She was already pouring him some. “Okay, thanks,” he said when she handed the cup to him and plopped down on the stool on the opposite side of the butcher block counter.“So what are you thinking of making him?” she asked as she set her coffee down before she went back to shaping.“Well, I’ll be there for his birthday, so…”She stopped rolling up a croissant, looking across the counter at him. “A cake?” He nodded. “I have done cake before but not frequently.”“You’ll probably be better at it than me.”She shrugged with a little smirk, setting aside the croissant she had been rolling up. He looked around for the bowl of eggwash and the brush, eager to be of some help to her, but it wasn’t there. “Not yet,” she said, stopping him as he made to get up. Could she read his mind? “They still have to proof.”“Oh, right.”He sat back, clasping his hands together and tapping his thumbs against each other.She sniffed a laugh, glancing over at him before she reached for the piping bag of red bean paste. “Are you nervous?”Minho looked up at her, eyes wide. “Why would I be?” She fixed him with a droll glare, and he offered her a sheepish smile, shrinking in his stool. “Yeah, a bit.”“You’re in good hands, don’t worry.”“Yeah, I know I’ll be fine here…but what if I fuck up when I’m there? What if I start a fire in his apartment?”“Then you carry him out of the apartment like you're a firefighter?” she said incredulously, as if that were obvious. “Why else do you keep going to the gym?”Minho laughed loudly at the unexpected quip as he reached for his coffee and Sooyoung broke into a grin, returning her attention to piping the paste before rolling up the next croissant. His phone vibrated, and he flipped it over, unsurprised to see a response from Kibum to his selca and corresponding caption. He unlocked his phone, smiling when the text loaded.
It sure is
“Hey,” Sooyoung said, drawing Minho’s attention momentarily away from texting Kibum back. “Can you put these on the rack for me?” Minho pocketed his phone, grabbing the full tray of shaped croissants while Sooyoung started on the next one, carrying it across the room to the plastic-covered rack, being careful to be gentle as he slid it onto the rungs.He only had to wait about twenty minutes for her to be ready to start teaching him how to bake a cake. A lot went into it, which surprised him. What flavor of cake? Of filling? Of frosting? What design did he want? Did he want something more artistic or something simple that would be easy for him to achieve on his own for the first time?She went over the basics with him, what equipment he’d need, what to look for in Kibum’s kitchen before he bought anything needed for the cake—he took furious notes on his phone as she talked before they even started talking about flavors.“So, what sort of flavors does he like?”Minho hummed, thinking. “He usually gets an Earl Grey latte when we go out…and he also likes fruit-flavored things, too.“He does, doesn’t he…hm.” Her eyes lit up as an idea seemed to strike her, then she reached for a notepad and pen, clicking it open. “Give me a second.”It only took her a few minutes and a couple of Naver and Google searches before she had a recipe for a spiced pear cake, an Earl Grey caramel whipped filling, and a whipped cream frosting written down. Luckily, she had all the ingredients she needed on hand, so they got straight to work on it—Minho grating the pear and ginger for her while she weighed out the ingredients. She also made him fold the batter together, just so he could learn how to do it.Once the cake was baked and cooling, they moved on to the filling. Minho took a series of videos on his phone of how it was supposed to look during the process. Then she had him whip the cream by hand since Kibum probably didn’t have a mixer. He took more videos of her putting the whole cake together, then grabbed two clean forks from the sink so they could dig in.“Oh…” Minho said around his first bite of the cake. “I could see him really liking this.”Sooyoung nodded emphatically and went in for another bite.He left her shop with a still-steaming red bean-filled croissant in hand, as well as a fresh coffee and the recipes Sooyoung had written for him, as well as an envelope of acetate. The journey was short, as he was just going home. He let himself inside, not bothering with turning on any of the lights, as the sunlight was quite sufficient for now.Munching on his croissant as he puttered around, he straightened up, even though there was no real need. He had been bored enough in the absence of the summer’s influx of tourists—and Kibum, of course—to keep everything annoyingly tidy. Too much energy and nowhere to direct it, aside from cleaning. Which, at least he was being productive.He popped the last bit of his croissant in his mouth, stopping before the wall of portraits he had started last year. The newest one was of Jinki and Jonghyun, which he had sketched last week during a quiet moment at their apartment. Both of them were sitting in Jinki’s oversized armchair, focused on the book in Jinki’s hand, their foreheads almost pressed together as they read. Smiling, he looked away from them and to one of the many of Kibum he had done. With Kibum and the puppies that Yeri had sent him before they had started dating. Minho reached out, straightening it, stroking the edge of the paper before he let it go with a sigh.Even though he hadn’t been planning on it today, he flipped the sign and unlocked the door. He wasn’t expecting very many people to pop in, which was good, because he was right. The little bell above his door tinkled only twice. The first was when one of the locals he recognized asked if she could book an art class as part of her daughter’s upcoming birthday, which they then scheduled. The second was when the mail carrier came in with the new paints that he had ordered last week so that Minho could sign for them.During the quiet moments in between both interruptions, Minho was able to get some work done. Not as much as he would have liked, but he had been able to finish one commission he had gotten at the end of the summer before starting on the bare-bones sketch of the next one. This one would be one of the largest paintings he had ever attempted—second only to the Sun of a Beach painting that hung in Kibum’s apartment.Huh.He’d be seeing that again very soon. He hadn’t thought of that.When his phone alerted him that it was time for lunch, he cleaned and straightened his studio before hurrying upstairs to wash up and grab his wallet and keys. Then, he locked up and hurried next door to see if Sooyoung needed any help in closing up shop before they made their way to the other end of the boardwalk to the cafe.Jonghyun was wiping down the table nearest to the karaoke station when they walked in, and he looked up to greet them with a smile that only grew when he realized it wasn’t a new customer. “Oh, hey! Taeng’s in the back if you want to just go there.”“Yeah, alright,” Minho said, his attention trailing after Sooyoung as she left his side to head to the kitchen. As soon as the door was closed behind her, Minho glanced back at Jonghyun. “Do you know what we’re making?”Jonghyun nodded, going back to wiping down the table before moving to the next one. “You’ll be fine, don’t worry.”“Okay.” And, a little apprehensively, Minho started for the kitchen, taking a deep breath before pushing open the door.Taeyeon was leaning up against the largest sink, peeling the shell off of a shrimp and setting it aside in a pot before dropping the cleaned shrimp into a clear tub of water. She glanced over at Minho as he walked through the door. “Go ahead and wash up. I’m almost done with these.” Nodding, Minho did as he was told, grabbing one of the aprons off the hook and slipping it over his head before he meandered back over to Taeyeon and Sooyoung, both of whom were working on another shrimp apiece. Taeyeon gestured with her knife to the cooler on the other side of Sooyoung. “Get out the zucchini and mushrooms and start chopping them up. Really small.”“Uh, okay.” He hurried to obey, blanking for a second in his nervousness at what a zucchini was supposed to look like. It dawned on him that the cucumber-looking thing that didn’t quite feel like one was it, so he grabbed two just in case as well as the first bunch of mushrooms he laid eyes on.“Yeah, just over there,” Taeyeon said, gesturing for Minho to go over to her usual spot on the line.Minho laid the vegetables out and searched for another knife. Once he found one, he lobbed off the ends of the zucchini and started carefully cutting them into thin slices. They were by no means even like he’d watched Taeyeon do over the years, but he didn’t have her experience and ease with a knife as he did with his canvas and expanse of brushes.He had just finished chopping up the zucchini and was looking for something to put them in when Taeyeon, who he could have sworn had been washing her hands just a second ago, was at his side with a big bowl. “Here, you can stick it in this.”“Okay,” he said as he scooped the first of his heap up to deposit it into the bowl.She laughed, clapping one hand on his shoulder and patting his stomach in a half-hug. “Don’t be nervous, Minho. This is a really easy recipe.”“What is it, exactly?”“Oh! We’re making mandu.” Minho relaxed at once, and Taeyeon released him and leaned against the counter as Minho finished scooping up the zucchini. “It’s our grandma’s recipe. She used to teach us every summer when Kibum’s family would come down to visit.”Minho tensed again. “Oh, so he knows how to make it?”“Probably, but—“ She leaned in then, her voice lowering to an almost whisper. “I was the one she left the recipe to.” She leaned back away with a grin when Minho smiled. “So these are the authentic ones, and Kibum probably hasn’t had them for ages. Now,” she said, patting his back again. “I do have to prep for dinner tonight too, so I’ll be busy with that as well, but I’ll still definitely teach you how to do this, alright?” Minho nodded again, and she began instructing him.Luckily, he was no stranger to the concept of making mandu. His mother would make it all the time when he was growing up, and he liked to be helpful where he could. So, he had the basic idea of how to do all the steps, but it was still great to have this refresher with Taeyeon.As he was squishing the filling between his fingers, he kept his eye on what Taeyeon was making, asking questions about it, too. Because just mandu, no matter how many he made for Kibum, wouldn’t be enough for a date night dinner, and that corn dumpling and shrimp soup looked simple enough to make. Maybe he could give it a shot as well.He left out the back door in a flurry of well-wishes and goodbyes, his hands full of the recipes he’d need to follow, a bag of freshly steamed mandu, and a tub of soup that he could have for dinner after he got back home from his trip across the island.He changed out of his floury clothes and into something slightly more presentable, eating a few of the still-hot mandu on his way. Once he checked that the doors were locked, the lights were off, and he had his keys and wallet, Minho rushed to his car, tossed the bag of mandu in the empty seat beside him, and started out. He plugged his phone into the aux cord, unsurprised to find that it was automatically playing their joint playlist. Familiar as he was now with it, despite Kibum’s constant adding of new songs, Minho either hummed or sang along to most of the songs as he drove, trying his best not to get too distracted by the passing scenery.He did, however, make mental notes of possible places he could go for reference pictures. Another flower field, this time with a blanket of vibrant yellow flowers covering the ground. A promising-looking hike that wound through a forest toward Hallasan. A fleeting sign that might have said something about a waterfall and a secluded pool.Even though he had decided to take the scenic route to the town on the other side of the island that Kibum had taken him to last month, it had taken less time than he thought it would have—even with him stopping for the occasional picture.
There was ample parking on the outskirts of the coastal town, and after the long drive, Minho was eager to stretch his legs. So, he parked, pocketed his keys and wallet, and made sure his car was locked before he started for the town with a spring in his step.They had only been in the hand-made jewelry shop once, and they hadn’t been looking for rings then, Minho had just…spotted them. It did take a little while for him to find the shop, given that it was a strange town to him. But once he found the candle shop, he was able to orient himself a bit more. The attendant greeted him as soon as the door closed behind him, her smile slightly bewildered as he quickly scanned the shop and headed directly for the ring display.“Looking for anything in particular?” she asked as she stopped on the opposite side of him.“Well, my…our hundred days is coming up soon, and I—”“I see,” he said, her smile knowing, now. “What do you think she’ll like?”Right, okay. “Uh,” he looked back down at the rings, weighing the different options. Kibum did like bright colors and more abstract patterns, but this was something he would probably wear every day, right? So, maybe… “Something more neutral? So it’ll go with everything, you know?”“I think that’s a wise choice.” She took a step to her right, Minho’s left. “What about a pair of these?” she asked, directing him to look at the display of silver and gold rings. The plain bands, the ones with grooves carved into the sides, or with the tiniest diamonds embedded in the sides. Hammered ones, braided ones with a thin string of rose gold accompanying the other two metals. “Do you know her ring size?”Minho shook his head. Even though he had had the foresight to ask Yeri, she hadn’t known off the top of her head, and neither had her mom. None of them wanted to ask Kibum directly, because then he would have likely figured it out, and Minho still wanted this to be a surprise.“So, that limits your options, I’m afraid.” She reached into the display, pulling out one of the plain bands, the hammered one, and the braided one.His brow furrowed in concentration as he glanced between the three. Yes, the plain would go with everything, but was it /too/ plain? He liked the hammered one—the texture of it was nice—but the braided one was also very lovely, and he could see Kibum liking it, too.He hummed, thinking, until she spoke up again. “If you’d like, you could also engrave something inside.”Engraving…he looked back at the rings, his mind positively whirring now with ideas of what he could say. “How much would that cost?” She explained the pricing options, and when it came down to it, he would only be able to comfortably afford the plain bands with the engraving idea he had. Well, hopefully, Kibum would still love it.He left the shop about thirty minutes later, itching to wear his ring immediately, but he would have to wait until the actual hundred-day anniversary for that. After texting Kibum that it would probably be around two hours before he would be home, he started back off, half-paying attention to the road before and around him and half-daydreaming about how Kibum would react to both of his surprises. The dinner would be first because it was for his birthday, but the rings…their hundred days anniversary wasn’t happening until after Chuseok.How should he give his ring to him? Should he do something on the grander scale? Or would simple be better? Should he prepare something to say or should he just wing it in the moment?These thoughts plagued him the entire drive home. So much so that he missed the spectacular colors of the sunset, noticing only the last few swatches of orange on the horizon before it melted into the sea and relented to the night.As soon as he pulled into the alleyway behind his shop, he unplugged his phone from the aux cord and took his keys out of his ignition. There were several texts from Kibum, acknowledging his earlier message and then a series of musings on what he should have for dinner tonight. Minho smiled as he read through them, then tapped his thumb on the message bar and began to type.
19:43

Okay, I’m home now
He unbuckled and let himself out, locking the door behind him before he headed inside his studio.
Ready whenever you are~ ❤️

Just give me a second~~~ ❤️❤️❤️
Pocketing his phone, he locked the back door as well and scurried upstairs. In what felt like a whirl of motions, he got the soup warming up. Then he changed into comfier clothes—so, boxers and a t-shirt—and stuffed both the ring box and the recipes inside his suitcase all before the microwave dinged. He gathered one of his spoons and the soup and made his way over to the couch, getting situated at the table before he started the video call.The dial tone filled his apartment for a few seconds until it was abruptly cut off by the chime of picking up the call. He grinned automatically in anticipation of seeing Kibum as he waited the torturous few seconds for his camera to load. Minho relaxed at once as it did, his eyebrows lifting as Kibum leaned in a little, fixing the way his damp fringe laid across his forehead.“Hey,” Kibum said, drawing the greeting out in gentle aegyo. “How was your day?”“Good.” He hesitated, then added, “Very productive.” Kibum squinted suspiciously at him, and Minho couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that. “What?”“You’re talking about that secret again, aren’t you.”“Secrets, and yes.”Kibum picked up his chopsticks with a slight pout, then reached for his phone with his free hand. “Alright, good night, nice talking to you, I suppose.”“Wait, wait,” Minho said, laughing again. “Will you not hang up if I give you a hint?”“We’ll see.” Kibum held his phone up, watching Minho expectantly.Minho cleared his throat and picked up his spoon to stir his soup as he thought rapidly of what he could say. “One…” Could the different foods he would be making be classified as one thing? They were all going to be in the same meal, weren’t they? “One of them is for your birthday.”Kibum’s eyes narrowed. “And the other?”“Uh…” What…what could he say about the couple rings that wouldn’t give it away? “It’s, um, it’s something you can wear.” His eyes lit up at that, curiosity evidently piqued, and he set his phone back down with a dimpled smile. “So,” Minho stirred his soup again, glancing up at Kibum and watching him eat his first bite of tteokbokki, “was your day okay?”Kibum covered his mouth as he chewed and nodded, then said, “Very boring. Was on Twitter most of the day updating accounts for this group I’m working for. Their comeback is soon.”“Ah.” Minho fished out a corn dumpling, curious but knowing better than to ask which group. In the first place, he probably didn’t listen to them much, whoever they were, and secondly, he wasn’t sure if Kibum was allowed to divulge that information.“So many pictorials,” he added with an eye roll. “And emails from the managers changing what they want me to say. And then I have to translate, too.”“I mean, it sounds busy to me.”Kibum hummed disinterestedly, picking up a fish cake. “Not as fun as planning secrets, though.”Minho snorted, grinning at his phone, pleased to find Kibum smiling, too. However impishly. “I promise, you’ll like them.”“Think so?” His eyes closed, eyebrows lifted, his lips slightly downturned as he shrugged. “We’ll see.”“You know, I can hang up on you, too,” Minho said, but his smile belied his threat.Kibum glanced slyly at him, his eyes turning to crescents in his clear amusement. “What else did you get up to today, then?”“Mm, not too much. Went on a bit of a road trip.” Kibum blinked, his brow furrowing in question. “To that same town we went to at the end of August.” He looked taken aback, now. Minho could plainly see the thought whirring behind his eyes. Minho smiled and looked back down at his dinner, fishing a shrimp out of the broth. “Bought something for you there.”For us, actually, he held himself back from saying, because that would have given it away.“Was it another candle?” Minho shook his head. “Something we looked at together?”Minho squinted, trying to remember if Kibum had come over to look at the rings in his search for a gift for Taeyeon, Yeri, and his mom. “It was brief if we did.”Kibum’s eyes narrowed at him, which only made Minho laugh. Then, he sighed, picking up his chopsticks again. “Whatever. I’ll see it soon enough.”“True.”They finished their dinner, Kibum steering the conversation to the absolute mess he had come home to after work. One of the dogs—Garcons, he assumed—had gotten into the trash, and it had been strewn everywhere. He had gotten it cleaned up and taken both of the puppies out for a long walk to get some of their energy out, as well as ordered a new trash can with a lid. It’d be there tomorrow. Minho finished his dinner by the time Kibum had finished venting, washing both his spoon and the to-go container with one hand while he held his phone with the other.After he set the dishes to dry, he looked back at Kibum, finding him walking through his apartment. Based on the fleeting glimpses he had gotten thus far of Kibum’s place, Minho guessed he was on his way to the bathroom to do his nightly routine.Minho joined him, brushing his teeth and washing his face before he tugged his t-shirt over his head. He tossed it in his hamper on his way out of the bathroom. His gaze landed on his made, empty bed, and his heart sank slightly.Four more days, and he’d be as cuddled up with Kibum as much as either of them could stand to be.The thought of his upcoming trip eradicated any of the exhaustion that had started to settle in once night had fallen. So, he bypassed his bed, flicked off the upstairs lights, and went downstairs, bringing Kibum with him.Kibum looked up from patting moisturizer onto his face, coming a little closer to the screen as Minho turned the light in the studio on. “Why are you down there?”“Not tired enough yet.”He grabbed one of his paint-stained glasses, turning it upside down and gently resting his phone up against it. He left it and Kibum to finish getting ready for bed while he gathered his tools to work on something watercolor. Once he was sitting down at his table, taping down the paper, Kibum was climbing into bed with a heavy sigh, his head flopping onto his pillow. He crossed his arms on the table and leaned down to rest his chin on his forearms as he watched Kibum get comfortable.Just as Kibum looked like he was settled, he shifted again reaching past the phone. Minho listened for the click of the lighter he was sure would sound.He was right.When Kibum laid back down, the flickering light of the candle danced in his eyes. Minho smiled at him, wishing yet again that he could reach through the screen somehow.“What are you gonna work on?” Kibum asked, his voice taking on that sleepy lilt it so often did around this time of night.“Haven’t decided yet,” he said, though an idea was forming in his mind. One that he was sure he’d attempt, once he could make himself look away from Kibum long enough to get started on it. “I have a question for you.”Kibum’s eyebrows rose in interest. “I thought I was gonna be the one to ask the question tonight.”“Did you think of one today?” Kibum nodded. “Mm, okay.”“What’s your question, though?”He smiled involuntarily and dropped his chin, hiding his smile in his forearms for a second before he rested his chin on his arms again. “What’s it like…being the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen?” Kibum’s grin, the millisecond he saw it, was immediately dimpled. Then, it was buried in his pillow as he laughed, and Minho leaned closer to the phone, his eyebrows shooting up when Kibum looked back at him, his eyes shining now. “Are you gonna answer the question?”Kibum’s laugh petered out into a sigh as he hugged his pillow—and, not for the first time since starting these video calls, Minho was trying very hard not to be jealous of an inanimate object. “It’s…really nice.”Minho turned his head, resting on his cheek now instead of his chin. “I’m glad.” He blinked slowly, his smile growing when Kibum sighed again. “What’s your question today, babe?”“Oh, uh…” He cleared his throat, snuggling a bit closer to his pillow. “I don’t think we’ve talked about it before, so…who was your first kiss?”Minho blinked rapidly as his brow furrowed in thought. After a second, he sat up, squinting into the distance. “I can’t remember her name”—in his peripheral vision, Kibum seemed to jolt in surprise— “Seungwan? I think? We were in preschool together.” Kibum burst out laughing, and Minho grinned, looking back at Kibum. “We were playing by the swings and she grabbed me and kissed my cheek, then ran off.” Kibum’s laugh turned into a snort, and Minho couldn’t help but laugh, too. “What, are you telling me you didn’t have a preschool scandal?”“I might have, I just don’t remember. But, no…your first real kiss.”Minho sobered a little. “Ah.”Kibum’s smile fell, too. “Was it Yeunseo?” Minho hesitated, then nodded. “If you don’t want to talk about it—”“No, I’m alright.” I’m alright. He took a deep breath, thinking back to that late autumn day. “We were walking home after school. Basketball practice. Had a game the next day. And, um, it had been driving me nuts. The…the tension between us. I knew I had liked him for at least a year at this point, and I…I don’t know, I recognized that in him, too. You know how it is.” Kibum nodded, his gaze searching Minho’s. “It was all I could think about. The what if. What if I acted on my feelings? What would happen to us?”He let out a half-hearted, sardonic chuckle, then sighed.“We were almost home—we lived next door to each other at the time—and there was this park that we usually cut through to get to his backyard, and…well, I waited until we were safely hidden by the trees, and then I grabbed his hand. I’ll never forget his expression when he looked over at me. The hope mingled with apprehension…And then a confession just spilled out of me. I couldn’t hold it back anymore even if I tried. I’m sure I was barely coherent. I was so nervous and, and hyped up on adrenaline. I think he kissed me just to shut me up, to be honest.” Kibum sniffed a laugh, and Minho looked back at him. “But yeah,” he grabbed his pencil, rolling it around between his fingers. “That was my first real kiss.”“Hm.” Kibum shifted, adjusting his hold on his pillow. “He didn’t deserve such an honor.”Minho rested his cheek on his fist, offering Kibum a shy smile as he twirled his pencil a few times. “What about yours?”“Mine.” Minho averted his attention to his paper, starting to make a light sketch of Kibum at this moment. “It’s been a while since I thought about him…Hyungsik was his name. Same age as me. Or, us, I guess. He was involved in theater like I was, and both of us had been vying for the lead role, but I got it. He was nice about it, though. Very nice. Not bitter at all, which I was relieved about, because I had been nursing a crush on him for a little while.”The corner of Minho’s mouth twitched up in a little smile as he thought back to their conversation on their mini vacation last month. “Was he a jock, too?”“You—shut up.” Minho snorted softly, and there was a hint of a smile in Kibum’s voice as he continued. “We were the last ones left in the theater that day. He had offered to put away the lights and I was busy hanging all the costumes up again, and we just got to talking. Somehow got on the topic of memorizing lines, and he offered to test me, so he had the script, and we were acting everything out and we got up to the part where I would have had to kiss the female lead.”Minho shifted his focus from his sketch of Kibum’s eyes to the real thing.“And, like, obviously we paused there. I was suddenly very aware of the situation I had found myself in, and in my awkward, nervous state, I just…fucking blurted out that I’d never kissed anyone before.” He laughed at himself, and Minho joined in quietly. “And then he said something like ‘It’s really easy.’ Then there was this long pause where we just looked at each other, and he said ‘I could show you if you want.’”“And he did?” Minho went back to sketching, starting with the way Kibum’s hair was laying over his forehead.“He did. And it was…illuminating.” Minho sniffed a laugh, and Kibum chuckled. “We were both hesitant at first, but then it kept going, you know. And, like, we both were into it—very into it—but then he broke the kiss and was apologizing profusely before he ran off. I was still so dazed I didn’t register what he was saying, but the next day he wouldn’t meet my eyes. And a week later there was an apology note in my locker begging me not to mention it anywhere. By the end of the month, he had a girlfriend.”Minho pursed his lips, his brow furrowing. “I wonder how he’s doing now.”“Me too, to be honest.” He sighed, then. “And after him, there’s only been Joonwoo and you, and I think you’ve kissed me more already than Joonwoo did in the five years we were together.”His brow furrowed with incredulity, and he cocked his head to the side before looking over at Kibum. “Really?” Kibum’s gaze was glimmering with amusement as he nodded. “I’ll never understand that man.”“Me neither.”“Because—” He hesitated as heat crept across his face, and he resumed sketching again. Should he say it? Or was it too embarrassing? No, Kibum would probably like it… “To be honest, every day since you’ve left…I’ve just been, uh, daydreaming about how we’ll make up for lost time as soon as possible once we’re back together.”There. It was out in the open now. Couldn’t be unsaid.“Care to share?” Kibum asked, the smile in his voice enticing enough for Minho to look away from his sketch again.“I’d rather show you.”Kibum let out a long, wistful sigh. “Then I really wish you were here right now.” Minho sighed /Me too/ before he went back to finishing his sketch, which only made Kibum smile again. “Soon,” Kibum said, then yawned. “Really soon. I should probably tidy up a bit.”“You don’t have to. Not for me.”“Sure I do.”Minho set aside his pencil and pulled his watercolor tin toward him, opening it up to inspect the colors. “Just don’t stress yourself out.”“Why would it stress me out?” Kibum said with a sleepy pout coloring his voice. “I just want things to be nice for you when you’re here.”“Okay, okay,” Minho said with a chuckle, looking back at Kibum to find his eyes closed. “Babe, if you’re too tired you can just go to sleep.”“But I want to keep talking to you…”Minho dipped his brush in the water, wetting it thoroughly before he started to mix the background color. “What about?”“Anything.”“Can you blow out your candle for me first? Just in case you go to sleep on me.”“I won’t,” he mumbled, but he still moved to extinguish the tiny flame. Darkness flooded his half of the screen, save for the silver slats of light on the headboard behind him as well as the faint glow of the screen illuminating Kibum’s face.“Is your phone charging?” He could barely make out Kibum’s nod, and he looked back at his painting, starting with Kibum’s face first.“Wanna know something?”“Of course.”“Painting shirtless is a good way to keep your clothes paint-free.”Minho burst out laughing, thankfully he hadn’t had his brush to paper at that moment. He glanced down at his bare chest and then at Kibum’s part of the screen. “Should I do it more often? Is that what you’re saying?”He could almost hear his shrug. “I’m just thinking of you. Fewer trips to the laundromat that way.”“Mm, mhm.” He shook his head with a smile. “You’re so thoughtful.”“I really am.”“Maybe I’ll try it tomorrow.”“Maybe I’ll fly down there.”Minho’s eyebrows shot up. “Would you really?”Kibum scoffed softly. “I wish.”“I’ll hold off until you can, then.”“I appreciate that.”He heard Kibum’s drawn-out yawn rather than seeing it. “Babe, if you need to go to sleep, it’s okay.”“But you’re not going to sleep.”Minho sniffed a soft laugh. “Do you want me to go to bed?” There was some quiet rustling, and Minho’s brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what it was. It dawned on him. “Was that a nod?”“Mm. Aren’t you tired?”“A little, I guess.” He smiled at his phone, then glanced back at his half-finished portrait. “Give me a minute.”He cleaned his brush, setting it to dry before closing the tin to his watercolor paints. Then, he picked up his phone on his way to check the doors to make sure yet again that they were locked before he flicked off the lights. Once he reached his bed, he flopped into it, plugging in his phone and holding it up, resting the edge of it against his pillow.“Okay, I’m in bed.” Kibum hummed in acknowledgment. “You can go to sleep now.” Kibum hummed again. “Good night, Bummie.”“Are you gonna hang up on me?” Kibum mumbled.“Mm-m.”“Okay.” He sniffed. There was a soft rustling again. “Night, Min.”Against his will, Minho’s eyelids started to grow heavy as he listened to Kibum’s quiet, steady breathing. Once he was sure that Kibum was asleep, he whispered, “I love you. So much.” His heartbeat pounded in his ears as the admittance settled into the velvety silence of the surrounding night. It was the first time he had ever spoken the words aloud to someone who wasn’t his immediate family. He had wanted to say it to Yeunseo. Many times. But an adequate opportunity never arose, and so it went unsaid.Until now.How long would he be able to hold off once they were back together again? Every bit of him was longing to say it, but he knew he’d be disappointed in himself if he did before he gave Kibum his couple ring and was wearing his own. He could picture Kibum’s reaction now—the bright-eyed fondness, the beautifully dimpled smile, the way he wouldn’t be able to keep from kissing him before saying it in return.Minho sighed and smiled at the thought as he finally let himself drift off, his grip on his phone tightening ever so slightly so he didn’t let go of Kibum while he slept.He woke gradually a few hours later, light streaming in through his balcony doors, birds chirping merrily beyond them. Stretching, he held his phone out, finding Kibum still fast asleep on the screen. He rubbed his bleary eyes, swiping down from the top of his phone to check the time.Shit, it was already six-thirty.“Kibum,” he said, his voice a touch more gravelly from sleep. He repeated his name, louder this time, and Kibum stirred, starting at the sound of his voice once it seemed to register. He rubbed his hand over his face before he held his phone up, squinting at the screen. “Good morning, beautiful,” he said, unable to help himself—it’d have to replace his text for today.The reaction was instantaneous. A sleepy, pleased smile dimpled his cheeks and brightened his eyes before he buried his face in his pillow. Was that how he reacted every morning? Probably not to this extent, since it was over text, but hopefully it still made him smile like this.“We slept in a bit, so you might have to rush a bit to get ready.”“Did we?” he asked, looking a bit more ruffled than he had at first waking. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath as he slid out of bed. He seemed to have forgotten for a moment that Minho was still on the call, because his phone was at his side, and Minho was getting a dizzying view of his apartment.“Kibum,” he said with a laugh, his stomach churning ever so slightly with motion sickness as Kibum whipped his phone up so that they could look at each other again. “You can let me go so you can get ready. It’s okay.”“Okay, yeah,” he said, looking distracted as he entered his closet. Minho had seen it during their first video call after Kibum got back to Seoul, as he had with his entire apartment because Kibum had given him a tour. It had been Joonwoo’s home office and the reason why they chose this apartment in the first place, so he could have that space. But now that he was alone, he had transformed it into a massive closet. “Wait, help me pick out something to wear first.”Minho leaned a little closer to the screen when Kibum flipped the camera around, frowning in thought as he surveyed the clothes on the screen. “How cold will it be today? You should wear something warm.”“Probably not too cold yet,” Kibum said, a fond laugh coloring his voice. “What about this?” he asked, pulling out a long tweed jacket with hints of purple and blue in it.“I like that.”“And…hm…” He moved over to the tops, sifting quickly through them until he found a soft-looking plum sweater. “Do you think this color will look good on me?”“You’re asking the wrong guy. I think you look good in any and every color.”“Alright,” he said, and Minho could hear the self-satisfied smile in his voice. He couldn’t help smiling as well. “I’ll probably go with some dark-wash jeans for the bottoms.”“Sounds good to me,” Minho said as Kibum flipped the camera back around to face himself.“Okay, I should probably hang up now.” He sighed at that, and Minho offered him a small smile. “Talk to you later?”“Of course.”Kibum winked at him as he made a finger heart and kissed the back of it before holding it out to him. Minho grinned as he hugged his pillow, then gave Kibum a finger heart in return, waving it in front of his face for a few seconds. Just before Kibum hung up the video call, Minho caught a glimpse of his eyes turning to crescents as he smiled. He sighed, setting aside his phone when the end call screen went back to their usual messages and rolled over, staring up at the ceiling.“Four more days. You’ve got this.”In truth, the days flew by. Much faster than he had been expecting them to. Which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that he’d be reunited with Kibum just that much sooner, and a curse because there was so much he still had to do before he left. It had been so long since he had left Jeju since moving here—as in, it had yet to happen—that he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his shop for the two weeks he was gone. He spent the majority of his time at work finishing the commissions he had garnered toward the end of the summer. He was just able to the night before, but he was pretty sure his hand would be cramped in the brush-holding position for at least another day or two.When the morning of his flight finally arrived, Jonghyun and Jinki knocked on his door bright and early, ready to take him into town to drop him off at the airport. They helped him check to make sure he had everything, and he handed Jinki the keys to his shop and car after double-checking the doors to be locked, so he didn’t potentially forget them while he was in Seoul. They piled into Jonghyun’s car, Minho tossing his suitcase on the seat beside him and moving the Sailor Moon umbrella to the other side of the car so he didn’t step on it.He fidgeted with his nails as he listened to Jonghyun and Jinki’s quiet chatter, too tense with excitement and nerves to interject too much, and watched the familiar scenery pass.“This is the first time you’re leaving since you came here, huh?” Jonghyun asked, catching Minho’s attention when he looked back at him through the rearview mirror.“That’s…true.” Maybe that’s why he was so nervous. Obviously, he was still beyond excited to be seeing Kibum again, but, well, the memories were hard to shake. His original trip across the strait then had been anything but calm, inwardly. And now…Jinki turned around to face him while Jonghyun’s attention returned to the road. “Will it be weird? Not to be here?” Minho nodded, worrying the inside of his lip.“I’m sure once you’re back with him, you’ll be able to relax.”Was he being that obvious? He sniffed a laugh and glanced between Jinki, who was giving him a kind, understanding smile, and Jonghyun who met his eyes in the rearview mirror again. “Yeah, probably.”They came in with him to the airport, waiting for him to check in, then walking with him as far as they could to the security line. Then Jonghyun gave him a long hug, followed by one from Jinki, who ruffled his hair.“Let us know when you’re boarded?” Jonghyun asked, and Minho nodded. “And when you’ve landed?”Minho laughed. “Who are you, my mom?”Jonghyun shrugged. “Well, someone needs to be.” The Why shouldn’t it be me? was implied in the way he reached up to pat down Minho’s collar and to brush something off of his sweater.He looked up at Minho, his smile playfully affectionate, before hugging him again. Minho turned his head, hopefully hiding the way his eyes were pricking with tears, and rested his head atop Jonghyun's. No, neither Jonghyun nor Jinki nor even Taeyeon, Sooyoung, or Taemin were his biological family. But in this moment of farewell, however brief this parting would be, it truly struck him that all of them were as close to a loving family as he had ever been able to find.And that was what really mattered in the end, wasn’t it?Jinki patted Minho’s back as he pulled away, smiling up at him. “I hope you have a safe trip.”Minho nodded, not trusting himself to speak past the lump in his throat, and turned to head to the back of the line. He kept glancing over at Jonghyun and Jinki, expecting them to leave any moment. But they didn’t. They stayed until he reached the front of the line, giving him a final enthusiastic wave before he passed through the partition and into the terminal.* * * * *
07:21

Okay, I’m through security
Kibum stopped brushing his teeth, though he left the toothbrush in his mouth, and tapped the message bar.
Gonna get some breakfast?

If I have time. Are there any good restaurants at this airport?
“Oh, shit, what was it called…” Kibum mumbled around his toothbrush, holding his phone off to the side before he started brushing his teeth again while he thought. Then, suddenly, he paused again to raise his phone. Coffeebay has good pastries and decent coffee if you just want something light. Quick service, too, whenever I’ve gone there.
Oh, I just passed that place, let me go back

Gotta get that iced americano
He smirked to himself, shaking his head as he finished brushing his teeth. Minho and his habits. Predictable, yes, but still adorable. By the time he adjourned to his closet, the puppies on his heels, Minho responded.
ㅋㅋㅋㅋ you know me so well ❤️

I do, don’t I ❤️❤️
Carding his fingers through his hair, he surveyed his clothing options. What to wear? Something cute? Of course, but everything he owned was cute. Something cute and practical? Well, that narrowed it down a little. Something that would catch Minho’s eye? Hm…The weather had gotten just slightly more chilly as of late, and last he checked—right before he brushed his teeth—there was supposed to be a bit of rain this morning, around when Minho’s plane was set to arrive. He stopped in front of his sweaters, flicking through them and eventually stopping on a sage-green, cashmere sweater that he had found at a consignment shop at his last shopping excursion when Yeri was in town for a visit. Running his hand over the plush soft surface, he smiled as his thoughts drifted to Minho doing the same.Well, that made his decision easier.He unbuttoned his silky nightshirt and slipped the sweater over his head, patting down the static in his hair before he moved over to where his bottoms were. Jeans would work just fine here, but slacks would elevate the look he was going for. Casual or sophisticated, how did he want to present himself today…Minho texted again, momentarily distracting Kibum from his decision.
Had to run to my gate ㅋㅋ We’re boarding now

Okay, let me know when you land

Will do
 
I'll be fine to get a taxi to take me to your place.

You don’t have to miss work for me
Kibum’s loud scoff filled the closet. “This guy…”
You think I’d be able to concentrate at work today? Be serious

