Archive of Our Own

Soonyoung isn’t great at keeping secrets. He knows that the redhead is hiding something up his sleeve. It’s easy to see a shift in Soonyoung whenever he’s stressed about something; he asks for more cuddles, is more clingy towards Jihoon and a little less Soonyoung than he normally is.

On any other occasion, Jihoon would mirror Soonyoung’s stress, wondering about the reason for Soonyoung’s sudden change in disposition. But luckily for him, there is no need to worry about the redhead. Jihoon knows what exactly Soonyoung is stressing about: his birthday.

It starts with Soonyoung suddenly asking Jihoon questions in the middle of their daily cuddle sessions. The brunette raises an eyebrow at him, halting the petting he’s been doing to Soonyoung’s hair. “Come again?”

“I said, what flavor of cake would you prefer, Jihoonie?” Soonyoung repeats, lifting his head up to gaze at Jihoon better. “I know you like vanilla but I was wondering if you’d want to try another flavor.”

“Any flavor is fine,” Jihoon hums, returning back to threading his fingers through Soonyoung’s hair. “Are you craving for sweets or something? We still have some ice cream in the fridge.”

Soonyoung shakes his head, curling his body even closer to Jihoon. “Maybe later,” he mumbles, poking his finger through the hole on Jihoon’s sweatpants.

He prods Jihoon’s thighs once, twice before asking yet another question, “How do you feel about playing outside in the snow?”

“Going out in the snow?” He sneaks a glance outside, the afternoon sun shining in through the windows and not a single dark cloud in sight. Jihoon looks down and fixes Soonyoung with a look, “You better not be thinking about getting sick from playing outside. I’m sure you remember the last time you had a cold.”

“I remember how well you took care of me last time,” Soonyoung wiggles his eyebrows at him. His cheerful grin turns serious when he repeats his question, “But I’m serious, are you okay with a little snow? How about some dancing?”

Jihoon twists his fingers a bit in Soonyoung’s hair before answering. “As long you don’t get sick then I’m fine with it, though I really hope you’re not thinking about doing anything crazy,” he warns. “As for dancing, you know I’ve always loved seeing you dance. Why do you have to ask me for confirmation?”

“I’m just checking, Jihoonie,” Soonyoung hums, twisting his body in order to adjust his position on Jihoon’s lap. “And I’m a little bit curious, that’s all.”

He stares at the redhead with a knowing glint in his eye but Jihoon does his best to not betray his suspicions. It’s cute watching Soonyoung (not so) secretly planning something for Jihoon’s birthday. Jihoon would just have to play along with Soonyoung’s little game.

Soonyoung has been at it for a few days already, suddenly popping in to ask Jihoon to choose between silver and gold, whether he likes balloons or flowers, if he has a new favorite song these days. Jihoon answers them with a small chuckle, choosing silver and waving off his offers of balloons and flowers. He sits Soonyoung down on the couch and offers one of his earbuds to him, inviting the redhead on a music trip right in the middle of their living room.

They’re about two-thirds done with Jihoon’s newest playlist for the week when he feels a soft weight rest itself on his shoulder. He glances to the side, making his nose tickle when it meets red strands.

Soonyoung puffs his cheeks out in slow, shallow breaths. Jihoon’s earbud is hanging over his right shoulder, the tinny sound of Coldplay coming from the miniature speakers. The brunette thumbs his music to a stop and gently removes the earbuds from both their ears.

He pokes Soonyoung’s cheek, his index creating an indent on his skin. His eyes gloss over the small bumps and marks on Soonyoung’s bareface, frowning when he notices the dark coloration underneath the redhead’s eyes. Jihoon heaves an exasperated sigh while adjusting Soonyoung to a more comfortable position on his shoulder.

“Has he been sleeping late again? This idiot…,” Jihoon shakes his head, laying an arm around Soonyoung’s sleeping form. “I can’t believe he fell asleep on me too.”

Jihoon uses this opportunity to study the tired male, tempted to go and call Soonyoung out on his birthday preparations in order for him to go get some rest. He sighs and rests his head besides Soonyoung's own; he supposes that he could sneak in a quick nap on the couch before he has to get .

“Jihoonie,” he hears the redhead mumble softly under his breath. A short glance tells Jihoon that Soonyoung is still asleep, “Mm… love you.”

A warm feeling burrows itself into Jihoon's chest, a smile tugging up the corners of his lips. He closes his eyes and focuses on the warm body beside him, silently answering Soonyoung with his heart in hand. “Love you too.”

Before Jihoon succumbs to the vestiges of sleep, he can feel Soonyoung shift and sigh once more. His eyes droop low and his body feels heavy but he still tries to catch the small tumble of words that Soonyoung utters.

“Will you,” is all that he hears before he eventually, falls asleep.

Soonyoung is feeling antsy today.

