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Kim Gyuvin was what people would call a swiftie.
He wasn't ashamed of it. So what if he liked Taylor Swift songs? They were all good songs; he didn't care if people thought it was cool to hate her or something like that. Gyuvin knew he was gone the first time he heard Enchanted and hummed that song all day. It was such a good song, and he couldn’t stop listening to it for a few days.
He learned that her fans were called swifties, and he kind of liked the name. Gyuvin met some of them online, mostly talking on Twitter and sharing song recommendations. He also laughed at some of them, watching them fighting over things that happened years ago, and even she probably doesn’t remember it anymore.
It turned out it was something Gyuvin really enjoyed, and he even made some friends because of Taylor Swift's songs.
Some friends of his made fun of him because of her, and Gyuvin already expected them to. Gunwook wouldn't miss the chance, and Matthew laughed like it was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard. The thing was, Gyuvin didn't care. They all had guilty pleasures, and he didn't feel guilty at all. Let them say what they want; Gyuvin would just shake it off.
But more important than the friends making fun of him was what would be his boyfriend's reaction.
Ricky wasn’t a pop music fan, and Gyuvin always knew about it. He liked his indie records — and he couldn’t stand Gyuvin singing some indie records much cooler than mine every damn time he talked about it — but, most of the time, he was open-minded to some new songs Gyuvin would introduce him to. And obviously, at the peak of his newly founded obsession, Gyuvin would introduce him to Taylor Swift.
He started safe, sending Ricky some songs from Folklore and Evermore because it was more of his style. Ricky liked it, even sending him compliments about the songs' storyline. Then Gyuvin continued, sending Ricky her older albums, always double-checking if he was linking him to Taylor’s version. He was a swiftie after all, he knew the importance of Taylor’s version, and he would make sure Ricky also knew about it.
They continued with this process for a few weeks until Gyuvin sent Ricky the last album — he left his favorite to be the last, so Speak Now was his choice — and waited patiently for his boyfriend’s opinion. It would be awesome if he could just send Ricky some Taylor’s lyrics, and Ricky would understand what he meant in the blink of an eye. Gyuvin couldn’t wait.
Ultimately, Ricky liked some albums, disliked others, and wasn't exactly a fan. But Ricky liked Gyuvin, and if learning a few lyrics would make his boyfriend happy and make his puppy eyes shine, then Ricky would do it.
Gyuvin knew he had won when Ricky posted a photo of them with some Lover lyrics as the caption, and he didn’t even like the Lover album.
Life went on that way, with Gyuvin occasionally commenting to his friends about a new song he was obsessed with, his friends would make some witty comment, and Ricky would let him talk as much as he liked. Gyuvin was okay with things like that.
That Wednesday was supposed to be a usual day. Neither he nor Ricky had classes that afternoon, so they agreed to watch something together so they could have some time with each other. It was Gyuvin’s time to choose what they would watch; Ricky wasn’t even surprised when Gyuvin picked Miss Americana on Netflix.
“Seriously,” he said, sitting on the sofa and opening his arms so that Gyuvin could lie down and use his body as a pillow, “do you ever get tired of it?”
“Why would I?” Gyuvin retorted, his neck in a weird position so he could see Ricky while lying on his chest. “It’s a great movie. You like it too.”
“I liked the first time we saw it. I tolerated the next five times,” Ricky corrected him. “At this point, I’m just here as a body pillow.”
“So be a good body pillow and let me watch the movie, would you?” Gyuvin said with a little smile, and if Ricky didn’t like that smile so much, he would probably punch him for the audacity.
They started watching the movie, and Gyuvin was so absorbed in what he already knew that Ricky didn't have the heart to interrupt him. He always complained about being forced to watch these things over and over with his boyfriend, but he always thought that Gyuvin was cuter when interacting with something he loved. So, would Ricky want to watch anything other than Taylor's documentary? Yes. But would Ricky say that to Gyuvin, knowing his boyfriend would comply because he’d do anything to make Ricky happy? Not at all.