ㅋㅋ I’m just saying, it’s an option if you want to take it
 
I don’t want to inconvenience you
Kibum started to type When have you ever been an inconvenience to me? when Minho sent I think I have to shut my phone off now? I’ll let you know when we land. So, Kibum started to back-space but thought better of it, and replied directly to the previous message instead, adding a red heart emoji at the end before he sent it.The conversation, however, settled the choice of Kibum’s outfit in his head. The jeans. Something more casual that would likely put Minho a little more at ease. He reached for his medium wash, lightly distressed jeans, and dug around a bit in his closet to find his pair of white Converse.Flights from Jeju to Seoul didn’t take too long, so as soon as he took the puppies on a brisk walk around the block and refilled their water dishes, he grabbed his car keys and was out the door. And he was glad he did, because traffic was nigh unbearable. Or, it only seemed that way, given the situation.Once he arrived at Gimpo, he immediately checked his phone, but Minho hadn’t texted yet. He relaxed slightly, then looked up into the rearview mirror, messing with his fringe to make sure it laid perfectly. As soon as he was satisfied, he slipped out of his car, locked it, and checked the signage to make sure that he would remember which section of the garage he had parked in, and hurried toward the elevators. Minho’s landed text arrived almost as soon as the elevator doors opened, and Kibum texted back, Heading in now.His insides were all aflutter, and it was all he could do to hold himself back from grinning at everyone he passed. By this point, he knew Gimpo fairly well, so instead of heading down to baggage claim, he made his way over to where the arrivals would be leaving the terminal. Minutes, maybe hours, but likely seconds, ticked by, and only a few people were exiting the concourses.Where was he?Kibum leaned back, catching a glimpse of his reflection in the distant window as he—yet again—fixed his fringe. Then he smoothed the front of his sweater. Patted down the slight bulge over his stomach where the sweater was tucked into his jeans. His phone vibrated, and he nearly dropped it in excitement, but it wasn’t Minho. One of his coworkers, he didn’t catch the name before he lowered his phone in despondent disappointment.Shouldn’t he be off the plane by now?More people started trickling through the gate leading to baggage claim, and Kibum went up on his tiptoes, his heartbeat quickening as he scanned every face. Is this how Minho felt whenever he came to pick him up from the airport? Or did he just need medical attention?No, there he was. On his tiptoes too, looking over the heads of the people ahead of him. He caught a flash of Minho’s grin before he sank back to his usual height, smiling to himself when Minho started politely weaving through the crowd to reach him. Kibum glanced around, stepping to the side of the throng. It wasn’t like they’d have any sort of privacy until he got Minho home, but it’d be nice to be away from the others here. Just a little bit.When Minho finally broke free of the crowd, Kibum's breath caught as his smile grew involuntarily. Minho wrapped him up in his arms immediately, holding him so tightly. He had to remind himself that they weren’t alone when he went to kiss his cheek.“Come on, let’s go get your luggage,” he said, forcing himself to release Minho. “Do you have much?”Minho shook his head, sighing heavily. “Nope, just one suitcase.” He looked down at Kibum, his smile annoyingly, cutely lopsided.He looked like he was about to say something that should probably wait until they were back home, so Kibum started walking, glancing over at him, his attention dipping down to his golden-yellow sweater vest. It looked sorta familiar. “When did you get that?” Minho pinched the soft knit, his eyebrows raising in question. Kibum nodded. “It’s a good color for you.”“Yeah, that’s what you said when I bought it.”“Oh, is that why it looks familiar?”“Mhm.”Kibum met his gaze again, which was probably a mistake, since Minho’s smile started growing again. He looked down at Minho’s lips, then back up again. God, this was torture. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to wait to kiss him until they got home. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head a little as he looked away from Minho to hide his smile when Minho chuckled.“Good flight?”“Mhm.”“Can you say anything other than ‘Mhm’?”“Mm-m.”“Wow.”He didn’t have to look back at him to know he was grinning. But he did it anyway, his heart, his whole chest flooding with fondness at the sight of him. Maybe Minho picked up on it, because he bumped their shoulders together, his smile just a touch softer than before.Minho’s gate quickened a few seconds later, and soon he was jogging to catch the elevator before the doors closed. The people inside didn’t seem to like that Kibum didn’t hurry to reach it, but he didn’t pay them any mind as he tucked himself partially behind Minho, thanks to the packed elevator. He reached around behind him to brace himself as the elevator started moving, his hand resting on Minho’s hip until the elevator door opened. Then, he patted Minho before reluctantly drawing his hand back and followed him to the baggage claim.Fuck, this is so irritating… His teeth gritted as his hand clenched at his side. Just a glance around showed him multiple couples embracing, and holding hands. Kissing, even. The wait might be what kills me, he thought to himself as he glared at the revolving luggage instead of the couple across from them who were evidently unaware they were in public. Could have let him take the cab like he suggested. But no…you couldn’t wait, could you? Just had to see him. Kibum sucked his teeth at the thought. Absolutely pathetic. He can never know how much you missed him, you know. He glanced up at Minho, who was focused on watching the parade of luggage. Who are you kidding? He probably already knows.Minho stepping forward to grab a small black suitcase derailed his train of thought, and he frowned at the size. “You’re here for two whole weeks?” Minho shot him a confused look. “Did you only pack, like, three outfits?”“Nope, I’m just good at packing.”“Shut up, that’s nothing to be smug about.”“Hm, I think it is, actually.”Kibum smacked his shoulder with a laugh, his hand slipping down around his bicep. He tugged him toward the doors before letting go, and Minho fell into step beside him. “What do you want to do first?” he asked, looking up at him as they stepped outside. Minho’s eyebrows shot up as he gave Kibum an incredulous smile. “Besides that.”Minho’s eyes were bright with a playful glint as hummed thoughtfully and stopped at the crosswalk leading to the parking garage. “Nothing.”He let out what hopefully came across as an exasperated sigh, but some of his wistfulness probably seeped through. The light changed, the walk sign flashing, and they obeyed it with the others.“See, I was thinking that we could do a bit of sightseeing before we head home. Get something to eat. You’ve only been to Seoul once, right?” Minho leveled him with an unamused glare, and it took great effort not to laugh. “Yeah, there’s a lot to do here. Do you like art museums?” he asked, patting his arm again. “What am I thinking, of course you do,” he said with an airy laugh. “There’s a few we could decide between and then after that, we could go to dinner. Probably wouldn’t get home until very late.”Minho was still glaring at him, but Kibum met it with an innocent smile. Shaking his head, Minho sniffed a quiet laugh as he glanced around when they stepped into the parking garage elevator with a handful of others who were together. They pressed two, and Kibum reached across Minho to press the button for the fourth level before the door closed. Both he and Minho and the other group fell silent, neither group wanting to intrude on the other’s business.The elevator stopped, letting the others off.No one got on.Not that Kibum could see in his peripheral vision, at least, because Minho was holding his gaze. So…tenderly. The door must have closed, because they were moving again. They only had seconds before the door reopened, and he took a half-step closer to Minho, his chin tilting up as Minho’s palm caressed his cheek and he guided him into a kiss. So soft, too quick, but they didn’t have time for anything else.His heartbeat thudded in his ears as Minho pulled away when the elevator stopped, his throat tightening in what could only be longing. “It’s, um, this way. My car,” he said, listlessly leading Minho out into the garage. Faint petrichor filled the parking garage now; it must have started to rain when they were in the elevator. He popped the trunk before they reached it, needlessly standing beside him as he loaded his objectively tiny suitcase into the trunk. When Minho closed it, Kibum went around to the driver’s seat, unlocking the doors for both of them to get in.“So, what’s the plan, really?” Minho asked as Kibum started the car.“Oh, we’re going straight home.” He glanced over at Minho as he backed out of his parking spot, only to find him watching him with a satisfied smile. “I have to let the kids out before we head out on the town.” Minho scoffed as he pried one of Kibum’s hands from the wheel, locking their fingers together before he brought their hands up so he could kiss the back of Kibum’s.Kibum grinned as he started forward. Usually, he drove with both hands on the wheel, but today, just this once, he could forfeit a hand to Minho.Though he could probably be convinced to do so a few more times.Raindrops battered the windshield softly as they pulled out onto the road, and, once they reached it, the downtown traffic was still abysmal. Kibum, however, couldn’t find it within him to care in the slightest. Minho was humming along to one of the songs on their playlist, looking up at the buildings looming around them, his thumb brushing back and forth against Kibum’s hand. It was odder than he had expected, seeing Minho outside of Jeju. Not that it was a bad thing. Obviously, that couldn’t be further from the truth. It was just…strange. All this time, all these years of summers spent there, Minho was a prominent figure for him. When he thought of Jeju, he thought of Minho before his cousins, even—which honestly should have clued him in a lot sooner where his affections laid, but at least he got there in the end.So seeing him in the city, looking barely windswept and definitely paint-free, well…it would take some getting used to.“When are we heading to Daegu?” Minho asked once they reached the Han River, breaking the comfortable silence.“Hm, well, Chuseok isn’t until next week, and we get a half-day of work the day before and then a long weekend, So, we’ll probably drive down on Wednesday and come back up on Sunday.” He glanced away from the road when he braked at a stop light. “Does that sound okay?”Minho shrugged, nodding, though his shoulders tensed. “Yeah, of course.”Kibum squeezed his hand, smiling at him when he relaxed marginally. “They already love you, you know.” And it was true. Both he and Yerim had talked about Minho enough that their parents decided that they already loved him. All they had to do now was spend five seconds in his presence to seal that thought in their minds.The light changed, and Kibum waited until the cars before him pulled forward so he could make a left. “This is me,” he said, gesturing to the highrise to the right before he pulled into the parking garage. Minho must have only gotten a glimpse of it before they were swallowed by the open maw of the underground garage.“Which floor are you on?”“The fifth.” Minho nodded, humming softly as he leaned back in his seat.Once they reached his assigned parking spot, Kibum popped the trunk before Minho let himself out. He led him toward the lift that would take them up to the courtyard once Minho had his suitcase, its little rattling wheels filling up the taut, anticipatory silence between them. He wasn’t feeling exceptionally talkative yet, because, well, they hadn’t exactly had a proper “hello”, had they? And if he had to guess, Minho was feeling the same.Maybe there’d be no one in the courtyard and he could pull him into the shadows for a little while. Until he could think straight again—the tiny kiss they had managed in the elevator had only made the prolonged wait worse, he thought. But, of course, there was no such luck. Several of the other tenants were roaming around the gardens and fountain, umbrellas protecting them from the rain. So Kibum hurried Minho inside and out of the downpour, hoping against hope that the elevator would be empty.It wasn’t.And it didn’t even have the decency to be packed, which would have given him the excuse to sidle up to Minho without suspicion. So they stood to the opposite side of the others, an arm’s length apart as Kibum pushed the button for five.“It’s this way,” Kibum said once they reached his floor, his keys jingling in his hand—was he trembling from excitement? Really?—as he approached the door.“Oh, hey,” Minho said as they stopped before it, Kibum’s key finding the lock. “What’s your passcode, just in case I need to take the dogs out or something when you’re at work.”Kibum cleared his throat a bit sheepishly. He hadn’t thought about this moment when he changed his passcode last. That he’d have to tell Minho. “Uh,” he turned his key in the lock. “It’s twelve-oh-nine.”“Oh” was all Minho said as Kibum pushed open the door, but there was a smile woven through the soft exclamation.Kibum stepped aside, letting Minho enter first, then followed after him. Kibum kept his gaze on him as he set his suitcase against the wall. He toed off his shoes and glanced around the apartment for a second before he finally met Kibum’s eyes.The door wasn’t even completely closed when Minho reached for him, cupping his face in his hands and guiding him into a real kiss. It was, though, when Kibum stumbled back against it, bringing Minho with him. Kibum barely registered the impact, focused as he was on keeping Minho as close as possible, on drinking him in, on the way his cologne was embracing him like his arms now were. Each kiss ended with another, mesmerizingly gentle, decadently thorough, as if Minho were savoring every single second, just like he was.And, let’s face it—that was probably the case.It was almost painful, too, in the way his heart felt like it might burst if they kept it up much longer.Minho broke the kiss all too soon, and for half a second, Kibum was disappointed. But he was soon grinning as Minho started peppering his face with kisses. “Hello to you, too,” he whispered, his voice slightly raspy now.Minho chuckled, and Kibum could feel him smile against his cheek before he pulled away so he could look into his eyes. He probably would have kissed him again—they may have never left the landing the entire time Minho was here—had it not been for the dogs pawing at their legs.He stepped slightly away from Kibum, only far enough that he could kneel to greet the puppies. Kibum’s hand shifted from his side to his shoulder, the tips of his fingers curling in the soft knit of his sweater, holding him there. Minho was talking to the dogs in a fond, high-pitched baby voice, very similar to the one that Kibum adopted when he did the same. Comme Des and Garcons were eating it up, puffy tails wagging, licking his hands as he tried to pet them both at the same time.Kibum lightly tugged on Minho’s sweater, distracting him for a second. “Are you hungry?”His smile of affirmation had a hint of a grimace. “If it’s not too much trouble.” Kibum shook his head—of course, it wasn’t. “I didn’t eat much today yet, so…” Minho? Not eating? Some of his concern must have shown in his expression because Minho laughed as he stood again. “I was just nervous to fly, is all. It’s been a while.”“And you feel better now?”“Of course. I’m with you, aren’t I?”Kibum shoved him slightly with an embarrassed yet pleased grin, only for Minho to grab him before he stumbled a step away. Pulling him into a kiss again. A gentle one; a contented one. “You should go unpack.”“Okay.” Another kiss.Kibum sighed once Minho pulled far away enough for him to do so. “It’s the first door on the left.”“I remember.” Yet another kiss.“From what?”“The tour you took me on when you got home?”“Ah.” The corners of Minho’s lips curled into a smile so enticing that Kibum couldn’t help but kiss him again. “Okay, go before we get too distracted.”It was the wrong thing to say, judging by Minho’s growing grin, but he released him all the same, stooping to pick up his suitcase before heading to Kibum’s bedroom, both dogs on his heels. Kibum let out a huff of a sigh as he smoothed his sweater and assumedly rumpled hair. Then, he locked the door before heading into the kitchen, reaching inside his pantry for the ramyeon noodles he had bought specifically for Minho’s visit.Minho reemerged from the bedroom by the time Kibum had gotten the broth together and started heating it. He joined him in the kitchen, perusing the contents of the fridge, freezer, pantry, cupboards, and drawers. He was about to open another drawer when he glanced over at Kibum and found him watching him, perplexed. “What?”“What are you doing?”“Just…looking around.” Kibum blinked at him. Minho let the drawer fall closed, straightening up with a shy sort of smile. “Why?”Kibum shook his head, going back to cleaning the shrimp in his hands. “I just wasn’t imagining the first thing you’d do here would be to comb through my kitchen,” he said, laughing.Minho’s arms were suddenly around him, his breath tickling his neck before his lips did. “I don’t think that was the first thing I did.” Kibum’s knife slipped in his hand, but he caught himself before it did any damage. “Careful, don’t cut yourself.”“As if it’d be my fault.”Minho kissed his neck lightly before resting his chin on his shoulder. A glance his way caught him being very focused on the cleaning of the shrimp. “I seem to remember you doing the same thing to me.”“When?”“Sagye. You have the painting up on your nightstand.”Kibum snorted, glancing at Minho again before reaching for another shrimp. “Well, this is different. Paint brushes aren’t as dangerous as knives.”“I guess that’s true.” Minho’s hand caressed Kibum’s side for a couple of seconds as he watched Kibum work. “I like your sweater.”Kibum couldn’t help but grin. “I thought you might.”“Oh?” Minho asked with a chuckle. He nuzzled closer, turning his head to kiss his shoulder. “Did you?”“Mhm.”“Is that why you chose it?” Kibum nodded, Minho’s hair tickling his cheek.Minho was still stroking his side, and Kibum rested his head against Minho’s, savoring the prolonged physical contact. He was never really the clingy type with Joonwoo, who hadn’t been either. He’d learn to tamp his desire for that down in the five years they were together. But with Minho, who seemed to never be able to get enough of it? Well, why not indulge himself a bit, too?“Do you want my help with anything?”Kibum hummed in thought, lifting his head for a second to look over at the boiling broth. “Since you’re so interested in the contents of my fridge, maybe you could find some vegetables in there and cut them up?”Minho raised his chin from Kibum’s shoulder, turning his head so his lips brushed the shell of Kibum’s ear. “Are you sure, because I can keep distracting you if you want.” Kibum squirmed in his arms with a laugh, trying to break free of Minho’s tight embrace. Chuckling—directly into his ear…which definitely didn’t make Kibum want to completely abandon cooking at all…for however long Minho felt so inclined—Minho turned his head to kiss his cheek. “Alright, sounds good.” Then, he pressed another kiss to Kibum’s cheek and, regrettably, released him.He suppressed the urge to turn and watch him go, shaking his head at himself as he continued cleaning the rest of the shrimp.Minho set up a cutting board and his selection of vegetables on the counter next to the sink where Kibum was working, then grabbed a knife to begin chopping them up. When he wasn’t reaching for a new shrimp, Kibum kept his eye on Minho’s hands, just to make sure that he wasn’t about to cut himself. But, actually…“Have you been cooking more at home?” Minho hummed in question, looking up after he finished cutting a zucchini into thin discs. Kibum nodded at the cutting board. “You seem a little more comfortable than you were in August.”“Oh.” He smiled to himself, reaching for the heap of snow peas and grabbing one to trim the tips off of it. “Taeyeon’s been teaching me a little lately.”Taeyeon? His eyes narrowed slightly as Minho picked up the pea he just cleaned and held it out for Kibum to eat. Did…was cooking somehow one of the surprises? He took the snow pea between his teeth, Minho’s finger barely brushing his lips before he grabbed another one for himself. Sooyoung had been involved, too, so did that mean…was he going to bake something too?Minho must have felt his scrutiny because he looked over at him again, holding up another pea from the pile. “Want another one?”Kibum nodded, smiling when Minho obliged him and went back to cleaning the last of the shrimp. If that were the case, well, at least he’d still be surprised, given that he didn’t know exactly what Minho would be cooking. Or baking. Or when, too, but then, he did have to go to work tomorrow—his birthday—so it would probably be then.It was really hard to keep from smiling now, but luckily, Minho didn’t notice, engrossed as he was in making sure he didn’t cut himself.Lunch, or late breakfast, given how early it still was, came together smoothly. Once Minho was finished with the vegetables, he cleaned up after himself, staying nearly out of Kibum’s way as he put the finishing touches on their meal. He set the table, too, laying out the bowls, spoons, chopsticks, and the pad they’d need to protect the table from the heat of the pot. They sat across from each other, Minho dishing up Kibum’s bowl first before getting some for himself.“Thank you for the meal,” he said, drawing it out cutely as he set his bowl in front of him. Kibum smiled across at him, stirring the ramyeon for a few seconds before getting his first bite of noodles. “Are we really gonna head out after this?”Kibum chewed quickly, covering his mouth until he swallowed. “I was just kidding before, honestly. I didn’t have any plans for today. If you want to, though—” But the pleased look in Minho’s eyes was answer enough. He suppressed a grin, looking back down at his ramyeon as he gathered more noodles together. “After work tomorrow, my weekend starts anyways, so it’ll be a better time to go out.”“True.” Minho stuffed some noodles in his mouth, slurping them up. “Still,” he said once he had swallowed, “it sucks that you have to work on your birthday.”He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I’m just sorry that I couldn’t take time off for the entire time you’re here. That’s what I get for taking the entire summer off to see you again, I guess.”“Did they say that’s why you couldn’t get the days off?”Kibum nodded, and Minho shook his head. “It was worth it, though.”A small smile played with the corners of Minho’s lips, and he stretched out his feet beneath the table, his foot brushing and then settling against one of Kibum’s. “Still, it makes me wish I could come with you to work to help you like you helped me.” Kibum laughed, covering his mouth again. “What?” Minho asked, chuckling.“I’m just picturing how that would go.” He shook his head, then reached for his spoon to get some of the broth. “Comparing it to how we were at your studio.”Minho eyed him for a second, the tips of his ears a bright red as he looked down to get another bite of noodles. “Yeah, I guess it would be a little different, huh?”Kibum sniffed a laugh. “I don’t know if I want to put Joohyun through that.” Minho snorted, and Kibum grinned. “I’m not saying you wouldn’t liven up the day, though. It can get pretty monotonous sometimes. It’d be nice, but…”Minho sighed. “But not practical.”He shook his head. “At least I won’t have to work too much, with Chuseok coming up.” Minho nodded, and Kibum went on. “I just hope you won’t get bored while I’m gone.”Minho’s brow furrowed, then he started to laugh. At Kibum’s confused hm? he explained, “I was just imagining me sitting by the door with the puppies waiting for you to get home.” Kibum, who had just eaten another spoonful of broth, almost choked on it as he laughed. Which, of course, only made Minho laugh harder as he got up to get Kibum a glass of water.“You could do other things, you know?”“Like what, go out and explore Seoul alone?”Kibum shook his head, holding himself back from smiling too much yet. “Like do my laundry or garden for me.”“Really?” Minho asked with a disbelieving laugh, which only made Kibum cackle. “I see.”“Minho,” Kibum said, still laughing, which only made Minho immediately grin. “I’m just kidding, you don’t have to.”“Okay, okay.”It was still raining by the time they finished eating. Minho took it upon himself to collect their dirty dishes and wipe every surface down while Kibum saved the remaining broth in the refrigerator. When Minho suggested that they take the dogs on a walk, Kibum simply frowned at him, gesturing to the window and the admittedly light rainfall pittering against it.“Don’t you have an umbrella?” Kibum sighed heavily, shaking his head as he moved for the door.Once the puppies were leashed and they had their shoes and coats back on, Kibum led the way to the elevator, picking up Comme Des and Minho Garcons once they reached it. He glanced over at the pair of them, sniffing a laugh when he found Garcons licking Minho’s jaw and Minho smiling. Since the elevator was empty aside from them, he reached over, tapping Garcons’ snout until he stopped, then shook his head at him. “That’s my job, not yours.”Minho burst out laughing right as the doors opened, the loudness of it startling the oncoming residents. Kibum bit his lips to keep from smiling, but made the mistake of looking up at Minho again, only for both of them to quickly look away from each other with poorly stifled laughs.At the ground floor, they released the puppies, letting them dart ahead of them while Minho shook the umbrella out and, once Kibum pushed the door open, held it over them as the rain fell around them. Kibum huddled as close as he could to Minho without linking their arms, grateful to the umbrella for the excuse to do so.“So,” Minho said quietly, leaning a little closer to him so Kibum could still hear him over the sound of the rain and the passing cars. “What’s the plan for when we get back?”Kibum smiled to himself as he glanced around, checking for passersby before he met Minho’s gaze. He was smiling, too, as his eyes flicked down to Kibum’s lips before slowly making contact with Kibum’s again. Kibum shrugged, mesmerized by how bright with anticipation Minho’s eyes were, despite the surrounding dreary grayness of the day. “No plan. We can just…do whatever we want.”Minho’s eyebrows shot up as he looked back out at the sidewalk before him. “No plan. Hm.” Kibum hummed in question, still watching him. “That’s a first, for you.”Sucking his teeth with a sigh, Kibum looked away, rolling his eyes when Minho laughed. His fleeting annoyance with him was replaced with a warmth blooming within him as Minho stepped closer, gently knocking their shoulders together before moving a safe distance away.Too far, if you asked him. Part of him just wanted to drag Minho back to his apartment so they could be free to do whatever they wanted to at any given time…and as soon as possible. He’d waited long enough. They both had…so why was Minho insisting on dragging out this walk? Had he imagined the anticipation in his eyes? Was it not eating away at Minho’s mind until all that was left was the thought of kissing him again like it was for him?Surely not.It was raining harder now, and they were almost to the Cheongdam bridge before Kibum stopped in his tracks and asked, “How much farther are we going?”Minho looked back at him, the answer dancing with a gleam of laughter in his warm brown eyes. “Oh, did you want to head back?” Kibum sighed heavily, which was the wrong thing to do, because Minho just grinned. “I thought you didn’t have a plan for the day.”Shaking his head, he tugged on Comme Des’ leash and stepped out into the rain, turning around before he started to smile. His gaze darted to the side as the sound of Minho’s approaching footsteps splashed behind him. Garcons darted between them before the umbrella covered him again and Minho’s arm slipped over his shoulder.Pulling him closer.“I hate you so much,” Kibum said, but even he could hear the amusement in his voice.“Aw, come on,” Minho said, dangerously close enough for his breath to tickle Kibum’s ear. “I’ll make it up to you when we get back.” Then, he had the audacity to kiss the shell of his ear. Lightly and quickly, of course, but the fact that he did it in public…“What’s gotten into you today?” Kibum asked as he picked up his pace as Minho’s arm slipped away from his shoulders, which only started Minho laughing yet again.It didn’t take them long to reach his building, Minho lingering under the awning to shake out the umbrella while Kibum collected both of the puppies and hurried inside, heading for the elevator.The empty elevator.At the sound of heavy footfalls, Kibum turned, holding the doors open for a running Minho to slip inside. He let them fall closed, pointedly avoiding Minho’s gaze as he selected his floor. Because he knew—he just knew—if he met it, all hope would be lost. He wouldn’t be able to resist the now all-encompassing urge to be as close as possible to him, to kiss him, to alleviate the longing for Minho that had been building since he said goodbye at the end of the summer.When they at last reached his floor, Kibum exited first, darting down the hall to his front door. Minho followed him a few leisurely steps behind, catching up to him by the time Kibum keyed in the code. He looked up at him then, his heart irritatingly fluttering at the sight of Minho’s slight self-satisfied smile.Well…as much as he yearned for whatever that smile promised, he couldn’t give in that easily, could he? Where was the fun in that? Besides, he had his pride to consider, after all.“Do you want some coffee?” Kibum asked breezily as he stepped inside, kneeling to unhook the dogs’ leashes and getting back up before the door could even close behind Minho. He shed his rain-speckled jacket, tossing it over the lounge section of his couch, looking back at Minho, who was watching him intently. “I just got this new kind, and I really like it. Do you like vanilla?”Minho slipped out of his coat, setting it aside on the back of one of the chairs at the table before he followed Kibum into the kitchen. “Yeah, I do.”Kibum opened the drawer that held the pods to his coffee machine, staring blankly at the jumbled assortment. Just pick one…neither of you will be drinking it anyway. He grabbed one off the top without bothering to read the label, opened the hatch, placed it in the dispenser, and turned the machine on. “Can you grab a cup?” he asked, heading to the fridge. “Do you take cream in your coffee? I forget.”He did not, in fact, forget that Minho took his coffee black.So, when he went to open the door, it wasn’t a surprise that Minho’s hand pressed it back closed as he leaned around him. Kibum turned to face him, the excited, flirtatious smile he’d been holding back melting away at the genuine concern in Minho’s eyes.Kibum reached for him, his hand on Minho’s chest, right over his heart. “What’s wrong?”“I’m…sorry if I was coming on too strong. If you’re not in the mood right now, that’s okay. I can wait.”“Min.” He bunched his fingers in Minho’s sweater and pulled him a step closer. “I was just teasing you. Because you teased me first.” Minho’s eyes widened slightly in his dawning realization, a smile gradually eradicating his worry. “Believe me, if there’s ever a time I’m not in the mood, I’ll straight up tell you.” To hell with his pride. “This isn’t one of those times.”Minho searched his gaze, as if making very sure that Kibum was telling the truth. He should have expected this, honestly. After their separation, it made sense for Minho to be wary of the whole idea of enthusiastic mutual consent again, given what he experienced with Yeunseo.Kibum’s hand slid down Minho’s chest, wrapping around him and clasping with his other hand at the small of his back. He pulled him close, his embrace tightening comfortably around him until their hips met. Minho licked his lips and gulped, his attention trained wholly on Kibum as he…waited? For what? One last go-ahead, maybe? He smiled as Minho embraced him, too, pulling him closer still, and he tilted his chin up, searching his eager gaze.“Didn’t you say you’ve been daydreaming about this?” He cocked his head to the side, his gaze falling to Minho’s lips before slowly making their way back up to meet Minho’s eyes. “About what we would do when we were back together again?” Minho nodded, licking his lips once more. Kibum’s smile grew, and he straightened a little, unclasping his hands from around his back to move them up to cup Minho’s face, his thumb gently caressing his cheek. “Show me, then.”He barely had to pull Minho closer before he leaned in, his eyes preemptively closing before their lips met at last. Kibum smiled as Minho stepped forward, pressing him up against the faintly humming fridge, and his hands slipped around to the nape of his neck to tangle in his hair. Which, he must have liked, given the low groan he let out that was muffled by a series of unbroken, breath-stealing kisses. Minho’s hands slipped beneath Kibum’s sweater, gripping him tightly before sliding further up his back.So impossibly warm, his hands. Or maybe getting caught in the rain made him colder than he thought.Kibum broke the kiss and let his head fall back against the fridge, then let out a breathy chuckle as Minho, predictably, started kissing down his neck, gently moving aside the collar of his sweater once he reached his shoulder.It wasn’t enough; he wanted, no, needed more.It was as if Minho read his thoughts, because his hands at his sides moved to rid him of his sweater, breaking away from him for a moment so Kibum could slip out of it and toss it aside. He dragged his fingers through his rumpled hair as he met Minho’s intense gaze. He pinched the chest of Minho’s sweater, drawing him into a tantalizingly chaste kiss. The promise of more lingered in the air between them as Kibum pulled away before Minho could kiss him again, and his eyes flicked up to meet Minho’s with a small, dimpled smile before he slipped out from between him and the fridge, leading the way to his bedroom.Rain was still battering at the window by the time they stilled, remaining tangled together. He turned his head, and Minho immediately turned his, a sleepy smile brightening his handsome features as he shifted to see him better. Kibum laid his head back down, his cheek resting against Minho’s shoulder, but kept holding his gaze. “You know what I think?”“What?”“That we should never be apart again.”Minho chuckled, his hand caressing Kibum’s cheek as he leaned in to kiss him. Sweet and gentle. Then he rested his forehead against Kibum’s, and Kibum’s eyes slipped closed and he smiled as Minho’s thumb caressed his cheek before he pulled away. It took a few seconds for Kibum to open his eyes, but when he did, he found Minho watching him again with such adoration… Part of him wanted to look away because he wasn’t sure he could bear the way his heart was clenching for much longer. But then Minho leaned closer to kiss Kibum’s brow.“I don’t want that either,” he whispered, and when Kibum closed his eyes, Minho pressed a tender kiss to his eyelid, then his cheek, slowly peppering soft kisses all over his face.This…was infinitely worse than the unadulterated adoring look. If he kept this up for much longer, well, then Kibum might just blurt out what he knew full well he was nowhere near ready to say.“Honey,” Kibum said, and Minho smiled against his temple at the return of bokkul, which started Kibum smiling, too. “Do you want that coffee now?”“Sure.” But he didn’t move to get out of bed. Instead, he captured Kibum’s lips with his own, kissing him long and slow, as if he had all the time in the world. As if there was nowhere else he’d rather be than here, in this moment. Kibum’s hands slid around his back, caressing him lightly. Just an excuse to touch him, really. Not like he needed one.Maybe he should just call in sick to work tomorrow. Joohyun would cover for him, right?Minho pulled away, his gaze searching Kibum’s once his eyes were open again. His lips parted, to say something, Kibum thought, but nothing came out. Kibum shifted slightly beneath him, blinking languidly with a small smile as he tilted his chin up expectantly. Minho, of course, obliged him, kissing him again.Before they started dating, he hadn’t realized just how…addicting it was for someone to find him as irresistible as Minho did. But now that he had, he wasn’t sure how he ever survived as long as he did without this level of attentiveness.When Minho broke the kiss, Kibum’s eyes stayed closed again, half from being perfectly content, and half because he was expecting another kiss. And he got one, only, it was on the tip of his nose before Minho slid off of him. “I’ll go get us coffee. You stay here.”Kibum’s hands stayed on him until he slipped out of reach, but then Minho grabbed one before it fell back onto the bed, kissing his knuckles before releasing it. Kibum watched him as he stepped over and around the trail of clothes they had left on their way in here, sighing as he slipped out of view.His head sank back into his pillow, just in time for him to catch a glance of Minho heading into the kitchen. He smiled softly as he stretched, then rolled over to Minho’s side of the bed, his hand settling over the vacated space.It was still warm.Sure, he’d only been here for a matter of hours, but Kibum was already dreading the day that Minho would have to go back home. But, then that’d mean he had another trip down to Jeju, and very soon at that, since he’d be there for Minho’s birthday. He sighed again, his eyes closing as sleepiness gradually settled in.Not for long, though.A clatter from the kitchen forced his eyes open, and he turned, lifting his head to look back at the sliver of the kitchen he could see from his open bedroom door. A muttered /shit/ and a confused grunt had Kibum extracting himself from his bed and taking the heavy comforter with him. He wrapped it around himself, letting it trail behind him as he emerged from his room.“Hon, you okay?”“Yeah,” Minho said, sounding exasperated as Kibum rounded the corner and came into the kitchen. “Your coffee maker is just complicated.” Chuckling fondly, Kibum slid up behind him, wrapping him up in the comforter, too, and rested his chin on Minho’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for making you get out of bed.”“It’s okay.” Minho sighed, his head hanging a little, and Kibum took the opportunity to kiss his cheek. “I can do it. You go relax. You’ve had the longer day.”“Are you sure?” Kibum nodded, his chin digging lightly into Minho’s shoulder. “Alright.” Kibum let Minho unravel himself from him, yet again turning to watch him go and smirking when he started to pick up their clothes on the way back to the bedroom.As soon as the coffee for the second cup was percolating, Kibum wandered out into the living room, picking up the toys the dogs had taken out and putting them in their little bin. He grabbed the remote to his TV to put it back in its place on the stand when he remembered—“Oh, right. Devilish Charm.” They both had been holding off starting the ridiculous-sounding romantic comedy drama so they could start it together.He perched on the edge of his couch, turning on the TV and flicking to his saved episodes, opening the first one and letting a few seconds of the intro play before he paused it. That was all it took for Minho to exit the bedroom, clothed now in just a pair of sweatpants, his eyebrows raised in interest as he came around to glance at the TV.“What are we watching?”“You’ll see.” Kibum scooted back on the couch, making himself comfortable as he waved the hand with the remote toward Minho. “Grab the coffee, while you’re up.”“Which one is yours?” Minho asked once he had them both in hand and was on his way to the couch.“Doesn’t matter, they’re both the same.” Minho hummed, taking a sip of the one in his left hand as he passed Kibum the one in his right. Then, scooting a coaster over, he set his down before flopping onto the couch and nestling his head in Kibum’s lap. Kibum let out a surprised laugh and held his hot coffee away from both of them, just in case it splashed. “Hey!”Minho just smiled his cute yet devious crooked little smile and looked up at him, eyes shining with amusement.“You’re such a pain in the ass.”His smile grew. “I don’t think you mind.”Kibum’s eyes narrowed at him, but he was unable to hold back his smile before he looked away and pushed play. “Just shut up and watch,” he said as he set the remote down on Minho’s chest.But, before he could move his hand away, Minho grabbed it, clasping it with his own and holding it close to his heart. He reached up with his free hand and set the remote on the table by his coffee, then snuggled closer to Kibum as the title card appeared. “Oh, good, we’re starting this.”As soon as his coffee started to go cold—he had only drunk about half of it—Kibum leaned forward to set it next to Minho’s. Then, once he was sitting back, his fingers were in Minho’s hair. Carding through it, twirling it, tracing little circles in his scalp. It was soft and silky as it glided through his fingers. If he had been stressed about anything today, he wouldn’t be now.He glanced down at him as the third episode was loading, blinking rapidly when he found Minho watching him. The intense fondness in his gaze started something clenching around his heart for a second, and he pulled his fingers out of Minho’s hair. “Sorry, was I distracting you from the show?”“A little. But I don’t mind.”Kibum looked back at the screen as the intro played again, then back at Minho, who hadn’t looked away from him. “What?”“Just thinking.”The intro ended, but Kibum ignored it as he started playing with Minho’s hair again. “What about?”“About how lucky I am.” Kibum scoffed, heat rising to his cheeks as he shook his head and looked back at the screen, though he never would have been able to tell anyone what was happening on the show at that moment. “About how much I…how much I want you to kiss me right now.”Sighing, Kibum looked down at him, shaking his head as soon as his gaze met Minho’s bright and eager one. “Will you pay attention to the drama if I do?”Still smiling, Minho’s brow furrowed seriously as he nodded, and so Kibum bent to kiss him. Not long enough for either of them, apparently, because as Kibum sat up a little, Minho’s eyes were still closed. So, Kibum kissed him again, his fingers curling in Minho’s hair as Minho’s free hand found Kibum’s neck, cradling it, even after Kibum pulled away again.“One more?” The plea was soft, barely audible over the sound of the drama playing in the background, and was punctuated by a gentle caress of Minho’s fingers along his nape. So he leaned a little closer, though not enough to kiss him again. Just for a second, but a second was too long for Minho to wait, judging by the breathy chuckle he let out as he shifted beneath him. “Kibum, please?”Who was he to deny him, when he asked so nicely…The rain drizzled on as day transposed to night, pittering gently against the balcony windows. Their coffee sat abandoned on the table before them, and they had now shifted together so that Kibum was leaning against the armrest, arms and comforter wrapped snugly around Minho, who was lying against his chest, sprawled out across his lap and the rest of the couch. It was surprisingly comfortable, or maybe Kibum had just missed the hours they would be cuddled up like this last summer. In Minho’s bed or on his couch, watching a drama or reality show like they were doing right now. Or, just talking about whatever came to mind in the moment.Minho’s head turned, his cheek pressing against Kibum’s chest, his hair tickling Kibum’s chin, and he sighed. Happily, if Kibum had to guess, since he couldn’t see his expression. Kibum’s thumb stroked Minho’s side, which drew a longer, more wistful sigh out of him. Smiling, Kibum turned his head to press a kiss into Minho’s hair. He sat back, head resting on Kibum’s shoulder now as he looked up at him, his focus clearly on Kibum’s lips.Kibum scoffed into a smile. “I swear, you’re trying to go for a world record or something.” Minho cracked a smile, his eyes immediately meeting Kibum’s. “Most kisses in a lifetime…or something like that.”“Is there a category like that?” Kibum shrugged, Minho’s head bobbing slightly with his shoulder. “We could always make one.”“The last thing you need is for there to be a competition for this.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up, his smile a tad confused until Kibum continued. “How would we ever get anything done?”Minho let out a short laugh, low and quiet. “Yeah, but,” he freed his arm from the confines of Kibum and his comforter, reaching up to caress Kibum’s cheek before his hand slipped around to cup his neck. “Would whatever we would be doing be as fun?” He searched Kibum’s gaze for a second before his attention once again dropped to Kibum’s lips. “I doubt it.”Kibum, truthfully, was doubting it too as he leaned in just as Minho gently pressed on his neck, smiling as Minho’s lips met his once more. It was a good thing that he wasn’t attempting to keep track of how many times they had kissed. He would have lost count sometime in July.Maybe even in June.The episode they had been on must have ended some time ago, given that they didn’t notice the sound cutting off or the little Continue watching? message. Only when the screen timed out and they were blanketed in almost total darkness, save for the soft glow of the string lights on Kibum’s balcony, did they realize. Minho broke the kiss, looking up and around, and Kibum took it upon himself to continue kissing along his jaw, right below his ear, and his neck, since it was so readily available to him at the moment.He could hear the smile in Minho’s sleepy voice as Kibum started to leave a mark. “I didn’t realize how late it was,” he said, his voice vibrating slightly against Kibum’s lips. “Don’t you need to go to sleep?” Kibum kissed lightly over his mark before he tilted his head so he could leave another one next to it. Minho chuckled a sigh, and Kibum couldn’t help but smile against his skin. “So you won’t be late for work?”Kibum hummed just before he disconnected from Minho’s neck, then leaned back, his head resting half on Minho’s hand and half on the armrest. “I don’t know how you can think about work right now.”“I’m not.” Minho leaned closer, briefly kissing Kibum’s brow. “I’m just thinking of you.” His cheek. “I don’t want you to be exhausted tomorrow.” The corner of his mouth. “Because I kept you up all night.” His lips, lingering. Savoring. “I can do that tomorrow.”Kibum grinned as Minho pulled too far away from him to kiss him again, anywhere, without effort. “What a thoughtful birthday gift.”Minho laughed, his head thrown back for a second. The string lights painted a warm glow of gold across the bottom half of his face, his neck, and the part of his chest and shoulder that was no longer covered by the comforter. Then he leaned forward again, still smiling, the strip of light shifting so that it gilded his shining eyes, the bridge of his nose, and his kiss-mussed hair.“I mean, it’s one of them.”“So there are more?”Minho nodded, the fond, heart-clenching look back in his eyes. Kibum stroked Minho’s side lazily, thinking rapidly of how to prolong when they would have to get up and return to bed. Which wouldn't be a bad thing. He was just enjoying himself too much and was loath to leave this moment. “Two more.”“In that tiny ass suitcase of yours?” Minho sniffed a laugh, and Kibum caressed his side again. “I swear, we need to get you some normal-sized things. First your car, then your shower, now your suitcase…” He tutted quietly, and Minho chuckled.“Well, my birthday is coming up soon, too…”“That’s true.”A mischievous grin flashed in the shadows, his only warning before Minho added, “Not like you’d forget that, since it’s your passcode.”Kibum stopped stroking Minho’s side, then shoved him aside with an embarrassed laugh. “Shut up!” he said, with no actual anger, as he started untangling himself from Minho. He obliged him, probably with an annoyingly broad grin, and let him leave the couch. “I’ll change it right now if you’re just gonna tease me about it.”It wasn’t a long journey to the door, but he didn’t make it anyway, since before he got a few steps away, Minho leaped off the couch and snagged him in a hug from behind. “I promise I won’t,” he said, his lips brushing his neck as he spoke.“I don’t believe you.”Minho smiled against his skin before he scooped him up in his arms. Kibum yelped, arms immediately flinging around Minho’s neck and shoulders, as he made his way toward the bedroom in the dark. He’d picked him up like this on the beach a few times, twirling him around before he gently dropped him with a splash into the ocean. How he didn’t trip over the trailing comforter or accidentally knock Kibum’s feet or head into the wall as he slipped through the bedroom door was beyond Kibum.But he was grateful for that.Minho carried him over to the bed, setting him down on his side before he clambered over him to his side. “Min,” Kibum said with a laugh, “I gotta wash my face.”“Oh, right. Me too.”Shaking his head, Kibum slipped out of his comforter and made his way to the bathroom, finally turning on a light. It took a moment, since Minho had to dig his toiletry bag out of his suitcase, but he joined him, brushing his teeth and washing his face before he left Kibum’s side to return to bed. He was much faster than he usually was when he was finishing up his nightly routine, eager as he was to get back to Minho.Once he was done, he flicked off the light, no longer needing it to navigate back to bed. As soon as he crawled in, he gravitated to Minho’s side, unsurprised to find his arms open, waiting for him to settle against him so he could hold him as close as possible. Kibum threw his arm around him too, his head resting comfortably on Minho’s chest and shoulder. He let out a whisper of a sigh, and Minho turned to kiss the top of his head, squeezing him a little tighter.Kibum smiled, hiding it in Minho’s chest, despite the near-total darkness blanketing them.He missed this; he missed him.It was good to be home again.* * * * *The bed jostled slightly beneath Minho as Kibum extracted himself from Minho’s arms. He stirred, eyes bleary, and squinted in the soft light of the dawn peeking into Kibum’s room. “Go back to sleep, Min,” Kibum whispered, kneeling back on the bed and pressing a kiss into his hair before he left him again. To go get ready for work, Minho decided, in the little snippets he watched as he struggled to stay awake. A faint cloud of musky floral cologne roused him again, just in time for him to realize that Kibum was sitting on the edge of the bed beside him, brushing Minho’s fringe out of his eyes with a fond smile.“Do you have to go to work now?”He nodded, then his brow furrowed. “I can’t believe your first words to me this morning weren’t ‘Happy Birthday.’”“Happy birthday,” Minho said, cracking a smile. “Let me make it up to you.”“No. I don’t want to be late.”“I promise I wouldn’t do that to you.”Kibum’s nose scrunched up a little as he smiled and shook his head as his twinkling eyes met his. “I don’t believe you.”
I’m so in love with you.
The thought flooded his mind as it so often did whenever Kibum held his gaze, filling it to the brim and yearning to be said aloud. Somehow, though, he held himself back as Kibum’s fingers brushed through his hair. Caressed his temple…his cheek…his jaw. When the pad of his thumb grazed Minho’s lips, they parted slightly, and Kibum smiled, a hint of his dimples appearing as he met Minho’s eyes again.
I love you so much.
“What’s that look for?” Kibum whispered softly, as if speaking any louder would shatter this intimate early-morning moment. “You’re all starry-eyed.”Minho opened his mouth to speak, the truth perched on the tip of his tongue. But, no. Not yet. Not until their hundred-day anniversary when he would give him his ring. “I was just hoping…” Kibum hummed encouragingly, searching his gaze. “That you’d kiss me again before you go.” Kibum’s smile grew, and Minho couldn’t help but match it as Kibum cupped his cheek and leaned in to oblige him, Minho’s arms wrapping around his waist to keep him there. Then, once they had parted enough for Minho to do so, he said, “Are you sure it’s not ‘Bring Your Clingy Out-of-Town Boyfriend to Work’ day?”Kibum laughed, kissing him again. “Unfortunately, I am.” Minho’s lip protruded in a little pout before Kibum kissed him one last time. “I really should go.” He sighed forlornly as Minho’s arms released him, then got up from the bed. Minho’s hand caught his before he stepped too far away, holding him there for a few seconds more. “Text me if you need anything or have any questions about where things are, okay?” Minho nodded, and Kibum bent to kiss the back of his hand.Minho squeezed it in response before Kibum regrettably released his hand and started for the bedroom door where he paused, looking back with a sad little smile before he walked through and disappeared from view. He stilled, his head inclined to the bedroom door, Minho listened as Kibum said an affectionate goodbye to his puppies, then called out another goodbye to Minho—he, of course, replied—and was gone.The lock clicked shut.He stayed frozen for a few seconds longer before he leaped out of bed and bounded for the front door. Face pressed to the peephole, he watched Kibum’s retreating form until he vanished in the elevator.“Alright, you can do this.”But where to even start?Right…the recipes.He crossed the apartment to return to Kibum’s room, plopping down on the floor before his suitcase as the puppies flanked him, Garcons following his hand as he unzipped it and Comme Des snuffling at the opening before he laid it out. “There’s no treats in here, you guys,” he said with a quiet laugh, but that didn’t really matter to them. Garcons clambered half inside his suitcase as Minho started digging around in there, and Comme Des sat on Minho’s foot, curiously sniffing everything that Minho presented to him to inspect.Near the bottom lay the recipes, the little bag of acetate from Soooung, and the ring box.He pulled all three out, setting the recipes and acetate aside before he popped open the box, holding it out to Comme Des to sniff—Garcons, of course, was quick to join his brother in the inspection.“What do we think? Will he like it?”They were both silver, the rings. Both were identical, aside from the engraving hidden inside. My Everything on Kibum’s, which was part of the lyrics from the song he sang to him the night they got together. And on his, Forever, because, well, that’s what he was hoping for. That they would be together for the rest of their lives. And all their lives thereafter, if such a thing as reincarnation were to exist.Insides squirming, he pulled both rings out, letting them settle together in his palm. Pieces of both engravings caught his eye as he tilted his palm back and forth, the light from the kitchen glinting on the curved silver.Was it too much too soon? Would it scare Kibum away? Did he have to be nervous about shit like this, still?“Let’s not overthink it, Minho,” he said, letting out an exasperated sigh at himself as he gently placed the rings back in their places, snapped the box shut, and buried it under all his clothes again.Should he change into actual clothes first? Or maybe shower? Or, would it be better to take full stock of Kibum’s kitchen and make a list before he got ready for the day?Yeah, that sounded right. List first, then shower, then get ready for the day.So, he climbed back into bed, crawling over the disheveled comforter to where his phone lay, still plugged into the charger on Kibum’s side of the bed. He rolled out of it and opened his Notes app, then bent to snatch the recipes and acetate that Sooyoung and Taeyeon had sent him with on his way into the kitchen. Opening every drawer, door, and cupboard, he did as thorough an inspection of Kibum’s kitchen as he could, taking notes and making his list as he went. He’d been interrupted in his attempt to do the same yesterday, but, he hadn’t minded one bit.Luckily, Kibum’s kitchen was pretty fully stocked. There was only a handful of things he would need to get—namely, for the cake, but also some mandu wrappers—so once he was sure, he pocketed his phone and wandered out of the kitchen, the puppies on his heels as he made his way into Kibum’s closet.Kibum had such a large variety of clothes to choose from. Far more than he did, but then, that wasn’t much of a feat. He sniffed a laugh at himself, shaking his head as he ran his fingers over the stretch of soft sweaters. Would Kibum be pissed off if he borrowed something of his? It wasn’t like Kibum had never borrowed his clothes before. Often, even. And, their height difference wasn’t that big…he was just a little broader in the shoulders than Kibum was.Minho pulled a fuzzy lilac sweater out from among the others, laying it so that it faced him. It looked comfortable, but was it cold enough for him to wear it yet? He dug his phone back out of his pocket and opened the weather app. More rain. Sighing heavily, he looked back at the sweater, and after a few more seconds of hesitation, he slipped it off the hanger and tossed it over his arm.“It’s like I’m going shopping,” he said to Garcons when he caught his eye, and the little dog’s puffy tail wagged at being addressed.He decided on wearing his own jeans, since his legs were longer than Kibum’s but picked out a black and gray herringbone peacoat to wear over the sweater as well as a cute black beret. Hopefully, it was fashionable enough for Seoul, but at least it was more fashionable than he usually was.Once he laid all his clothes out on Kibum’s side of the bed, he opened his suitcase again and grabbed his toiletries. Only to double back so he could snap a quick picture of his selection. Okay if I borrow these today? he texted to Kibum before setting his phone on the bathroom counter and slid off his sweatpants.No response came until the water was warm enough for him to step in. The screen lit up and the phone vibrated almost off the counter, but he caught it quickly and brought it with him, stepping halfway into the shower as he unlocked his phone to read Kibum’s reply.
07:57

What are you doing today?
What to say to that to not give away the surprise?
Gonna take the puppies for a walk
The one disappeared, but no other text appeared. Minho set his phone on the tank of the toilet and fully stepped inside the shower, his attention repeatedly flicking to the frosted glass partition where his phone lay beyond as he washed his hair. His screen lit up again just as soon as he finished getting conditioner through his hair and was about to wash his body. Immediately, he set the bottle aside and leaned out of the door, drying his hands so that he could use his phone.
You don’t have to ask me for permission to wear my clothes

I never do ㅋㅋㅋ

I know ㅎ

I do appreciate it, though

So it’s okay?

Of course, honey
Minho sighed heavily, shaking his head with a small smile as he made to set his phone back down so he could finish his shower, but then Kibum sent him a picture. He was at his desk, his chin propped up on the lid of his coffee, looking adorably bored. Wish you were here… accompanied the selca and Minho couldn’t help but agree with him.He glanced up at the time. 8:06. Kibum must be just sitting down to get started for the day. Which meant…he probably just took that picture…So. Should he send one back?Tentatively, Minho opened his camera app and flipped the camera around to face him. It took a few moments to find the right angle for a good picture that also definitely ensured that nothing below chest height was captured. Once he was satisfied with the results and deleted the other attempts, he sent it back with the response Yeah, me tooHe set his phone down and quickly closed the shower door again, shivering now from the exposure to the non-steamy air of the bathroom. He turned his back on the door to finish cleaning himself, feeling ridiculously anxious after sending that. It wasn’t even remotely explicit, but…what if someone saw the picture and text and Kibum was outed at work and then fired? It would all be his fault.Behind him, his phone vibrated once, then fell silent. Minho finished rinsing the conditioner out of his hair and turned off the water before he popped the door open again, drying his hands off and draping the towel over his head before he reached for his phone.
And here I thought I was supposed to unwrap my presents
Grinning, Minho set his phone aside again so he could dry himself off and get dressed. He spritzed his cologne on just before he slipped into the sweater—which was admittedly a little tight—then swore under his breath. Hopefully, Kibum wouldn’t mind that… As soon as he set the beret on his fluffy, just-dried hair, Minho took another selca and sent it to Kibum, making sure to show the sweater in this one.
There, now you’ll be able to ❤️
He made it out into the living room before Kibum messaged him again. This time, a voice message. Curious about what Kibum would be able to say out loud to him while at work, Minho held the speaker up closer to his ear and pressed play.“What’s wrong with you?” Kibum asked, his voice an exasperatedly amused whisper. Somewhere in the background was the muffled laughter of a woman. Joohyun, his cubicle mate and long-time friend, he could only assume. Minho grinned as Kibum went on, “Why are you tormenting me?” The burst of Joohyun’s no-longer concealed laughter was cut off by the end of the message.Still beaming, Minho glanced down at the puppies at his feet, both of their tails wagging when his eyes met theirs. “I’ll be paying for that later.” Hopefully, as soon as Kibum walked through the door. Or, maybe, they could wait until after they ate. He sniffed a laugh, then sighed, glancing around Kibum’s apartment. “Where does he keep your leashes?”It took a bit of searching, and they were eventually found in the top right drawer of the little chest set beneath Sun of a Beach. He stood back after he opened the drawer, inspecting the piece for the first time since he had sent it to Kibum. It was hard not to focus on the flaws, that to him were glaring. The heavy-handed strokes and the misplaced colors. Still, it was relatively cohesive, and it was interesting to look at it. Not only from a layman’s perspective but also from his—the original artist. Interesting in that it was a display of the evolution of his style and how it had developed into this, and then, further in the passing years.How much more would he change? How much of his style would remain in his next transformation?Sighing, he looked below at the little chest of drawers. There were a couple of potted plants spilling across the table and over the sides, though the leaves and vines were trimmed to stay out of the dogs’ reach. And, tucked within the leaves, he pulled out a folded bit of his thick watercolor paper. There was an impression of the sky from who knew how long ago, the clouds tinged pink in what was likely the rising sun.If he remembered correctly, he painted it pretty soon after he arrived in Jeju, when he was living out of his car. The sale of his shop and the apartment above hadn’t gone through yet, and he didn’t want to waste his money on a hotel when he could make do with his car and convenience store meals until he was able to move into his new place. The only possessions that he had, aside from his car, were the art supplies his former teacher, who had taken him in after the fallout with his family, had graciously given him to get him started. He drove around a lot, hopping from beach to beach, but never straying too far from the little town he now called home. Sagye had been where he spent most of his nights, abandoned as it was for the nightlife and hotels in Seogwipo. He didn’t get much sleep, not only because of how uncomfortable it had been to try to sleep in his car with the boxes of art supplies but also because his mind was rarely at rest enough to do so.So, he was usually up with the dawn, and he tried to capture as many mornings as he could. It helped to keep his mind relatively calm, since it was easier to drown out thoughts of his family and Yeunseo if he was trying to stay focused on the beauty of the moment.He set the painting back where it had been, dragging the tip of his finger over the soft, folded edge. It was the first of those paintings that he had torn out of his book, let alone shown to another living soul. But he had known then, as he packaged up Sun of a Beach for Kibum, what he knew now, even if he hadn’t been aware of it at the time: that he could trust Kibum implicitly, wholeheartedly, and without any sort of reservation.And, in the passing years…until this very moment, even, Kibum had proven that he had been correct in his assertion.Smiling softly, Minho tapped the folded edge of the painting again before he reached into the drawer for the puppies’ leashes.He didn’t take them on a long walk, as much as he might have wanted to. There wasn’t enough time for anything else but a walk around the block, since he still needed to go shopping for the few things he needed to get for Kibum’s birthday dinner. Once he brought them back inside, he sat on the very edge of the chaise lounge section of the couch and searched on his Maps app for the best way to navigate Seoul on his own to find the shops he’d need to visit.After saying a fond goodbye to both puppies, Minho left Kibum’s place with Kibum’s umbrella in tow. Luckily, he’d only need to take the bus into downtown Seoul, and there were only a handful of things he needed to get from each shop. Laden with multiple bags, he arrived back at Kibum’s place just a little bit before noon. He had only just lugged them onto the counter when his phone vibrated incessantly in his pocket. Shaking his hands free of the bags, Minho dug his phone out and answered the call without looking at who it was as he started to unpack the baking supplies.Because who else would it be?“Hello, Kibummie.”“Hi,” Kibum said, drawing out the greeting despondently and ending it with a heavy sigh. In the background, there was the distant din of a busy office. Phones ringing, the whir of printers, coworkers chatting.“What’s the matter?” he asked, smiling automatically at the sound of Kibum’s voice, despite how forlorn he sounded.“I was planning on surprising you and coming home for lunch”—Minho froze, the cute little pack of baking dishes he had picked out pulled half-out of the bag—“but something came up. Emergency meeting.” He could almost hear Kibum’s eye roll, then his slight pout as he added, “So now I can’t.”“It’s okay, I’ll still be here when you get off.”Kibum didn’t respond for several seconds. Almost long enough that Minho would have wondered if the call suddenly dropped, if he hadn’t been able to hear his steady breathing. “Who are you and what have you done to my Minho?” he eventually asked softly.Minho grinned at that, wrapping his free arm around his middle since Kibum wasn’t here to do it for him as he leaned against the counter. My Minho. It was true, he was all his. “What do you mean?”“I thought you said you’d be waiting by the door with the puppies for me to return.” Minho chuckled, and Kibum lowered his voice, the sounds of the office growing more indistinct. “What are you doing instead?”For a second, Minho debated coming up with an innocent lie, but…where was the fun in that? “Working on your birthday surprise.”“Oh?” Minho almost laughed at how quickly Kibum perked up. “Do I need to stay late so you have more time?”“Please don’t.” Another brief hesitation. Should he say it? Would it be too much? It was true, wasn’t it? So what did it matter… “I miss you.”Kibum sighed again, but this time, it was tinged with a smile. “I miss you, too,” he said, his voice the quietest it had been yet on the call. “I’ll text you right before I leave, alright? Takes me about twenty minutes in good traffic to get home. Do you need me to pick up anything on my way back?”Minho shook his head. “No, just bring yourself. That’s all I need.”Kibum sucked his teeth at him, which started Minho laughing. “You’re making it very hard to return to work, you know.”“It’s payback for last summer.”Letting out an attempt at an indignant huff, Kibum hung up with a quick goodbye. Which was probably for the best, even if he could have contented himself with listening to Kibum for much, much longer. But he had work to do, and a lot of it, so he should get started.Still, he couldn’t resist the urge to send a series of red hearts to Kibum before he set his phone aside. It vibrated before he could unpack much more out of his shopping bags, and he found that, in response, Kibum said You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met in my entire life.Minho grinned at his screen. “I love you, too,” he said softly, then set his phone aside for now.Once he had all of his ingredients and the recipes from Sooyoung and Taeyeon laid out on the counter, he stared down at them, his brain abuzz with indecision. Where to even start? The soup? The broth? The mandu filling? He pressed the pad of his thumb on the slip of paper with Sooyoung’s neat scrawl on it, dragging it closer to him. Maybe the cake should be first, because didn’t it have to cool for a bit before he could frost it?Nodding, as if to reassure himself, he picked through the ingredients and picked out what he needed for the cake before he went on the hunt for a bowl. And then a whisk. And then the little measuring spoon things that Sooyoung always seemed to lose around her shop. He triple-checked each measurement before he added a new ingredient to the bowl, whisking them all together carefully as Sooyoung said. Once he had dished out the batter into each of the little ramekins, he slowly turned to the oven with two in hand, realizing at once that he hadn’t preheated the oven yet.“Shit,” he muttered to himself, setting the ramekins back down on the messy counter before he made for the oven, hoping that he’d be able to figure out how to work it.As soon as it beeped—Sooyoung had been adamant that he wait for that—he slid the ramekins as gently as possible onto the rack, then closed the oven. She said to check after twenty minutes, so he set the timer on his phone for that and started cleaning up after himself.Just as he was drying the last of the dishes, his timer went off, and he searched the countertops for a towel or something to grab the little cakes.Oh, the towel in his hand. Duh.He opened the oven, squinting against the blast of hot air that ruffled his hair, and reached for one, grabbing the knife he had set aside for just this purpose. Ramekin in hand, he inserted the knife, only to almost drop it when the heat from the dish was absorbed by the damp patches in the towel. He dropped it on the stovetop with a clatter and hissed /fuck!/ then shook his hand a little, as if that would alleviate some of the pain. He held his hand up, frowning at the patches of red on his palm, then shook his head, mostly at himself, and took the tip of the knife out of the cake.Still a little goopy.He pulled out his phone, checking his notes before he returned to his timer. Sooyoung said to give it more time if it was like this, checking every five minutes until the knife came out clean. So, back into the oven it went, the timer set again.In about ten minutes, the cakes were done and set to cool atop the stove while he pored over the notes he had taken for both of Taeyeon’s recipes. A couple of texts and a quick phone call to her later, he started getting the filling for the mandu together. The chopping of the vegetables was tedious because, well, he wanted to be as precise as possible so he didn’t fuck anything up, and he also didn’t want to chop any part of himself off in the process.Once the filling was chilling in the fridge, Minho washed his hands before opening up his camera and scrolling through his pictures of Kibum, the sky at various times of the day, and inspiration pictures until he found the video he took of Taeyeon explaining how to fold and crimp mandu the way their grandma did. Luckily, this wasn’t something he was unfamiliar with, given that he had usually volunteered to help his mother do just this after school some days, but it had been quite a while for him since then. He fiddled with the edges of the mandu wrappers as he watched it a third time, just to be sure, before he returned to the fridge and brought out the filling again.Again, he took it slowly at first, until his confidence began to grow enough to deviate a little from the more traditional fold and pinch that Taeyeon had demonstrated for him. He made a sort of heart shape with the filling, then carefully began crimping the excess dough around it until it met in the middle…which…hm. He set it down, making a small incision with the tip of his knife, but it only ended up mangling the heart a bit. Maybe next time, it wouldn’t be that bad. Or…the time after that.He sighed heavily as he glared at the three pitiful attempts, then shook his head and made to throw them away. But, no, that would be a waste of food. Sighing again, he bagged them up separately and tossed them into the back of the freezer, making a mental note to have them one day when Kibum was at work, and then he started back up again with the mandu. There were still mandu wrappers left over by the time he ran out of filling, so he bagged them and put them in the fridge behind the plate of mandu that would be chilling until Kibum was home and Minho could cook them off at last.He checked the time. 15:45. Frowning, he opened his and Kibum’s texts, asking When are you off work?The response was almost immediate. In about an hour. Why? Do you need more time? ㅋㅋㅋMinho snorted, shaking his head. Probably, but I don’t want to wait any longer to see you againHe was about to switch back to his note app to look at the recipe for the soup when the one disappeared. So he hesitated, watching, waiting for whatever Kibum had to say. Instead of a text, he received a selca. Kibum at his desk, chin propped up on his fist, which accentuated the slight pout of his lips. A grinning woman peered over his shoulder from the other side of the spacious cubicle, but Minho barely glanced at her, enraptured as he was by Kibum, who texted Did that help?
Sorta. Kinda made it worse, if I’m just being honest.

