Archive of Our Own

Cherry blossoms flew into the air as Yeonjun and Soobin stepped out the doors, stopping to gently kiss in front of their cheering friends and family. One of the blossoms landed on Yeonjun's shoulder and he could see Taehyun whoop in triumph from the corner of his eye who had clearly been aiming specifically for him. Beside him, Yeonjun saw Beomgyu shrug with an apologetic look in his eyes. Yeonjun smiled and leaned into Soobin's touch who had placed a hand on his lower back. They had spent so long waiting for this moment to finally come that he could hardly believe it was finally happening. He was married; married to the love of his life, the one man that mattered more than anyone else. The last few days had been hell and for a while he wasn't sure if it was really worth all the trouble and if they really absolutely had to be married. But now that he was standing here, his husband's hand resting on his lower back, it had all been worth it. It had taken them years to get here and it was almost unreal to finally be here.

They waved to their guests as they walked down the steps together, Soobin's hand firmly secured in Yeonjun's, and entered the car that would bring them to their party location where they would dance the night away in a few minutes time. As soon as the doors closed Soobin shifted in his seat so he could look at Yeonjun and pulled him into a deep kiss. They pulled back until their lips were barely touching and Soobin whispered: “My husband.”

It made Yeonjun giggle happily and repeat his words like a toddler that just learned something new. Soobin took his hand in his and then lifted it to his lips to kiss the new ring that was now mirroring the position of Yeonjun's engagement ring on his other hand.

“I can't believe this is actually happening. It still feels like a dream.”

“I know. I can't believe it either.”

“You looked so beautiful at the altar. I thought my heart was gonna give out when I saw you. You're always beautiful but I don't think I've ever seen you look so ethereal.”

Soobin blushed all the way up to his roots and hid his face in his hands: “Stop. You can't just say things like that without a warning.”

“But it's important that you hear them.”

Soobin moved in closer and hid his face against Yeonjun's neck, who laughed and petted his hair. Taking his husband's hand, he carefully ran his thumb over the simple silver band that was now adorning his ring finger. His heart leapt in his chest at the pure, overwhelming happiness that flooded his entire body from head to toe. Soobin was now resting his head on his shoulder and looking out the window.

He snuggled a little more against Yeonjun's shoulder and sighed: “I hope you know you looked just as beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off you when you walked down the aisle.”

Yeonjun smiled: “I can't believe you cried when you saw me.”

“It was an overwhelming moment, how was I supposed to not cry.”

“It was overwhelming. I was so scared I was gonna fuck up my vows and my hands were shaking so badly I thought I wouldn't be able to put the ring on your finger.”

“You were great. And even if any of that had happened, I would have still said 'I do'.”

“Yeah, thank god your standards are low.”

Soobin punched his shoulder: “Don't say that. I don't have any standards for you. I just love you. I would have still said 'I do' if you'd been twenty minutes late and dressed in sweatpants.”

“And if I'd just left you at the altar and hadn't shown up?”

“Then I would have chased you down and made you marry me wherever I might have found you.”

Yeonjun laughed and kissed his cheek. It was overwhelming to be so loved, but in the best way possible.

“Be honest, did you ever think we would get married?”

Yeonjun thought about it for a moment, then he shook his head: “For the longest time, I didn't. I mean, I didn't think we'd ever even date each other. I always kind of felt like there was something between us but then neither of us ever acted on it and I thought that was the end of it. And when we actually started dating, I was perfectly content with just being with you in any way I could. Honestly, I didn't think I'd ever get married at all. I always thought I wouldn't suit marriage. Well, and then you happened and at some point there was suddenly nothing I wanted more.”

“I always knew I was going to marry you”, Soobin said confidently and Yeonjun smiled at him fondly.

“Yeah?”

“Well, obviously not before we got together but then when we actually started dating, I knew that some day I would make you my husband.”

“And now look at us. Married, two dogs, a flower shop, shareholders of a dance studio and a house of our own.”

“Yeah, all that's missing now is the cat. And one day, you'll own the studio entirely. We'll get there.”

Yeonjun smiled and kissed the crown of his head: “Honestly, I don't really care about that anymore. I have everything that I could possibly want. Maybe being shareholder was always enough and I just never thought of it as an option. But I can teach dance and take part in the decision-making, and that's all I ever wanted really. I think, things are perfect as they are now.”

“Hm. Then we're going to have to think of a new goal we can work towards.”

“I think the cat is a good one. It'll be a struggle to find one that will match well with the dogs.”

Soobin smiled and nodded: “Yeah, cat is good. And maybe we should also kick Taehyun's ass to finally propose to Beomgyu.”

The car came to a hold and Yeonjun quickly got out, so he could help Soobin out of the car like the gentleman he wanted to be for him: “Right. I can't believe we're married and Taehyun is just now finally dating the guy everyone else knew was always perfect for him.”

“I can't believe it took Beomgyu asking him if he was ever gonna ask him out or not for him to finally do it”, Soobin shook his head.

“They grow up so fast. It's painful to watch them spread their wings and leave the nest.”

“I will murder you in cold blood”, a voice said behind him.

Yeonjun slowly spun around, hand still over his heart: “Oh, you're here.”

“Yeah I'm here and you are so lucky it's your wedding day because if it wasn't you'd be in for a world of pain”, Taehyun scowled.

“Oh yeah? What would you do? Break my favourite mug?”

“I hate you more than words can say.”

Yeonjun blew him a kiss: “I love you, too.”

Soobin laughed, he preferred to quietly observe their exchange rather than draw Taehyun's wrath towards himself. The two were now bickering about Taehyun's relationship and how long it had taken him to get there – and all thanks to Yeonjun, as he himself claimed – and yet Soobin couldn't help but think that the two were absolutely endearing. Still, he breathed a sigh of relief when Beomgyu walked out of the venue.

“Hey, I've been looking all over for you”, he smoothly slipped an arm around Taehyun's waist and pulled him against his side, effectively separating him and Yeonjun, “everyone's waiting for you.”

“Your boyfriend distracted me.”

