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"What is married?" Little Seungcheol asked his mother. The lady looked down in surprise as the three boys looked up in anticipation.
"Oh? Where did you hear that?" His mother asked and a little Jeonghan answered for him.
"We heard you say that!!" Jeonghan answered enthusiastically. Seungcheol glared at his best friend who answered for him to which little Jeonghan just smirked. Seungcheol's mother looked at the three little boys with a fond expression before looking at the two other ladies with her.
"What is “married” Mrs. Hong?" Seungcheol's mother playfully asked her friend who rolled her eyes at her before turning her attention to the children.
"Being married is being with someone forever," Mrs. Hong answered, making the silent boy interested.
"Forever?" Little Jisoo asked, making his mother smile as she caressed the boy's cheek.
"Yes darling, forever. Until you go back to God. That means even if you go through bad things," Jisoo's mother answered, making the boys gape in awe.
"That's a very very long time," Jeonghan said, making the ladies nod at him. Indeed a very long time.
"I want to married Soo!" Seungcheol suddenly blurted out of nowhere, making the three older ladies look at him as well as the two little boys.
"How about me? You don't want to be with me forever?" Jeonghan asked Seungcheol with a cheeky smile to which the latter shook his head violently at.
"NEVER! You're going to tease me until we're grandpas. Hannie forever teasing me?" Seungcheol visibly shivers at the thought, making the ladies laugh at him. He's so innocent and pure for this world.
"Aigooo, how about you Jisoo-yah?" Jeonghan's mother asks Jisoo to which the boy smiled at.
"Forever with cheollie sounds good. Hannie is annoying," Jisoo simply answered, making the ladies laugh and Jeonghan smirk. The boy is too proud of his annoyingness. Too proud. Then there's Seungcheol who's also grinning as Jisoo wanted to be with him too until they were grandpas.
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"Hey Cheol?" Jeonghan called Seungcheol who was almost asleep on the couch.
"Hmm?" Seungcheol responded sleepily as he opened his eyes. The man was too tired from his work and did not have the time and energy to deal with Jeonghan's antics.
"Do you remember when you asked Shuji to marry you before?" Jeonghan asked, making Seungcheol groan in annoyance. He threw the pillow he was hugging towards Jeonghan's direction making the latter laugh an evil satisfied laugh.
"Why would you bring that up again? Now, I can't sleep," Seungcheol sat up from Jisoo's lap who just shook his head at the two's bickering.
"I want to married Soo!" Jeonghan imitated the little Seungcheol, making the present Seungcheol take a deep breath in annoyance.
"I WAS 5!" Seungcheol shouted in annoyance, making Jeonghan laugh again.
"Calm down Cheollie," Joshua told Seungcheol as he made the latter lay on his lap again. Seungcheol gladly layed down again as Jisoo played with his hair.
"Though I've got to admit that was so cute of you. Probably why our mothers reacted like that," Jisoo said, making Seungcheol crack a little smile as he leaned more into Jisoo's touch.
"Yeah, I'm cute aren't I Shu?" Seungcheol asked Jisoo who rolled his eyes as he playfully, and very gently, pushed Seungcheol's head away from him making Seungcheol chuckle.
"So domestic," Jeonghan said with a fake gagging sound at the end. Jisoo rolled his eyes yet again at his best friend.
"You're too annoying today Hannie," Jisoo said, making Jeonghan smirk.
"What can I say? That's my forte since I was a child," Jeonghan said smugly to which Jisoo shook his head. His best friend really is something else.
"And little me wasn't lying when he said that you'll tease me until we're grandpas," Seungcheol chimed before starting to drift asleep. Jisoo's touch always makes him at ease as much as Jeonghan's teasing annoys him. It has always been like that ever since.
"It's fun being annoying you know? But fun aside, I need to go now, Wonwoo is waiting for me," Jeonghan said as he stood up from the couch.
"I hope Wonwoo dumps you," Seungcheol tells Jeonghan who just smirks.
"I hope Jisoo does not "married" you," Jeonghan retorts, making Jisoo roll his eyes again. It has become his habit.
"Take care Hannie!" Jisoo says and Seungcheol adds "Don't get run over by a car!" To which Jeonghan laughs at.