ㅋㅋㅋ cute
After saving the picture, he sent a few red heart emojis before exiting out to finally read through the recipe for the shrimp and corn dumpling soup. Broth first, which required a bit of hunting for a pot and Kibum’s little portable burner, but once it was bubbling, he made the dough for the dumplings so it could “rest”---as Taeyeon put it---before he got to cleaning the shrimp. Which, unfortunately, just as he started on the first one, his phone screen lit up with a text from Kibum.
Heading home now ❤️
“Okay, be fast, Minho. Overcome it,” he muttered under his breath as he pulled the bag of shrimp closer to the sink.Even working as fast as he could, he didn’t get much past halfway through the shrimp by the time the puppies scrambled away from where they were curled up at his feet, their claws clacking against the tile as they ran for the door, barking. A few seconds later, the handle turned, and in walked Kibum, even if Minho couldn’t see him.“Hi, my babies,” he said, his voice dripping with aegyo. Smiling, Minho reached for another shrimp before he paused, debating whether he should wash his hands so he could greet Kibum properly. But before he could decide, Kibum came around the corner, his eyes clearly amused as he met Minho’s gaze. “Am I allowed to come in, or would that ruin the surprise?”“Just don’t look around much,” Minho said, setting the knife aside so he didn’t stab his finger or something, since he was no longer focused on the shrimp. “Hold on, let me wash my hands,” he added as Kibum sidled up next to him. He scrubbed soap all over his hands vigorously before rinsing them off, but before he could reach for Kibum, his hands slid beneath Minho’s sweater, and he laughed when Minho let out a surprised yelp.“My hands are cold,” he said, slipping his icy fingers around Minho’s waist and pulling him closer until his hip rested against his own. Kibum’s head leaned on his shoulder as he looked up at him, a tired smile twinkling in his eyes even if it barely touched his lips. His thumb grazed against Minho’s side, the gentle caress sending an anticipatory shiver down Minho’s spine. “Do you want my help at all?”As much as he longed for Kibum to stay here, like this, close and connected and completely at ease…what would be the point of a surprise? So, with his freshly cleaned hands, he collected Kibum’s face in his palms and guided him into a soft, lingering kiss that had Kibum’s fingers digging lightly into his back, even after their lips parted. “Don’t you want to go relax? You’re the one who had to work today.”Kibum hummed, leaning closer still until he enticed Minho into another lazily thorough kiss. As if they had all the time in the world to kiss as much as they liked. Which, if it were a perfect world like it was feeling right now, then they absolutely did.“What do you mean?” Another kiss, quick and tantalizing. Enough to make Minho desperate for the next. “I’m feeling quite relaxed right now.” Minho started grinning, unable to help himself. “But,” Kibum leaned away, his eyes closing as he pouted slightly. “Since you don’t want me around”—he slid his hands away from Minho, though not quite letting him go yet—“I guess I’ll go away,” he finished airily, his hands retreating from beneath his sweater.But when Minho drew him into another kiss, his fingers tangling in the hair at Kibum’s nape, Kibum’s hands slipped back around his waist. Over the sweater, this time. Caressing up his back as he smiled into the kiss.“Maybe…I won’t wander too far off.”Grinning again, Minho kissed the tip of Kibum’s nose before he reluctantly released him. “Please don’t.”Kibum offered him a coy little smile before he patted his side and stepped away, taking the puppies with him. Minho’s gaze followed him until he slipped out of his view, then he sighed heavily and returned to work. When Kibum returned, clad in a silky, comfortable-looking pajama set, Minho was washing his hands again after finishing with the shrimp.“Want anything to drink?” Kibum asked as he walked into the kitchen. “Wine?” Minho hummed in affirmation, digging around in the drawers for a pair of scissors to hand-cut the corn dumpling dough into the bubbling broth. “Red or white?”What were the rules for that again? He glanced at the shrimp, squinting in thought. “White, I think.”“Mm, alright.” Glasses clinked somewhere behind him as the first of the dumplings splashed into the broth. “Smells so good in here.”Minho grinned, then tried to repress it as he turned to look at Kibum for a second. “Hopefully it tastes good too.”“I’m sure it will.”“You have a lot of confidence in me, having seen my kitchen.”Kibum’s laughter filled the kitchen and Minho grinned at the bright sound, looking around at him again as he came back over to where Minho was stationed, two glasses of wine in hand. He set Minho’s down within reach and took a small sip of his own as his now-free hand slipped around Minho’s waist.Just resting there. An excuse to touch him, it seemed, and a flimsy one at that.But, Minho wasn’t about to complain.He cleared his throat, sliding a bit closer to him, though his attention was back on the soup. “Did you have a good day?”“It was…tolerable.” Minho hummed, dropping the last bit of the dumpling dough into the broth, then picked up his spoon to stir it. Kibum’s thumb brushed against his side. “It really would have been nice if today had been ‘Bring-your’—what was it?”“Clingy-out-of-town-boyfriend-to-work day,” Minho finished for him with a smile as he reached for the bowl of hopefully properly cleaned shrimp.“Yes, that. But, I was still able to entertain myself,” he said airily, the last syllable ending in a sigh.“Oh? Doing what?”Kibum’s thumb stopped caressing his side long enough for Minho to glance over at him, and when he tilted his head, Minho bent automatically so that Kibum could whisper unnecessarily in his ear. “Thinking about your promise from last night.” He patted his side and he kissed the shell of Minho’s ear, then moved away as Minho stared blankly forward. “Should I set the table? Or are we eating in the living room?”Minho cleared his throat. “Whichever, it doesn’t matter.” He watched Kibum slip out of the kitchen again, distracted for a few seconds more after he disappeared from view, then dug around for another pan to start frying off the mandu like Taeyeon had shown him how to.After ten minutes and a panicked flicking on of the overhead fan to suck up what could have been either smoke or steam, the mandu were cooked, the soup was done, and everything was plated up as nicely as Minho could manage. “Living room?” he called out, bowls precariously in hand.“Yup!”Cautiously, he made his way to Kibum, stepping around the puppies as they pranced excitedly around them, ignoring Kibum’s attempts to call them off. “I’ll be right back with the mandu.”“Mandu? Did you make that, too?” Minho hummed his assent, trying to keep from smiling at how impressed Kibum sounded. “Do you need my help bringing anything—”“Nope, babe, I’m fine,” he said, sliding the plate of mandu up his arm until it balanced before he grabbed his wine, two pairs of chopsticks, and a couple of spoons. “Just relax.” When he reemerged into the living room, Kibum was watching him with a fond sort of amazement. “What?”“Were you ever a waiter?”Minho laughed as he stopped at Kibum’s side, intending to set down the silverware so that his hand would be free to get the mandu safely onto the coffee table, but Kibum had already moved to do it. So, he sat beside him, moving his wine over to his side before grabbing a set of silverware to set on Kibum’s side. “Not in this life.”Kibum hummed in thought, arranging the chopsticks on his fingers so he could pick up the first of the mandu. “In a past one, then?” Minho shrugged, watching him apprehensively as he lifted the dumpling to his lips. Only, he lowered it a second later. “Maybe that’s how we met.”Minho huffed a laugh, trying to relax his shoulders as he grabbed his chopsticks, too. How did Taeyeon do it every day? Make food for people and not worry that they wouldn’t like it? “Do you think we were together? In another life?”Frowning comically at him, Kibum said Of course matter-of-factly just before he finally took a bite of his mandu. “We—” He stopped, eyes widening as he chewed slowly. Then, he held up the mandu to Minho in question. “Grandma’s?”Minho nodded. “Taeyeon showed me how to. Is it…okay?”He covered his mouth with his hand as he finished off the dumpling, the look in his eyes as he beheld Minho achingly soft. “It’s perfect.”Relaxing at last, Minho leaned forward to get one for himself. “What were you gonna say before?” Kibum just blinked at him. “About our other lives?”“Oh!” Kibum let out a short burst of a laugh. “Just that we’ll have found each other in every life.”“How can you be so sure?”“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Minho laughed, then harder still when Kibum added, “And with how clingy you are, I won’t be able to, either.” He slapped Kibum’s arm as he laughed, shoving him away a little, but not hard enough to move him. Just enough to make him start grinning, though. “What, you know I’m right.”Minho shook his head as he stuffed the whole mandu in his mouth. An inadequate denial, but then there was no defense.
God, I love you.
It was a good thing his mouth was full because he might have just blurted it out right here and now.“Do you believe in that sort of thing?” Kibum asked as he reached for another dumpling. “Past lives,” he added when Minho let out a questioning hum, then, after a searching look, “soulmates.”“Ah.” Minho dunked his mandu in the bowl of ponzu on the table between them, letting it sit there for a couple of blinks. “I’m not really sure.” He glanced over at Kibum then, clearing his throat quickly when he spotted his knitted eyebrows. “My family was just very, very Catholic when I was growing up. Not the fun kind.”“I wasn’t aware there was a fun kind of Catholic.” Minho snorted and Kibum grinned at that. “So no past lives for you?”“I mean, maybe. I don’t believe in much of anything anymore. I don’t mind the idea, especially if I’ve spent all my lives with you.” Kibum’s gaze softened, but he didn’t look away from him. Minho offered him a half-smile, searching his expression. “I’m assuming you do believe in it?”He nodded, and Minho popped the rest of his dumpling in his mouth as he elaborated. “My mom says I used to talk about it a lot when I was younger. My grandma’s influence, apparently.” He averted his gaze, looking at the spread of food beside them. “Thought that, uh, Joonwoo…fit that description, but…” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I guess the day my grandma met him, she told my mom that he wasn’t the one for me. Wish she would have told /me/. Would have saved me a lot of trouble.”“Would you have listened?”Kibum sighed, smiling ruefully. “Probably not. Wish she could have met you, though.”“Me too.”“Although,” Kibum hesitated, squinting in thought. “Maybe it’s best you didn’t get to meet her.” Minho immediately frowned, but Kibum quickly followed with, “Because then she’d side with you and gang up on me like the rest of my family will.”Minho grinned. “You think your parents will?”“Oh, I know they will. Yerim already has and she’s the baby, so they follow her lead.” Minho laughed and Kibum, struggling to hide his smile, reached over and smacked his arm. “No need to be smug about it.”“If it bothers you that much, maybe we should just break up.”Kibum’s eyes twinkled as they searched his gaze, dipped down to his lips, and then met his eyes again. He shrugged, his dimples appearing as he looked away. “If you want,” he said airly. “You can sleep with the puppies for the rest of your time here, then.”He glanced over to the other side of the living room to where both of the dogs were curled up on their little bed. “That looks doable,” Minho said with as straight a face as he could manage.“I’m sure it does, having slept in your car.”Minho burst out laughing, and Kibum couldn’t hold back his smile now, either. “Hey, come on, the second time wasn’t that bad, was it?”Kibum shrugged again, halfheartedly and with a dismissive hm, then, after a few seconds, the air of teasing left his expression, a soft fondness taking its place. “The first time was nice, too.” As he moved to get another dumpling, Kibum sidled closer to Minho, who couldn’t resist the urge to slip his arm over his shoulders to keep him there.Somehow, they managed to finish their dinner before the broth cooled too much. Kibum offered to help him clean up, both in the living room and in the kitchen, but Minho refused. So, after a handful of distraction attempts in the form of kisses, Minho found himself back in the kitchen, where he sighed heavily at the sight of the mess he had made. Honestly, he wouldn’t have minded the help, but since it was Kibum’s birthday, it just wouldn’t do to make him lift a finger to clean up Minho’s chaotic attempt at cooking.He piled the dishes in the sink, vowing to get to them tomorrow since he had a feeling there wouldn’t be a chance for him to do them after he returned to Kibum. Which…Glancing down the counter, his attention landed on the waiting, cooled cake in the little ramekins. Probably too small, if he were being honest. Hopefully, Kibum wouldn’t mind.He pulled out his phone, swiped through the open apps until he found his notes, and opened up Sooyoung’s recipe again so he could finish it up. Caramel first, then the whipped cream. Right. He peered around the corner, catching a glimpse of Kibum sitting curled up on the couch, one of the dogs’ squeaky toys brandished by his head and both of the puppies poised to bolt after it once he’d thrown it. Smiling, Minho looked away from them, pulling out the bag of soft caramels to begin melting them like Sooyoung said to do.While they were melting, he measured out the cream and sugar for the whipped frosting, then got out a whisk and got to work. It was a good thing that Sooyoung already made him do this because he would have stopped whipping the cream way sooner than he did. Back when his shoulder was starting to ache. But, once it was stiff enough—and sweet enough—he set it aside to get the caramel out of the microwave, pouring it over the cakes. A dollop of cream, an attempt at a pretty smear of the whipped cream, the insertion of the candle, and the flicking of a lighter, and he was on his way back into the living room, turning off the lights as he went.“Oh, what the—” Kibum muttered, looking up as the overhead light in the living room went out, replaced by the light of the lone candle.“Happy birthday to you,” Minho sang softly as he carried the cake in, smiling when Kibum began to laugh.“You made me a cake, too?”He nodded, sitting beside him and holding the little cake out to him. Kibum’s hand slid over Minho’s own. To support the cake as well, even though it was unnecessary. His face was aglow in the candlelight, his dimples faint from the gentle curl of his smile, and his eyes…his eyes. So dark, so alluring in the low light. The slow blink as his smile grew, the way the shadows of his eyelashes fanned across his cheekbones. Then, when his gaze finally met Minho’s, the fondness that seemed to just be radiating from him was almost too much to bear.“Go on,” Minho said, voice barely above a whisper. “Make a wish.”His smile grew a little more before he closed his eyes, his face scrunching up a little, then, when his eyes were open again, he blew out the candle, blanketing them in darkness, save for the honeyed pool of light spilling in from the balcony across the room.“Do you want to know what I wished for?” Kibum asked, and even in the darkness, Minho caught the slight quirk of his eyebrow. Minho nodded, and Kibum chuckled, leaning in until his breath caressed Minho’s ear. “Too bad. That’s not how it works.”Laughing, Minho leaned away so he could behold him again, his eyes immediately snagging him again. Luring him in. Blinking, he looked away—just for a second—to the little cake between them. With his free hand, he swiped a bit of the whipped cream onto his finger, holding it out for Kibum to try. Intending, at first, to smear it across his mouth, but when Kibum’s lips parted to taste the frosting…well…that thought was abandoned.And so was every other, except for the memory of the promise he had made to Kibum the previous night.In the days leading up to their road trip to Daegu—when Kibum wasn’t working, that is—he took Minho around Seoul. To his favorite restaurants, to parks where they walked the puppies and stopped at every photo booth they came across to document the moment, to an art exhibit that Minho probably spent too much time lingering over every piece, to dinner out with Joohyun and her girlfriend at one of those restaurants where you were enclosed in a private room so that they would all be comfortable to be themselves.Any time not spent exploring the city was spent at Kibum’s apartment, cozy and quiet and achingly domestic in a way that he would long for just a few more minutes of when he was eventually on his plane back home. Whether he was helping him tend to his garden, maintaining cleanliness around the apartment, or doing the laundry—which, really ended up being him doing all the folding and Kibum doing the putting away, after a brief, unserious argument over leaving clothes in the dryer arose—he knew he would miss it. The quiet, laid-back, easy time spent together.He could just never get enough of it.“Are you nervous?” Kibum asked with a sigh as he flopped down on his side of the bed. Minho glanced over his shoulder at him before looking back at his suitcase, making sure once again that everything was in its place for their trip south tomorrow.“Yeah. A little.”A soft rustling, then Kibum’s feet hit the floor and he made his way over to where Minho was hunched over his suitcase. He crouched behind him, wrapping him up in his arms and resting his chin on Minho’s shoulder. Minho stopped fiddling with the zipper, moving his hand to where Kibum’s were clasped over his chest, holding them both.“I know, it’s stupid.”“It’s not.” Kibum kissed his shoulder, and Minho sighed, releasing a bit of the tension that had held his body taut since Kibum had suggested they pack their bags tonight. “I would be surprised if you weren’t.”Minho chuckled. “True.”“But, to help put your mind at ease,” Minho turned his head, meeting Kibum’s gaze. “I’d be shocked if you didn’t come away from this trip with them liking you more than they do me.”Minho burst out laughing, shaking his head. “Be serious.”“Oh, I am.” He was smiling now. His cute, self-satisfied curl of a smile. “I don’t think you understand the effect you have on people.” Before Minho could think of a response to that, Kibum leaned in, kissing him. “Come to bed, honey,” he whispered before kissing him again.Obediently, he stood when Kibum did, grateful for the tender hand at the small of his back, gently prodding him along until he climbed into bed. Kibum was quick to follow, after clicking off the light by his bed. He felt around in the dark, and once he found him, slipped easily into his arms.“I do have to warn you—““Hm?”Kibum looked up at him, the faint moonlight streaming in from the window catching in his eyes. “My childhood bedroom only has a twin bed.” Minho snorted softly, and Kibum began to smile as he snuggled closer still. “I think we can manage, though.”“Me too.”“If not, you get to sleep on the couch.”Minho chuckled, his arms slipping around Kibum. “Should we get some practice, then?”“Pra—” Kibum started to ask but was cut off by a surprised laugh when Minho held him close and rolled them over so that Kibum was lying on top of him, not touching the mattress at all. “Hey, what the hell?” Kibum asked incredulously, clearly struggling to tamp down his amusement.“We have to learn to use the space wisely, don’t we? Aren’t you comfortable?”“Are you?” Kibum asked, his disbelief palpable.Minho wiggled a little, getting even more comfy beneath him, and grinned up at Kibum. “Very.”Kibum sighed heavily, complete with a roll of his eyes, then reached up to card his fingers through Minho’s hair. “As long as you’re sure.”“Well.” Kibum’s hand stilled in his hair. “I did just think of something that would make this better.”“Gosh, I wonder what that could be,” Kibum said drolly, and Minho's eyebrows rose expectantly, his attention dropping to Kibum’s lips.And, like usual, Kibum did not disappoint him.Despite the looming road trip, they enjoyed a lazy morning together—Kibum sleeping in a little while Minho took the puppies on a run before they would be trapped in the car for several hours. When he returned and fed and watered the dogs, he found Kibum in the kitchen making coffee for them. He snuck up behind him, leaning heavily on him once his arms were wrapped around his middle.“Morning,” Minho said just before he pressed a kiss to Kibum’s neck. Kibum hummed happily in greeting and Minho smiled, glancing up at him and then back down at the coffee Kibum was taking from his Nespresso. “Which one’s mine?”“Whichever you want. They’re both the same.”For a second, he hugged him a little tighter, then straightened and kissed his cheek before he pulled away from him. “Thanks, babe.” He took the one closest to him and Kibum grabbed the other. Turning, he leaned the small of his back against the edge of the counter so he was facing Kibum. “Do you want me to start taking our luggage down to the car?”“Hm…” Kibum stepped closer, leaning his hip against the drawer, his knee settling against Minho’s. “We can just relax, honestly. No need to make too many trips.”“What’d I wake up so early for then?”The corner of Kibum’s mouth twitched in what would have been a smile, then he cocked his head to the side. “What, you don’t want to just relax and chat?”Minho sniffed a laugh, which cracked Kibum up as well. “Have I given you the impression that I enjoy your company or something?”Kibum shrugged, shifting the hand he was holding his coffee with, and smoothed a wrinkle on Minho’s t-shirt. “I’m gonna go get ready while I drink this.” Then, he patted Minho’s chest lightly and slipped away, but Minho was already pushing away from the counter to follow him.After they both finished getting ready, they lingered in the apartment for only a few moments more—Minho gathering their luggage and setting it by the front door, then grabbing their bag of snacks and drinks and coaxing the dogs into their harnesses; Kibum double-checking that the lights were off, windows were closed, and whatever needed to be unplugged and turned off was. Once he had his keys, Kibum grabbed the leashes and the bag of snacks and let Minho take the luggage into the hall and lead the way to the elevator.There were, sadly, people inside, but that didn’t stop Minho from making a dumb face or exaggeratingly winking whenever Kibum caught his eye. If the others in the elevator noticed or thought him strange, well, Minho didn’t care.Anything to make Kibum laugh.And he did. The silent kind of laugh where it was more of a dimpled grin, a cute little scrunch in his nose, and a shake of his head as he rolled his eyes and looked away.Only to look back at him a few seconds later.As they departed the elevator, Minho forging ahead, Kibum smacked his shoulder with an audible laugh this time. Minho turned, feigning hurt as he walked backward a few steps. “What was that for?”“You’re so dumb.”“Okay, and?”Minho’s back hit the door, but not hard enough to push it open. Kibum sighed, his free hand braced around Minho, gripping the handle. “Are you gonna be like this in front of my parents?”He shook his head, his smile growing. “I’m only stupid like this for you.”“I feel so honored.”“You should.”Kibum’s exasperated amusement softened until there was just a glimmer of fondness in his eyes, and he pushed open the door with a shake of his head, letting them out into the courtyard.By now, Minho was very familiar with the path to Kibum’s car, so he took the lead, hurrying ahead when raindrops started pittering in his hair and on his shoulders. Kibum was only a few steps behind, so he popped the trunk open right before Minho reached the car so he could stuff their luggage inside. He was situating the puppies in the back seat, their bag of snacks and drinks set in the middle between their seats so that Minho could easily root around inside to get whatever they wanted.“How long will it take to get there?” Minho asked as he grabbed the aux cord and opened the music app on his phone, searching for the playlist they had collaborated on.“Uh, depends on traffic, but probably about three hours.”The rain was a near-constant companion for the majority of their journey south, save for about thirty minutes, after they passed through Sejong. The playlist, while quietly playing in the background, filled in the few comfortable silences that elapsed between them. Minho, when he wasn’t gazing at Kibum or tending to the puppies or getting something out of their bag, kept his attention on the passing countryside. Just like back in Jeju, he was struck by the rainstreaked beauty of it.Once he saw the first sign for the exit for Daegu, Minho tensed up, his hands wringing briefly in his lap. He didn’t put voice to the anxiety creeping into his mind but, apparently, he didn’t need to. For, a few seconds later, Kibum reached for his hands, loosing one, and holding it tightly. Sighing, Minho raised their joined hands to kiss Kibum’s knuckles, expecting him to let go so he could drive with both hands on the wheel.But he didn’t. Not until he pulled up to a quaint little house in a neighborhood near the river they had just crossed over.Kibum parked, ignoring the dogs going crazy in the backseat—they must have recognized the house—and looked over at Minho. “Just let me know if it gets to be too much, alright?” Minho nodded, his throat too tight for speech at the moment. “You can always go hide in my bedroom, if you need a break, or just signal me or something.”“Signal you?” he asked, with a clipped nervous laugh. “How?”Kibum shrugged, smiling at him. “Just scream as high-pitched as you can.” Minho laughed more easily. “I’ll come running.”“My hero.”Grinning, Kibum leaned across the console, cradling Minho’s cheek in his hand as he pulled him into a gentle, chaste kiss. “They’re gonna love you, honey, don’t worry.”Minho’s eyes stayed closed as he sighed, Kibum’s thumb stroking his cheek for a second longer before he pulled away from him and opened the door. The puppies bounded up front, distracting Minho from his worries as he had to help Kibum stop them from getting loose and bolting into the road.“Should I get the luggage?” Minho asked once he was finally outside and closed the car door.“Hm,” Kibum looked over the top of the car at him, struggling to keep the puppies from dragging him toward the front door in their eagerness. “Probably, because Dad will do it if we don’t.”“Okay.” Minho started to head around to the driver’s side to pop the trunk, but somehow, while wrangling both dogs, Kibum managed to do it with his key fob.The front door opened just as Minho got both of their suitcases out, the friendly familial greetings filling the damp autumn air. Minho had both hands gripping the handles of their luggage, staring wide-eyed at the shadowy open door that Kibum just disappeared into.There was still time. He could run to the strait. It wasn’t that far away now. Swim across and then run the rest of the way home. But…he’d have to meet them eventually, wouldn’t he? If he were lucky enough to stay with Kibum for the rest of their lives? He couldn’t avoid this moment forever. He’d have to get it over with eventually so…so…Gritting his teeth, he started for the darkened front door, his stomach sinking just a little further with every step closer. The wheels of their luggage rattled obnoxiously on the cobblestone path that curved through the garden, and it was Yerim’s face that appeared first in the doorway. Already grinning, her smile grew further as she leaped off the porch and toward him with open arms. He released both suitcases so he could hug her back once she reached him, hoping against hope that it wasn’t immediately apparent that he was scared out of his mind.She was chattering away, but Minho could barely hear her over the ringing in his ears. He plastered a smile on his face as soon as he saw Kibum’s parents. Mr. Kim, an older, slightly paunchy version of Kibum with thick glasses, thinning graying hair, and what seemed like a deceptively kind smile. Mrs. Kim, lithe for her shorter stature, caught his eye over Kibum’s shoulder as she embraced him warmly. Minho bowed to them as Kibum made the introductions, shaking Mr. Kim’s hand when he offered it.Mrs. Kim said something to him, but he was still struggling to focus on anything as his gaze darted around, taking in the living room. It was so cozy and still decorated with the same sort of odds and ends that his family had had back when he was growing up, it transported him right back home. To Yeonseo’s house, too. It had looked just the same. Was that the same couch that the Songs had? How funny of a coincidence would that be? Why couldn’t he remember how to breathe?She took a step closer to him, one hand still around Kibum’s waist, concern etched in her brow as she said something else. His hand jerked on the handle of the suitcase as he took a tiny step back, looking around at them all. “Pardon?” he asked, hoping that his voice didn’t sound as strained to them as it did to him.“Would you like some tea or…coffee?”“Um,” his attention flicked to Kibum. Just for a second. But long enough for Kibum to read his mind.“Hey,” he said, with a comical, drawn-out whine as he stepped away from her, heading toward Minho. “He doesn’t even have his shoes off yet, Mom.” He slipped his arm around Minho’s waist, rubbing it in an attempt to be soothing, but Minho immediately looked to Mr. Kim, watching his face for any warning. “Let him get settled first.”She laughed, still walking toward the pair of them as Minho struggled to get his shoes off, and reached for the door to the coat closet by the front door. “Kibummie let me know what your shoe size was, so I got you some house slippers for whenever you come here.”“Thank you.” His throat was too rough, so he cleared it and repeated it as she laid the slippers out for him. “That’s too kind.”“Oh, it’s nothing, dear,” she said, smiling at him as she straightened. “Oh, Bumji, can you take these to Kibum’s room for them?”When Mr. Kim moved to obey his wife, both Minho and Kibum protested, insisting on doing it themselves. Kibum led him a couple of steps in, Yerim closing the front door at last behind them, now that Minho was out of the way. Once they reached the archway of the hall, Minho turned back around, finding both of Kibum’s parents watching them. “Um, some tea would be nice, if it’s not too much trouble.”She nodded to them, and Kibum tugged him along. “Second door on the right. Remember that, because Yerim’s room is the one right across and I don’t think any of us want to get that messed up.”Minho let out a weak chuckle and followed Kibum into his childhood bedroom. Kibum crossed the room, half-kneeling on his bed and stretching out to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. Light immediately flooded the room, and where the walls did show through, they had been painted a cheery pink. There were only glimpses of it because all four walls were covered in posters from girl groups that had been active when they were in high school. Kibum looked back at him as Minho rolled the suitcases to the foot of his bed before he sank onto the edge of the mattress, still gazing at the plethora of posters.There were even some on the ceiling.“Honestly, they shouldn’t have been surprised that I was gay,” Kibum said, breaking the silence, and Minho cracked up, looking away from the one of Boa hanging right above their heads.“Were they?” Kibum nodded, and Minho shook his head with a heavy sigh. “Well, they seem…”He wasn’t sure how to finish that, so he didn’t.Kibum went up on his knees, shuffling the short distance between them. He collected Minho’s face in both his hands, his gaze so tender that Minho wasn’t sure if he could bear to hold it. But, he also couldn’t stand the thought of looking away. “I’m sorry you’re so stressed, honey,” he whispered, punctuating it with a soft kiss to Minho’s brow. When Minho shook his head, Kibum stroked his cheeks with his thumbs. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”“I don’t know.” Kibum kissed his brow again, then, when Minho sighed, shifted so that he could embrace him. One hand in Minho’s hair, one on his back, both stroking gently as Minho allowed himself to relax in Kibum’s arms. “Do they know?”“About your family?” Kibum asked, the vibration of his voice thrumming warmly through Minho’s chest. “Not all of it. Not even most of it. I only said that your coming out was harsh and that you were no longer in contact with your family. So they wouldn’t surprise you with questions.” He faltered when Minho didn’t respond immediately, his hands stilling. “I hope that was alright?”“It was. Thank you, Bummie.” In answer, Kibum turned his head, pressing a kiss to Minho’s hair. Minho let out a sigh that turned into a groan, then sat back so he could rub his hand roughly over his face. “I just wish I could stop being so goddamn anxious about this.”“Hey, look at me.” He waited for Minho to do so. When he did, he took his hand in his, their fingers weaving together. “Be patient with yourself. Meeting the parents is stressful enough on its own, even without what happened to you.” Minho searched Kibum’s expression, his brow furrowing when Kibum’s did. “Shit, I should have asked before we got here, but what do you think you’ll be comfortable with doing in front of them? Like, is holding hands okay?”His brows knit more tightly together. “Would it be?”Kibum cracked a smile, then immediately tried to sober up once he read the incredulous confusion in Minho’s expression. “Yes. Joonwoo and I were very comfortable in front of them. His parents, too. But you can set the pace for whatever we do, okay?” Minho nodded, and Kibum lifted their joined hands so he could kiss Minho’s. “Are you ready to head back out?”Gulping, Minho nodded. Kibum lifted his chin so he could kiss Minho’s forehead again. Then, he got up, tethered still to Minho by their interlocked hands, and looked back at him when Minho kissed Kibum’s hand reverently. There was an unspoken thank you in the kiss, as well as the I love you he was aching to put voice to. Kibum squeezed his hand, and at the slightest tug, he pulled Minho up off the bed and started him for the door.It was Minho who released Kibum’s hand before they passed the threshold of his room. True to his word, Kibum didn’t force him to keep holding it. Instead, he led him back out into the living room, where Mrs. Kim and Yerim were sitting huddled together on the couch, looking at something on what Minho assumed was Yerim’s phone, judging by the brightly colored case. Kibum sat down beside them, reaching for the phone to turn the screen toward him so he could see whatever it was, too.There was space beside Kibum on the couch. Just a little bit. Enough for him to sit. Snuggled up against him. Could he…would he be able to make himself… As the thought crossed his mind, another joined it. Of Yeonseo pushing him off him and scrambling away, hiding behind their families as he accused Minho of things he would have never even thought of, let alone done. He flinched as, in his memory, his father struck the first blow, and stepped away from the couch toward one of the much-loved armchairs and sank into it, dragging a shaking hand through his hair.“Oh, your tea!” Mrs. Kim said suddenly, startling Minho out of his nightmarish reverie. “I’ll go check on that. Do you take honey?”Heat burst across Minho’s face as Kibum snorted loudly, and he couldn’t help but throw a sheepish smile his way when Mrs. Kim glanced between them. “Yes, he does.” When she rounded the corner that led to the kitchen, Kibum caught his eye with a wink, and Minho chuckled, shaking his head as he glanced about the room again.It really did remind him of home. Or, home before. If he closed his eyes, he could almost hear his mother chatting merrily to whoever would listen, or his father cranking up the volume of whatever football game was on. His older brother…was he still living with them? Was he still with the girl he had met at his post in Pohang? Were they married now, or had they broken up?For a wild second, he considered getting out his phone to search for Minseok on Instagram, but just as he decided it would be rude, Mr. Kim emerged from the shadows of the hallway, a shoebox in hand.His twinkling eyes met Minho’s, and he smiled as he lifted the box, as if to say that there was something of interest inside. Minho’s eyebrows rose as he watched him cross the living room to sit beside him on the other armchair. Once settled, he pried open the box, revealing a mess of pictures inside.“Dad…” Kibum said, both Minho and Mr. Kim looking across the room at him when he sounded wary. “What’s that?”Mr. Kim ignored him, instead choosing to rifle through them, possibly searching for something specific. Yerim shifted in his peripheral, sitting up to look at the box, then getting up. “Oh, Dad, show him the melon one.”Kibum’s no! was immediate, and Minho cracked a smile as he watched the siblings struggle with each other in an attempt to not only get off the couch but to get to their father first.“I don’t know if it’s in this box.”“Are there more?” Minho asked, glancing between Mr. Kim and Yerim, who had finally freed herself from Kibum’s grip. But it was Mrs. Kim who answered.“So, so many more. Kibum has always loved being photographed. I remember this one time, back when he was in—”“Mom,” Kibum breathed out, both looking and sounding mortified, and she quieted. Only, when Minho glanced her way, she held his gaze with a conspiratorial wink.Against his will and better judgment, Minho could consciously feel himself relaxing into the plush of the chair as he looked back to the pictures that Yerim and Mr. Kim were pulling out of their family. It was hard to concentrate as Yerim, laughing intermittently with her explanations and attempts to ward off Kibum, described what was happening in each of the pictures she showed him. Of Kibum as a little boy, clearly following along to the dance moves of H.O.T., who Minho could just barely make out on the blurry TV screen before Kibum. Of Kibum, maybe a year or two older than he had been in the picture just before, glaring glumly up at the picture taker as he sat on the hand heart landmark beside a very young and partially toothless Yerim at a beach somewhere up north. Of Kibum, a teenager now, with the aux of his earbuds plugged into a cut-open melon, clearly pretending in the moment that he was singing along to whatever music the melon was producing.It was a relief. To see that he was so loved. That, despite his coming out, he was cherished and accepted and welcomed. There was no jealousy in this realization. As much as he wished that…that things would have not happened the way they did for him, Minho would have never wanted Kibum to suffer the loss of his family, too.But…Maybe, if he let himself…the Kims would accept him, too.According to Kibum, they already had, but this would be the test, wouldn’t it? Hopefully, he passed. The very last thing he’d want to do is ruin this for Kibum.Minho leaned closer to where Kibum was crouching between the armchairs, his shoulder resting against the side of Kibum’s head. Subconsciously, it seemed, Kibum pressed his head against Minho’s shoulder as Yerim was talking about a picture where she and Kibum were helping their grandmother cook. Kibum looked away from the pictures, his face turning toward Minho, who didn’t move away, despite the close proximity.“Do you want to help me with dinner in a bit?”“Sure.”After what Kibum clearly felt was a too-thorough glimpse at his childhood, much to everyone else’s amusement, he pulled Minho away and into the kitchen. Minho paused at the end of the counter, hugging himself as he watched Kibum as he progressed to the fridge.“Is there something you want me to do?”“Yeah,” he said, turning back around with the little tub of gochujang in his hand, holding it out to Minho. “You can keep me company.”So, keep him company he did, though the need for it didn’t last for long. As he listened to and obeyed Kibum’s quiet instructions, they were soon joined by the rest of the family. Yerim first, sitting at what seemed to be her familiar perch on the other side of the counter.“Is there anything ready to taste yet?” she asked, which made both of them look up—Kibum from his slicing of vegetables and Minho from washing the rice.“We’ve been in here for five goddamn minutes, calm down. You could at least offer to help first.”“Do you—”“No.”She snorted, then rolled her eyes with a grin when Minho looked up at her.Mr. Kim joined them with an exclamation of how good it smelled, but only briefly, as he was heading past Yerim to head outside with the puppies to make sure they didn’t escape the fence somehow—or, at least, that’s what Kibum whispered to him before he made him taste a bit of the oi muchim before he stuck it in the fridge until dinner was ready. Mrs. Kim was not too far behind him, eagerly joining them in the kitchen and trying to clean up their relatively clean mess until Kibum and Yerim coaxed her out with a cup of tea.There were a few times, and not just because he had been slicing some rather strong onions at Kibum’s bidding, that Minho started to tear up. He had known since the night he had been thrown out that he missed his family. A sense of home. Belonging. And, while this wasn’t the first time he had felt that since that night, because he had made a home for himself, and found a family in his friends…it just reminded him of…of all that he had lost. And how very lucky he was to have found it again. In Kibum, in his life in Jeju.Sighing, he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, and looked up at Kibum, unsurprised to find him watching him. His eyebrows rose slightly in question, and Minho pressed his lips together in a slightly quivering smile with a shake of his head, and Kibum looked away, asking his mom to repeat what she had just said.His question, however, remained unasked until he closed the door to his bedroom and flicked off the light. Minho set his charging phone aside and scooted over a bit, making room for Kibum on the small bed. “You doing okay?”Minho nodded, shifting down and into Kibum’s embrace, his head resting on Kibum’s chest, whose hand was immediately in Minho’s hair. Toying with it as he held him to his chest. Minho sighed happily, his arms wrapping tightly around Kibum’s waist as his eyes closed.“Are you sure?”“Yeah, I honestly am.”Kibum pressed a kiss to the top of Minho’s head, and Minho snuggled closer still. “I’m glad. Were you…were you crying earlier, or was that—”Minho cleared his throat, turning his head so he could look into Kibum’s eyes. “No, I was.”The glide of Kibum’s fingers through Minho’s hair became even gentler, somehow. “Do you want to talk about it?”“It’s just—” he cleared his throat again when it started to grow tight with the threat of tears again. “Just nice, you know? It reminds me of home. Before. And, I don’t know. Makes me grateful that you’re in my life and helped me find that, again.” Kibum’s hand slipped from Minho’s hair to his cheek, his thumb brushing a stray tear away. “I feel like the luckiest man in the whole world, being with you.”When Kibum’s fingers shifted along his jaw, Minho sat up a little, enough for Kibum to meet him halfway in a tender kiss. “I’m the lucky one,” Kibum whispered between kisses.He didn’t give Minho time to argue the point, because, with each brush of their lips, Minho’s exhaustion from the stress of the day started to settle in until he was barely kissing him back. He was just too relaxed like this, resting in Kibum’s embrace, savoring each kiss as if it were their first. As tired as Minho was, it was Kibum who pulled away. Though not too far. It was only to turn off the light on the nightstand, and once they were blanketed by the night, Minho nuzzled his face into Kibum’s neck and tightened his hold on him, grateful that he wouldn’t have to let go until morning.Kibum was still there, holding him when he gradually began to stir. His eyes were not quite open yet, but through his lids was the warm glow of the rising sun. Kibum was still playing absently with his hair, even as Minho’s head lolled back to rest on the edge of his shoulder. When he finally allowed his eyes to open, bleary though his vision was, it was filled with Kibum eyeing him with fond amusement.“Finally awake?”“Mm.”“Mom was just in.” Panic jolted through him, his eyes flew open as he sat up. Kibum blinked at him in surprise. “She was wondering if you wanted coffee or something.”“Did…did she…” Kibum’s eyebrows rose slowly as his head lowered slightly, maintaining eye contact with Minho as he pushed away from him—though, it wasn’t too far, since this was a single bed. “Did she see us?”Kibum started to smile but bit it back and cleared his throat. “She did. For what it’s worth, she thinks your snore is cute.”Minho scoffed, heat creeping up his neck and over his cheeks to the tips of his ears. “I don’t snore.”“No, not all the time. But this morning you did.” Kibum leaned closer, his hand going to Minho’s neck as Minho tilted his face to meet him in a kiss. “And, I have to agree with her. It was sort of cute.” His hand glided down to Minho’s chest, resting there for a second before he patted him and moved to get up. “Come on, let’s get up.”“Do we have plans for the day?” Minho asked as Kibum threw back the covers on his bed.“Nothing major.” Kibum stretched with a yawn as soon as he was standing, a sliver of his tummy exposed as the hem of his t-shirt rode up. “Mom wants us to go pick up a few things from the store before they’re closed tomorrow.”“Oh. Alright.”Minho slipped out of bed, following Kibum out until he turned to head toward the bathroom. “Can you get me some coffee?”“Sure.”Minho watched him go, brushing his fingers through his hair to tame what he assumed was an alarming case of bedhead on his way out into the living room. It was empty, but noises were coming from the kitchen, and when he glanced out the window, Mr. Kim was standing, arms akimbo, looking under the open hood of the car that Kibum’s was parked beside.After a few seconds of hesitation, he made for the door, slipping into what looked like a pair of outside slippers before heading out. He stuffed his hands in his sweats pockets, ambling down the winding path to the driveway until he stopped beside Mr. Kim, looking down into the engine as Mr. Kim scratched his temple, leaving a smudge of dark grease behind.“What’s wrong with it?” Minho asked.Mr. Kim started, looking up at him before he adjusted his glasses and looked back at the engine. “Not sure, to be honest. It’s making a funny noise.” Minho hummed, leaning closer to inspect the engine. “Do you know much about cars?”“Some. Mine back home, it’s on the older side but I learned how to fix it myself.”“Really?”“Do you want to start it and see if I can figure out what’s wrong?”Mr. Kim moved around to the driver’s side, slipped inside, and turned the key in the ignition. The engine came to life, an incessant squeaking making Minho wince immediately, and he searched the vibrating engine for the serpentine belt before he gave Mr. Kim a thumbs up. The engine died, and he came back around.“Good news,” Minho said, hands out of his pocket to touch the now warm belt. And, yup, it was a little frayed, definitely thinning. “It’s a simple fix. But, do you mind if I check a few more things?”“Not at all.”He checked the oil level and cleanliness, which was nearing the point where he’d have to go to the shop. The fuses looked okay, and the battery as well, but the air filters could be replaced.“Do you have the stuff to do oil changes?”He shook his head. “Usually go in for that.”“A jack?” Mr. Kim nodded. “I can do that all for you if you want.”“You don’t have—““Oh, I don’t mind at all. Happy to help.”“Thanks, son.”Minho’s eyes widened as he slowly turned toward him, searching his expression. There was no deception in his kindness, as he had thought before. No, looking into his smiling amber eyes, it was but a glimpse of his future with Kibum, if he were lucky enough to stick around that long. Mr. Kim reached up, patting his shoulder softly, and smiled as if he could read Minho’s thoughts.“Have you had coffee yet?”Shit, Kibum’s coffee. Minho shook his head. “Better head in before Yerim drinks it all.”Minho cracked a smile. “Has she done that before?”“Too many times to count.”Minho stepped away, then paused. “Do you mind making me a list of what we need?”“Of course.” He patted Minho’s shoulder again to send him off, and Minho turned, catching Kibum watching them from the living room window, two coffee mugs in hand.Kibum nodded for him to come inside, so Minho quickened his steps, shaking off the slides as soon as he was inside. “Sorry, I was gonna get that for you, but I got distracted.”“It’s alright.” He held out the other mug to Minho as he took a sip from his own. “What were you guys doing?”“Oh,” Minho took a sip of his too-hot coffee. “I’m gonna work on the car when we get back.” Kibum narrowed his eyes at Minho, though there was a smile lurking in the squint. “What?”“You called me an evil mastermind, but what does that make you for trying to suck up to my dad?”“Sucking up?” Minho asked indignantly, fully aware that Kibum was only teasing him, but rising to the bait anyway. “I’m just—”“I know, honey,” Kibum said, laughing as he drew nearer to him. Then, he paused, asking softly, “Is it okay if I kiss you out here?” Minho barely nodded, so Kibum cradled his other cheek in his free hand and kissed the other. “You’re so fun to mess with,” he said, kissing his cheek again before he stepped away, and Minho followed him into the dining room, to join his mother and Yerim, who, true to Mr. Kim’s word, was sleepily shaking the last few drops of coffee into her mug.After another round of coffee—or tea, for Mrs. Kim—and the awkward shuffle of sharing a bathroom in an attempt to get ready for the day, he, Kibum, and Yerim were piling into Kibum’s car before ten o’clock. Minho had the shopping list tucked in his pocket, only, he had to pull it out once they were on the road so that Kibum could decide where to head first.They had to look up the directions to the nearest auto parts shop, but it only ended up being just down the road from the grocery store that the siblings were most familiar with. Both of them trailed after Minho in the auto parts store, having ignored his insistence that he could have done this alone. Then, after picking up everything that Mrs. Kim asked for, both of them helped Minho pick out not only one of the gift sets of Andong beef, but also an array of apples, pears, and persimmons to bring back to the house for tonight and tomorrow.He took them excitedly down the tea aisle, searching for a jar of ginseng to give to Mrs. Kim. “Minho,” Kibum said, his voice low as he leaned in so he could peer over his shoulder, perusing the shelves for himself. “You don’t have to buy them the whole store. They already love you.” He deflated a little, and Kibum glanced over at him, even if Minho didn’t turn his head. “I’m not saying you can’t, honey, just that you don’t have to.”“This kind is Mom’s favorite,” Yerim said, pulling a jar off the shelf and handing it to Minho.Minho couldn’t see if Kibum was glaring at Yerim, but judging by her grin, he probably was.“Why don’t you go pick out some songpyeon for all of us to share?” Kibum said to Yerim, stepping away from Minho. “We’ll meet you at the register.”When she disappeared around the end of the aisle, both of them looked up and down it, making sure they were alone. Except for the rather confounded-looking man at the other end who was comparing the prices of the different honey citron tea brands, they were.Still, Minho lowered his voice and inclined his head to Kibum’s ear. “I swear, I’m not trying to buy their affection or anything. It’s just…it’s nice being able to be part of a family again.” Kibum’s expression softened marginally, and Minho smiled slowly in response. “I just want to feel like I contributed, you know?”Kibum nodded, then huffed a sigh. “I’ll stop nagging you about it, then.”“I mean, I don’t mind a little nagging.”“Careful, I might take you up on that.” Minho snorted, letting Kibum take the lead to the registers, even if he was the one who paid for everything. Once everything was stowed safely in the trunk and they were all buckled, Kibum glanced back at Yerim. “Look away for a second, Yerimmie.” She sighed dramatically, and Minho’s eyebrows shot up as he met Kibum’s gaze, obeying his nod to lean closer to him. “Are you feeling more comfortable?” he whispered, even though Yerim could no doubt hear them.“Yeah, I am.”His finger slipped beneath Minho’s chin, drawing him into a brief, chaste kiss. “I’m glad.”“Can I look now?”“If you want,” Kibum said, giving Minho the tiniest wink with a dimpled smile as he started the car.The reception to Minho’s gifts was just as he hoped they would be. Both touched and grateful, insisting just like Kibum had that he did not need to do this, but they accepted them all the same with plans for Minho to grill the meat tomorrow after they got home from visiting the cemetery. Once he was able to, he changed into clothes that he would not mind getting dirty and joined Mr. Kim outside to start working on his car. Figuring that he should probably work his way up to the oil change, he decided to start with replacing the air filters, then the belt, and finally, changing the oil. Mr. Kim stayed out to help him, passing him tools and asking him questions every so often about what to look for and how to fix common problems himself rather than having to take his car to the shop.He was half under the car, struggling to unscrew the cap that would release the old oil when the front door opened and closed. “Hey, do you two want some water?” Kibum asked, his voice drawing nearer. “You’ve been out here for a while now.”The cap finally gave way, and Minho positioned the container below it with one hand while he twisted it off with another, once the oil was draining, he scooted out from under the car, pulling himself up to stand. Kibum’s gaze roved over him as he took the proffered water bottle, but when Minho’s gaze met his, he looked back at his dad, a little pink in his cheeks, and turned to head back in.“Are you sure you don’t want to stay out here?” Mr. Kim asked, his voice brimming with amusement. “Might learn something.” Kibum just shook his head, the front door closing behind him, and Mr. Kim looked Minho’s way with a grin. “I suppose he doesn’t need to, now that he has you.”Minho scoffed. “But, I do live kinda far away from him.”“For now, at least.”Minho blinked rapidly as Mr. Kim took another drink of his water, then finally cracked his own open. “True.”But who knew when and how that would change? Certainly not him.The sun had almost set by the time they finished with the car—Minho triple-checking to be sure that he had made no mistakes in his work—and when they made their way inside, they found the others lounging in the living room. Minho took Mr. Kim up on his suggestion that he shower first since he had been the one to do the majority of the work on the car, and once he slipped down the hall and was sure he was out of sight of the others, he turned back around, wholly unsurprised but also excessively pleased to find Kibum’s gaze trained on him. He made to pull off his t-shirt, for the sole purpose of getting Kibum’s shocked reaction, which, of course, he was immediately gifted with the widening of his eyes and the gritting of his teeth into a grimace of a smile that almost made Minho laugh out loud.Kibum lifted his phone to cover the side of his mouth so the others couldn’t see him mouth Do not do that out here.Minho just grinned, ducking into Kibum’s bedroom to get a change of clothes and his toiletries so he could go shower, the puppies trailing merrily after him until he closed the bathroom door.In the morning, after tea was made and in a thermos and they all had dressed for the day, they loaded up in Mr. Kim’s car, poor Yerim squished between the pair of them in the backseat. The ride to the cemetery was somber. Minho sat with his forehead pressed against the cool window, watching the sun rise over the city while he listened to the occasional quiet chatter of the Kims. The parking lot wasn’t empty, but they were easily able to find a spot close to a path that Minho assumed led to Kibum’s grandmother’s grave.Once they had all piled out of the car, Minho hugged himself, rubbing some warmth into his arms as he looked around at the trees and the mist-blanketed, headstone-dotted hills, then back at the family. Kibum was whispering something to his mom, who nodded and handed him a blanket from the trunk before he started over to where Minho was standing a little ways away.“Come on,” Kibum said, hooking his hand in the crook of Minho’s arm and tugging him along. “We’re going ahead.”The tranquility of the morning seemed to intensify as they walked along the path, everything becoming muted and still. Kibum didn’t let go of his arm, either, which, Minho of course didn’t mind at all. Since there was no one else on the path with them, he grabbed Kibum’s hand and pulled him closer still.“Oh, this is her,” Kibum said after about five minutes of walking, pulling Minho off the path to kneel before the grave of his grandmother. She passed away in September of 2013, which had only been a couple of months after Kibum had started college. And met Joonwoo. Minho glanced at him as Kibum bowed low to her, saying “Hello, Grandma” both affectionately and formally. Minho smiled sadly, looking back at the headstone—they must have been very close. “I wanted to introduce you to Minho.”“Hello,” Minho said, matching Kibum’s warm tone as he bowed to the headstone.“I think you would like him. He’s very sweet…some of the time.”“Some?” Minho said, smacking him with an incredulous laugh. “When am I not?”Kibum ignored him. “He can be very annoying but I think I’m just gonna have to learn to live with it.”“Grandma, please don’t listen to him. I’m doing my best to take good care of him.”Kibum looked over at him coyly, then leaned closer to the headstone, covering his mouth so Minho couldn’t see his lips, but still whispering loud enough for Minho to hear, “He really does, but don’t tell him I said that.”Smiling, Minho wrapped his arm around him and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his temple.The others joined them a moment later, Yerim laying out the blanket so they could all kneel there and share a coffee with her, since apparently, she had never been one who liked alcohol. Minho sat quietly beside Kibum, softly patting his arm as he listened to the family talk to her until the tea was all gone.As soon as they got back to the house, everyone got to work on the meal. Luckily, most of the things that Mrs. Kim had them buy yesterday had been ready-made and easy to throw together while Minho grilled the meat at the table while the others set the table with everything Kibum was preparing as it was ready—japchae, haemul pajeon, and the sliced fruit for dessert. Minho blew on a bit of the meat as it was ready, holding out for Kibum to taste when he came over to check on him.It was a small table for all of them to share, especially laden with food as it was. There was no space between his and Kibum’s chairs, but when would he ever have a problem with that? He was about to dig in, but then Yerim extended her hand to him, and Minho looked around, quickly taking her and Kibum’s hands so that Mr. Kim could say grace. Everyone else closed their eyes, even Kibum, after he threw Minho an amused yet apologetic look, while Mr. Kim thanked God for the food and the prosperous year.Minho kept quiet unless he was specifically addressed since he was more than content to just sit back and soak up the familial atmosphere. So content that Kibum had to practically drag him back to his room, since he had been nodding off while watching wrestling with Mr. Kim.He flopped across the foot of the bed, patting his belly as he watched Kibum cross the room to his dresser. He was feeling a little more alert now that it was just the two of them, but still lethargic. He rolled over, facing him.“Are you showering tonight?”Kibum’s eyebrow shot up. “Is that your nice way of telling me I need to?” Minho snorted, shaking his head. “Then, no, I was planning on doing it in the morning.”“Okay.” Minho propped his cheek up on his fist, watching Kibum kneel by his suitcase and dig around for a minute. His mind wandered back to that morning, at his grandma’s grave, but he waited until Kibum stood with his pajamas and came over to where Minho was lying to change into them before he asked, “You said your grandma knew, right? That you’re gay.”“She did, yeah.” Kibum pulled off his sweater, tossed it aside, and slid into his pajama top, buttoning it up while looking down at Minho. “She was one of the few who supported me, at first.” Minho’s brow furrowed immediately. “Wait, have I not told you this?”“I can’t remember, honestly.”Kibum hummed thoughtfully, then unzipped his jeans so he could get into his pajama bottoms. “Let me finish getting ready for bed and then I’ll tell you what happened.”“Alright, take your time.” Kibum smiled down at him, cupping his jaw and neck as he bent to kiss the crown of his head, then his fingers slipped away as he turned to go, closing the door behind him.Well, he might as well get ready for bed, too.He changed quickly, his attention snagging on a stack of yearbooks stuffed in the corner of the lowest shelf of the furthest bookshelf. Cocking his head to the side, he read the spines, looking for the 2008-09 one, and when he found it, he pulled it out and returned to Kibum’s little bed, flipping through it for glimpses of Kibum’s senior year.Kibum reappeared just as Minho was leaning in to inspect a still of the drama class that Kibum was in, groaning when he saw what was in Minho’s hand. Minho laughed, looking up at him and then back down at the picture. “Which one is Hyungsik?”“Oh, so you remember that, do you?” Sniffing a laugh, Kibum climbed into bed beside him, pulling the book closer. “He wasn’t there during our senior year.” He flipped back a good chunk of pages, then one at a time. “Our kiss happened the year before.” He paused when he reached the individual student pictures for their year, scanning the faces until he pointed at one of the boys. “There he is.”He was quite handsome, especially compared to the memories of what Minho himself and the majority of the other boys had looked like at that age. But…he only had eyes for Yeunseo, then. His features were slightly elvish and his eyes were bright and mischievous. “Yeah, I can see why you were drawn to him.”“Me and every other girl in our year,” Kibum said with a huff of a laugh, flicking back another page. “And there’s me.”Minho grinned, taking the yearbook back into his lap so he could focus on Kibum better. “I didn’t know you wore glasses.”“I don’t. It was a fashion thing.” Minho laughed, looking back at Kibum, who was smiling ruefully as he took the yearbook and closed it, dropping it on the floor. “So…” He sighed heavily, and Minho clasped his hand, his thumb brushing over the back of it. “It’s not as bad as yours.”“It’s not a competition.”Kibum’s gaze flicked up to meet his, and he gave him a wan smile. “Right, well. It’s all in the past, and they’re accepting now.” Minho nodded, and Kibum sighed again. “But, Jonghyun, he was ready to come out. We’d been talking about it for ages. About how to go about telling them. We knew they wouldn’t take it well, and, ultimately, we were right. Had these grand plans of moving up to Seoul together—as if we could have afforded it—” he added, with a self-deprecating laugh, but Minho cut him off.“What’d they do, Bummie?”“It was my fault, to be honest. I was…I was just trying to find people who understood me, you know?” Minho nodded, and Kibum looked away, fiddling with Minho’s thumb. “A notification popped up. Dating app. Bit of an older guy I was talking to. Nothing bad happened,” Kibum added quickly when Minho straightened. “I lucked out there. He was just being a listening ear and giving me some advice. Anyway, Mom saw it and freaked.” Kibum blinked, staring blankly past the bed. “Yeri tried to help, but I hadn’t really told her much, and then in the midst of my shitshow, Jjong tried to take some of the heat off of me and he came out, too. It became sorta impossible to stay.”“They kicked you out?”“I left.”Neither spoke for a few seconds, until Minho asked, “Where’d you go?”“Well, Jjong took the ferry and the bus up here, and Grandma took us in. I think she liked the company, honestly. Told us all about how during the war, when all the boys were off fighting, she had a girlfriend for a little while.”“Did they ever…”“Oh god, don’t make me think about that.” Minho chuckled, and Kibum shook his head, smiling a little. “But, she was the one who talked some sense into her sons. Yeri and Taeng were doing what they could, too. Trying to help plead our case with our parents. They came around eventually.”“How long did it take them?”“My parents only about a month. It was still awkward when I moved back in, but,” he gestured to the closed bedroom door, “you see how they are now. Jjong’s parents, too.”“I’m really glad you had a support system when all this happened.” Kibum’s eyes immediately flicked to his, guilt clearly legible in his gaze. Minho laughed. “Kibum, I mean it. I’m relieved it worked out so well for you, even if it didn’t seem like it would, at first. No jealousy at all. Genuinely.”“Yeah, but—”“Like I said, it’s not a competition.” Kibum leveled him with a disbelieving look. “What, do you think I would want the man I l—you to have to experience what I did?” Kibum’s eyes widened slightly. Damn, he had certainly caught Minho’s obvious slip-up. “Of course, I don’t. It must have been terrifying for you, the uncertainty back then.”“It was, yeah,” Kibum said on an exhale, then closed his eyes when Minho leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I did mean it earlier.” Minho hummed, and Kibum turned his head, his nose brushing against Minho’s. “You do take really good care of me.”“As if I’d want to do anything else,” he whispered, smiling into the kiss when Kibum closed the distance between them.For the rest of their time at the Kim’s, which was only one day and a morning, Minho was plagued by thoughts of what if. What if he had stayed nearer to his family after what happened? What if someone related to him had taken him in? Would they have advocated for him? Would his parents have come around? Would he be able to bring Kibum to meet them? Would they have apologized?Based on the stories Kibum had told him of his growing up and his relationship with his parents, after comparing that to his memories…the answer was probably not.Still. It would be nice. To have them back. Even if it were just for just a little while.At Kibum’s parents’ insistence, they were fully loaded up with snacks and two travel mugs of coffee plus some new squeaky toys to keep the puppies occupied for the drive home. After a couple of rounds of hugs, including a kiss on the cheek for both of them from Mrs. Kim, they were on their way.Minho stretched out as best he could in the front seat after the house passed out of sight, then sighed and leaned his head back to look over at Kibum.He cast a glance his way at a stop sign, sniffing in amusement before digging out his phone and handing it to Minho. “Get some music on, will you?”“What are we feeling like?” Minho asked, unlocking Kibum’s phone and tapping the app they both used for music.“Our playlist, of course. What kind of question…” Kibum’s voice trailed off in a pout, which started Minho snickering as he hit shuffle. An older IU song filled the speakers, and just as he was moving to set the phone down, a notification popped up across the top of Kibum’s screen.
붐지,혜림, 기봄, 예림

엄마야
He’s just the sweetest boy Kibummie~~~ don’t let him get away
Then, a few seconds later…
아빠야
You’re good together. I can see how happy he makes you.
“Did someone text me?” Kibum asked, turning onto what looked like one of the main roads.“Yeah, uh…” Should he read it out? Well, there was no point in hiding that he saw it, was there? So, he read what Kibum’s mom and dad said.Kibum scoffed. “See, I told you they’d like you.”“I know, I know.” Minho sighed again, looking out the windshield at the signs that would direct them back to Seoul, and, once they were on the highway, he scanned the cities on the distance signs, his attention snagging on — “Would it be too much trouble to go to Incheon?”When Kibum didn’t respond right away, Minho looked over at him to find his brow furrowed slightly. “Are you sure you want to?”“Yeah. You showed me around your hometown a little, so it seems only fair that I return the favor, huh?”“Then, no, it wouldn’t be out of the way at all. We’ll probably be there in time for lunch unless we hit traffic.”“Oh, good. There’s this really good cafe down by the beach that my brother and…and Yeunseo and I would go to all the time.” Minho cleared his throat, chancing a glance at Kibum, who didn’t look away from the road. “Best kimbap in all of Incheon. Hopefully, it’s still around.”They arrived in Incheon four minutes before noon, finding a spot to park at the beach so they could let the puppies out to run. The beaches were practically deserted, because of the chilly, whipping winds and the heavy, gray clouds. But Minho didn’t mind them at all. He jogged after the dogs, his lungs burning and his heart full of…what, exactly, he couldn’t quite place.Anxiety, excitement, a strange sense of homecoming, even though he knew better.He stopped just before where the packed sand was still wet from the waves lapping at the shore to catch his breath, staring out at the sea. It was the same as his sea back home. In Jeju. The same exact one. But, it just felt off. Like a cluster of discordant notes in a song you know by heart.This wasn’t his home anymore. It almost felt like he was trespassing, in a way. On the life he had before.But maybe it would be good to do this. Get this out of his system by eliminating this one what if.He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets to warm them, watching the waves come in as his breathing returned to normal. He had been about to turn around when Kibum’s hand slipped around his waist as he stopped at his side, so instead, he held him close, his cheek resting on the top of Kibum’s head.“How does it feel?”“Really weird.”Kibum moved to lift his head so he could look at him, and Minho let him. “We can go home right now if you want. We don’t have to stay.”Minho shook his head. They were already here, so might as well do the thing properly. “Let’s go get the dogs.”Once they coaxed Garcons out of the patch of seaweed he was sniffing, they were on their way into town. So little had changed in the years he had been away, and yet, everything had. One of the things that was blessedly still there was the art supply shop where he had had a part-time job during high school. Because they had the dogs, they couldn’t go inside, but through the front window, Minho pointed out things that triggered certain memories for him.What else was there to show for the place? Could he take him to his old neighborhood where his family still likely lived? His old high school where he spent the majority of his afternoons and evenings, playing football until nightfall in the hopes that his dad would let him start if he were just a little bit better? To his and Yeunseo’s secret rendezvous spots where they could be themselves, even if it were just for a moment?“Where are we going next?” Kibum asked, though, by the tone of his voice, he knew the answer.“Let’s just get our food and go,” he said. Then, “Sorry, this probably wasn’t that fun for you.”“We weren’t doing it for me, were we.” Minho looked down at him, the small smile brightening Kibum’s expression warming Minho from the inside out. “Has it helped?”“I think so.”Kibum’s smile grew. “Good.” He held Minho’s forearm, tugging him along to follow the whim of the puppies on their way back to the car.Once loaded up, Minho did his best to direct Kibum to the beachside cafe, but the directions in his head were from before he was driving, so he got them a little mixed up. They got there eventually, holding the dogs back from jumping out of the doors as they left, and, sticking together, they hurried toward the cafe so they could get out of the biting wind quicker.The door swung open for them just as they reached the threshold of the cafe. He stepped back, waiting to see if the man with the bag of takeout would be exiting first, but no, he held the door open so they both could pass through.“Thank you,” Kibum said as he stepped past him, and Minho bowed to him as he followed, the man responding in kind.Both of them lifted their heads, and their eyes fleetingly met as Minho stepped inside.Yeunseo.His whole body went numb with a sudden pang as the realization took hold, tingling back to life as ice crept into his veins when he looked back at him. Yeunseo’s face slackened as well, both taking the other in.Time had been kind to him, so far. Still as handsome as he remembered, even if now, as his gaze held Minho’s, he flashed vividly back to that night. Yeunseo’s expression had been similar to what it was now—wide-eyed and horrified as he watched his father unleash his rage on Minho. With great effort, Minho blinked and started to look away, only when he averted his eyes, his gaze snagged on a glimmer of gold. On Yeunseo’s left ring finger.So he had gotten married.To a woman, no doubt.Minho’s chest grew tight, each breath feeling like an impossible feat. Had he…did he…no, he had. Their relationship had gone on too long for Yeunseo to be faking his feelings for him. Surely.He stepped away from the door, turning at last, his breaths coming shallow and fast as he glanced blindly around for Kibum. The little bell jingled over the door as it swung shut, Yeunseo exiting his life once again, this time quite unceremoniously. Minho’s hand shook as he dragged his fingers heavily through his hair.“Minho,” came a voice swimming toward him through the cacophony of rapid heartbeats and high-pitched ringing that only Minho could hear. A gentle hand touched his arm, and Minho flinched jerkily away, looking wildly about in the direction of the kind voice. Only, with a few blinks, his vision cleared, and there stood a rather concerned Kibum, his wary gaze darting between Minho and the door over his shoulder. “Are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”Minho let out a breathy, unconvincing laugh.“Did you know that guy?”“Yeah, that was…him.” He looked back over his shoulder, but wherever he had gone, Minho could no longer see him. “Yeunseo.”* * * * *Kibum’s immediate instinct was to grab Minho’s hand and pull him closer. As he reached for him, he remembered that they were in the middle of a tiny, crowded cafe at the height of the lunch rush. So his hand snapped back to his side, and he glared over Minho’s shoulder, searching fruitlessly for that man.He hadn’t even gotten a good look at him—he barely registered what men who weren’t Minho looked like at all, these days—so even if he were still walking around in the parking lot, Kibum wouldn’t have been able to recognize him. Which was probably for the best, because he didn’t really feel like going to jail today.He stepped closer to Minho, who was looking back out at the parking lot, too, resisting the very strong urge to hold him in any way. “Minho…” He looked back at him, eyes wide and pupils dilated so much that his irises were almost completely gone. “We can get food somewhere else if you want. Literally anywhere else.”Minho blinked, slowly once, then after a deep breath, more rapidly, his pupils returning to normal. “No, it’s okay. Let’s…let’s just…” He nodded to the counter, and so Kibum led the way.He ordered two rolls of kimbap, to go, since if he didn’t feel like sticking around, he was sure that Minho wouldn’t want that either. As soon as his name was called, he hurried to the front and grabbed the bag, following Minho back out to the car. Minho kept glancing around, and Kibum couldn’t say he blamed him. He unlocked the car before Minho reached it, then slid into the driver’s seat as Minho prodded the dogs into the back seat.When he started the car, he felt the weight of Minho’s gaze. “Aren’t you gonna eat?”Kibum nodded, pulling out of the spot. “In a minute.” He drove a few blocks down to the nearest beach, then parked again. The wind looked as if it had let up a bit, which was good because they were eating outside regardless. “Grab the puppies, will you?”Once the puppies were let off their leashes and romping happily and they had found a nice, dry log of driftwood to sit on, they opened their takeout containers. Kibum leaned up against him, their shoulders pressed flush together. “Are you okay?”Minho smiled down at his roll, breaking apart his chopsticks so he could grab his first piece. “I think so.” He ate it in one bite, chewing slowly. Thoughtfully. “It was just such a shock.”“Yeah, of course.” He held his container closed with one hand, slipping the other around Minho and pressing his cheek against his shoulder, squeezing him in what was hopefully a comforting embrace. Minho’s cheek rested against Kibum’s head, and he sighed. “I’m sorry you had to see him again.”He shook his head slightly before he lifted it, then kissed the crown of Kibum’s head before he resumed eating. Kibum patted Minho’s side, holding him for a minute more before he dug into his kimbap.The ride home was subdued, but not uncomfortably so. The puppies were sleeping in the back seat, and Minho seemed content to watch the scenery while their playlist filled the car. Kibum held his hand almost the whole way back, releasing it only when he needed both to steer. Whenever Minho squeezed his hand, Kibum returned it twice, which eventually turned into them doing it in time to the song that was playing at the moment, which started Minho laughing. Kibum had looked over at him then, Minho’s eyes bright with amusement as he relaxed into the seat. Smiling, Kibum looked back at the road.Exhaustion from the long drive had fully set in by the time Kibum pulled into his parking space at home. He twisted the keys out of the ignition, his head falling back against the headrest.“You good?” Minho asked with a chuckle.His head lolled to meet Minho’s gaze, unsurprised to find him watching him fondly. Kibum nodded. “Just tired.”“You can take the puppies up, then. I’ll get everything else.”“Are you sure?”The corners of Minho’s lips and his eyes twitched in tamped-down amusement. “Of course.”He leaned across the console, his fingers slipping beneath Kibum’s chin as he guided him into a softly lingering kiss. When Kibum opened his eyes to peek at him, Minho’s were still closed, as if he were savoring it. Heart fluttering a little, he closed his eyes and kissed him again, his hand going to Minho’s cheek, sliding back until the tips of his fingers curled around his neck. When Minho sighed and tried to move closer, Kibum broke the kiss with a grin.“Come on, let’s just head upstairs.”Minho pinched the front of Kibum’s sweater, holding him there when he tried to sit back. “Another one?”“Minho,” Kibum said, laughing as he leaned sideways against his seat. “You always want another one.”“So?”“Will one more tide you over until we get upstairs?”Minho sighed heavily, which started Kibum laughing again. “I suppose.”“Fine.” Minho’s expression brightened. “Make it count.” Eagerly, Minho sat forward, his hand slipping around Kibum’s waist to bring him closer so that he could kiss him. Smiling into it, Kibum’s hands slid over Minho’s shoulders, lacing together at his nape, as he pressed as close to Minho as the car would allow.Listlessly, he wondered if they actually needed to go upstairs. Like, what if they just stayed down here? What could possibly go wrong if they simply remained in each other’s arms? Indefinitely. He couldn’t think of a single thing, but then, he was slightly preoccupied by the gentle yet firm way Minho was holding him, and by the all-consuming pleasure that coursed through him with every brush of their lips.He was slower to open his eyes when this kiss was broken. Minho was still close enough to kiss him again, but true to his word and against everything that Kibum wanted, he didn’t. He lifted his hand from Kibum’s side, so that he could caress his face, and Kibum leaned into the touch. “See you up there, then.”He cleared his throat, hands slipping away from Minho’s shoulders. “Okay,” he said, to fill the silence. And to keep himself from saying /Can’t wait/.Once he collected the dogs, he left Minho to figure out the best way to bring up their luggage. Even though he couldn’t see himself, he was sure that everyone he passed could tell by his likely mussed hair and distracted air exactly what he had just been up to. He could not even begin to care. He let the puppies down so they could run ahead of him to his front door, then keyed in Minho’s birthday to let them all inside.It was still too early for dinner, and he knew he wouldn’t be bothered to cook tonight. So, after feeding and watering the puppies, Kibum wandered into his bedroom, phone in hand so he could look up something to get delivered, and dropped onto his side of the bed just as the front door opened and the sound of Minho struggling filled the apartment.Kibum started to sit up and set his phone aside. “Do you need my help?”“I’m fine,” Minho grunted, the door swinging shut.The sound of many things being set chaotically aside got Kibum out of bed again, and he hurried to the door to find Minho greeting the puppies amidst all the luggage and bags of things his parents sent them home with. “Did you bring it all up in one trip?”“Yeah?” Minho said, bewildered by Kibum’s surprise. “One trip only.”Laughing, Kibum shook his head. “That applies to groceries. Not a fully packed car.”Minho shrugged, tugging off his shoes and setting them by the door. “Maybe I just wanted to be with you sooner.” Kibum rolled his eyes and turned to hide his growing smile, though not quickly enough for Minho not to see it. He returned to bed, Minho just a few steps behind him. “Don’t you want to unpack immediately? Do laundry?”“No?” Kibum kneeled on the mattress, then fell back to get comfortable again.Minho stopped at the foot of the bed, pulling off his sweater—or rather, Kibum’s, because he had borrowed one again—and folding it up, setting it aside on the dresser. “What about getting comfortable before getting into bed?”“What part of me doesn’t look comfortable right now?” Kibum asked without looking up from his phone, and before Minho could nag him anymore, Kibum sucked his teeth and patted the pillow beside him. “Just come here already!” Chuckling, Minho climbed in from the foot of the bed and laid beside him, then rolled over to watch what Kibum was doing, his arm draping across Kibum’s stomach.Minho’s temple rested on Kibum’s shoulder, and Kibum turned his phone toward him so that Minho could see what he was scrolling past.“What do we want to eat?” Kibum asked, pausing when he saw a ramyeon place. “And don’t say me,” he said as soon as Minho opened his mouth. When Minho didn’t reply, he glanced down at him. “Well?”“You just said I’m not allowed to say?”“This guy…” Kibum muttered under his breath and tapped on the ramyeon place.Minho snuggled closer, Kibum’s hand settling at the nape of his neck, lightly scratching there as he scrolled slowly through their options, giving him ample time to read the different descriptions. They settled on a mildly spicy fish roe stew, and as Kibum ordered it, he set the delivery time for several hours out before putting his phone to charge.“Not right away?” Minho asked sulkily as Kibum turned back to him.“I thought you said you wanted something else.” Minho’s eyes lit up, and Kibum turned, smiling again as he reached for his phone, even though he knew it would be staying right there for the foreseeable future. “I can change the time if you really want—”Minho pounced.Kibum’s laughter filled the room before Minho caught him in a kiss.The bright afternoon wore on to a pastel twilight before they left Kibum’s bed, Minho heading for the door to collect their waiting food, and Kibum to the kitchen to get the portable burner and a pot. They reconvened at the dining table, Minho coming around to where Kibum was to set down the bag of their food.“I think I’ve still got some soju in the fridge, can you go check?”“Mhm,” Minho said, which was punctuated with his hand sliding around Kibum’s waist and a brief kiss on his temple.Kibum smiled, watching him go, then finished getting their dinner started. He just finished clicking the burner on when Minho came back around to the other side of the table, a bottle of soju and two shot glasses in hand. He settled across from him, his foot resting against Minho’s as Minho poured and passed him a glass, then set the bottle down. Kibum returned the favor, holding out his glass for Minho to clink his against before he drank his in one.“So smooth,” Kibum said, reaching for Minho’s to pour him another, then handed Minho the bottle so he could do the same.“It is, it’s nice. I’ll have to ask Jonghyun to start having it at the cafe.”Kibum smiled at him, then stirred the broth when he noticed the first wisps of steam rising from the edges of the pot. Minho sat back, his foot tapping against Kibum’s, and sighed. Kibum’s attention snapped back to him, searching his expression. He seemed tired, probably from all the traveling, but his gaze was blank as he stared past Kibum’s shoulder. Only to blink with a shake of his head a few seconds later, coming back to himself.“You alright, honey?”Minho nodded, scrubbing his free hand roughly over his face for a few seconds before he let it drop to the side. “Just thinking about him again. Sorry,” he added quickly, at Kibum’s concerned hum. “I know I shouldn’t be.”Kibum reached across the table, closing his hand around Minho’s. “No, of course you are.” Kibum’s thumb caressed Minho’s hand, and he sighed heavily. “It must have been so off-putting, seeing him again.”Minho nodded. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes—Minho looking quite lost in thought while Kibum waited quietly for him to return to him. Minho’s hand shifted beneath Kibum’s, and he released him, letting him drink his soju. He set the empty glass aside, then reached for Kibum’s hand, intertwining their fingers.“He married. I saw the ring.”Kibum blinked rapidly, unsure of how to respond to that. He couldn’t begrudge him for looking for evidence of that because, truth be told, if he had had a similar run-in with Joonwoo, he would have looked, too.“Had me worried at first, you know. Like. What if…what if he wasn’t lying. That night. But,” he said, his voice trembling slightly as he cut Kibum’s unsaid reassurances off. “I know he wasn’t. He was happy. With me. For a long time. You wouldn’t lie about something like that for that long. Especially not here.”“No, you wouldn’t.” Maybe he was bisexual like Jinki was. “Did he ever have any girlfriends, before you got together?”“One. In middle school.” Minho sniffed a quiet, tired laugh. “The relationship lasted for all of four days because her parents found out and got mad. He said that most they ever did was hold hands.” Minho smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes. “I figured out that I was gay when they were ‘together’.”“You got jealous?” Kibum asked, eyebrows raising.“So jealous. I didn’t understand why at first but…figured it out.” His eyes closed as he sighed heavily, then squeezed tight shut as he leaned forward, resting his forehead on their joined hands. “Sorry,” he said again, his voice muffled a little by the table. “We don’t need to talk about it anymore.”“We can stop, but I want to help you process this if you want.”Minho shook his head. “I’ll be fine. We didn’t even speak to each other,” he said with a self-deprecating laugh. “I shouldn’t be this affected from just a look.”Kibum squeezed Minho’s hand tightly enough for him to look up at him curiously. “He hurt you.” Minho started to look away, but Kibum dropped his head and followed his gaze, making sure that they didn’t break eye contact. “You can try to excuse his behavior and his choice to do what he did, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was selfish and that he hurt you. Badly.” Minho blinked slowly, not looking away now. “It’s perfectly understandable that even after all this time apart and all the work you’ve put into healing from what happened to you, that you would still be affected by seeing him again. It probably stirred up a lot of negative memories and feelings from that night, even if it was just a look.“Like I said, we can stop talking about it if you want, but please don’t hesitate to talk to me about it if you’re struggling again, alright?” Minho nodded. “Promise me?” A small smile curled the corners of Minho’s lips, this time accompanied by a hit of a twinkle in his eye.“Yeah, I promise.”The broth was at a rolling boil now, so after Kibum kissed Minho’s knuckles, he released his hand to stir in the noodles. As he expected, Minho wasn’t too talkative while they ate, but he kept shooting Kibum these softly appreciative looks. Once they were finished eating, Kibum saved the leftovers while Minho collected the dishes and wiped down the table.“Are you gonna help me load the dishwasher?”“Of course.”So, Minho rinsed each dish before passing them to Kibum, who configured them so that they would fit on the racks. By the time they finished, Minho’s mood seemed to be a little lighter. Kibum closed the door to the dishwasher after he added the detergent, and reached for Minho to dry his hands on Minho’s t-shirt.“Hey!” he said with a laugh, and Kibum grinned as he turned to escape Minho’s “wrath”, but, just as he hoped, he was caught up in Minho’s arms. He twisted around so he faced him, his arms curled up between them. “What’d you do that for?”With difficulty, Kibum shrugged, and Minho’s smile shifted into the cutely crooked one that seemed to be reserved just for him. He slid his hands up Minho’s chest until they rested on his shoulders, and he cocked his head to the side. “Maybe I just wanted you to hold me?”Minho’s smile grew, and he inclined his head toward Kibum, meeting him in a kiss.As desired and adored and cherished as Minho made him feel every minute of every day, Kibum wanted to make sure that he felt that in return tenfold tonight. And, from the way that Minho curled his arms around him, bringing him somehow closer still, he was well on his way.“Min,” Kibum whispered when Minho’s lips parted from his. “Let’s go…”“Go where?”Good question.As much as he was loath to, he slipped out of Minho’s embrace, his hand sliding down Minho’s arm to grab his hand so he could pull him out into the living room. He only got far enough to flick the light in the kitchen off before Minho tugged him back, raising his hand to twist Kibum once on his way back to him.The only lights now were the few tiny screens on his kitchen appliances and the starry lights of the city seeping through his balcony windows. It barely reached them. Only enough for him to trace Minho’s silhouette in the surrounding darkness as he felt for his waist.“Do you want to dance?”“Mhm.”Kibum stepped back, taking Minho along with him, then turned so he could lead the way to the balcony. He opened the door, the puppies hurrying out between their legs, and he brought Minho out into the crisp night. Before he could turn on the lights strung up strategically around the balcony, Minho guided him close, Kibum’s hands going to his shoulder and waist again as Minho started them swaying.Humming the first tune that came to mind, he rested his head on Minho’s shoulder, his face in his neck. The hint of Minho’s cologne made him smile, and his radiating warmth protected him from the cold as they revolved around the balcony.“Bum,” Minho said when Kibum stopped humming, the soft utterance of his name buffeting his hair. Kibum leaned his head back until it rested on Minho’s shoulder so that he could look into his eyes. His dark, glittering eyes. Minho smiled. “Thank you.”His brows twitched together in mild confusion. “For what?”“I just…I always feel safest, when I’m with you.” Kibum started smiling, too, searching Minho’s gaze. “That means more to me than I’ll ever be able to put into words.”“That’s how you make me feel, too.”Safe and free to be completely himself without judgment or scorn. The trust that had been built between them, borne from working together to mend their broken hearts, nurtured by the years of friendship that led to this—the sweetest romance he hadn’t let himself dare to hope would ever come to fruition.Safe was actually an understatement.As he went up on his tiptoes to kiss him, the hand on Minho’s shoulder slid up his neck, his fingers curling in Minho’s hair. Likewise, the hand at Minho’s waist was gripping his t-shirt. It was almost impossible, at this point, to be any closer to him, but that’s all he wanted. To be tucked in the shelter of his embrace, clinging to life sustained only by each subsequent kiss until he was wholly, irrevocably consumed. Until the only thought that remained, if only for a little while, was Minho.He got his wish when they were chased inside as a smattering of rain began to fall. The drizzle lingered until almost dawn, though neither of them paid it any mind.Though he was slow to wake, Kibum still did so before his alarm. Though he couldn’t see the rising sun from his vantage point—curled up in Minho’s arms—he still caught a glimpse of the remnants of last night’s rain, the retreating clouds painted in hues of violet and rose.A quiet, happy sort of groan slipped involuntarily from his throat as he stretched, entangling himself in Minho’s arms and legs even further. Not that he minded, of course.He drifted back to sleep, too warm and too comfortable and too at peace to extract himself.When he stirred again, it was at the sound of his alarm, but as he opened his eyes to turn it off, he found Minho stretched across him, reaching for his phone on the nightstand to silence it. Once his room was quiet again, Minho sank back over him, an easy, sleepy smile brightening his eyes.“Good morning, beautiful,” Minho said, but then only gave him the briefest of pecks on the lips before he shot out of bed.Frowning, Kibum braced himself up on his elbows and watched him hunch in front of his suitcase and begin rummaging around inside. “What are you—““Today’s the fifth, right?”Bewildered, Kibum grabbed his phone and tilted his screen toward himself, waiting for it to light up. “Yeah..?”Minho found what he was looking for, but whatever it was was small enough to be hidden in his palm. He bounded back to bed, climbing back under the covers, this time on Kibum’s side of the bed. He settled atop him, his chest on Kibum’s belly, his eager and much-to-awake-for-this-early-in-the-morning face directly before Kibum’s.“What is happening?” Kibum asked with a laugh, and Minho grinned.“It’s our hundred days anniversary.”Oh.Minho shifted so that his hands rested on Kibum’s bare chest. He could see what he was holding now. A ring box.“This was the other surprise.”Oh.He opened the box. Two rings were nestled inside, gleaming in the soft morning light.“I thought about giving these to you at midnight because I was so excited, but I didn’t want to wake you.”“You could have,” Kibum murmured, entranced by the sight of them.Plain bands, one silver, the other gold. But, really, had he ever seen anything more beautiful than this? He looked up, meeting Minho’s gaze.Well, there was his answer.The sunlight had caught strands of his pillow-mussed hair, turning them to purest gold. Though the room was bright now, it still highlighted the left side of his face, the curve of his bare muscular shoulder and arm that peeked out of the blankets. His earnest smile shone in his eyes, eyes that now, in the burgeoning daylight, were as warm and as rich and intense as sunlight shining through steaming tea that had steeped just a little too long.“Which one is mine?”Minho shifted again, reaching for the silver one. “Your mom and sister didn’t know your size, so I had to get one of the adjustable ones.”“They were in on it?” Kibum asked as Minho took up his left hand.“I couldn’t ask you, could I?” Minho said, his gaze flickering up to Kibum as he slid the ring on his finger.With a giddy little flip in his heart, Kibum reached for the gold ring, pinching it free from the box. Minho shifted yet again, holding his left hand out for Kibum to take. He did, looking down at the ring as he twisted it to put it on Minho’s finger, only…He pulled it back to inspect the inside, brow furrowing as he read the tiny, single-word engraving.Forever.When he looked back at Minho, he was watching him, adoration plainly legible in his gaze. Just, with a hint of nervousness trembling the corners of his lips as he gave him a small smile.“I chose that for me because, with any luck, that’s how long I’ll be yours.”Tears pricked Kibum’s eyes and he pressed his lips together in an effort to not cry.“Your’s says something, too,” Minho said, a laugh coloring his voice.Kibum slipped his off, twisting it around to see the little English engraving of My Everything.There was a delicious sort of ache in his heart as he looked back at Minho, his vision more blurred now.“You know, from the song I sang to you that night. My first,” he took the ring from Kibum and grabbed his hand again. “My last”—the ring had cooled slightly in the few seconds he had not been wearing it, and he relished every millimeter of the glide of the metal against his skin as Minho put it back in its place. “My everything”—he finished, then scooted forward to kiss Kibum’s knuckles.Right over the ring.“Minho,” he said, or rather blubbered, and Minho grinned as he held out his hand to him.Carefully, Kibum slid it into place, caressing it with his thumb before he looked back up at him. Minho scooted forward, freeing his hand so he could cup Kibum’s face. The ring was cool against his cheek as Minho brushed away a tear, then leaned in to kiss him. Kibum’s hands slid over his shoulders, clinging to him as Minho pushed himself closer.His lips parted from Kibum’s sooner than he had been expecting, and when he tried to pull away, Kibum followed him. Minho smiled, his breathy laugh caressing his lips before he whispered, “I love you so much, Kibum,” and then he kissed him again.His entire body flashed hot then cold as dread pooled in the pit of his stomach.Oh no.He had known this was coming. This…this confession. Minho had almost slipped up several times. Just yesterday, even. But…but…now that it had happened…Would he be able to say it back?He so badly wanted to. Because, deep down…but…Memories of his time with Joonwoo, memories he had kept at bay for so long, crept through his mind. Of the first time he said /I love you/, a mere three weeks after they made their relationship official. He’d meant it, too. He’d been so infatuated with him. Childishly foolish, thinking that they would last.Was it happening again? No, he didn’t think so.But what did he know?He and Minho had taken it slower, hadn’t they? Established trust and a stable connection before they even thought of dating. But…But.
Just say it. It’s three little words. They’re insignificant...
A lie.They held more weight now in his mind and heart than they ever had before. He knew that. It’d be foolish to deny it to himself, even if…but would it be selfish to hold back after this? Cruel? After Minho got them rings and…and said it? After everything he had been through with Yeunseo?Minho pulled away from him again, holding his face so gently, his thumbs brushing away Kibum’s tears.“Sorry,” he mumbled, doing his best to avoid meeting his eyes.“Why are you sorry?”
Just fucking say it.
Kibum pressed his lips together and shrugged, shaking his head.
Get it over with.
But the words wouldn’t come.Minho smiled and brushed the tears from Kibum’s cheeks, then kissed him again. Lightly, this time. “Do you want coffee or something?”“Sure.”Minho slid off of him hesitantly, and without looking at him, Kibum could feel the apprehension in his gaze. Kibum kept his eyes down, though. Looking at his new ring until Minho left the bedroom.He sniffed, wiping at his eyes as he slipped out of bed. Crossing the room to his dresser, he pulled on one of his sweatpants before he made for the bathroom. He turned on the cold tap, letting the water collect in his palms before he patted it over his face and neck, and then he sighed, glaring at himself in the mirror.
Get it together, Kibum.
They barely had a day left together before Minho would head back to Jeju. They wouldn’t see each other until Minho’s birthday when Kibum would head down. Maybe he could work up to saying it before he left. Or, at bare fucking minimum, come up with a response instead of just leaving Minho hanging.But, try as he might, he couldn’t.Nothing his mind conjured up felt adequate. “You mean a lot to me, too.” “I adore you.” “I cherish every moment we’ve spent together.” By that night, when they were crawling into bed again and Minho kissed him good night and said it again, his brain was screaming at him. But instead of silencing the inner degradation, or saying it back, he lay there. Sleepless. Restless. Listening to Minho’s steady breathing as he watched the night turn into dawn.He knew he had to look like shit, despite Minho’s habitual Good morning, beautiful just based on the look Minho was giving him before he left the bed to make sure he had everything packed.He dressed without his usual care, which rightfully earned him another concerned look, but after Minho said an extended goodbye to the puppies, they left, heading wordlessly to the elevator. Kibum couldn’t even bear to look at him, especially since he could feel him watching him. Because he just knew, if he met his gaze, the very thin grasp he had on his composure would be lost.Hopefully, the traffic would be minimal so that his torture would be over soon.The ride to the airport was quiet, save for their playlist filling the taut silence. When they reached the parking garage and Kibum pulled into a spot, Minho’s hand took his as soon as he shifted the car into park.“Did I do something to make you mad?”He’d never heard Minho sound so timid. Even during their first summer together. Chancing it, Kibum looked over at him, Minho’s eyes wide and, to his horror, slightly scared.“No, of course not.” Which wasn’t a lie. “I just wish you didn’t have to go.” That, unfortunately, was.Minho relaxed at once, reaching across the console to pull him into a tight hug. “I was so worried.”“I’m sorry.” I’m so sorry.Minho shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. “Don’t be. I’ll miss you so much, too.”Kibum squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to cry again.After one last brief kiss that would have to tide them both over until December, they left his car, Kibum unlocking the trunk so Minho could get his luggage. Neither spoke on the elevator ride down nor on the walk into the terminal. Kibum hung back, arms folded across his chest, as he watched Minho check in for his flight. When he finished, he bounded back over to where Kibum was, enveloping him in another hug.“I already can’t wait to see you again,” Minho whispered in his ear. Kibum smiled against his will, tears pricking painfully at his eyes again. “I love you.” He hugged him tighter, hoping that that would count for something, even if he knew better. Then, he stepped back, slipping out of Minho’s arms.“See you soon.”The light in Minho’s eyes dimmed as he searched Kibum’s gaze, his smile faltering before he turned away to head toward security. Kibum watched him go, hugging himself again as he watched him make his way through the line. And then, when he reached the end of it, he found Kibum again, waving once. Kibum returned it, his smile tremulous as Minho disappeared behind the partition.Once safely back in his car, Kibum planted his forehead on the steering wheel after banging it against it a few times. “It shouldn’t be this fucking hard,” he muttered to himself as he sat up to put his keys into the ignition. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he dug it out after he started the car.A text from Minho. Of course.
In line for boarding. I’ll let you know when I’ve landed. ❤️
He set his phone aside in the cupholder without bothering to plug in the aux cord so he could listen to music.“He deserves someone better than me, doesn’t he…”Sunlight caught in Kibum’s ring as he put his hands on the wheel. Gleaming in his eye. Taunting him. Agreeing with him.Kibum burst into tears.* * * * *
09:22

