Chapter Text
Chapter 9: Proposal
Yunho gulped down his water, trying to calm himself. Funny how this would have been a normal dinner date if not for a small velvet box in his pocket. When he was a child, he had dreamed of proposing after treating his lover to an extremely fancy and expensive restaurant meal. If he had done that tonight, Jaejoong would have immediately known what was happening. Not that he would be so arrogant as to presume that he was about to be proposed to, but he would have figured out something was going on. And Yunho relished the feeling he got when he managed to surprise his hyperaware boyfriend, so he’d decided to go with something else.
Jaejoong had chosen the restaurant tonight, wanting to try a new place. Which of course meant he was currently grading the side dishes, because he took food very seriously. Yunho was pretty sure he would never have to look up reviews for a place Jaejoong had been to. For every food place Jaejoong had been to, even if he’d only visited once, he could remember the menu options, what he thought of them, and how they fared in comparison to others. Yunho watched Jaejoong trying out little bites of food now, looking for all the world like an upper-class food critic.
He couldn’t remember the exact moment he had decided he was going to propose. All he knew was that one day during his summer internship in college, he had started setting aside money for rings. He had told himself it was just in case, or because he missed Jaejoong. But he had started doing it a few weeks into the internship, when the stress had worn off and he was actually having fun and going out with the other interns. When he had realized that no matter if his day had gone well or gone badly, he wanted to talk to Jaejoong about it. Perhaps every day, for the rest of his life. Not just when it was easy because he had good news, or they lived in the same city.
It sounded overly dramatic now, but looking at Jaejoong eating his shrimp, Yunho realized the two years he’d spent living so far away from him may have been the most difficult of his life. They weren’t outright horrible or anything like that. He had made great friends, and he’d settled into his work eventually. But sometimes, he’d see something that reminded him of Jaejoong, and he’d miss him so much it hurt. Then the feeling would sink inside him, and he would wonder whether he was hoping Jaejoong was happy back in Seoul, or that he was missing Yunho at that moment, too.
“Yunho… Yunho?” Jaejoong was saying, waving a shrimp in front of Yunho’s face. He opened his mouth, accepting it, then reached for another one to give to Jaejoong, who was looking at him curiously. “What’re you thinking about?”
Yunho, still mentally in last year, blurted out, “I wrote you so many letters, back then.” Jaejoong blinked, confused. Then Yunho stuck the shrimp in his mouth, and he held his hand in front of mouth, speaking from behind it.
“What are you talking about?” Yunho sighed a little, moving his foot so it bumped Jaejoong’s.
“When I was in Daegu… I missed you so much sometimes. And I knew you were out, or studying, or working… and the feeling would pass anyway. I didn’t want to depress you with it, so I wrote to you. It went on for pages sometimes.”
Jaejoong looked cute when he was shocked. His mouth was slightly open, and he’d gone frozen, his chopsticks held in the air. This was the look Yunho was hoping for in an hour or two, when he pulled out the ring. “I’d listen to the… well, you know which playlist… and I’d pretend I was just sad because of the songs. And when I really missed you… I’d play any video you posted that had your voice in it.” He chuckled. “I bet half the views on any of your insta videos are from me.”
It doesn’t hurt now, Yunho mused. We never talked about this back then, but it’s fine now.
They passed the rest of dinner like that, telling each other the absurd things they’d done to survive the distance. Yunho felt like he was trying out-embarrass himself, which made no sense. Why did he want that? But with each story, he could almost hear the words they were really saying. I love you. No, I love you more.
After dinner, Yunho took Jaejoong’s hand as they walked, feeling the nerves rise up again. Jaejoong was playing their usual game of trying to guess where Yunho was taking him when they stopped in front of the cinema.
“Ah, so are we watching a movie?” Jaejoong asked.
Yunho shook his head. “No, we’re going to the roof.” The cute, puzzled look was back on Jaejoong’s face.