Gyuvin shifted on the sofa, his face now nestled in the crook of Ricky's neck and one arm draped over his boyfriend's stomach. It was so comfortable having Gyuvin’s body heat moving into his own that Ricky almost fell asleep. However, he was a man on a mission, and he called Gyuvin because he had a surprise for him. Maybe now was the best time to show him.
“Gyuvin, can you pause for a minute?”
“Does it have to be now?” Gyuvin asked in response, not even looking at Ricky. "This is the best part."
“Yeah, it needs to be now because I want to delude myself into thinking you prioritize me over Taylor Swift,” Ricky said in the same snarky tone he knew made Gyuvin roll his eyes.
Begrudgingly, Gyuvin picked up the remote and paused the movie. He got up, leaving Ricky free to move around on the couch; Gyuvin kept staring at him silently, waiting for what was so important. Ricky almost wanted to say that he didn't have any surprise, but luckily for Gyuvin, he loved him too much for that. So, instead of sullying that pretty little face and taking the pout out of his lips, Ricky put his hand in his pocket, ready for the big moment.
“I think you’ve made it quite clear that you are in your swiftie phase,” Ricky started, almost pausing so Gyuvin could mutter to himself that it’s not a phase. “And your birthday is coming up. So, I had an idea."
“Am I going to like what you’ll tell me?” Gyuvin asked, narrowing his eyes while looking at Ricky suspiciously. “I have a feeling I won’t.”
Ricky rolled his eyes, wondering why he still tries to do something cute for Gyuvin sometimes. “Well, if you don’t want what I have for you, I’m pretty sure I can find someone who would,” he shrugged. “I meant, it was pretty hard to get these tickets, you know? I heard it’s sold out everywhere .”
Now Ricky could see that he had caught Gyuvin's attention, his puppy eyes looking at him as if Ricky held the world in his own hands. He was even cuter like this, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open where no words came out. Ricky tasted victory.
“What do you mean tickets?” Gyuvin asked, just to be sure. “Kim Ricky, don’t you dare fuck with me now.”
One thing Gyuvin didn't need to know was the fact that Ricky still got flustered every time Gyuvin called him Kim Ricky, even though it's been months since the first time and everyone is used to it, not even asking why Kim and not Shen. To avoid any chance that Gyuvin would notice the slight blush on his cheeks, Ricky took the tickets out of his pocket, showing Gyuvin what had been his secret for weeks.
And Gyuvin’s reaction was priceless.
“NO, YOU DIDN'T,” shouted Gyuvin, jumping from the sofa. Then, when he realized he was too far away from the tickets, he walked back in, sitting so close to Ricky that their knees were touching. “How? When? Where? Ricky! It has been sold out for weeks! ”
“It was hard, so I'd like a thank you, please,” Ricky said, but he was smiling because Gyuvin was happy. “I got help from our friends. We all opened the site to see which of us could get it first.”
“So that's why no one bothered to try to help me when I asked,” Gyuvin realized. “Makes sense now.”
“Sorry if we made you think we don't care for you, Qubing,” Ricky grinned, grabbing Gyuvin's hand on his thigh. “But we made it, right? I've been trying to keep it from you since we bought it, but now that the show is coming up, it's finally time to show you.”
“When is the show?” Gyuvin wanted to know.
Ricky looked at the tickets, just to be sure. “It’s in four days.”
For a moment, he was worried if Gyuvin was feeling all right because he didn't say a word after learning the concert date. Then he realized that there was no reason for him to be worried, because Gyuvin flashed his biggest smile before jumping on top of Ricky, hugging him around the neck, and catching him completely by surprise. Gyuvin was laughing in his ear, Ricky's favorite sound, and it made Ricky laugh a little too.
“You are the best boyfriend ever,” Gyuvin said in his ear, his lips touching Ricky’s skin as if it was a feather, and making Ricky shiver. “I can’t wait to share this moment with you.”