Landed
Minho watched the little one next to his text until his screen went black. His heart plummeted as he set it screen down on his thigh, his head thudding against the headrest as he looked out the window.What could possibly be wrong?He’d been wracking his brain ever since Kibum disappeared from view at the airport. Well, earlier than that. He’d been off ever since…not when they got back from his Incheon. Not that night either. No, it started yesterday morning after he finally produced the rings…and said “I love you.”Shit…shit, this was his fault, wasn’t it? It was too soon. Way too soon. Maybe Kibum didn’t love him back yet? Or at all? That couldn't be true, could it?The seat belt light went off with a ding, and he blinked, looking away from the window, his stomach curdling as the plane taxied to the terminal. His phone vibrated in his hand and he whipped it back around. Kibum had texted him a single red heart in response.Fuck.Had he ruined the best thing in his life?Why did he have to be so…much? So overwhelming and off-putting, probably. Annoying as all hell. Maybe he should text him back and apologize. Yeah, that was a—Another text, but not from Kibum. It was Jinki.
9:34

Hey, kiddo, we’re waiting by arrivals

Be there in a few.
Deboarding and navigating back to arrivals was all a blur to him. He was just too distracted, lost in the thought that he had just fucked everything up.As he had expected, it was Jonghyun and Jinki waiting to come and collect him. There were hugs all around, and Minho drew as much comfort as he could from them, detached from the moment though he was. The drive back home was filled with Jonghyun’s excited chatter, likely filling him in on all the goings-on since he had left. Minho’s mind, however, wandered off on meandering trails every time he spotted something or somewhere that reminded him of Kibum, and he used the drive to work out his apology in his head.
10:49

Back home. Miss you.
He stared at the screen, as he fiddled with his keys, letting himself into his studio. As soon as the door was closed behind him, the memory from months before—exactly one hundred and one days ago—struck him. Their first kiss. Right here. Keeping his eyes down, he trudged further in, slipping his phone into his back pocket before he dragged himself upstairs to unpack.Minho had just dumped the contents of his suitcase out on his bed to begin sorting them out when his phone vibrated. Reaching around eagerly, Minho brought it around to see that Kibum had texted him like he hoped.
Miss you, too

So do the boys
Attached was a picture of both Comme Des and Garcons waiting by the door. Kibum must have said something to get their attention, because Comme Des was facing him, but Garcons was on his hind legs and stretched out, reaching for the doorknob. Smiling sadly, Minho zoomed back out, glancing at the rest of the living room that he could see, only…
Did you rearrange the living room???
It took a moment for Kibum to respond.
Yup just finished

Needed a change
Minho blinked rapidly, abandoning any pretense of sorting his clothes and laying back against his pillow.
You should have done it while I was there, I could have helped you

ㅋㅋㅋ I didn’t get the idea until after I got home from the airport
“Huh.”He set his phone aside and sat back up to get back to the task at hand. Only, after he had almost finished sorting his piles of clothes that he had washed last night into fold up or hang up, he realized that he was missing something.
Did I leave one of my t-shirts there??
The little one disappeared almost right away, but Kibum didn’t respond until after the screen timed out.
Yeah, I’m wearing it now
Minho chuckled, but it quickly melted into a frown. Before, he was sure, Kibum wouldn’t have sent just a text. It would have been a selca with some cheeky sort of text like “Looks like it.” Maybe the selca was just taking a little longer to load. But his screen timed out again, and the picture never came.Once he was fully unpacked, Minho turned the volume up on his phone and set it on his workstation before he got to work. Doing inventory, straightening up around his studio, dusting and sweeping and washing the windows. He headed over to the cafe to get his usual jjamppong before he opened up his laptop so he could start making a list of paintings he wanted to start on for the shop. He was scrolling through his reference pictures and taking notes when Kibum texted him again.
21:12

Hey, Min, sorry I can’t do a call tonight
 
I want to get to sleep early before work tomorrow
Minho slumped on his stool, completely deflated.
Okay. I hope you sleep well then. Talk to you tomorrow?

Of course
 
Goodnight, Minho
Heart aching, eyes stinging, Minho set his phone aside. He probably should have gone to sleep, too. Maybe the world would have been kinder when the sun rose if he had. Instead, he drowned himself in preliminary sketches until the sun pierced through the gloom of his shop. Settling dust glittered in the orange-gold rays peeking through his windows, and the breeze wafting through his studio brought with it the welcome perfume of baked goods.Eyes bleary, he looked over at the window between his and Sooyoung’s shop. He was just barely able to make out her hard at work prepping her daily wares from their off-kilter windows.Maybe food would help improve his mood.He got unsteadily up, stumbling toward his back door. He let himself inside her shop, and she looked up as he appeared in her back kitchen, her expression as bright and warm as ever. Only, for it to fall right away.“You look like shit, what happened?”Delirious as he was, it only took an iced americano and a still-steaming red bean paste-filled croissant to pry Minho’s worries out of him. At one point in his explanation, she brought out her phone—to check her timer, he thought, but it looked like she was typing something—but otherwise, she simply listened to him ramble as she worked, saying nothing except when she prompted him with thoughtful hums.When it was almost time for her to open, he left feeling marginally lighter and passed Taeyeon on her way in. She stopped him for a quick hug before she slipped in the door after him, and he returned to his studio to open his shop for the day.He checked his shop’s Instagram DMs, scrolling through the commission requests to make more notes and to pick his next project. There weren’t many customers that trickled in, which wasn’t a surprise, so he was able to focus on painting for the majority of the day. He only took breaks for meals, and even then, his dinner went cold when he got caught up in the preliminary sketch and color palette picking for his newest commission and the back and forth that called for on Instagram.Except, mid-text, his phone died.He stared blankly at the blank, black screen for way longer than he should have, then slid off his stool, and turned off the downstairs lights before he made his way upstairs. He laid down and reached for his charging cord plugging his phone in and laying it down on his pillow, his head following suit a second later.It couldn’t hurt to rest his eyes until it turned back on, right?As soon as his eyes closed and he started to melt into his mattress, he jerked awake. The sun had risen again. He fumbled for his phone, unlocking it and checking his notifications. Four missed calls from Kibum, plus a missed facetime attempt. He checked the time. 8:59. Minho opened their messages tentatively, scrolling through Kibum’s string of texts asking where he was and if he was okay.
I’m sorry, Bum. My phone died and I crashed after

I got it charging. I woke up just now. I’m sorry ㅠㅠ
The little one was gone almost as soon as the text was delivered.
Are you okay?????

Yeah, I was just really tired.

Okay

I’ll call you later

I have to head to a meeting now
Minho sent a red heart, then in his lingering exhaustion immediately regretted it. Until Kibum sent two back, that is.After some coffee and a couple of handfuls of dry Cocoa Puffs, Minho gradually became more awake. He was about thirty minutes late opening his shop, and almost immediately got to work on sketching his newest piece on one of his larger canvases. It was a wedding gift from the bride’s parents to the happy couple, and the picture was their own, taken on one of the beaches closer to Jeju City. The beach where he proposed, the couple in the distance with him on one knee. The colors were to be embellished but kept pastel. Sort of a dreamy quality to them. Once he was happy with the light sketch, he mixed his official palette and started on the sky.He didn’t stop for lunch, or at least, he didn’t intend to but froze mid-paint stroke when his back door cracked open. Wide-eyed, he swiveled around to find Taeyeon strolling in, one of the cafe takeout bags in her hand.“Hey,” he said, dragging the greeting out a little as he set his brush and palette aside. “What’s up?”“Just checking in with you,” she said, groaning softly as she sat on Minho’s stool. She was probably tired of being on her feet all day. “Haven’t really seen you since you came back.”“Yeah, sorry. Got caught up with work.”“Mhm.” She set the takeout bag on the counter, the movement making something on her left hand glitter.Frowning, he stood, reaching for her hand and not the bag, holding it between them as he inspected her ring. It was a simple band with a small yet dazzling diamond in the center. His eyebrows shot up as he looked back at her, and he found her grinning.“When did this happen?”“Day after Chuseok. I wanted to wait to tell you until you got back.”“I’m so happy for you,” he said, pulling her into a tight hug. She patted his shoulder until he let her go. “Have you set a date yet?”“We were thinking sometime in April.”Minho leaned against the counter, reaching for the bag now and sliding out the haemul pajeon inside. He tore off a piece, asking, “Is that enough time to plan?” before he stuffed it into his mouth.“Should be. We don’t want something too big.”“Did you tell Kibum yet?”She nodded, and Minho held the pajeon out to her. She pinched a bite off and ate it, chewing thoughtfully as she watched him. “Yeah, last night. When he called me.”There was a weight to that declaration that Minho couldn’t quite comprehend. Maybe it was the look in her eyes. A little too knowing. He averted his eyes, letting his gaze fall between them where it settled on his ring finger. The gold ring stared back at him as his appetite deserted him.Had Kibum told her what he had done? Did she know just how badly he had fucked up?“Well, I should get back,” she said, standing with a sigh. “Just wanted to make sure you were okay.”“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked with a nervous laugh.She hit him with that look again. “Kibum was just worried, that’s all. When you didn’t text him back.”“Oh.”Taeyeon started for the door. “What are you feeling for dinner today? Or do you know yet?”“You know what? Surprise me. I’ll try to head over right at closing time.”Nodding, she turned around and slipped into the shadows of the hallway, the sunlight blinding him as she opened the door, and he turned back around to get to work again. Except, as usual, he got lost in his painting and lost track of time until the sound of his vibrating phone clattering to the floor brought him out of his trance.“Shit,” he muttered, setting his palette aside as he rushed to grab his phone. The screen wasn’t cracked, thank god. But there was a text from Jonghyun.
19:18

Minho, are you not coming over for your dinner?
He pocketed his phone, rushing for the door. After apologizing to both of the Kims, he took his food back to his studio, locking up his shop so he could eat in peace. It was after he opened the first container and smelled the ajujjim, that his hunger punched him in the gut. The second was two rolls of chamchi gimbap, and he grabbed a couple of pieces with his fingers and stuffed them in his mouth as he went upstairs to get his chopsticks.When he returned, he grabbed another piece and ate it just as his phone started vibrating again.“What, Jjong,” he muttered around the food in his mouth, only when he picked up his phone, it was Kibum. Facetiming him.He covered his mouth as he answered, trying to chew as fast as possible, but Kibum appeared before he could swallow. “Oh, are you eating?” Kibum asked, his brow knitting together slightly. Minho nodded, trying to flip his camera around with one hand so he could show Kibum his spread. “Looks like you’re hungry.”Minho nodded, flipping the camera back around as he finally swallowed. “Didn’t eat much today, so…” Kibum shot him a look of concern. “Oh, no, I just got caught up with work. That’s all.” Kibum searched his gaze imploringly, and Minho cleared his throat, looking back down at his food, flipping one of the gimbap pieces over before picking it up. “What about you, what are you having?”“I already ate.”“Ah.”Silence prickled the air like static. As if one wrong move would shock him.Still not looking at him, Minho asked, “Do you mind if I eat?”“No, no, of course not!” Kibum said quickly. Placatingly. With hesitation, Minho started to bring the piece of gimbap to his mouth, but then Kibum spoke again. “Listen, Minho—”His stomach twisted violently, and he set his chopsticks down.This was it. The end.“I’m sorry, Kibum,” he said, preempting whatever Kibum was going to say. Anything to save their relationship, at this point. “I don’t know what I did, but if you just tell me, I can—”“Minho,” Kibum said, cutting him off with a sad little laugh. “It was nothing you did. I’m the one who…I’m sorry.”“But, why?”Kibum sighed heavily, taking a few seconds to respond. “Because I can’t follow my goddamn advice, that’s why.” Brow furrowing, Minho set his phone down against the glass, propping Kibum up so he could use both of his hands to eat. “Remember? Me telling you to talk to you when you’re struggling with your memories with Yeunseo?”Minho nodded. “Did I do something that reminded you of Joonwoo?”Kibum shook his head. “Not really. It just…I…” He sighed again. As if steeling himself. “I was reminded of my stupidity. With Joonwoo. And…and it freaked me out and I didn’t know what to do.”Minho blinked. “What do you mean?”“When you said I…when you said what you did—”“I love you?”Kibum pursed his lips, nodding. “I just thought about how quickly I had said it before, with him. Like, within weeks, and—” So, he had been too fast. This was his fault. “—and everything went to shit, eventually, but I don’t want that for us.”When Kibum stopped talking, Minho watched him, waiting to see if he would continue. When he didn’t, Minho leaned toward his phone, crossing his arms on the table and resting his chin on his forearm. “So, do you not trust that I mean it?”He shook his head adamantly. “It’s not you that I don’t trust. It’s…myself.” Minho’s lips parted to ask what he meant, but Kibum went on quickly. “I’ve been thinking about how to word this since you left. But, like, when I was with him, I was so irrational. Emotional. I just really rushed into it. Desperate to be loved and wanted and all that. You know?” Minho nodded, and Kibum relaxed marginally. “I don’t want to be irrational when it comes to you. Because I…I…I don’t want to lose you, Minho.”“You won’t.”Kibum gave him a watery smile. “You can say that now, but it’s not for sure. You know that.”He did. Past experience told him so. However, just as much as Kibum wasn’t Yeunseo, he wasn’t Joonwoo.“And, I’m sorry that I can’t say it back yet,” Kibum said, sounding so on the verge of tears that a proverbial puff of wind would push him over the edge. “I want to, but…”“I understand.”“Do you?”“I do.” Kibum sniffed, his eyes on him. And really, he did.Had he not been worried about losing Kibum just a few months ago? For a different reason, of course, but it came down to the same thing, in the end. It would be hypocritical if he didn’t give Kibum the same space to come to terms with their relationship that he did for him.“Is there anything I can do to help you?”“I’m not sure what would help.” Both paused, Minho thinking about what would help him if he were feeling this way. “It’ll be hard, I know, but if you could just be patient with me…”“Kibummie,” Minho said with a quiet laugh. “That won’t be hard.” Kibum glared at him with no actual malice as he wiped his cheek, and Minho laughed again. “Would it help if I held back from saying it? So you don’t feel pressured?”Kibum let out a sputtered laugh, dabbing his other cheek with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “Am I a horrible boyfriend if I said no? Who knows, maybe hearing it will help me snap out of whatever this is quicker.” Minho smiled, turning his head so his cheek rested on his forearm as he kept gazing at Kibum. “Are you willing to wait for me?”“Of course, I am.” Besides, however long it took him, Kibum would always be worth the wait. Especially if the objective was waiting for him to feel secure in their relationship.For that, he would wait as long as it took.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“So,” Kibum said after he dried his eyes, ideally for the last time for a while. He’d had enough of crying these past few days. “Have you been able to get a lot of work done?”Minho cleared his throat, sitting up and looking down at his food. “I wouldn’t say a lot, but I started a new commission.”“Oh, that’s good.”“Yeah, hopefully.” He picked up his chopsticks again. “Do you mind if I eat again?”“No, no, go ahead. I’ll get ready for bed while you do.”Kibum took Minho into the bathroom, setting him up so that he could still see the screen while he washed his face and brushed his teeth. The silence between them as they did their separate things together finally was comfortable again. Kibum kept glancing at the screen, smiling fondly at Minho happily enjoying his hearty meal. They finished about the same time, Kibum crawling into bed when Minho had just a few bites left.“Are you planning on painting for a bit?” he asked as Minho ate the last piece of what Kibum assumed was fish in some sort of spicy sauce.“I was. Do you mind?” Kibum shook his head, and Minho wiped his mouth with a napkin before he stacked everything together to toss it into the garbage. “Here, I’ll show you what I’m working on.”He flipped the camera around, showing Kibum the paint-flecked floor on his way to his work station. Minho sat with a sigh, then started to explain the subject of the painting. There was an iridescent sky, heavy on the pink, with a smattering of clouds. He had just barely started on the ocean beyond where the couple was going to be, and he set Kibum up so they could see each other while he got back to work.“So, how was your day?” Minho asked, stirring one of his paint blobs on his palette.“Miserable,” Kibum said, yawning. Minho’s eyebrows shot up as he looked down at his phone, and Kibum gave him a small smile. “I feel better now, obviously.”“Yeah, me too.”“But work was pretty uneventful.” He set his phone to charge, then reached around to grab Minho’s pillow, hugging it. “Nothing major happened.”“It’s better that way, isn’t it?”“Mhm.”Minho smiled, his attention flickering down to his phone before he leaned forward to begin to paint. Kibum lay there, content to watch Minho quietly work. He was bathed in a warm light somewhere behind his easel, his quiet hums of concentration peppering the tranquility as Kibum drifted reluctantly off to sleep.When he opened his eyes again, the room was filled with dim morning light. Kibum pulled his phone close, squinting at the screen. He had been expecting to see his lock screen, not the bottom half of Minho’s sleeping face and the curve of his bare shoulder. Kibum rubbed his eye, bringing his phone closer still to watch him with a small smile. Then, he swiped down to check the time. It was barely six, so he hadn’t overslept.“Minho,” he said softly, and he stirred with a snort, then rolled over, his shoulder covering the screen completely. “Minho,” he said again, laughing this time. “Come on, honey, wake up.”The darkness lifted, and Minho’s outstretched hand covered the camera as he grabbed his phone. His cute, scrunched face soon filled the screen.“Good morning, beautiful.”Minho’s just-woken-up frown melted away as he rubbed his hand over his face. “I’m supposed to say that,” he said groggily, almost pouting.“Beat you to it today.”Minho’s smile was so adorably bashful that Kibum was quite sure he never wanted to leave this moment. Or, he really wouldn’t, had they been together right now.They made their coffee together, got dressed together. Minho even kept him company while he took the puppies on a quick walk. They only hung up after Kibum was sitting in his car, and that was only because his reception was so shitty in the underground parking garage.The day was so cheery, despite the drizzle making trails on his windshield. He felt much lighter today, understandably so. And, when he glanced down at his hand, the sunlight gleaming on the band Minho had gotten seemed to wink at him.Today would be a good day.And it was.The next day, too. And the next. And so many thereafter that Kibum lost count.It wasn’t like there weren’t bad days thrown in. He still had to work, which was getting increasingly stressful, since the main group he worked for had an upcoming comeback as well as the beginnings of their preparations for a world tour. But, amidst the stress was Minho, who was just a text or a call away. And, even if he wasn’t able to reach him immediately, there was always the ring to fidget with until he relaxed enough to continue working.He missed him, of course. Why wouldn’t he? Hearing Joohyun’s daily stories of something sweet her girlfriend did for her or vice versa, well, it didn’t exactly help.His breaking point came on a day when Joohyun was especially pleased. He didn’t find out why until after the coworkers on the other side of their cubicle went to lunch. She scooted her chair right up against his, whipping out her phone to show him the pictures that she and Chaejin had taken at the Love Lock Bridge at Namsan Tower.Was it too cheesy? Too sentimental? Joonwoo had thought so. Which, he supposed, was lucky. At least, it meant that Kibum didn’t have to go back to the bridge with bolt cutters to cut it loose and throw it away after he had cheated. Would Minho think it was? If he didn’t, then Minho probably wouldn’t either.That was the thought that carried him to the bridge alone as soon as he was free from work for the day. The pink and red and pale blue ribbons that were tied to the locks lining the path fluttered in the light breeze as he made his way into the shop to purchase one of his own. It turned out to be more expensive than he had been expecting, especially with the extra charge of engraving their initials in the back of the lock, as well as getting a set of keys for the lock he had picked out—one for him, and one for Minho.He tied a pale pearlescent teal bow as neatly as he could around the open shackle and meandered down the path, searching for a view that he felt like Minho would appreciate. The one he settled on was a path overlooking the city, the lights twinkling in the violet dusk. He attached it to a bare link in the fence, the engraved 민키 facing the sidewalk, the little bow fluttering along with the others around it.Once it was attached, he stepped back to admire it, then crouched to take a quick picture of it before he started back for his car.The days until his flight to Jeju dragged by, sweetened only by his daily contact with Minho, but now, also with the secret of the lock. It went unspoken to everyone—even Yerim—and it would remain that way until he was able to say it back to him.Hopefully it wouldn’t be long. Maybe by his birthday, even if the thought curdled his stomach and made him want to cancel his flight.At least Minho understood. Or said he did. He hadn’t been pressuring him, though he did continue to say I love you to him everyday. A small, very guilty part of him wanted to ask him to stop, even if, deep down, he knew he’d feel worse if he did.It started snowing the day he made his way down to Jeju. No accumulation on the roads, which was lucky, and it stopped when he was just south of Seoul. After spending the night at his family’s house, he said goodbye to them and the puppies as they dropped him off for his flight.
[09:12]

Do you want me to get a coffee for you in the

terminal so we don’t have to stop on our way home?
Kibum looked over his phone, stepping out of the way of a family bustling down the tarmac to get inside and out of the cold, then back down, pleased and unsurprised that Minho had already responded.
oh, that’d be nice!!!!~ You don’t have to

if you don’t want to, though. ~
Kibum sniffed a laugh.
do you still want it iced in this weather???