Beomgyu forced Taehyun to turn around and walk towards the venue with him before he could get into another argument with Yeonjun: “And we're walking. Come on, baby.”

Together, the four of them walked inside where Yeonjun and Soobin were greeted with more cheers and congratulations. They weaved through the crowd towards the table at the head of the room, where Huening-Kai was sitting and waiting for them. Yeonjun and Soobin had insisted to have all three of them as their best men and so Huening-Kai and Taehyun had shared Soobin. Huening-Kai had secretly been dreaming about being the flower boy but one of Soobin's nieces had been given the job instead. And it was fine, she was a little girl who was very excited about throwing a couple of petals around, but so was Huening-Kai. He had pouted for a full hour when Soobin had tried to gently break the news to him. To console him, he'd given him a little basket with petals of his own for him to throw after the ceremony. It had made him feel a little better.

They took their respective seats and talked for a while as they waited for the catering team to finish setting up the buffet.

Beomgyu leaned over to them: “By the way, beautiful vows, guys. You made Hyuka bawl like a baby.”

“Did not!”

“Your eyes are still all red and puffy and you're literally drying them as we speak.”

“Well, I have allergies.”

“We all know you don't.”

Huening-Kai stuck out his bottom lip: “Well, those were really beautiful vows.”

“Although you lack any frame of reference because this is the first wedding you've ever been to”, Beomgyu grinned and Yeonjun sighed. He had always been chaotic neutral.

“Are you planning to do that for the rest of the night now? Because I don't need this so I'm gonna go and steal from the buffet now.”

Soobin rose from his chair a little: “But it's not even open yet!”

“That's why I said 'steal'.”

“Please don't touch the wedding cake.”

“No promises.”

Soobin looked at Beomgyu pleadingly who quickly stood up: “I got it.”

Beomgyu left the table and chased after Huening-Kai who now made a run for the buffet. Yeonjun looked after them with another sigh, and all that without any alcohol. When Beomgyu had successfully detained Huening-Kai and dragged him back to their table, and the catering team had finished setting up, the happy couple got up to open the buffet for everyone. The cake would be cut later after their first dance together, so Beomgyu stuck close to Huening-Kai's side to keep him away.

It was long past midnight by the time they wrapped up the celebration and people started on their journey home. Beomgyu, ever the one to keep everything running smoothly, had taken to Soobin's and Yeonjun's wedding gifts to ensure that they safely got to their home. Since the two would be staying at a hotel before they would take off to their honeymoon the next day, they couldn't do it themselves. Beomgyu and Taehyun had also agreed to care for the house while the two were gone.

“Are you sure you have all the instructions? Soobin's plants-?”

“Will be very well taken care of. You walked us through the whole thing, like, ten times. We got this”, Beomgyu reassured Yeonjun.

“And the dogs-?”

“Are safe with us. I'll look after them really well, don't worry”, Taehyun brushed off his concerns, entirely too carelessly for Soobin's liking. He looked at Beomgyu for support and reassurance.

“I got it. Don't worry.”

“Hey, I'm a great babysitter!”, Taehyun was outraged by the lack of faith in him.

“Last time you looked after something, you killed a cactus”, Beomgyu was quick to remind him.

“Okay, but I've grown since then.”

“That was last week and Hyuka was gone for a day.”

“That cactus was already dead when I got it. This is Taehyun-slander. I'm a great babysitter.”

“Taehyun, baby, I love you but you're setting yourself up”, Beomgyu turned to the newly-weds, “and you two should really get going now. I don't want to take away from your first night as a married couple.”

Taehyun suggestively waggled his eyebrows at them and Beomgyu gently pushed him towards their own car: “Why don't you go and start the car already, baby? Don't worry guys, I'll take care of everything. Now stop worrying and go”

Soobin was practically buzzing with excitement. He had been looking forward to their honeymoon for a long time. They had picked a beautiful destination where they would have a lot of time to enjoy each other's presence and get used to the idea that they were married now. Unfortunately, they only had a few days that they could dedicate to their honeymoon, since they had businesses to run and pets they didn't want to leave alone for too long. Because they had such little time, Soobin had originally wanted to meticulously plan out every single little detail about their trip, but Yeonjun had managed to slow him down a little. He had reminded him of their previous trips and how nice it had been to also enjoy little bursts of spontaneity. They ended up with the compromise of determining two or three things they definitely wanted to see or do, and otherwise take it slow and see what they felt like doing.

They had just left the hotel and their bags were all packed up in the trunk of the car that unfortunately was no longer Yeonjun's beloved Mustang. At some point he had to face reality and retire it. It still had a place of honour in their garage but now it was only meant to be looked at for memories' sake and less for actually driving it.

The last thing left to do now was to make sure that they hadn't left anything behind that belonged to them. Soobin took the task of checking rather seriously, while Yeonjun used the time to lounge around the bed a little longer. When Soobin was sure that they hadn't left anything behind, he turned around to his husband.

“Okay, I think we have everything. God, I'm so excited. This is like the first time I actually know where we're going before we even leave for the trip”, he beamed at Yeonjun and his husband cooed at him, getting up from the bed.

“You're so cute”, he pinched his cheeks and Soobin pulled a face. He cooed again and kissed his cheek: “And I mean, it's only fitting. If there's one trip we should both decide over, it's this.”

Yeonjun wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed him, swaying him a little when they pulled apart. Soobin giggled and held on to Yeonjun's shoulders. Soon enough they were dancing through the hotel room to music only they could hear. Soobin was glad he'd invested the time and learned to dance at least a little for their first dance as a married couple, clearly it could be applied in more contexts than that.

He laughed when Yeonjun spun him around one last time and then dipped him, kissing him soundly on the lips: “You're crazy.”

“Crazy for you, obviously.”

Soobin smiled at shook his head at his cheesiness. He gently cupped Yeonjun's face in his hands and kissed his forehead; when he pulled back he saw that he was blushing a little and it only made him smile brighter: “I love that I can still make you blush. Even after all the years we've been together.”