And at that moment, with Gyuvin still hugging him and the pair of tickets in Ricky's hand, Ricky wondered if it was too cliché that the first thing that came to his mind was I had the time of my life, fighting dragons with you.
X
“Do we really need to do this?” Ricky asked for the nth time in the last five minutes. “I feel a bit ridiculous.”
“You’re so gorgeous,” Gyuvin replied, looking at his boyfriend as if he just told him the most absurd lie he had ever heard. “Besides, Reputation is your era. Nothing would fit you better.”
“I’m not talking about me,” Ricky corrected him, looking at Gyuvin from head to toe. Ricky wore tight black jeans and a black silk shirt in one of his usual outfits. He was also wearing his favorite jewelry, his ears full of earrings and the ring Gyuvin had given him for their anniversary. Ricky was so gorgeous that sometimes he made Gyuvin mad. “I’m talking about you. Do we really need to do this?”
Gyuvin was outraged. What was Ricky trying to say by looking at him like Gyuvin was something he'd never seen? He rechecked himself, feeling proud of what he could get on such short notice. Finding a suit in the exact way Gyuvin imagined wasn't easy, but he was a persistent guy. If he wanted the perfect white suit for a wedding, then that was what he would get, in one way or another.
"There's nothing wrong with me, what do you mean?" Gyuvin held his head high, determined not to give Ricky what he wanted.
Ricky shrugged. “I just don’t get why you need to come to a show looking like you’re going to a wedding,” he said. “It doesn’t seem comfortable, that is.”
“Because my favorite era is Speak Now!” Gyuvin explained, his face lighting up just starting to talk about his favorite era. “And she’s not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion, remember?”
“I don’t see any veil,” Ricky teased him. “Then shouldn’t you come wearing a wedding dress instead of a suit?”
“I've thought about it, not gonna lie,” Gyuvin said, and even though he was laughing, Ricky knew him well enough to know he wasn't joking. “But you're right about this kind of clothing being uncomfortable. I wanted to enjoy the show and couldn't do it in a wedding dress. I don't know how women can even walk in those things.”
“I’m not even surprised knowing you’ve tried a wedding dress for this show.”
“You know what they say,” Gyuvin shrugged, not looking the least bit ashamed. “The better you dress for the show, the higher the chances to get yourself in a T-party.”
Ricky rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything else. He’d never tell Gyuvin directly, but he was also gorgeous in that suit. Ricky had always known that white was the color for Gyuvin, but that suit was also flattering him, hugging his body in all the right places. Gyuvin had spent more time than necessary styling his hair for the show — only to soon have it stuck to his forehead with sweat — and Ricky might even get jealous of all the attention if he hadn't known in the end that he was benefiting from all that effort.
Besides, that suit fit Ricky’s plan perfectly. Gyuvin barely had a clue.
“What are you smiling about?” Gyuvin asked, snapping Ricky out of his thoughts. He had a curious look on his face, tilting his head like a confused puppy.
“It’s nothing,” Ricky dismissed, choosing to change the subject before Gyuvin could suspect something. “Are you excited? The show is in two hours.”
"Are you kidding me?" Gyuvin laughed, forgetting about everything but the show. “This is the best day of my life. I can’t wait. I’m barely standing still right now.”
Ricky noticed that, in fact, Gyuvin was dancing lightly in his place, doing little jumps around out of sheer excitement. He was acting exactly like an excited puppy, and Ricky couldn't think of anything other than how adorable Gyuvin was that way. He could be pretty irritating about everything he ended up obsessing over and making Ricky hear about it for hours, but Ricky would gladly do it for reactions like that.
“And here I was thinking that was the day I accepted your dating proposal,” Ricky teased him. “How could I? She’s Taylor Swift .”
“And you’re Shen Ricky,” Gyuvin bumped his shoulder into Ricky’s, smiling brightly because he knew Ricky was trying to get under his skin. “You’re the only one of you.”
Ricky laughed. “It’s just impossible to talk to you without a reference to one of her songs, I swear to God."
