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1.
If someone asks Changbin what was the first thing he learned about his boyfriend, it would be that to be woken up by an alarm is one thing that automatically makes him wake up on the wrong side of the bed. But, to be woken up by a phone call makes it worse. And that’s why he wasn’t at all surprised when Seungmin barely reacts when he answers the FaceTime call, even if they haven’t seen each other in three days.
“Hi, baby!” Changbin screams from the phone, smiling widely. Slowly his smile drops, noticing how Seungmin was groggily wiping his eyes, “Sorry, did I wake you?”
“It’s okay.”
It wasn’t a lie. Changbin knows because Seungmin craves the tiniest bit of his presence even if it’s just through the camera, no matter how long they’ve been apart from one another.
“Ah, you should sleep, you have a big day ahead.”
Seungmin blinks.
“What?”
“Don’t you have your last final?” Changbin asks, slower this time as if careful that he might be wrong. He waits for Seungmin to swipe his notifications bar to check the date. When he starts to grin, Changbin realizes that he has (yet again) mixed up his dates.
“Hyung, my finals are done.”
Changbin opens his mouth, then he nibbles on his lower lip, “M’sorry.”
“Hey,” Seungmin coaxes, though physically he can’t catch his boyfriend’s attention. “Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s just… you know, the tour and all…”
Seungmin smirks, lifting an eyebrow, “Tour, huh?”
Changbin laughs, immediately recognizing his boyfriend’s teasing remark. It’s true that Changbin is terrible at dates. He has forgotten and missed a lot of things, sometimes weeks ahead. If it wasn’t for Seungmin’s peculiar system, he would’ve probably lost all his friends.
“Shut up. Go get your sleep.”
“Don’t wanna,” Seungmin mumbles, snuggling his body further to the comforter, “Wanna talk.”
Changbin smiles when Seungmin closes his eyes for a moment. He opens them just in time for Changbin to wipe the signature whipped smile he had whenever his boyfriend would do anything.
“You don’t want to sleep but you’re closing your eyes,” Changbin scolds. “Get some sleep, we’ll talk later.”
Seungmin pouts, “You don’t wanna talk?”
“That’s not–” he sighs, defeated by the way his boyfriend sulk at the camera. “You must be tired.”
The younger hums, “Might actually fall asleep listening to your voice.”
Changbin caresses the phone; a habit he usually does when he wants to reach out for his boyfriend in Korea while he leaves to different parts of the world.
Changbin, alongside their mutual friends Chan and Jisung, are in a group called 3RACHA together. It’s only been a few days since they went to America for a mini world tour (they had toured around Asia before then), and Changbin hasn’t exactly processed that they live on opposite sides of the world and that his morning would be midnight, even later. But he isn’t complaining. Really, he’s okay with their setup, as long as he has Seungmin.
The older talks mindlessly. Seungmin closes his eyes once more, being responsive with hums, smiles here and there, a gasp when appropriate, anything to let Changbin know he was still there. Changbin knows the younger would doze back off within minutes. Finals week has taken a toll on him, he wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t even fully awake just now.
“Seungmin?” he calls, trying to make sure he’s asleep before ending the call. He smiles when the younger doesn’t respond with words anymore but with light snores. He misses that. A lot. Even if it’s only been a couple of weeks.
“I love you,” he says, before ending the call.
2.
Changbin was coming back to Seoul that day. He knew that the end of the tour was coming, but he wasn’t sure when exactly they would leave America to go back and rest with their families (for his case, boyfriend). He doesn’t bother telling Seungmin because 1) he was already on board when he remembered to text the younger but it was already midnight in Seoul and 2) he actually wants to surprise the younger by waking him up at his apartment.
Of course, none of those happened.
They walked out the airport, greeted by the enormous amounts of fansites, and entered the van to see a sleeping Seungmin holding a paper that said ‘Welcome Back, Babe’ with a couple of tiny drawings of smileys.
Jisung and Chan smirk at Changbin, letting him enter first to wake his boyfriend up. Seungmin looks around his surroundings first before acknowledging Changbin beside him. He smiles, lifting the paper up.
“Sorry, I fell asleep.”
“It’s okay,” Changbin whispers, kissing Seungmin’s cheek. “How’d you know?”
“How’d I know?” he mocks, “I basically have your calendar memorized. Had to beg your manager to let me tag along.”
“You know, I’d still go to your apartment first, right?”