It’s a week before Jihoon’s birthday and Soonyoung has been running around the whole time. Jihoon watches from his perch on the counter, silently sipping his coffee and watching Soonyoung flit around their apartment with tired eyes.

He’s been pacing back and forth for awhile now, checking his phone every minute or so and frowning after each time. Jihoon drains the last bit of coffee in his cup, glancing at his empty rice bowl and ponders over whether he should get another serving.

Soonyoung’s phone rings, startling both men with the Shinee song Soonyoung uses as his ringtone. “Hello?” the redhead answers in a flurry, glancing shortly at Jihoon before moving out of hearing range. “Wait, let me move first.”

Jihoon frowns a bit at that but chooses to shrug it away instead. Food comes first. He heads over to their rice cooker and scoops himself another serving. Soonyoung’s voice could still be heard from their shared bedroom and Jihoon can only make out a few words from the phone call.

“...music alright?”

He takes a bite after he identifies Soonyoung’s worried town.

“...measured his…”

Jihoon finishes his rice, swallowing when he hears the smug smile.

“...nervous for this…”

He sets his bowl in the sink, the thud mirroring the heavy feeling in his stomach.

“...if he refuses…”

Jihoon turns, heading straight to their bedroom door with his mind brimming with curiosity. He catches Soonyoung mid-sentence, the redhead hastily ending the call with a forced smile. “Jihoonie! Are you done eating?”

“Mm,” he nods, eyeing the phone in Soonyoung’s hand. “Who called?”

“Oh, just Wonwoo,” Soonyoung nonchalantly answers, pocketing the phone and brushing past Jihoon to get to the kitchen. “It’s my turn to do the dishes today. Jihoonie, you better get ready or else you’ll be late for work!”

Something’s changed. On a normal day, Soonyoung would do his best to make Jihoon stay a while longer before he has to leave. Asking for extra kisses, pretending to be so inept at daily tasks that Jihoon has to stay with him, Soonyoung draping himself all over Jihoon back while he walks around trying to get ready, ambushing Jihoon in the shower while he’s bathing.

What’s wrong?

Jihoon shakes his head, “At least you’re doing your share of work now. I’ll go and take a shower.” He pauses, waiting for the cheeky response of ‘ Oh, can I join in? ’ but it never comes.

It’s only when he’s about to leave does Soonyoung return to his normal antics; tricking Jihoon into giving him extra kisses on the lips and wrapping his arms around him while Jihoon puts on his shoes.

“I might be late so don’t sleep on the couch again,” Jihoon warns. “I won’t be carrying you back to our bed if you do.”

“I’ll wait for you wherever I want to,” Soonyoung quips, poking Jihoon’s cheeks when he sees him frown. “Kidding! I’ll be sure to sleep so get going already.”

He sneaks in one last kiss on Jihoon’s nose, the action startling him enough to let go of the doorknob. “See ya later, Jihoonie! Love you!”

“Love you too.”

It’s weird.

Jihoon knows Soonyoung like the back of his hand. He knows when he’s feeling happy or sad, knows the difference between each of his mumbles for cuddles, knows how he’s feeling with a single touch.

But now, Soonyoung has been avoiding him. He doesn’t even know where the other male is.

He hardly sees the other male around anymore. Jihoon wakes up to a cold and empty bed, the pillows stacked neatly on Soonyoung’s side. He tentatively reaches a hand towards the other side, frowning when cool sheets meet his fingertips instead of warm ones.

He sits up, the sleeve of Soonyoung’s shirt falling down his right shoulder. “Soonyoung?” Jihoon calls out, voice still raspy from having just woken up. “Are you in the kitchen?”

Maybe he’s just making breakfast, preparing Jihoon’s coffee like usual. But after a few minutes of no reply, Jihoon rules out that possibility.

He swings his head right over the edge of their bed, the cool air stinging his exposed limbs. Jihoon pulls up the waistband of his shorts, hitching them over his hips where they sag once more, “Soonyoung, it’s too early to be playing games.”

The cold tiles of their bathroom give him a shock when he steps in to wash his face. He cleanses and brushes quickly, not wanting to stay in any longer without his normally boisterous companion. It’s weird eating breakfast all by yourself, without the warm weight of someone playing footsie with you under the table, without the presence of someone else laughing from the other side, without Soonyoung smiling at Jihoon whilst stuffing his face with food.

Maybe he’s feeling a bit grumpy today, with only three days left until he turns 22.

But that should be even more incentive for Soonyoung to stay near. Last year, he was always looking for excuses to skip work, saying that he'd rather sleep in with Jihoon. (Then again, Soonyoung does that regardless of whether it's Jihoon's birthday or not so it's not much of a reliable marker.)

He decides to go and find out where Soonyoung is himself, going back to their bedroom to fetch his phone from where it's charging on their bedside drawer. He unplugs the Black Panther themed outlet and squints at his battery percentage before opening the messages app and going straight to Soonyoung.