yes please~~~~
“So polite,” Kibum whispered to himself with a fond shake of his head. He pocketed his phone, following the others inside.Once he had their coffees, it took everything in him not to jog towards the exit. He passed through the automatic doors, craning his neck to look over the crowd to where Minho was waiting. Minho’s expectant face broke into a grin that Kibum couldn’t help but match as he was caught up in the stream of people carrying him to Minho. He dodged around a cluster of what sounded like Europeans to reach him, holding Minho’s coffee out to him.“No, you hold it until we get to the car.”“Alright.”They held each other’s gazes for a second, Kibum inwardly cursing his idea of getting coffee for them before they could hug each other. Minho’s cute, crooked little half smile made an appearance, almost as if he had been able to read Kibum’s thoughts. “Come on, let’s get your luggage.”Kibum kept watching him for a few steps after they started walking together. If even he could feel the stars in his eyes as he looked up at him, what must Minho have seen when he looked back over at him?Bag collected, they made their way out into the crisp December morning.“Still no snow yet?” Kibum asked, huddling close to Minho as they hurried across the crosswalk to get to the parking garage.Minho shook his head. “Soon, I think the weather says.”“Hm, maybe we’ll be stranded at your place if it does.”Cracking a smile, Minho cast him a glance. But they were getting into the packed elevator, so he couldn’t respond like it looked like he wanted to. Instead, Kibum sidled up as close to him as he could, Minho’s arm holding him steady as a few more stragglers piled in. Each point of contact—where his shoulder rested against Minho’s chest, where Minho’s hand rested on his hip—tingled to life as the elevator rumbled up.“This is us,” Minho said once they reached the third floor, and Kibum led the way off the elevator, the chatter of the others echoing around the floor. Kibum looked this way and that, searching for Minho’s tiny car amidst the slew of others, but he only spotted it when Minho changed direction. He picked up his pace, but only for a couple of steps, trailing after Minho as he popped the trunk open so he could stuff Kibum’s luggage inside.Kibum walked around to the passenger’s side, glancing into the back and catching a glimpse of the folded bedding tucked against the side of the back half. He paused as he stared at it, his hand on the door handle, thinking back to their first day together as a couple. The trunk slammed shut, and Kibum looked up as Minho approached the driver’s side door. Only, he didn’t stop, even if he unlocked the car with his key fob. No, he went around the front, then reached to open the door for Kibum just as he was going to put one of the coffee cups down to open it himself.“Oh, thanks,” Kibum said, ducking his head to slip inside. He set the coffee cups into the empty holders, the ice within rattling for a second, as Minho closed the door and went back around to the driver’s side.Kibum watched him, his now empty hand sliding to the door lock, waiting for the second that Minho would try the handle to trigger it. Minho bent down immediately to look through the window at him, and though Kibum tried to maintain a straight face, he failed almost at once, breaking into a grin as Minho unlocked the door.He let Minho open the door, shifting so that his elbow rested on the console as Minho climbed in. With the door closed and locked, Minho started the car to get the heater going, then turned to Kibum, who had been waiting for him to do just that. Kibum reached for him as Minho leaned toward him, aiming for his cheek but finding the side of his neck instead as they met in a kiss.Two months, in the grand scheme of things, was not a long time to be apart. So perhaps he was overreacting a little. If the simple touches in the elevator had garnered a reaction from him, it was nothing to this.He was addicted now, to this. To the surge of pleasure that jolted through him whenever Minho—so willing, so eager—kissed him. To the way one kiss led to several, until they were breathless but still, somehow, craving another. To the dizziness that clouded his mind with every brush of Minho’s lips on his, or his cheeks, or especially, his neck.His hand had slid from Minho’s neck to his chest, amidst all this. And when Minho broke away—it would have had to be Minho to do it, this time, because he hadn’t been about to—Kibum’s fingers lightly clung to his sweater, his eyes opening at last.“Welcome back,” Minho said, his voice husky before he drew Kibum into a lighter, sweeter kiss. “I missed you.”“If you want me to leave and, uh, come back so you can greet me again…” Kibum grinned slowly when Minho started to laugh. “I missed you, too.”“Let’s get you home,” Minho said, but then Kibum leaned closer and Minho obliged him with a smile. “We should hurry, actually, because it’s supposed to snow.”“I don’t mind if we get a little stranded.”“I think you would. You’d be pretty cold.”Kibum shrugged, adjusting his grip on Minho’s sweater. “I’d trust you to keep me warm.”“Good, because I would.”Kibum sighed as Minho gave him what seemed like one last kiss, given how he shifted away from him. “One more, for the road?” he asked, still not relinquishing Minho’s sweater.Minho sniffed a laugh. “It is kinda a long drive, isn’t it?” Kibum nodded, melting as Minho’s hand cradled the back of his head and he kissed him until he was breathless again. Kibum held his gaze as Minho sat back, his hand gradually falling away from Kibum as he sighed heavily. “Don’t look at me like that, or we’ll never leave.”Grinning, Kibum leaned away so Minho could put the car into reverse.Once they were clear of the city and it was just freeway driving, Minho’s free hand was nearly constantly clasped by both of Kibum’s, their fingers laced together, except for when he wanted to get a drink of his coffee. As soon as they reached town again, Kibum relinquished it so Minho could use both hands to steer amidst the light traffic.“Can you text Jonghyun or Taeyeon to let them know that we’ll be right over?” Minho asked as he turned into the alley behind the boardwalk shops.Kibum frowned as he reached for his seat belt, unbuckling it. “Right over?” Minho hummed in question. “Are you sure?”Minho parked behind his shop, the gravel crunching beneath his tires. His eyes were twinkling as he met Kibum’s gaze. “I suppose we can make them wait. For a little while.”“Or, as long as we want.”Minho’s eyebrows shot up as Kibum turned away with a grin, stepping out into the cold and making his way to Minho’s back door. He met him there, collecting Kibum’s face in his hands as he drew him into a kiss.Maybe it was the all-encompassing cold that made him cling to him. Maybe it was Minho’s radiating warmth that wrapped around him as his hands slid around him beneath his coat. Maybe it was the promise of what was to come that made him not want to let go.When Minho broke the kiss to let them in, Kibum stayed tucked half into his coat, still embracing him until Minho brought them both inside and kissed him again.The lunch rush as Jonghyun and Taeyeon’s cafe had ebbed by the time they emerged from Artist’s Choice, looking distinctly rumpled but pleased. Kibum took his usual spot at the bar, and Minho pushed his stool a little closer to Kibum’s before he sat down, swiveling to face him with a tired smile as Jonghyun came over to him.“Is it raining out there?” he asked, and Kibum looked his way while Minho looked behind, confused, at the windows facing the sea. It obviously wasn’t, and hadn’t been during their short trek from the studio to the cafe. “Your hair is damp, so…” His voice trailed off as Minho turned back to face Kibum, though he looked over at Jonghyun. “Ah.” Kibum snorted. “I would say welcome back, but, I guess I don’t have to, huh?” Kibum spared a glance over at Minho, amused to find the tips of his ears tinged bright red. “You hungry?” he asked them both as Kibum reached out to pat Minho’s fringe down, since it was drying a little poofy after their shower.“Yeah.”“What do you want?”Kibum shrugged, still pressing Minho’s hair down. “Anything.”The rest of their afternoon and evening was taken up with chatting with Jonghyun, Taeyeon, when she wasn’t busy, and Jinki, when he wandered in for dinner after he had closed up shop for the day. They stayed long after the last of the customers had left and the cafe closed, breaking up their reunion when Taeyeon noticed. snowflakes drifting through the beam of the streetlamp posted on the corner of the boardwalk. He and Minho followed Taeyeon out through the dark kitchen, Kibum’s hand gliding down Minho’s forearm so he could hold his hand on the short walk back to the studio.They said their goodnights to her, calling back into the shop to Jonghyun and Jinki, who were finishing clearing up before they too would head home, then started down the alley.Kibum was a little tipsy from the soju they had all shared, though not quite drunk. Just, happily buzzed enough that he was slightly clingier than usual. They couldn’t get into bed quickly enough, once they were inside and had changed and finished their nightly routines. He was already completely tucked in when Minho darted across his tiny apartment, reversing the blinds on his balcony door so they could watch the snow falling in the faint moonlight. His teeth were chattering loudly by the time he had flipped the lights off and bounded back to his bed.Kibum held the blankets up so that Minho could snuggle in beside him and warm up once more. They slotted together easily. Perfectly, he thought, though he kept the thought to himself as Minho kissed his hair with a whispered I love you, Kibum. He did hug him a little tighter, though. Nuzzled a little closer.Minho must have understood, because he kissed him again.As usual, he was the first to stir when morning came. He had rolled over during the night, but Minho was still embracing him. Carefully as possible in his dim state of awareness, he rolled back over and scooted closer. Even in his sleep, Minho held him a little tighter, and Kibum easily drifted back off to sleep, even if it didn’t last for long.Dawn had broken, judging by the pale blue light radiating through the balcony window. Snow was still falling. A thin layer of it had collected on the banister, blocking what little he would have been able to see of the sea from this vantage point. Would Minho have work to do today? Probably. There was always something for him to do to stay busy, even without the promise of customers.Logically—if one could be logical after barely waking—he knew they should get up. Kibum yawned, stretching out and wrapping himself a little tighter around Minho, smiling when Minho in his dim awareness reciprocated. The hand that settled on Kibum’s back started tracing light circles across his shoulder blade.Kibum nuzzled closer, kissing the slope of Minho’s shoulder before he pillowed his head on Minho’s chest. “Are you gonna work today?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly from disuse.“Mm…” The circles Minho was brushing with his fingertip shifted to a different shape—an upward curve, then a dip, then a downward curve before it repeated again. And again, and again. “I probably should.” Kibum nodded, his eyes drooping, as he couldn’t help but be relaxed enough to almost fall asleep again. Minho continued, the low rumble of his voice vibrating in Kibum’s ear, “If anything, it’d be nice to organize a bit. Do some inventory.”“Makes sense.” His brow furrowed as the tracing continued and he couldn’t place what the shape was. He tried to visualize it as Minho kept it up, oblivious to Kibum’s confusion. “I can help, if you want.”He could hear the smile in Minho’s huffed sigh, which was his only warning before Minho turned to kiss the crown of his head. “Thanks, babe, I’d appreciate that.”Kibum’s eyes closed and he held one finger out, letting it rest against Minho’s side as he copied the movement Minho was doing. It only took two repetitions for him to finally recognize what it was.A heart. It was a heart.God, how was he so sweet this early in the morning. Without any words, even…how had he gotten this lucky? To be so cherished, so…so loved? His heart constricted in overwhelming fondness, and he sighed as he held Minho a little tighter.The pillow rustled as Minho lifted his head, Kibum turning to meet his sleepy gaze. “Everything okay?”Kibum smiled, extracting one hand from Minho’s side so he could cup his cheek and kiss him. “Everything’s perfect.” Minho let out a pleased hum before Kibum kissed him again. “Mm, I should probably get unpacked.” Minho hummed in response, but neither of them moved for several seconds. Not until Kibum slid away, Minho’s hands falling away from him at the last possible second. “You’re so clingy,” Kibum said, chuckling as if he had any room to talk. He looked back at Minho as he crouched before his suitcase and unzipped it, flipping it open.“So?”Kibum shook his head, his nose scrunching up as he smiled, and turned back to his suitcase, pulling his stacks of clothes out and setting them around him. “Do you have space for me in your closet?”“My closet, my home, my arms, my heart---” Letting out a surprised laugh, he turned back around to find Minho, of course, watching him. Just, so fondly. “Wherever you want, there’s space for you, with me.”He abandoned his clothes, returning to Minho’s bed to kiss him, though without crawling in, because he did still want to unpack his things before he got too distracted. Minho’s hand slipped around him, resting at the small of his back while the other fisted in the front of his silky pajama top. Holding him there, as if he needed to. Minho smiled into the kiss as Kibum’s hand shifted from his cheek to his neck. And, when Kibum pulled away, his fingers carded through the feathery edge of his hair at his nape.“You really are too sweet for it being this early in the morning, you know that?”“You’re just lucky I don’t make you pay rent for all the space you do take up in my life.”Kibum cracked a smile. “True. I don’t need another bill.” He kissed him again, a bit more chastely, then moved to get up as he said, “Though, I guess it would depend on what the payment was.” Minho’s grip on Kibum’s shirt tightened, holding him there as Kibum started to grin. “I can’t imagine it would be money.”“Do you have an idea for what it could be, then?” Minho asked, the smile in his voice and eyes clearly belying the innocent question.Kibum leaned in, leaving the lightest of kisses on Minho’s lips, then said, “We can discuss it later,” before he slipped fully out of bed and Minho’s reach, flouncing back to his suitcase with a satisfied grin.As he reached for the last stack of clothes, he uncovered the little velvet jewelry box that had been the first thing he had packed. Kibum reached for it, turning it over in his hand, just barely able to make out the slither of the key and chain over the pillow inside.“Do you want your birthday present today? Or do you want me to wait until tomorrow?”Minho sat up, propped up on his elbow to look down at him, his eyes alight with interest. “Do you want to wait until tomorrow?”Kibum shrugged. Not really, but, “It’s up to you.”Minho squinted at him as he worried his bottom lip, then let out a clipped hum. “Yeah, I’m too curious now.”Which, good. He hadn’t really wanted to give this to him in front of Jonghyun and the others tomorrow, because they might have pushed him to explain, and he wasn’t quite ready for that yet.He pushed himself up and returned to bed, Minho sitting up fully, the blankets pooling in his lap as Kibum sat before him, cross-legged. There was no need for any fanfare with this. That would come later. Hopefully. For now, he simply held out the little black box, which Minho took eagerly.Kibum clasped his hands in his lap as Minho pried the box open. The clear excitement in his expression melted away to something more confused, his gaze flicking up to Kibum in what he took for a plea for explanation before he reached inside to pull the necklace free.He reached inside the neck of Minho’s sweatshirt he was wearing, tugging his necklace out that bore a matching key and showed it to him.“Is it like a friendship necklace?”Kibum couldn’t help but smile at that. “Imagine if this is how I told you I wanted to be just friends again. It’s not,” he added quickly, when Minho’s eyes widened. “It really isn’t. It’s…it’s a surprise.”“What is?”Kibum nodded to the key pinched between Minho’s fingers. “What it opens. That’s the surprise.”Minho flipped the key over, letting it rest in his palm as he stared at it. His expression was unreadable. But, of course it was. How would he have felt if Minho had given him something like this without any explanation for his birthday? Or instead of the couple rings?He flipped the key between his fingers, trying to decide just how much he wanted to say, when Minho disrupted his thoughts with a soft, “When will I find out?”“As…as soon as possible. But not quite yet.”Minho nodded, still looking down at it. “Is it metaphorical?”“What do you mean?”Minho scoffed, glancing up at him. “Like, is it the”—he let out a nervous chuckle—“the key to your heart?”Kibum laughed, his hand lightly slapping Minho’s knee before it rested there. “It is, sorta.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up, his curiosity palpable. “That’s a good way to think about it, honestly. But, no, it actually opens something.”Minho hummed thoughtfully, searching Kibum’s expression before he unclasped the necklace to put it around his neck. But Kibum scooted forward, taking it from his hands to do it for him. His fingers glided against his neck as they both leaned toward each other, then Minho sat still while Kibum fastened the necklace. His fingertips followed the chain to the pendant on Minho’s chest, which he patted gently before his hands slipped away.Without the context of the lock on the bridge, this gift was nonsensical and a little silly. Still, Minho was taking it well.If only he could just…fucking say it.Kibum stared at the key dangling against Minho’s chest, his head screaming at him that Minho was disappointed. In him. The gift. The apparent lack of reciprocation.But the words had settled in the pit of his stomach, burning there like indigestion—ever-presently yearning to be spoken aloud yet soured by memories.For, he had loved Joonwoo, with everything he had had. At the time. It was a sincere, honest kind of love. Intense, in its own special way. Colored with the infatuation of his youth. Time diluted the memories, but the distance—between them, between the time they had last seen each other—chipped away at what had been, what Kibum had thought would be, an everlasting, once-in-a-lifetime love. All he was left with now was the raw vulnerability that he had set out with, when they had first gotten together, when he had first blurted out those three little words and sealed this fate.What he did know now, compared to then, was that what he felt for Joonwoo was like a drop in the ocean, compared to what he felt for Minho.And that…that was terrifying.Minho’s hand appeared behind the key, which drew Kibum’s attention to his face. He was looking down at it, the corners of his lips turned up in a small smile. Was he not disappointed?“I’ll take care of it.” Kibum blinked, staring openly at Minho as he finally looked up at him, his eyes brightly earnest. “If it’s the key to your heart, I’ll never take it off.” He leaned closer to Kibum, his palm cupping his cheek. His thumb brushed tenderly across his cheekbone, his eyes flicking up to meet Kibum’s, looking right into his soul as he whispered “Thank you for trusting me” before he kissed him.Kibum reached for him, too, holding his waist. Keeping him close as he squeezed his stinging eyes shut. Don’t cry, don’t cry… He’d already cried too much ever since his anxiety over this surfaced, he didn’t need to do it here, too. In front of Minho. While he was kissing him. While they were celebrating Minho’s birthday, albeit early.His eyes stayed shut even after Minho pulled away. To look at him, he assumed, because his thumb brushed away a couple of tears. Kibum shook his head, opening his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he didn’t need to see to be able to hug Minho. He clung to him, relishing just how tightly Minho was holding him, how warm and comforted he felt, here in his arms.“I’m sorry.”It was out before he could even think of holding it back.Minho’s hand that had been rubbing his back stilled, but he didn’t release him. Or even move away. “Bummie, you don’t have to be. When I said I understood, I meant that.”He let out a heavy sigh. “But I’m…it’s just so ridiculous. It’s not like I’m the only person who has ever been cheated on. Years ago, at that. I’m being a fucking idiot.”“You’re not,” Minho said simply. Kibum sniffed, sat back, and reluctantly met his gaze. He offered him a small, kind smile. “You’re really not.” When Kibum didn’t respond, he pressed on. “He broke your trust. It takes time to heal from that.”“But, you—”“Bum, you need to heal just like I do. You’ve helped me so much already, being so patient despite all my bullshit…now you just have to let me return the favor.”“Your feelings aren’t bullshit,” he said quietly, and Minho chuckled, leaning in again to kiss his forehead.“Yeah?” Kibum nodded. “Then neither are yours.”Kibum watched him for a few seconds, getting increasingly irritated with himself as Minho’s smile grew. “God, what a way to celebrate your birthday,” he said, sullenly, which started Minho laughing. “I’m sorry, Minho.”“Don’t be. I can think of no greater gift, to be honest.” When Kibum’s brow furrowed in obvious confusion, Minho added, “That you feel comfortable and safe enough, with me, to talk about this.” Kibum sighed again, and Minho chuckled, leaning in to kiss his brow. “Go ahead and unpack, babe, I’ll make us some coffee.”They held each other’s gazes as Minho slipped out of bed, and Minho grinned at him as he doubled back to kiss the top of his head before he left his bedroom for good. Kibum still watched him as he puttered around the little kitchenette, getting their coffee situated. Only when the first cup started to percolate did he slide his leg out from under him and step off the bed to unpack his things.Despite Minho’s reassurances, the guiltiness lingered the rest of the day, even with the distractions Minho provided. Because, once their coffee was drunk and they were as bundled up as they could manage, they trooped across the untouched, slick road to the snow-covered beach. They stayed out there for hours, playing in the snow as if they were kids again with the occasional pause for Minho to get a reference shot. Or, more frequently the longer they stayed outside, pictures of Kibum, for the memories.He got some of Minho, too, of course. With his rosy cheeks and the snowflakes caught in his lashes and the fringe peeking out of his beanie and the scarf that Kibum had insisted he wear.They got a few together, too. After Minho had a spectacular fall when Kibum gave chase with a snowball, and, laughing, Kibum flopped down beside him to catch his breath after all the running. They laid there for a moment, breath pluming and melting into the heavy clouds high above them. He tilted his head toward Minho, holding his phone up and telling him to smile. Minho obeyed at once, and Kibum snapped a few pictures before Minho turned his head to kiss his cheek.“I love you,” he said as Kibum took another picture.The twinge of guilt mingled uncomfortably and awkwardly with the flush of pleasure at the soft declaration. He wasn’t sure what his face had done in the picture, because he had been focusing on the warm brush of Minho’s lips against his chill-bitten cheek.Instead of conjuring up an inadequate response that would leave both of them disappointed, Kibum turned his head, his hand catching Minho’s jaw so he could kiss him.They held hands the whole way back to the studio, not only to keep each other steady in the slick snow but also because the beach and stretch of road was still deserted. Once they had changed out of their wet clothes into dry, warm ones, Kibum made them some more coffee then joined Minho downstairs, keeping him company while he got to work. Minho was painting, and Kibum straightened up a little bit, getting distracted with flicking through the occasional sketchbook or apparently abandoned work-in-progress paintings.There was a drawer of them. Unfinished paintings. Watercolors that he had started, likely on location, but something made him stop and never pick it up again. He carded through them slowly, enraptured as usual by the way Minho saw the world around him. He paused when he found himself staring back at him.It was, like the others, unfinished, but even though some of it was still partially a sketch, Kibum was able to place where, if not when it happened. He was in bed, his face warmly lit by candlelight off to the side. He looked tired, but happy, smiling about whatever they were talking about, since this had likely happened during one of their nightly video calls.Sighing, Kibum stuffed the stack of paintings back into the drawer, then went over to where Minho was transfixed by his commission piece. His hand slid over Minho’s shoulder and settled on his chest, and Minho smiled as he leaned up against him, looking up at him expectantly.“Hungry?” Minho nodded, and Kibum bent to kiss his forehead. “I’ll go make us something, then.”Once upstairs, he took stock of Minho’s fridge, starting a batch of rice while he gathered Minho’s stock of banchan that he was sure came straight from the cafe. Before the rice cooker dinged that it was done, he had situated everything for their bibimbap, arranging the bowl as prettily as possible before he carried them both downstairs.Minho abandoned his painting, joining Kibum at the counter and taking the stool beside him, his knee pressing up against his as Kibum took a seat. “Thank you, Bummie, this looks incredible.”Kibum smiled shyly, stirring his bowl as Minho started to eat.Snow continued to fall, casting a tranquil spell over them as they both worked into the night. Minho, making great progress on his commission piece, and Kibum made some Minho-approved posts and tweaks to the profile for his studio’s Instagram. When he was done, and Minho had flicked on the lamp behind him, now that the snowy gloom of dusk had begun to set in, Kibum dragged up a chair to Minho’s station, sitting close enough to barely impede his movement as he watched him bring the scene to life.At the moment, he was working on the stretch of wet sand from a recent wave lapping at the shore. It was tinged pink from the sun, framed by a thin line of frothy white bubbles. Just looking at it, he could almost smell the ocean, feel the warm evening breeze of that night they had spent at Sagye Beach a few months back. Even though he could tell just from the rock formations in the distance, that this was not their stretch of Sagye, if it was Sagye at all.He sighed, his thoughts drifting merrily off to his successful distraction of Minho while he attempted to paint the sunset that now sat on Kibum’s side of the bed. Minho pulled the brush away from the canvas, looking over at him.“Do you want me to stop for the night?”Kibum smiled, searching Minho’s gaze as he shook his head. “Only if you want to.” Minho’s eyebrows rose in silent question, which Kibum answered with, “It’s relaxing, watching you work.”“As long as you’re sure.”In answer, Kibum scooted closer, his head resting on Minho’s shoulder as he turned back to the canvas. After a few minutes, he pulled out his phone and brought up the pictures from earlier, swiping through them. Several of Minho, laughing about whatever Kibum had just said in the moment, coming closer to him in every subsequent shot until he was standing directly before him, looking into the camera, his cute expression brightened as his lopsided grin met his twinkling eyes. Then, there was a selca of himself with Minho in the distance crouching low to get what he assumed must be the perfect shot of whatever he was looking at. He had given the camera an exasperated glance as he took the picture, which made him sniff a laugh now.The next set of pictures was them lying together in the snow. Kibum flicked through them slowly, pausing when he arrived at the one where Minho had turned to kiss his cheek. The next would be right after Minho’s declaration of love. He gulped, thumb hovering over the screen, and then he swiped quickly.Minho’s expression captured his attention first. Probably because he didn’t want to face his own.He was watching him, gaze tenderly heavy-lidded, the curl of his lips pressing the promise of a smile to Kibum’s rosy cheek. Reluctantly, Kibum dragged his gaze over to himself, his heart sinking a little at his wide, almost frightened eyes. His slightly parted lips. His distracted, vacant stare.Why couldn’t he be normal about this? Why couldn’t he just accept this about himself?It wasn’t like Minho made it hard to l…like him. The opposite was true. It should be effortless. It was. Or it would be, if he’d just stop holding himself back.He swiped backwards a few times, back to one where they were both smiling and giddy and happy. Then, he opened Instagram to make a new post, setting it to be seen by his close friends only before he started choosing pictures from the day.The first slide was a still of the falling snow with the backdrop of the gray sea. The second was a video of the icy waves washing over the toes of his snow boots. The third, the one he got of him and Minho, even if Minho’s back was to the camera and he wasn’t paying attention at all. The next was a selca of just himself that he rather liked. The last, the happiest one of them together in the snow, cheek to cheek, eyes shining as Minho was on the verge of a laugh.After captioning it with Home is where the heart is, he posted it.Not a moment later, Minho’s phone vibrated, the sound tearing his attention away from his canvas for a second, only for him to glance right back at it immediately before he reached for it. “What’d you post?”Kibum snorted softly. “Do you have post notifications on for me or something?”“Of course?”Smiling, Kibum stood, his hand holding the back of Minho’s head as he laid a gentle kiss in his hair. “You’re so cute.” Minho sniffed a laugh, and Kibum kissed him again. “I’m gonna go get ready for bed.” He stepped away from him, heading for the stairs. “Do you want me to make you a tea or something?”“That sounds nice. I’ll be up for it soon.”“I can bring it down for you,” Kibum said, stopping at the base of the stairs and looking back at him.Minho shook his head. “I’ll stop for the night in a bit.”“Alright.” Kibum watched him until he turned back around, looking down at his phone for a second before he set it aside and picked up his brush again. Once he was a few steps up, his phone buzzed, too. He flipped the screen to see a notification. choiminho_1209 liked your post! Smiling to himself, he hurried the rest of the way up.As soon as his tea was steeping, he changed into his warmest set of pajamas and washed his face. The light was still on downstairs by the time he had finished, so he started Minho’s tea before he stirred a spoonful of honey into his own and carried it over to the balcony door.It was still snowing, if only just.A faint glitter of it fell into the warm pool of light from the lamp across the street. He leaned against the cold window pane, holding the mug with both of his hands, his sigh fogging it up. Maybe it was because he had just been watching Minho paint for a while, but he could almost picture how this wintery scene would look under the influence of Minho’s brush. The watercolor wash of midnight blue framing the scene. The lamplight that seemed to glow, even though it was merely paint on paper. The delicate pinpricks indicating the falling snow.Kibum turned at the sound of approaching footsteps, smiling at Minho as he appeared. Minho, who looked as if he had been about to turn to head toward the bed, redirected as soon as he reached the top step. He grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch, holding it open so he could wrap Kibum up in it as soon as he reached him. And then, continuing to hold him, his arms wrapped tightly around his chest, his lips pressed against Kibum’s shoulder as he looked out at the snow, too.“Did I look cold or something?” Kibum asked, leaning his head back until it rested on Minho’s.“Mm. It was a possibility.” Minho lifted his chin, his face turning toward Kibum. “But really, I just wanted to hug you.”Grinning, Kibum looked over at him before returning his attention to the snow. “Isn’t there a song like that?”“Is there?” Kibum hummed his assent, and Minho sidled closer. “Maybe it can be our song.”“How many of those do we get?”“As many as we want.” Kibum snorted, looking back at Minho, whose brightly amused gaze was trained on him. “What? We need one for every occasion.”“I suppose that’s true. Always be prepared.”“You should have been a Marine.”“Shut up!” Kibum brought his elbow back with a laugh, meaning to shove Minho away, but he dodged him, grinning. Shaking his head, Kibum looked back at him, trying and absolutely failing to look disgruntled. “Go get ready for bed.”Brow furrowing seriously, Minho nodded once then stood at attention with an exaggerated salute, then broke into a laugh again when Kibum sucked his teeth loudly and turned back toward the window. He kept watching the snow and sipped his steaming tea, listening for the moment that Minho was heading to bed so that he could join him.The bathroom light flicked off after Minho finished brushing his teeth, leaving the street lamps the only source of light in the loft, faint though they were. Kibum turned, watching Minho’s silhouette approach. “Are we not going right to bed?” Minho shot him an incredulous look, and Kibum cracked up. “What? You know it’s past my bedtime.”“I didn’t think you’d have a bedtime while you’re here.”“But I have to stick to my schedule.” A lame excuse, and he knew it. But, what, was he just supposed to outright say that he wanted to go to bed and cuddle until one or both of them fell asleep? Like, where was the fun in that? Minho’s hand patted between his shoulders, then followed the curve of his back until it settled at the small of his back. “Aren’t you tired?”Minho shook his head, then leaned in to kiss Kibum’s temple. “But we can still go to bed. I don’t mind.” Kibum smiled, which Minho must have noticed, because he bent to kiss his cheek before he moved away. He didn’t wait for Minho’s hand to fall away from his back before he turned to follow him. He set his mug on the kitchenette counter as he passed it, then crawled into bed as soon as Minho turned down the covers.They were cold, but they wouldn’t be for long.Kibum immediately settled beside him as Minho pulled the blankets up around them, his hand finding Minho’s arm in the dark and guiding it until it settled around his shoulders. He pulled Kibum closer, his hand caressing from his shoulder to his arm and back up again as Kibum wrapped his arm over him, pillowing his head on Minho’s chest and shoulder as he looked out at the snow.“This is nice.”“Mm. Today was nice.”“It was.”“I wish…” But Minho’s voice drifted off until Kibum prompted him with a sleepy hum. “I wish I could spend every day with you.”Kibum smiled, his hold on Minho tightening. “Someday.” His eyes were starting to droop. Inhibitions lowering in his tiredness. Or, at least, that was his excuse when he said, “My lease will be up soon.”Minho shifted beneath him. “Yeah?”He nodded, letting his eyes close, even if he wasn’t about to fall asleep. “We’ll have to figure out…what we want to do.” Would it be too early to move in together? By then, they would have been together for a full year, friends for almost four. It wouldn’t be like they were rushing into it. “Can’t do long distance forever, can we?”“No, we can’t,” Minho said, sounding rather pleased.Kibum sighed, his hand slipping beneath Minho’s t-shirt, his fingers curling around his waist. “Later, though.” They could talk about it later. Closer to June. Because one of them would have to decide to upturn his entire life to join the other either here or there. And that wasn’t a discussion that could be randomly had.“Sure,” Minho said softly just before he pressed a kiss to the top of Kibum’s head. “Whenever you’re ready.”He kept drifting nearer to sleep, yet never quite reaching it, though, content as he was to stay alert and aware of Minho’s every move and breath. He was asleep, Kibum was sure, because he had long since stopped caressing his arm. They both stirred when Kibum’s alarm ripped through the night. Right at midnight. Kibum reached over Minho to grab it from the nightstand on his side so he could silence it.“What was that for?” Minho asked groggily, rubbing his eyes as Kibum settled back around him.“I just wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday.” Kibum’s fingers grazed over Minho’s cheek as he turned his face toward him, his thumb brushing the corner of Minho’s lips as they curled in a sleepy smile. “Happy birthday,” he whispered, then leaned in, meeting Minho in a kiss. “I hope it’ll be a good one.”Minho smiled against his lips. “Oh, I think it will be.”“What makes you say that?”In answer, Minho kissed him again.Since the get-together that Sooyoung and Taeyeon had planned for Minho’s birthday wasn’t set to happen until after business was done for the day, he and Minho enjoyed a peaceful day at the studio. They fell into their summer habits, where Kibum would tend to the shop while Minho painted. Because of the blanket of snow, the foot traffic was minimal, so they were able to enjoy a laid-back start for their day. The few people that came in were ordering some last-minute Christmas gifts, which Kibum took the orders for.“You know,” he said as he took the stool at the counter, drawing Minho’s attention away from his intricate work of painting the couple in his commission piece. “You really should have an order form.” Minho blinked at him. “Like, canvas size, color palette, basic description…that sound of thing.”“Mm, mhm.” He nodded distractedly, turning back to his easel. “That’s a good idea.”“Of course it is,” Kibum muttered, twisting around in his stool and stretching across the counter for Minho’s laptop. Thankfully, no one else came in while Kibum was working on the first mock-up for Minho to look at. Minho was still painting the fine details of the couple, glasses donned now as he worked with the tiniest brush Kibum had ever seen. “Hon?” It took a few more tries for Minho to look over at him, slightly cross-eyed until he blinked. “Can you come look at this?”Minho tucked his paintbrush behind his ear as if it were a pencil, leaving a smear of dusty pink in its wake. His hand slid across Kibum’s shoulders as he stopped beside him, squinting down at the computer. “What’s this?” Laughing, Kibum explained again, this time pointing out the different sections of the sheet to him. When Minho was silent for a few seconds longer than he was expecting, Kibum turned, looking up at him.Maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised to find him watching him with fond adoration, but…“You didn’t have to do that?”“You like it?” Kibum asked, looking back at the screen, scrolling back up to the top.Minho shifted beside him, kissing the top of his head. “I do. Thank you, babe.” He kissed him again, Kibum’s heart fluttering a little at the softness of it all. “I really appreciate it.”As Minho got back to work, so did Kibum, making some final tweaks to it before he sent it to the printer. Then, he made some room below the counter in the shop for them. He brought a couple back with him to the counter, along with the notes he had taken for the Christmas presents that had been ordered today, and started copying them down in his neatest handwriting.He made room on the cork board for the forms, tacking them up next to portraits of Yerim, the puppies, and himself. It was one of the many pictures he had sent him since they had been separated, this one specifically was taken at his company’s Halloween party where the support staff mixed with the idols they represented online. It was of him and Joohyun, her dressed up like a gothic vampire, and him in as close as he could get to Minho’s description of what he had looked like as a merman in Minho’s dream a few months back.Minho’s astonished reaction to the selca he had sent before he left for the party had been worth it, but now that he knew that he had painted it as well…There really is no escape for him here, is there? Kibum thought as his gaze traveled from portrait to portrait, the vast majority of them being of him. The portraits had long since expanded from the cork board, dotting the wall around it amidst Minho’s other sketches and paintings and reference pictures around Jeju that he had printed out.He glanced over at Minho, who was still engrossed in his work, and smiled before he started for him. Waiting until he lifted his brush from the canvas, Kibum touched his arm to let him know he was there before he stepped up beside him. Minho read his mind and scooted over, making room for him to sit beside him on his little bench.“Almost done for the day?” Kibum asked, tearing his gaze away from Minho to look at the painting.There were still a few spots that looked like they hadn’t been finished by Minho yet, familiar as he was now with Minho’s painting style. What was missing was the scattered rocks around the beach didn’t have the usual distinction of light and shadow and algae, plus, the lack of any vegetation when he remembered some sort of tall thin grass with a hint of flowers in the forefront of the reference picture. What he couldn’t gauge was how long those additions would take him.Minho rubbed his hand over his face, looking at the painting when Kibum turned back to him. “I think so. Almost done, though. Just have to finish up—” He gestured to the spots that Kibum noticed, but then also at a large stretch of sand that Kibum then realized was undefined. “Tomorrow, though,” Minho said, on a sigh as he set his brush aside.Smiling, Kibum leaned in to kiss his cheek. “You did well today.” Minho smiled, too, as Kibum pulled away, his eyes glittering as he met his gaze. “I’ll go close up and we can get ready to go.”“Wait,” Minho said before Kibum could scoot off the narrow bench. He did, looking back at him, smiling at once when Minho leaned in to kiss him, his paint-flecked hands going into Kibum’s hair as Kibum reached for him, his fingers curling in Minho’s sweater. “Thank you for all your help today,” Minho whispered once their lips parted.“Happy to help,” Kibum said before he kissed him again.When they—eventually—parted ways, Kibum locked the doors while Minho went upstairs to hop in the shower before his party at the Kim’s in less than an hour. The shower was running by the time Kibum made it upstairs, and he only sorted through his clothes before Minho appeared in the open doorway, eyebrows raised in silent question.“What?”“Aren’t you gonna join me?”Kibum set down the jeans he had been contemplating, grinning up at him. “I thought we didn’t want to be late?”“But…it’s my birthday?”Kibum snorted and Minho’s pleading pout melted away into a smile. “Fine.” He stood, stretching for a second before he reached for the hem of his sweater, then paused, his gaze roaming over Minho before he met his eyes again. “But you can explain to them why we’re late.”Laughing, Minho reached for him to take the sweater off himself. “I’m sure I’ll be able to think of something,” he said, tossing the sweater aside before he gathered him in his arms, kissing him at last.Or, yet again.Whichever.They were late, and not because of how long they lingered in the shower. Well, not only because of that. They had a few minutes to spare by the time they were dressed and bundled up and ready to go, but when they made it outside, they found the dismal, snowed-in state of Minho’s tiny car.“Should we just walk? It’s not that far away…” Minho asked, glancing at Kibum as he scratched the back of his neck.So they did, Kibum texting Jonghyun that they’d be there as soon as possible before he stuffed one hand in his pocket with his phone, and the other, he reached for Minho’s holding it the whole way to his aunt and uncle’s house, since it was growing dark and there was barely anyone else out on the roads.They arrived, windswept and chill-kissed, to a full, warm home. Some of the Kims had thought that this was a surprise party, which made the others laugh, and once they had their coats off and slippers on, they gathered around the table, which was set up for a full-blown, restaurant style barbecue. Everyone tended to themselves, except for Kibum, because Minho was quietly insisting on grilling his meat for him, despite his whispered protests that it was his birthday and shouldn’t he be the one to do that for him?Minho shushed him with a smile as he put together a wrap for him.He, however, did help clear up the table, following Aunt Miyeon and Taeyeon into the kitchen with the collected dishes.“Is that enough candles?” Taeyeon whispered, pointing to the cake sitting on the counter.“What do you mean? He’s the same age as me,” Kibum said, then counted each of the brightly colored candles, the rainbow of hues matching the color swatches of frosting that blurred together like watercolor on the sides. “Yup, thirty-one.”“Okay.” She pulled open the drawer to her left, rummaging around for the lighter, which she then passed to Kibum.By the time he lit them all, she had gathered the plates, and Aunt Miyeon was waiting with both hands full of fresh sets of chopsticks. Carefully, Kibum slid the cake off the counter and started for them, letting them lead the way back into the living room. He started singing as he rounded the corner, alone for only the first few syllables. Minho, adorably wide-eyed, stopped mid-story and turned to him, his surprise melting away to a smile as they all approached, his eyes on Kibum alone.The others were hurriedly making room for the cake to be set down as Kibum reached the table, sliding the cake into place across from him just as the song concluded.The light of the many candles danced in Minho’s eyes as he searched Kibum’s gaze, looking down at the cake once Kibum gave him an encouraging nod. After a few seconds, he closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly before opening them again to blow out the candles in one breath. Once the last candle winked out, Minho caught Kibum’s gaze again, giving him a wink before he accepted Aunt Miyeon’s offer of clean chopsticks.Smiling to himself, Kibum took his place beside Minho, sidling up beside him, his hand resting on Minho’s thigh as he looked at the contents of the cake—chocolate with some sort of fruit filling. But, to his surprise, Minho turned to him, kissing his cheek before he went in for another bite. Kibum’s smile only grew, bashfully now as he glanced around the table, but everyone else seemed to be focused on getting their piece the cake.By the time they started off for home—a bag of leftovers in one hand and presents in another—night had completely fallen. And, it had started to snow again. Kibum didn’t mind, though. Not with his arm linked with Minho’s, the cheery crunch of their boots in the snow, the warmth radiating between them in their closeness. He sighed happily, his head resting on Minho’s shoulder as they turned off into the alleyway behind the boardwalk shops.Again, Minho turned to him, kissing the top of his head this time. “I’m glad you had a good time.”Kibum lifted his head, and Minho’s expression softened when their eyes met. “I hope you did, too.”“Of course, I did.”He could feel it in the air between them. In their mingled breaths, their tangled gaze. The silent I love you that Minho was probably on the verge of saying—it had been several hours since he last had the chance, after all. The yearning to put voice to….to that stirred again, behind his heart. But as his lips parted and Minho’s eyebrows rose in quiet anticipation, he knew it was no good. The ridiculous anxiety throttled the burgeoning yearning, constricting his heart until it was almost painful.Instead of apologizing like he probably should have, Kibum shook the handle of the bag containing Minho’s presents down his wrist, then reached for Minho’s other arm and went up on his tiptoes as he met him in a kiss. Minho released his hand, and, now that it was free, he wrapped his arm around Kibum’s waist, pulling him as close as possible. Only, both of their coats were puffy, so while they protected them from the chill of the winter night, they did nothing to alleviate the desire—no, need—to feel his touch, his caress, his skin gliding against his own.Would he ever be content with just one kiss ever again? Would either of them?“Let’s go inside,” Kibum said breathlessly as their lips parted.“Are you getting cold?”Kibum shook his head. Minho searched his gaze for a second before understanding glimmered in his eyes—or was that the reflected light of the streetlamp?He found his hand again, tugging him along as he headed for his studio’s back door.Kibum grinned, eagerly letting himself be carried away.The days leading up to Kibum’s return to Seoul made him regret his too-short trip to visit Minho. Because Christmas and New Years were fast approaching, he could only take a four-day weekend to come down to Jeju because he was needed at work. Unfortunately. He’d have much rather of stayed here, tucked away in Minho’s cozy studio, enjoying the peace and the playful, flirty spats that usually ended with a bout of laughter or, better yet, a kiss.Really, he had not needed to unpack at all, but he liked the idea of making himself at home in Minho’s space, like he had last summer. But, it just made this—the packing up—that much more of a drudgery.They both were sitting by Kibum’s luggage, Minho quietly folding his things while Kibum glumly arranged them in his suitcase.“When will you be able to come visit again?” His eyebrows shot up as he looked over at Minho. “For Christmas?”Minho blinked, staring blankly past him for a second before he he sighed, then gave him a sad smile that held his answer. “I’d like to, but—“Kibum averted his gaze, his hopefulness deflating as he patted the slacks Minho had just folded.“I’m not sure if the weather will be good then.” He folded a sweater, passing it to him. “Though, I think I’d try to swim across the sea if the planes weren’t able to fly me to you.”Snorting, Kibum looked over at him again, and Minho smiled when their eyes met. “Then I guess it’s good I’ll be in Daegu for the holidays. Less work for you.”“That’ll be nice.” Kibum scooted a little closer to him, so that their knees were pressed together. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and you’ll get snowed in here tomorrow.”But, unfortunately, he did not.They set out for Jeju City earlier than either of them would have liked, and in Taeyeon’s car, since her’s did better than Minho’s in the snow. It was a more somber drive than Kibum had hoped for, but the wind was buffeting the car this way and that, and the roads were still slick in some spots, so he let the silence linger longer than he would have liked so that Minho could concentrate.When they arrived at the airport, they both took a bag, starting the chilly trek inside. Minho joined him at the check-in counter, and once his luggage was taken away, he expected Minho to hug him and let him go to the security checkpoint alone. But no, he followed him to the end of the line, too.“Are you coming with me or something?” Kibum asked, amused.“That’d sure be nice, hm?” Kibum nodded, stepping forward when the family before them did. Kibum followed, and Minho shook his head. “I just want to stay with you for as long as I can.”And he really did.Until the end of the line, right before Kibum got called up to the ID checkpoint. He pulled Kibum into a long hug, tucking his face into his neck for a few seconds before he rested his chin on his shoulder. “I’ll stick around in case your flight gets canceled.””You don’t have to, Min…”“And let you be stuck here?” He sucked his teeth as he pulled away from him, shaking his head at him in mock disbelief. “Please.” Kibum barely registered the Next in line, please of the woman behind the podium as he looked up at Minho. “Let me know when you’ve boarded?”Kibum nodded, and Minho stepped away, letting him go. Once Kibum was cleared to pass through the partition, he looked over, finding Minho easily in the sparse crowd. He waved with the hand holding his ID, and Minho raised both of his hands to wave back until Kibum passed through security and lost sight of him.As soon as his hands were free to do so, he texted Minho You’ll text me when you make it home?Of course was his immediate reply.There was no delay for his flight to Daegu, and he let Minho know he was on board as soon as he was situated in his seat.Alright~ have a safe trip~~ ❤️You too ❤️❤️❤️ he texted back. Just in time, too, because the attendant instructed them over the intercom to switch their phones to airplane mode.The flight to Daegu was as uneventful as ever, even with the thick coating of snow. He texted Minho Landed as they taxied to the terminal, then the same to the family group chat, someone of whom was likely waiting for him at arrivals. Dad sent a 😀👍 which Kibum took to mean that he had been the one to brave the roads to come get him.He was safely back home, Comme Des asleep in his lap while he and Mom watched a rerun of one of her favorite dramas when his phone vibrated in his hand mid anxious spin. Kibum flipped the screen toward him, seeing that it was Minho calling.“Are you okay?” He asked, immediately upon answering.“Yeah,” Minho said, chuckling. “Just walked through the door.” As if to back him up, the soft yet distinct sound of the studio door closing punctuated that. “Thought I’d call instead of text.”“Oh.” Kibum relaxed into the couch, curling up a little now that he was no longer so tensely waiting for Minho’s text. “Was it bad?”“Mm, no? Kinda like the drive in, but with more people on the road.”“Ah.” Minho sighed heavily as he—Kibum could tell—started up the steps, but Kibum could hear the smile in it. “What?”“Can you stay longer next time?”Kibum grinned, casting a quick glance over at Mom, who had muted her show and was doing her best to pretend that she wasn’t listening to them, and Yerim, who had come out of the kitchen and was sitting perched on the armrest of Mom’s chair, munching on a handful of hot pot potato chips. “I miss you, too,” he said as quietly as possible, but Yerim still heard him.“You literally just saw him. So cringy,” she said, loud enough for Minho to hear, apparently, because he started laughing in Kibum’s ear.“You try being long distance with someone,” Kibum said, sucking his teeth at her. “It’s not easy.”“No, I’m fine, thank you,” she said cheekily, grinning when Mom started to laugh, too.“I mean, there’s Taemin, if she—“ Minho said“I’m hanging up on you.”He cut off Minho as he cackled into the phone, shaking his head with a begrudging smile as he opened their messages. I’m glad you made it back safely, he texted, before setting his phone aside so he could hold his hand out to Yerim, gesturing for her to pass him the bag of chips in her hand.Kibum made the long drive up to Seoul the next day, laden as usual with snacks for the road pushed upon him by Dad. It took him a couple of trips to not only get everything up to his apartment but also take the puppies on a bit of a longer walk to get their energy out before he resettled in his apartment. Only, once he was back upstairs, locked away at last in his apartment…his empty, quiet, rather gloomy apartment…Sighing heavily, he turned on the light and pushed away from the door, trudging further in.It was strange, being so lonely in his own apartment.He flopped down on the couch, rolling onto his back and waited for the puppies to settle around him before he got out his phone. His gaze caught on Sun of a Beach, and he flipped his phone between his fingers, letting it settle on his thigh before he flipped it again as he contemplated the painting.Minho’s Christmas present was probably being made right now, if it weren’t already finished. He had ordered a complete set of the paint-making kit that had caught his eye in the art supply shop back in August. Maybe it was already on its way to Jeju. Maybe Minho would get it today…He held up his phone, looking at the empty screen, then dropped his phone on his chest and pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. “I miss him.” He let out a drawn out sigh, then chuckled, exasperated at himself. “Really, like crazy…”He opened his eyes again, glaring at the living room, then rolled off the couch, the puppies following him on his way into the kitchen so he could get them all something to eat.Work did help to take his mind off of it. The loneliness, the desire to see him more often than just their nightly video chats that, more often than not, these days, bled into the morning. All the events for the groups he worked for that were piling up the closer they got to the end of the year were keeping him occupied until the very last day before they breaked for the holidays. Posts drafted and queued, schedules double and triple checked to make sure that every detail was correct.All the lights in the office were off, except for beyond the doors leading into the hallways. Kibum was making sure that his cubicle was clean and ready for him to return after New Years, his phone in his hand as he used the flashlight to see what he was doing. It vibrated repeatedly in his hand, but in his exhaustion, he frowned at his desk phone before he looked down at his screen.Minho was calling.“Hi,” he said, drawing it out cutely—tiredly. “How was your day, honey?”“Fine. Would have been better if you were here, though.”“I can’t deny that.” Minho chuckled, the sound filling Kibum with warmth. Making him wake up a little bit more. “Are you still sure you’re not gonna be able to—““Yeah, sorry, no.” He sounded quite dejected, and Kibum, no longer interested in being at the office anymore, started for the door. “Remember? That last minute commission came in and now I won’t be able to come.”Yes, the commission that had kept him occupied during all of their video calls since Kibum had gotten back to Seoul. The commission that, despite Kibum’s questions about it, Minho had yet to show him even a glimpse of it.“No, I understand.” He leaned heavily against the door until it pushed open, then stumbled into the dimly lit hall. “It just sucks.”“It does.”“We’ll have to figure out when you can come visit next.”“Mm. Mhm.” The door to the parking garage buzzed for a second as Kibum opened it with his keycard. Minho perked up, and Kibum glanced around the nearly empty garage with a small smile. “Are you still at work? Do I need to let you go?”“I’m leaving now, and no. I’m sorry to say it but you’re stuck with me until one of us falls asleep.”“God, that sounds horrible.”“You’ll cope.”Minho laughed as Kibum fished his keys out of his bag so he could unlock his car.It was probably their longest call yet, even if they were asleep for nearly half of it. Minho only hung up when he was about to hop into the shower the next morning, even after Kibum graciously said they could still stay on the call. Really, it was a good time to hang up, even if Kibum would have liked to keep talking to him…indefinitely. But, he needed to get on with his day. Not only did he have to finish packing himself to head down to Daegu, but he also had to pack for the puppies, who were on their way to Joohyun and Chaejin’s since he wouldn’t be taking them on his flight that was leaving in…a few hours.Yet again, it was just Dad who picked him up, and the drive home was oddly quiet, even for Dad. Stranger still, Dad just headed straight inside after he pulled into the driveway, leaving Kibum to fend for himself with his—admittedly easy to handle—luggage. Mom was pointedly not meeting his eyes when he got inside, even after he hugged her, and Yerim was trying very hard not to smile—he could see it in her eyes.“What’s going on?” He asked, his gaze darting between the three of them.“Nothing,” Yerim said, with a brave attempt at schooling her features.“Do you want something to drink?” Mom asked, finally looking at him, if fleetingly. “I’ll get it for you while you put your luggage in your room.”“No. I’m fine.” Bewildered, he looked between them all again before he started toward the hall. “Be right back.”Yerim snorted, earning herself a glare from Kibum as he passed her on his way to his room. The door was ajar, so he toed it open, pushing inside to find…Minho….lounging on his bed…reading one of the books from his shelf. He dropped it onto the bed, laughing brightly when Kibum just stared blankly at him from the doorway.“Hi.”Kibum squinted at him. “You lied to me.”Grinning, Minho slipped off the bed, starting for him. “I think lying is okay when it’s for a surprise.”“As long as it’s a good surprise.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up, the silent question that he clearly already knew the answer to in his eyes as he took Kibum’s luggage from him to set next to his before he made his way back to him “You’re in luck, because this is a good surprise.”Minho collected his face in his hands, gently stroking his cheeks with his thumbs. “I’m glad.” Kibum tilted his face up, and Minho met him in a kiss.“When did you plan this?” He asked after pulling away.Minho smiled. “As soon as you asked me if I could come here for Christmas.”“Bastard,” Kibum whispered, and Minho let out a chuckle that was cut off when Kibum kissed him again, only for it to be cut short as soon as he remembered that his family was mere steps away.“I’ll make it up to you.”“Oh, you will. Just not at my parents’ house.”“Of course not.” Minho leaned in for another kiss, and Kibum let him. “I already have a plan.”Kibum’s eyes widened, and Minho grinned at him as he reached around to lightly smack his ass before he slipped past him in the doorway to go join his family.Plan? What plan? When would he find out?He stared at their luggage nestled together on the other side of his bed, blinking rapidly for a few seconds before he sniffed a laugh. As much of a menace as he was to have planned not only this secret trip to visit his family, but then also something else on top of it? It was a good thing, Minho being so comfortable now, with them.Though, the thought of all four of them combining their efforts to mess with him was a bit of a daunting prospect.Sighing, internally resigning himself to this happy turn of events, he slipped out of his coat and tossed it toward their luggage before he rejoined the family.Dad was in his armchair, and Minho was sitting beside him in the other one, so Kibum took one of the empty spots on the couch. He caught Minho’s eye, patting the space between him and the armrest, but Minho shook his head, so Kibum leaned against it, trying and failing not to keep looking at him.Since Minho had definitively said that he wouldn’t be able to come—again, what a devious (adorable) bastard—Kibum had been trying so hard to not be sad about it. But now that he was here, with him…spending Christmas together, bringing in the new year together…it was almost a taste of what could be, should things continue like they were between them.Because the new year brought with it fresh starts and new beginnings, and though they were several months into their relationship, and several years into their friendship, it would be like turning the page of a book to the next chapter.Wouldn’t it?What would this new chapter bring for them? Would they move in together like he had been hoping for? Would he go to Jeju, or would he bring Minho up to Seoul? And then, further down the road, if such a thing would ever be possible…marriage? Would he…would Minho want that, eventually, too?He blinked, pausing mid-twist of his ring, and came back to the present to realize that he was still looking at Minho, and that Minho was giving him a questioning look in return. Kibum shook his head, averting his eyes, and tried to join in the conversation at hand, which, he realized, was about favorite Christmas presents that they had ever received.“Min,” he said suddenly when a thought struck him, accidently cutting Mom off. “Oh, sorry.”“No, it’s okay.”Minho was watching him, clearly curious. Probably thinking he was about to say what was just on his mind. Which, no. “Did you bring your present with you?”He frowned, then shook his head. “I wanted to but it made my suitcase too heavy with the other presents.” Presents? Plural? What did Minho get his family? “I can open it on a video call when I get home.”Kibum hummed, nodding. “Okay.” Then, he touched Mom’s arm. “Sorry again.”The rest of the day was exceedingly relaxed, even when he and Minho took to the kitchen to whip up something easy for dinner. They even, at Minho’s insistence, cleaned up afterwards, Minho washing and rinsing the dishes while Kibum dried and put everything away.Mom and Dad went to bed first. As soon as their bedroom door closed, Kibum slipped off the couch and went over to the armchair Minho was sitting in. Minho was watching him eagerly, amused as Kibum sat on the armrest. He leaned back, fully expecting for Minho to catch him—he was not disappointed. Minho cradled him in his arms, smiling down at him as Kibum rested his cheek against his bicep.“Hello,” Minho said cutely.Kibum sighed, all at once feeling content and sleepy, but before he could say anything, Yerim piped up with “If you want me to go to my room, you can just say that.”“No, you’re fine,” Kibum said, not looking away from Minho, even though he glanced her way with a laugh. He waited until Minho looked back at him, smiling faintly when their eyes met. “I’m so glad you’re here.”Minho moved his hand from Kibum’s side to cup his cheek, which Kibum immediately leaned into. “Me too.”He hadn’t been expecting to doze off out here. But he was so comfortable, and Minho so warm… When he eventually stirred, he could barely hear the tv, but knew it was still on, because it was the only light in the living room. A blanket was covering him, and one of Minho’s hands was in his hair, lightly twirling a lock of it as he watched whatever was on the screen.Minho looked so serene. At peace and at ease. The same could not be said during their last visit to his family, and he couldn’t help but be pleased and relieved that Minho clearly felt so comfortable with them now. His thoughts wandered back to his first summer in Jeju, when he decided to make it his mission to befriend the skittish and reclusive Minho. He hadn’t expected it to lead to this—to him being happier than he had ever thought possible. Hopefully, Minho felt the same. Which, when Kibum shifted and Minho started and looked down at him with a soft smile, Kibum was sure he did.“Ready to go to bed?”Kibum nodded. “You could have woken me up earlier.”Minho sniffed a laugh. “I didn’t mind. Even if my arm fell asleep a while ago.”Smiling, Kibum turned his head so he could kiss Minho’s arm, then looked back up at him. “Feel that?” Minho nodded, his smile growing. “Why do you keep lying to me?”He laughed aloud, albeit quietly. “I’m not. It’s my forearm, not my upper arm.”“Oh,” Kibum’s eyes widened sarcastically, which made Minho laugh again, and he sat up, shifting until he was half in his lap. “I didn’t know we were being so technical.”Minho shifted, too, sitting up a little straighter, one hand settling at his waist and the other resting on his blanketed thigh. “We don’t have to be.”“Okay, good,” Kibum said as he leaned into Minho, his arm sliding around Minho’s shoulders.He could feel the way Minho’s breath caught by the way his chest moved against him. Kibum smiled, his other hand reaching up to caress Minho’s jaw as he drew him into a kiss. As a result, Minho’s relaxed hands tightened a little, and Kibum had to remind himself that they were at his parents’ house. He broke the kiss when the thought took hold, and it took a few seconds for Minho’s eyes to open.He laid his hand over Minho’s, the one that was on his thigh, and slid off of him and the chair, lacing their fingers together. “Let’s go to bed, Min.”Minho came willingly, his gaze so tender when Kibum looked back at him that it almost felt like a caress. “What?” Minho asked when Kibum stopped in his tracks, his free hand automatically finding his hip once he reached him.It was hard to put into words exactly what that look in his eyes stirred within him. A desire to…kiss him? That was always there. To be closer? How much closer could they be? To…to say it at last? He could feel his face fall as his anxiety took a firm hold, extinguishing the warmth that had begun to spread through him.Minho’s brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”“The…” He grasped wildly for something, anything that he could say. The blueish light flickered over Minho’s face, and Kibum cleared his throat, continuing lamely with “The TV is still on.”“Oh, shit,” Minho turned around, still holding Kibum’s hand and taking him with him as he stepped back to turn it off, blanketing them in total darkness. “Okay, babe, you’ve got to lead the way.”“Right.” Right…He tugged on Minho’s hand, bringing him back toward him as he started for his bedroom.When they woke the next day, on Christmas Eve, they found that it had snowed. Just a light coating, but enough that they had to bundle up if they wanted to go outside. Which, they did, because Kibum wanted to take Minho around Daegu—or, as far as they could on foot—to show him bits and pieces of his childhood. Since his parents still lived in the same house they had had before Kibum was even thought of, the most vivid memories he had from growing up were all pretty close by. The furthest was the little boathouse on the river where he had his water skiing lessons, but Minho didn’t seem to mind the exercise.The path along the river was untouched, except for the meandering trails of wildlife prints meandering across the snow. So Kibum slipped his hand around Minho’s arm, clinging to him just because he could while they walked through the quiet park and he pointed out spots in the icy water where he had his most memorable moments, whether they be good or bad.“We should go sometime,” Minho said as soon as he stopped laughing after Kibum described one of his spectacular spills in the water. “It’d be fun.”“Here?” Minho nodded. “Or in Seoul?” He hummed, interested. “There’s a place I’ve been to once or twice that’s just down the road from my place.”“Really?” Kibum nodded, looking up at him as they plodded along. “Yeah, we should go. You can show me how it’s done.”“I’m sure you’ll do just fine. You’re built for that sort of thing.”“Is that why you’re dating me?”Kibum nodded solemnly. “It’s the only reason, actually.”Minho grinned, then laughed as he shook his head. “You and your jocks.”Kibum stopped walking immediately, letting his hand slip away from Minho as he continued on down the winding path. “I’m going back to the house.”He only made it one step before Minho wrapped him up on his arms, pressing a smiling kiss to his almost numb cheek. “You started it.”“Shut up,” Kibum said with a wry smile he was struggling to hide.Minho kissed him again before they headed back to his parents.Once the others went to bed that night, he and Minho snuck back out and used the dimmest setting on the lamps so that they could wrap their presents for the others. Minho had to muffle his laughter when Kibum leveled him with a droll glare when he saw that Minho had gotten Yerim a handmade trinket from Taemin’s shop.Sighing dramatically, Kibum left him to his own devices, rummaging around in the kitchen for wine glasses and a cork screw. “Babe,” he called out quietly, starting to come around the corner.”Wait there!” Kibum froze, eyes widening as he glanced at the glow emanating beyond the corner. “I’m wrapping your present.”“Oh.” Curiosity piqued, Kibum had to resist the urge to peek. “I was just gonna ask if you wanted red or white.”Minho hummed as the sound of scissors gliding through wrapping paper sounded. “White.”“Okay.” He opened the bottle, pouring a little and then tasting it before pouring glasses for both of them. Once the wine was put away, he twisted the stem of the glass in his left hand, looking back at the light of the living room. “Am I good to come back?””Yes.”So Kibum came back in, passing Minho his glass after he was sitting back down beside him. There was an attempt to surreptitiously look at whatever his present was. He spotted something thin and flat and sort of wide and long. Curious. However, Minho caught him looking, and he tucked it partially out of sight with that sheepishly cute look in his eyes—the wide-eyed, trying not to smile one. Kibum held his gaze as he sipped his wine, smiling when he set his glass aside.“Do I get a hint for what it is?”“Can you really not wait until tomorrow morning?” Kibum shook his head emphatically. Minho sniffed a laugh, shaking his head. “Fine.” Kibum tilted his head expectantly. Waiting. Listening. “Remember that sudden commission I got?” Kibum nodded. “This is that.”Oh? He had been working on it so earnestly for several weeks during their calls…now he was even more intrigued, but what he responded with was, “More lies to make up for.”Minho chuckled, reaching for the book he had bought for Dad as well as the scissors. “I’ll do my best.” Kibum let out a wistful sigh, which earned him a grin from Minho.Once morning came and everyone had their beverage of choice, the presents were handed out so they could begin opening them. Yet again, Minho declined sitting on the couch, but he did take the floor beside where Kibum was sitting, his present from Kibum’s family clutched in a loose embrace as he watched the others begin to open theirs as Kibum, well, watched him.When was the last time he had celebrated Christmas like this? He couldn’t remember either him or Jonghyun or Taeyeon mentioning that Minho had come over for Christmas morning. What did he do, then? Work without distraction? Sit alone in his studio and just wait for the day to end?Kibum reached for him, his fingers caressing his neck and sliding up into his hair, stroking him softly as Minho turned to look at him as Yerim gushed over her little glass poodle that Minho had bought for her. His dark brown eyes were a little damp with just a tinge of redness to them as he pursed his lips in a tight, yet clearly happy smile. Then, he leaned against Kibum’s thigh, his head resting there for a second before he patted his knee and sat up to finally unwrap his present, which turned out to be an expensive set of gouache paints—he had expressed interest in trying the medium during his last visit here—and a couple of fresh sketchpads of varying sizes that would work for gouache.He saved his gift from Minho for last, being careful as he unwrapped the thin present. The wrapping fell away revealing…a sketchpad? Kibum glanced down at Minho, who was watching him, then back at the pad as he flipped it open.It was a calendar for next year, the numbers meticulously written in Minho’s best handwriting—Kibum recognized it at once—but the pictures…”It’s for your desk. At work.”Kibum hummed, still entranced by January’s painting. The only spots of color on it were Kibum’s pink beanie and his striped scarf, but the rest of the beach was painted in shades of gray. It was taken from a memory of his most recent trip to Jeju. From that day they had gone to enjoy the snow at the beach across the road from Minho’s shop. In the painting, they were running down to the water, and even at the distance that was depicted, Kibum could tell that the painted version of him was clutching Minho’s sleeve for balance.He turned the page to February, and spotted a note written on the back of the page. But he wasn’t about to read whatever it was with his family right there. February’s painting was a stormy beach, washed over in indigo and gray, rain pelting around a cute depiction of Minho’s little car. One of the tires was flat, and in the windows of the front seats were hints of orange. The tangerines.March brought them to Sagye at dusk, the sunset as spectacular as he had ever seen it. The presence of the car, too, brought to mind that this memory was taken from the first day that they had been together as a couple, so when he turned the page again, heat flooded his cheeks at the sight of yet another note that he would be ignoring, for now.He flipped a couple of pages ahead, landing on June to find that it was the front of the boardwalk shops at night, little pinpricks of white among the clouds for the stars. All the shops were dark and empty, save for the cafe at the other end, which seemed to glow with the neon magenta lights of the karaoke machine. The occupants inside were mere silhouettes, but Kibum could still tell that the one at the mic was Minho, singing to the painted Kibum at the bar.All the days were written in black, except for one. The twenty-sixth. It was written in the same shade of magenta as the karaoke lights. Their one-year anniversary.Tentatively, Kibum turned the page, flipping the book over so that he could read the note at the back, but Minho quickly reached around, gently holding the pad down.“No, no,” he said quickly with a nervous glance at Kibum’s family. “I meant for those to be read at the end of every month.”Oh. “Okay.” Now he wanted to read them even more. “I’ll do that, then.” And for Minho, he’d keep his word, no matter how hard it’d be to resist the urge.He looked back at the front cover of the book, his thoughts wandering to the magenta twenty-six. If June 26th was there one-year…he quickly did the mental math to find that tomorrow would be their six-month anniversary.He glanced at Minho’s profile, because he was focused on watching Yerim open the last of her presents. Was that part of his aforementioned plan? Doing something special to celebrate this milestone?Minho must have felt his gaze, because he looked back up at him, and the hand that had been aimlessly caressing Kibum’s thigh since he stopped him from reading the note paused, his eyebrows raising in question. Kibum shook his head with a small smile and looked back at his family, trying very hard not to get distracted by thoughts of what tomorrow might bring.His suspicions that something was happening tomorrow were confirmed when he got back to his room for the night after showering and rounding off his skin care routine. He opened the door to find Minho sitting amidst both of their open luggage with a partially filled backpack.“Where are we going?” Kibum asked, unable to keep the smile from infiltrating his voice as he leaned against the door, pushing it closed.Minho grinned up at him, watching him avidly as he progressed into the room and laid down across the foot of the bed so he could watch him. “Packing for us. We’re going somewhere tomorrow and won’t be back until the day after.”“Do I not get to know where?” He shook his head, going back to his—or rather, their—packing. “Just how many surprises are you inflicting on me during this visit?”Instead of answering, Minho shook out a sweater of his, contemplating it. “Help me pick out something for you.”“How can I know what’s appropriate if you’re not gonna tell me?”Minho dropped the sweater in his lap, shooting him an amused, exasperated look. “Kibum—” Kibum snorted, then clapped his hand over his mouth, since the rest of the house was asleep. “Just help me. Please.”Smiling, Kibum slid off the bed and stepped over their luggage to sit beside him.In the morning, once their breakfast was had, they were on their way, stopping to get coffee before Minho took him to the train station. He went up on his tiptoes to peek at where Minho was buying tickets for. Busan? His eyebrows shot up as he sank back down to his normal height, watching Minho with interest as he led the way to the platform.He glanced around at the sparsely populated platform once Minho took them to the right one, then leaned closer to him, which made Minho look down at him.“What are we going to do in Busan?” Kibum whispered, even though he didn’t need to.Minho shrugged, the movement jostling Kibum a little, from how close they were. “Whatever we want.” Kibum’s eyebrows shot up again, and Minho gave him his crooked grin. “The only thing I booked was the hotel.”So, once they were boarded, they sat pressed together to look at Kibum’s phone for things they could do for the day and a half that they would be there, though there was room for a whole other person on Minho’s side of the bench. Before they got off the train, Kibum had the directions already loaded to the cafe they had decided on for lunch.It was a clear, sunny day, without even a tinge of warmth. In fact, it was so cold, the air glittered in the sunlight. There were some clouds in the distance, but nothing that looked like it was about to ruin their promise of a nice day. Still, they stayed as huddled together as possible until they were safely inside the cozy little cafe.They took one of the tables by the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Kibum started to peruse the menu, looking up when Minho let out a sigh. His attention was trained on the glittering sea, a faint smile brightening his features. Kibum watched him, smiling too, until he looked away and down at the menu in his hands.“Do you miss it?” Minho tilted his head to him, humming in question. “Being near the ocean?”“Oh, I—“ But the waitress arrived, and after a quick consensus that neither of them were hungry enough for an actual meal, they both got lattes and a tiramisu to split. As she left, their menus in hand, Minho looked back at him. “I do. Not that I don’t like visiting you or your family, of course.”“Oh, of course,” Kibum said matter-of-factly, yet with a hint of a laugh. “I’m glad we’re tolerable.”Minho grinned, leaning toward him. “You’re way more than tolerable.”“Well, that’s nice to hear. I look forward to the rest of my sixth-month review.” Minho snorted, and looked as if he were about to respond, had it not been for the waitress returning with the coffee and dessert.Minho sat back, one hand loosely holding his coffee cup as he watched Kibum whip out his phone to get a picture of their spread. He snapped a few, then held it out to Minho, who immediately got to work. Leaning back until the sunlight highlighted his profile just so, he took the first of the pictures, but that was the last serious one, because Kibum broke into a laugh at how into getting a good angle Minho was. Grinning, Minho got a few more candids where Kibum was mid-laugh at whatever dumb instruction Minho gave him for a pose.“Come on, just trust me. I’m the professional artist, here.” Which, of course, earned him a glare that Kibum struggled to maintain, despite Minho’s smugly cheeky smile that his reaction elicited.Their lattes were at the perfect drinking temperature by the time Minho was done. He scrolled briefly through the pictures, mentally picking out a few early favorites for a post or two to document this trip, before he set his phone aside and grabbed a spoon so he could dig into the tiramisu. He was about to take his second bite when he looked over at Minho, finding him with his own phone out to take another picture.“What’s that for?” Kibum asked softly, spoon laden with the creamy tiramisu.“For me,” Minho said, smiling fondly at his screen before he set his phone aside. “Is it good?” He asked, reaching for his own spoon.Nodding, Kibum held out his spoon without thought, letting Minho have the bite he had been about to take before he went in for another.Once they had finished, they bundled back up and stuck close to brave the frigid weather together. It was Minho who pulled up the walking directions to their hotel on his phone, and they followed them, both of them keeping a lookout for interesting spots for a date, if they felt so inclined. There were a bunch of restaurants and cafes with stunning views of the ocean, but as they stopped, Minho looking every which way for the sign of the street they were supposed to turn on, Kibum glimpsed an art gallery nestled between a restaurant and a tea shop. Minho tugged him along before he could mention it, but he did file it away for later.As soon as they stepped inside the lobby of the hotel, they were blanketed in a welcome, tingling warmth that spread through them the further in they went. Kibum left Minho to check them in, and he walked around the spacious lobby, taking in the plush luxury of the crushed velvet furniture, the gleaming gold accents, the tall, spotless mirrors that made the room seem like it went on forever, and the lush array of greenery spread between the columns lining the high-ceiling room.He stepped up to the nearest of the mirrors, rubbing at his still-red nose and fixing the way his fringe fell over his brow until he caught Minho approaching behind him. He met his gaze in the mirror, Minho smiling as he did so, and turned to him.“We’re on the third floor.”Nodding, Kibum stepped up beside him as Minho led him past the grand staircases that framed the reception desk and led to the floor above it that, when Kibum asked, Minho said was where the kitchen was. Kibum leaned back a little, glancing up at the open kitchen and the chefs within it before they disappeared behind the wall that held the elevators.“This is a beautiful place,” Kibum said as he pressed the button for the elevators, and Minho nodded. “When did you book it?Minho shot him a sheepish look, his eyes glittering with the smile he was clearly trying to suppress. Kibum sighed, shaking his head, and Minho chuckled as the doors opened. He held his hand out against the opening, making sure that the doors didn’t close before Kibum could step inside. Minho followed him into the empty elevator, the doors sliding shut as he set his backpack down on the floor between him and the mirror-like gold wall.“Third floor?” Kibum asked, finger poised to press the button for it. Minho hummed his agreement, and Kibum pushed it, the elevator gliding upwards as Kibum made his way back to him, neither looking away from the other. A delicious anticipation eradicated the lingering chill from their trek through the city when he reached him. He reached for the lapel of Minho’s coat, his fingers trailing down to fiddle with the first button. “Is this a…drop our luggage off in our room and head back out thing, or can we stay for a while?”His gaze flicked away from Minho’s coat and up to meet his eyes, within which he found Minho’s answer written quite plainly.But then the elevator dinged, the doors sliding open to reveal the third floor as well as a handful of other guests piling in. So, Kibum stepped back with a grin as Minho scooped up his backpack and led the way out into the corridor.“What’s our room number?” Kibum asked, reaching into Minho’s coat pocket for their room key, even if Minho had the free hand to do it himself.“3110.”So, almost completely on the other side of the hotel. At least the walk gave him ample time to shed his beanie, scarf, and coat as they walked the length of the hallway, Minho trailing a step or two behind him. He unlocked the door, tossing his winter wear haphazardly aside and pried off his shoes as he held the door open for Minho.The door clicked shut.Minho’s backpack hit the floor with a muffled thud.Kibum’s gaze locked with Minho’s as he unraveled his scarf from around his neck, the anticipation he had been feeling now palpably electric in the space between them. He stepped closer as the scarf slipped away and out of Minho’s hand, pooling somewhere unseen on the floor. Kibum gulped as he reached for Minho’s coat, trying not to appear too eager as he helped him out of it.Once he was free of it, Minho tried to unlace his boot while standing, but when he almost lost balance, he went over to lean against the armrest of the couch while he did so. Kibum followed him, glancing about the room. A spacious suite, the sunlight pouring in through the gaps in the blinds and spilling across the foot of the bed looking deceptively warm.One of Minho’s boots was tossed heavily aside, clunking against the floor.The light in the bathroom was off, but he could still see a reflection of the walk-in shower in the mirror above the vanity. He was about to go inspect it out of curiosity when Minho’s other boot joined the first, the sound of which drawing Kibum’s attention back to Minho, who beckoned him closer with a look.As soon as he drew near enough, Kibum carded his fingers through Minho’s hair, Minho leaning into the touch as his hand slipped around to cradle his face. “It’s a nice room.”“Is it?” Minho looked up at him as Kibum’s thumb brushed over his cheek, his dark eyes glimmering as Kibum stepped closer, their legs slotting together. “Haven’t really noticed.”“Didn’t you pick it out?”Shrugging, Minho offered him his crooked grin as his hand found Kibum’s waist, pulling him another step closer. Kibum’s hand shifted until his thumb grazed the corner of Minho’s lips. “Yeah, but I’m a little distracted at the moment.” Kibum’s fingers slipped beneath Minho’s chin, tilting his face up, just a little bit. Minho gulped, his hand shifting at Kibum’s waist, his fingertips grazing the sliver of exposed skin. Kibum shivered; Minho’s grin grew. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”For one fleeting second, Kibum considered drawing out his attempt at teasing him. But he couldn’t resist the temptation of Minho’s parted lips, the unspoken promise of what each oncoming kiss, each caress would bring.So he succumbed.Willingly. Eagerly. Wholeheartedly.Until they were sated and spent, tangled together still as they basked in the peachy glow of the setting sun.Kibum’s eyes were nearly closed, his smile faint as he clung loosely to Minho, who was lazily pressing kisses to Kibum’s skin wherever he could reach. He hummed absently—blissfully, dreamily—when Minho lingered at his collarbone, his fingers curling around his neck. He whispered Minho’s name, just for the pleasure of saying it, and he could feel Minho’s smile until he broke away, looking up at him.He forced himself to open his eyes a little wider, still playing with the hair at Minho’s nape as he settled over him.“Do you want me to stop?”He shook his head sleepily, then added, “Never.”Minho’s smile grew. “That’s a long time.”“I know.”So, Minho kissed him again, starting with his lips, staying there until Kibum broke the kiss himself, only to continue on his cheek. Then, along his jaw to the tender spot where it met his neck. He chuckled breathlessly when Minho nipped lightly at his neck before he kissed him there, and he arched a little, pressing closer as he swam through his haze of desire to reach for him.His fingers dug into Minho’s back before they slid up to capture his face in his hands. He kissed him properly again as he rolled them over so Minho was on his back. His head thudded gently against his pillow and he looked up at him, grinning. Eyes bright, cheeks flushed, lips glistening as his hands settled on Kibum’s hips, his thumbs caressing him softly as he searched his gaze.The thought of what their life would be like once they lived together tickled the back of his mind as he kissed him again, Minho’s arms encircling him. Holding him close. Keeping him there, safe and sound in his embrace.Would this passion remain as the years passed? Would they grow tired of each other’s kiss? The other’s touch? He couldn’t imagine it. But that was now, when they were aching to be with each other, in any context. Would they still be desperate for the other’s company when they lived under the same roof? Or would things grow stale between them like they had with Joonwoo?Would Minho leave him, too?The thought made Kibum break the kiss, his chest heaving as he pressed his forehead against Minho’s, his eyes squeezing closed.Minho’s brow furrowed—Kibum could feel it—his hand stroking his side. “Everything okay?” Kibum huffed an exasperated sigh as he shifted, tucking his face into the curve of Minho’s neck. “Bummie?”“Sorry, yeah, I—” He sighed again, taking a deep breath in before letting it all out. “It’s nothing.”Because it really was nothing. He was being stupid. Minho wasn’t Joonwoo, which he knew all too well. Minho patted his back as he shifted again, bracing his arms around him so he could sit up marginally and meet his curiously confused gaze.He gestured to his head, rolling his eyes before looking back at Minho. “Something made me think of Joonwoo, that’s all.”Minho frowned so quickly that it almost made Kibum laugh out loud. “Something I did?”“God, no.” To think that Minho thought that the way he kissed him was anything like Joonwoo…Kibum snorted, pressing his face into Minho’s chest for a second before he composed himself and looked up again. “I’m just being anxious for no reason. Don’t worry.”“I’ll worry about you if I want to.”“You don’t have to. Not about this,” Kibum said, knowing full well that Minho’s response would be something like Well, I’m gonna. He wasn’t disappointed. Smiling, Kibum kissed him chastely, then scooted away, moving to get out of bed. “I think I’m gonna go shower?”Minho’s eyes lit up, but he didn’t move until Kibum reached for his hand, tugging him along.Kibum left Minho’s side when he stopped to rummage through his backpack for their toiletries, heading into the bathroom alone to get the shower going. The water was almost to Minho’s preferred level of scalding when he joined him, bottles of shampoo and conditioner and body wash in hand. Kibum reached around him, closing the glass door behind him as Minho set all the bottles down.“It’s so roomy in here,” Minho said with a happy sigh as he slipped beneath the water, squinting through the stream at Kibum.“Almost as big as your place.”“Shut up,” he said, laughing as he ducked out of the shower and reached for him.Bringing him closer.Though, the shower floor was slick, so Kibum had to reach out to him, his hand resting at his side. He knew Minho was smiling before he looked up at him, and he could help but smile in return at the unabashed adoration shining in his eyes. He leaned into Minho’s palm when he gently cupped his face, his eyes closing as Minho’s thumb brushed over his skin.Even with his eyes still being closed, he wasn’t surprised to feel the tender press of Minho’s kiss on his forehead. It was his soft “Can I wash your hair for you?” that made him open his eyes again and look up at him. “Is that alright?”Kibum nodded, and Minho’s smile softened, somehow, before he kissed his brow again and reached for the shampoo. Preemptively, Kibum closed his eyes, ready for the welcome massage of Minho’s fingers through his hair as he lathered up the shampoo.He really was being stupid.Yes, things between him and Joonwoo had grown sour, despite his desperate attempts to cling on. There had been a lack of desire to continue learning about each other. And, it wasn’t that there was no mystery left—clearly, given that he had hidden the presence of Daejung for the better part of six months—nor were they too comfortable with each other that they shared everything with abandon. For his part, and especially toward the end, he had found himself trying to tamp down his feelings, holding himself back from being, well, himself when he was around Joonwoo.He could see that easily enough, now, looking back. But with Minho..?What was that phrase…about taking off your rose-colored glasses to see the world for how it really was? He’d kept them on for far too long with Joonwoo. With Minho, however, in moments like this when he was slipping those glasses off and looking around at the world, it was still in technicolor—more vibrant and exciting and inviting than it had been before, without him.Minho guided his head below the stream, beginning the process of rinsing out the shampoo.He really couldn’t have chosen a better partner, could he.But, then, if that were the case—and it very much was—what was holding him back from saying /it/ right now? It wouldn’t be a lie. He was painfully aware of that fact. It hadn’t been for a while now. Longer than he cared to admit.Minho’s fingers squeaked through his clean hair, and Kibum looked up, squinting through the streaming water as Minho’s hands slipped away from him to reach for the conditioner.
Just say it. It’s not that hard.
He opened his mouth; Minho’s eyebrows rose slowly in question.
You’d mean it, so just fucking say it already.
“Minho—““Hm?”“I—“Panic gripped his throat, squeezing so tight that it was hard to even breathe, as the rest of their relationship flashed through his head. Fleeting images, too quick to latch onto most of them. But still, he was able to grasp that he would drive Minho away. His love…it would be too much. Too overwhelming. It would suffocate what they had now, just like it had with Joonwoo, until one day Minho wouldn’t be able to stand him, either.He gulped, hoping against hope that Minho couldn’t read the fear in his eyes, and managed to say, “Shouldn’t I wash your hair, too?” If Minho were disappointed in him, it didn’t show. Which he was grateful for, because he might have begun to cry. But, no, he bowed his head as Kibum reached for the shampoo to start on him.Once they were finished in the shower, dried off and wrapped up in the fluffy white robes that the hotel provided them, Kibum realized he was hungry. He grabbed one of their abandoned towels to ruffle it through his damp hair again as he trailed after Minho into the suite. Instead of going toward the bed like Kibum had been expecting, Minho surveyed the room, inspecting every surface he passed. Just as he was about to ask him what he was looking for, Minho doubled back to the TV stand and picked up a thick folded piece of paper.He waved Kibum over before he made his way over to the bed, collapsing on the foot of it. Grinning as Minho rolled over to make room for him, Kibum flopped down beside him, pulling the room service menu that Minho was unfolding toward him.“How’d you know I was getting hungry?”“You know?” Minho said airily. “I kinda figured you would be. Plus, I can read your mind.”Kibum’s eyes widened involuntarily as his head snapped to face Minho, but only for a second, because he forced himself to relax. Yet again, Minho made no show of noticing Kibum’s slight shift in expression, even if he was sure he did.Damn him for being so attentive, to be quite honest.“So,” Minho sidled a little closer to him, tilting his head until it rested against Kibum’s temple. “What do we want to eat?”The cuisine in the restaurant was very Italian-leaning, which made Kibum’s decision that much harder. Eventually, they agreed on a portion of creamy seafood pasta would be big enough for the both of them, as well as a steak that Minho ordered for himself on the side. For dessert they decided on something light and opted for a platter of fresh cut fruit and a bottle of champagne.Though it was probably ill-advised, when the food arrived, they took it straight back to the bed. Sitting close enough for the plate to rest on both of their knees, they shared the pasta, Minho holding the plate steady every time Kibum tried to dig the meat out of a mussel with his fork. He shared a few bites of his steak, too, until Kibum told him to save it for himself.Once the plate was scraped clean of sauce and Minho collected their plates to drop them back off outside their door, Kibum set aside the platter of fruit and slipped out of bed, going over to open the blinds of floor to ceiling windows. The lights of the city winked back at him through the falling snow, the faint patches of moonlight shimmering in the indigo ocean.The door clicked shut. Minho sighed. Kibum’s focus shifted from the world outside to their reflection within so he could watch Minho approach like he knew he would.And, he was right.His arms encircled him, and Kibum leaned back against him with a contented, sleepy smile, the back of his head resting on Minho’s shoulder.“Today has been so nice,” he murmured, his head lolling toward Minho.Minho patted his stomach before wrapping him up a little tighter. “It has.” He nuzzled his face into Kibum’s neck, kissing him there. “Can you believe it’s only been six months since we started dating?”“Only?” Minho smiled against his neck as Kibum scoffed. “Makes it sound like you feel like you’ve been suffering.”“No, no, of course not,” Minho said with a laugh, and Kibum smiled as he lifted his head to look at him. “It just feels like it’s been longer, that’s all. In a good way,” he added quickly, when Kibum’s brow started to furrow. “Like, with how comfortable we are with each other.”Smiling, Kibum turned, his hand gliding up Minho’s back to nestle in his hair. He twirled his finger at the nape before he lifted his chin. Minho, who was never one to miss such an opportunity, met him in a kiss. Humming in contentment, Kibum leaned into him as Minho’s hands slid around him, gripping his waist to keep him there.He wasn’t sure which of them broke the string of kisses, but neither of them moved away. Savoring the closeness, or at least, he was. Kibum blinked slowly, looking up to meet Minho’s gaze, only to find that the reflected lights of the city were glittering in his eyes. When they softened, Kibum’s stomach dropped, because he was sure that he was about to hear—“I love you.”Kibum gulped, unable to make himself look away.He made it seem so easy. Maybe it was. It should be. Would be, if he weren’t being stupid.It was Minho who stepped back, his hands leaving Kibum’s sides, though one of them grabbed his hand before he could drop it from Minho’s shoulder. Then, he lifted it to press a gentle kiss to Kibum’s knuckles and didn’t release it as he started for the bed.Great, he was about to disappoint him even more, because he wasn’t sure if he could muster up the energy for anything more than cuddling. The back of his throat started to prickle as tears stung his eyes, the apology lingering on the tip of his tongue until Minho released his hand before crawling onto his side of the bed and settling on his side, then pushed the platter of fruit to the middle of the comforter.His gaze flicked to Kibum, who was still standing awkwardly at the foot of the bed. He reached across the platter, patting the other side of the bed in an invitation for Kibum to join him.So, he did.Once Kibum had made himself as comfortable as possible at the moment, Minho cleared his throat and reached for a delicate slice of melon. “Do you want me to stop saying it, Kibum?” Damn you for reading me so well… “Because I can hold myself back, until you’re ready.”Kibum watched as he ate the slice, then set aside the thin rind before he reached for another. “But you shouldn’t have to.”Minho searched his gaze, his eyes intense and a little too penetrating. As if he were peering straight into his soul. “Babe, I wasn’t lying when I told you I would be willing to wait for you to be ready.” Kibum shook his head, the urge to cry burning his eyes, his throat. Minho nodded, watching him with a soft smile. “Because I am. As long as it takes, I’ll wait happily.”“But, why?”Because I love you, of course hung heavily in the space between them, the silence gnawing away at the unspoken declaration. When Minho’s lips parted, he expected for him to say it, but instead, he said, “Because I want to return the kindness you showed me throughout the years we’ve known each other. I owe a lot of who I am today to you, and I’m so grateful to have you in my life. I don’t want to drive you away or make you uncomfortable or feel like you’re pressured to do anything you don’t feel ready to do. It wouldn’t be fair to you, after how patient you’ve been with me.”“Oh,” was all Kibum could manage before he started to cry. Not sobbing, thankfully. He didn’t even feel himself screwing up his face to hold the tears back. They just started to fall on their own, the dam finally broken.But before he could wipe the tear tracks away, Minho reached across the bed, lightly cupping his face as he gently brushed them away. “I’m sorry.” When Kibum frowned, Minho laughed softly. “If I’ve made you feel guilty or if I’ve made things worse. It wasn’t my intention.”“It’s not your fault,” Kibum said, sniffing then rubbing his nose.“Well,” his thumb caressed his cheek again, “I hope you don’t feel like it’s yours, either.”Minho’s hand left his face and he scooted away, taking the platter of fruit with him as he left the bed. Kibum tried to dry his face as Minho stuffed the platter in the mini fridge across the room, then disappeared in the bathroom only to emerge a few seconds later with a box of tissues. He turned off the room lights on his way back to the bed, letting the glow of the city light his way back to Kibum. He handed him the box of tissues before he disrobed and turned down the covers on his side.Kibum hurried to clean off his face before he did the same, shivering as soon as the robe was off. But the chill didn’t last for long, because as soon as he had climbed in, Minho threw the covers over them both and scooted closer to him, holding him at once. His skin was warm against his, and Kibum sighed as he buried his face in Minho’s neck, leeching comfort he knew he didn’t deserve from the steady rhythm of his breathing, the faint beat of his heart that he could just feel where his fingers were splayed against his chest, and the tickle of Minho’s fingers moving lightly against his back.He fought with himself in the silence for several moments, barely holding himself back for declaring just how undeserving he felt at the moment, that he was sorry he ruined their half-anniversary, that if Minho were sick of this, well, then, he really couldn’t blame him because he quite frankly was but just couldn’t see how he could get over this, no matter how badly he wanted to. Because wasn’t that enough? Knowing that you were being absolutely ridiculous and knowing that what you were feeling would likely be alleviated if you just said what you were dying to say but…but…Minho pressed a kiss to his hair, immediately quieting Kibum’s racing thoughts. Another, and Kibum relaxed, letting himself sink a little further into Minho’s embrace.Wait…thinking about it now…If it were the other way around, like it had been this past summer…if Minho were the one struggling now…hadn’t he understood as best as he could? Hadn’t he tried to make Minho as at ease as possible so that, when he was ready, he would come to terms with starting something new? Wasn’t that all Minho was doing for him now? Shouldn’t he give into it?“Hm.”If anything, his fretful panicking was just making everything worse. Huge surprise there.“What?” Minho whispered into his hair.“Just thinking.”Minho lifted his head, his voice still quiet. “Do you want to talk about it?”“Not yet. Sorry, sweetheart.”“It’s okay,” Minho said, settling back in his hair so he could kiss him again.Kibum closed his eyes, smiling faintly against Minho’s collarbone. He’d never heal the way he needed to if he kept running from what he was feeling. Confront it, but not rush it, because he didn’t want to lose this. Or Minho.He sighed deeply, then pressed a kiss to Minho’s collarbone.
I do love you, you know.
He tensed up at the thought, but then Minho’s fingers trailed down his spine, and he hugged him tighter, pressing his cheek to Minho’s chest.He’d keep doing that—thinking it—until he was able to say it aloud. Until he couldn’t hold it in a second longer. Could be tomorrow, or the next week, or sometime in the new year…soon, hopefully.Very soon.* * * * *Snow was still filtering past the windows of their hotel room, the day gray and dreary as Minho opened his eyes. Or, at least what he could see of the day past where he was snuggled up to Kibum was. He must have been up for a while, because he was wearing his robe again and sitting up, whereas Minho lay beside him, his head half in Kibum’s lap with his arm thrown across him.Kibum fingers were carding through his hair as he hummed a quiet tune. When Minho shifted so he could look up, he found Kibum focused on the phone in his free hand, until Minho lifted his head, that is.“Good morning, beautiful,” he said with a cheeky smile as Minho blinked blearily up at him.“Morning.” He inhaled deeply, then sighed as he let his head fall heavily back into Kibum’s lap, and he immediately started playing with his hair again. Each stroke sent a faintly soothing tingling sensation down his spine. Smacking his lips, he cuddled closer to him, letting his gaze roam about the room until it snagged at the foot of the bed, where there sat a tray with pastries as well as the platter of fruit from last night. He blinked at the pair of them, then squinted. “How long have you been awake?”“A little while.” His hand automatically slid to cup the back of his head when he looked up at him again, and he tore his gaze away from his phone. “I made us some coffee, too. Can I get you some?”Minho nodded, then reluctantly lifted his head when Kibum made to slide out from under the covers. He watched as he crossed the room, his gaze roaming up and down him before he sat up and pulled the tray of pastries toward himself. Grabbing one of the croissants, he glanced over the tray and the two little ramekins filled with…well, the one was sweet red bean paste and the other some sort of curd. Minho picked up the red bean one as Kibum came back with two mugs of coffee.“Oh, yeah, I figured you’d want some of that. But you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to.” Kibum set his coffee down before he passed Minho his, then, he climbed in himself, settling snugly beside him. When he turned his head, he did a double-take when he realized Minho was still watching him. “What?”Smiling, Minho set the ramekin down on his plate before he reached for Kibum’s face, his thumb brushing his cheek gently. I love you, he thought as he gave him a chaste yet lingering kiss, then said “Thank you for thinking of me.” Another, softer kiss. “You’re very sweet.”Kibum’s slightly flushed face made him want to grin, to kiss him again, to keep being affectionate to see if he would get any more flustered. Instead, he drew his hand away from his cheek, already missing the contact, and got to work on his croissant, ripping off a bite and dipping the flaky, buttery pastry into the red bean paste.“So,” he asked as Kibum turned to get his coffee. “What’s the plan for today?”Kibum let out an excited Oh! and reached for his phone before he leaned back into him so he could see his screen, too. He’d apparently been looking up things for them to do since he was conscious this morning, and what he had picked out was a matinee showing of an American movie that they both had wanted to see, a cafe near the theater for lunch, an art gallery and museum that he had seen on their way into the hotel yesterday, and then a restaurant for dinner before they head back here.So, after they finished their breakfast, they got ready to head out. To Minho’s delight, Kibum took the sweater that he had packed for himself, leaving him with one of Kibum’s soft, pastel pink cable knit sweaters. Kibum acted like he was doing something mischievous by stealing Minho’s clothes, and while he played along, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a world in which he would be upset seeing Kibum wearing something of his.If there was, it was a world he never wanted to live in.As soon as they were bundled up in their coats and scarves and hats, they were off to brave the chilly day. The theater was the furthest away from the hotel, but, according to Kibum once they had settled onto the subway that would take them to their next connection, that was by design. If everything went to plan, they’d just be working their way back to the hotel all day.Once they made it to the theater, Kibum bought the tickets and their snacks and drinks, and Minho carried them as he followed Kibum to their place at the very back of the nearly empty theater. It did start to fill up, if only a little, but luckily, no one else was anywhere near them. Which seemed to also be by design, because as soon as the lights dimmed, Kibum pushed the arm rest separating them up so that they could snuggle while they watched it. Always pleased to find an opportunity to hold him, Minho slung his arm over Kibum’s shoulder, pulling him even closer as he reached for the popcorn on Kibum’s lap.Since it was a romcom, Minho made sure to kiss Kibum whenever the couple on-screen kissed. Quick, playful pecks at first, which earned him embarrassed grins and slaps to his thigh whenever he pulled away. But as the movie progressed, whenever the couple kissed again, Kibum was watching him hopefully, the shifting light of the screen gleaming in his eyes.How could he deny him anything he ever wanted whenever he looked at him like that?Unfortunately, the movie had to end, which meant that they had to untangle themselves before the lights turned back up. They reset the chairs and cleaned up the few pieces of popcorn that made it to the floor before they started back for the outside world.Snow was coming down harder, though not really accumulating much on the sidewalks or the roads. The cafe that Kibum had picked for them for lunch was warm and cozy, and their table was tucked into a dimly lit corner towards the back of the shop. Minho watched him as Kibum made himself comfortable across from him, an overwhelming burst of affection blooming within until he was sure it would burst out of him.In an effort to contain it, he reached for his phone to capture the moment—maybe he could study it later, once he was back home, to see if he could figure out why he was so overcome—as Kibum reached for the menu that the older woman who had shown them to their table had given him.“What do we want to eat?” Kibum mused aloud as Minho snapped the picture, then he looked up from the menu, amused as Minho set his phone aside. “What was that for?”Minho shrugged, and Kibum smiled as he perused the menu again.Once they had eaten their fill of what, to Minho, tasted like his mom’s cooking, they were off again, heading through the snow towards the gallery. There was some reprieve from the weather, since they had to catch the train to reach it, but neither of them truly warmed up until they reached the gallery and museum.Kibum gave him the option of which side he wanted to visit first, and he opted for the museum, since the air seemed warmer there. He hoped Kibum was having fun, too, and wasn’t getting bored as Minho inspected each and every piece of the museum, taking mental notes of the styles and techniques that were featured and intrigued him, before they moved on to the gallery.It was brighter in here, since the room was flooded with a natural light pouring in from outside. The gallery had several paintings featured, as well as a host of more modern-leaning art that tied in with the paintings around them. He got a few good pictures of Kibum interacting with the pieces, his favorite of which was one where Kibum had ducked behind a giant head of a sleeping man, his own head completely hidden behind the sculpture.After a while, he returned his attention to the artwork lining the walls, his mind wandering to which pieces of his he would choose for something like this. Not that the opportunity would ever arise, of course, nor was his work good enough to warrant something like this, but it was a fun thought.Kibum stopped beside him, his hand going to Minho’s arm, only to pull away a second later. Minho looked away from the painting he had paused at—the vibrancy of the blues had stopped him in his tracks—and over at him as Kibum cocked his head to the side, his temple nearly grazing Minho’s shoulder as he looked at the painting.“What if you did something like this?”Minho snorted, and Kibum looked over at him, bemused. “Is it your turn to read my mind or something?”“Oh?” His eyebrows shot up, and a smile played with the corners of his lips. “Was that what you were just thinking?”Minho sighed and looked back at the painting before he stepped away. Kibum came with him. “Sorta. I don’t see how, though. Or where.”“The ‘how’ is easy. You’re an artist.” Minho scoffed, and Kibum cuffed him on the arm. “There’s no way you can deny that, Min.”“I know.” He sighed again, shaking his head a little as he stopped at the next painting, though he really didn’t take it in.“The ‘where’ will take some thinking.”Minho’s brow furrowed and he shot him an incredulous look. “Will? As in, it’s going to happen, ‘will’?”“Why not?” As he tried to figure out a response to that, Kibum prodded him along to the next painting. “Obviously, I won’t force you to do it if you don’t want to, but I think it’d be a great way to really make a name for yourself. Isn’t that what you want?” Minho hummed thoughtfully, and Kibum went on. “If you want to…well, just let me know and I’ll work figuring out how to make it happen.”“You wouldn’t have to do it alone,” Minho said, glancing over at him as Kibum lifted his gaze to meet his. “If I do it, I mean.”“Yeah,” Kibum said, his smile a touch smug, now. “Of course.”Once Minho had gotten his fill of the artwork, his mind was buzzing with interconnecting thoughts and daydreams of the logistics for a non-existent gallery of his own. They let up only slightly once they were back outside and he had to switch his focus to their surroundings as Kibum looked up the directions to the restaurant he had chosen this morning. It turned out to be one of the most upscale restaurants he had ever been to in his whole life, where each course that was laid before them was more exquisite and artistic than the last. The chosen wines that accompanied the different dishes started to blend together as the night wore on, leaving Minho happily buzzed and Kibum teetering on the edge of tipsy by the time it came to pay for the check.Night had completely fallen by the time they made it back outside, a faint glitter of snow falling through the pooling beams of the streetlights guiding them back to the hotel. Kibum was clinging to his arm every step of the way, his cheek pressed against his shoulder. Minho couldn’t help but grin at the surrounding night, his heart almost fit to burst again from affection and love that he was just barely able to restrain.At least the hotel was in sight. In just a few moments, they’d be able to relax and be themselves again.All at once, Kibum stopped walking, his attention trained on the darkened alleyway lying just beyond the reach of the streetlights. Before Minho could ask if he had seen something, Kibum tugged him toward the shadows, letting go of his arm as soon as they were free of the beam of the street light. He slipped a little on the slick pavement, and Minho reached instinctively for him, grabbing at his elbow before he twirled around.His hand latched onto the lapel of Minho’s coat, and he grinned up at him as he pulled him a step closer, then he laughed to himself, resting his forehead on Minho’s shoulder.“What?” Minho asked, unable to keep from laughing himself.“We’re the Backstreet Boys.”Minho snorted, as Kibum’s head lolled back so he could look up at him again. “I think you’re drunker than I thought.”“Nuh-uh.”“That’s a very convincing argument.” Kibum ran his fingers down Minho’s lapel. “Come on, let’s go back to our room.” He shook his head adamantly as Minho made to start them back for the sidewalk. “Why not?”“Because I missed you,” Kibum said, his voice dripping with aegyo that was usually reserved for moments when he was trying to be as annoying as possible.Minho bit back a laugh, sighing as Kibum met his gaze again. “I’ve been right here all day, Bummie.”“Yeah, but…” He was pouting, and Minho couldn’t make himself look away from him if he tried. “I wanna hug you, even when I’m holding you.”I love you, too, he thought, but luckily held himself back from saying. Kibum may be a little drunk at the moment but not enough to forget him saying that by the time morning came.He dropped his hand from Kibum’s arm, letting it settle on his waist. “Is that better?” Somehow, Kibum both nodded and shook his head. Minho grinned. “We’ve just got a few more minutes to go and then we can hold each other as much as you want.”Kibum let out a heavy sigh, as if the prospect of walking the little ways they still had yet to go was too much to ask. Clumsily, he lifted his hand from Minho’s lapel to his cheek, the coolness of his ring offsetting the lingering warmth of his palm. His attention was trained on Minho’s lips, looking back up at his eyes only when his smile grew.“Do you want me to kiss you?” Kibum nodded. “Just the one time until we get back, okay?”Kibum sighed despondently, rolling his eyes a little as he breathed out, “Okay.”Sniffing a laugh, Minho cast a quick glance up and down the alley, just to ensure they were completely alone and out of sight of any passersby before he drew Kibum to him. He gave him a gentle kiss that was way too short, judging by the way Kibum was pouting when he pulled away, but really, his only priority was getting them back to the safety and privacy of their room.Both of them were shivering by the time they made it back into the lobby, so even though he probably should have at least tried to get Kibum to stop clinging to him so as to not arouse suspicion, he didn’t even bother, grateful as he was for the extra body heat radiating from Kibum. “Almost there,” he whispered to Kibum, rubbing some warmth into his arms once they settled in the elevator.They made the long trek back to their room, Minho moving to help Kibum out of his coat as soon as the door was closed and they were alone again. But before he could get very far, Kibum’s hand slipped over his shoulder and curled around his neck as he leaned back, looking up at him.“What?”Kibum blinked slowly, watching Minho with a faint, fond smile. Even though neither of them had turned on the lights yet, Minho could still see the question twinkling in his eyes. The request, more like. In answer, he gave him another brief kiss, then laughed when Kibum frowned at him.“Let’s just get ready for bed, then I’ll kiss you as much as you want.”That seemed to perk him up, if only until he got him out of his coat and boots. Then there was a little more gentle prodding to go through his nightly routine, in which Minho found himself applying the second half of Kibum’s skincare routine for him, because he was getting too lethargic to do it himself, and he knew he’d be upset if he missed it. Once he got Kibum in bed, he went back to the bathroom, getting him a glass of water and something for his head and stomach in the morning, just in case.By the time he joined him, Kibum had all but nodded off to sleep, though he roused when Minho climbed in as carefully as possible. Once Minho had settled, Kibum sat up to reposition himself in Minho’s open arms. His head rested against his chest, his heavy sigh tickling Minho’s bare skin.“Good day?”Kibum nodded, looking up at him after Minho bent his head to kiss the top of Kibum’s. “Someone drank,” he said, drawing out the words in a cute whisper, as if it were a secret.Grinning, Minho reached up to stroke the back of Kibum’s head. “Yes, you did. Are you feeling alright?”“So…good,” he said in a sigh as he laid his head back down on Minho’s chest, only to lift it again a second later. “Do you?” Minho nodded, and Kibum, seemingly relieved, went back to using him as a pillow. He let the silence linger, still petting the back of Kibum’s head as his breathing took on a steady rhythm. Just when he thought that Kibum might be asleep, his voice broke the tranquility. “I don’t want to leave.”Minho wrapped his free arm around him, resting his cheek against the crown of Kibum’s head. “Me neither.”He didn’t notice when he finally drifted off, but when he woke, the only thing that had changed was the daylight flooding the room. Kibum was still there in his arms, curled up beside him and looking as beautiful as ever, caught like he was in the pale sunlight. But, oddly, he was still asleep. With considerable effort, he managed to dislodge himself from him, then as quietly as possible, he started to pack.After he laid out their clothes for the day, he moved into the bathroom to start packing up their toiletries, only to look up after a few moments at the sound of rustling bed sheets. There was a mumbled /Did he leave?/ that made Minho crack a grin, then look at the bathroom door expectantly until the rather rumpled and definitely adorable Kibum emerged. He stopped in his tracks, blinking at Minho, who started to laugh, only stopping when Kibum winced at the noise.“How are you feeling?”“Shut up.” Minho chuckled as Kibum joined him in the bathroom, reaching for his arm. “What are you doing?”“Just trying to get us packed so you didn’t have to worry about it.”Kibum’s hand slid down his arm until he latched onto his hand. “Can’t you do that later?” Kibum asked, the silent Come back to bed written plainly in his gaze.“Yeah, sure.”Pleased, Kibum tugged on his hand, leading him back out into the suite, letting go once he reached the foot of the bed so that he could crawl back in. As soon as he was settled below the covers, he looked back up at Minho, who was watching him, amused.“What?”“It’s just kinda funny,” Minho said, kicking off his slippers and joining him in the rumpled bed sheets. “Usually the circumstances are reversed.”Kibum sniffed with what was probably an attempt at indignance, but it just made Minho chuckle again. “Yeah, well, I’m just surprised you’re not as hungover right now.”At dinner, he had purposefully held himself back from drinking more than a few sips of the wine with their meal for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, he didn’t want to be too inebriated on the walk back to the hotel, in the off chance that something happened to them. He couldn’t protect Kibum if he were wasted. And, secondly, even though he was no lightweight, he didn’t really like the idea of going back to Kibum’s parents’ place with a hangover. Hopefully, Kibum’s wouldn’t be too bad. But they could work on that on the train ride back to Daegu.But, instead of saying all of that, he just shrugged, smiling down at Kibum, who had rolled half onto him once he had settled beside him. “Are you feeling really shitty?”He shook his head, though he belied that with a hint of a wince at the motion. “I’ve felt worse.”“What can I do to help you feel better?”Kibum’s eyebrows shot up as his gaze flicked to snare Minho’s, and he offered him an almost shy smile as he asked, “When’s our checkout time?” Dimples framed his smile as Minho’s laughter filled the room, and he shifted until his face was directly before Minho’s. “Because…I think I was promised some kisses last night that I never got, and I’ve been under the impression—” Minho started peppering smiling kisses across Kibum’s cheek and jaw, hesitating for a second when he made his way back to Kibum’s lips and Kibum continued with “—that you’re a man of your word.”“I am,” Minho said after he cut him off with a kiss, then pulled away long enough to add, “Let me make it up to you.”Kibum smiled against Minho’s lips before he whispered “You’d better” and kissed him again.They were only a few minutes late for checking out, and after, they searched for a restaurant for breakfast. There was a mild debate on what sort of food would be best to get over a hangover, but since Kibum was the one who was dealing with it, they went on the hunt for his first choice—a burger—before heading to the train station.Once their tickets were bought, they had about fifteen minutes before they were able to board, so they stopped at one of the coffee shops that was open to get their drinks before getting on the train.Minho pulled out his phone a few moments after they started to move, opening up his camera roll and scrolling slowly through the reference photos that were interspersed with pictures of Kibum and his finished works. They had passed the gallery again on their way to the station, which had started him thinking about the possibility of attempting something similar, just in his own way. He glanced over at Kibum when his chin rested on the side of Minho’s shoulder so he could look, too.“What are you doing?”“Thinking,” Minho said as he looked back at his phone. Kibum turned his head a little more, his chin digging into his shoulder. “About what you said earlier. About the gallery.”“Oh!” Kibum sat up, and Minho glanced over at him. “Are you open to the idea now?”“I wasn’t opposed to it before, I just…” His voice trailed off, then he sighed, shaking his head as he looked back at his phone, tapping on one of his more recent commissions. “I don’t really see how it’d be possible.”“Well, then, let’s figure out what we’d need to do, then.”The logistics discussion occupied most of their alone time for the rest of their stay in Daegu. Brainstorming when and where it would happen—which, each time it was brought up made the concept even more likely that it would happen, in Minho’s mind—how they’d transport the paintings, the delegation of who’d pay for what, when the time come, catering options for the hors d'oeuvres. In short, all the things that went beyond what had been occupying Minho’s mind about the idea, which was what his theme for the pop-up art gallery would be.There was still time, though, to figure that out. Getting back to his studio would help, since he’d be able to assess his materials and make some actual concrete decisions. The only downside to going home was that Kibum wouldn’t be coming with him.Yet.Someday, hopefully.But, for now, they would have to say their goodbyes until the end of February, which is when Kibum was shooting to have everything ready by, because he would have to spend the majority of his free time painting and Kibum unfortunately didn’t want to be a distraction.The Kims accompanied them to the airport, hugging each of them in turn once they had checked in for their flights and said goodbye before they headed to the security line. It was a short wait, since there weren't many people at the airport yet, so once they had their shoes back on, they went off in search of their gates before they were planning on getting coffee. Only, once they reached Kibum’s gate, they had already started the boarding process.“Shit,” Kibum whispered under his breath as Minho nearly skidded to a stop beside him. Kibum held up his ticket, and Minho leaned closer so he could see which section he was in, and they looked back up at the screen together to find that it was indeed his section. “Shit,” Kibum muttered again, and Minho looked down at him, offering him a small smile when he turned to face him. “I guess this is it.”Minho inhaled deeply, letting it out as he said “Yeah.” Kibum pursed his lips in a sadly resigned smile, and when Minho opened his arms, Kibum fell into them. Both of them tucked themselves into the other, Minho closing his eyes as he nuzzled into his neck. “It won’t be for too long,” he said, though the words fell flat in his own ears.Almost two whole months, that’s how long they were set to be apart. And, he’d be insanely busy for all of it…but still, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t miss him every second they were apart.“I’ll miss you,” Kibum said, squeezing him a little tighter before he stepped back, his hands slipping away from their clasped position down his back and settling on his sides for a second. Then he let him go entirely so he could join in the line. “Text me when you make it home?” he asked as he stepped backwards, seemingly not wanting to lose sight of him quite yet, either.Minho nodded. “Of course, I will.”Kibum turned, stepping into the queue, and Minho hung back in the outskirts of the gate, waiting for Kibum to give him one last look before he disappeared beyond the threshold. When he did, Minho raised both hands, waving at him until he was out of sight.He lingered for only a moment more, his heart heavy as he trudged away, joining the crowd as he went to go find his own gate. When he reached it, he found he had about thirty minutes more to wait before his flight would start boarding, so he went off in search of coffee. Alone. Kibum-less. He sighed again, looking down at his phone, and to his delight, his screen lit up with a text from Kibum.
[10:31]