“Too long,” Seungmin mumbles, head now resting on the crook of Changbin’s neck. “Just wanted to see you sooner.”
Changbin chuckles, wrapping his arms around the younger.
“I’m gonna interrupt,” Jisung says first, “Before you two makeout in the back.”
Seungmin kicks the back of his seat. It wasn’t like Jisung was pulling the accusation out of thin air. Seungmin and Changbin did make out more than once at the back of the van.
It was back from 3RACHA’s first tour. Though they’ve been dating for quite a while, it’s never been an issue for them to be apart from each other for more than a week. So when Changbin had to leave for more than a month, he called Seungmin to pick them up, and… well, they made out. (They were also younger then, more driven by hormones.)
Though the past couple of car rides from the airport to Seungmin’s apartment, all they do is talk, intertwine their hands and cuddle. They don’t seek the initial body contact like they did when they first started dating or when they would go on months without seeing each other. (Of course, they still would, but they’ve grown to not do it around people.)
Most times, Changbin sleeps on Seungmin’s shoulder while Seungmin talks to Chan and Jisung. He was usually the sleeper of the group (Chan likes to tease that Changbin sleeps for him and that’s why he doesn’t get enough sleep at night. It’s not funny, but it’s coming from Chan).
This time, they just sit in silence. They’ve reached the point of their relationship where talking wasn’t the absolute necessity when spending time together to enjoy. Now, they’ve settled for the warmth and careful touches on the tip of their fingertips.
“I missed you,” Seungmin mumbles, halfway through the ride. Changbin barely hears it, but he squeezes Seungmin’s hand tight enough to let him know he did.
“Missed you, too,” Changbin responds, kissing the top of his head.
3.
“Why?” Chan asks, lifting the coloured crepe paper up to show Changbin. He hisses at the older, slapping his hand away from his creation as if one simple move would ruin the barely there decorations.
“Hands off!” he screeches. “This is for Seungmin, only.”
“Again,” Chan says, pointing at the whole room. “Why?”
It wasn’t anything big, Changbin thinks. It was just a week of celebration for Seungmin’s birthday which he thinks he deserved so he had planned something everyday for them to do.
He invited Chan (wrongfully, too) to help him decorate Seungmin’s apartment before he returned from university. However, all the older did was criticize, not only his lack of creativity, but the plan of celebrating his boyfriend’s birthday for a week as an excuse that he still was unsure if his birthday was the 20th, 21st or the 22nd.
(Dating doesn’t always mean you automatically get better at remembering dates, okay?)
“Okay, you have to leave,” Changbin says, looking at the time on his phone. He pushes Chan out of the door, complaints and words incoherent for Changbin as he rushes to close the door behind him. (He barely hears Chan’s suggestion of—“You’re so lame, change that!”)
Seungmin entered the apartment not long after Chan had left. Changbin was standing in front of the doorway, seeing how Seungmin went from exhausted to terrified with the amount of crepe paper Chan and Changbin had hung up.
“Hyung, what—” he almost runs into one line, too short to be raised higher by two short people. He holds the paper in his hands, pulling them down and laughing, “—what is this?”
“Happy Birthday!” Seungmin is about to say something but Changbin interrupts him. “I know it’s not your birthday, but,” he picks up the clipboard of their schedule. Changbin doesn’t use calendars, but when he does, Seungmin knows he actually had put in effort in planning, “Happy Birthweek!”
“Day one, surprise Seungmin in his apartment with crepe papers.”
Seungmin looks up to Changbin’s huge grin, nodding for him to continue. He shakes his head, a smile reflecting Changbin’s grin. He sits on the couch, Changbin settling right beside him.
“Day two, bring Seungmin to a restaurant. Tell the waiter or waitress it’s his birthday to get a discount,” (Seungmin laughs out loud), “Day three, call his friends and family to celebrate a party together. Day four, rest day, just watch movies in the house and cuddle. Maybe one thing would lead to another and—I’m gonna stop there.”
“Coward.”
Seungmin glares at him before continuing, “Day five, take Seungmin to the listing and find a house to move into. Day six, Day6 concert—” Seungmin gasps, his mouth hanging open to a smile. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope!” Changbin grins, “I got the tickets and you’ll meet Wonpil sunbaenim out back.”
Seungmin lunges his body to his boyfriend, multiple of Thank You’s and I love you’s escapes his lips. Changbin could feel his boyfriend’s cheek against his, cheekbones raised as the smile never fails to falter.
