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The rain that violently washed the Earth they stepped their foot on brought nothing but a soothing vibe to Seonghwa. Spending his free time doing nothing in the middle of the rain, comfortably lying himself down on the warm seat at the back of his boyfriend's car while listening to whatever the radio was playing is something he does not get a chance to do oftentimes. While his boyfriend was running unnecessary errands — forced Seonghwa to wait in the car for a surprise — he took his short time to do whatever he pleased. So he did it.
Ethel Cain was playing softly from the radio's speaker when Seonghwa heard a click sound from the driver's door. He tilted his head up when he saw a drenched Hongjoong with a paper bag secured under his long beige coloured jacket; Seonghwa smiled when he saw Hongjoong still wearing one of his gifts. He also smiled when Hongjoong let out a soft giggle despite his whole self was far from composed and neat. His hair was a mess, yet Seonghwa think that he looks hot with such a look.
“Hi.”
“Hi, love,” Hongjoong greeted back, his voice was warm despite the coldness he felt.
“You didn't bring your umbrella? I thought I told you today's gonna rain, stupid,” such a phrase that could stir an annoyance was pronounced in a gentle tone, caused Hongjoong to suppress an airy chuckle.
“Yeah, you did,” he replied rather softly, which made Seonghwa's already tugged heartstrings flutter. Seonghwa hummed as Hongjoong pulled out something from a paper bag — that were very likely affected due to the rain.
“What did you get?”
Hongjoong spared a millisecond glance before broke out into one of the brightest grin Seonghwa has ever seen besides him finishing one of the songs that he produced for six months. “It's something silly, really. Nothing interesting,” but the tone that Seonghwa interpreted in his mind was indicating the opposite.
“Joong, don't lie to me. You know I hate that when you lie,” Seonghwa sensed his tone was a little bit more sour than he intended, but Hongjoong's grin didn't fade away. Instead the grin turned into an ear to ear smile with his eyes gleamed brightly despite the grayish colour Seonghwa's eyesight received.
“I'm not. It's silly, really!” Hongjoong defended himself when he pulled out a mermaid plushie, with a blue fluffy hair with pink tinges on the roots, big eyes that sparkled with smile that somehow resembled Seonghwa and a tail that were coloured in dark blue and purple on it's fins.
Fortunately, the doll was covered by a plastic box and didn't get drenched by the rain. It was in a perfect condition much to Seonghwa's liking. Yet, he doesn't expect a mermaid doll to come out from the paper bag. He inspected something more of like cheap jewelleries that could be worn as a couple matchups and something that resembled Seonghwa in a more of Hongjoong's liking. It made Seonghwa thought that there was something else about the purchased mermaid doll that made his uneasily impressed boyfriend to buy.
He suddenly remembered of his friend, San who was into these type of plushies. Maybe Hongjoong was a bit influenced by him, Seonghwa thought.
“What-”
“I know it's silly! I bought it because.. because it reminds me of you,” Hongjoong whispered, sounded like he was embarrassed for buying such a thing. It made Seonghwa slapping himself internally when he realized he just made his boyfriend into his overthinking zone again.
“It's.. it's not. I.. I like it, really,” Seonghwa sat up, his dainty fingers reached out towards the doll. “It made me feel like.. I'm loved,” he added, took the box from Hongjoong's loosened hold and opened it.
Seonghwa gently took out the doll as if it was his child, cradled it to his arms and admire the neat sewing pattern he could trace easily with the tip of his finger. He looked at Hongjoong with nothing but love, upgraded from somewhat a silly crush that dumb him down. “I like it — no — I love it! I love you!” Seonghwa confessed, hugged the doll with glassy eyes; didn't care if Hongjoong's expression changed into a category named worried.
“Hwa-”
“I love you, I love you so so much. I wish we have two dolls that resembles us like this mermaid. I wish I was this romantic to buy something so common yet so significant like this. I wish you are mine, and only mine, unattainable to every one every night, when you hold me close, when you kiss me — especially our first kiss — and.. and.. oh God, I love you Kim Hongjoong I don't even know what to say next,” Seonghwa rambled which made Hongjoong's clueless expression softened as he watched his boyfriend — no, he preferred to call him his lover now — unconsciously confessed to him.
“Hwa,” Hongjoong cupped his lover's puffed cheeks, directly staring into the mirror of his soul. Despite the gloomy weather and rain covered his car's window, he swore he could see the same sparkles he saw on the mermaid doll twinkled in Seonghwa's teary eyes.
“I love you too, Park Seonghwa. I don't know how to process the words spontaneously and that's why I was indirectly confessed to you by the song I wrote few years ago — but I know that you stole my heart it's left nothing but a void for everyone to take for granted. Seonghwa, Seonghwa, my Seonghwa,” he paused when he arched his back towards Seonghwa to plant a gentle kiss on his lover's soft red lips.
“You are lovable. Everyone knows that. I know that,” he whispered softly on Seonghwa's lips. A lips that reminded him of home. A home that made him feel belonged.