“So do I”, Yeonjun leaned into his touch and briefly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he smiled and then firmly took Soobin's hand in his, proceeding to pull him out of the hotel room and to the elevator. Neither of them let go once during the ride and they still walked hand-in-hand when they reached the reception desk. Soobin checked them out and then they made their way to the car.

A warm spring breeze caressed their skin as they walked and Soobin admired the beauty of the cherry blossom trees that were scattered along the pavement. The pink blossoms looked picturesque against the blue of the morning sky and the sight made Soobin's heart flutter. It quickly turned into serious heart palpitations when he looked over at Yeonjun and saw him dancing along the pavement with a cherry blossom tucked behind his right ear. Yeonjun's otherworldly beauty never ceased to amaze him and leave him breathless, despite being lucky enough to wake up next to him every morning.

They reached the car and Yeonjun immediately climbed into the passenger seat, stretching his limbs like a cat that was about to curl up for a really good nap. Soobin slid into the driver's seat and took the keys that were dangling from Yeonjun's finger for him to take. He hadn't even started the car yet when Yeonjun was already reaching out for the radio, using the next best love song to serenade Soobin, who blushed because the windows were rolled down and anyone could hear him. It only motivated Yeonjun to sing louder. The spring breeze coming in through the window messed up his hair, but that couldn't deter him either. Soobin tried to duck his head and make himself as small as possible behind the wheel until they made it out of the city and were driving on quieter streets. Yeonjun saw him trying to hide his smile anyway.

“I see the ferry!”, Yeonjun turned around excitedly and took a hold of Soobin's arm, pointing at the steadily approaching boat.

“Yeah, I see it, too. Thanks, honey.”

Yeonjun stuck his tongue out at him and picked up their bags. Together, they walked to the pier. Yeonjun was buzzing with excitement, only one more hour and then they would finally reach their destination. Then their honeymoon could truly begin. Although, to be fair, the way alone had felt special and somehow part of the fun, just because Soobin was there with him. He managed to make even the most mundane thing feel special; it was one of the many, many reasons Yeonjun was still as in love with him as he had been when they had just gotten together.

He enjoyed the ferry-ride. The wind was a little harsher than it had been on land but he enjoyed the way the water splashed up and into his face when he leaned over the railing just a little. When he looked up from where he had been watching the boat plough through the water and wiped a few droplets off his face, he found Soobin watching him. He almost blushed a little at the intense love and fondness he saw in his eyes, and looked away shyly. The gentle touch of a hand on his cheek made him look up again. Soobin was now standing directly in front of him and looking at him like he hung the stars in the sky.

“I like watching the water”, he said for no reason in particular and Soobin nodded before he kissed him.

“Yeah, I can tell.”

They sat down on one of the benches on deck together and watched the landscape slowly pass by on their way to the island. Soobin wrapped his arm around Yeonjun's shoulders and Yeonjun snuggled against him. They sat together like this until the ferry reached the docks. When it did, they gathered their bags together and walked down the boarding bridge. From the docks, it was just a short bus ride and an even shorter walk to the small house they had booked for their stay.

It was a beautiful place, nestled into a gorgeous garden in full bloom and framed by large terraced rice fields. The island they had chosen was a place where the simple life endured and it showed wherever they looked. Everything about it was absolutely picturesque and Soobin couldn't wait to explore it and take in all the beauty it had to offer. It was the perfect place to spend their honeymoon.

“I know Taehyun would judge us for not travelling to some tropical island for our honeymoon, but I think this is perfect”, Soobin looked around their little house. The second he walked in, it felt like home.

“Who cares what Taehyun thinks? This is our honeymoon and mark my words, honey, one day when we retire, we'll buy a little house and grow old here together.”

“I would love that.”

“Retiring here?”

“Growing old with you.”

Yeonjun's mouth shaped into a silent 'oh' and then he broke out into a bright smile: “God, I love you.”

Soobin wrapped his arms around Yeonjun, who immediately dropped the bags he'd been holding to hug him tightly. Soobin nuzzled his nose into Yeonjun's hair and kissed the shell of his ear which elicited a happy giggle from Yeonjun. That, in turn, warranted another kiss and then a few more. Yeonjun kept giggling and hugged him even tighter until Soobin stopped his kiss attack and just gently ran his hand through his hair. Yeonjun's cheek was squished against Soobin's shoulder, which impacted his speech when he tried to talk but Soobin understood him anyway.

“Now I don't want to unpack. I just want to stand here and hug you.”

“I mean, I do give incredible hugs.”

That earned him a loving slap on the back.

“You're supposed to convince me to unpack so we can cuddle on the bed, not encourage me to just stay like this.”

“Sorry”, Soobin tried to bite back a laugh to show how serious he was but he couldn't help a little giggle that slipped past his lips. “Could I then perhaps bribe you with lots of cuddles and kisses if we go and unpack now.”

“Let me wear one of your sweaters and we have a deal.”

“Done. You look adorable in my clothes.”

Yeonjun had already grabbed their bags and darted off into their bedroom. A moment later, Soobin heard him call his name and quickly hurried after him.

“What? What's wrong? Is everything okay?”

Yeonjun turned around to him, looking perfectly healthy and happy: “Of course, I just wanted you to come look at the view.”

Soobin slapped a hand over his heart and exhaled sharply: “Then say that next time, I was worried you'd hurt yourself.”

“Babe, we're in a perfectly adorable and safe rental home, we're not climbing the Grand Canyon.”

“What can I say, you have a talent for attracting chaos.”

Yeonjun stuck his tongue out at him and then took his hand and pulled him further into the bedroom. It had huge windows that let in a lot of light and the French doors opened to the garden from where they could see all the way to the coast. The bed stood on the wall directly opposite the doors and Soobin was sure that when they laid in bed they would still be able to see the coast.

“This is amazing”, he whispered, completely entranced by the view that they would wake up to for the next couple of days now.

“I think we made a good choice. The first thing we're doing tomorrow morning is having breakfast in bed.”

“That reminds me, we should go down to the village and get some groceries.”

