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Seungcheol never grew tired of staring at his boyfriend. Whether seconds, minutes, or hours passed, his eyes never grew weary of the beautiful human before him.
Chan was the embodiment of everything Seungcheol wasn't; small, cute, and bright. He couldn't even pretend to come up with a number for how many times he'd thought about why Chan liked him. How someone like Seungcheol, arms covered in bruises and knuckles constantly scabbing, could end up with someone who didn't even know what a police car looked like. Seungcheol was the bad influence everyone's parents warned against and, perhaps, this was what drew Chan in. The older man carried chaos that the younger had never tasted before. He carried with him thrill.
Chan was all the good Seungcheol wished he had, a good that healed the cracks in his glass heart. Aesthetic the color of sunflowers and drink choice filled with too much whipped cream, words strung together in an enchanting manner, and topped with a smile that could stop even the angriest person in their tracks. Chan was more than half sugar, but he had a little bit of spice too.
The world around Chan paled in his presence. Even though the park they were in sat filled with wildflowers and sunlight peeking through branches, they did nothing to captivate Seungcheol's attention; Chan even outshone the sun.
He was chattering away about something, the words dripping from is mouth honey smooth. The topic had long since been lost upon Seungcheol, his only responses coming in the form of soft 'mhmms' and 'aaah.' Chan didn't seem to notice, however, and kept on speaking. How relaxed his features looked while he was talking about something he was passionate towards made his heart burn. How someone could be so effortlessly cute didn't make sense, but he was glad he happened to be in the orbit around it.
Chan thought of Seungcheol the same way though. They'd spoken about it in hushed whispers within the night, during the span of time between wakefulness and sleep when their minds prepared for the pleasant dreams they'd be given. How Seungcheol was just as his name implied, and Chan was simply caught in the gravity of his ever-growing confidence. Chan was his whole world while Seungcheol was Chan's sunlight in the dark.
"Hey, did you hear me?" Chan's voice broke him from his staring.
Seungcheol cleared his throat. "Oh, um, yes and ... no?" He smiled sheepishly, earning him a deadly combination of pouty lips and puppy dog eyes. "Sorry, sorry!" His hands were curled into one another in mock prayer.
"Getting distracted by me is still getting distracted you know!" Chan crossed his arms.
"I can't help it. You've seen yourself in the mirror; how could I not?"
Seconds of silence passed but his words did not appease the younger man. He raised an arm and tapped his cheek. "I'll forgive you if you give me a kiss."
"You know I would give you hundreds of kisses if you asked." Seungcheol scooted across their blanket, carefully avoiding the papers Chan had so carelessly strewn about. He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and pulled him against his body, feeling the warmth seep into him immediately. The tip of Chan's ear betrayed him, revealing the shy embarrassment over being kissed in public; he couldn't help but smirk. "You're so cute." He kissed his ear, then the skin next to his eye, before peppering more along his cheek and jaw.
Chan's entire face felt hot, and he pulled away from Seungcheol to bury his head in his hands. "Okay, okay, you're forgiven!"
Feeling satisfied with himself, Seungcheol used his free arm to prop himself upright. His eyes traveled to the pond before them, water clear and rippling from the fountain affixed in the center. Several birds waddled around the edge of it looking for crumbs, and the gentle sound of frogs and crickets blending in with rustling leaves. It set the mood for their little afternoon lunch, and even more so for the fluttering feelings in Seungcheol's chest.
A hand touching his free one brought his attention back. His eyes flicked to Chan's face, his boyfriend staring at him with flushed cheeks and the softest smile Seungcheol had ever seen. (He would know, he's seen quite a few of them.) Chan's request was silent, and he dropped his arm from his shoulders. The younger of the pair softly grasped the unoccupied hand, raising it to his mouth. Gentle lips kissed along each knuckle. It conveyed enough tenderness that no words were needed, fingers slotting together like they were made just to fit there.
Moments like these, where Seungcheol grew lost in the universe Chan's eyes lay home to, were coveted. It didn't matter how many times they'd held hands, or passed shared kisses amid breathy laughs, or took a nap in warm bedding that day ... every moment was cherished.
Whatever Chan had been previously saying was lost to the moment, the man leaning his head onto Seungcheol's shoulder. They stayed like that for awhile, the atmosphere calm and full of comfortable silence between them. The warm sunlight from above tempted them with sleepiness and, despite Seungcheol's prompting, claimed one of them. Gentle snoring from his shoulder brought a smile across his face. Chan had a talent for falling asleep in strange places.
As carefully as he could, he maneuvered the both of them so they were lying upon the picnic blanket. Seungcheol allowed his shoulder to be used for a pillow, his boyfriend curling into his body as he snuggled closer. The sky above lay mottled with leaves, the trees rustling with each curl of wind upon them. Sunbeams practically rained across their bodies, Chan's hair glowing beneath them. A soft smile graced his lips and he ran his fingers through soft hair, enjoying the sight of his slumbering Chan.
If someone had told Seungcheol five years ago, in all his bruised and bloody glory, that he'd end up having a picnic with a pretty boy who barely had time to tolerate his presence, he would've laughed. Now, he was still bruised and bloody, but the pretty boy actually liked him. Such a far off dream that had become reality.
Seungcheol pressed his face into Chan's hair, allowing his weary eyes to slide shut. Outside amid the warm summer air, the two of them slumbered quietly; their hands remained a tangled mess of fingers. The nap was short but comfortable, the grass beneath their blanket providing the perfect cushion.