i can tell the guy I’m sitting beside is irritated with me

i can fight him for your honor.

ㅋㅋㅋ thanks, honey

Why is he irritated?

No idea.
 
I’m getting the impression that he’s just like that.
 
Like he’s snapped at the stewardess twice already

What for??
Kibum sent an emoticon of Neo shrugging. Minho cracked a smile, then looked up when he was called up to the counter. Once he put in his order for his iced americano, he looked back at his phone, opening up their messages again.
Okay yeah he wanted the window seat that’s why he’s mad
 
Two can play this game though
 
I can out-stubborn your asshole, sir
 
Wait that sounds wrong ㅋㅋ You know what i mean ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Minho snorted loudly, drawing the attention of the baristas and the mother wrangling her toddlers who was also waiting for her drink. He cleared his throat as they glanced away, and kept reading.
On that note, i’ve gotta go. I’ll text you when i’ve landed~~
 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Smiling, Minho caressed the string of red hearts with his thumb, then looked up when his name was called to get his coffee. He pocketed his phone before stepping around one of the little boys to get his americano. When the frazzled mother apologized, Minho shook his head with a small sympathetic smile as he moved away to return to his gate. Only, a few moments later, she and her children settled in the seats a little ways away from them. She could barely get a sip of her latte in between increasingly loud demands from her kids. Minho set aside his drink for a second, reaching blindly for his backpack and unzipping it before rooting around inside for his sketchbook and one of his pencils.“Hi?” he said, snagging the mom’s and then the eldest boy’s attention. “I don’t mean to bother you, but I was wondering if you could help me?”The mother, who looked as if she were about to apologize for the noise again, winced as her daughter clambered over her lap to look at him. “What with?” she asked, with an understandable wariness coloring her voice.“I’m a little out of practice and was wondering if I could get a quick sketch in? Would it be okay if I did a portrait of your kids?”Her eyes narrowed for a second, probably assessing the danger of a strange man wanting to pay attention to her kids. Though he wasn’t sure exactly what to do to make himself come across as nonthreatening as possible, he just held up his sketchpad, then flipped through it a little, back to the rough sketch he had started of Yerim last night. She relaxed a little and nodded, then sat back with her latte as Minho sank to the floor, sitting cross-legged before kids as they settled beside each other in the same seat, both of them talking at Minho in gibberish that he was readily agreeing with.“Okay, now,” he said, lowering his voice as both of them fell quiet at the sound of his voice. “I need you to sit as still as you can so I don’t mess up my picture, okay?”“Okay,” the little girl whispered, and Minho grinned, his gaze darting to the mother, who mouthed a silent Thank you. He looked back at his sketch pad, and got to work.The kids, except for when they tried to get down so they could see what Minho was drawing, sat wonderfully for him. Even so, he only barely got the base sketch done before the call for their flight to board. While she got her family together, Minho tucked his sketchbook and pencil into his coal and slung his backpack over his shoulder, trailing after the family to join in the queue.The kids continued to babble to him as they slowly made their way onto the plane, and he responded whenever there was a few and far between pause. They ended up being the next row over and one up from him, the mom taking the aisle seat and the kids the window. Minho settled into the aisle seat of his row, grinning when the distinct shink and immediate brightening of their seats told him that they had opened the window so they could watch the workers on the tarmac.It was a short flight, since they were just hopping across the strait, but Minho managed to get the sketch shaded in before they jostled onto the runway in Jeju. Carefully, he tore the sketch out of his pad and tapped the shoulder of the mother as she was trying to get her kids to calm down.“Sorry to bother you, but,” he said as she turned around, handing her the sketch. “Here.”She looked down at the sketch before she took it from him, her eyes widening as she took it in. “You really are an artist, I thought you were kidding.” Minho sniffed a laugh, but before he could respond, the seat belt light turned off and everyone around him started to get ready to deboard.He collected his stuff, staying put until the rows ahead of him cleared the aisle before he stood up. Once he was back inside the terminal, he texted Kibum that he had landed before he opened his texts with Taeyeon.
[11:42]

What kind of coffee do you want, noona?
As soon as he put his phone into his pocket, it vibrated. He pulled it out again to read Taeyeon’s response.
You don’t need to get me anything~

Yes I do~~ what would you like???

Anything with caramel in it, hot, please

Of course~~~
After he got both of their drinks, he headed for arrivals, searching the crowd for her. Once he spotted her, he grinned and picked up his pace to reach her. She met him in a hug that he struggled to return with his hands full of coffee, but he didn’t let go until she did.“I forget, do we need to get your luggage?” Minho nodded, and she led the way after she took her coffee from him.His tiny suitcase was one of the last to make it onto the carousel, but once he grabbed it, they were off to her car. The heavily overcast sky was spitting snow at them, but, from what he could tell so far, the roads looked alright, for now. He asked about them as he ducked into the passenger seat, but Taeyeon was sipping her latte as she started the car, so he had to wait until she put it into her cup holder.“Yeah, they’re okay. And even if they were bad, I’d be fine. Icy roads don’t worry me like they do, Jjonggie.”Minho grinned as he buckled in, and they were off.“So,” she said once they were on the highway, severing the tense silence that usually accompanied city driving. “Things are okay this time?”Minho glanced away from the choppy, gray sea to look at her, even if she didn’t look away from the road. “Yeah, we’re good.” There was another stretch of silence, though not comfortable, because Minho could sense a question mingling with it. “Why?”She cast him a fleeting look, quickly refocusing on the road. “Has he said it yet?”Ah. There it was.He sighed. “No, not yet.” He was right on the cusp of it, though. Minho could see it in the tenderness of his gaze whenever their eyes met, but…whatever was holding him back was just too strong, still. Not for long, if he had to guess. “Soon, I think.”“Do you really?” Taeyeon asked, sounding excited.“Yeah.” The corner of Minho’s lips twitched in a small smile as he looked back out at the sea. “I’m not trying to rush him, though.”“That’s probably for the best.”He hummed in agreement, looking over at her again. Guessing from the look in her eyes, she was wanting to ask something else that was probably connected to their relationship, but since he wasn’t sure how Kibum felt about that and didn’t want to discuss the anxieties that Kibum had confided in him, he headed her off with, “How is wedding planning going?”And, she was off, filling the silence the entire drive home with her excited chatter, and Minho looked away from the sea, engaging her with questions to encourage her to continue. Once she pulled up beside his car and parked, he reached across the console to hug her before he got out to get his luggage.“Oh, your keys,” she said as he closed the passenger door, and when he opened the trunk, she continued with, “I have them with me, come back up.”Minho slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Give me a sec.” He grabbed his suitcase and closed the trunk, the tiny wheels dragging through the thin layer of snow atop the gravel. “Thanks for taking care of them for me.”“Yeah, of course,” she said, her eyes bright as she smiled up at him. “I’m glad you’re home.”“Me too.” He hesitated, and when her smile became a little too knowing, he conceded and added, “I do miss him, though.”“When do you see him again, or do you know yet?”Minho nodded. “End of February.”“You’re waiting that long?”“For good reason.” He snorted softly at her confusion, patting the sill of her door. “I’ll tell you at dinner.”She let him go, pulling her car away before he could unlock the backdoor of his studio.The familiar scent of paint greeted him as he kicked the door closed behind him. He smiled as he breathed it in, and as soon as he set his bags down on the stairs, he crossed the room and dropped onto his workstation bench and took his phone out so he could text Kibum. Though, on second thought, he opened his camera instead. It took him a few tries to get a satisfactory angle that had both him and his paint-stained and empty easel behind him, but once he got it, he sent it with a Home now, but missing you text.He didn’t have to wait long for a reply.
[13:22]

I’m not back home yet
Accompanying the text was a picture that featured barely any Kibum. Instead, he was showing Chaejin grinning at the camera while she was cleaning some shrimp and Joohyun behind her washing dishes, though Kibum had clearly told her that he was taking a picture, because she turned to look at it. Both of the puppies were visible on the kitchen floor, both of their attentions trained on what Chaejin was doing. Kibum was tucked away in the bottom right corner of the screen, just his eye and his hair and the tip of his ear visible.He only tore his gaze away from Kibum when another text came in.
They’re making me eat something before we head

back to the apartment
 
Do you want me to just call when I get there?