On their first anniversary, Jaejoong had gotten around the fact that most real roses were dead in February by taking them to the LED garden. Yunho had simply stood there in awe, having had no idea such a thing could exist. But now it was June, and Yunho wanted to propose to Jaejoong at sunset, as he stood in the midst of hundreds of real roses. The universe seemed to be on his side, because the sun was just about to set.
He’d always wondered why on earth there was a rose garden on the rooftop of this cinema, but tonight he was really glad there was. He watched a smile light up Jaejoong’s face as he stepped into it. He looked around slowly, then closed his eyes as he inhaled. The sweet scent of the roses was everywhere, and Jaejoong looked so beautiful like this, his face tilted up, eyes closed, the last rays of sunlight highlighting his cheekbones.
“Yunho, it’s so beautiful,” Jaejoong said softly, holding out his hand. Yunho took it automatically, almost forgetting what he’d come here to do.
He brought Jaejoong’s hand to his lips, thinking. “I need to tell you something.” Jaejoong nodded, staying quiet despite the concern creeping onto his face. Always worrying, you. “You’re the loveliest person I know. You’re so sweet, petting every dog and cat we come across on the street, spoiling your sisters’ kids, taking care of everyone else… I can’t believe someone as good as you exists. You’re the first person I want to talk to about my day, whether it was good or bad. You’re the one I trust with my problems. I’m in love with you… I’m so in love with you…” He took a deep breath, aware that he was rambling now. “I want you, forever. Your cooking, and your science puns even when I don’t understand them, all your anxieties, I want them to be mine.” He pulled the little Cartier ring box out of his pocket, delighted at how Jaejoong’s jaw dropped when he got on one knee. “Marry me, Kim Jaejoong? Please?”
Jaejoong covered his mouth with both hands. Then he knelt with Yunho, looking from the ring to his face.
“Oh. Oh, my God.” He looked at Yunho, realizing he was waiting for an answer. “Yes, yes, of course I’ll marry you, oh… Yunho…” Then, lost for words, he kissed him.
Yunho kissed back, trying not to drop the ring box. When they parted, he pulled Jaejoong to his feet and kept holding his hand so he could slide the ring on. “It looks so good, love.” Jaejoong laughed quietly.
“It’s so beautiful… it’d look good on anyone. You really… Yunho, you romantic… everything was perfect.”
It really was. And… “I’ll get to call you my husband,” Yunho murmured, his heart still racing.
Jaejoong spoke slowly, still looking at his ring. “Hmm. This is my husband, Yunho.” He bit his lip. “This is the love of my life, Jung Yunho.” He looked up, meeting Yunho’s eyes. “How dare you propose first, Yunho… now I know why my sisters were doing that.”
Yunho wrinkled his nose. Minkyung noona had helped him pick a ring, but there was no way Jaejoong knew that. “Doing what?”
“I kept asking them to come with me to get a ring, and they kept making excuses and saying they were busy.” He shook his head, bemused.
Yunho squeezed his hand, gently turning so that they could go back to walking the garden. People were staring, and it was making him feel a little possessive. “It’s only fair I propose first, by the way. You asked me out first, you said I love you first, you-”
“I didn’t say I love you first!” Jaejoong protested. Ah, that’s right. I never told him.
Yunho had hoarded this secret for years, not knowing why. He just hadn’t felt the need to tell, and it had never come up. The moment was so precious, something only for him. The only memory he had of the days that followed Jaejoong’s unconscious confession was an overwhelming desire to hear him say the words “I love you” every day. Even back then, he had suspected he would never tire of hearing it. “Yes, you did… when you were sick, and you were falling asleep. You mumbled it into your pillow, I almost didn’t hear it.” Jaejoong blushed.
“I had no idea… I’d known for so long, though,” he chuckled as Yunho’s eyes narrowed. When did he know? How did he know? Then Jaejoong kissed him, long and slow. “Let’s go home, Yunho. Tell me what else you’ve been hiding. God, I love you.”
Our home, he thought, unable to stop looking at Jaejoong. Our home, and our kitchen, and our bed… how did I get this lucky?