“Keep reading,” Changbin tells him.
Seungmin picks up the clipboard once again, “Day seven, make sure Seungmin pays attention back to day five—huh?” This time, his eyes widened, glossy from what looked like almost tears. “You’re kidding.”
“Only if you’re okay with it.”
“I meant, you’re kidding you’re asking me to move in with you lamely like this!”
Changbin gasps, offended, “Excuse me?”
“Did you ask Chan hyung before giving me this?”
“Well, yeah—”
“He said you’re lame, didn’t he?”
“Fine, don’t move in with me,” he pouts, taking the clipboard away from his boyfriend. Seungmin laughs, pulling the clipboard out of the way and sitting closer to Changbin. He pokes his cheeks once, twice, before the older breaks from his act.
“Stop it,” he tries, but the involuntary smile still surfaces. “I hate you.”
“You don’t,” Seungmin giggles, kissing his boyfriend. “Just so we’re clear, you planned on doing a birthweek for me because you don’t remember which exact day my birthday is, right?”
Changbin’s voice cracks as he laughs, “Whaaat? No way!”
Seungmin raises an eyebrow. Changbin doesn’t let it get through him, kissing his boyfriend on the lips again, “Just wanted to celebrate your birthday for a week like you deserve.”
The younger giggles, kissing back. He knows that Changbin definitely doesn’t remember.
4.
“Do you ever feel like you’re forgetting something?” Changbin asks once Seungmin opens his door.
“Um,” Seungmin arches an eyebrow, reaching down to kiss his boyfriend, “Hello to you too, babe?”
Chan had invited the couple for a little get together at his and Jisung’s apartment. Changbin thought it's only for a hangout, but the more he thinks about it, the more he’s convinced that he’s forgetting something crucial to the invite.
They were still preparing to move into the apartment they have chosen, so they don’t live together yet and Changbin usually insists on picking Seungmin up.
“Hi, now answer me.”
“I suppose yeah?”—Seungmin turns around after locking his apartment’s door—“Like we’re a simulation and you walk in a room and you forget what you were going to do?”
Changbin hums, interlocking their fingers, “Not like that. More like, I know there’s something going on but I forgot what it is.”
“Have you been using your calendar?”
He nods, honestly. “Doesn’t mean I have everything inscripted on it already though.”
“I suppose not,” Seungmin juts his lower lip. A habit Changbin found endearing whenever he was thinking. “Can’t think of anything for today though.”
Changbin thinks about it to himself. It’s been bugging him since the morning he woke up. He checked his phone for the date, even his emails if it was anything related to work. When he finds nothing, he sits on his bed wondering what could he possibly miss on a normal day? Spring Equinox? That’s in April. Tulip Festival? No, they don’t celebrate that.
Changbin barely pays attention to driving, but is still alerted with the traffic signs and lights. Though his mind is just filled with questions. It’s in dead May, what could possibly be the event that would bother him this much if he can’t figure out exactly what.
“Hyung?” Seungmin interrupts his thoughts, driving still mindlessly, “You okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
He shrugs, “You’re focused on the road but your mind is also elsewhere? I don't know, that doesn’t make sense.”
“There’s something today.”
“What?”
“I’m forgetting something, I swear. I know I’m bad at dates but I know there’s something.
“I feel it,” Changbin continues, “On my left toe.”
Seungmin laughs, “I’m sure you’re fine, hyung. If anything, I’m sure Chan hyung would’ve said something if you’re missing something.”
“I suppose,” he agrees. “But there’s something, Min.”
“We’ll see when we get there?” Seungmin tries, reaching out for Changbin’s free hand. The older nods, mind lifted from the topic but still lingering.
Until.
“Oh my God,” Changbin almost screams, pressing the pedal at the same time squeezing his boyfriend’s hands too tightly. Seungmin yelps trying to remove Changbin’s death grip on him.
“It’s 3RACHA’s debut anniversary.”
Seungmin blinks, breaking into a smile. “You forgot your own anniversary?”
Changbin turns the wheel just before Chan’s street.
“Hey, where are we going?”
“I have to pretend I didn’t forget and buy something to celebrate with,” he explains.
Seungmin laughs again, holding his stomach.
At least he didn’t absolutely forget.
It’s not like their debut was forgetful. Really. If anything it was memorable. But this anniversary was made up by Chan. It’s not their official debut date, just the date all three of them gathered around Chan’s laptop, uploading their unofficial made mixtape tracks. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember specifically when it is when it’s been six years since, okay?