He fights off the smile from seeing his reply the night before and sends a hefty string of messages that's sure to catch Soonyoung's attention.

Jihoon is not overprotective by all means. He isn't the nosy type of partner, full of trust in his and Soonyoung's relationship.

No. He's just…concerned over where the heck Soonyoung is right now and when he's coming back.

Soonyoung replied to his messages a little after lunch has passed, using as much emojis that Jihoon could stomach before he feels the need to deck the redhead.

Jihoon is cold.

His hands are clammy and his legs are bare, with only a large hoodie to cover the rest of his body. He scratches underside of his arm while he frowns, kicking over a fallen throw pillow which had fallen from the couch.

Jihoon had taken a short break from work, relocating to the couch in order to watch a few reruns of some baseball anime playing on the TV. It's the day before he turns 22 and here he is, binge watching Oofuri wearing nothing but Soonyoung's sweater.

“Jihoonie,” the door opens with a muffled thud and the cheery exclamation of his name. “I got some food from ahjumma’s restaurant! Have you eaten lunch yet?”

Jihoon sneaks a glance at the other male before rolling over and returning to his show. “No.”

“That's good,” Soonyoung hums, unaware of the petulant tone Jihoon has adopted while speaking. “We can eat together then. What're you watching?”

“Oofuri,” Jihoon answers, keeping his eyes trained on the screen.

From the corner of his eye, he can see Soonyoung putter around their kitchen, transferring his hot take out to bowls and plucking chopsticks from their drawers. He sees him pour the cola into two cups, one noticeably bigger than the other before carrying everything to the living room and setting it down on the coffee table.

Jihoon sniffs a bit when Soonyoung passes by, returning to the kitchen to get the rest of their takeout.

“That baseball anime?” Soonyoung says, setting down the last of the plates before settling down on the small space Jihoon has graciously left behind. “I’ve never watched this one, only Diamond no Ace.”

“This one's good as well,” Jihoon shrugs, keeping his body still when he feels Soonyoung's eyes on him. He focuses on Abe explaining why Haruna is the “worst pitcher” and the flashback that follows. “It’s been a few years since I last watched this series and I find that I miss the show.”

Soonyoung hums a bit at that but chooses to let their conversation die. He snuggles up next to Jihoon, silently spooning the rest of his food into his mouth while he watches the anime in rapt attention. Jihoon does the same, albeit a little distracted with how much Soonyoung keeps fidgeting right beside him.

He still hasn’t forgiven the other male for suddenly ghosting on him for these past few days as well. Jihoon scowls at this; he can’t believe he let the redhead get close to him just because he brought home takeout. He takes a sip of cola and frowns, damn him and his love for food.

“Jihoonie.”

“Mm.”

Jihoon can feel Soonyoung tilt his head towards him, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.”

Soonyoung frowns, “You don’t seem so. Is there something bothering you?” He sits up, jostling one of their throw pillows down to the floor, “Are you sick? Let me check your temperature.”

Jihoon slaps away Soonyoung’s palm, frowning at the other male. “I’m fine,” he shakes his head. “Come on, we’re missing the episode. I want to see what’s happening next.”

“You’re hiding something.” Soonyoung chews thoughtfully, wagging his chopsticks at Jihoon before setting it down on their coffee table, “Tell me what’s wrong, Jihoon.”

“Just drop it, Soonyoung,” Jihoon huffs, training his eyes on the TV screen. He’s not in the mood for this discussion, not when he’s busy trying to get his mind off it in the first place. “I’m tired and I wanna watch—”

His boyfriend reaches over and pauses the episode they were watching. “Now you have to listen,” Soonyoung raises the remote up and above his head, ignoring the loving jabs from Jihoon. He twists around to grab Jihoon’s right hand, “Stop shying away from my concern, Jihoon. Why are you hiding?”

Jihoon scoffs at this, “Me? Hiding?” He wrenches his hand away from Soonyoung and gives him a displeased frown. “You’re the one who’s been ghosting on me these past few days. I should be the one asking what you’re hiding from me.”

“Huh?” Soonyoung blinks. “What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I mean, stop feigning ignorance,” Jihoon rolls his eyes and crosses his legs, poking Soonyoung in the chest with each sentence that follows. “You come home later than usual that I’ve been worried lately. You’re always on your phone, talking and texting the whole time. And don’t think I haven’t noticed those suspicious packages you’ve been ordering online and hiding someplace else.”

He bites his lip, the next few words a burden to say. He trusts Soonyoung and he loves him more than anything. They’ve been together for five years but his boyfriend’s suspicious behavior only seems to prey on Jihoon’s insecurities.

Soonyoung shakes his head, clasping Jihoon’s hands in his, “Jihoon, it’s not what you think it is.”