“All in due time, honey. We just arrived. And you promised me cuddles.”

They still ended up going grocery shopping first. Yeonjun had tried everything to convince Soobin to cuddle him for a while before they did anything, but he wouldn't even let the promise of cuddles and kisses he'd made count. It had Yeonjun pout half the way into the village. It was his honeymoon for god's sake and he shouldn't have to try and convince his husband to stay in bed with him instead of going grocery shopping. But he had married Soobin who had always been prone to doing what had to be done first and then turning to enjoyment later. And as much as he tried, Yeonjun just couldn't stay mad, not with the way the sunlight was dancing on Soobin's hair and in his eyes and with how beautiful the island around them was. He couldn't wait to go around exploring with Soobin.

Much to Yeonjun's delight, they managed to get their shopping over with fairly quickly and Soobin finally made good of his promise as soon as they got back. While he unpacked the groceries, Yeonjun had snuck into their room and got his favourite of Soobin's sweaters that he had secretly stuffed into his suitcase before they left. He quickly slid off his own shirt and pulled the sweater over his head. The material felt soft against his skin and hugged his body in all the right places. He heard Soobin close a cabinet door in the kitchen and quickly struggled out of his way-too-tight jeans as well. He barely managed to throw them over the closest chair before the door opened and Soobin came in.

“I can't believe you made me do all the unpacking by myself. I know you weren't excited about-”, his voice trailed off when he saw Yeonjun standing in front of him. His eyes widened a little and his mouth fell open: “Wow. You look breathtaking.”

“You think so?”, Yeonjun spun around on the spot once and Soobin nodded, unable to think of anything to say. “Good, then come and cuddle me now.”

Yeonjun had barely made a step towards the bed before Soobin was behind him, spun him around and lifted him into his arms. Yeonjun squeaked, wrapping his legs around Soobin's waist and his arms around his neck. His hands tangled into Soobin's hair and he melted a little when he saw the way he looked up at him. Soobin carried him the few steps it took to get to the bed and then gently laid him down, immediately crawling over his body and kissing him like his life depended on it. Yeonjun hummed happily and used his hand that was still tangled in Soobin's hair to pull him a little closer. A shudder ran through his entire body when he felt Soobin push one of his hands under the soft material of the sweater until he could traced his fingertips over Yeonjun's ribs. The touch was so feather-light, it made Yeonjun feel like every nerve in his body was slowly setting on fire. A pleasant tingle settled under his skin where Soobin had touched him.

Soobin's mouth started to travel down over his jaw and further down to his neck, making Yeonjun giggle when his breath tickled the sensitive spot beneath his ear. He hadn't originally planned to do this but there was no harm in teasing Soobin a little. He sighed in content when Soobin's hands pushed the sweater further up his body, exposing his heated skin to the cool air of the bedroom. For a moment, he slowed his movements and reached up to cup Yeonjun's cheeks, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. He traced the pad of his thumb over his cheekbone before ducking lower, past the sweater that was now only covering the upper part of Yeonjun's chest. He started to trail kisses all over his ribs, mapping out the smooth expanse of his skin with his lips all the way down to his navel. Yeonjun squirmed under his ministrations and Soobin moved his hands from where they had been resting on the bed to his hips, holding him in place. When Yeonjun experimentally wiggled his hips a little to test the waters, Soobin pressed down a little harder. Yeonjun bit his lip, he was enjoying himself a lot but Soobin deserved a little payback for making him wait earlier in favour of freaking grocery shopping.

When he felt Soobin kiss past his navel, he used the hand that was still tangled in his hair to tug at the strands until Soobin lifted his head with a displeased grunt. He raised his eyebrows when he saw the mischievous grin on Yeonjun's face.

“You know, I actually said I wanted cuddles”, Yeonjun said in the sweetest voice he could possibly muster.

Soobin groaned and squeezed his hips: “Are you serious?”

“Consider it my petty revenge for making me go grocery shopping first thing during my honeymoon.”

“That is petty. And you are the worst.”

“A little teasing never hurt anyone.”

Soobin groaned again and let himself fall down on the bed beside Yeonjun who pulled the sweater back down and hid his hands in the sleeves that were a little too long for his arms. Then he reached out and made grabby hands in Soobin's direction.

“You're actually serious about wanting cuddles now?”

“Of course.”

Involuntarily, Soobin had to smile. How could he resist when Yeonjun was so absolutely adorable. He moved a little closer and wrapped him up in his arms, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them. Yeonjun snuggled against him and hid his face in his chest. When Soobin looked up, he found that he had been right. Even from the bed he had a perfect view of the island. For a while, he just enjoyed the view as he held Yeonjun tightly to his chest. This had to be what reaching heaven felt like. When he looked down at Yeonjun, he saw that he had fallen asleep in his arms. Soobin smiled and kissed the top of his head before he rested his cheek against it and his eyes slowly fell shut as well.

When Soobin woke up, Yeonjun was gone and the spot where he had been laying was cold. Soobin rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and slowly sat up. The sun was starting to set and he wondered where Yeonjun could have possibly gone. Then he heard clattering from the kitchen and was immediately alarmed. Yeonjun usually knew how to handle himself in the kitchen but he was also undeniably a little clumsy. He stretched his limbs and then got off the bed to go to the kitchen and see what the noise was about.

In the kitchen, he found a beautifully decorated dinner table and Yeonjun standing on one of the dining chairs with his head disappearing in one of the cabinets. With how unsteady the chair was positioned, Soobin preferred to wait for Yeonjun to notice him rather than accidentally scare him and potentially cause an accident. Yeonjun withdrew his head from the cabinet with a huff and turned around on the chair.

“Oh, you're awake”, he jumped off the chair and bounced over to Soobin to kiss him. “Can you believe there isn't a single wine glass in this house? Who doesn't have wine glasses? Either way, come sit. I made dinner.”

“Yeah, I see. That looks amazing, baby. Thank you.”

Yeonjun beamed at him and pulled him to the table. The dinner was so good, Soobin didn't even have to exaggerate his reactions. Yeonjun had clearly invested a lot of effort and Soobin made sure to praise him and the food a lot.