(Chan and Jisung had placed bets if Changbin had forgotten. When Changbin lied to them and Jisung got the money, he admits he actually did forget. Jisung sulked when he had to give the money to Chan, mouth gaping at Changbin’s confession.)
5.
Changbin wakes up to the sound of his loud alarm. Grunting, he stretches and reaches for his alarm clock—wherever it may be in the dark room. He stays in bed, just staring at the ceiling for a couple minutes before resorting to his phone. His eyes widen, shooting his body up.
He calls Seungmin while picking an outfit for the day, a smile never falling off.
It’s move-in day.
Seungmin answers the call after three tries. Changbin laughs at his boyfriend who obviously was woken up by him.
“Hey, baby.”
“What is it you got wrong this time?” Seungmin asks, flipping over from the opposite side.
Changbin gasps, holding his chest, “I am offended you would think I got the date wrong when I was notified by my calendar!”
Seungmin cracks a smile, eyes still closed, “What is it, then?”
“It’s move-in day!”
The younger opens his eyes comically. Slowly, his eyebrows meet in the middle as he checks the date.
“Hyung, it’s tomorrow.”
“Nu-uh!” Changbin says, now putting his chosen outfit atop his bed, “I have it on my calendar and it notified me.”
“Read it, then.”
“June 26th,” he reads.
“Now check the date.”
“June twenty…fifth—” he pauses, eyes widening. Then a pout. “But it notified me.”
“God, I feel like I’m dating a grandpa,” Seungmin jokes. Changbin flips him off, picking his outfit up to shove back in his closet. “Hey, hey, you can still use it. Maybe come over?”
“Hm?”
“I can teach you how to turn your alerts off.”
“Oh, fuck you.”
“You want to?” Seungmin laughs.
Changbin flips him off again, grabbing his phone up, “You really want me to come over?”
Even after just waking up, Seungmin manages to smirk.
“Never mind, rot.”
Seungmin laughs again.
“Come over, bae,” he teases, “My parents aren’t home.”
“I hate you.”
Seungmin grins, “See you in half an hour, stay safe.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Changbin bids, ending the call.
(Changbin enters Seungmin's apartment without much of a greeting. He kicks off his shoes by the door and waddles to his room. The younger had fallen back asleep, eyebrows crossed possibly from his dream. Changbin sits in front of him, caressing his forehead to ease them down. Seungmin opens his eyes, blinking before recognizing Changbin.
“Hey, did you just get here?”
Changbin nods, placing a kiss on Seungmin’s forehead.
“Let me make you breakfast.”
He doesn’t let Seungmin get up, dropping his body on top of the younger, “Or we can stay in bed.”
“Hyung,” Seungmin chokes, the older’s weight suffocating him. Eventually, he gave up, and Changbin rolled to the other side, pulling Seungmin to his chest.
“You don’t want breakfast?”
“We can stay in bed for a while,” Changbin mumbles.
Seungmin wraps his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, breathing in his scent before synchronizing in breaths.
“Seungmin?” Changbin interrupts the silence. Seungmin hums for him to continue. “Do you like, want to get married?”
Seungmin’s head snaps back, searching for Changbin’s eyes. The older looked down to his boyfriend’s widened eyes.
“Not right now,” he chuckles, “I know you want to get masterals first but after, you know?”
“Is this you asking me right now?”
It’s Changbin’s turn to widen his eyes, “No, God, no. I just mean like did you want to get married in the future. Not me proposing. At least not right now.”
Seungmin doesn’t think twice, “I would've said yes either way.”
Changbin smiles at that, kissing Seungmin. His head immediately pulled away, getting up from the bed.
“What?”
“I haven’t brushed my teeth!”
Changbin sits up, pulling Seungmin’s wrist and resting his hand on his cheek, kissing him once again.
“I’ll be quick,” Seungmin promises, before running to the washroom to brush his teeth.
Changbin’s body falls back on the bed, head resting on his hand, elevating his head. He smiles at Seungmin peeking his head when gurgling to wink at him.
Yeah, he wants to marry him, alright.)
+1
Changbin now insisted on having Jisung over his and Seungmin’s apartment to decorate the place before the younger comes home from university. Though it wasn’t much of a difference when Jisung had called Chan on FaceTime and is showing the room for him to criticize the shorter’s choice of decoration.
“Hey, do me a favour and shut up,” Changbin says. “Talk to me when you have a fiancé.”