“If it’s not, then tell me exactly what you’re doing.”

He falters, throat bobbing as he swallows, “It’s a secret, Jihoonie. And I’m sorry but I can’t tell you just yet.”

Jihoon twists his lips to a frown, a small wrinkle appearing on the bridge of his nose. Secret, schmecret. He scoffs out loud, “I know what you’ve been planning underneath my nose, Soonyoung. Stop playing already.”

Soonyoung blanches, “You do?”

“Of course! It’s so obvious,” Jihoon sighs. Really, what did Soonyoung take him for? Jihoon bites his cheeks, narrowing his eyes when he sees Soonyoung shift in his seat. There’s only one explanation for why Soonyoung has been acting this way after all. “You’ve been planning a surprise birthday party for me all this time.”

Silence. And then Soonyoung lets out a loud breath, “Ah. Birthday party?”

“Yes! Why else have you been so busy?” Jihoon can feel his jaw clench as soon as he says the words. Jihoon misses him. “It’s not like I don’t appreciate you doing so…” he shakes his head before glancing up at Soonyoung. “But can you not ignore me so much? I’ve barely seen you these past few days and the bed feels empty without you.”

“Jihoon…”

He’s nervous. Jihoon is nervous and it shows in the way the words tumble out of his mouth, falling in a flurry and his tone rising with each sentence. “It sucks because both our jobs take a lot of our time together; with you teaching dance and your shifts at the radio station,” Jihoon sighs. “Not to mention my own work which often keeps me busy at night as well.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way! I appreciate everything you’re doing, it makes me happy to see you do all this for me.” Jihoon bites his lip and hangs his head down low, “You do know I’d settle for a simple movie-dinner night, right? I don’t need an elaborate celebration for my birthday.”

He straightens and looks at Soonyoung in the eye, “All I need is you.” Jihoon could feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment but he holds firm in his statement.

It works on Soonyoung, the other male surging forward with wide eyes, “And you have me.”  He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, further mussing up his bangs, “God, Jihoon, if you felt this way, you should’ve told me. You know that I would never want you to worry.”

“I know and well, this is me telling you right now! I just…” Jihoon sighs, closing his fingers around the sliver of Soonyoung's wrist. He tugs on it gently with a small smile, “I don’t want you sneaking around, planning my birthday to affect the time we do spend together.”

Soonyoung raises Jihoon's hand and presses a soft kiss to the center of his palm. The action makes Jihoon's breath catch in his throat.

“I understand.” He twines their fingers together, Jihoon can feel his shoulders relax, “Jihoonie, thank you for telling me.”

“Thanks for listening, you dork,” Jihoon lightly jokes, leaning back into Soonyoung's easy embrace. “Now come on, lets watch already. The episode is waiting.”

Soonyoung doesn't immediately hand him the remote, a bright smile stretching across his lips, “Tell you what, tomorrow, let’s have an anime marathon again. I hear there’s this new series about a guy who got stabbed, died, and reincarnated as a slime.”

God, Jihoon loves him. He nods, biting his cheek when he sees Soonyoung giggle at his assent, “I know that one anime. I remember reading the web novel before.”

“So is that an okay for our date?” Soonyoung nudges him, wiggling his eyebrows which makes Jihoon laugh out loud and push him.

“Yes, now hand me the remote! Haruna is pitching already and I want to be able to finish season one.”

Jihoon’s birthday has finally come. True to his suspicion, Soonyoung did have a surprise planned.

“You already confirmed it a few days ago but could you at least feign surprise? I worked hard for this,” Soonyoung pouts, which only serves to make his appearance all the more ridiculous. He’s fashioned a large headband using a big red bow he probably pilfered from their wrapping supplies and wrapped it around his head, pretending that he’s Jihoonie’s present for the day. “You could stop laughing, you know.”

“Sorry,” Jihoon chuckles, not sounding sorry at all. He pats Soonyoung in the cheek and lays a soft kiss, which wipes the pout off his face, “It's kinda hard not to laugh at you dressed up like that.”

Soonyoung stares at him a bit, enchanted by the sight of Jihoon's cheeks flushed from laughing and his bright smile so early in the morning. He straightens and adjusts his now, bowing with a flourish, “Anything to make you laugh, my love.”

“Gross.” Jihoon wrinkles his nose at him but they both know he doesn't mean it. “Come on, loverboy. Let's eat breakfast.”

Soonyoung does his best to pamper him the whole day, much to Jihoon's own amusement. He lets Soonyoung dote on him as much as he wants, only wriggling away from his embrace when he feels the redhead nuzzle the top of his head.

Breakfast consists of his favorite foods and rice. Lots and lots of white rice, steaming and freshly cooked. Jihoon's mouth waters at the sight and he sits down immediately, making Soonyoung chuckle at his eagerness.