Yeah, sure, that sounds good. No rush, though. Enjoy

your time with your friends~

I will
 But I miss you, too ❤️Minho smiled as he set his phone on his lap, looking about his studio. While he waited, shouldn’t he start brainstorming for the gallery? Huffing a sigh, he got up, hurrying upstairs to drop his luggage off on his bed before he returned downstairs to inspect his supplies. Once he had his canvases organized by size, he lugged the lot of them out onto his counter, then opened up his laptop so he could scroll through his reference photos for inspiration while he cleaned them.He was midway through his third canvas when he scrolled down to the shots he had taken a few summers back with Kibum, before they had started dating. At the flower fields, filled with bright sunlight and the myriad pink and yellow blooms swaying in the warm breeze. As he scrolled further, he came across the pictures he had taken of Kibum amidst the flowers. His first portraits.He lingered there for a moment, thinking fondly back to that day. How it had probably been the day that he had given in to what he was feeling for Kibum. It was hard to narrow it down to the exact day—when he had finally allowed himself to fall. It had crept up on him, then overwhelmed him, and now…well, it’s made him the happiest he could ever remember being.Sighing happily, he scrolled a little further down, pausing again when he reached the tangerine orchard. Sunbeams streamed through the branches, highlighting the leaves and the glistening orange fruit. This set of pictures he took when Jonghyun had brought him with him to pick some for the cafe.Hm. He hadn’t even attempted to paint this yet.He glanced back at the canvas, remembering only then that he had been working on cleaning the dust off of it and got back to it, his gaze flicking back to the screen. A few seconds later, he abandoned his cleaning again and continued to scroll, patches of vibrant color snagging his attention, even if he didn’t stop scrolling.Blues, so many blues. The watercolor washes of the sunsets and sunrises he had captured over the years. The flowers, the forest, the cherry blossoms… Just, the nature adorning the countryside of Jeju like brightly-colored jewels.Could this be his theme? The colors of Jeju?He abandoned his cleaning, going off in search of his tubes of oil paint, setting aside the neutrals and arranging the colors in a circular gradient. How long would it take him to comb through his reference photos to find the pictures he’d need to match this idea? Or would the real struggle be narrowing his selection down?Getting up, he went over to the cupboard below the portrait-filled cork board to get one of his old sketchbooks that he usually used to make his shopping lists and returned to his laptop to make notes on which pictures he should use. The tubes of paint were arranged before him, and the list was numbered with how many canvases he had available. Would eighteen be enough? Should he head into the city one of these days for a couple more?He made a quick palette with all the colors until he had eighteen that blended into a satisfactory rainbow gradient. Smiling, he set it down against the screen and started scrolling again, occasionally holding it up against one of the reference thumbnails before he made a note with the corresponding number.His eyes were stinging from how long he had been looking at his screen by the time he was done, but he was more than pleased with the progress he had made today. In celebration, he hurried upstairs to make himself a cup of coffee. When he came back down, steaming coffee in hand, it was to find his phone almost vibrating off the counter.“Shit.” He caught it just in time, flipping it over. He’d missed three calls from Kibum, so he called him back immediately. “Hey, babe, sorry, I left my phone upstairs so I didn’t hear you calling,” he said as soon as Kibum picked up.“No, it’s fine,” Kibum said, his voice nearly drowned out by the road noise. Had he called him as soon as he left Joohyun and Chaejin’s place? “I don’t mind being ignored.”Minho scoffed, grinning as he sat down at his stool and pulled his list toward him, looking over it without actually reading it. “You know I’d never do that.”Kibum sighed, but Minho could hear the smile in it. “I suppose that’s true, you’re very attentive.”“Did you have a good time with them?”“I did, yeah, it was nice catching up.” One of the puppies barked, which prompted both of them in near unison to say “Hush, Comme Des!” Minho cracked up as Kibum, assumedly, turned on the blinker. “I’m surprised you could tell it was him,” he said when the blinker clicked off.“Garcons isn’t quite as vocal.”“I guess that’s true. What’s your plan for the rest of the day?”Kibum let out a heavier sigh than the previous one. “Trying to mentally prepare to return to work. You?”“Talking to you, of course.” Kibum sucked his teeth at him, which made him smile again. “But since I got back, I’ve been working on gallery stuff.”“Oh? Do you wanna tell me about it?”So, he did, breaking down his idea for the theme, which Kibum was enthusiastic about. With his encouragement and long-distance support, Minho’s new routine began right away. During the day, he tended to the slow shop, painting any commission pieces during work hours, and working on his pieces for the gallery until he either couldn’t keep his eyes open or Kibum convinced him he needed to rest.He did the basic sketches for all eighteen pieces before he began painting, since the plan was to make very small changes to the palettes as he made his way around the gradient to make the display harmonious while each artwork’s main color stood out on its own. Kibum kept him company long past his own bedtime, designing the advertisement for the event for Minho to post on his business’ Instagram, reserving the space for the day they had both decided on, and figuring out an hors d'oeuvres menu that he and Chaejin would put together the night before.Once he was finished with a piece and it had sufficiently dried, Minho packaged them up to send to Kibum so that his traveling up to Seoul would be less cumbersome as well as it being less likely for them to be lost at the airport.One night, when he was working on the bright teal piece that was set between a darker blue and green—a more realistic take on the waterfall that he and Kibum had encountered on their getaway last year—Kibum casually dropped the bomb that he had been inviting some of the idols that he worked with who he knew were interested in art. Once Minho had stopped sputtering, a laughing Kibum had asked him if he had anyone that he wanted to invite.Minho sat up, stretching his perpetually hunched back with a groan, then settled back against the wall, twirling his brush between his fingers as he watched Kibum wash his face while sending regular, curious glances at him. There was a name that immediately sprung to mind, but he wasn’t sure it would be possible. So, he led with that before he eventually added, “My art teacher. The one from high school.”Kibum finished patting his face dry, glancing at him. “The one who took you in?”“Mhm.”“What’s her name?”“Kang Yunhee.”Kibum nodded, then gave him a soft smile. “I’ll see what I can do.”From the day that he booked his flight to Seoul until it arrived flew by. A little too fast, in his opinion, because of how much he was working. But, it was for the best, because he painted up to almost the very last moment before he had to leave for the airport. Utterly exhausted, he wrapped up the last painting as soon as it was dry enough and collapsed into Jonghyun’s car with his luggage.Chuckling, Jonghyun leaned over to ruffle his hair. “Doing okay?” Minho grunted in response, which only made his smile grow. “You can sleep on the way to the airport, I don’t mind.”“I probably will,” Minho muttered, making himself as comfortable as possible once he was buckled in.He didn’t, though.His mind was racing too much with what could go wrong. Smudge paintings that he sent too early and hadn’t dried long enough? Nothing selling? No one showing up? This being a waste of his time and by extension Kibum’s time which would then make them break up because Kibum was too pissed off at him for that? In the deep recesses of his mind that was still capable of expressing logic even in this worn-out state, he knew that would be the case. Kibum wouldn’t do that to him.However, his anxiety was simply louder. It clanged around in his head as his thoughts spiraled further into despair as he deliriously made his way into Seoul.Minho dragged himself to arrivals, his eyes gritty and drooping as he searched for Kibum. When he spotted him—looking beautifully breathtaking, as usual—a surge of relief accompanied by the feeling that he was about to burst into tears flooded him. As he trudged nearer to him, Kibum’s eyebrows slowly shot up, looking up at him in what he could only describe as horrified awe.“Minho,” he said in the same sweet tone he used when he called him honey, his hand loosely gripping his arm. “Are you okay? You look so tired.”“Yeah, I am.”Kibum, seemingly uncaring of the people milling about them, reached up to fix his mussed fringe. “Let’s get you back to my place, then.”He hooked his hand around his arm, gently dragging him along with him to the baggage claim. Kibum let Minho carry the final artwork while he took his suitcase and led the way to his car. Once inside, Minho was feeling more relaxed than he had all day. Or for the past few days. He leaned across the console as Kibum slid behind the wheel, blinking slowly at him.“Can I help you?” Kibum asked, clearly amused, even to Minho’s foggy mind. Minho only had to nod before Kibum’s fingers slipped beneath his chin so he could meet him in a kiss. If he were more alert at the moment, maybe he would have been embarrassed by how obviously he melted at the barest hint of physical affection. But he absolutely wasn’t. “Better?” Minho shook his head, and Kibum smiled as he kissed him again.The drive back to Kibum’s apartment was sprinkled with kisses whenever the traffic paused long enough for Minho to lean over in wait for Kibum’s attention. He couldn’t remember the route from Gimpo to Kibum’s place exactly, but the way Kibum was taking them seemed to have a lot more stops than he could recall.“You’re so annoying, you know?” Kibum said with a laugh after he had yet again indulged Minho’s silent, eager plea. But he caressed his face in the seconds before the car ahead of them moved. “Needy, too,” he added affectionately when they braked again, and Minho turned to him with a smile.It was Kibum, though, who leaned across the console to kiss him, and when he pulled back, Minho whispered, “I guess I just missed you too much.”“I missed you, too,” Kibum whispered back before he kissed him until the car behind them honked for them to move with traffic.Once they reached the parking garage, the jolt of energy that had perked Minho up after being reunited with Kibum had fizzled out, replaced by drowsiness. He trailed a few steps behind Kibum on their way to the elevator, then he leaned on him as they glided the five stories up to his floor.“You should rest when we get inside,” Kibum said softly.Minho was dimly aware of the woman on the other side of the elevator, whose hair was a curtain across her face. It made it so that Minho couldn’t tell if she was paying attention to them, but even so, he lowered his voice when he said, “No, it’s okay. I’ll be fine if there’s something you want to do.” He finished with a poorly stifled yawn that belied everything he just said.Kibum sucked his teeth quietly at him, then huffed a sigh as the door slid open. He grabbed Minho’s arm again, taking him with him down the hall to his apartment. He keyed in the code, pushing the door open so that Minho could enter first. Minho lethargically toed off his shoes, his socked feet slipping a little on the hardwood floor as he tottered off to meet the excited puppies.Kibum’s shoes clattered on the floor and after a few steps he reached for Minho, caressing his hair as he passed him. Minho’s eyes drooped as he followed his progress across the room and slipped into his bedroom. With an effort, Minho pushed himself up to follow him. When he rounded the corner, Kibum was hanging up his coat in his closet and looked over at him, gesturing for Minho to give him his coat, too.“So what are your plans for us for today?” Minho asked once he freed himself of his coat, slumping on the foot of the bed. Kibum gave him a confusingly amused smile. Wait, had he already said? “Are we going to go set up?”“No, not today.” Kibum stepped up to where he was sitting, cradling his face in one hand and lightly fixing his hair while Minho reached for him, his hand settling on his thigh, just to be able to touch him, too. The gentleness of Kibum’s ministrations was almost enough to lull Minho to sleep, but he was fighting to stay awake, now that he was here. “We’re supposed to go sometime tomorrow.”“Oh.”His eyes were almost closed now; each blink was a struggle.“Today we can just relax.”“Are you sure? We can go do something—“ He yawned as Kibum’s hands slipped gradually away. “—fun, if you want.”“Later.” He moved away from him and Minho’s hand fell, bouncing once on the mattress. Kibum threw the covers back and knelt on the bed before turning to make himself comfortable. Once he plugged in his phone, he looked up at Minho, who was watching him blankly, and patted the space right behind him. “Come here, honey.”Obediently yet lethargically, Minho crawled over to where he was, pillowing his head on Kibum’s stomach and throwing his arm across Kibum’s lap. His eyes almost immediately closed, and his last thought before Kibum started combing his fingers through his hair was that this would just be for a few minutes. That they’d get up and go out on the town soon.But when he opened his eyes again, night had completely fallen.Though the moon wasn’t visible through the window, its faint silvery light filtered through the sheer curtains. He was facing the wall, now, and on his own pillow. Blearly, he made to turn, to check if Kibum was on his side of the bed or not, but when he shifted, he realized what was wrapped around him. Not just the comforter, but also Kibum’s arms.His cheek was pressed against his shoulder, and his hold was tight, even in his sleep. Touched, and almost certain that he was blushing a little, Minho settled back, his hand reaching up to hold Kibum’s as he drifted back off.He didn’t stay asleep for long, though. Hunger woke him back up, which really shouldn’t have been a surprise, since he had barely eaten since last night. So, as carefully as he could manage, he slipped out of Kibum’s embrace and tiptoed through the darkness, praying to whoever would listen that he didn’t step on one of the puppies. He left the door ajar on his way out of the bedroom so that neither the kitchen light nor the click of the door shutting would wake Kibum up.Fluorescent light flooded the kitchen and Minho squinted as he crept into the kitchen and opened the fridge. The pad and click of tiny paws followed him, and he turned with a smile when he found both puppies trailing after him. He crouched down to greet them, Garcons trying to clamber up his thigh.“Sorry for waking you guys,” Minho whispered, patting their little fluffy heads.Once Garcons abandoned his attempt to curl up in his lap, Minho stood again and opened the fridge. Comme Des sat on his foot, watching him judgmentally as he perused the contents. There were some leftovers, but he couldn’t tell which would be okay for him to take, because he didn’t want to eat something that Kibum had been saving for himself.Closing the fridge, he moved to the pantry, humming to himself as he searched for anything, really. He picked up a pack of ramyeon, intending to make a quick bowl until he spotted the box of Cocoa Puffs. Gasping in surprise, he reached for it and pried it open on his way back to the fridge for some soy milk. Had he mentioned to Kibum before that this was his favorite cereal? He probably had, but justt couldn’t remember at the moment. Milk in hand, he turned around in search of a bowl, but to his surprise, a groggy-looking Kibum was emerging from the bedroom.“Oh, good, you found it,” he mumbled as he shuffled into the kitchen. “Is it the right kind?”“Yeah!” Kibum leaned against the counter and Minho set the milk down on the counter beside him before he went off to go get a bowl. “It’s my favorite. How did you know?”A little bit of Kibum’s sleepiness was eradicated with a laugh. “I asked you what kind you wanted me to get last week when I was grocery shopping.” He was watching him fondly when Minho turned back around as he closed the plateware cupboard.Minho stared blankly at him, his mouth down-turned in a thoughtful frown before he shrugged. “I don’t know why I don’t remember that.”“Well,” Kibum said, leaning toward him when Minho returned to his side. “You have been a little preoccupied lately.”Minho sighed heavily, starting Kibum chuckling, and poured his cereal in the bowl. “That’s true.”Kibum patted his side as he pushed away from the counter. “Hold on, I’ll get you a spoon.”He turned to watch him cross the kitchen, holding his gaze when he looked back at him to hand him the spoon. “Thanks, babe.”“It’s nothing,” Kibum said with a small smile, settling back against the counter.Minho poured a little more milk than he needed, so that he’d have to have a second bowl to finish it off. “You know,” Kibum hummed in question in the infinitesimal pause. “I feel kinda bad. Falling asleep. I hope I didn’t ruin your plan for the day.”Kibum sniffed in amusement. “That was all I had planned for the day, don’t worry. I knew you’d probably crash when we got back?”Minho’s brow furrowed as he chewed his first crunchy bite of cereal. “How?”The look Kibum gave him was clearly a silent, incredulous Really? but instead, he went with, “You forget that I’ve been the one getting your very late night texts about your progress since the beginning of January.” Okay…true… “I just assumed that you’d finally be able to relax once we were back together. I know I sleep better when I’m with you.”Oh.Heat flooded his face again and little butterflies fluttered around in his stomach as he ducked his head, stirring his cereal with a shy smile. Why was he shy, though? Maybe just the inherent intimacy of being not only known, but cared for in such a way. Simple and quiet, but complete. Even with all their time spent apart, Kibum was still actively, obviously trying to take care of him in whatever way he could.Really, it just made Minho long for the days that they wouldn’t have to be apart any more. Sharing their lives every single day. But if Kibum was still unable to say I love you, then, well…it was probably too soon to bring it up. Again. And the last thing he wanted to do was to scare him away.“Do you want to hear something stupid?” Minho asked as he raised his spoon and met Kibum’s gaze again.“Of course.”He hesitated, almost submerging his full spoon back into the milk. “I was…irrationally worried that if things didn’t go well on Saturday then you’d want to break up with me.” Kibum blinked rapidly, his confusion etched into his expression as Minho sniffed a laugh and said “I know” before eating his spoonful of cereal.Kibum let him get a few more bites in before he softly asked, “Is there something I did or said that made you think that?”Minho shook his head. “I think it was just…the mounting stress,” he said as he gestured with his empty spoon, then scooped up the last of the floating cereal and set his bowl down to pour his second helping.“Are you feeling any better?”“I’m with you now, so…” he let his voice trail off as he met his gaze again, then nodded. Kibum smiled at that, and Minho looked away, his shy smile returning. “I think it helps too that I don’t have any more work to do. Well, actually, I did bring my paints in case I need to do touch ups.” His brow furrowed. “But, you know, I haven’t seen all of them together yet. I just kept sending them off to you, huh…”“Do you want to?” Minho’s eyebrows shot up as he stirred his cereal. “I’ve got them all tucked away in my closet.”Minho glanced past him and out the kitchen to the shadowy living room where beyond lay the former home office turned walk-in closet. “But we’d have to wrap them all up again.”Kibum shrugged. “I’ve got tape.”And so, once Minho’s bowl was empty and rinsed and left in the sink, he started for Kibum’s closet, flicking on the light. Kibum joined him a moment later with the painting that Minho had brought with him on the plane, and together they got to work carefully unwrapping all eighteen canvases. As soon as they got them all in gradient order, Minho hurried back to the bedroom to get his phone so he could take notes on tweaks he could feasibly do before the gallery in two days.It was a relief, seeing them. In his head, they had morphed into something so deeply flawed that he would never be able to fix. But they weren’t. A couple of smudges here and there from him rushing the drying process so he could wrap and send it. It would be manageable. Especially since Kibum said he had a blow dryer that they could bring with them. Emphasis on the bring with them, because Minho was about to pull out his paints, but instead they carefully wrapped the paintings back up, Kibum marking on the front which main color the painting inside was so they could be more organized in the morning.For now, though, once the lights were all turned off, they went back to bed. He hadn’t been expecting to be able to fall back asleep again. He thought he’d be too caught up in what he’d need to do in the following days. But, with Kibum curled up behind him, holding him close, he drifted off in moments.When morning came, they got up together, since Kibum had gotten the day off. Over their morning coffee, they discussed their game plan for the day. Get ready, take the dogs for a walk, get the gallery as set up as possible before tomorrow, which included doing the touch-ups that Minho had been planning on. Then, after that, they’d get the groceries that Chaejin needed before they picked up the puppies and probably some takeout on their way over to her and Jooyhyun’s apartment so that they could work on the hors d'oeuvres for tomorrow.Once they had their coffee, they sprang into action, walking the puppies to the bridge and back before they started to pack up the car. After Minho triple-checked that he had his paints, brushes, a clean palette, and the extensive spreadsheet of the colors he had used and the ratios of the mixtures of paints, they were on their way, Minho anxiously tapping his thumbs on his thighs as they made the short drive to the site that Kibum had rented.“You ready?” Kibum asked as he shifted his car into park. Minho gave him a wan smile, and Kibum leaned toward him, his elbow resting on the console. “No matter what happens, Min, I’m really proud of you. You’ve worked really hard and you’ve done so well.”Minho searched his gaze for…what, exactly? To see if he was lying just to placate his anxiety? He sighed. He was being stupid. Again. Kibum wouldn’t do that to him and he knew it. “Thank you.”Kibum smiled, then leaned the rest of the way in for a too-quick but much-appreciated kiss. “Let’s head inside.”They went in first without any of the paintings or Minho’s backpack, merely so they could meet the owner of the space and have her show them to the room his exhibit would be housed in. Kibum asked all the questions Minho hadn’t even begun to think of, jotting all her answers down in his phone as they followed her on the tour. Once they reached the room, Minho’s heart sank a little. Not only was it a much larger space than he had been expecting, but there was also a divider wall in the center of the room. Likely to display the bigger pieces, but he didn’t have any that he could take out of the circular gradient he had created. Maybe they’d be able to leave it blank; maybe what he had now would be enough to command the room.When she left them with her phone number for Kibum to text if they had any questions or concerns, she left them to get set up.It took many trips to carry the paintings inside, since Minho was wary of stacking them, but Kibum didn’t complain. They arranged them as they had last night, in the color order that Minho had designed, and began unwrapping them. As each artwork was revealed, Minho could feel a little bit more of his tensions releasing. It was comforting, being surrounded by the stolen, colorful snippets of his home. The flower fields, the beaches, the forests, the tangerine orchard he had taken Kibum to…Smiling, he set that painting aside, looking around to find Kibum unwrapping the one with their waterfall. He was smiling, too. Probably, hopefully reminiscing about the happy times they spent there.There was only one more to unwrap, and Kibum got to work on it at once while Minho started folding the wrapping so they could reuse it, if any of the paintings happened to sell.“I can do that,” Kibum said, his fingertips grazing Minho’s back as he came around to the other side to sit beside him. “You can start fixing the paintings that you need to.”“Right. Okay.” He got out his phone and dug out his supplies, taking a deep steadying breath before he got to work.It was a relief to paint again. It forced his thoughts away from the anxious uncertainty of what tomorrow would bring and made him focus on exactly what he needed to do to achieve near perfection. Kibum stayed quiet, so as to not distract him, but still close, offering insight only when Minho asked his opinion. He blow-dried the paintings when Minho was finished with them, and only once they had ringed the room, Minho as satisfied as he could be, they headed to the back room to get the tools they’d need to hang the pieces.Once a couple of them were on the walls, Minho’s relief secured more of a foothold in his heart. They looked exactly as he had pictured—the colors blending together seamlessly between each of the paintings while also the featured color standing out just as he had hoped. By the time they had finished hanging the last of them, his arms and shoulders were aching from holding each of them up for so long as Kibum directed him in an attempt to get them to be level.They were sitting now, shoulder to shoulder, in the center of the room, looking around at them all.“Makes me want to go back,” Kibum murmured, his head resting lightly on Minho’s shoulder.“I wouldn’t say no to that.”Kibum sniffed a laugh, lifting his head. “I think we’d have a problem if you did.” Minho grinned, looking over at him, only to find him looking past him. And when he followed his gaze, he saw what had caught his attention. The blank dividing wall. “What should we put there?”“I’m not sure. The food? And drinks?”“Well. Yes, but…what about the wall?” Minho shook his head, shrugging, and Kibum narrowed his eyes before blinking quickly a few seconds later. “What about Sun of a Beach?”Minho’s eyebrows shot up. “To sell?”Chuckling, Kibum reached around to squeeze his arm. “Of course not. Just to fill the space. I think the colors would blend in with it well enough.”“Really?” Minho struggled to his feet, backing up a little so he could see more of the room. True, the dividing wall covered up the warmer colors of the gradient, and it was made up mostly of the fuschia and peach and violet of the paintings that would be behind it. “I think you’re right.”“I usually am.” Kibum grunted as he got up, Minho holding out his hand to help him up. “You think you’d be used to that by now.”“Maybe I just like to be reminded.”Kibum glanced around, making sure they were alone, before he went up on his tiptoes to kiss Minho’s cheek. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Then, “We should head back to the apartment to get the puppies and head over to Jjoo’s.”“Alright.”They picked up after themselves, stuffing everything in Kibum’s trunk before they drove back to the highrise. After they changed into something more comfortable—sweatpants and tshirts beneath sweatshirts—they loaded up Sun of a Beach and Minho held the puppies as they drove back to the gallery.It had been a good idea. Not only did it eradicate the blank space, but it also fit right in with the rest of the artworks, even if it was more abstract than the rest of the pieces. They stepped back, almost in unison, taking in the room again. Minho slung his arm around Kibum’s shoulders, glancing over at him when Kibum’s arm settled around his waist, his thumb stroking Minho’s side.“How are you feeling?”“Better.”Kibum closed his eyes with a smile, and Minho leaned in to kiss him. His fingers curled at his waist, his other hand coming around to rest on his chest as Minho drew him in a little closer. Kibum’s eyes didn’t open right away once their lips parted, and Minho gulped as he took in Kibum’s easy contentment. He opened his mouth as Kibum’s eyes languidly opened, the overwhelming urge to spill the words that were perched on the tip of his tongue, begging to be said.
I love you.
Just you being here beside me is enough to calm my ridiculously anxious heart.
I love you.
I can never repay the kindness you’ve shown me since we met and continue to show me, even now.Thank you.I love you.But he didn’t want to ruin the moment; he didn’t want to see Kibum’s expression fall.“We should get going, yeah?” he asked instead, at Kibum’s questioning look.Kibum sighed into a thoughtful hum, then glanced about the room. “I suppose, yeah. I’ll text the girls to let them know we’re on our way.” He slipped out of Minho’s arms, the warmth of him lingering for a few blessed seconds, until he joined him outside.Though traffic was on the heavier side, it only took about thirty minutes to reach Joohyun and Chaejin’s apartment. The puppies led the way inside, which was already filled with delightfully savory smells that started Minho’s stomach growling. Had they already started prepping the appetizers? Or was this just their dinner?The answer to that came after their coats and shoes were shed and Chaejin brought around a pot of yukgaejang to set on the rickety table, and Kibum a stack of bowls and spoons. Minho stirred the soup as he sat in one of the mismatched chairs, taking the bowl that Kibum offered him. Joohyun came around a moment later, arms laden with rice and homemade banchan that he and the others helped her place around the pot.They ate heartily, Minho savoring every single bite and scraping his bowl clean after his third helping. He took charge of the clean up of both the table and the kitchen—which, really, was mostly clean to begin with—while Kibum and the girls talked over the plan for the night.As soon as the last dish was set to dry, the first bottle of soju was cracked open, and a drama rerun was chosen, they all got to work, Minho on chopping up the kimchi and making the filling for the dumplings, Kibum for slicing the vegetables that they would need for the mini gimbaps and the eggplant rolls, Joohyun on cleaning and poaching the shrimp for the saewu ganghwe, and Chaejin on the little deep fried pork rolls. Whoever finished their task first would take on the sauces, and that so happened to be Joohyun, but Kibum was able to join in.It was about one in the morning when they had everything put away in the fridge, waiting for the finishing touches in the hours before the gallery started.Even though neither of them were drunk, they didn’t feel all that comfortable with the idea of driving, even this late at night. So, Joohyun offered them their couch to crash on, apologizing that it wasn’t the kind that had a mattress that pulled out. Kibum, who was always just a bit more clingy at the first whiff of soju, assured her that they would be just fine.Chaejin piled the other end of the couch with blankets before she followed Joohyun into their bedroom, both calling out their goodnights before they closed the door behind them. Minho flopped onto his back, his attention trained on Kibum as he picked through the blankets.“Do you want one for your head?”“Sure.”Kibum pulled the top one away, revealing a plush-looking one. He loosely rolled it up, then stepped over to where he was lying. Minho lifted his head, and Kibum’s free hand supported his neck as he tucked it behind his head. He carded his fingers through Minho’s hair as he gave him a dimpled, sleepy smile. Minho blinked languidly, watching him turn away to grab another blanket to cover them. Once he had a blanket in hand, he shook it out and looked back at Minho, whose arms were open and waiting for Kibum to make himself comfortable within.And so he did, Minho wrapping him up immediately and reaching around him to arrange the blanket over him. One hand settled on Kibum’s back, the other on his arm as he curled up, sighing.“Are you comfortable?” Kibum asked, shifting until he could see Minho. The city lights were too dim to see much of his face, but it did catch in his dark eyes.Minho nodded, sighing happily. “Very.” Kibum snorted softly, nuzzling closer to him. “Are you?”“Of course,” Kibum whispered into his chest.Minho stroked his back with a smile, his eyes drooping slowly more and more closed until he drifted off, Kibum being the last thing he saw before he was finally asleep. When he came too, the gray dawn was filtering into the room, and Kibum was still in his arms. Grinning drowsily, he stretched his arms until they settled, hands clasped, on Kibum’s back as he lifted his head and rested his chin on Minho’s chest.“Good morning, beautiful,” he said cutely.Kibum sighed, shaking his head and looking across the room to the dining room where, to Minho’s surprise, Joohyun was sipping on her coffee. “See what I have to put up with?”Her lips were pursed as she lowered her mug, and she shot Kibum a sardonic glance. “Yeah, you look like you’re really suffering.”Snorting, Kibum looked back at Minho, his cheeks a charming shade of pink, as he leaned in to give Minho a quick kiss. “Do you want some coffee?” Minho nodded, happily letting Kibum kiss him again before he released him to get up.The morning passed a little too quickly for Minho’s liking, the comfort and ease of the morning giving way to the anxiety of the looming gallery. He helped the others finish off the final stages of the appetizers, though he was focused mainly on the packaging while Kibum worked with the girls to do the last little bit of cooking. They left Joohyun and Chaejin with a key to the gallery so they could get everything set up—or at least they could start the set up until they got there to help.They arrived back at Kibum’s place with just enough time for Minho to take the puppies for a little walk before they got ready for the night. Kibum showered while he was out, passing him on his way to the closet with a promise of picking out something for him to wear. But, when Minho finished in the bathroom and came back out into Kibum’s room, he was nowhere to be found. Securing the towel around his waist, Minho wandered out into the living room and headed into the lighted closet, the puppies on his heels.“Hey,” Kibum said as he was contemplating a dusty pink suit jacket, drawing out the word distractedly as Minho sidled up to him, looking over his shoulder at the clothes that Kibum had picked out for them. He couldn’t tell what was for who, at a glance. “I’ve almost got this sorted out.”“Take your time,” Minho said, leaning on Kibum’s shelf of shoes.Kibum chuckled, glancing over at him then giving him a quick, appreciative once over. “Can’t unfortunately. We need to get going soon.”Minho nodded to the pink jacket Kibum was setting aside. “Is that one for you?”Dimples indenting his cheeks, Kibum looked his way again, his eyebrows raising in amusement. “I was thinking about it for you.”“Really?” Minho straightened, reaching across to pick up the jacket’s hanger so he could see it for himself. There were some satin ribbons accenting the shoulders and tracing the sleeves that were a shade or two darker than the jacket itself. They caught the light as Minho turned the hanger, and his attention darted back to Kibum. “I don’t think I’ve ever worn this color.”“If you have, it was just a fleck or two of paint on one of your tunics,” Kibum said, finishing with a sigh. “Try it on, I need to see if it fits your shoulders.”Minho obeyed at once, freeing the hanger and slipping one arm into the sleeve, then the other. Kibum dumped the small pile of clothes in his arms to help Minho smooth the way it lay across his shoulders and followed Minho over to the mirror so he could inspect himself. After a cursory glance at himself, he looked at Kibum instead, watching his expression in the mirror.“What do we think?”“We like it.”“I think it pairs nicely with the towel.”Laughing, Kibum clapped his hand on Minho’s shoulder, patting it gently before he turned back to the clothes he had picked out for them.The jacket came with matching trousers, and Kibum finished Minho’s look with a scoop-necked shirt that was an even darker pink shirt. At first feel, Minho thought it was silk, but ended up being a very fine mesh that you could only see through if you were really trying to. Kibum’s outfit was more neutral than his, for once. A soft beige plaid suit—the way the jacket was cropped accentuated his waist just so that Minho was a little distracted. It had pops of a pink that was just a slightly different hue than his suit. The shirt he wore beneath it had an almost iridescent quality in certain lights, or if it wrinkled just so when Kibum moved.The jitters were getting to him by the time Kibum was done fixing his hair. He was zoned out, staring blankly at the empty space left behind by /Sun of a Beach/, the key pendant on the necklace that Kibum had given him pinched between his fingers as he brushed the cool metal of the key back and forth over his lips. He only came to when Kibum stopped in his tracks before him, paused mid reach into the drawer for his keys and his wallet.“Are you alright?” Minho gave him what he assumed was an unconvincing smile, because Kibum came over to him, hunkering down in front of him, his hand resting on Minho’s jumping knee. “Will some fresh air help?”“We don’t have time, do we?”Kibum shrugged. “We could just walk there. It’s not that far.” Before Minho could protest, because he was sure Kibum didn’t want to actually do that, Kibum grabbed his hand and kissed it as he stood. “Let’s go.”Kibum didn’t take his hand back as he stopped to say an affectionate goodbye to the puppies, nor did he as they started for the elevator. Even in the elevator, with a delivery guy running to join them, Kibum held his hand. With step closer to the venue, he expected him to release his hand, but he didn’t. Though he was surprised, Minho was beyond grateful for the constant, reassuring tether to Kibum.Only when he had to unlock the door to the venue did Kibum let go of his hand, and he let Minho enter first. There was signage, now, for his gallery, leading them into the room that they had set up yesterday. Joohyun and Chaejin were already there, both in all black, even if Joohyun was wearing a skirt and Chaejin a pair of slacks. Minho hurried over to help them set up, his hands shaking a little as a pried open the Tupperware.Kibum was organizing the Sold stickers in his pocket when the first of the guests arrived. A wave of nausea crashed over him when Kibum silently gestured with his gaze for Minho to go greet him. His eyes widened and the tingling sensation pricking his cheeks told him that all of his color had drained away.What he wouldn’t give to be able to disappear in the non-existent upstairs, hiding away from all these potential strangers. It had been quite a while since he had felt this way.Kibum nodded almost imperceptibly, and when he moved around to go greet the guests and explain the theme, he reached out to stroke Minho’s arm as he passed by him.“I need a minute,” Minho whispered to Chaejin, who was standing right beside him. He didn’t linger to see if she would respond, because without looking, he could hear more people arriving.His stomach churned as he ducked out into the hallway, looking this way and that before almost jogging to the restroom. Once inside, he locked himself in a stall, dragging a shaking hand over his face as the nausea within him ebbed momentarily.Why was this so different than interacting with customers in his shop? It wasn’t like they too weren’t also there to buy his work. It wasn’t like they weren’t there to talk to him about his inspirations. This was just a little more…high stakes. Or, at least, it felt that way.It’d be fine. He was fine. Kibum was here and very supportive. No matter what happened…it’d be okay.The bathroom door opened, the din filling the silence before it swung shut again. The sound of footsteps echoed, then scraped to a stop. Whoever it was started humming as he turned on the tap.Should he wait? Or should he just…Sighing, rolling his eyes in preparation, he reached over to flush the empty bowl, then unlocked the stall and stepped out.The man in the mirror’s gaze flicked back to meet his eyes, his attention trained on him as Minho walked over to the sink two over from where he was. Minho gave him a small, awkward smile before he turned on the cold water and pooled some in his hands, then shook the excess out and patted them on his cheeks and the back of his neck.Out of the corner of his eye, he could still see the man watching him curiously. Minho gave him another sheepish smile before his filled his hand with water again to press his cooler palm against his forehead.The man stepped away, activating the paper towel to unroll so he could dry his hands. “You’ve dripped some water on your suit,” he said, his voice an unnerving mixture of calm and amused.“Have I?” Minho looked in the mirror, trying to find the drops. The man got some more paper towels and stepped toward him, bunching it up in his fingers and dabbing at his shoulders. His cloud of musky cologne came with him, stinging Minho’s nose, which he wrinkled to prevent himself from sneezing all over the guy. “Uh, thanks, I guess. But I can—“The man’s eyes, slightly occluded by the glare of the bathroom lights catching in his glasses, met his again. “I don’t mind,” he said coolly, his voice an almost disarmingly gentle coo.Oh.Was he being hit on? His gaze darted to the door and he stepped back, creating a bit of distance between them, and he reached up to adjust the chain that held the key pendant with the hand that had his couple ring. Maybe he’d get the hint, then.“Are you here for the gallery, too?”“Uh.” Maybe if he weren’t completely flummoxed by this man’s boldness, he would actually be able to think enough to speak. “Yes.” And, then, deciding that there would be no way to really hide the fact, he added, “I’m the artist.”“Really?” the man said in pleased disbelief. He scanned Minho, from head to toe and back again, with a thoroughness that made his skin crawl, itching to get back to the safety of Kibum’s presence. He made to step back again, but the man followed him, reaching out to unnecessarily smooth Minho’s lapel. “Now I’m really looking forward to seeing the pieces, considering the artist is a masterpiece himself.”And then, before Minho could dismiss the ridiculous flattery and tell the man that he was happily and completely taken, he winked, patted Minho’s chest and turned away. Frozen, Minho watched him go until the bathroom door swung closed behind him, then turned to look at himself in the mirror. He scoffed at the clear bewilderment etched in his face and shook his head, turning the tap on so he could wash his hands clean of the whole interaction. He dried his hands a little too quickly in his eagerness to get back to Kibum.Well, if there’s one thing that man did for him, it made him forget exactly why he had been so nervous. Because when he opened the door, the mingled chatter of the crowd waiting for him was a relief.* * * * * “Where’d he go?” Kibum whispered hoarsely to Joohyun who, after a quick glance around, shrugged.Frowning, Kibum looked around, too, scanning the milling crowd until he spotted Minho emerging from a darkened doorway, wiping his hands off on the thighs of his trousers. Well, he wasn’t looking quite so peaky anymore. That was something.His brow was furrowed as he scanned the crowd warily, relaxing as soon as he made eye contact with Kibum. Smiling, Kibum stepped away from the table and nodded for Minho to join him over behind the dividing wall.As soon as he reached him, however, alarm bells started clanging in his head, though he wasn’t sure why.Minho leaned in to whisper “I’m doing better” in his ear, answering the question Kibum was about to ask.“Oh, good.”Wait.Minho was about to step away, but Kibum grabbed his arm, holding him in place. It was faint, but he leaned a little closer to smell the cloying traces of…“I think I was just hit on, though, which—“ Goosebumps erupted over him, spreading like a rapid rash as he stepped back, still holding Minho’s arm, to look up at him as Minho shuddered.“By someone here?” Minho nodded, glancing around. “What’d they look like?”Minho shook his head. “I don’t know, honestly. The only thing I remember about how he looks is that he was wearing glasses.”More alarm bells started to chime in with the first, creating a discordant harmony that set Kibum on edge. A lot of men wear glasses, Kibum…and that cologne. It’s not him. You’re just being paranoid. “Well, just let me know if you need me to fight him.” Minho snorted, looking over at him with fondness twinkling in his eyes. A soothing balm for Kibum’s suddenly anxious heart. He let himself relax a little, squeezing Minho’s arm lightly. “Will you be okay to mingle?”“I think so.”Minho started to turn away, hesitated, then leaned back in to press a quick kiss to Kibum’s temple before he walked off, disappearing behind the dividing wall. Unable to keep himself from smiling, Kibum glanced around to make sure that no one had noticed before he too turned to get back to the guests.His attention landed on a pair of women admiring the pink painting in the gradient—which was the much more polished, oil-painting version of the rather distracted attempt at a watercolor of the sunset at Sagye that sat on display on his nightstand. The flowers were spilling into the glittering sea, just like they had been that night. Kibum started for them, drawing their gazes when he asked, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”He flitted around the room, trying to be as amiable as possible as he answered the potential buyers’ questions about the featured locations or Minho’s process, of which, he surprised himself at his knowledge of. Which, maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise, with how much time he spent watching him paint.At the sound of an excited greeting, Kibum looked around to find Minho hugging someone—a petite woman, it looked like—tightly. When he let her go, he looked around and when he found him, he waved Kibum over to meet her.“Kibum, this is my teacher,” he said, his eyes shining. Smiling, Kibum turned to her and bowed politely, then again to her companion. Both of them were very handsome, middle-aged women, dressed simply in neutral tones. Yunhee swept her fringe out of her eye gracefully after she returned the bow. “Teacher, this is my boyfriend.” A jolt of excited pleasure stunned him as he looked over at Minho. He hadn’t expected him to say that. Not tonight. “He’s the one who put all this together.”Yunhee and her partner’s expressions relaxed as they looked over at Kibum, but it was Yunhee who said, “You must be the one who messaged me?”“I am, yes. I’m happy you were able to make it.”“Let’s start here,” Minho said excitedly, guiding both of them over to the brightest green piece—a verdant, secluded pool that Kibum had never seen before that was surrounded by lush foliage.Kibum watched them for a few seconds, smiling at how eager Minho was, then turned, scanning the room. He paused at a few paintings, striking up a conversation to see if people were interested in purchasing it or not. He gathered a few people’s information, placing /sold/ stickers on the edge of the canvases. As he pocketed the seventh card with the name and address and billing information of the buyer, he looked around, his attention darting over the food table only to jump back when he noticed Joohyun waving at him.Her expression was stony, her eyes wide, gaze abnormally tense. His brow furrowed quizzically as she jerked her head toward the dividing wall. Toward Sun of a Beach and the man observing it.Kibum’s blood turned to ice in his veins, a shiver running down his spine.He didn’t have to turn around for Kibum to know who that was.Joonwoo.Of course, he was here. He did love art, after all.How had he heard about it, though? From their former mutual friends? He had been telling anyone and everyone about the gallery, so that tonight would be a sure success, but…Kibum blinked, refocusing, and looked back at Joohyun, who was now joined by Chaejin. She mouthed, Do you want me to kill him?Despite his growing unease, Kibum cracked a smile, then shrugged, shaking his head as he started for them. For him. Once he reached the table with the food, he whispered “Later, maybe” as he passed them to stop behind Joonwoo. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, trying to mentally prepare himself for the next few uncomfortable minutes in the span of just a second or two.It was inadequate.Still, he cleared his throat, his voice blessedly steady and carefully bored as he said, “That one’s not for sale.”Joonwoo’s head twitched toward him before he stilled, obviously recognizing his voice. But, then, of course he did. Why wouldn’t he?When he turned his head, the bright fluorescent lights caught in his lenses, and his narrowed eyes flicked over Kibum disdainfully, like they always had after a fight. “I can see the sticker, Kibum. I’m not an idiot.”“No?” he asked, with a little laugh. “Could’ve fooled me.”It was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Before he could decide if he regretted it or not, Joonwoo's disdain turned to a withering glare before he shook his head with a slight roll of his eyes and looked back at the painting. “What are you doing here? You don’t even like art.”Even though Joonwoo wasn’t looking at him, Kibum shot him a disbelieving look. “Just because I never shared your taste in art doesn’t mean—”“Whatever.”Kibum’s skin prickled as if he’d been stuck by thousands of tiny needles as memories crashed through his mind. His flippant dismissiveness whenever Kibum was hurt by something he did or said, delivered in the same flat monotone as that Whatever. The way he made Kibum feel as if he were being stupidly over-dramatic whenever he was upset about his actions.The clench of his fists tightened until they were trembling, his jaw clenched. It was almost amazing how a few barbed words could drag him forcibly by the scruff of his neck and drop him right back at the heart of his dying relationship with this man.There was no point to this. Any more conversation would only dredge up hurt feelings and angry words that would probably be best left unsaid.He lifted his chin, grinding his teeth for a second as he watched Joonwoo attempt to ignore him. Then, “I’d like you to leave.”Joonwoo scoffed, then looked over at him with a smirk. “You can’t tell me what to do anymore.”Somehow, maybe by an act of God, he held himself back from yelling I wasn’t the controlling one! Instead, he offered Joonwoo a sardonic smile. “I can, actually. I organized this whole event.”Joonwoo’s eyebrows rose, his gaze flicking over Kibum again. “Is this your job now?”Before Kibum could answer, another man rounded the corner of the dividing wall, his eyes on Joonwoo. “There you are, I’ve been looking…for…” his voice trailed off into nothingness as he looked over at Kibum, his eyes growing wide. The last time Kibum had seen that look was when he found Daejung in their bed, startled to be caught and trying to cover himself up. “We weren’t expecting…”“Neither was I.”The taut silence rang in Kibum’s ears, despite the echoing chatter of the milling crowd around them. Daejung reached blindly for Joonwoo’s sleeve, tugging on it. “Let’s go, Woo.” When he jerked his arm away from him, Kibum caught Daejung’s eye, and in that second was commiseration over how stubborn and petulant he could be.What had he ever seen in him, honestly?“How about I walk you out?” he asked more calmly than he felt. This way, if something happened, it would be away from prying eyes and in no way endangering Minho’s big night.He stepped back, sweeping his arm to gesture toward the door, and after some muttered convincing, Daejung started the both of them toward the door. Kibum fell into step behind them, coughing a little when he was caught in the cloud of cologne that had been clinging to Minho.Who, speaking of…where was he? Oh, there, in the blues, still talking to Yunhee and her partner.Kibum hadn’t been trying to catch his attention, but Minho looked over at him, anyway, doing a double take when he noticed that he was following two men. Fleetingly, Kibum registered Minho’s concern, but turned away before he could try to communicate, somehow. He didn’t want to distract him with this if he didn’t have to.When he passed through the threshold, he turned around, closing the door to the gallery behind them, cloaking them in near darkness. The only sources of light in the corridor was the open door nearer to the restrooms and the glow of the streetlights trickling down the raindrops coating the wall of windows.“Be honest, Kibum,” Joonwoo said as he swung around, his voice carrying just a little too much for comfort. “This wasn’t some pathetic attempt to get me back in your life again, was it?” he asked, with a mingled hint of faux pity and very real disgust coloring his voice. A pained look flickered over Daejung’s face, gone in the instant that Kibum glanced his way.“No.” Then, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You didn’t even cross my mind. And, no,” he added when it looked like Joonwoo was about to say something else. “This isn’t my job now. I just put this together so that my boyfriend could get the exposure he deserves.”Even in the darkness, Kibum could see how taken aback he was. “You’re dating…the artist?”“For nearly a year. And guess what?” He paused, making sure he had Joonwoo’s whole attention. “He’s been loyal the whole time. I bet you didn’t think that was possible, did you?”Joonwoo snorted. “You’re so naive to think that someone who looks like that wouldn’t cheat on someone like you.““Joonwoo!” Daejung snapped, clearly scandalized. Why he was, though, Kibum wasn’t sure. Did he think that Kibum forgot his role in all of this? Or had he just finally developed a conscience?But Joonwoo’s retort, whatever it might have been, dropped off as his attention settled behind Kibum. His face fell, and Kibum was sure that, if the light was better, he would have been noticeably paler, too. He turned to see what had cut off what was sure to be a cutting reply, and smiled.An approaching Minho was silhouetted in the light pouring through the distant doorway, and Kibum watched him until he stopped at his side. His hand immediately settled at the small of Minho's back as he turned back around.“What’s going on?” he asked, his tone light and curious, but his expression strangely imposing as he stared across at Joonwoo.“Honey, this is Joonwoo. And Daejung.”At their names, the muscles in Minho’s back tensed. Kibum patted him there in an attempt to rein in whatever response Minho was about to give.“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Daejung said as he bowed and he stepped forward to shake Minho’s hand, obviously trying to clear the air with a little politeness. Minho didn’t raise his hand, nor acknowledge him. No, his attention was still trained on Joonwoo himself. “Your art is so—”“I think you should both leave.” Daejung stepped back, feeling for the stone-faced Joonwoo beside him. “I don’t want or need your money.”“Woo, let’s just go,” Daejung whispered, his voice tremulous as he tugged on Joonwoo’s arm again.He shook Daejung’s hand off of him, seemingly insistent on attempting to get the upper hand, here. “I wouldn’t have bought your shitty art anyways.”To Kibum’s surprise, Minho laughed. “So they’re not masterpieces?” Joonwoo stilled, his angry gaze fixed on Minho. “Sorry to have disappointed you.”Without waiting for Daejung to grab him, or for Daejung at all, he whirled around and made for the door, shoving it open and storming out into the rain. A stunned Daejung stood there for a few awkward seconds, staring at the door as it swung automatically shut. Then, he turned to them. “I’m sorry, he’s…embarrassed, I think.”Yes, that was likely.He turned to follow him, his shoulders slightly slumped, and Kibum was struck with the unexpected thought that maybe, in another life, he might have been Daejung’s friend. Before, when they had first met, before he started messing around with Joonwoo, he had liked him. He was funny and charming and they shared a lot of the same tastes. Despite him being the other man, seeing him again made him think that maybe he wasn’t such a terrible person, deep down.Even after what he did, Kibum didn’t want him to share his heartbreak, either.“Daejung,” he said as he reached the door. He looked back at him warily. “Just…remember how you got him. Old habits can be hard to shake.”He shot the pair of them a sheepish look, and pushed the door open to join the waiting Joonwoo in the downpour.“You doing okay?” Minho asked before he even pulled him into a hug.Kibum sighed heavily as he leaned into him, his eyes slipping closed. “Yeah, I am.” And it wasn’t a lie. Minho kissed his temple, and Kibum smiled at the tenderness. “I didn’t think I would be, but, really, I am.”“I’m glad.” He patted his back in silence, simply holding him. Could he feel how rapidly his heart was beating? “Do you want to just go home?”Caught off-guard, he laughed, leaning away to look up at him, though not so far that he slipped out of his embrace. “We can’t do that, this is our event.” Minho shrugged, his cutely crooked grin brightening his features. Sighing, Kibum stepped back yet stayed connected to him by slipping his hand around his arm, to which Minho responded immediately by covering it with his own. “How was your teacher liking your work?” he asked as he started them back toward the far door.“Oh! Yeah, she says I’ve done well for myself.”“You have.”Minho gave him a shy smile, and Kibum found himself wishing they were anywhere else, so that he could kiss him.“She also said that if we’re ever up in Incheon, that we’ll have a place to stay.”“Well, that’s nice of her.”As they approached the door, the warm golden glow from inside the gallery draped behind Minho in a thick strip like a sheer golden curtain. Kibum started to pull his hand away, but Minho caught it, bending a little to kiss it. Kibum could feel just how lovestruck his expression must be as Minho looked back at him, holding his gaze. But he couldn’t find it within himself to even try to suppress it.“Just say the word, and we’ll head back.”Kibum nodded, then sniffed a laugh. “Maybe when the rain lets up.”“Okay.” Reluctantly, Minho released his hand.Though he was looking like he’d rather linger here in the shadows with Kibum, he stepped back into the light pouring into the darkened hallway, leading the way back into the gallery.The rest of the night passed by in a blur. He stuck close to Minho as he interacted with the guests, pleasantly distracted by the gentle timbre of Minho’s voice. It kept him from straying too far into thoughts about Joonwoo, especially since he had to occasionally step in and write down a buyer’s information.How had he put up with him for that long? Had he truly been that desperate for love and that afraid of being alone that he would settle for…someone like that? Did he really think that there was no one else out there for him? That he’d never get a second chance at love?But then, looking back before he knew about the infidelity…had he even realized what Joonwoo was really like? Joohyun and Chaejin had been telling him for ages that they didn’t like him, and he, stupidly, defended him.Whatever, it didn’t matter anymore. Joonwoo had long since escaped the pedestal Kibum had had him on in his heart, and now, he was gone for good.He looked up at Minho as he laughed at something one of the guests said to him, smiling fondly and without realizing it, he reached out to him, his fingertips grazing Minho’s side and back before the spell Minho’s laughter cast over him broke and he pulled his hand away. Minho glanced at him, eyebrows raising, and Kibum shook his head.The real question was: had Minho replaced Joonwoo on the pedestal? No, he didn’t think so. They had met as equals, both hurting and reluctant to let love back into their lives, progressed to friends, eager to learn more about the other and willing to allow themselves to trust again, to the lovers and partners they were now.No, things were very different with Minho. There were no delusions about perfection, here. For both of them. Since almost the day they had met, they had fallen into step, sticking by the other’s side no matter what.He was smiling over at Minho again as he thanked and said goodbye to the last of the guests as they were leaving, and only once the door was closed behind them did Minho’s head swing around so he could look at him. “What?” he asked, smiling automatically as soon as he met Kibum’s eyes.Kibum shook his head. “You did good tonight.”He blinked slowly, happily, before he leaned in to press a kiss to Kibum’s forehead. “So did you.”“Hey,” came an exasperated voice behind them. Snorting, Kibum glanced over his and Minho’s shoulders to where Chaejin was watching them. “Are you gonna help us clean up or not?”“Let them be, Jinnie,” Joohyun said with a laugh as Minho started toward the table with the food.“Is there any food left?” he asked hopefully, but his shoulders slumped as he stopped at the table.Kibum stepped up beside him, his hand immediately resting on Minho’s back as he surveyed the barren food table. He patted his back, scratching between his shoulders as he said, “We’ll pick something up on our way back to my place.”After Minho’s glum okay, they got to work stacking all of the platters and packing up Joohyun’s car. The girls offered to given them a drive home, but since it was only barely drizzling and since they wanted to get a headstart on getting the paintings sorted, they declined and headed back inside. Kibum went over to the dividing wall, sitting on the floor below Sun of a Beach, and dug out the information cards as Minho started taking the paintings off the walls, counting them.“Seventeen,” he said aloud, and Minho turned around as he lifted the yellow canola field painting from the wall. “That’s how many you sold tonight.”“Really?” Kibum cracked a smile at Minho’s disbelief. “All but one?” Kibum nodded, watching him as he crossed the room, and held the cards up for Minho to check for himself. Minho started to kneel so he could sit beside him, but froze midway, his eyes darting to meet Kibum’s. “Are you okay with me sitting on the floor in this?”A warm burst of affection flooded him, and he couldn’t hold back his smile. “Minho, I’m sitting on the floor, too, it’s fine.”“Yeah, but, you might not have wanted me to.” Minho grinned when Kibum latched onto his arm and pulled him down to sit.Then, he kissed him, smiling against Minho’s lips until he pulled away enough to say, “You know, dry cleaners exist.”“I guess that’s true.”“You’re too sweet,” Kibum said with a chuckle, and another kiss.“You call me honey for a reason, don’t you?”Laughing, Kibum grabbed his shoulder, shoving him away, but he came right back, his hand sliding across Kibum’s cheek so he could guide him into yet another kiss. His hand trailed up Minho’s chest, curling in his lapel, only for a hint of Joonwoo’s lingering cologne to waft up to him.Kibum broke the kiss and sat back, though he didn’t release Minho’s jacket. He could feel Minho’s gaze on him, but he couldn’t make himself meet his gaze. “He was the one who hit on you?” he asked, even though it wasn’t really a question.Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Minho’s nod. “Called me a masterpiece. In the bathroom.” He said it so incredulously that Kibum sniffed a laugh and glanced up at him.“Well, I mean, he does like his art.”“Good thing I scrubbed all the paint flecks off of my hands then or else he would have been even more confused. I tried to show him that I was taken but I don’t know if he noticed it.”“I don’t think that sort of thing matters to him.”Minho let out a disgusted scoff, and Kibum leaned over until his head rested on Minho’s shoulder, his hand slipping around Minho’s arm. “Are you still doing okay?”“I think so. It was just weird, seeing him after this long.”“I know.” Minho turned, burying his nose in Kibum’s hair before he pressed a series of quick kisses to the top of his head. “I’m sorry.”Minho lifted his head when Kibum shifted so that he could look up at him. “Do you wanna just head back?” Minho nodded. “We can come back in the morning.”“Okay.” Minho leaned in to kiss him, Kibum’s eyes slipping contentedly shut, opening again when Minho pulled away. Minho’s gaze held his so gently as he leaned away from him that Kibum simply stared. An excited sort of anxiousness stuttered his heart, almost as if he was anticipating something. But, what?Minho extended his hand to Kibum, helping him off the floor. Once the lights were off and they were sure the doors were locked, they set off in the drizzle, huddling close to stay warm. Just as they were discussing where they wanted to stop to pick up something quick and easy for dinner, the sky opened up the the rain pelting them as they ran blindly down the sidewalk.“Let’s wait it out in there!” Minho called over the rain, directing Kibum toward an empty phone booth. He stuffed him inside and quickly followed him, his back to the opening, probably to bar most of the rain from seeping into their little shelter.Kibum leaned his head back against the quickly fogging glass wall behind him as he tried to catch his breath from their mad dash to the booth. Minho looked over his shoulder, sighing into a chuckle at the rain coming down in sheets around them.The phone booth was half-caught in a warm pool of light from the street lamp just off to their right, the light of which mingled with the flickering neon lights for the storefronts from the other side of the street. Both were muted by the foggy glass, but some of the light still caught in Minho’s dripping hair. There were some raindrops on his eyelashes, too. Gone in a blink, though, as he turned back around to focus on Kibum.“God, you’re soaked. Here.” He was already taking off his jacket, presumably to cover Kibum with it.“Min, no, I’m fine.”He shot him a disbelieving look, but Kibum just smiled sleepily up at him. It had been a long few days, getting the gallery organized. And the night had been a success, which meant they could just relax now. His eyes fluttered shut as Minho reached out to brush his wet hair out of his face before he cupped his face in his warm hand. Kibum leaned into it, and Minho brushed his thumb over his cheekbone.“Are you sure?”He could tell that the question wasn’t just about being wet. His attention dropped to Minho’s chest, and he reached for Minho’s lapel again, rubbing it between his fingers.The rain had washed away the last traces of Joonwoo. He had to be grateful to it for that.A thought struck him. A thought that he was sure he knew the answer to, but the very idea started his insides squirming. Could he trust him to be honest, though, if he were to ask? “Were you tempted?”“Kibum,” Minho was laughing incredulously again, which drew a smile to Kibum’s face—it was a ridiculous question and they both knew it. “Why would I be?”He shrugged, averting his eyes. “I mean, you never know…” I definitely didn’t, back then.“I don’t think there’s a man on the planet who could take me away from you.” Kibum, who had been about to continue his thought, fell silent, blinking slowly up at him. Minho’s gaze softened as Kibum watched him expectantly, and he stepped closer to him. “I’m yours as long as you’ll have me.”“Are you sure?” Kibum said softly, unable to speak up any more past the growing lump in his throat.“I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”Kibum let out a heavy sigh, trying and failing not to smile as he pulled Minho closer by his lapel. “Why are you so nice to me?”Minho shrugged, his cute crooked smile on full display in the foggy light. “It’s fun.”“Is that all?”The distant flickering neon lights were highlighting half of his dewy face in pink and purple, and the other half was bathed in the warm yellow glow from the nearby streetlamp. He was holding his attention so completely that Kibum was unable to tell if it was still raining outside. “Do I need another reason?”Kibum shook his head, reaching up to caress Minho’s face for a second. “I was just curious.” Minho’s eyes slipped closed, and Kibum smiled faintly as Minho reached up to hold Kibum’s hand in place before he turned his head slightly to reverently kiss his palm.“I have more reasons, if you really want to know.” Kibum waited for Minho to open his eyes and release his hand before he dropped it from its place at his cheek. Only, Minho caught it. Gently held it, as he turned it palm-up between them, lightly tracing the lines across his damp palm. “I love the way your eyes light up when you realize I’ve done something for you. And that specific smile you have, the bashful one where your nose scrunches up a little. Yeah, that one,” he added with a chuckle as Kibum smiled shyly, glancing away from him for a second before meeting his gaze again. “It’s a gift I never want to stop receiving, that smile.”Minho held Kibum’s hand in both of his, then, his eyes searching Kibum’s earnestly. “And, I don’t want you to…to be uncomfortable, but I want you to know, not just from my words, but from my actions as well, that I love you. With my whole heart. With everything I have. I don’t want you to doubt that for even a second.”Kibum blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears that were springing to his eyes. “I don’t.”“Good.” Then he brought Kibum’s hand up, meeting his gaze with a smile that was hidden as he kissed his knuckles. “I’m doing my job, then.”
I love you, too.
It came unhindered, for the first time, to the forefront of his mind.
I love you, too.
Thoughtlessly, naturally, insistently.
I love you, too.
Had this been what he was anticipating?Was this what he was waiting for?What exactly had it been? Not this iteration of Minho’s declaration of love, surely. There had been so many now, wordless or otherwise, for him to choose from. That couldn’t have been it. Joonwoo’s reappearance? Perhaps that was a small piece of it, but how pathetic would that be that he was waiting for the off-chance that he would carelessly breeze into his life again?Or, was it pathetic at all?Because this was a sort of closure, wasn’t it? He could finally, definitively leave Joonwoo firmly in his past where he belonged. That, and leave behind the boy who had been so desperate to be with someone—to not have the lifetime of loneliness he had been terrified he would have to endure once he discovered that he was gay—that he would latch onto the first boy who showed him a bit of attention and stayed. For however long.But he had matured, hadn’t he? Since then? Grown into a man more secure in himself. Secure in the idea of being alone, and then, secure in trusting the man before him. The man who had yet to falter or waver in his devotion in the years they had grown together.He trusted him, and now, more importantly, he trusted himself and the choices he had made to get him here, to this moment.Minho’s thumb stroked over the knuckle he had just kissed before he pressed another, achingly gentle kiss there again.Should he say it now? Right now? When they were out in the open like this? Or would it be better, more comfortable, to wait until they were back in the safety of his apartment?“Minho.” He lifted his head, meeting Kibum’s eyes. “Let’s just go.”“But, the rain—““I don’t care.”Minho searched his gaze, as if making sure that that’s what Kibum actually wanted, before he led him back out into the downpour. He didn’t let go of his hand once as he jogged lightly down the pavement, slow enough for Kibum to easily keep pace with him. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, whether from the sudden exercise or the realization that he was finally ready to tell Minho that he loved him, he wasn’t sure.It was lucky that the venue for the gallery had been so close to his place. Still, they were soaked through by the time they stumbled into the convenience store across the street from his building, Kibum breathlessly laughing as he clutched Minho’s arm for support. Their shopping was haphazard and giddy, the cashier probably thought they were drunk as they followed the other around, picking out their dinner.“Do you wanna just eat here?” Minho asked in a stage whisper as they piled their ramyeon and kimbap and chips and teas and icecreams on the counter.As fun as that sounded—and it did sound fun, because his teenage-self had always daydreamed about doing something exactly like that with whoever he had a crush on at the time—all he really wanted was to get Minho all to himself. So he shook his head, and Minho paid for their food and carried the bag back out into the rain.When they reached the building, Kibum darted ahead, holding the door open for Minho. Teeth chattering, he followed Minho into the elevator. Fortunately, it was empty, so he could sidle up as close as possible to him the whole way up to his floor. Though, Kibum was pretty sure he would have done so regardless.He rested his head on his shoulder, shivering a little as he tried to catch his breath when the doors locked them in. Minho turned, kissing the crown of his head lightly. “Why don’t you go get in the shower while I take the puppies out?”“I can take them.”“No, you should warm up.” Kibum huffed a teeth-chattered laugh, and Minho chuckled, kissing his head again. “See, you can’t even argue with me.”“You need to get warm, too, though.”“Save some hot water for me, then,” he said as the doors opened to the fifth floor. Kibum smiled to himself, leading the way out of the elevator. As if they both weren’t acutely aware that Minho would be joining him as soon as he was back inside.Kibum took the bag from him as soon as he keyed in the door code, and Minho, greeting the puppies in a high-pitched voice, went off in search of their leashes. Kibum shed his jacket, dumping it on the lounge of the couch, and kicked off his shoes before he set off for the kitchen to put their ice cream in the fridge and their drinks in the fridge.“I’ll be right back,” Minho called out before the clatter of claws and the excited panting of the puppies were silenced by the closing of the door.He finished unpacking their bag of food, laying everything out just so on the counter, then he slipped out of his shirt on his way to his bedroom. He dug through Minho’s suitcase for his toiletries before he made his way into the bathroom and turned the water on, leaning more toward Minho’s preferred temperature than his own. Which, in the end, was good, because he was full-on shivering by the time he had shed his wet clothes and stepped inside.By the time the cold had finally abandoned him, the front door reopened, and Kibum could barely hear the sound of Minho talking to the dogs over the rush of the shower around his ears. He stepped half out of the stream, listening hard as Minho drew nearer. He entered the bedroom, then came the faint sound of undressing.“I’m back,” Minho said unnecessarily as he came into the bathroom, his voice a cheery sing-song. His shadow passed over the shower curtain before he pulled it back, taking in Kibum with a grin. “Did you miss me?”Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stop himself from nodding as Minho joined him inside. From reaching for him once the curtain closed them in again. From pulling him into a kiss as soon as he was close enough, his hands gliding over Minho’s shoulders to clasp at the nape of his neck. When Minho’s smile curled against his own, well…the unspoken I love you’s that had been building up in his mind burst into a chorus, straining to be heard, to be the first one spoken aloud.But he couldn’t do that here. Not like this. Minho deserved something better, considering the wait he had made him endure. So, instead, he started pressing kisses wherever he could reach, each one laced with an I love you that Minho would soon hear for himself.They didn’t emerge from the shower until they had to because the water had gone almost cold, the last few moments taken up by quick rounds of shampooing, conditioning, and washing their bodies. Because of that, though, Kibum was shivering almost as badly as he was when he had gotten in, but that was quickly remedied by drying off and getting into his pajamas. He followed Minho out into the bedroom, his urge to stay close to him undiminished.“What do you want to do?” Minho asked as Kibum passed him on his way to the bed. “Go to sleep, or…”Kibum shook his head, yanking the comforter free of the mattress. “Let’s go eat.”Minho eyed him as if he were trying to read his thoughts as Kibum bundled the blanket up in his arms and started for the door. “I’ll get the ramyeon going, you can just go and relax.”Smiling, Kibum passed him and started for the living room, but a tugging sensation in his heart made him want to return to him, to stay with him.It took Minho a few minutes to prepare their cup of noodles, and in the meantime, Kibum had arranged a nest of blankets and pillows for them and the puppies to cuddle up in front of the TV. Their newest reality show was queued up, the sound low so that they would still be able to hear the rain over it. Minho soon joined him, his arms precariously laden with their food, and settled in beside him. Kibum waited for him to grab his chopsticks and bowl before he hit play.It was almost infuriating, this feeling that he just couldn’t be close enough. He was sure that even if he happened to be in his lap, wrapped up in his arms, distracted by his kisses…he still wouldn’t be satisfied. It was like an itch he couldn’t scratch; a tension in his very soul that he would never find release for; some invisible force bonding them that he would never be free from.Did he even want to be?No.“Aren’t you gonna eat, too?” Minho asked, and Kibum blinked, coming to. He sat forward, ripping open the bag of chips and turning to set it in Minho’s lap before he grabbed his own ramyeon.As he ate, he wasn’t really focused on their show. The exhaustion from the days and weeks of planning was finally settling in, now that the gallery was over and he was here, alone and at peace in Minho’s presence. Minho had started on the chips by the time Kibum set aside his mostly empty bowl of ramyeon, but he set the bag aside as Kibum leaned forward to put his bowl back on the coffee table.When he turned, he was pleased to find Minho watching him, patiently expectant. So instead of sitting back beside him, he curled up in Minho’s waiting arms, their chests pressed together as they held each other. The glow of the TV flickered over Minho’s face, and Kibum was mesmerized, blinking slowly as his attention dropped to Minho’s lips.“Do you want to go to bed now?” Minho asked. He shook his head, and Minho’s expression softened. “Do you want me to kiss you?”“If you don’t mind.”Minho drew him in closer, Kibum’s eyes preemptively closing in sleepy yet eager anticipation of Minho’s lips capturing his. But they didn’t. So, he opened his eyes a fraction, catching a glimpse of Minho’s smile as he whispered, “Sweetheart.” Kibum hummed curiously. “If I ever say no to that, then something has gone horribly, terribly wrong.”Kibum would have laughed, had Minho not kissed him. But this was better. Infinitely better.His hands roamed slowly over Minho’s back—just as Minho’s did the same to his—as if he were savoring the warmth of his skin beneath his fingers. One of Minho’s hands slid up to support his head, his fingers curling in his hair and tugging lightly until his head fell back and left his neck and throat exposed. Somewhere, in the distracted recesses of his mind, he thought that maybe he should grow out his hair. Just a little bit. The thought didn’t linger, though, because Minho’s lips grazed beneath his chin, leaving a searing series of kisses along the slope of his throat to his collarbone.He could feel Minho’s smile against his shoulder when he let out a gasp of a sigh. When he lifted his head, his hold on Kibum’s hair loosened so that he could lower his head at will. And so he did, his hands sliding back from over Minho’s shoulders to frame his face as he turned to him. He barely took the time to take in Minho’s relaxed, crooked grin and his heavy-lidded gaze that only seemed to be focused on his lips before he kissed him again.Minho’s arms encircled him, his fingers scratching lightly along his back as he deepened the kiss. It was all Kibum could do to not melt in his embrace. Maybe he would have, had Minho not eventually leaned back to ask Should we go to bed?, his voice husky as Kibum tenderly peppered his face with kisses.He hummed in answer as his lips found Minho’s again, too consumed by the heady haze of desire that each kiss was stirring up within him to think of anything to say.But Minho understood.He always did.Their food laid abandoned, the TV left on… As much as he—and likely Minho—would have liked to head straight into his bedroom, neither could seem to make it very far without getting caught up in yet another desperately earnest kiss, tethered to each other as they were by their wandering hands.Eventually, they found their way.Kibum’s heartbeat quickened in exhilaration as Minho settled over him, his arms enclosing him as he, with methodical thoroughness, began a meandering trail of worship wherever he could reach.Part of him—a very small, barely logical part of him—was looking for a moment or a spare breath to finally let his confession spill from his lips. But it didn’t seem right to say it here, lost in the delicious throes of passion as he was.Not for the first time that Minho would hear him say it, anyways.When at last they were—temporarily—satiated, Minho curled up beside him and in Kibum’s arms, their legs slotted together. Kibum brushed his fingers through Minho’s hair until he was sure that he was asleep. Then, he slid down a little, his forehead resting against Minho’s. He watched his sleeping face as his own eyes drooped. But before he finally let go and joined him, he whispered it once aloud.The last thing he remembered before he succumbed to sleep was Minho’s arms holding him just a little bit tighter.When he became aware of the world around him again, his room was filled with light. Sunlight. Pouring into his bedroom, bright and warm and tinged a delicate peach like the clouds dotting the sky beyond the blinds.A golden morning after a storm.Fitting, in a way.Kibum turned his head, blinking slowly as he watched the still sleeping Minho breathe. He had rolled away from him, in his sleep, flopping onto his back. His hands were still on him, though limply.Smiling at just the sight of him, Kibum rolled closer, settling gently around him, his fingers toying with his hair. Brushing it off his forehead, tucking the edges around the shell of his ear.Minho turned below him, his eyelashes batting languidly as he became more aware. Of the waiting day, of the expectant Kibum above him. Kibum smiled, carding his fingers through Minho’s hair, unsurprised that Minho’s eyes drooped closed again.“Minho, look at me.”He obeyed, though it was clear he was still trying to wake up.“I want to tell you something.”Minho shifted again, humming in question.“Are you awake enough to listen?” Kibum asked, a hint of a laugh in his voice. Maybe he should wait…but then, hadn’t he waited long enough?“Yeah, yeah.” Minho sniffed, blinking hard a few times before he met Kibum’s gaze again. “What is it?”Kibum’s hand slipped down to hold Minho’s cheek, thumb brushing along his cheekbone. He wanted to cherish this moment. The calm he felt, the certainty in his heart and mind that he wasn’t making a mistake. That he loved him so deeply, so completely, so…peacefully. He had for a long time, even if it terrified him until last night.But he wasn’t scared now. And he wouldn’t be again, of that he was sure.“Minho,” he said again, mainly to amuse himself, because he knew that Minho’s eyebrows would raise in tired question, almost exasperated that Kibum had woken him up for seemingly nothing. And, he did just that. So Kibum leaned closer, pressing a gentle kiss to Minho’s lips. When he pulled away, Minho was predictably more alert, searching Kibum’s gaze curiously. “I love you, too.”It took a second for the response to sink in. A response to all the times that Minho had said it before. The release, the relief to finally speak it aloud drew a smile out of him as Minho’s eyes widened, his lips parting.“I love you, too,” he said again, tearing up at the glittering wonder in Minho’s eyes as he beheld him, dumbstruck. “And I’m so sorry—““Don’t be,” Minho breathed out, but Kibum shook his head.“I’m sorry I made you wait.”It was Minho’s turn to shake his head, his eyes wide and full of reassurance. “I would have waited longer, if you needed me to.”Kibum sighed heavily, searching Minho’s gaze. “You shouldn’t have had to, though.”Minho reached between them to hold his face so reverently that tears started to sting his eyes. He blinked them away as Minho swept his thumb over his cheekbone, simply watching him. Taking him in. Then, he said softly, “My love—” Kibum’s heart clenched at that. “You were beyond patient with me when I needed you to be. You still are. Why don’t you think you deserve the same patience from me?”He tried to think of something to say to refute him, but the words fell flat before they reached his lips. He took in a shaky breath, then gave Minho a tremulous smile, since he was trying not to cry. “I love you so much.”“I love you, too,” Minho said automatically, beaming up at him.Kibum’s smile became a little steadier as he leaned into Minho’s palm. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”Minho’s thumb grazed his cheek again. “You know? I ask myself the same thing almost every day.”“Almost?” His brow furrowing, Kibum sat back with a slight frown. “Not every day?”When Minho chuckled, Kibum’s frown melted back into a smile. “You’re right. From now on, it’ll be the first thing I do when I wake up.”“Good.” Kibum leaned in to kiss him, and Minho’s fingers slipped around to hold his neck. “It better be.”Though they took their time, they found it in them to eventually leave his bed, though neither of them seemed willing to leave the other’s side. They dressed for the day and readied themselves to head back to the gallery to finish the breakdown and packaging of the paintings that Minho had been able to sell. When Kibum pulled away the sweater of his from Minho’s bare chest that he had picked out for him to wear, it caught on the necklace with the key pendant that he had given him a few months ago.As he stepped closer to do the intricate untangling, he decided that maybe they had a stop to make before they went back to the venue.Once the puppies were walked and thoroughly doted on, they put on their coats and headed out, Minho’s hand sliding against his as he held it, fingers intertwined, on their way to the elevator. Kibum paused at the door that led to the stairs, then made for it.“Are you sure?” Minho asked as Kibum pulled him along.The boom of the door closing echoed in the empty stairwell, the sickly green of the fluorescent light washing Minho out. Him, too, probably. But that didn’t matter, if it meant he still got to hold Minho’s hand.So, in answer, Kibum squeezed Minho’s hand and smiled up at him before he started them down the five floors. When they reached the ground floor, Minho held him back from opening the door immediately. To kiss him, to savor the last moment they had before they would have to be in public again.As soon as Kibum let go of Minho’s hand, he wished he could take it back again. But they had already emerged into the foyer, crossing the open, lightly populated room, so he knew he wouldn’t be able to until they reached the car.“Should we get coffee before we head there?” Kibum asked as he filed in between his car and his neighbor’s, looking over the roof of his car at Minho.The fondly amused look in Minho’s eye told him that he too was thinking that, maybe five minutes ago, they had just finished their morning coffee. However, Minho still said Sure as they ducked inside. Once the car was started and they were both buckled, Kibum pulled out.There was a coffee shop right across the street from his parking garage. He could tell that it had caught Minho’s eye from how he turned his head as Kibum drove right past it. A couple streets down sat a Starbucks, but Kibum ignored it, too, turning onto the main drag that would take them up to Namsan.“Where are we going?” Minho asked as they passed the fourth cafe—and one that Kibum used to enjoy going to. With Joonwoo.“I told you. Coffee,” he said, casting a glance Minho’s way, unsurprised to find him eying him curiously. Still, he sat back, relaxing at last.With traffic, it only took about thirty minutes before he pulled into an empty spot somewhat close to the entrance. Minho was bending down, looking up through the windshield at the tower. Kibum watched him as he took the keys out of the ignition, sniffing a laugh when Minho gave him a skeptical look.“We’re going to Twosome’s. It’s really good.”“And…what else?”Kibum shrugged, unlocking the doors. “It’s a nice day.” They both got out of the car, and Kibum swung his shut. “I thought a walk would be nice, too.” Nodding, Minho closed his car door and came around to join him before they headed inside.Minho ordered his usual, and Kibum, after hemming and hawing a little, went with a hot London Fog. Once their names were called, Kibum started them toward the elevators, squeezing into it with all the other couples on their way up to the promenade.Once they all spilled out of the elevator, everyone split off into pairs as they made for the bridge, some holding the locks and ribbons, others holding hands, clearly there to enjoy the view and the mild morning weather. Kibum stuck close to Minho, surveying the locks as surreptitiously as he could. Occasionally, Minho paused to take a picture. Of the light streaming through the trees, of the skyline of Seoul stretching out below them.“Is that making it to your shop?” Kibum asked him once Minho had caught up with him again.Minho shrugged, huffing a sigh as he smiled. “Maybe. Or, maybe next year’s calendar.” Kibum’s eyebrows shot up, which only made Minho’s smile grow, and Kibum looked away from him and back to the locks, shaking his head. Minho chuckled. “I bet it’s even prettier up here at night.”“That’s what I’ve heard,” Kibum said absently, slowing to a halt when they reached a bend in the path he didn’t remember from his last visit. He looked back at the wall of locks, eyes darting between each of the pearly teal ones fluttering in the gentle breeze. Had they already passed theirs?“Should we come back tonight?” Minho asked as Kibum started back the way they came, his attention trained fully on the wall now. He stepped up beside Kibum when he crouched down in front of the wall and began flipping the different locks with the teal bows around, searching for the engraving of their initials. His fingertips grazed his shoulder before he pulled his hand away. “We could get a lock for ourselves, then, too,” he said, soft enough that only Kibum could hear him.Automatically, Kibum grinned, relieved to know that Minho didn’t in fact think the idea was stupid.He hunkered down beside him, his lips pressed against Kibum’s shoulder as he watched him flip a few more of the locks around. “Do…do we already have one, Bummie?”As if it were just waiting for Minho to ask, the next lock at Kibum reached for had the distinct 민키 carved into the face of it. In answer, Kibum twisted it around so that Minho could see it, and he watched the subtle softening of Minho’s already tender expression until he finally tore his gaze away from the lock to meet Kibum’s eyes again.“This is what the key is to.”Minho’s big brown eyes flicked to meet Kibum’s, and he could feel his breath catch, just from how his chest was pressed against his back. Another apology sprung to the tip of his tongue—that he should have said I love you way back then, because clearly he had—but then Minho pressed a subtle kiss where his lips met his shoulder and…it went unsaid.It was hard to resist holding his hand on the way back to his car. He managed, somehow. If only just. He was about to say as much as soon as they were safely inside the car, but when he turned his head to do so, Minho was watching him expectantly. Eagerly waiting for the chance to kiss him, if he had to guess. So, without checking for passersby, he leaned toward him, smiling when Minho collected his face in his hands.“I love you, too,” he whispered, his lips brushing against his with the declaration before he kissed him at last.The trip back to the gallery was made slightly difficult, given how he was only able to drive one-handed since Minho had commandeered the other. Distracting him with kisses here and there, sometimes squeezing his hand lightly in time to the music of their playlist. But, they made it in one piece, and even though they were reluctant to leave the car and the sanctuary of just their company, they eventually did, Kibum hurrying up to unlock the door while Minho wrangled all of their supplies together.It was dull work. Kibum worked on wrapping the pieces and attaching the different information cards to them for Minho, who was sprawled out on the floor writing thank you notes for each of the buyers, as well as addressing the envelopes. They had to stop for lunch midway, though it was Kibum leaving Minho alone at the venue while he drove down to the convenience store they had popped in last night, grabbing a few things he knew Minho would like before he headed back.When he returned, he found Minho sitting up, smiling down at his phone. “Come here, look,” he said without looking up at Kibum.He set the bag down before he sat beside him, his hand sliding behind Minho’s own as he turned the phone to him. It was a picture of Yunhee and her partner with Minho, who had clearly been the one to take the picture. They were leaning together, the blues and purples of the gradient paintings stretching out behind them and over the heads of the guests milling around behind them. When he noticed the little person icon, Kibum tapped on the picture, and found that she had tagged artists_choice.“She seemed really nice,” Kibum said as he released Minho’s phone so he could bring their bag of food around.“She is.” Minho unwrapped his kimbap, chewing the first piece thoughtfully before swallowing to say, “I wish you could have hung out with us. I think you would have really liked her.”“Definitely would have liked talking to her more than Joonwoo,” Kibum said before he took a long sip of his tea, doing a double take when he noticed Minho’s concerned look. “Min, I’m fine,” he laughed, switching the hand he was holding his tea with so he could clap his hand on Minho’s shoulder. “Really.”“Okay.”The breaking down of the gallery took the rest of the day. Twilight was settling in by the time they left the post office, all of the paintings sent off to their buyers—including the one that didn’t sell, which he sent to his art teacher after a little back and forth on Instagram to get her information. They lugged Sun of a Beach back up to Kibum’s apartment, meeting the curious stares in the elevator with awkward smiles. As soon as it was back up on the wall and they had had a quick bite to eat, they were off again, this time with the puppies in tow.If anything, Namsan Tower seemed to be much more populated at night. They had to take the stairs up to the promenade, Minho carrying Garcons and he, Commes Des. The puppies were eager to be let down once they reached the pathway, and it took a little bit of walking and some reining in from both he and Minho for them to calm down.He was more than content to let Minho lead the way, happy to just be here. In his presence. Kibum kept glancing up at him, smiling each time he did at the serenity in his countenance as he took in the city spreading out below them.What would it be like when he moved up here? Would every day be some version of perfect like this one was, or were they still just basking in the afterglow of him finally feeling ready to tell Minho he loved him?Ah. But Minho will be heading home soon. Not tomorrow, but the morning after that. And then they’d be apart. Again. For who knew how long, this time.Hopefully not too long. He wasn’t sure that his heart could take it.Minho guided Garcons over to an empty overlook that was jutting out from the main path. Kibum followed him, of course, and leaned against the iron banister, his back to the city. The lights far below glimmered in Minho’s dark eyes like stars as he settled around him, his arm braced across his chest and his hand resting beside Kibum’s hip on the railing. Without looking away from Minho, he found his hand on the railing with his own, his fingers curling into the spaces between Minho’s.Minho smiled faintly as he sighed, glancing away from the city to look at him at last. Kibum cocked his head to the side, until it could almost rest on his shoulder, and asked, “Do you think you’ll miss the city?”His smile fleetingly grew as he searched Kibum’s expression. Probably trying to find the meaning behind the question. When he leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, Kibum did too. “I’ll miss you more than anything else.” Heart fluttering madly, Kibum averted his eyes with a crinkled-nose smile before he looked hopefully back up at him. “Someday, we’ll fix that.” His brow furrowed flickeringly, his gaze steadily holding Kibum’s. “Won’t we?”Kibum nodded. “We will.”Minho’s gaze darted from Kibum’s eyes, to his lips, and back to his eyes again. Kibum’s grip on Minho’s hand tightened as he leaned in, his chin lifting in the hopes for a kiss.He didn’t resist. He didn’t even hesitate.For the rest of Minho’s time in Seoul, they stayed peacefully holed away in Kibum’s apartment, barely spending a moment apart in preparation for their impending separation. And, when the morning arrived, it brought with it a reluctance so heavy that, to Kibum, it felt as though he were dragging himself out of bed, through his morning routine, and finally, out the door.When they pulled into the parking spot at the garage at Gimpo, he sighed despondently as he twisted the key out of the ignition. His head thunked back against the headrest before he turned to look at Minho, who was watching him with a sad sort of amusement. “This is bullshit,” Kibum said matter-of-factly, which made Minho chuckle.“It is.”“When can I come down again?”Minho unbuckled his seat, leaning on the console. “When would work best for you?”“If you had more than just a carry-on, I’d be able to stow away in your luggage.” The corners of Minho’s eyes crinkled as he laughed, and Kibum reached out to smooth down the front of his coat, avoiding meeting his gaze, since he absurdly felt as if he were about to cry. “What about this weekend?”“I was hoping you’d say ‘Tomorrow’ but that works, too.”Kibum cracked a smile, shaking his head. “I’d fly down right after I get off work, if I could.”“What if…” Kibum looked up as Minho’s voice trailed off, eyebrows raising. “We took turns on the weekends? So next weekend, I’d come back up. And then…would that work for you?” he finished softly, searching Kibum’s expression.“I feel like…it’ll only make matters worse.” Minho frowned, immediately concerned. “Like, what if, one time, we just don’t leave?”His worry melted away as he leaned even closer, waiting for Kibum to kiss him. So he did, his hand cupping Minho’s cheek, his fingers caressing his jaw. When they broke apart, Minho sighed, his forehead resting against Kibum’s, who kept his eyes closed. “I’d say, it’s worth the risk, then,” he murmured before he kissed him again. And again…and again.Until it was Kibum who sat back with a breathless laugh, his hand splayed on Minho’s chest in an effort to create some distance. “Honey, I’m gonna be late to work, at this rate.”“Please, Kibum…”Kibum blinked slowly, his hand gradually bunching in the front of Minho’s coat as he pulled him back to him, kissing him so thoroughly that, if he was lucky, it would still be at the forefront of Minho’s mind when he arrived in Jeju this Friday night. Because it would certainly be in his thoughts until then, and it didn’t seem fair for him to have to suffer on his own.And, it didn’t look like he’d have to, judging by how dazed Minho was looking when they left the car. He leaned against the wall of the elevator as the door closed, dragging his hand over his face as he sighed heavily. Kibum eyed him, amused as Minho shook his head and looked his way. He raised his eyebrows, as if to ask What?, and Minho shook his head again.“You’re killing me.”Kibum sucked his teeth to keep himself from smiling, and pushed away from the wall as it paused at the ground level. “You asked for it, Minho,” he said, casting a smug look his way before he stepped off the elevator and started for the terminal, unable to hold back his grin now when Minho let out an exasperated chuckle as he followed him.He hung back like usual, waiting for Minho to check in for his flight and return to him. When Minho turned to look for him in the crowd, Kibum could feel his expression soften as he rushed back over to him. “You should go,” he murmured in his ear as he pulled him into a tight embrace. “Don’t want you to be late.”“It’s okay,” Kibum said, squeezing him a little tighter. “Joohyun can cover for me.” Minho tucked his face deeper into Kibum’s neck and shoulder, and Kibum patted his back as he turned his head to whisper, “I love you.”“I love you, too,” Minho mumbled into Kibum’s coat before he took a deep breath and let him go.When he stepped away, and just before he turned to head toward the security checkpoint, Kibum said, “I’ll book my ticket during lunch.”Minho met his gaze again, giving him a wink and a smile before he jogged to the back of the line. When he arrived, he looked back at him again and waved as Kibum got out his phone.
[07:29]

I have to go, I can’t wait anymore
Kibum looked up from his screen, watching Minho pull out his phone, too, so he could read the text. He typed for a few seconds, sent it, and looked back over at him with a sad smile.
It’s okay~ We’ll be together again soon.
After he sent a string of red hearts, Kibum clutched his phone to his chest, watching Minho receive them. He smiled down at his screen, then moved ahead in line before looking back at him, shooing him toward the door.Kibum trudged toward it, looking back one last time, unsurprised to find Minho still watching him. He blew him a kiss before he turned to step into the revolving door and let it guide him back outside. Once he was behind the wheel, he sat there for a few seconds, staring at the empty seat beside him before he started his car and pulled out of the spot.One day, they’d never have to say goodbye again.His phone vibrated, a text from Minho, no doubt, but he’d have to check what it said once he got to work. As he reached the exit of the garage, daylight poured into his car. Gleaming along the curve of his ring. Kibum squinted down at the reflected sunlight, smiling into a contented sigh as he joined the traffic.* * * * *Minho stood there in line, watching Kibum get swallowed up by the revolving door and emerge on the outside. He squinted, focusing hard on keeping his gaze on him as he closed the thoroughfare on his way to the parking garage. But the guy behind him was impatient, coughing loudly when apparently the line ahead of Minho moved. So he looked around, falling into place behind the pair of women chit-chatting quietly, and glanced back at the door and the windows framing it.Kibum was gone.Heart clenching, Minho brought out his phone, flipping it around in his hand before he turned the screen toward himself to unlock it. He tapped on kakaotalk, bringing up his and Kibum’s messages and smiling down at the series of hearts. After pressing on the message bar, his thumbs hovered over the screen for a second while his whirring brain tried to figure out how to word what he wanted to say.
[7:36]

I know you were just here with me

like a moment ago but I miss you so

much already. You’ll be in my

thoughts, my love, until you can be

in my arms again.
He sent it without bothering to wait and see if Kibum would open it. He was probably already driving, which meant he would not be even glancing at his phone for the next thirty-ish minutes.Kibum still hadn’t texted by the time he made it past the entrance into the security section of the concourse. Minho dropped his phone and his wallet and shoes into the bin, sending it through the scanner before he joined the line to get scanned himself. When he made it through unscathed, he grabbed his things, stuffing his phone in his pocket on his way to find somewhere to put on his shoes.As he sat, his phone vibrated in his back pocket, but when he pulled it out, it still wasn’t Kibum. No, it was an Instagram notification for artists_choice, so he set it on the bench and shifted so his thigh was resting over it, in case someone wanted to snatch it.Once his shoes were on, he grabbed his phone and his ticket, looking up at the signs to see where he needed to go, and only when he was heading in the right direction did he open Instagram.“What do you got for me,” he muttered under his breath, curious what the new commission request was going to be. He let out a little hum at the new message from choiseok89, his brow slightly furrowing at the nondescript hey of the message.What can I do for you? he asked, keeping half of his attention on the screen as he tried to navigate Gimpo.It was read immediately, the little texting bubble popping up and disappearing more times than he could count, only for the next message to be three words long. This is Minseok.Minho stopped dead in the middle of the walkway, staring blankly at the screen until it began to blur. Only when someone accidentally walked into him did he move again, blindly crossing the path on his way to the wall, which he leaned up against for support as he slid down to crouch on the floor. His heart was thudding heavily in his ears as he stared at his brother’s name, his hand shaking a little as he reached up to tap on Minseok’s profile.It was private.He went back to their chat. The little text bubble only appeared once, falling away a second later. Was he sitting there, too, anxiously watching his screen?How do I know it’s you if your account is private? he asked and pressed send before he could convince himself not to. This couldn’t be some sort of cruel joke, could it?Check again, Minseok replied a moment later, and Minho lifted his thumb to Minseok’s handle, hovering there for several blinks before he pressed down.Memories of his estranged home leapt off the screen, the familiar sights and food, his parents’ living room where Minseok was helping a toddler—his toddler, more than likely—walk in front of the TV that his dad had bought when he had been around five. The backyard where he vaguely remembered playing with Cloud, now populated with an unfamiliar golden retriever laying belly-up on the lawn and smiling at the same toddler that was waddling toward him. The next of a woman—a pretty woman—beaming at whoever was behind the camera—Minseok, probably—while bouncing an infant in her arms.A happy family. His brother’s family. Complete and total strangers.Gulping, he went back to their chat again, looking warily at the message bar. The calm, steady voice of a woman flooded his mind, drawing his attention away from his phone. The intercom. The airport…his gate.Stowing his phone away again, he heaved himself up and looked back at his ticket again. It took him a couple of tries to register his gate, and that was only because his phone kept vibrating and distracting him. Once he reached it, he was simultaneously anxious and relieved to see that boarding had yet to begin.So, he found a seat, tucked away in the corner by the windows overlooking the tarmac, and pulled out his phone again.“Oh, thank god,” he breathed out when he saw Kibum’s notifications alongside Minseok’s. He ignored his brother and went straight for Kibum as soon as he unlocked his phone.
[08:03]

I love you too you sappy bastard ❤️
 
Only three minutes late I think that’s pretty

good,
considering
 
Ugh I don’t want to be here already
Minho stared at the texts, unsure if he was in the right headspace to respond casually. On the whole, he felt like…no, he wasn’t.Kibum. The little one disappeared by the text as he was typing, then sent, My brother just got into contact with me.The little one was gone again in a second, then, without warning, his phone was vibrating with an incoming call. From Kibum. Minho answered, pressing the speaker into his ear as he curled up in his seat to watch the planes.“Are you okay?” Kibum asked in an alarmed whisper.“I think so. It just startled me. I wasn’t expecting it.”“Yeah, no, me neither.” He let out a sigh, his forehead thunking against the window. One of the little baggage cart train things was driving past the window. His gaze trailed after it until it disappeared beyond the corner and out of sight. “Do you know what he wants?”“I haven’t gotten that far with him yet.” Kibum hummed, and Minho closed his eyes, picturing Kibum sitting across from him. Taking his hand, his concern palpable. “I should talk to him, shouldn’t I?”Kibum didn’t answer him right away. Minho looked up at the sound of the boarding call for his gate. “I think you should. For the closure of it all.” Minho worried his bottom lip, nodding even though Kibum couldn’t see him. “But Minho—”“Mm?”“Just remember, you can cut him off at any time. There’s no obligation to talk to him if you’re uncomfortable at all.”“Okay.”“Keep me updated?” he asked, as if it were even a question.“Of course, I will,” Minho said with a chuckle.“Okay, good. I’ve got to go, then. I love you.”His heart burst as it always did since Kibum started feeling comfortable enough to say it. “Love you, too.”“Bye—” Kibum said, drawing out the word far longer than necessary, his aegyo making Joohyun laugh and Minho grin. And, before Minho could respond, Kibum hung up.Feeling a whole lot more at ease, Minho opened the chat with Minseok as he stood to fall into line to get on the plane.
[08:01]

I understand if you don’t want to hear from me
 
Or any of us

[08:13]

Maybe it’ll help if I explain a bit. I’ve been wanting

to try to find you for years, but I didn’t really know

if I should or not. I didn’t know if you’d want to

talk to any of us. I know I wasn’t there that night,

but I’ve heard about it from Mom and Dad. And

Yeunseo, now, or again, I guess. He had explained

before but when we went out for drinks like a

month ago, he got plastered and told me a totally

different story than the one he did after you disap-

peared. It was…disturbing, to say the least, to hear

what he said. And when I asked him about it a few

days later when he had sobered up, he stuck to what

he had told me. I hate the idea of your name being a

disgrace for this long because of a misunderstanding,

and I was hoping to talk to you about it.

