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Sometimes, Hakyeon resented rain.
On days where he’s just standing outside, unsuspecting, when there’s suddenly cold pellets dropping down his shoulders and soaking him down to his bones. It always comes by as a surprise, mostly whenever Hakyeon forgets to bring his umbrella with him and he’s left with no choice but to let rain in.
That’s only sometimes, however. As when he finally lets rain in his life, where he sits down, quiet, remembering; rain had always been his favourite.
It’s almost like he and rain are a combination that the world expected the least, Hakyeon bringing rain with him wherever he went as he continued to go through his life. Meeting people, reaching achievements, feeling hurt – almost like best friends.
He finds magic in rain showers, seeing the droplets trickling down his window as he drives his car down the night road. There’s almost a sense of sentimentality in it, he realises one quiet moment. Little raindrops on glass panes giving him company and comfort in his big empty space he calls home.
Something like feeling comforted by the sound of rain hitting his roof, the different kind of cold air rain gives that makes him want to bury himself under layers and layers of blankets, craving to hold something burning hot that will warm his fingertips from the freezing rain.
And in times, just like now, where it’s late at night, where he shifts his position on his couch, fingers warming up from the coffee he’s currently having as rain pours outside again. Lost in thought, unfocused.
Hakyeon lets rain in tonight, too.
Rain came by when he first found the one he thought he wanted to keep beside him for a long time. He wasn’t wrong – he really was a keeper.
Hakyeon felt the first tug of his heartstrings when he saw him smile for the first time – at some cat that decided to brush against their legs as they stood in the golden afternoon light in their university campus.
“ Meow ,” he hears him call to the little thing, and Hakyeon watches with wonder as his smile grows fonder on his face when the cat meows back at him.
“I didn’t know you loved cats,” Hakyeon comments as he shifts his weight to another foot, his own face decorated with a silent smile.
The other makes a humming noise, before finally kneeling down to pick the cat up, “I love dogs more, really. It just that cats are cute too.”
It almost makes Hakyeon burst out laughing with mirth, when suddenly they felt rain stinging down their shoulders that had them running towards the roof at the front of the library, where rain barely reaches you when you stand under it even if you haven’t stepped an inch inside the building itself.
“They didn’t say it’ll rain today,” muttering, Hakyeon shakes his head to whisk away any rainwater that decided to clump at his hair, “I should’ve brought my umbrella today.”
Meow .
Startled, he steals a look beside him, and he sees his friend still holding the cat in his hand, his other hand patting its small head gently as his eyes ever so gradually soften on every stroke on the fur.
As much as he'd hate himself to admit it, Hakyeon kinda wishes he’d look at him like that, too.
On another day, where Hakyeon deemed a little important than usual, rain didn’t forget to say hello, too.
His knees are close to shaking down the ground, probably melt and pool down his ankles as each tick of his watch passes. The only thing that’s keeping him from doing that are the prospective events that will happen no less than thirty minutes.
Like a fool, he showed up on a date thirty minutes early – and while he is looking quite eager, Hakyeon reprimands himself for thinking he can stand under a sun that’s burning quite high at a time like this.
A café should’ve posed as a harmless date idea, yes; with the idea of just mindlessly chatting over coffees and cheesecakes, watching people go by the window as they let a little bit more romance seep into their life.
Should be cute – that is, if Hakyeon doesn’t burn himself under the high noon sun.
Looks like he doesn’t need to wait so long, however, as he sees his own date in a rush and a shuffle, mirroring the same surprised expression Hakyeon’s wearing as their surprises come at once. It seems that he’s not the only one eager for this little date, too.
They gave each other brief greetings, a side hug with the shyest of smiles. For now, that’s more than enough for Hakyeon’s pounding heart. A bit more then maybe he really will melt down.
Animatedly, his date orders him a Toffee Frappuccino, a vanilla latte for himself, two plates of blueberry cheesecakes, and oh- This is going to be really, really sweet.
“Do you never get tired of drinking coffee?” Hakyeon asks him when they finally sit down, seated near the window where they can see people passing by.
“No,” he hears quietly, and it makes him stifle a laugh behind the back of his hand.
“I know we’re college students,” Hakyeon continues as he picks up the fork provided by the café, “but I hope you’re not overdoing it with the coffee.”
This time, he gets a groan, before his own date starts digging in on his slice of cake.
Just like Hakyeon wanted, they end up talking about the most mundane things – from Hakyeon complaining about his laundry detergent lacking last minute to what their plans will be when their semester’s break hits.
And this, alone, is more than enough for Hakyeon. That is, until the other offers to walk him home after. They didn’t really intend to spend the whole day together, as they have conflicting schedules for the afternoon and this is already the best time slot they could squeeze this date in.
Of course, Hakyeon declines first, his hands flurrying with haste as blood rushes to his cheeks and embarrass himself even more. He couldn’t fight it, anyway, his date insisting with minimal effort that it’s the least he can do for taking his time today.
Hakyeon should’ve seen it coming, even from then.
As they stand outside his house, albeit a little too long for an hour just after lunch, Hakyeon barely manages to muster enough courage to say thank you when the other comes surging forward, taking his hands in his and their noses a few breaths away from brushing.
“I really like you, Hakyeon,” he hears him say, and oh no – Hakyeon really feels like melting now. “Will it… Will it be too conceited of me to kiss you?”
Obviously, Hakyeon’s mouth betrays him (that useless thing) last second, failing to make a noise as his lips quiver in… Anticipation?
So he closes his eyes, nodding once, and waits.
Except what comes first instead is the sudden pouring of rain above their heads.
They look up, maybe in a little bit of annoyance, before giggling and finally sealing the little deal between their lips.
Cold, hard rain’s digging into their shoulders but, that’s okay. He can tolerate a little bit of nuisance called rain when he’s kissing the one who’s been pulling his heartstrings all along.
Maybe it was already a sign, seeing as it’s pouring hard outside their house and it’s something Hakyeon would usually be thrilled about, except, well…
He tries to shift in the bed, lonely and definitely lacking another person’s warmth.
Hakyeon misses it.
Not just the person; but the warmth he brought to Hakyeon’s life, coming in headfirst like an arrow on fire directly to his chest, rendering him helpless and lovesick.
Keepers aren’t meant to be kept anyway – and even if Hakyeon kept him for a good two years… Maybe… Maybe Hakyeon just doesn’t know how to keep his things properly.
There’s a sudden strike of lighting outside, followed by thunder, that makes him curl under his blanket even more, wishing nothing more but to be held in moments like this.
He really misses it.
It’s only when his fingertips start to really burn he snaps out of his little daydream, the corners of his eyes stinging a little bit as he realises how late it already is.
He sips some more of his coffee, revelling in the barest heat it gives his body when he almost spills the hot liquid on himself as a knock on his door startles him.
It’s late. He knew better than to answer knocks like these after all the crime dramas he’s watched.
But… Somehow, with the rain pouring like shower outside, it almost feels like it’s inviting him that Hakyeon finds himself already standing before his door before he gave himself a chance to think about his choices.
The knocking continues; soft raps on the wooden door that’s a little drowned from the sound of rain.
Deftly, he unlocks his door. He prepares himself for half a second, before finally pulling his door open.
And, well, just like always – rain loves crashing in his life, interrupting his steady walks and making his head dizzy.
His mouth almost betrays him again, but he finds the right gentle syllables by the tip of his tongue in the end.
“Taekwoon.”