Work Text:
It was a cool evening in Paris. They were laying down on a blanket at a nearby park with the Eiffel Tower in view. After attending a symphony, guest conducted by Doyoung, they wandered around the city, still bustling with energy. They bought some snacks from the street food vendors and settled down at the park to enjoy their last day there. They had to go back home to London the next day because Jaehyun had exams and Doyoung had his usual schedule with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
“You know how I lived in the states when I was younger?” Jaehyun asked. He turned to face Doyoung and leaned over to play with his slightly wavy hair from the styling earlier.
“Yeah, you told me before.” Doyoung took a bite out of the blueberry crêpe they were sharing.
“My parents would bring me to the park during autumn.” Jaehyun looked down with a grin on his face, dimples out, feeling nostalgic. “My dad and I would make a huge pile of leaves and then I’d dive into it. I still remember that memory so vividly.” As Jaehyun told his story, he made all kinds of hand gestures in the air as if there were leaves in front of him. His eyes lit up with stars brighter than the ones in the sky.
“Do you miss it?”
“Yeah, I do. It’s been a long time since I got to do anything with my family.” Jaehyun remembered the last time they visited Seoul. They were on a tight schedule because school and part-time jobs were in the way. Jaehyun only had time to eat dinner at his parents’ home twice before going back.
Jaehyun opened his mouth again and made an “Ah” sound. Doyoung held the crêpe and fed him while they giggled at each other. Even after so many years of dating, they still felt giddy when they went out and did coupley things.
They stayed silent for a few seconds and embraced the sounds of the night that filled the air. There was a special illumination on the Eiffel Tower that night as they watched the lights twinkle from blue to purple to yellow. There was the faint sound of live music played by street performers nearby.
Doyoung started to hum along and shortly after, Jaehyun joined in with a harmony he came up with on the spot. They’ve been singing together ever since the first time they met. Their voices blended like coffee and cream.
Not too long after, the crêpe was forgotten, left on the paper plate to the side while their lips met and they slowly made out. Doyoung’s hands wandered from the nape of Jaehyun’s neck to his fuzzy cheeks, and then to his ears that had gotten redder since they embraced. Jaehyun let out a groan as he felt his ears being rubbed and teased by Doyoung’s delicate fingers. “Feels good, baby.” He murmured while grinding down in appreciation.
“Jaehyunnie…” Doyoung moaned quietly between their lips as he felt his lover’s excitement. Their tongues danced while they continued to make out with curious hands roaming. They separated shortly and Jaehyun moved his head down to kiss Doyoung’s neck while enjoying the symphony of Doyoung’s soft whimpers.
“You’re so pretty, baby.” Jaehyun showered him with short kisses and licks. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
“I’m yours and always yours.” Doyoung said under his breath while running his hands through Jaehyun’s soft but thick hair. “I love you so much, Jaehyunnie.”
“I love you too, Doie.”
“Mmm,” Doyoung let out another moan as his lover sucked on a sensitive spot on his clavicle. “Ah…” He grabbed Jaehyun’s head and pulled him in for another open-mouthed kiss. “Let’s… Let’s go back to the hotel.” He suggested, breathlessly.
“Okay,” Jaehyun answered with his face tinted with shades of rouge and lips in an even deeper shade. Doyoung smiled larger, observing his pretty lover while playing with his hair that was messy now. When they were together, it felt like time stopped and the world was just the two of them.
They got up from the blanket and packed their things. Hand in hand, they walked along the Seine river, savouring the summer breeze. They talked about various things that they saw in the past four days in Paris, like the Samoyed dog that snuck into the park, the street musician who sang one of their favourite jazz songs, and the beautiful interior designs of the Musée d'Orsay.
“I’m so proud of you,” Jaehyun said firmly, “You did amazing tonight. The concert was so wonderful.”
“Thank you,” Doyoung flushed under the compliment and squeezed Jaehyun’s hand tightly. “I’m glad you were here to experience this with me.” He pulled his hand to Jaehyun's knuckle and wedding ring. They had reunited and gotten married in London two years ago before Jaehyun started med school.
“Anything for my love.” Jaehyun leaned in to place a kiss on Doyoung’s forehead. “And I’m happy to be here for you always.”
They were each other's first and only. They were far away from their families whom they dearly missed but it was the sacrifice they took to reach their dreams. Where they lived currently, they only had each other but it was enough.
🍂
As the seasons changed from summer into autumn, the weather got colder in London and their schedules became busier.
The married couple still managed to make time for each other during evenings in their one-room apartment. Even though it was small, they were minimalists, only owning a few things they needed. All their room had was a computer, bed, fridge, closet, and keyboard.
Like most nights, they found themselves snuggled with a giant beige comforter wrapped around them on their balcony.
They lived on the other side of the river and had a clear view of the London Eye with the pink and purple lights gleaming effervescently and reflecting off the water. The glow of the sleepless city was bright enough to illuminate the textbooks and notes that Jaehyun read and the sheet music that Doyoung studied.
Doyoung hummed lightly to the violin’s part while trying to imagine how the other parts resonated with it.