Seonghwa let out a breathy chuckle despite his post-cry face. “I don't know that we're both a sap,” he said. “We confessed we're loving each other more than just boyfriends in the middle of the rain as well. Sounds like a cliché rom-com to me,” Seonghwa added, he felt hot built up in his cheeks and he knew Hongjoong tried so hard to not kiss him back. He was blushing. Furiously, he may add.
“A rom-com that I voluntarily watch with you. Perhaps with a popcorn and you sitting on my lap, on the couch under the same rain. I'll play with your hair, half of my attention divided from the TV and you. I've been fantasizing it, really,” Hongjoong admitted rather shyly, his fingers ran through Seonghwa's fluff of hair.
Seonghwa was left with nothing but an intention of cherishing the man right in front of his naked eyes with the sincerest love he has. Before he met Hongjoong — or learned how to fall in love in the most hopeless romantic way as possible — he received so many comments that people has fantasizing him in a more questionable way and full of dirty thoughts. Don't get him wrong, he was not a virgin but the way Hongjoong rarely fantasized him in the most unrealistic and lewdness as possible really took a toll in his heart. Every love makings they made was rather soft and gentle, he loved when Hongjoong himself preferred to take things slow and held him as if he was made from porcelain; every time their bodies became a fitted Tetris Seonghwa felt nothing but overflows of love.
The way Hongjoong fantasized a mundane act of a daily life and romanticising it made him felt Hongjoong was unreal. Perhaps, this was an idea of love Seonghwa has been looking for. Hongjoong was a perfect man to fit such a mindset and Seonghwa wouldn't want it any other way.
“I love it when you think of me.”
Hongjoong nodded in agreement, even if Seonghwa doesn't even know what the hell did Hongjoong has gotten himself agree to.
He pushed his driver's seat downward so that he could lie down as well, letting the radio blasted Gracie Abrams rather loudly in his car with the rain kept continuing pouring outside. Seonghwa didn't say it out loud, but he loved this. A comfortable silence that accompany them with perhaps, one of Seonghwa's favourite playlist played from the stereo speakers and rain. A rain that somehow brought a subtle blessing to his life.
“Hwa.”
He hummed rather quietly as a response.
“When we'll be married,” four words that brought deeper meanings under the surface shocked Seonghwa to his core. He was sure that his features were coloured red at this point, but Hongjoong didn't realized that. He just kept continuing his rambling.
“I want to declare the love on the meadow under the big lemon tree. I want to dress the best version of me, to impress you. I want to invite our friends and our family members, I'm okay with that. We don't have to hold a grand wedding, just a small one under the sun. I imagined you wearing a flower crown, with a flower ring that I make, hopefully someday soon. You'll look lovely as always, 'cause I know my imagination never did you justice. I want nothing but an intimate ceremony for us. Just you and me, our closest relatives and friends. That'll be enough because you will be there anyway,” Hongjoong looked up to a flushed Seonghwa, eyes widened as his ring finger stood up rather proudly, obvious.
“You said when, not if,” Seonghwa whispered.
“What? You.. you don't want to marry me?” Hongjoong questioned, probably questioned Seonghwa's already extinct sanity of mind.
Seonghwa flinched at such a question.
“No! Of course not! I.. I want to marry you! I want to love you eternally if I could! It's just.. the way you pictured everything is so.. make me believe that I'm somewhat a flawless figure in your eyes,” Seonghwa mumbled; his voice was barely above the whisper yet Hongjoong heard it rather clear as crystal.
“Everyone have their own flaws, I know. But you made me such a sap and romantic, how could I think of you other way? You made me want to confess to you again like Mr. Darcy did to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.”
Seonghwa shook his head in amusement. He didn't know that Hongjoong knew at least few things about his cousin's favourite book and movie — not that he complained. He'd grown accustomed to love Austen's most well known work too.
“You don't want to? You don't want to hear me say ‘You'll have bewitched me’”, before Hongjoong could've continue his sentence, Seonghwa has erupting a big laughter. “Oh my God, Joong stop it!”
“Stop at what, Hwa? That you have bewitched me body and soul?”
He laughed again, this time in a more endearing way.
“And I love”.
One peck on Seonghwa's right cheek, which made his laughter slowed down into a giggle instead.
“I love.”
Another peck on Seonghwa's left cheek.
“I love you".
Hongjoong looked up to him, his hand already cradle Seonghwa's jawline and caress it. “I'll never wish to be apart from you from this day on.”
With that, both of them slowly leaned into one perfect kiss. The kiss was slow, as usual when they latched their lips into one — yet there was something more beneath it. Both of them felt another kind of love born, a new spark of fireworks blasted in their chests. Seonghwa almost teared up at that thought, he didn't know he romanticised his relationship in a way that was so addictive, so full yet he couldn't get enough of. Hongjoong licked his lover's bottom lips, which made Seonghwa let out a soft whine before his lover deepened the kiss.
When both of them parted, the rain was gone and replaced by the sun coincidentally shone right on Seonghwa's left side — casted the light onto his illuminated features that made Hongjoong fallen to his knees once — he would've love to do it again. He brushed the tip of his nose against his, eyes closed in drowsiness when they basked more into a sense of warmth and comfort they have created for all these years they've spent together.
Seonghwa and Hongjoong didn't want to trade anything for what they have. They were perfectly, incandescently euphoric in their shared lives.