As soon as Jeonghan shuts the door, the whole apartment becomes silent. It was a comfortable silence as there's never an awkward silence between the two of them until Jisoo decides to ask a question.
"Why is Jeonghan awfully annoying today? He isn't that annoying usually," Jisoo says out of the blue, making Seungcheol tense up. This causes the former's eyebrows to furrow.
"He's usually that annoying," Seungcheol answered to which Jisoo shook his head.
"He isn't, the last time he brought up the proposal incident from preschool was when he needed something from you and that was way back in college," Jisoo pointed out making Seungcheol sit up. His body was so straight it's like the sleepiness left his body.
"He's probably a bit tense meeting up with Wonwoo that's why he made me his target, again." Jisoo nodded in agreement, maybe that is it. Seungcheol then stood up making Jisoo look at him, eyebrows crossed.
"Where are you going?"
"To bed, I want to sleep properly," Seungcheol answered. He rushed to his room and closed the lights, leaving his lamp open. He just sat on his bed when he saw Jisoo enter his room.
"Where are you going?" Seungcheol asked Jisoo who tilted his head.
"To bed?" Jisoo answered as he made his way to his usual spot, the left side of Seungcheol's bed. Seungcheol nodded as he snuggled into his covers and turned his back against Jisoo.
Jisoo noticed every weird thing Seungcheol did ever since Jeonghan left but he chose not to ask him directly. Knowing Seungcheol it would just make him even weirder.
"Jisoo?" Seungcheol called Jisoo who slithered his arm into his waist and nuzzled his nose into Seungcheol's back.
"Hmm?" Jisoo asked but Seungcheol said nothing. Jisoo could feel him tensed up and he could hear his heartbeat racing. Jisoo raised his eyebrows at the conclusion he made and hopefully he isn't just assuming this.
"You know, if you asked me that again I would still answer the same thing," Jisoo whispered, making Seungcheol glance at him.
"What?"
"If you asked me who I want to marry I'd still say you," Jisoo said, making Seungcheol smile bitterly.
"Don't say things like that," Seungcheol said, making Jisoo let go of him as he tried to look at Seungcheol's face.
"Why? What's wrong Cheollie?" Jisoo asked as Seungcheol turned to face him. Jisoo's eyes widened at their proximity that's why he moved to the opposite side a little bit.
"We're not kids anymore Shu. Marrying has a different meaning now. Don't joke about that especially now," Seungcheol said, making Jisoo's heart race.
"Especially now?" Jisoo asked, making Seungcheol look away. The cat is now out of the bag. Jisoo’s heart was filled with hope.
"Especially now what Cheol?" Jisoo asked him again, hoping to get the response he wanted. Seungcheol sighed before answering.
"Especially now that I love you," Seungcheol said, making heat rush to Jisoo's cheeks. Seungcheol widened his eyes when he realized what he said so he immediately turned his back on Jisoo.
'Stupid Seungcheol. Confessing like this? Ridiculous! No, it's Jeonghan's fault!' Seungcheol rambled in his head. He was feeling annoyed, shy, embarrassed and afraid all at the same time. Annoyed, he confessed in a weird way. Shy because Jisoo already knows about his secret. Embarrassed at their current predicament and afraid that his best friend since they were in diapers would leave him because of his feelings.
Silence enveloped them again but unlike their normal silence this was a super awkward one. They both refused to utter a word until Jisoo got a grasp of the situation. And then he broke the silence.
"I love you too," Jisoo told him. Seungcheol sighed because of Jisoo’s response.
"Not that way Shu. Not as a friend," Seungcheol said to which Jisoo smiled at.
"I know, so will you "married" me?" Jisoo asked in a playful manner, referencing what Seungcheol asked when they were children.
"You know, what?" Seungcheol asked as he turned to face Jisoo. The latter smiled as he held Seungcheol's cheek.
"I love you too, not as a friend. That's what I meant when I said that if you asked me now my answer would still be yes," Jisoo answered, making Seungcheol stunned. Jisoo loved him—what?
"Yah! Choi Seungcheol! Say something!" Jisoo said as Seungcheol started to grin like a teenage boy in love. Well, he is a boy in love just not a teenage one.
"I want to married Soo!" He imitated his younger self before pecking Jisoo in the lips. Jisoo rolled his eyes at him but not without a goofy smile appearing on his lips.