Gyuvin also laughed, feeling somewhat proud as if it were a compliment. “And you love me exactly like I am.”
“I do, unfortunately,” Ricky smiled, bringing Gyuvin closer to his body, hugging him around the waist. Gyuvin followed the movement, resting his hands on Ricky's shoulders.
He was still smiling so beautifully, so right at Ricky. “Thanks again for coming with me,” he whispered against Ricky's lips, brushing his lips against Ricky's with each word. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d want by my side.”
Ricky kissed him because Gyuvin was always better with words between them, probably stealing some lyrics from his favorite songs to make Ricky flustered. But Ricky always knew how to make Gyuvin melt in his arms, kissing him the right way, savoring the little gasps that escaped Gyuvin's lips. Kim Gyuvin belonged with him, and Ricky always knew how to read him like a map.
When they broke the kiss, Ricky could see Gyuvin’s smile even with his eyes closed.
Gyuvin was staring at him, still with his arms embracing Ricky’s neck and smiling fondly. Ricky couldn’t help but do the same, and for a while, they kept looking at each other still with his faces so close to each other and sharing little smiles.
“I love when you smile like this,” Gyuvin said. “You should smile more, Ricky.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Gyuvin repeated. “Because I see sparks fly whenever you smile.”
He should’ve known it was too good to be true. Gyuvin was laughing now, throwing his head back like a child, like he'd pulled the best prank in the world, and yet Ricky could only feel his chest warm in affection. How was it possible that he loved someone so much who had no social tact?
“You are impossible, ” Ricky rolled his eyes, but he was smiling the whole time. “How can you break the mood like that? I don't want to hear from you until the show starts."
Gyuvin resisted the urge to talk for five minutes until he found someone handing out friendship bracelets and convinced Ricky that it was essential they had theirs, but Ricky didn't expect him to be able to keep quiet anyway.
X
Ricky must admit that he hasn't seen Gyuvin this happy in a while.
He hasn’t stopped talking since the friendship bracelets. He talked about Ricky’s options, the best ones for his outfit, and how they should also match theirs because they’re a couple. Ricky tried to argue that it was friendship bracelets, but it didn’t stop Gyuvin from putting on his wrist a cute black and white one. Ricky would never tell Gyuvin that he secretly liked it.
When they were allowed into the stadium, Gyuvin was ten times more excited than before, and Ricky didn’t even think it was possible. They went to their seats, very good ones for such a competitive show, where Gyuvin would have a great view of the stage. It was perfect, and now they only needed to wait for the show to start.
Easier said than done because Gyuvin couldn’t be still for the life of him.
“What surprise songs do you think she’s going to sing?” Gyuvin asked. “I want it to be Champagne problems so bad.”
“Isn’t this one of the sad songs?” Ricky asked. “It doesn’t suit you.”
“It’s not sad! It’s about knowing yourself well enough to understand that sometimes you’re not the right person for the love of your life, and love is also about setting this person free.”
It wasn't like Gyuvin to say things like that, but Ricky loved him a little more when he realized the size of his boyfriend's heart when he had that understanding about a sad song.
It took another thirty minutes for the stadium to fill, and they watched the show begin, with the special effects on stage lighting up each spectator's face. Gyuvin had his own light at that moment, and Ricky could only look at it.
Ricky had to remember that he was a man on a mission, and he couldn't let himself be so distracted by Gyuvin, no matter how pretty he was as he smiled like that while watching his favorite singer. So, he took mental notes, trying to remember how the setlist worked at other shows on that tour. Taylor wasn't helping him at all with the surprise songs, but Ricky knew the moment needed would come.
He let Gyuvin enjoy his moment, singing his lungs out with people he never met before but acted as if they were his childhood friends. Ricky also enjoyed the show, singing one song or another that remembered the lyrics — Gyuvin looked at him as if Ricky had just gotten him the best gift possible. It was a good show, and Ricky would do it over again if it meant seeing Gyuvin as happy as he was now.