[08:16]

I’m sorry if this is bringing up bad memories for

you. It wasn’t my intention.
Minho took several intentionally slow breaths before he screenshotted the messages and sent them to Kibum without comment. Then he switched back to Minseok, tapping his thumbs against the edge of his phone.Well. Misunderstanding was sure one word for what went down back then.Squinting, Minho tapped on the message bar, his thumbs typing slowly as he figured out what he wanted to say.
[08:23]

First, what did Yeunseo tell you? And second,

why did he feel the need to, hopefully, tell the

truth after all this time?

Also, how did you find me?
Just as he sent it, a message from Kibum came in: Misunderstanding????? What the fuck?! Minho snorted softly, smiling at the notification until it vanished, because Minseok was typing again.
I’ll answer your second question first. He said

that he saw you in Incheon a couple of months

ago, and that since then he has been plagued

with guilt about how that night unfolded.
Ah.He looked up as he reached the front of the line and presented his ticket to the waiting attendant, offering her a bland smile as he followed the person ahead of him down the tunnel and onto the plane. His phone vibrated a few more times, but he didn’t look down at it again until he was situated in his window seat.
He told me that you two had been in a relation-

ship since highschool, that you had been in love,

and that what our parents walked in on was com-

pletely consensual, but that he knew what his dad

thought, or thinks, about gay people, so he panicked.
Well, at least that was the truth.
As for how I found you, I’m working at the high

school now, and I follow most of the other teachers

on social media and I saw Kang Yunhee’s recent

post with you and thought that it would be better

to try to message you here instead of on your

private account.

Again, I understand if this is too much for you

right now. I’d just like to try to make things right,

if I can.
Minho sighed heavily, switching back to Kibum’s texts to tell him that he had boarded before he went back to Minseok.
I’m minutes away from needing to be in airplane

mode, so I’ll text you back once I’m home.
It was read immediately.
Alright. Have a safe flight, Minho.
He took a couple more screenshots of the conversation and sent them to Kibum before he did indeed switch his phone to airplane mode before the stewardess asked them to. Actually, he turned it off. For good measure.He opened the window, resting the back of his head on the seat and his forehead on the curved wall, gazing without really seeing out the window. In the distance, he heard the stewardess giving the usual safety spiel as the train started to taxi to the runway.Then speed up.Then take to the air.The earth shrank away from them, the bustling city growing distant as they followed the Han south. Soon, the North Sea came into view, and he could feel himself relaxing at just the sight of it. Until, that is, the skyline of Incheon rose above the shoreline, drawing his gaze away from the dark blue waves.How much different would things be if Minseok had been there that night? Would he have been disowned? Or, even, estranged? For this long? Or would they have come around eventually, convinced by Minseok’s confidence in him.
Well, now you’re getting ahead of yourself, dumbass. You don’t even know if Minseok does believe you.
But he had been searching for him…and he seemed to believe Yeunseo’s new story…that had to count for something, didn’t it?He could not come to a satisfactory answer by the time he landed in Jeju City. When he turned on his phone again, he was relieved to find that his brother hadn’t texted him again. Kibum had, though. Several times, in fact. His running commentary on what Minseok had said, his favorite of the onslaught of texts being Well, at least Yeunseo has a conscience. That’s more than I was expecting from him.When he made it to the end of the texts, Minho sent him a couple of hearts followed by, Landed.Minho made his way numbly through the terminal, brightening up when he came out at arrivals to find an excited Jonghyun waiting for him. “Just you today?” Minho asked him as he walked into his welcoming embrace, laughing when Jonghyun smacked his shoulder before he released him.“What the fuck do you mean, just me?”“I don’t know, it’s kinda hard to detach you from Jinki,” he said, then dodged a punch to his shoulder with another laugh.“You’re one to talk.”Minho smiled, his thoughts drifting for a second away from his brother and Yeunseo and to the much happier area in his head that housed everything to do with Kibum. “I know.”Jonghyun gave him a wry smile and shook his head, leading the way to baggage claim. “Technically, Jinki is with me. He’s just at a library sale that happened to line up with us coming into town to pick you up.”“Oh, okay, cool.”“So, tell me about how the gallery went? Did you sell out? Did that piece of shit really show up?”Minho laid everything that happened out for him in what he felt was excruciating detail, but Jonghyun—and Jinki, once they picked him up—still had so many questions. And, when Minho was done, it was their turn to catch him up on the goings-on of their little town.As happy as he was to see them, he was drained by the time they pulled up behind the alleyway of their row of shops. Still, he followed them inside and was promptly greeted with a hug and a kiss on the cheek by Taeyeon. He kept her company during the lunch rush, sitting in the back of the kitchen on one of the patio chairs that it wasn’t warm enough to put out yet and eating whatever extras she handed to him.When she released him, sending him on his way with even more food, he dug his phone out of his pocket to text Kibum that he had made it home. He trudged along the back of the alley, popping his head in at Taemin’s and Sooyoung’s to say a quick hello before he finally returned to his studio, with a fresh coffee from Sooyoung in hand.The thud of the closing door shook through his otherwise silent shop. He stood irresolute in the darkened hallway, his blurred attention trained on the colorful organized mess that was his studio. He blinked. Sighed. Plodded forward until he found himself in his workstation chair, sitting behind the empty easel and swiveling to straddle his bench and gaze at the tranquil studio. Sunlight was streaming in through the window across the room, little flecks of dust floating aimlessly through the beam of cheery light that illuminated the walls covered with his work.
I’ve really come a long way, haven’t I?
The thought struck him, and whether it stayed inside his head or he said it aloud, he wasn’t sure. His brother finding him, admitting to having been looking for him for a while…mentioning Yeunseo…all of it brought this fact to the forefront of his mind.Yes, he had come so far from the boy who had been sneaking around for years, hiding his love for his friend from anyone and everyone, to the reclusive and scared man who washed up on Jeju, achingly lonely but decisively so, until Kibum disrupted his whole life.He smiled faintly at the thought of him, then looked down at his lap, tapping his phone on his thigh before he flipped it around to unlock it. He opened his messages with Kibum, hesitating for a second while he thought about how to word what he was going to say.
[16:32]

I know you’re still working, so I’m just letting you

know now that I’m gonna call Minseok and talk to

him, so I’m not sure when I’ll be able to call tonight.

I’ll let you know when I’m off the phone
He exited out of the messages and, heaving a deep sigh, went to Instagram to open his chat with Minseok. He stared at the texts that filled the screen, working up the courage to initiate contact again. Just as he tapped the message bar, a series of notifications from Kibum popped up at the top of his screen.
Take your time, honey, don’t worry if we’re not

able to talk tonight

And remember

If he’s a dick about anything, you won’t be in the

wrong to end the call and cut off contact again

And do keep me updated even if we can’t call ❤️

I know you’re dealing with this alone but I don’t

want you to feel like I’m not there for you
Minho sighed again, feeling a bit lighter now, and asked Minseok, Is now an okay time to call?He stared unblinking at the screen, holding his breath. The next second, the texts jumped slightly. The Seen just now appeared beneath the texts. A call was coming in.After taking a deep breath, he answered it and put it on speaker.Neither of them spoke at first, until Minseok broke the silence with, “Hello?”Tears immediately pricked his eyes, but he blinked them rapidly away. His brother’s voice…just his voice…he never thought he’d hear it again.He cleared his throat, forcing himself to calm. “Hi, Minseok.”The line crackled. Something shifted Minseok’s end. “I appreciate you wanting to talk.” When Minho didn’t speak right away, or even after a few long seconds, he continued. “I’m sure you have questions for me?”“Yes, but…” He cleared his throat again, trying to alleviate a bit of the tightness. “You can ask yours first.”“I’d like to hear your side of the story. Completely, if possible. To see if it matches up with what Yeunseo told me.” Minho’s eyes slipped closed and he dragged his free hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose before he stood and started for the drawer with his art supplies. “If you’re not up for it—”“Just give me a second,” he said, setting the phone down on the counter and picking through his watercolors, brushes, pencils and paper for something to distract him for whatever this phone call ended up being. To Minseok’s credit, he sat quietly, not bothering him once or insisting that he hurry as he situated his art supplies. Once he was settled on the stool, pencil in hand with no idea what he wanted to draw, he asked, “Where do you want me to start?”“As far back as you’d like.”And so, he did. He took Minseok back to the summer before his and Yeunseo’s first kiss when he realized what he was feeling for him for what it was. About their years together, figuring out what it meant to be in love at such a young age, finding times to be intimate while trying not to get caught, enduring their separate military services and secret rendezvous on their very rare shared leaves, all in total secrecy. Unable to tell anyone else about their love. How it all came to a head that night, when they got caught.Minho was proud of himself for only starting to cry when he described the scene after. Their fathers attacking him, their mothers staring at him, their faces masks of shock and total revulsion. And Yeunseo. Cowering behind them all, trying to cover himself as he watched Minho take the fall for them.When he finally finished, without once being interrupted by Minseok, his throat was dry and scratchy. He reached for the glass before him that he thankfully hadn’t dipped any brushes in yet, taking a long enough draught that he had to get up to refill it before he could start painting.By the time he sat back down, Minseok still hadn’t spoken. Minho tipped the phone toward him, checking to see if Minseok had hung up on him. But he hadn’t. So he tilted the thick watercolor paper toward himself and began to sketch faint outlines of a simple beach scene.“I’m sorry, Minho,” Minseok said at last. Minho glanced up at his phone before looking back at his burgeoning art. “That must have been really hard for you.”Minho snorted, setting his pencil aside and reaching for his empty palette. “Yeah, it wasn’t the funnest time in my life.”“I’m sorry, of course it wasn’t, I—”“I’m kidding, hyung.”“Oh.” The festering quiet returned, but Minho didn’t feel like breaking it quite yet. “I do believe you,” Minseok said eventually, just as Minho was squeezing some phthalo green into one of the wells. “Everything makes a lot more sense, now, honestly.”“Mm.”“Because the longer I’ve been thinking about it, Dad’s story never really made a lot of sense.”Minho froze, his gaze slowly lifting to stare at his phone. “Why, what did he say?”“A bunch of lies,” he said immediately. Then, after a heavy sigh, “Believe me, you don’t want to know.”“Do—” he started to ask, but then thought better of it. Only, Minseok prompted him with a questioning hum, so he continued. “Do they ever talk about me? Or…or miss me, at all?”He sighed again, as if were steeling himself to say what he was about to. “Mom will, sometimes. But…but when she does, it’s as if you’ve died.” Minho gulped, his shoulders slumping as he picked up his flat top brush so he could start painting the sky. “And Dad hasn’t for years. Not since Yeunseo got married—I’m sorry if that’s a shock for you, I—”“No, it’s okay. I saw his ring. When I saw him.” Neither spoke for a moment again, and Minho flooded the parts of the paper that were intended to be blue sky before he asked, his voice more subdued than the roiling emotions within him, “To a woman, I assume.”“Yes.” Minho loaded up his wet brush with a bit of phthalo blue. “I was, um, his best man.”The laughter that burst out of him was nigh on hysterical. He dropped the brush onto the palette with a clatter, sending splatters of phthalo blue across the counter top and his arm. He propped his elbows up so that he could cradle his face in his hands as his laughter subsided.“I know…it’s not funny…not really,” he said, interspersed with near giggles. “I just…god.”“No, I get it.” He waited for Minho to stop chuckling before he said, “I think I already know the answer to this, but…is there any chance you’d want to speak to him?” All of his misplaced mirth drained out of him, replaced by an icy dread. “I’ve told him that I was able to get into contact with you, and—”“No.”“That’s what I thought,” Minseok said quickly. “I told him as much, too. That it wasn’t likely that you’d want to.”“Well, good. Because I don’t.”Minho picked up his brush again, roughly tapping the water out of the bristles before he dipped it in the blue. He had almost finished laying down the base color for the sky before Minseok spoke again. “Where did you go? After.”“I’m not sure I want to say,” Minho said airily, soaking up a bit more water to dilute one of the darker parts of the sky. “I’m happy, though. Thriving, even.”“You were…visiting Seoul, though?”“Yes. My…my boyfriend, he put together that gallery for me that Ms. Kang went to.”“For you?”Minho scoffed, glancing away from his painting to look at his phone. “Hyung, you messaged me on my artist account. This is what I do for a living.”There was a faint slap from the other end, almost as if Minseok had just facepalmed. “Right. Sorry. It’s been a long day.”“Yes, it has.” Minho painted a little bit more, adding some shading into the clouds before he said, “And you have a family, now?”“Yes,” he said, sounding relieved.“Can you tell me about them?”Minho continued to paint as Minseok talked about them, the tautness in his body since the mention of Yeunseo wanting to talk to him loosening with every stroke of his brush. He only truly felt relieved when Minseok asked to end the call in his desire to drive home from work—he’d been sitting in the parking lot of their old high school, where he was now the soccer coach, this whole time—with a promise that, yes, they would stay in touch.When they said their goodbyes and Minseok hung up, Minho collapsed against the counter, his forehead pressing into the paint-speckled wood as he took several steadying breaths. When he sat up, he reached for his phone, noticing the late hour and his dangerously low battery before he registered Kibum’s texts.He didn’t read them as he dragged himself up the stairs to his pitch-black apartment, bringing his long-since abandoned food along and tossing it into the fridge. He squinted as he made his way through the dark to his bed where he half-knelt before he flopped down onto his side of the bed, feeling around for his charging cord. Once it was connected and he was snugly hugging Kibum’s pillow, he opened up facetime and called him.It only rang for a few seconds before Kibum picked up. He was also getting into bed, and Minho hugged his pillow a little tighter, wishing it were the man himself.“Did you just get off the phone with him?” Minho nodded, and Kibum let out a whine of a sigh that made Minho smile as he fell into bed. “How’d it go?”He listened avidly as Minho ran through their whole conversation, interjecting quick thoughts when Minho paused and prompting him when he started to lose his train of thought. Except, of course, when he said that Yeunseo wanted to get back into contact with him.“What?” he asked incredulously, sitting up in bed and fumbling to click on his bedside light. “Absolutely not?”“That’s what I told him, don’t worry.”“I take back what I said about him having a conscience. I don’t think he has a brain.” Minho cracked a sleepy smile, chuckling. “No, I’m serious.”“I know you are.”Kibum leaned back against his headboard, looked down at him, then heaved a sigh. “What else did he say?”Minho shrugged with the shoulder that wasn’t tucked under the pillow he was hugging. “Just telling me about his family. It ended on a good note, I think. We’re planning on staying in touch, but I didn’t feel like I needed to tell him where I live.”“No, that’s probably for the best. For now, at least.” He reached over again, turning off the lamp so that the only sources of light now were their phones. “How are you feeling?”“Exhausted. In need of a hug, to be honest.”“I’m sorry I can’t be there right now, honey.”“You will be soon.” Very soon, hopefully. Whenever his lease was up…maybe they should start shopping around somewhere close by for a place to live? His gaze darted around the dark room, taking in the minuscule scope of it. There was no way it would be big enough for their little family, with the dogs…“Oh, that reminds me.” Minho’s attention snapped back to his phone. “I bought my flight and booked a rental car, so I can just drive to and from without inconveniencing anyone.”“Bummie,” he said with a laugh, “you’re not an inconvenience.”“No, I know that, and you know that, but does Jonghyun?” They said No together, then cracked up together, too. Kibum settled back into bed, rolling over and taking Minho with him in a quick, dizzying movement. “Do you want to try to sleep?” Minho nodded. Kibum smiled softly, watching him for a second before asking, “Do you want me to let you go?”Minho smiled, too, shaking his head. “Never.”As the wet winter mornings began their slow transition to temperamental spring days, the pair of them fell into a happy routine. The wait to be together again, while still unbearable, was continually eased by the new frequency of their visits. The variety was nice, too. Taking turns between Seoul and Minho’s sleepy little beachside town.Before he went to Seoul the next time, they would pick out something that Minho—and sometimes Kibum—had never done before. And, if they could bear to leave the sanctuary of Kibum’s apartment for the weekend, they would go do it. Kibum’s Jeju visits, however, were likewise spent at the studio, since Minho had already begun his preparations for the coming summer. When Kibum could convince him to leave, they would take a day trip to get some reference shots. Or, at least, that was the excuse he came up with. What really ended up happening was that they drove around, admiring the countryside while they hunted for the cutest cafe on the island.Honestly, it was probably just a ploy by Kibum to get him to take some time off so he didn’t overwork himself, but he couldn’t say he minded. In fact, it probably worked better now than it had back when they first met, because now they had an established, unwavering trust built up between them.Even if they saw each other more often now than they ever had, excluding the summers Kibum had spent in Jeju, it didn’t make it any easier when it came time to say goodbye again. Even though there were only a few days between their next visit, the aching longing to be with him again made it hard to ignore Kibum’s absence.One morning, a few weeks before Taeyeon’s fast-approaching wedding and right after they hung up their video call from the night before, it struck him again hard in the chest as the all-encompassing silence filled every crevice of his apartment. He exited out of facetime, intending to head over to kakaotalk to complain to Kibum about missing him when he got distracted by the little notification badge on Instagram. Curious, he tapped it instead, checking his messages on /artists_choice/. Minseok had messaged him again, this time with pictures of his niece and nephew, Minhee and Changmin, in their little soccer uniforms.After a few short exchanges, he left their chat to clear the rest of his notifications for Instagram, checking his message requests and new likes and follows. When he went back to text Minseok again, he noticed the little red dot beside his handle. Was there something from his personal account, too? Frowning, he switched over to choiminho_1209. There were no new likes or follow requests, or messages from his friends, so…He was about to exit out when he saw the (1) beside the Requests. He blinked at it, perplexed, before he warily tapped on it.A message from someone with the handle yeunsong1192.Minho’s heart plummeted as he stared at the handle and the tiny profile picture.Song Yeunseo. Born January 19, 1992.Tentatively, Minho pressed on the request, opening up the potential chat.
[02:02]

Hey

[02:21]

I know you told Minseok that you didn’t want to,

but can’t we just talk, baby? Don’t you want to

clear the air?

I miss you so much

[02:53]

I can’t stop thinking about you

[02:58]

I know you miss me, too, Minho
Utterly revolted, Minho barely remembered to take a screenshot of the messages before he exited out, immediately switching over to kakaotalk to send it to Kibum. He sat there, on the edge of his bed, watching the little one. It wasn’t late enough yet that Kibum had started his commute. Or, was he heading in early today…No, the one disappeared, and Minho tensed up, pressing his thumb on the screen to keep it from dimming as he waited for Kibum’s response.A facetime call request dropped down from the top of his screen. Minho answered it immediately. Kibum, who was looking very ready for work, filled his screen as he sank down onto the lounge section of his couch, both of the puppies bounding around him, fighting for his attention. He ignored them for the moment, though.“Are you…”“I’m okay, I think. I…I just…don’t know…”“No, I get that.” He dragged his hand through his hair, his fringe falling back into his eyes as soon as it was free of his fingers.“What should I do?” Please, don’t say text him back.“That’s up to you, honey.” Minho sighed, deflating a little. “I know, that’s not very helpful.”“What would you do?”“If I were in your shoes? Or as your boyfriend? Because those are very different answers.”Despite everything, Minho sniffed a laugh. “Boyfriend answer first.”Kibum smiled. “I’d take today off work and head into Incheon so we could have a little chat.”“You don’t even know what he looks like,” Minho said, with an actual laugh this time.“That doesn’t matter, I’d find him. But. I don’t think you want to visit me in prison.”“I’d wait for you.”“You wouldn’t have to. I’d break out and we’d run away together. Flee to Europe, I think.” Minho chuckled, but quickly sobered, and Kibum’s smile faded, too. “If it were me, I’d tell Minseok. Your brother wants to be on good terms with you, so he’d tell him to knock it off and it should be the end of it.”Minho nodded, gulping. “Yeah, okay, that makes sense. I’ll do that.”“I’m sorry you have to deal with this, Min. I hope he realizes how pathetic he sounds.”“Probably not, to be honest. Maybe later he will.”Kibum kept him company for a few more minutes, but he had to hang up to leave for work. The silence thrummed in his ears once he was alone again. It took him a few minutes to work up the courage to open Instagram again, and he switched back over to artists_choice so that he could send the screenshot to Minseok.He tossed his phone on the bed so he could get up and get ready, and once he was in his jeans and painting tunic and ran his fingers haphazardly through his hair a few times to tame the bedhead, he made his way downstairs, phone stuffed in his back pocket. He unlocked the front door but didn’t flip the sign from Closed to Open yet. Instead, he made his way into Sooyoung’s shop for breakfast. Since he wasn’t in the mood quite yet to tell anyone here that his ex had gotten back into contact with him, he tried to keep his mood light as he chatted with her while she prepared his usual breakfast order. He didn’t linger, though, the little bell above the door tinkling its goodbye as he made his way back to his shop.He flipped the sign once he was back inside, he headed past the open threshold and into his studio, sitting on the nearest stool as he started on his croissant. Once he was licking his fingers clean, his phone vibrated in his back pocket, and he pulled it out, tapping on the notifications from Minseok to open their chat.
[07:46]

Shit

I’m sorry, Minho, he promised me he wouldn’t

I’ll talk to him

Thank you
He set his phone face down on the counter, breathing in a deep sigh of relief before he got up to wash his hands and start his work for the day.As expected, it was a quiet day, which was fine by him. He did some admin for the shop, updating the dates for the available classes he’d be offering for the summer on the website Kibum had worked with him to create one of the last weekends he had been here, and some light cleaning, mainly sweeping and dusting, before he finally allowed himself to settle in behind his easel and start on his next commission.Their shared playlist was playing quietly throughout the day, suffusing the air with sweet memories that soon obliterated any thought of Yeunseo’s late-night messages. By the time dinner rolled around, he was barely thinking about them at all, anymore.Until the following morning, at least.He was filled with trepidation at the sight of the little red dot by his professional handle on Instagram. But he still switched to his private account. Checked the messages. And, yes, there was another request.He opened it.
[01:55]

Why would you tell your brother that I want to

talk to you? Don’t you understand how hard

concealing my true feelings has been for me? He

doesn’t understand, but I thought you of all

people would. I thought you loved me, Minho.

Did you ever? Was it ever real for you like it was

for me? Or is this payback, because I was too

terrified of the repercussions at the time. Can’t

you see how much I regret that? Don’t you know

that if I could go back, I would have stayed by you?

And now, you’re sending your fucking brother

after me, and he’s telling me that he’ll tell my

fucking wife about what I said, but you don’t want

that, do you? You don’t want to ruin my life.

You know how that feels. You know how hard it is to

come back from. You protected me that night, back

when you said you loved me, can’t you protect me still?

I was foolish, back then, but I never once stopped

loving you. Not after all these years. Please don’t

hurt me now for some petty revenge. The Minho

I know and love would never do that.

Please.
He stared numbly at his screen, so completely frozen that he forgot to breathe for a few seconds. It wasn’t the declarations of a love he no longer shared that struck him. No. It was the plea not to ruin his life.Yeunseo was right. He did know how it felt. How long it took for him to find a semblance of his former self, to come back stronger and more sure of himself than he had been before.Maybe…maybe he just needed a place to vent his frustrations with the life he chose. But, it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t force Yeunseo to get married to a woman he felt nothing for, to choose a life of inauthenticity so that he’d remain in his family’s favor. No. He did. He decided that when he claimed he had assaulted him and hid behind their parents while Minho’s world crashed down around him.He owed him nothing.Not a goddamn thing.He took an angry screenshot of the texts, and was about to send them to Minseok again when he paused, went to his photos to open it up and reread it again.Could he really dole out the same fate that Yeunseo bestowed upon him? Could he really be that cruel?No, he couldn’t.His shoulders slumped, his hand going limp before he tossed his phone aside and pushed himself up to get some coffee and start his day. Almost at once, he doubled back, scrabbling for his phone. He opened Instagram again, hitting Yeunseo’s handle and opening up his profile.It wasn’t privated.He’d been intending to just block and move on with his life, but…instead, he opened a photo of a very pretty woman posing cheek-to-cheek with a little girl who had Yeunseo’s big round eyes that captured her beaming grin. The caption read: The loves of my life.He stared at them both. The innocent little girl, the woman whose whole life would never be the same, if she knew the truth. But, wouldn’t it be better if she did? Was she a stay-at-home mom with no other income? Would she be able to sustain herself and care of her daughter if Yeunseo was out of the picture? Or would she choose to stay with him, both trapped in their intermingled miseries…Maybe…maybe it would be better for everyone if he just stayed quiet.Scrolling back up, he hit the little menu at the top of his profile, and blocked him.That was that.Or, so he thought.The next morning, he checked again, to find that an arsenal91 was requesting to message his personal account.
[02:39]

Thank you for not telling Minseok
There was nothing else. Did he…should he delete and block this account, too? Or should he even bother? Wouldn’t Yeunseo just make another one?Maybe this was the end of it. Maybe he had said his peace and he was done.But he wasn’t. A few days later, he checked again, and found that he had sent several pictures. During the day, this time. A picture of the exact section of the park that they had shared their first kiss at. Yeunseo’s childhood bedroom, the first place they had ever been intimate. Behind the bleachers at the football field, where they had often tucked themselves away at during lunches or extended breaks to talk about their future or make out a little. Whichever came to mind first. Accompanying the pictures was the text, Good times…Minho blocked arsenal91.In the morning, he dreaded hanging up his facetime with Kibum more than usual, because he just knew that there would be a message request from another account of his. And, he wasn’t mistaken. mariner129, referencing his soldier number when they had been separated during their military service.
[3:01]

Honestly, it’s kinda cute that you’re just reading my

messages and refusing to respond. You can be

tsundere all you want. I don’t mind waiting for you.

I’ve waited this long, haven’t I?

And you can block me, if you think that it’ll help.

Now that I’ve found you again, you won’t be able

to get rid of me that easily. We’re made for each

other and you know it.
When Kibum arrived for the weekend, Minho turned his phone completely off. He was too paranoid that Yeunseo would do something drastic, and he hadn’t told Kibum that he was still getting these texts. Not since the first day. He should have. He knew he should have. But just these few interactions were dredging up his reclusive tendencies that had taken root when Yeunseo’s betrayal had been so fresh. And, since he hadn’t mentioned them straight away, the thought of doing it now, after this long…it would hurt Kibum, wouldn’t it?Maybe that had been his plan all along. To thwart Minho’s relationship in an attempt to make him crawl back to him. Not that he would, but…“Is everything okay, honey?” Kibum asked the evening before he had to fly back to Seoul. They were sharing one of the chairs on the balcony now that the nights were a little warmer, Kibum behind him, arms around him, with his head resting on Kibum’s shoulder as they watched the sunset. “Is something bothering you?”His throat tingled as it tightened with the threat of tears. He nodded.“Do you want to talk about it?”See? There. There is your chance. Just tell him. Tell him and it’ll be okay. He’ll be understanding. It’s not like you’re cheating…on…him… But, would he see it that way, after what Joonwoo did to him? “Not really,” he managed to croak out.Kibum rubbed his side and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be here when you’re ready, then.”After they said their goodbyes early the next morning, Minho stood in the doorway, watching the place where Kibum’s rental car had disappeared around the corner, every fiber of his being dreading the trip upstairs to his phone. Once his phone was turned back on and unlocked, he held it at arm’s length as he opened Instagram.Well. There were less texts than he had been expecting.
[23:49]

Wife has been begging me to let her have

another child for years now. Just finished a

few minutes ago. I don’t think she realizes

how hard it is for me…thinking about you

makes it easier

[00:12]

God, I miss you

[10:34]

Wife just suggested we head down to Jeju some-

time this summer for a vacation. Maybe we can

stop by your shop. Say hello. I’d like that,

wouldn’t you?
Minho stopped reading the messages immediately, going back only to haphazardly screenshot them before blocking mariner129.He didn’t dare check either Instagram for a few days, only braving it once he finished up the commission piece he was working on and he needed to check in with his client. Only, when he opened artists_choice’s DMs, he eyed the requests. If Yeunseo knew where he was, then…surely he knew about the shop. He opened them, scrolling down until he saw yeunsong1192’s handle.There was only one, from last week.He had sent the post of his first portrait with Kibum in it, sitting amidst the flower fields.
[19:02]

Is this my competition? Really??? He doesn’t seem

like your type ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Gritting his teeth, he tapped on the message bar and when the keyboard popped up, he typed, You don’t know me anymore. Leave me alone, and sent it before giving it a second thought.“Shit.”But it was read before he could delete it, the typing bubble popping up on Yeunseo’s side of the screen. There you are~ Took you long enough.Minho blocked him before he could finish typing whatever was coming next, then hurried to block all of the other accounts from seeing his professional one. Anxiety was churning in his stomach when he made the switch back to his personal account. There was a new one. mhys9192.
[19:37]

What’s his name? Does he take it as good as

I did? We can share him if you want, I don’t

mind. As long as I get to have you again.

Just take me back, Minho. I’ll make it up to

you. I’ll make it all worth your while.

What do I have to do to provoke you to talk

to me again, hm? What will it take?

Look at how crazy you have me, my heart is

racing
The last text was followed by a picture. Of Yeunseo’s hand wrapped around his erection.Minho tossed his phone and stumbled over to the waste paper basket, dry heaving until he was shaking from the exertion and his throat was throbbing. “This can’t go on,” he whispered to his empty studio, clutching the trash can to his chest as he crouched by the open threshold. With a great effort, he heaved himself up and made his way back to his phone.There was another text.
Oh? Did that not work?
Minho typed an ellipsis into the message bar and sent it, then hit the phone button before Yeunseo could respond with anything else. It rang twice before it was picked up, and Yeunseo was talking to someone else on the other side of the line. “It’ll be just a minute, honey. It’s a work call. I’ll be right back.” Minho sat there in stony silence, glaring at the paint-flecked floor while a door banged shut behind Yeunseo. “Hello, Minho,” he said, his voice low in what he knew was an attempt to sound suave. Minho rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “I was hoping that would get your attention. It always used to—”“Shut up.” Yeunseo chuckled, and Minho took a deep breath to try to calm himself down, but his pent up anger and anxiety were spilling out of him, now. “I mean it. Shut up and listen to me, Yeunseo. I have not once thought of you fondly in the past seven years. The days that I wanted you in my life are long since gone. And, frankly, I’m finding it hard right now to believe that I ever did. I’m sorry that you’re so unhappy with your life that you feel the need to torment me again. You’ve had your fun, but if you send even one more message to me, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that your wife and your family knows exactly the type of man you are. I hope that one day you can be brave enough to live authentically, but just know that it will never be with me. Get over it and get over yourself.”And with that, he hung up the phone before Yeunseo could say another word. Even though it pained him, he took screenshots of the texts. But, as he was about to exit out, another text bubble popped up. It disappeared, then came up again. Several more times. Then, You can’t be serious ㅋㅋMinho took another screenshot, then blocked mhys9192 and switched over to artists_choice, opting to call Minseok immediately to explain the hell he’d been living in these past few weeks. Minseok listened in silence, and once Minho was finished, he asked for the screenshots. Minho sent them, staying on the call as Minseok read through them.“Jesus Christ…” Minseok breathed out once he had finished. “I—” His voice trailed off, neither of them speaking for several seconds. “I’ll take care of it. You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”After Minseok said a hasty goodbye, Minho was feeling jittery. He paced around his island counter a few times before he pulled up kakaotalk and called Kibum.“Hello,” Kibum said, his voice dripping with aegyo. Just the sound of his voice was enough to spring tears to his eyes, after the day he had had. “Did you buy your tickets yet?”“Um—” His voice was thick and warbled, even with the barest hint of an utterance.“Minho.” Kibum had completely sobered, now. “What’s wrong?”He launched into a much more rambling and disjointed version of the explanation he had given Minseok, interspersed with apologies to Kibum for not telling him sooner. When Kibum asked for the screenshots, Minho sent them, anxiously waiting for him to speak again. When he didn’t for quite some time, Minho sank onto his work bench, his face falling into his free hand.“I’m sorry, Kibum.”“Why would you be?” he said at last, and before Minho could answer him, he continued, “He was harassing you, not the other way around. The only thing that I wish you would have done differently is tell me before it got to this point, but…I understand why you felt like you couldn’t.”“Do you?”“Mm.” Another stretch of silence, filled eventually by a shuddering sigh from Minho. “You said Minseok was handling him?”“Yeah. I don’t know what he’s doing about it, though. He wouldn’t say.”Kibum hummed noncommittally, then asked, “Can you head over to the cafe? I’m sure Jjong will be willing to keep you company so you don’t have to be alone right now. Unless, you’d rather..?”“No, no. Not really.”“Okay. Just head over. Leave your phone behind so you won’t be bothered by him if he texts you again, alright?”“But, what about you?”“We can talk more after dinner, honey. Just go try to relax. I’ll text him so he has a head’s up, okay? I love you.”“I love you, too.”“Bye, Min.” He waited until Minho mumbled Goodbye before he hung up the phone.God, he was so tired. He set his phone down on the window sill, locking the front door on his way out to the boardwalk. Each footstep rang out with a hollow thunk on his way to the cafe. When he pushed the door open, Jonghyun was hastily putting his phone away, his eyes wide as he watched him cross the room. How much had Kibum told him?“Are you hungry at all?” he asked as Minho slumped onto his usual stool, rubbing his face roughly with both hands. He shook his head without looking up. “Want a drink?” Again, he shook his head. All he really wanted was to shrivel up in his apartment like he used to, but…it probably wasn’t the best thing for him right now. Isolation.It was a slow night, so Jonghyun stayed close by, not really talking to him all that much, because every attempt only got monosyllabic answers out of Minho. He kept an eye on his phone, shooting off the occasional text until it was finally time for them to close up shop.Minho, desperate for something to do to take his mind off of Yeunseo, jumped up to help break the cafe down for the night. He flipped the chairs onto the tables, swept, and mopped, while Jonghyun closed down the bar and Taeyeon the kitchen. He and Jonghyun finished first, and Taeyeon refused their help because she was almost done anyway, and sent them on their way.They walked side by side down the alleyway, both coming to a halt behind Jinki’s bookshop. Minho realized as Jonghyun reached for the door knob that he didn’t want to be alone tonight. But. It would be weird, wouldn’t it, if he asked to crash on their loveseat? Their apartment was just as small as his. They didn’t need an anxiety-ridden lumbering oaf in their space, did they? Sighing dejectedly, Minho stepped forward to continue the lonely walk back to his studio, but Jonghyun grabbed his sleeve, tethering him there for a second. Minho looked back at him curiously as Jonghyun wrapped him up in a hug.“I’m sorry your ex is such a piece of shit.”Minho sighed again. A little lighter, this time. “Me too.”Jonghyun patted his back, smiling sadly up at him. “Have a good night.”That, he doubted very much, but he nodded anyway, the gravel crunching beneath his feet as he trudged along the rest of the way home. When he opened the back door, a warm, golden light was pouring down the stairs, and Minho’s grip tightened around the door knob, petrified by the thought that Yeunseo had somehow, in the span of a few hours, left his family and flown down here. And was now up there. Waiting for him.The sound of a bag zipping up took him out of his anxiety for a second, piquing his curiosity instead. He let the door close behind him as he crept inside, listening hard. All noises upstairs ceased as the door clicked shut.“Minho? Is that you?” asked Kibum, his shadow peeking down the stairs.Pure, unadulterated happiness clutched at his heart as he surged forward, stopping at the foot of the stairs and looking up, mesmerized by the sight of Kibum. “You’re here,” he whispered, his feet starting him up the stairs as Kibum smiled down at him. He stopped at the step right below the top, just below Kibum’s eye level. “Am I dreaming?”Kibum’s smile softened as he shook his head, reaching out to cup Minho’s cheek. “How are you holding up?” he asked, searching Minho’s gaze.“I’m…better, now that you’re here.”He gave him a tight-lipped smile that was almost immediately framed by his dimples before he pulled him into a tight embrace. Minho tucked his face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in, making sure that he was really, truly here. Kibum’s hands stroked and patted his back as Minho clung to him, and he waited until it was Minho who loosened his hold and began to pull away before he did as well.“You up for a drive tonight?” Minho nodded absently, still staring at him in wonderment. “I thought it might help take your mind off things.” When Minho nodded again, Kibum patted his shoulders. “Go lock up, then, and I’ll meet you outside. We’ll take your car.”“Okay.”True to his word, Kibum was waiting for him by the passenger door once he had finished locking the front door and making sure all the lights were off. When they had climbed inside, Kibum grabbed the aux cord and turned the volume down low, putting on their playlist once Minho started the car.“Where to?”Kibum glanced his way, the streetlight gleaming in his eyes. “Wherever you want.”The drive was quiet, save for the music, but Minho found he could stand the silence, with Kibum holding the hand he wasn’t using the drive in both of his. When he eventually pulled into the little parking lot at Sagye, Kibum didn’t seem at all surprised.“Do you want to turn down the back seat or go for a walk first?”“Uh, back seat.”It only took a little bit of maneuvering, now that they had had a bit of practice with it. When the bedding was laid down, Minho clambered out of the back seat and out of the car, holding out his hand for Kibum to take before they started for the moonlit ocean. He took several deep lungfuls of the salty sea air, each one bringing with it another wave of peace.“You really won’t have to worry about him anymore,” Kibum said after several minutes of walking just beyond where the waves were lapping at the shore. “Minseok and I will handle it.”Minho’s brow furrowed, glancing away from the looming Hallasan Mountain and looking down at him. “Together?”Kibum nodded, then laughed at Minho’s bewildered frown. “Is that weird for you?”“A little.”Sighing, Kibum’s free hand slipped around Minho’s arm as he sidled closer, his temple resting on Minho’s shoulder as they walked along. “I guess it is. But, it’s better than you having to deal with him on your own.”Minho gulped, his throat suddenly dry. “What…what are you doing to him?”Kibum’s chest pressed against his arm as he inhaled deeply. “It’s mostly Minseok, since he’s there. But he confronted him tonight. Showed his wife the texts he was sending you. Said he would be telling the entire family—yours and his—if the harassment persists.”“Oh.” And then, as if he couldn’t help it, “I’m sorry. It's just…”“What?” Kibum prompted him after a few seconds when he was struggling to continue.“What he had said, about his life being ruined, I…I know what that’s like, and I didn’t want to do that. Not even to him.”“Minho,” Kibum said, sounding fondly exasperated. “You’re too sweet for your own good.” Minho shook his head, and Kibum smacked his arm lightly. “You are. But, I wouldn’t be worried about him. Whatever happens to him now, he’ll have it coming to him.” They followed the curve of the waves, Kibum’s thumb caressing the back of Minho’s hand. “Do you really think your life was ruined?”“Mm, not anymore. Not since I met you.” Kibum looked up at him, his gaze achingly tender in the silvery glow of moonlight. “But, before…yes.” His steps started to slow, Kibum matching his change of pace automatically. “For a while there…for a really long time, actually, I…there was no hope. It was like…like I was trapped in a pitch-black tunnel trying to feel my way back to the light on my own.” Minho stopped walking, his attention trained on Kibum as he paused, too, turning his head to face him. “I’ll never be able to express just how grateful I am for what you’ve done for me.”“Well,” Kibum said, glancing away shyly. If it had been light out, Minho was almost sure that he would have been able to see Kibum blush blooming across his cheeks. “I’m grateful for you, too. For making me feel safe enough to trust again.” Kibum’s gaze flickered up to meet his unwavering attention, his shy smile donning dimples as he tugged on Minho’s hand. “Let’s head back.”“Are you getting cold?” Minho asked as he fell back into step beside him. When Kibum nodded, Minho wrapped his arm around Kibum’s shoulders, holding him close on their way back to his car.Once the sand was beaten off of their pants, they climbed into the back seat, tucking themselves snugly together so they could share a pillow, even if there were two. Minho was the one being held tonight, Kibum’s arms wrapped around him, his hand clasping Minho’s as they held it over his heart. Kibum pressed a gentle kiss to the curve of Minho’s neck and shoulder, whispering Goodnight, honey before he scooted closer still, his forehead resting against his shoulder.Minho smiled at the surrounding darkness as his eyelids drooped with the tiredness accrued for several nights of very little sleep. The steady beat of Kibum’s heart pounding faintly against his back, the soft tickle of his breath against his neck, and the radiating warmth of his embrace…just, his presence, really, today, in this moment, was far more soothing than the rush of the waves had ever been when he had camped at the beach after he first arrived in Jeju.His eyes slipped fully shut, but he didn’t drift off. Not yet. Not until he lifted their joined hands to his lips, whispering “Thank you, my love,” against his skin and sealing it with a kiss.* * * * *It must have rained during the night.Raindrops were clinging to the windows of Minho’s car, glittering like gems in the morning light. Kibum tried to roll back so he could get up, but Minho was still holding his hand. Sighing, he smiled into Minho’s neck, shaking his head a little as reached awkwardly between them, feeling around for his pockets so he could pull out his phone. Once he slipped it out, he propped it up on the back of Minho’s head so he could unlock it, and he immediately went to Instagram to open the chat between him and Minseok to read through his updates since he had arrived at Minho’s place.
[22:47]

Finally leaving, taking Sunhi and Naeun back home

with me until she can figure out what to do

You know how you hear about how dangerous

cornered animals can be? It was like that. I never

would have thought he could...shows how little I

really knew him, I guess

I’m gonna drive, I’ll let you know anything else

that happens

[23:59]

Is Minho doing okay?

[02:32]

He wouldn’t stop calling and it was keeping me

up, so I took the call. Just got off. Seems to be

remorseful but I don’t believe it for a second.

Sounded pretty drunk, too. Sunhi woke up in

the middle of it and sat with me as I talked to

him. Said that she’s gonna take her daughter

back to Ulsan and live with her parents for a

while. I think it’s probably for the best.

Anything to get away from him at this point.

[06:12]
There were several screenshots of kakaotalk messages, all of them filled with pitiful pleas for Minseok not to say anything to his family, with the accompanying text of I don’t know what he’s thinking honestly. He’s not gonna be able to cover this up.Kibum scrolled back up to reply to the question about Minho.
[06:49]

He’s doing okay. Asleep right now. I’m sorry

you had a rough night
He was going to set his phone aside, but it was read almost at once. Had Minseok gotten any sleep last night?
Don’t worry about me, I feel like I deserve it.

I’m glad he’s okay.
Kibum turned off his phone, setting it up on the console instead of putting it back into his pocket, and sidled up closer behind Minho, nuzzling his face into his neck. Honestly, he really should get up. One of the groups he worked with was in the midst of announcing their comeback, and he had to post a set of teasers for all seven members plus the accompanying group photos. He had promised his boss that he would be able to, even with him opting to work from home for the following week and a half, and it all had to be ready to go by noon.However, with as soundly as Minho was sleeping, the last thing he wanted to do was to wake him up. Who knew how long it had been since he had gotten a peaceful night's sleep?He kissed Minho’s neck, and his fingers curled around Kibum’s hand, pressing it closer to his heart.Even though he was comfortable and warm enough to do so, the glare of the sun in his eyes kept him from falling back asleep. It was a good thing, really, that he was content to just lay there listening to Minho breathe while he waited for him to stir. He wasn’t sure how long he laid there, waiting, but eventually Minho turned, his gaze bleary and disbelieving as it landed on Kibum.“Good morning, Min.” He mumbled something incoherent in return, and Kibum sniffed a laugh as his head fell back onto their pillow with a muffled thump. “Are you okay if I drive us home?” he asked, reaching out to comb the fingers of his free hand through Minho’s unruly hair.Even though he nodded, it took a little more convincing to get him to sit up, to let go of his hand, and to climb into the front seat. Kibum rolled down both of their windows once he started the car in the hopes that the wind whipping through the car would keep him awake and alert until he got some coffee in him.Sooyoung’s bakery was open by the time they pulled into the alleyway, and Kibum went around the front to get them some breakfast and coffee before he returned to Minho in his studio, finding him upstairs sitting on his bed and looking around at Kibum’s luggage. He looked up at him, curiously hopeful, as Kibum handed him his coffee and usual croissant. Kibum’s eyebrows raised in question, and Minho said, “This is…more luggage than I was expecting? For this visit, I mean.”Kibum squinted at him, trying to keep himself from smiling. “Are you calling me high-maintenance?”“What?” Minho’s eyes blew comically wide, and Kibum laughed as he sat beside him on the bed. “No, of course not. I…what’s it all for?”“Well,” Kibum took a sip of his coffee, “I’m staying until after Taeng gets married, so—”“Really?” Minho asked, clearly excited.Kibum nodded. “So, I had to take my work with me so my boss doesn’t lose his mind.”With Minho’s adorably eager permission, he set up his work laptop and the folders with all of the group’s comeback information around him on the island counter top and got to work while Minho opened up his shop and started painting for the day. Once his deadline was reached, he took a break to stretch and go get them lunch from the cafe. When he returned, he had to almost drag Minho upstairs to eat with him.They sat across from each other at the little table between the couch and the TV, Kibum eyeing Minho carefully as he sorted through the food Kibum had brought back. He was about to reach for his hand, asking how he was doing when Minho looked up at him, his expression bright. “I was just thinking, I don’t have anything to wear for a wedding.”“Oh, no, does that mean you’re gonna drag me out shopping?” Minho snorted, grinning at him as he grabbed one of the rice cakes from the top of the pile of tteokbokki. “How could you do such a thing to me?”“Maybe I should go alone. So you don’t have to suffer.”Kibum leveled him with a glare that he could barely maintain. “We’ll go tomorrow and make a day of it.”Minho, who was looking rather pleased with himself, stacked two of the fish cakes up before he grabbed them with his chopsticks and transferred them to Kibum’s bowl.Even though he was here for longer than their usual weekend visit, the days still passed by too quickly for his liking. It was relaxing, though. Being here, doing his work outside of his office where his only distraction was his overly-affectionate boyfriend. The cafe closed for the week of the wedding to give Taeyeon time to finish the preparations and actually be able to get her nails done. Which, of course, meant that they two of them were left to fend for themselves when it came to food. He didn’t mind, and he didn’t think Minho did, either, because their trips to the grocery store to pick out what they wanted to make almost doubled as dates, as did the working together to put their meals together.Or, maybe, they just liked being around each other so much that even the most mundane tasks were made fun and romantic…Throughout the week, the updates about Yeunseo died down. He had asked Minho if he wanted to hear any of them, but his No was so definite that Kibum didn’t bring his ex up again. He seemed to be okay, aside from a slight aversion to anything more intimate than a kiss, but Kibum understood. He wasn’t sure if he would be in the mood for anything more for a while, either, after all that. And, he was in no rush to make him do anything he didn’t want to do.Just being here with him, seeing for himself that he was alright and coping after what that man put him through again was more than enough.The day of the wedding was bright and cloudless, which was a relief for all, because the ceremony and reception was set to be held outside. They dressed together, Kibum opting for a sky blue linen suit that had the thinnest pinstripes of shimmering gold thread that you could only see if the light hit them just so. He had bought it a few years back, but hadn’t found the right opportunity to wear it, until now. His cream dress shirt was unbuttoned just past his collarbone, and all of his jewelry was gold, except, of course, for the ring that Minho had given him.Minho emerged from his closet, wearing the pastel lilac suit with the palest of rose pinks dress shirt that Kibum had picked out for him. The tie that he had hanging loosely around his neck, Kibum had picked out, too. It fit the spring colors that Taeyeon had wanted them all to wear, pairing not only with the rose and lilac of Minho’s outfit, but also with the blue in Kibum’s.“Do you know how to tie one of these? I’ve never been very good at it.”Kibum nodded, reaching for the tie as Minho stepped closer. He flipped it around, smoothing it over Minho’s neck and down his chest before he started to tie the knot.He could feel Minho’s unwavering scrutiny. Somehow, even now, after almost a year of dating, him capturing Minho’s whole attention still made him shy. It was the fun, exciting sort of shy, though. Full of endless possibilities…He took his time smoothing the face of the tie once it was knotted, his gaze gradually sliding up to meet Minho’s, his fingers curling around the tie. “Ready to head out?”Minho nodded, and Kibum tugged lightly on the tie, bringing Minho down to meet him in a lingering kiss. It took him a second to open his eyes again, but when he looked up, Minho’s eyes were still closed, too, so he kissed him again, his free hand sliding up his chest and over his shoulder so he could cradle the back of Minho’s head. When he felt Minho smile, he broke the kiss, stepping back from him, despite the plea in his big brown eyes.“If we’re not careful, we’ll be very late,” Kibum said, shooting Minho a coy smile as he released his tie and reached for his hand.“I think she’d understand,” Minho said matter-of-factly as Kibum led them down the stairs.“A little too well, I think,” Kibum muttered, which drew a laugh out of Minho as he grabbed his keys off of the counter and made for the door.The drive into town took them, as it always did, past the flower fields. Kibum smiled as he watched them pass by. His last couple of visits to Jeju, nothing had been blooming quite yet, but now the rolling hills were adorned with jewel-bright blossoms.“Should we go?” Minho asked, drawing Kibum’s attention away from the fields.“I’d love to, but will we have the time?”“Maybe not on this visit, I guess…” His voice trailed off, and Kibum turned to look back at the countryside, until Minho perked up a little. “But, just think about it, when you move, then we’ll have all the time in the world.” Kibum blinked once, twice, then in rapid succession as he turned back to look at him. Minho glanced over at him, then doing a curious double-take before he returned his attention to the road. “What?”“When did we decide that I was going to be the one moving?”Minho frowned at the road. “Didn’t we?” Kibum shook his head, which Minho must have seen in his peripheral vision, since he wasn’t looking away from the road. “I could have sworn we had.”“We’ve talked about ending the long-distance, but…there’s been no plans made yet.”“Isn’t your lease up soon?”“Well, yes.” Kibum reached for the volume knob, turning it down a few clicks. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m…don’t you like Seoul?”“I did—I do!”“But?” Minho shot him a wary look. “Honey, I’m not mad at you. We just need to sort this out.” Minho relaxed a little, though his grip tightened on the steering wheel. “I don’t know why, but I also assumed that you’d come up to Seoul to be with me? I mean, think about it, Min. There’s so much more to do up there, more opportunities for you to promote your work. Or, teach classes even, if that’s what you want to steer towards. A lot more room, too. For both of us. And the puppies. Doesn’t it just make sense?”“I suppose so, yeah,” Minho said hesitantly. Kibum watched him for a few seconds, then prompted him to continue his thoughts with a But..?. Minho sighed. “But…I don’t know, it’s selfish. You’re probably right.”“Just tell me,” Kibum said with a laugh.He let out another long sigh, turning on his blinker to take the exit that they needed. “I’ve already uprooted my life once, you know? And I know you did, too, when you moved to Seoul, but…I’m…I don’t really like the idea of moving back to the mainland. Life is just so much more peaceful for me down here, and I’ve got my shop…I just don’t really know what life in Seoul would look like for me.”Oh.“But,” he added quickly, sending Kibum another anxious glance. “Really, me being the one who moves makes more sense.”No, it didn’t.“Besides, I’d have you there, which would make things so much easier this time around.”“Minho.” He hummed, not looking away from the road again. “It’s still not decided, okay? I need time to consider both options. And you should, too.” Minho nodded, and Kibum extended his hand to him, waiting for him to hold it. When he did, Kibum intertwined their fingers, and brought their joined hands over to kiss the back of Minho’s. “Besides, if you think about it, no matter which way we end up, it’ll be better because we’re together, right?” Minho nodded, smiling faintly. Kibum watched him, reading what he could of his thoughts in his face. “We’re good?”Minho’s expression softened as he looked over at him, his smile growing. “Yeah.”The rest of the drive to the orchard was on the quieter side, Minho probably just as lost in his thoughts as Kibum was. Of course, Minho would want to stay in Jeju, and how could he blame him? Why hadn’t he thought of it like that? He should have, really. The question now was, how long would it take him to get all of his stuff moved down to Jeju…to Minho’s tiny apartment…Maybe he should do some sort of…estate sale?Minho pulled into one of the empty spaces at the venue, letting go of Kibum’s hand so he could park. He jumped out of the car, hurrying around to Kibum’s side to open the door for him. There were signs leading them to where the ceremony would be held, and once they were on the gravel path lined by cherry blossom trees, Kibum linked his arm with Minho’s, looking up and around at the falling petals dancing on the breeze.“This was such a good choice for a venue,” Kibum murmured.“It was. It suits her well.”Smiling, Kibum looked up at him, with the stray petals catching in his hair and the dappled, pink-tinted light highlighting his handsome features. He pulled him to a stop. “Let’s get a picture.”Minho pulled out his phone as Kibum wrapped his arms around him, going up on his tiptoes so that he could press his cheek as close as he could to Minho’s. He closed one eye as he smiled and leaned closer, waiting for Minho to take the picture before he turned to kiss him on the cheek. Minho lowered his phone and, judging from the look in his eyes, wanted to kiss him, too.But, there were more guests coming down the path now. So Kibum slipped away from him, putting a bit of distance between them, in case Minho would be uncomfortable showing affection in public. To his surprise, Minho reached for his hand, holding it all the way down the path to where the chairs were set up for all of the guests. His family had saved them seats, Minho taking the place next to Yerim so that he could keep holding Kibum’s hand.The wedding itself was beautiful. Taeyeon looked stunning in her gown, even though he couldn’t tell if the pale pink petals caught in the delicate were hand-sewn or if they had collected in her skirt and veil during her procession. Though he didn’t know her new husband all that well, his vows were just as sweet as hers. As they walked past them on their way to the reception, Kibum linked his hand with Minho’s arm again, pulling him close so he could whisper in his ear.“Do you think that’ll be us someday?”When Kibum leaned away, Minho was smiling. And as Minho glanced over at him, he nodded as his smile grew.The rest of the night dissolved in the bubbles of champagne and his almost overwhelming happiness. He danced with everyone. His mother, Yerim, even his father, but, of course with Minho, twirling through his hazy surroundings, his captivating eyes the only thing truly in focus.Saying goodbye, this time, was harder than he had been expecting. Maybe because they were so, so close to closing the distance; maybe because they agreed that yes, someday, they would be married, too. He just simply didn’t want to go.But go he did, picking up his puppies to return to his otherwise empty apartment.Had it always been this spacious? The alone time, it turned out, was good for clearing his head as he tried to fathom what it would look like to move himself, his puppies, and his things to Jeju. Would he be able to find a job down there? Or would his work let him work from home indefinitely, flying up for the occasional in-person meeting?It took him a few days to work up the courage to go to his boss and ask. All the way up until the end of April when he flipped the calendar Minho had drawn for him, reading the note on the back of the month before he turned it around to May.
Even though we’re apart right now, I can’t help but

feel that every day that I spend with you is better than

the day before. It feels impossible, but it’s true. Imagine

how much happier we’ll be, as time goes on…I’m so

excited to spend the rest of my life with you
God…He sighed heavily, turning it around to look at May’s picture. It was, almost as he had expected, the flower fields. But they were inhabited by their silhouettes. Minho standing, his camera aimed and ready and Kibum poised in the flowers. Portrait practice, for Minho, but for Kibum…well, it was the moment he should have realized that he was too far gone already.Really, was there even anywhere else that made sense for them to be together, at last?He pulled out his phone, finding Mom amidst the contacts and calling her at once. She picked up after a few rings.“Hi, Kibummie. How are you?”“I’m doing well, how about you?” He listened patiently as she talked about her day, which had consisted of the beginnings of spring cleaning and a grocery trip that she just got back from. “What’d you call for, honey?” she asked as she sat down and turned on the TV. Kibum could barely hear the drama playing faintly in the background. “Aren’t you at work right now?”“I am, yeah, I just have a quick question for you.”“What is it?”“Would…would it be sensible of me…to move to Jeju?”The TV muted. “Is that what you’re considering?”“Yes,” Kibum said with a nod that she couldn’t see. “I think it makes the most sense for us—”“I agree. Your father does, too. He was just saying the other day that he’s surprised it hasn’t happened yet.”“Really?” Kibum asked with a laugh.“Mhm. Do you know when this’ll happen? We’ll come down and help—”“Mom, you really don’t have to.”“I know, but you know your father, and he’s going to want to.”“Okay,” Kibum said, blinking away the beginnings of tears. “I’ll keep you updated?”“Please do, sweetheart. Speak to you soon.”“Love you, bye.”Once he had hung up, he swiveled around in his chair, locking eyes with Joohyun, who was taking a long sip from her second coffee of the day. “You’re moving, aren’t you?” Kibum nodded, and she pinched the straw, pulling it out of her mouth so she could stir her drink. “I owe Chae ₩20000,” she said, her gaze flicking over him before she turned back around as he started to laugh.It took the rest of the day for him to not only email his landlord his notice but also to convince his boss that him working from home outside of Seoul would be a great idea. By the end of the day, Kibum could tell that his job wasn’t quite done, there. But, so far, he had tentatively agreed.He was positively thrumming with excitement by the time he made it back to his apartment. But, he had to do his duty first…taking out the dogs after his long day at work, throwing together something from his freezer for dinner. By the time he was completely situated, he facetimed Minho, sitting forward to fix the way his fringe was lying on his forehead before Minho answered. When he did, Kibum leaned back, unable to keep from smiling.“H—what’s going on?” Minho asked, smiling instinctively, too. “Good day today?”Kibum nodded, then said, “I have a question for you.” Minho’s eyebrows raised as he settled back on his workbench. “Do you still want me to move down there?” Minho’s eyes, which were already bright, lit up even more. “Because I’ve decided that that’s what I want, too.”“Really?” Minho asked, his expression rapidly dimming. Kibum’s brow furrowed and he sat forward, concerned. “I’m…not sure it’s gonna work.”“What? Why not?”Minho shrugged, pursing his lips into a sad sort of smile. “Where will we put all of your clothes?”Kibum scoffed, glaring at Minho as he started to laugh. “You’re so fucking annoying.”His grin was bright enough that his eyes crinkled into crescents. “Yeah, but you love me anyways.”Kibum rolled his eyes, which spurred another laugh from Minho. “You’re lucky I do.”“I really am.”His faux irritation melted away at the softness in Minho’s voice. Was he really about to spend the rest of his life with the sweetest, the gentlest, and, yes, the most annoying man he’d ever been blessed to know?Yes. Yes, he was.And, what's more...he could hardly wait.