Soonyoung serves him, heaping his bowl with as much food Jihoon wants. He knows that you're not supposed to eat a lot in breakfast but it's rice. And for Jihoon, rice is life.

“You're looking at me funny,” Jihoon says, after swallowing his food.

“Am I?”

Jihoon nods his head and spoons in his next bite, “Yes.”

Soonyoung hums, moving his hand to cup his chin while he stares at Jihoon from across the table. This makes Jihoon shift lightly in his seat, wondering why Soonyoung is suddenly looking at him so intently. “It's because you're lovely to look at.”

Jihoon pauses, chopsticks raised mid-bite. He flushes, bright red which spreads from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. His heart is racing in his chest and he curses the small smile currently splayed on Soonyoung's lips, wondering if his boyfriend delights in saying stuff like this so early in the morning.

“What are you doing?” He narrows his eyes at him.

His boyfriend merely smiles, standing up to collect their empty bowls. “Nothing, Jihoonie. It's your birthday, after all!” Soonyoung sets all their dirty utensils in the sink, returning to the table to wait for Jihoon to finish drinking his coffee, “Is it a crime to tell my boyfriend that he's especially beautiful today?”

Jihoon raises an eyebrow at him. He hasn't washed up, his hair is a mess, and he's wearing one of Soonyoung's college hoodies and sweats which feature many dinner night stains on the right leg. He scoffs before shaking his head, foregoing a response in favor of finishing his drink.

He stands, padding to the sink so he can set his empty mug in. “Come on, let's wash the dishes,” Jihoon says, humming when he feels arms encircle his waist. “Hugging me won't help you escape from dishwashing, Soonyoung.”

“Jihoonie,” he whines, swaying Jihoon to the sound of running water. “It's your birthday, why’re we doing chores?”

He sprinkles water on Soonyoung, the redhead yelping from the action, “Because I want things to be clean so we can laze around later.”

Soonyoung pouts at this but he stands beside Jihoon anyways, drying the clean plates and returning to the cabinet. Observing his rather unenthusiastic response, Jihoon decides to offer a reward, “I'll give you a kiss for every thing you dry.”

(They end up finishing way faster than Jihoon expects.)

“My reward, Jihoonie,” Soonyoung bounces, gently tugging at Jihoon's shirt. “You owe me 17 kisses.”

Jihoon eyes him carefully, he doesn't remember washing that many but he shrugs it off. “Fine, come here.”

And Soonyoung kisses him.

It's slow at first, gentle. Fingers curl into the edge of Jihoon's shirt, teasing the hairs at the back of his nape as Soonyoung closes the space between them. His lips brush softly against Jihoon's at first, hesitance bleeding through. His breath comes quick, eyes half-lidded as Jihoon captures his bottom lip into his mouth.

Jihoon's hand cradles the small of Soonyoung's back, the other resting on his bicep. He dips Soonyoung back slightly, and Soonyoung's hands come around Jihoon tighter for support. He tastes like coffee creamer and oranges, an odd combination from their breakfast but Jihoon likes it all the same.

Soonyoung parts his lips and Jihoon does the same, pressing closer, needing more, wanting more. The kiss turns desperate and a bit messy, and Soonyoung shivers. He pulls away to take a huge breath, his vision hazy and legs weak.

“Jihoonie,” he mumbles, shaking his head to clear the haze that surrounds them. “I think we went over the quota.”

“You’re the one who wanted it in the first place,” Jihoon sniffs. His expression earns him another kiss from Soonyoung, short and sweet, but it leaves him breathless all the same.

“I wanted to draw them out,” he pouts. “Dividing them so I could get kisses all day.”

“Am I the birthday celebrant or you?”

“It’s a win for the both of us either way,” Soonyoung shrugs. He straightens himself and began to turn and guide Jihoon back to their bathroom. “Now come and get yourself presentable. I’ve planned a lot for your day today and I’m not letting it go to waste!”

They spend the rest of their morning indoors, until Soonyoung gets restless that he immediately heads to their bedroom and procures his birthday gift for Jihoon. Apparently, he has another one hidden somewhere but he’ll give it to Jihoon at the end of the day.

He gets Jihoon a new keyboard as well as a black panther paperweight. He immediately sets the figure on top of a new stack of papers, snapping a quick picture of it on the desk and smiling unabashedly. After a few minutes, Soonyoung sits on the couch and watches Jihoon as he now marvels at the new instrument. He plugs it in immediately, playing a few of his compositions while Soonyoung rubs and pets his hair and douses him with happy birthday s and I love yous.

Soonyoung takes him out for dinner as well, to a big, over the top restaurant that he doubts Soonyoung could have accomplished in his own. He wrangles Jihoon into a fancy suit and they dress up to the nines. Jihoon gives Soonyoung a kiss as he fixes his tie and he decides, Soonyoung in a suit is a sight worth seeing more often.