But Ricky was a man on a mission. He knew his moment was about to come; he needed to be prepared.
And when the moment came, Ricky felt in his pockets, finding the velvet box he put there in the morning. Gyuvin had fallen for his excuse that it was just his earbuds’ box and hadn't mentioned anything else, especially because his head was full of that show. Ricky had been thinking about this moment for some time and knew there would be no better chance to do it than this show.
He heard some gasps around them because some girls already noticed what he was about to do — he should’ve known it wasn’t exactly an original idea — but Gyuvin kept singing, oblivious to what was happening around him. Most of the time, Ricky would find Gyuvin's habit of being oblivious to everything a little irritating, but, at that moment, it was all Ricky needed to calm down a little. He would do it. He could do it.
Taylor Swift was singing the song he waited for the whole night. And when she sang, “Is this in my head I don’t know what to think” , Ricky knew his cue. So, he kneeled to the ground and pulled out a ring. The screams got especially louder, and Ricky could see the flash of cameras aimed at him, but nothing was louder than the sound of his heart, the blood pulsing in his ears. He was doing it.
However, Gyuvin wasn’t looking at him.
Gyuvin kept looking at the stage, singing Love Story as if nothing was happening around him, even as two or three girls nudged him, trying to get his attention. He just dismissed them, probably thinking he was just being too loud, but he loved that song and would sing it until the end.
Or until Ricky’s patience runs out.
“Kim Gyuvin, you better look at me right now!”
Gyuvin noticed the moment Ricky shouted his name, a note of irritation permeating his voice that made him think maybe he should look. He didn't want to miss any part of the song, but Ricky was pulling his hand, so Gyuvin had no choice but to comply. And Gyuvin looked at Ricky, his eyes widened, and his mouth was open, with no words coming out of it.
His boyfriend was kneeling next to him, with a velvet box open and facing him. And even though Gyuvin could see irritation in Ricky’s face, he got emotional.
“Oh my God, you didn’t,” Gyuvin said.
“Marry me, Gyuvin, you’ll never have to be alone,” Ricky sang, even when the song was about to end. “I love you and that’s all I really know. It’s a love story, baby, just say yes.”
Gyuvin couldn't believe what he was seeing. He felt tears building up in his eyes. He never imagined Ricky could do something like this; of course, he knew how much Ricky loved him, but marriage. And he remembered how Gyuvin mentioned how romantic he thought all the marriage proposals were during Love Story and planned it all. He never loved Ricky more.
“Oh my God, Ricky,” Gyuvin chuckled, kneeling in front of his boyfriend, “yes? Yes, of course! I love you.”
Ricky also smiled, taking the ring out of the box. Gyuvin didn’t fail to notice it wasn’t a regular ring. It was a paper ring. “You remembered,” Gyuvin whispered. “Paper rings.”
“I know you. I knew you'd be shaking so much that we'd probably lose the ring trying to put it on your finger,” Ricky said with a mocking smile. Gyuvin couldn't tell he was wrong; he was, in fact, shaking. When the paper ring was in its rightful place, Ricky took Gyuvin’s hand next to his face, placing a kiss on his finger. “But you know what? I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings.”
“Darling, you’re the one that I want,” Gyuvin whispered back.
Ricky smiled at him, and suddenly, Gyuvin didn't care about the show anymore. Taylor was singing her next song; people around them were already focused on the show again, but all Gyuvin could see was Shen Ricky. All he could see was the paper ring and all the possibilities of a future with his boyfriend. And he loved each one of them.
He loved Ricky.
“Can we always be this close, forever and ever?” Gyuvin sang. Taylor wasn't singing Lover, but it didn't matter, and Ricky knew it too. "You're my lover ."
Ricky didn't answer him, but the way he kissed him was answering enough. He felt Ricky's smile on his lips, his warmth through the arms around him. It wasn’t his plan to get engaged at a Taylor Swift’s show, but what could he say? No?
It’s a love story, baby, and Gyuvin said yes.