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The sky was a dusty shade of blue when Renjun stepped out of the house. With his favorite windbreaker in hand and his wallet tucked securely in his back pocket, he rounded the corner to pick up his bike that had been lazily placed against the brick wall of the alley (it was a wonder that no one had stolen it yet, honestly). His phone buzzed and Renjun quickly swiped down on the notification.
xuxi
where u
renjun
omw
dont be such a clingy bitch
xuxi
im just impatient to see u
:(
renjun
…
<3
xuxi
:D
<33333
Renjun rolled his eyes, tossed his belongings in the front basket, and off he went. Sunset bike rides through his neighborhood was always a favorite. Picturesque skies, the slight chill of the wind as it whipped through his hair, the occasional wave from a familiar face. The city was beginning to yawn, the heaviness of the day starting to seep out of its bones as everyone slowly returned to their homes. The fleeting moment before the sun set beneath the horizon was the last sigh of the day, and Renjun wanted to catch it.
Lucas was waiting in his usual spot, the base of the stairs leading up to the covered overpass after the train crossing. Ripped jeans, a black tee, three rings on each hand and his shark tooth necklace. Simple, but handsome. Infuriatingly so.
"Hey baby," Lucas smiled, as Renjun hopped off his bike and greeted him with a kiss. He was wearing lip gloss, Renjun noted with surprise. He ran his thumb over Lucas' bottom lip and Lucas kissed the pad of skin gently.
"Gloss. Hm."
"Hendery suggested it. He's been into skincare recently. Says it's important to keep moisturized, or whatever. You like it?"
"You should try something flavored next time," Renjun answered, licking vertically across Lucas' parted mouth and hitting a bit of teeth. "I like strawberry."
Lucas stifled a giggle. "If you start kissing me, we're definitely not going to see the sunset."
Renjun eyed his lips again, all plump and shiny and very kissable. It took a great amount of self-control for him not to lean in for another peck. "Fine," he relented, locking their fingers together. "Let's go."
Off they went, Lucas on his bike and Renjun on his. They rode in quiet synchronization, Lucas pedalling a few feet behind (he once said it was because he liked seeing Renjun's face framed by the sun when he turned around to look at him—cheesy bastard). Just last week they found a new quiet spot in the outskirts of the city, a small lake near some old houses that had yet to be torn down. Lucas immediately claimed it as their next date location, asking Renjun to watch the sunset with him.
There were a lot of abandoned spaces that the two of them had explored: empty warehouses, deteriorating office spaces, train stations that hadn't been used in years. They weren't ever looking for anything in particular, but it was fun. Sitting on rooftops and wondering about the past, rediscovering memories written in dust and finding stories entangled in overgrown weeds.
Spending time with the one person you love more than anything in the world—that was enough, really.
"Just in time," Lucas remarked, as they placed their bicycles by a tree and made themselves comfortable in the grass. He unhooked the little plastic bag hanging from his bike handles and gave it to Renjun, who opened it to find an assortment of convenience store snacks and one large bubble tea.
"The drink's not cold anymore," Lucas scratched his head sheepishly, "But I know you like mango, so."
Lucas’ thoughtfulness was subtle yet touching. He could have easily bought soda from the convenience store but instead went through the extra hassle of buying him bubble tea. Renjun smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek.
"Thank you," Renjun murmured.
The sky was still blue for the most part, hints of red and yellow visible behind silhouettes of faraway buildings. Renjun snuggled up next to Lucas, tucking himself securely under his arm. He was always so warm, so comforting.
Lucas opened a pack of honey butter chips as the sun began its final descent, making sure to feed Renjun before taking one for himself. He handed the bubble tea straw to Renjun and he took it wordlessly, poking through the plastic cover.
"Jaemin invited me to go to a noraebang with him and Hyuck tonight, actually."
Lucas hummed. "Why didn't you go?"
Renjun lifted the straw to Lucas' lips and he instinctively sipped. "I mean, we scheduled this first, right?" It was true. They'd been planning this date for a week and Renjun didn't like cancelling last minute.
"Mhm. What's the other reason?" Renjun didn't even need to say anything; Lucas knew him too well.
"I dunno," Renjun sighed, staring up at the purple hue that began to colour the sky. "I haven't hung out with the two of them in so long and I thought I'd be really excited to go, but when Jaemin suggested it I just felt… tired. And then I felt kind of guilty for rejecting his offer."
Lucas squeezed his shoulder gently. "Hey, it's okay. You can't force yourself to do things you don't want to do. Just reschedule for a better day when you have the energy and mental capacity to handle those two."
"You're right," he said, chucking as he leaned against Lucas' chest. Jaemin and Donghyuck were two halves of a migraine waiting to happen.
"I'm always right. Kidding!" Lucas laughed, kissing the crown of Renjun's head.
They ate their way through more snacks, munching happily as the sky above turned from lilac to peach, brilliant streaks of amber appearing and fading within minutes. Renjun took his phone out and snapped a few pictures, in awe of the pretty view.
"Hey," Lucas nudged him. "Can you pose for a sec?"
Renjun paused before shifting himself to face Lucas, who already had his phone poised to snap pictures. "Do you want a candid? Or like… something cute?"
Lucas didn't seem to care, a dopey smile on his face as he stared at Renjun through the phone. Renjun belatedly realised that he was already taking photos. "Anything's good, baobei. You're very photogenic."
Renjun blushed, but went along with it. He pretended to admire something in the distance and then reached for the bubble tea cup to take a sip. For his last pose, he simply cocked his head and stared at the camera with a slight smile.
"That's the winner," Lucas grinned, and Renjun shuffled back to his side to see him setting it as his lock screen.
"You didn't get much of the sunset," Renjun pointed out.
"That's okay," Lucas gently tucked a strand of Renjun's hair behind his ear, "You're more beautiful than all the sunsets I've ever seen anyway."
"Yeah?" Renjun smirked, leaning closer. In the early stages of their relationship he'd normally react to a line like that with a shy 'shut up' and a bashful blush, but Renjun wasn't like that anymore. He had mastered his own flirting tactics to counter Lucas' forwardness. He cupped Lucas' jaw with one hand, bringing their faces closer until their noses brushed.
"Yes," Lucas replied breathily, eyes fluttering shut as Renjun pressed his lips ever so softly against his cheekbones, ghosting along his jawline, on the corner of his mouth...
And then Renjun pulled away, giggling as Lucas fell forward to chase his lips.
"Junnie," Lucas whined, pouting.
Renjun rubbed his hand reassuringly. "Sorry, Xuxi, but the sunset's ending. We can kiss later, I promise."
"Okay, you promised," Lucas grumbled, adjusting himself to lay his head on Renjun's thighs. Renjun calmly stroked his hair, nails combing through his dark locks as the golden glow of the afternoon mellowed into a vermilion blush.
Renjun looked down at the man in his lap and then out at the lake in front of them. The surface of the water was so still, still enough to reflect the handful of stars that began to appear in the heavens. As the deep blue night swallowed the remnants of the day, Renjun felt an overwhelming sense of peace.
They stayed in that position for a few more moments, barely illuminated by the light of a nearby streetlamp. Renjun checked the time on his phone, remembering that they still had a twenty minute journey ahead of them. His hand reached out in the dark, searching for its other half, and Lucas met him halfway, intertwining their fingers together. He brought Renjun’s hand to his mouth and kissed his birthmark tenderly. It was the one move that never failed to set Renjun’s heart aflame.
“Home?” he asked, looking up at Renjun.
Renjun smiled. It was a funny question, really. It didn’t matter where he went, as long as he had Lucas by his side.
“Home.”