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If Sunghoon says he wasn’t itching to go home the moment he got off work, that would be an outright lie.
Granted, he was tired from the day’s labor and could do with a full hour of sleep right now. But more than anything, the rest he sought comes in the form of the person he loved most—who currently was nowhere to be found.
Whenever he returned home, Jake would almost always be in the living room singing and dancing along with music from the radio. Or he would be in the kitchen preparing tea for Sunghoon when he would arrive late. At times, he would be in their bedroom, peacefully sleeping with Layla lying beside him. But as he was in neither of those places, something akin to panic rose in Sunghoon’s chest. He checked the bathroom and the laundry room, but still, Jake wasn’t there.
In his growing worry, he almost failed to hear Layla’s soft barking when she entered the door to their backyard porch. Oh. Just now, he realized that it was open.
He put his things down to follow the dog outside, immediately understanding that she recognized his scent and wanted to bring him to Jake as soon as possible.
The cool afternoon breeze blew past his face as he walked out of the door. Even so, any satisfaction it could offer paled in comparison to the sight of Jake bathing in the light of the golden sun. He had his head turned towards Sunghoon’s direction, yet his eyes were focused on anything but.
“Is that you, Sunghoon? Are you home?” he asked in the softest, kindest voice that had Sunghoon almost melting.
Just the way Layla laid her head over Jake’s knee would've been enough of an answer—as she seemed comfortable enough to do so because Sunghoon was already home—but the younger still made sure to provide the response he was waiting for.
“Yes, love.” He smiled despite Jake not seeing then made his way beside the older. There was only one chair out on the porch but Sunghoon couldn't be bothered to go back inside for another, so he opted to lean his head over Jake’s lap as well. “I’m home.”
In an instant, Jake’s fingers got lost within the strands of Sunghoon’s hair. He couldn’t help but let out a pleased sigh at the soothing sensation of the other’s ministrations, which only stopped when Sunghoon asked to hold his hand.
Another moment of silence passed between them with Sunghoon just resting his head against Jake and caressing his hand gently with his own. But while he hated to break the peace of the moment, Sunghoon knew he had to bring it up one way or the other.
“Jakey,” he called. When Jake replied with a soft hum, he took it as his cue to continue.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Upon hearing the question, Jake visibly panicked, if the way his thigh shook on instinct was any indication. Sunghoon heard him chuckle nervously.
“Talk about what?” He had a smile stretched across his lips, although it didn’t reach his eyes. Amazingly, his eyes have always communicated his emotions to Sunghoon and that fact sure did prove much help this day, just like it had on many others.
“Jake…” he started. “Don’t you trust me?”
“God, Sunghoon. Of course, I do, with my whole life. But you have nothing to worry about, it’s not that imp—”
The tickle of Sunghoon’s finger over the furrow on his brows interrupted Jake from speaking. Even when he raised his brows to pretend that it wasn't there, it was too late. Sunghoon massaged the area on his forehead where the furrow once was.
“Your brows told me otherwise.” Sunghoon chuckled. He took his hand back to hold Jake’s hand again in hopes of providing comfort, then waited until the other found it comfortable enough to share his thoughts.
“Okay. I’ll tell you, but… promise you won’t get mad?”
Sunghoon placed a kiss at the back of Jake’s hand then replied, “I promise.” He noticed how Jake sighed in contentment at the gesture before he finally spoke.
“Okay. Well, you see, sometimes I just can’t help but wonder. What would life be like if I were able to see? Listen,” —he put a palm up when he heard Sunghoon’s noise of protest— “I know. I know I have told you before that I don’t want it. I don’t need it. I have you and that alone is already more than enough.”
He hesitated, pausing to pet Layla behind her ears until Sunghoon hummed, as if to say ‘go on’. And so, Jake continued.
“I’m content with just having you by my side. I really don’t have much to ask for anymore. But I just thought, maybe that’s because I never got to see the world as you do? If I were able to see, what if… What if I could do more for you? What if I were able to see why you think the lady at the market is always angry? What if…”
At this point, a few tears already started streaming down his face but Jake made no effort to wipe them away, his full attention directed only at expressing his thoughts properly.
“What if I was able to see your favorite clothes? Or the children you see when you're on your way home? Or… Or the places where you would always take me? If I could do that, I could understand why they all say that you’re handsome. I could hug you, or even kiss you without having to ask you to come closer. I could do so much more! So just what if, Sunghoon, I wonder. Maybe if I were able to see, you could’ve been happier.”
With how the tears on Jake’s face made his face shine in the golden rays of the sun, anyone could walk in on them and say that he looked like an angel. Of course, Sunghoon would be there to prove it in a heartbeat because, well, he really is. An angel, that is, if the way he would still doubt Sunghoon’s happiness despite being perfect himself was any indication.
Sunghoon once did believe love was black and white, but from what he’s seeing now, it turned out golden. Beautiful, priceless, and worth every single thing that he has to offer.
Jake is golden.
The taller of the two stood up so he could properly wipe Jake’s tears away. While he kept silent, what was left to accompany the sound of the gentle breeze blowing was the older’s sniffles gradually getting softer by the minute.
When he was done with his task, Sunghoon cupped Jake’s face in his palms and ever so tenderly, brought him closer to plant a kiss on his forehead.
“Do you like it when I do that?” he asked. Although clueless, Jake nodded, which prompted Sunghoon to bring him to an embrace right after.
“How about this?” he whispered right next to Jake’s ear. The older couldn’t help but giggle at the ticklish sensation it provided but he immediately went to hug Sunghoon back.
“I love it.”
“Okay then.” Sunghoon hugged him tighter. “From now on, you don’t have to tell me to come and hug or kiss you. I’ll do that myself and I'll make sure you get sick of me.”
Jake hummed in question. “That’s impossible. I love you too much,” he replied, earning him a kiss on the cheek from the younger.
“Same goes for me.”
Sunghoon stayed in the uncomfortable position for a while, not at all minding the effort he put in as long as he got to hold Jake like this. But as soon as Jake heard the tired grunt that he let out, the older stood up from his seat right away to let him sit down himself. Once Sunghoon had settled down on the chair, Jake made himself comfortable on Sunghoon’s lap then leaned his head on his shoulder.
As he was helping him find a good position, Sunghoon held Jake’s hand to guide him up. They were silent again for a while, though that was never a problem for the both of them. Words just are not enough sometimes; still, however, despite already having effectively cheered his lover up, Sunghoon will not let something as Jake’s uncertainty be left unresolved.
“My love?” he called, eliciting a faint hum. “You know that I love you, right?”
“Mm-hmm. You tell me that every day,” was Jake’s reply, his sentence almost cut off by a yawn as he was getting drowsy from the coziness of their current position. Just a few paces behind them on the fluffy door rug, Layla was already lying on her side and preparing to sleep as well.
Sunghoon took Jake’s hand in his again to plant kisses on his palm, fingers, and knuckles.
“Then let me tell you this too.” He placed a loving kiss on the side of Jake’s head last.
“You’re right, the world is full of wonderful things. But you know what, Jakey? Since I saw you, I don’t wanna look at anything else anymore. Nothing else in this world can look as beautiful in my eyes. At least, not if you weren't there.”
Even as he carried Jake back inside their home when he’d finally fallen asleep, Sunghoon couldn’t help the fond gaze he’d directed at Jake without really realizing it.
“My love, you’re the one who makes life beautiful.”