After dinner, they decided to head back to the bedroom where they opened the French doors and pulled up two armchairs, so they could sit in the open doorway together and enjoy the view and the gentle evening air. Yeonjun took Soobin's hand and absentmindedly ran his hand over the ring on his finger. Soobin smiled, lifted his hand to his mouth and kissed each of his fingertips. That shook Yeonjun from his thoughts and he blushed a little at the loving gesture.

“What are you thinking about?”

Yeonjun sighed and wiggled around in his chair a little to find a more comfortable position: “I can't believe there is actually a ring on your finger now. I've been waiting for this moment for so long and now I can't believe that it actually happened. We spent so much time preparing and planning everything and now it passed so fast. It almost doesn't feel really.”

“I know what you mean. But this ring is proof that it happened. And as short as the moment itself might appear now, everything that comes after it now will fill the rest of our life.”

“I can't believe we actually got this far. Half the time I was expecting something terrible to happen that would tear us apart and I would never get to see you in front of the altar.”

“But nothing happened. And now I'm all yours for the rest of our life. Not that I wasn't before already, but now it's actually official.”

Yeonjun nodded and they fell back into a comfortable silence until Soobin spoke again.

“Do you remember what I said to you during our first road-trip together? When you asked me if I thought we'd last?”

“Yeah. You said that there is nothing in the world that could take you away from me.”

“I always meant that. I always knew that we'd end up here.”

“You've always been the believer between the two of us.”

Soobin leaned over and kissed him: “And fate proved me right every time.”

Yeonjun smiled and sighed, closing his eyes when a gentle breeze caressed his face. He traced his finger over the ring once more and whispered: “All mine.”

Soobin nodded although he knew Yeonjun didn't see him.

After their somewhat lazy first day, they used the next day to set out and explore the island and the village a little. The island offered many walking paths that wound their way through terraced rice fields, wide fields of barley and canola flowers and along the steep cliffs of the shoreline. The scenery took their breath away and although they started out at a steady, somewhat fast pace, they soon slowed down so they could fully appreciate the nature they were surrounded by. As they walked along the paths, Soobin decided that there was no way he and Yeonjun would grow old anywhere else but on the island. He felt giddy at the thought of growing old with him.

The fields looked like they were almost inviting them to play among the flowers with the way they were dancing in the wind but several signs along the way forbade them to do so. Soobin was a little disappointed, those flowers would have made for a beautiful crown for Yeonjun.

Entirely intoxicated by the scenery, they walked along the paths almost as if they were walking within a dream. The beauty around them felt so untouched and surreal that they almost felt like intruders. Still, they basked in the peaceful serenity of their surroundings, feeling their bodies slowly detox from the life in the city. The walk around the island seemed to put both their bodies and their minds at perfect ease. Planning the wedding had taken a lot out of them and they had fought their way through several crises; as excited as they had been about finally getting married, it had also drained their energy. Now, they felt like they were slowly recharging and gathering new energy for this new stage of their lives and every day life that was waiting for them at home.

The path eventually led them back into the village. Yeonjun hadn't really paid any attention to it the day before, having nothing but Soobin's body on his mind, and was now appreciating it all the more. It was a small village that appeared to have been frozen in time. Life was slow and simple. No new gadgets or technologies, except for the occasional tourist with their camera; life on the island appeared to be calm and peaceful. Being used to the constant ring of telephones, car and construction noises, and incessant chatter, Yeonjun appreciated the quiet all the more. He was almost scared of making too much noise and disturbing the little village, worried that if he woke it from its slumber it might start to try and catch up to everyone else after seeing what it had missed.

At some point the path they were walking on led them down to the docks where fishing boats were going back and forth between the land and the sea at a steady pace. The fishers' wives and a few children were down at the docks as well. The wives were shelling the prawns their husbands brought back from the sea and one of them offered a few to the two of them when she saw them walk by, holding hands. Yeonjun guessed she'd seen the rings on their fingers and picked up on the way he was looking at Soobin like he'd hung the stars in the sky. They accepted the prawns from her and thanked her for her kindness. She couldn't have known that Soobin didn't like seafood. Not wanting to offend her, they waited until they were a little further away before Yeonjun took the prawn from Soobin and gulped it down in one bite.

A few children were playing football at the docks and when one of them accidentally kicked the ball in their general direction, Yeonjun couldn't help but play with them for a while. Soobin watched from the side, smiling brightly at Yeonjun's excitement about playing with the kids. The children seemed to be equally as excited about having someone play with them while their parents were busy working. Soobin sat down on one of the many crates, that were standing at every corner, to be a little more comfortable while watching his husband play with the kids. They had talked about having children of their own, of course. And while they had both come to the conclusion that they were perfectly fine not having children – and Soobin still stood by that – seeing Yeonjun play with the children and how much fun he was having, he couldn't help thinking that Yeonjun would have made a great father.

It took a while but eventually Yeonjun got tired and said goodbye to the kids, who were very sad to see him go. He jogged back to his husband who opened his arms for him when he came closer. Yeonjun laughed and threw himself into Soobin's arms, kissing him gently. Soobin ran his hand through his hair and brushed a few strands off his forehead.

“You would have made a fantastic dad, you know?”

“Only if I just have to entertain them for a while. I'd fail miserably if they were my own. Why? Did you change your mind?”

“No, don't worry. I think, things are perfect as they are. I just watched you play with the kids and I thought that, if we had decided to have kids, you would have been great with them. You're great with my nieces and nephews, too, so don't sell yourself so short.”

“You're nieces and nephews are the single most lovable children on the planet, it's impossible not to be good with them.”

Soobin rolled his eyes but his fond smile betrayed him. Yeonjun kissed him once again and then took his hand to drag him away from the docks and further into the village. The sun was standing high in the sky, it was just past lunch time and Yeonjun was hungry.