As soon as they head in to the venue, they’re whisked to the second floor with an open patio where the rest of their friends are waiting for them. “Happy Birthday!” They all shout, popping banners and streams and this makes Jihoon’s cheeks flare hot because he’s not one for surprises but it makes him happy all the same.

He gets seated beside Mingyu at the head of the table while Soonyoung struts around, acting like a host and starting up the music. Dinner is amazing. Soonyoung ordered all the food that he loves and the rest of them eat their fill, saving space for the birthday cake that’s sure to come.

Jihoon leans back in his seat with a smile, watching his friends enjoy themselves in the dance floor. Seungkwan dominates the stage, challenging Chan, Mingyu and Seokmin to a dance off while precariously balancing a drink in both hands. He spies Jeonghan at the edge of the stage beside Hansol, bearing a smile that only conveys something of mischievous intent. Sure enough, the song changes into a nursery rhyme instead of the fast paced pop song from before.

Minghao and Jisoo are both seated at the table, wine glasses settled between them as they chat with one another. Wonwoo joins them soon after with Junhui right at his tail, though he’s more interested in the new book Minghao has been writing on the taste of wine while Junhui eats more of the dessert that has been waiting at the buffet table.

Seungcheol comes up to him, sitting down on the seat to his left and grins, “How does it feel getting older by a year?”

“Am I supposed to feel any different?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at him. “I’m not old like you.”

This makes Seungcheol bark out a laugh and Jihoon smiles at his long-time friend. “I guess I should’ve expected an answer like that one.”

“Jihoon!” A voice calls out and both of their attention is diverted to the open patio where Soonyoung is standing. Jihoon ends up peering at his boyfriend, who seems a bit embarrassed with what he’s about to to do next.

Soonyoung stands and takes a bow, extending his hand to Jihoon. “May I have this dance?”

His request makes everyone cheer, Soonyoung starts shaking Jihoon’s chair so roughly that he ends up standing in order to get away from the excitable male. He heads straight to Soonyoung, slightly chuckling at the worried look on his face.

“A dance?” Jihoon asks with a knowing look on his face. “Is this why you wanted me to wear proper shoes instead of my slides?”

“Partly, yes. The other is because it’s cold and I don’t want your feet to freeze.” He leads Jihoon to the patio doors, throwing it open with a flourish, “And tonight, we’re dancing underneath the stars.”

It’s raining. The droplets grew thicker and Soonyoung watches the heavens descend crying onto them, the sky overhead darkening further with each second that passes by. The raindrops make a symphony from the way they impact the tiled floors and metal chairs, the outdoor lanterns shedding light that shimmers through the drops.

Soonyoung drops his extended arm with a small frown, the wind blowing in droplets of rain which fall on them both. “The forecast said it might snow today,” he says, staring up at the sky woefully. “I guess not.”

“Snow?”

“I thought it'd snow just in time for your birthday,” Soonyoung confesses, scratching the back of his head. “But it seems like it ended up raining instead.

“Snow in November is a bit uncommon after all,” Jihoon shakes his head. He goes and tugs Soonyoung's arm and nudges his head outside, “That doesn't mean we should let it go to waste.”

“Jihoon, it's raining ,” Soonyoung purses his lips, pulling back. “It's okay, we don't have to go out.”

This makes Jihoon’s heart deflate a little in his chest. He remembers how excited Soonyoung was for this day, small snippets flash into his mind as he vaguely recalls how obsessed Soonyoung was with the weather. Just this once, he’d humour Soonyoung with his whims, as thanks for everything that he has done.

“No, you wanted to dance right?” Jihoon says, drawing closer to the line that separates the dry tiles that they’re standing on to the wet ground outside. He takes a step and suddenly he’s outside, stretching a beckoning hand to Soonyoung, “So let's dance.”

Rain falls onto Jihoon. Onto his face, his hair, his suit, and onto the hand he’s holding outstretched in offer.

Then, rain falls onto Soonyoung.

And so, they dance.

Actually, it's more of Soonyoung happily twirling Jihoon around while the rest of their friends cheesily serenade them with a ballad until they finally play some proper music for them to dance to. They're both following some semblance of a waltz; Soonyoung is a dancer after all and Jihoon meets each and every step of his.

Soonyoung's hands slip down to Jihoon's waist, warmth bleeding in from his palms to Jihoon's drenched body. He smiles at Jihoon, eyes tender and alight. A slight tremble makes its way through Jihoon and the celebrant could hardly keep his legs from collapsing underneath him.

Soonyoung is gorgeous. His eyelashes are dark and long, sparkling from the rain drops which falls all around them. Jihoon is a prolific poet and writer but even words can't describe how beautiful Soonyoung is to him.