Moments later, he felt a weight suddenly fall onto his shoulder. It was 11 in the evening and they had been studying for the past three hours with only tea and bathroom breaks in between. Jaehyun’s eyes were shut tight with his round glasses almost falling off.
“Jae,” he called out, nudging him lightly, but there was no response except for the sound of Jaehyun’s steady breathing. “Jaehyunnie,” He said slightly louder. Still nothing.
Doyoung took Jaehyun’s glasses off first and placed them carefully on the small table in front of them. He then reached over to Jaehyun’s laptop and closed it.
He gently smiled at his husband while stroking his fluffy hair affectionately. It was growing longer and their friends from Korea said Jaehyun looked like a sapsali dog whenever they had video calls.
He pulled out his phone and checked his alarms for the upcoming morning before deciding to call it a night. He opened his Spotify and found their shared jazz playlist. He wanted to wait a few more minutes before waking Jaehyun up so that they could go to bed.
♪
And time after time,
You'll hear me say that I'm
So lucky to be loving you.
♫
🍂
“Where are we going?” Jaehyun asked. They were sitting on the tram on a busy Saturday. After weeks of packed rehearsals and long days of classes, they finally had the weekend free. Doyoung planned Saturday while Jaehyun planned Sunday whenever they had the full weekend off.
Doyoung placed a hand on Jaehyun’s thigh. “Don’t worry about it. Just leave it to me, Jae,” He reassured. Jaehyun placed his own hand over and interlaced their fingers together. They played Jaehyun’s travel playlist through their shared earbuds while they talked quietly through the ride.
“Remember when we were college students back home and we’d take the bus to Starfield Library every weekend?” Jaehyun asked.
When they were attending NCT University in Seoul, they would go to the library together every weekend to study and then grab food afterwards. If they had extra time, they’d visit SM University nearby and watch their open rehearsals together. They didn’t have a lot of money to spare before so they made it work.
“What about it?” Doyoung peered at him.
“That time it rained hard and we didn’t have umbrellas. We ended up dancing and kissing at the bus stop. I remember that part.” Jaehyun leaned closer and gave air kisses.
“Hey! Not here!” Doyoung placed his palm over his husband’s mouth, stopping him from going further. He burst into giggles, pushing him away lightly.
Jaehyun intuitively wrapped an arm around Doyoung while quietly humming a self-written song that reminded him of that dear memory, Dancing in the Rain. Doyoung glanced at the board for the next stop, leaning back into his husband’s arms naturally.
A few minutes later, they reached their destination. Doyoung grabbed Jaehyun’s arm and they stepped out of the bus promptly bringing him to a scenic park they hadn’t been to before.
“It’s beautiful,” Jaehyun looked around in awe while they walked through the tunnel of trees filled with vibrance, “But we always see trees like this when I walk you to rehearsals,” Jaehyun asked, slightly confused. He expected Doyoung to bring them to a new place in the city instead. He continued walking at the same pace, trailing behind his husband.
“Should be here any minute,” Doyoung said while glancing at his phone. “Jaehyunnie, let’s sit.” They reached a wooden bench halfway through their walk down the path.
“Okay,” Jaehyun sat down quietly and took a sip from his water bottle. He felt a bit restless so he reached for his earbuds in his pocket when Doyoung suddenly greeted someone.
“Thanks for inviting us, Doyoung!” A familiar female voice spoke.
Jaehyun’s head whipped towards the direction of the voices. He saw his mother, father, and grandmother, all with warm smiles on their faces.
“What’s going on?” Jaehyun turned to Doyoung and then back to his family. “Mom, dad, grandma? What?”
“Sweetie, we missed you!” Jaehyun’s mother walked over and pulled him into a tight hug. His father and grandma followed her and came closer to greet him. After the warm exchanges, he looked back at his husband who had an endearing look on his face.
“Doie, did you…?”
“Remember when you said you missed seeing your family? I talked to them and we figured out a date to do this. I wanted to surprise you.” Doyoung stepped closer, “I want you to have good memories with them here, in our new home.”
He was left speechless for a few seconds, tears trying not to fall out. “Wow, thank you.” Jaehyun mustered while he hugged Doyoung tightly. “I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, Jaehyunnie,” Doyoung replied warmly. “I want you to be happy. I love you.” He whispered into his husband’s ear. They pulled apart after a few seconds, staring into each other’s eyes. Doyoung teasingly poked Jaehyun’s dimples before turning back to his in-laws.
The colourful assortment of foliage scattered throughout the park as the quiet sounds of leaves ruffling filled the ambience.
Doyoung smiled as he watched his husband full of bliss upon being reunited with his family brought a new sense of joy within him, almost making his heart soar. He took out his phone, then called out to Jaehyun and his father, asking them to pose for a photo.
Jaehyun grinned for the camera, taking a few leaves and throwing them for extra effect. He laughed when his mother told Doyoung to switch with his father for a photo. “We need a photo of you two!” She pestered and playfully pushed him to Jaehyun.
Jaehyun stretched his arms out, reaching for his husband. “Doie,” he locked eyes with him. He put an arm around Doyoung’s waist naturally and pulled them closer together while they both looked into the camera.
It felt like home.