Jisung hits him, “He’s kidding, hyung.”
“I’ll ask Jisung to be my husband right now just to annoy you.”
“I’d rather have a cute proposal too, thanks very much.”
Changbin shakes his head, no longer eavesdropping to the couple’s banter. His mind elsewhere—Seungmin, this apartment, their future, marrying him.
“Hey, hyung?” Jisung calls after hanging up on Chan. Changbin looks up, but Jisung’s eyes are more focused on the decoration of the table Changbin was setting up, “Are you ready?”
Changbin shakes his head, “Fuck no, I’m fucking nervous.”
Jisung grins, “I’m sure it’ll go well. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, Ji,” Changbin smiles at the table for a couple of seconds before looking up. Almost immediately his smile dropped. “Wait—are you crying?”
“No,” Jisung lies, wiping his tears away, “There’s sand in my eyes and you’re gross.”
Changbin laughs, throwing his arms around the younger’s shoulder, “You’re such a baby.”
“Shut up, let me be emotional. I watched and listened to you gush about Seungmin for years, I think I deserve to be emotional. Thank you.”
Changbin laughs, fully engulfing the younger in a hug before inevitably throwing the younger out the same way he did with Chan on Seungmin’s birthday.
He knows Seungmin would say yes, (he unofficially said yes a couple of months ago) so he was unsure why his heart was beating fast, hands sweating, waiting for Seungmin to walk in from University complaining. Of course, he’ll be complaining. Changbin knows for sure he will. Seungmin’s schedule for the day includes the professor he tends to complain a lot about and he never misses a chance to do so.
Just like on ordinary days, Seungmin was already complaining when he walked in the door, “You have no idea what my prof—” he looks at Changbin who sat on the dining table, wine and pastas for two lays on top.
It didn't take a minute before Seungmin was smiling, “Hyung… I…”
“Hey,” Changbin greets, walking to his boyfriend. He kisses him, before saying, “Happy Anniversary.”
“It’s next week.”
Changbin’s eyes widened before Seungmin started laughing, kissing him again, “No, I’m kidding. It’s today.”
Changbin pinches his boyfriend’s cheeks, scrunching his nose, “You’re so cute,” he compliments sarcastically. Seungmin moves away from his hand, laughing at how easy it was to fool his boyfriend.
“Happy Anniversary, hyung,” he says, pulling a present from his book bag.
The older smiles, taking the present from Seungmin. It wasn’t big like they used to give each other when they first started dating, but that doesn’t mean it held any less value. If being comparable, they both would say the smaller the item they give, the more value it holds.
Changbin opens the small box to reveal a watch. Silver band with an engraving on the back of the face:
For when you forget.
KSM.
Changbin laughs, kissing his boyfriend, before putting it on. The band is just perfect for his wrist.
“Hey, it fits!” Seungmin smiles, holding his hand to check if it was the right time.
Changbin pulls his free hand down his pocket to reach for his gift for the younger, smiling before saying, “Hoping this one fits too.”
Seungmin's eyes dropped from his wrist to Changbin kneeling in front of him. His mouth immediately falls, watching Changbin open the box.
“As a lyricist, you would think I’d have more than enough words to tell you how much I love and would want to spend the rest of my life with you. But as a romanticist, you should know that all I could say is words aren’t enough. It’s never enough when I have to list reasons and explanations why I want to marry you.
“We started as high school sweethearts, as what our parents would say, not expecting to be able to work out through all the ups and downs, my forgetful ass, and your nagging.” (Seungmin laughs, but there are tears in his eyes.)
“It’s unexpected because we’re the complete opposites yet we fit perfectly, I could’ve probably worded that better—I don’t know why I’m improvising and running on.”
“You’re doing great, babe.”
Changbin smiles, “Kim Seungmin, will you do the honours of being my husband?”
Seungmin nods, pulling Changbin off the floor, kissing him indefinitely, while mumbling, “Yes.”
Changbin pulls away first, slipping the ring on his finger.
Next, he pulls his phone, “Gotta save the date for our marriage.”
Seungmin laughs pushing his boyfriend—no, fiancé—on the shoulder playfully.
“I love you.”
Changbin kisses him again, “I love you more.”
(Jisung sobbed at their wedding more than Seungmin and Changbin’s parents did combined. Chan laughed, pushing the younger, to somehow try to stop him from crying. At reception, Chan proposes to him, making him cry even more.)