Despite being the first to fall asleep, Chan was not the first to awaken. Sleep-soaked eyes regarded the opposite party with gentle admiration. A bit of dandelion fluff had drifted into his hair at some point, and Seungcheol reached over to gently pluck it away. Seeing him there, lips slightly parted, face peaceful, lashes fluttering a bit with the dream he was having ... that gave him the push he'd been needing.
Taking a deep breath to chase away the anxiety crawling up his body, Seungcheol dug around his pocket for the gift he'd been holding onto for nearly three months. Everything in him felt like it was going to break, his glass heart thumping in his chest at the prospect of what might happen. There was always fear of what Chan may think, how he truly felt about him, but Seungcheol always knew the answer. Chan loved him, more than he loved midnight snacks and dancing.
He pulled the gift into view, regarding the object with eyes full of fear and excitement. It was a ring, crafted from silver and containing a genuine ruby at the center. Seungcheol turned it within his fingers and watched the sun set the stone ablaze; it was truly a beautiful piece. And it would look even better upon the finger of the one it was chosen for. The man grasped the ring in his palm, grip so tight it nearly cut him, and gently untangled himself from Chan's body.
The movement roused the younger man, the sad whine pulling at his heartstrings immediately. Sleepy eyes stared up at him, Chan's lip shoved into a similar pout from before. "I know, I know, but we can't sleep in a field all day."
"Waaa ... why not, Cheol? Lay back down."
Seungcheol shook his head, smile soft. "I'll even carry you to the car, sleepyhead. How does that sound?"
Chan rolled completely on his back, arms stretching out above his head. "Ah ... but I'm so comfortable. The sun needs to stop being so warm. Hey, Cheol."
Seungcheol, who was busy packing up all of their scattered mess, hummed softly. "Yes, baby?"
"Stop being so warm! Maybe I won't get sleepy then."
It took about three seconds for him to grasp what Chan was saying. He smiled, back still turned to his boyfriend, and shuffled the last of his papers into their joint backpack. "The sun says we need to go home and get started on dinner."
"The sun doesn't listen then." Seungcheol glanced over his shoulder. Chan was staring into the sky, one hand up as if to grasp the yellow ball of fire in the sky.
His attention focused wholeheartedly upon his boyfriend again and he scooted over. This was a moment he'd been waiting to play out for months now, though it felt like much, much longer. The atmosphere, the mood, the location ... it was too perfect. Besides, the ring had been practically burning a hole in his pocket since he put it in there.
Chan looked to him in that moment, eyes innocent and searching. A little bit of drool clung to the edge of his mouth, hair messy and out of place. He was, in every aspect, perfect. "Are you not feeling well, Cheol? You look a little queasy."
Seungcheol laughed, the action serving to chase away a bit of his nerves. "I'm alright. Just a little nervous."
The younger man pushed himself upright, hand raising to press against his boyfriend's forehead. Once he was satisfied, it was pulled away. "You don't have a fever. Why nervous?"
He bit his lip, leveling himself out. There was no point in skirting around what was to come, and Seungcheol opted for grasping Chan's retreating hand within his free one. Chan, with all his cute habits and dynamic personality, was his everything.
"Lee Chan ..."
Chan eyed him wearily. "... Why are you using my full name?"
"Just ... let me sort out my thoughts here." He'd repeated the same words in his head for months now, over and over as a rehearsal, even when he nailed them so perfectly he could do it asleep. Yet, here, in the moment when he needed them most, they eluded him. Thus, Seungcheol just went with what his heart was feeling. "My life is a wild one. Dangerous even. Yet you've always thrown yourself into it, despite knowing the risks. You've always been there for me. You brought me back from the darkest place in my life ... you healed me. Chan, you're the most perfect person I've ever met and ..."
He took a shaky breath, meeting his boyfriend's wavering eyes with newfound determination. His shaky fist uncurled to reveal the engagement ring he'd selected so long ago. "Lee Chan, will you marry me?"
Moments of quiet strung between them, broken only by the distant chirping of crickets. Everything in him was held in suspense, hand shaking as he waited impatiently for an answer. Seungcheol felt his heart quake in his chest as the first tear fell, rolling down Chan's cheek in stark contrast to his normally bubbly features. A hand was set upon the ring and the younger one sniffled, scrubbing at his eyes.
"You're wrong, Cheol. You healed me." Chan met his eyes, the skin around them puffy and red; he looked like he was barely holding it together. "Of course I'll marry you, you big doof. I thought you'd never ask me."
Seungcheol's body sagged in relief, tears springing up in his own eyes. He barely managed to properly navigate the ring onto Chan's finger. Seeing it in the place it was always intended for brought a rush of emotion through his stomach. "I'm so happy ... It looks so good on you."
It appeared even Chan couldn't be embarrassed in that moment. He threw his arms around Seungcheol's neck, squeezing him tightly. "I love you. I love you so much."
Seungcheol smiled into Chan's shoulder, arms snaking around the man's back to hold him closer. "I love you too Chan. You deserve everything and more."
"I already have my everything, Cheol. Right in front of me."
The line was cheesy, and Seungcheol would probably tease him about it later, but in that moment ... he was content to sit there beneath the summer sun, holding the most important person in the world to him. Their new future had begun.