He is so in love. The soft, ambient light from the lamps bounces off of Soonyoung as he guides them around, the song almost reaching its climax. He can hear his lover hum along to music, slightly going off pitch but Jihoon finds it endearing.

The song ends faster than Jihoon would've liked. Soonyoung tries to go and dip Jihoon at the end but he slips and stumbles a bit and Jihoon can't help but laugh at his blunder. He can taste the rain when he leans up to catch Soonyoung's lips with his, trying to smoothen the pout curving over Soonyoung's mouth.

His hair is soaked and his shirt is plastered uncomfortably on his skin but Jihoon still smiles upwards towards the rain. Soonyoung lets out a loud whoop! before settling into giggles as he swings their hands together.

Under the safety of the umbrellas and roof, the rest of their friends gather and cheer. The lights outside dim and the slow chorus of Happy Birthday starts with Seungkwan conducting everyone with perfect clarity.

He spies Seokmin and Mingyu carrying a white cake decorated with Marvel and Pokemon memorabilia. Jihoon rolls his eyes but gently squeezes Soonyoung’s forearms while he smiles to show his gratitude. Soonyoung twirls them around while the rain falls from the night sky, trying (and failing) to dip Jihoon and laughing when the celebrant curses him out for almost dropping him until the song ends.

It’s silly but Jihoon finds that he likes it.

Likes the feeling of water trickling down his neck, likes the warm weight of Soonyoung’s hand on his hip, likes seeing the gaze of all his loved ones as they wish him a happy birthday, likes feeling Soonyoung’s smile on him. He’s always found everything a bit silly whenever someone rolls out a cake and smushes cream on the celebrant’s face while they sing.

The Jihoon from before would have found all this embarrassing but Jihoon knows how Soonyoung must’ve planned for all this to happen. Knows how much he worried and stressed over Jihoon’s birthday that a warm feeling settles in his chest, mirroring the warmth of the candles set on the cake right in front of him.

His friends urge him to make a wish, edging forward with their hands nearing the icing in preparation for the cake smashing. Jihoon raises an eyebrow in challenge and most of them back off, leaving the bright eyed Jeonghan and the ever so determined Seungkwan standing near the edge.

Jihoon exhales and screws his eyes shut, playing along when he’s told to make a wish. He doesn’t have to think about it; he already knows what he wants.

To be with Soonyoung forever.

He inhales deeply, filling his lungs with air and love and happiness and all the hope that his wish would come true and blows his candles out. He hears the sound of his friends clapping and cheering, the smell of burnt wax filling his nostrils as he waits for the sudden ambush of cream on his cheeks.

It doesn’t happen.

Jihoon peeks one eye open, looking for Jeonghan and Seungkwan who were no doubt in line for the cake smashing that was supposed to occur. He sends a look to everyone around him, waiting for someone to make the first move when he realizes that everyone is standing still. His mind goes blank, hand gripping the edge of his seat as he looks for Soonyoung, wondering if he’s supposed to make a speech to show his gratitude on his birthday or something.

Soonyoung isn’t sitting on his seat.

Instead, he’s right next to Jihoon, smiling up to him from one knee.

Jihoon can feel his heart skid to a complete stop, before jump starting and pumping way too fast for his cardiovascular system to handle. Every single cell in his body is alight with flames, his body as light as a feather that he fears he’ll float up into space. He sees Soonyoung’s mouth move but he can’t hear anything, the pulse in his ears drowning everything out and keeping him rooted in his seat.

Soonyoung moves his pretty lips, mouthing two syllables that’s very familiar to him, “Jihoon.” His mouth stretches into a smile, grounding Jihoon to his seat and bringing him back to clarity.

He sees Soonyoung lift up a small velvet box, dark navy blue with a silver latch that he opens slowly to reveal a silver ring—

Fuck.

“Soonyoung.”

“Jihoon,” the redhead repeats while licking his lips while his hands tremble just the slightest bit, a testament to how groundbreaking this entire moment is right now. “First, let me say that I love you so, so, so much. I’ve been in love with you for more than half of my entire life…”

This is really happening.

Jihoon can’t hear anything again. He leans in closer, trying to catch the words that fall from Soonyoung’s lips like the stars that streak the heavens. “You make my days, filling them with love and laughter. You’re my closest companion, the pillar of strength which keeps me going on everyday, my muse who inspires me to dance.”

Soonyoung reaches and meets Jihoon’s hands halfway, lacing their hands together to stop the tremors spreading from their bodies. “I’ve always been uncertain of the future, always the type to think about the present and just live in the moment. But if there’s one thing I’m certain about in this future of mine, is the fact that you are going to be in it.”

His eyes are wide open, filled with utmost love and affection that Jihoon’s heart feels swollen. Soonyoung is beautiful, kneeling down in front of him with his words laid open and bare, just to show Jihoon that he means every single word. Jihoon squeezes Soonyoung’s hand in his, knuckles turning white from their grip. He can feel his eyes moisten with tears and Jihoon furiously blinks them away, not wanting to miss a single second of this very moment—

“You mean everything to me, Jihoonie.”