They found a small restaurant that thankfully offered more than just seafood much to Soobin's delight, and decided to have their lunch there. It was a family-owned business and despite only being on the island to visit, Yeonjun and Soobin were apparently immediately accepted into the family and treated accordingly. Soobin ended up with a lap full of child, once the boy's older sister had taken their order and disappeared into the kitchen to relay it to her parents. The boy was probably meant to stay in the kitchen with his parents but he seemed to be more interested in sitting on Soobin's lap and drawing on the placemats for kids that he had brought with him. When Yeonjun reached over the table and asked him what colour he was planning to use for the house he was colouring, he was immediately roped into drawing along with him. The boy pushed a few coloured pencils in his direction and then asked him to colour the house in rainbow colours while he made the grass look pretty and pink. Yeonjun dutifully took the colours and began drawing.

When their food was served, Soobin carefully sat the boy down in the chair next to his and his mother soon brought out a few snacks for him to eat while Soobin and Yeonjun ate as well. The boy's older sister came out of the kitchen and nonchalantly made her way over to them, pretending to wipe a few tables here and there, until Yeonjun invited her to come and sit with them as well. As soon as she sat down, she began pestering them about where they came from and what they were doing on the island. Soobin reached over the table and held Yeonjun's hand when he talked about their wedding and being on their honeymoon. It earned him the softest smile from Yeonjun.

Eventually, the mother came out of the kitchen and ushered the kids to the back so they wouldn't bother the two of them anymore while they tried to eat. She apologised for her daughter's curiosity but the two waved her off and assured that they didn't mind in the slightest.

“Looks like you naturally attract kids as well”, Yeonjun said when they were alone.

“Maybe you're rubbing off on me.”

“Oh, yeah that must be it.”

Yeonjun smiled and fed Soobin a spoonful of his meal, making sure to avoid the seafood on his plate. Soobin returned the favour and they unanimously agreed that they had both made good choices, although Soobin didn't understand why on earth Yeonjun would go for seafood of all things.

After lunch, they left the village and returned to the paths they had already explored earlier on. There was a place on the island that Soobin had insisted they visit. He had read a lot about it online and was excited to see it in real life now that they were here. They walked past the flowers and terraced rice fields like they had done before until the path began to steepen. The fields slowly turned into trees until they were walking up the hill with a small forest on either side of them. Yeonjun was about to start complaining because the sun was shining, they had been walking for a while now and they still didn't seem to get anywhere, when Soobin excitedly grabbed his arm.

“There it is! The Rock of Mystery.”

The view was breathtaking. Looking north, he could see the island's gorgeous coastline; looking to the south he saw the mountainous inland. Soobin was in awe. Yeonjun, on the other hand, wasn't entirely sure why Soobin was so excited about this place.

“A rock? That's what we came all the way here for?”

“Not just any rock. It's supposed to instil people with a strong spirit and it pretty much functions like the Bermuda Triangle. I figured we could use some strong spirit for this new stage in our life.”

“You're adorable.”

When Soobin turned around to him, Yeonjun used the moment to capture his lips in a loving kiss. He pulled back and saw a rosy blush on Soobin's cheeks. Yeonjun smiled and briefly pinched his cheek, making Soobin shriek and rub at his skin.

“So”, Yeonjun ventured closer to the rock, “if this works like the Bermuda Triangle, then-”

“It has a really strong magnetic field. Compasses don't work around here and neither do phones because it messes with the electromagnetic waves.”

Yeonjun tried to pinch his cheek again because he thought Soobin was that adorable, but this time he managed to dodge him.

“Instead of pinching my cheek, you could give me your phone and let me try if it actually works.”

“Why my phone?”

“Cause I don't want to use mine.”

“The audacity”, but never one to say 'no' to whatever Soobin requested, Yeonjun pulled his phone from his backpack and handed it to him with a grumble. While Soobin played around with his phone and tried to test if what he'd read was true, Yeonjun took a closer look at the rock itself.

It was a large piece of stone that had, over centuries, been shaped by the weather. There were cracks everywhere that plants grew from. Some parts of the rock had been smoothed out by the weather conditions, other had been sharpened over the centuries. Yeonjun wondered if he would be able to climb up to the top, if he tried hard enough. It wasn't an overly large rock and he was fairly confident in his abilities but then he spotted a sign that asked him not to climb the rock for his own safety. He huffed and sat down on a nearby bench. Where was the fun in going up here, if he didn't even get to climb the rock?

Soobin walked over and handed him his phone.

“Did it work?”

“Yeah. It's completely impossible to access the internet or try to make calls from here. I'm pretty happy. Are you bored?”

“No, just upset that they won't let me climb the rock.”

“Well, I should hope so. I prefer going home with you in one piece.”

Yeonjun grinned and stood up: “Come on. We should take a picture of us in front of the rock, so we can prove we were here and didn't get lost forever like all the ships in the Bermuda Triangle.”

Soobin nodded excitedly and immediately went to pick the perfect place for them to pose. When he was sure he found the perfect spot, he called Yeonjun over and happily threw his arms around him. Yeonjun opened his camera app and let Soobin instruct him how to hold the phone so they would get the perfect picture. Right when Yeonjun took the picture, Soobin kissed him on the cheek, giggling happily. Yeonjun smiled, turned his head and kissed Soobin, blindly snapping a picture and hoping it would turn out nicely. It did and Yeonjun immediately made it his new homescreen.

“I think we should head back. My legs are tired and I want to lay down somewhere”, Soobin said and took his hand. Yeonjun nodded, pocketed his phone and together they started their way back to the house, hands swinging between them.

Back at the house, Yeonjun threw the backpack in a corner and collapsed on the bed: “Alright, that's it. I'm never moving again.”

“What if I said that the bathtub is big enough to fit both of us?”, he heard Soobin's voice from somewhere behind him and lifted his head.

“I guess, I could move one last time.”

He heard Soobin laugh as he struggled with the duvet that he had somehow gotten himself tangled up in. When he was finally free, he felt even less like moving but the promise of a warm bath with his husband was motivation enough to at least try.

