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It had been weeks since the last time Hyunwoo took him out. So, it was understandable that Hoseok was excited for their little date. He took it upon himself to look up new places to visit; and after careful browsing through the travel site and reviews, he suggested they visited this cafe at the other part of the city they rarely go to. He showed the pictures of the decorations of small palm trees around several gazebos and wall-drawing of trees and flowers, and the explained how it gave a cozy atmosphere to the place to convince the other.
As they entered, sounds of chattering and coffee machines working hit their ears and nose. The cafe was filled with young couples and groups of youngsters alike. Hoseok kinda felt out of place but his hand held by Hyunwoo told him that the other was sure to check out the place.
"Can you find a table for us? I will get the menu from the counter." Hyunwoo let go of his hand and then headed toward the counter.
Hoseok chose the table by the window, at the corner of the room, where he could see both the indoor and outdoor area of the cafe. With his back to the wall, he saw Hyunwoo approaching him with the menu in his hand.
He still fell for the older after so many years. Hyunwoo looking as charismatic if not more even with his graying hair, a wonder why he still had not started balding. He always stood tall, only looking wiser with age.
In little unguarded moments like this, Hoseok was grateful to have someone like Hyunwoo as his partner for life. He felt appreciated all day every day from Hyunwoo doing his little gestures, treating him like royalty. And somehow he never asked for anything particular in return. Only a few backrubs, or walking the dogs together before the sunrise once in a while.
Hyunwoo sat beside him, making himself comfortable with an arm around the back of the seat.
"What do you want to get?"
"I think I'll have jasmine tea. What are you going to get?"
"I'll get the iced coffee. With some snacks. Do you want some snacks?" Hoseok threw the older a look for his order.
"What? This is my first coffee this weekend. You know I never have it when I'm home." Hyunwoo turned to face him with a pout that made Hoseok want to give a little peck, but he realized that they were well over fifty years old already and having PDA moments should be a little too childish and cheesy for them. He only shook his head before giving a little nose crunch in response. Hyunwoo was always weak for his face crunches, regardless of the reason.
"Not fair!" Hyunwoo retracted his hand from Hoseok's back, turning to face the younger and ready to shoot out some sweet nothings. Hoseok only faced him back, ready for defense.
"Can I please have my coffee? You can have any of the foods that you like." Hyunwoo tried to convince him through puppy eyes that he wished no one passing by would notice, "and I'll pay!"
Hoseok could feel his defense breaking down. He turned to the menu and eyed the options of foods and platters that the cafe offered. Hyunwoo's offer to pay for their date was not much. They both had good paying jobs and they always took turns of who would pay for their day out at the end of the day, but it was a nice gesture.
After they had settled on what they wanted to have, Hyunwoo stood up and went to the counter to order and pay. This time Hoseok had more time to see the flickering activities around him, what the young people were up to these days.
He saw several of them with their laptops out on the same long table but no one was facing the others. They probably came on their own, he thought. His gaze redirected to the gazebo on the outdoor area, some kids were laughing so hard that he could hear it through the glass windows, while the others in the group were either drinking or smoking. It made him miss his group of friends, which was Hyunwoo's too.
Hyunwoo and he met in their third year of university because they had a few mutual friends. They never talked outside of the group after they first met, but a tangled mess of fate brought them together when said mutual friends were getting married. Guess no one could ever know when you would turn to mean so much to a person you used to have no more than a platonic feeling for.
Hoseok was so far up in his head that he never noticed Hyunwoo was already back on his seat. A longing and loving stare never leaving the younger.
"Hey, have we ever done that?" Hoseok was startled. His not-official-husband husband shook him off his thoughts with his head nodding to the table across from them at the other end of the room.
There were two girls who were trying to take pictures of each other. The taller girl was standing and guiding the other girl in the frame. They would show what they had captured, and then took turns of who'd pose and take the pictures.
"No, I don't think we have done that. We did not have a camera until a few years ago. And we only got it because Kihyun and Minhyuk gave it as an anniversary gift for us."
They were never the kind to document every waking moment they had together, but Kihyun and Minhyuk were. They had always been there for each other that when it was time they admitted their feelings, they realized just how much the other already meant for them and how much they had spent their life together. It was funny, Hoseok thought, the two younger friends of his were together for most of their life but it was him and Hyunwoo that officially got together first.
Their order arrived as they were reminiscing their younger days. The days where they were enthusiastic enough to meet everyone in their contact book. The days where they were fit enough to have regular hikings as dates. Or the days where they were careless but carefree enough to skip classes and got on a bus to visit the neighboring town.
"Let's take a picture together!" Hyunwoo reached his arm around his shoulders angling the front camera of his phone so weirdly it looked like they were taking a picture for their ID, but together. The result was hilarious but cute.
"What even is that? HAHAHAHAHA"
"That is us. Aren't we the cutest?" Hyunwoo winked at him before he fiddled back with his phone. "I'm gonna put this up as your contact picture. I realized I was still using the picture from when you won the marathon that your office held. That was so long ago and was not true to the reality, you did not look like that anymore."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" Hoseok did not realize that he had raised his voice until he felt stares directed at him even from the girls at the other end of the room. "What are you saying, Hyunwoo! Do you not find me handsome anymore?" He unintentionally sulked and curled to himself, making him look much smaller beside his lover's broad build.
"HAHAHAHA." Hyunwoo could not help but chuckle at this unlikely situation that was happening. "No, honey, I was referring to the fact that you have never done a marathon again and you never sweated as much as you were in the picture, ever. And you are still as handsome as ever even if I can see some gray roots from where I'm sitting right now." Hoseok looked up to hit Hyunwoo in the arms.
The cafe was quieter. Everyone in the room was inhaling the moments. Only the sound of the non-stop working coffee machines could be heard. Hoseok reached for Hyunwoo's hand underneath the table, the hold that grounded him and made him feel safe.
A song started to play softly, Hoseok only heard it at the back of his head. In moments like this, he wished that his hands were the ones that were going to hold his lover for a million years.
He thought he'd go hungry. Fighting for the one he loved, with everything he had. If it meant the other could feel his love. He knew that Hyunwoo could feel it, his love. He just needed the reassurance.
Hyunwoo reached for his cheek with the hand that was not holding his. There were so many things in his eyes that Hoseok hoped he'd get to read. The creases around his eyes, he had noticed them going deeper every time he looked at the other throughout the years they had been together.
The many years they had spent together, realizing each other's dreams, sharing the happiness they had craved. He would run for the end of the world if it would get the other to feel his love.
I think I