—of Soonyoung proposing to him.

Soonyoung sucks in a soft breath, “You’re the best part of me.” He chokes up a bit, hands shaking as he tries to get the rest of his words out for Jihoon. “Y-you’re my home, the one person who immediately soothes all my troubles and woes.”

Jihoon finally lets the tears fall, scrunching his face when he feels Soonyoung press a kiss on top of his hands. “Soonyoung,” he whispers, desperately trying to form words but only able to say the name of the one he loves. “Soonyoung.”

Soonyoung gives him a tiny, beautiful smile, making Jihoon lift his hand and cradle Soonyoung’s cheek. “I’m not as good with words as you are… I spent weeks trying to figure out what to say,” he laughs softly, closing his eyes and pressing in closer to Jihoon’s palm. “Even then, I still can’t find the words to tell how much I love you.”

“That’s easy,” Jihoon breathes, leaning in closer to Soonyoung. “Let me show you how.”

I love you.

“I love you.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, Jihoon can feel his heart bloom and settle. He clasps Soonyoung’s hands tighter in his and repeats them once more, “I love you.”

Jihoon remembers all the nights Soonyoung stayed up waiting for him, the times when he lets Jihoon steal his clothes and keep them, those random videos he starts directing around their house with his silly grin. Soonyoung had always made him feel loved, even without saying a single thing. And now, Jihoon is here, uttering those three little words in an effort to show not just Soonyoung but to the whole world that he’s loved.

Soonyoung presses a kiss down at the center of Jihoon’s palm, before straightening and wiping the rest of his tears which had fallen throughout his short speech. “Lee Jihoon,” he continues and Jihoon’s eyes snap back down the ring he’s been holding in his grip the whole time. Soonyoung pauses, looking up at Jihoon who returns his gaze just as expectantly.

Jihoon is calm.

Patient.

Ready.

“Will y—”

“Yes.”

“Jihoon,” Soonyoung splutters with a laugh, a grin stretching across the expanse of his face. He shakes his head and pats Jihoon’s thigh, making the celebrant much more impatient and desperate to move, “You have to let me ask you properly. This isn’t a game of who says it faster.”

“Alright,” Jihoon nods, closing his eyes in an effort to stop the jittery feeling in his stomach. “I’ll let you finish.”

“Will you—”

“ Yes .”

“—marry me?” Soonyoung laughs for real this time, impressed with how impatient Jihoon is. He gives in anyway, sliding the ring down on Jihoon’s finger. It fits perfectly, the band cool when it slides along the heated skin of his finger. Of course it’s a perfect fit, Soonyoung would have made sure of that. Jihoon can’t help but marvel at the way it glimmers in the light, appreciating the simpler design and lack of precious stones that would have made it too uncomfortable for him to wear.

“You’re unbelievable, Jihoonie,” Soonyoung continues. “Rushing my proposal like that.”

He doesn’t get to finish the rest of his sentence properly before Jihoon is pulling him down for a kiss, fisting the lapels of Soonyoung’s jacket in order to adjust their angle better. “You love it anyway,” Jihoon mumbles against Soonyoung’s lips between kisses, circling his arms around his neck and wondering if it would be inappropriate if he just suddenly shoves Soonyoung against the table.

Everyone else is cheering and applauding their engagement but it all sounds so distant to Jihoon, as if he’s walking underwater and everyone else is several leagues away. He feels full; full of emotion, full of happiness, full of love. Jihoon can’t really process anything except for the fact that Soonyoung is still kissing him and he’s smiling so much and that they’re swaying and dancing and everything feels right in the world.

“You’re amazing,” Jihoon manages to get out, smiling down at their hands holding one another. “Using my birthday as a disguise to hide your proposal. How long have you been planning this?”

“About five months. Ever since we had that talk about marriage and proposals actually,” Soonyoung coughs, trying to hide the flush on his cheeks. “I knew you were going to make it into a competition of sorts if I waited too long so I had to plan it right away.”

“Asshole,” Jihoon pouts. “You made me worried!”

Soonyoung’s smile is brighter than the ring itself and he pulls Jihoon back in for another kiss. It’s sweet and heavy and it leaves Jihoon breathless just after a few seconds, effectively erasing Jihoon’s pout. “It was all part of the plan,” he says, with a tinkle of his laugh. “If you want, I could show you my google search history as proof?”

“Search history? I might just take you up on that,” Jihoon shakes his head. “But first, let’s get to something of higher importance. Let’s cut the cake!”

Jihoon’s wish came true. He’s getting married to Soonyoung and god knows, they’re definitely going to stay forever.

He is incredibly sure of that.