Apparently Soobin had secretly planned ahead, because when Yeonjun entered the bathroom, he had just finished lighting an array of candles that he'd placed all around the room. He straightened back up after lighting the last candle and grabbed two glasses from the windowsill, handing one to Yeonjun.

“I know it would have been nicer if we actually had wine glass, but I hope this will do as well.”

Yeonjun smiled and kissed him: “You're amazing.”

That made Soobin smile as well. He turned to the windowsill once more, where he had also placed his phone and turned on some music for them. Then the two quickly got undressed and slipped into the warm water. Yeonjun closed his eyes and slid a little deeper, getting a little foam on his chin that Soobin wiped away for him with a fond smile. For a while, they just enjoyed the warm water that managed to sooth their sore legs a little and drank their wine.

When the wine was empty, Yeonjun told Soobin to turn around so he could massage his back a little. Soobin gladly accept the offer and scooted closer to his husband. He sighed when Yeonjun's fingers immediately managed to find all the sore spots in his back and gently dug into them, one by one loosening the knots in his back and defusing the tension that had built in his shoulders. Soobin pretty much melted into his touch. He blushed when Yeonjun started peppering gentle kisses over his bare shoulders while his hands kneaded at the expanse of his back. He could feel him smile against his skin and figured that he'd probably seen his ears turn red. Yeonjun's fingers found their way into his hair and started to gently massage his scalp. Soobin closed his eyes and enjoyed his gentle ministrations. After a while Yeonjun stopped and wrapped his arms around Soobin's torso, pulling him back until his back was resting against his chest and he could hook his chin over his shoulder. Soobin reached back and stroked his cheek for a moment before he turned his head so he could kiss the cheek closest to him.

“Feel good?”, he heard Yeonjun whisper behind him and he nodded. He didn't feel like talking, he just wanted to spent the rest of his life right here in Yeonjun's arms. That was at least until the water got cold and he started to shiver. Yeonjun noticed, of course, and kissed his temple before he stood up and got out of the water. First, he wrapped himself up in a fluffy towel, dried himself off and slipped into his pyjama bottoms before grabbing another towel and holding it up for Soobin to snuggle into. Soobin smiled and let himself be wrapped in the towel by him; Yeonjun used the moment to capture him in a tight hug.

After their bath and getting dressed, they opened the French doors in the bedroom and then hopped into bed to cuddle with each other. Soobin snuggled against Yeonjun's chest, who wrapped his arms around him tightly.

“I keep thinking about us settling down here and growing old together”, Soobin said after both of them had been laying in silence for a while.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It makes me really happy. But I'm also a little bit scared.”

Yeonjun sat up a little and leaned on his elbow so he could properly look at Soobin's face: “Why are you scared?”

“You always talk about how beautiful I am. But when we grow old, I won't be beautiful anymore. Do you think you can even still love me then?”, his voice was barely above a whisper but the evident worry in his voice broke Yeonjun's heart a little. He reached out and gently ran his fingers through Soobin's hair.

“Binnie. I don't love you because of your looks. You are gorgeous but that's not why I love you. I love you, and I married you, because of your beautiful inside, because of who you are as a person. No matter how old you get that's never going to change. I don't care about you getting old and wrinkly, you could go bald for all I care. I will still love you because you will still be you and my love for you doesn't depend on your looks.”

Soobin pressed his face into Yeonjun's chest: “I love you. I'm so lucky.”

“No”, Yeonjun smiled and kissed the top of his head, “I am.”

He settled back down against the pillows and properly wrapped his arms around Soobin again. Eventually, they fell asleep, wrapped around each other and with the French doors letting in the cool air of the night.

They woke up with the sunrise. The first rays of the sun tickled their noses and through the open doors the chirping of the birds travelled inside. It almost felt as if the world was waking up with them. Yeonjun stretched his arms far above his head and sighed in content, smiling when he looked down at Soobin who pulled the blanket over his head to block out the light. He looked at the lump under the covers that was his husband and then slipped under them as well to join him. The sunlight was filtering through the covers, giving everything under it a slightly orange tint.

“Hi”, Yeonjun reached out and caressed Soobin's cheek.

“Hi.”

Soobin smiled sleepily and Yeonjun just had to kiss him, there was no way around it. He looked so beautiful with his dishevelled bedhead, the soft glow of his skin and the sleepy smile on his face that Yeonjun couldn't help himself. It fascinated him that it was possible to fall in love with Soobin all over again every time he looked at him first thing in the morning.

Soobin giggled into the kiss and grabbed the front of Yeonjun's sleep-shirt to pull him a little closer against him. Yeonjun tangled their legs together and pressed his face against Soobin's neck. He felt Soobin's arms wrap around him, squeezing him closer, and laughed. Soobin was warm and soft under his hands and he never wanted to stop touching him.

Eventually it go too stuffy under the covers and they escaped back up to the fresh air that was filtering in through the doors. Yeonjun folded the blanket back and stood up, walking over to the doors to stand under the doorframe and look at the sun rising high into the pale blue sky. Arms circled around his waist from behind and he let his head fall back until it met Soobin's shoulder, smiling when Soobin buried his nose in his hair and kissed the shell of his ear. He placed his hands on top of Soobin's where they were resting on his stomach, fingers playing with the ring on his hand. They watched the sunrise together and then went to the kitchen to make breakfast together, which they ended up eating in bed.

It was a lazy, peaceful morning and they allowed themselves to do everything a little slower. They were planning on going to one of the beaches later, because Soobin had read that the sunsets on the island were a sight one had to see at least once in their lives and Yeonjun was excited at the prospect of a beach day.

After getting showered and dressed for the day, they settled down on the couch with their legs tangled together and used the time to check in with Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening-Kai and see how their dogs were doing. They would start their journey home the next day, since they were both business owners and couldn't stay away for too long, but both of them missed their dogs and wanted visual proof that they were doing well in Beomgyu's and Taehyun's – but mainly Beomgyu's – care.

They had a simple lunch and then packed the backpack for their trip to the beach. Yeonjun had pulled on his swimming trunks instead of his jeans, excited about getting to go for a little swim, while Soobin remained dressed as he was since he had no intention of actually going into the water with more than his feet.

They walked down to the beach hand-in-hand, although Yeonjun's excited skipping made it a little difficult. When they got there, Soobin set out to find the perfect spot for them to settle down while Yeonjun dutifully trudged after him, carrying the backpack. Soobin finally found the perfect place for them in the shade of a few trees, just a couple of steps away from the sea. Yeonjun helped him spread out the blanket they'd brought before he pulled off his shirt and raced down to the water. Soobin smiled when he saw him splash around as he ran into the water. He himself preferred to sit down on the blanket with a good book and look up from time to time to make sure that Yeonjun didn't swim out too far.

It was a beautiful day. The air smelled of spring and the sun warmed his skin when he stretched his legs a little further and into the sun, but it wasn't the sometimes unpleasant heat of summer yet. He heard birds chirping and insects buzzing around him, and the sound of the waves and the pebbles rubbing together lulled him into a peaceful state of mind. The sand was soft beneath his feet and he dug his toes in a little, shuddering at the colder sand that the sun didn't reach. There were a few other people at the beach but they were spread out across the entire length of it, so he barely took note of them.

Soobin turned around on his stomach to get into a more comfortable reading position. He was so lost in his book that he didn't hear Yeonjun approach. He flinched violently and flipped over when water suddenly dripped on his back. Yeonjun laughed and shook his head like a dog, flinging water droplets on Soobin.

“You scared me!”

“Sorry, it was too good a chance to pass up.”

“You're the worst. And don't get my book wet.”

“I'll be careful.”

Yeonjun plopped down into the sand that immediately stuck to his wet legs.

“Don't you want to come sit on the blanket with me?”

“No, I don't want to get it all wet.”

“You could dry yourself off.”

“I was actually hoping to convince you to come to the water with me. I was thinking we could take a walk along the shore”, Yeonjun fluttered his lashes and Soobin couldn't resist him.

He put away the book, safely placing it inside the backpack, and stood up. Before he took the hand Yeonjun offered him, he slipped off his shoes and socks so they wouldn't get soaked. Then they walked down to the water, hands intertwined. They walked along the entire length of the beach, talking and laughing and occasionally splashing water at each other. By the time they got back to their blanket, the sun was slowly starting to sink towards the horizon. Soobin grabbed two apples from the backpack that they had brought for snack purposes and handed one to Yeonjun. While they ate, they watched the sun sink lower and lower until it was almost touching the water. The sky was now burning in bright orange, red and yellow and painted the beach and the sea with it's small islands in reddish tones. But Soobin above all delighted in the way the sun reflected in Yeonjun's eyes, making them sparkle even brighter than usual.

When Soobin had stored the remains of their apples in a plastic container he had brought, Yeonjun took his hand and pulled him along, closer to the water. There were more people around now, all of them flocking to the beach to watch the breathtaking sunset. Yeonjun didn't let himself be deterred and pulled Soobin along until they reached the water. He didn't let go of his hand, bringing his hand up instead and kissing it gently before using his free hand to pull him closer by the back of his neck and kiss him on the lips. Soobin cupped his cheeks and kissed back, smiling when Yeonjun got on his tip-toes to better match his height. They pulled apart just in time to catch a last glimpse of the sun before it disappeared behind the horizon. When they turned around to go back to their spot, they saw the dark of the night slowly spread across the sky, replacing the colourful sunset.

Yeonjun grabbed their blanket and pulled it out of the shade, so it was properly positioned beneath the night sky. The people that had come to see the sunset started to turn back and return home, while the two of them laid down on their blanket and looked up at the sky, waiting to spot the first stars. Soobin closed his eyes for a while, just wanting to take in all the different sounds and soak up the peaceful atmosphere. When he opened them again the sky was covered in thousands and thousands of stars. It reminded him of their first road-trip together – the one that had started it all – and how the night had been too warm so they went outside, laid down on the hood of the car and watched the stars. It had been the first time he had actually seen the stars in real life, a sight he had never forgotten. Laying under the stars now with his husband beside him, filled him with an indescribable happiness that made him feel like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.

Yeonjun rolled on his side so he could look at him, cupped his cheek and kissed him softly.

“You look beautiful under the stars.”

Soobin blushed: “You're cute.”

“I can't believe I'm married to you. I am the luckiest man alive.”

Soobin reached up and pulled him down for a kiss. Then he wrapped his arms around Yeonjun and pulled him down on top of him, so he could look at the stars while Yeonjun rested on his chest. They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the contrast between the cool spring air and the warmth of their bodies. It took them some time to finally decide to go home, neither of them really wanting to leave, but they knew they had to since they were leaving the next day.

The walk back to the house was almost even more beautiful at night than it was at daytime. Insects were buzzing around and they even saw a few fireflies flutter by. It almost seemed like the island had come to life but in a very different way than it did during the day. Everything seemed more intense; the smell of the flowers, the sounds of the insects, the pale light of the stars. They had trouble actually making it back into the house and into bed but when they did, they felt the exhaustion of the day seep into their bones and neither of them managed to keep their eyes open much longer.

“I think this was the most beautiful honeymoon I could have possibly wished for, but now I'm glad to go home again”, Soobin sighed and took one last look around to make sure that they had packed everything.

Yeonjun wrapped his arms around his waist: “Why's that?”

“Everything just still feels so surreal here, you know, like this is all just a dream. But now that we did all the 'getting married'-stuff, it'll be so real when we get home. We had the ceremony, we both said 'I do', we had the reception, now we had the honeymoon and now the rest of our life can start. When we're back home and I'll still see the ring on your finger, it'll actually feel real.”

“You're so cute. And here I was worried you might be disappointed because we had to cut the honeymoon short.”

“With you, every day feels like our honeymoon. Doesn't matter where we are.”

Soobin rubbed the tip of his nose against Yeonjun's and smiled when he saw him blush.

“Ready for the rest of our lives?”, Yeonjun kissed him before he let go and held the front door open for Soobin to walk through.

Soobin took his hand to start their walk back to the docks: “Ready.”