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The dawn was only just breaking on the horizon, and the house was still silent. The bay window reflected the first colors of the day onto the glass of the coffee table, gently illuminating the entire living room. A pair of eyelids trembled before revealing two brown irises still filled with sleep. The soft gaze wandered over the bodies sprawled on the blankets they had hastily piled up the night before between fits of laughter. A faint smile stretched his lips as he sat up, wrapping his blanket around his shoulders before heading to the kitchen to make himself some tea.
As he poured the boiling water into his cup, he felt his best friend rest his head on his shoulder.
- How do you feel ?
- Like it's the most important day of my life.
Wooyoung lifted his head toward him, his eyes reflecting his emotions with such intensity that Seonghwa had a hard time holding back his own tears.
- I still can't believe you're getting married, Wooyoung murmured, taking his hand in his.
- Neither do I, Seonghwa replied in the same tone, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
Today, he was getting married. Today, he would vow to be faithful, to love, to protect, and to support a man who had given him a life he never even dared to dream of. Today, Seonghwa would no longer be just his parents' child but also the husband of a wonderful man. Today, Seonghwa would begin to create his own family, under the watchful eyes of those who mattered most to him.
- Oh no no no, don't cry, Wooyoung exclaimed, wiping away the tears streaming from his friend's eyes with his sleeve.
- If you cry, I'll cry, Mingi added, hugging him from behind.
- No one's crying, we're all going to take a deep breath and have our last breakfast as an unmarried friend group since one of us decided to betray us, Yunho added, immediately busying himself in the cupboards, making the small group laugh.
Soon, the smell of pancakes filled the kitchen, and jars of jam were passed around amid conversations. Hearing the usual trivial arguments between Mingi and Wooyoung helped Seonghwa regain his composure. The time for tears had not yet come; there was still too much to do.
Breakfast was quickly cleared away, and the living room was tidied up to become a real dressing room. The carefully packed outfits lay on the couch, waiting for their owners to put them on. Wooyoung had set up his makeup station on the coffee table where he sat, applying a fine layer of makeup to Mingi's eyes. Yunho was taking a shower upstairs while Seonghwa had gone to check the final details with their wedding planner. He returned just in time to take Yunho's place in the shower.
After 30 minutes, wrapped in his bathrobe, Seonghwa left the room and headed to his bedroom, the one he hadn't even used, preferring an improvised pajama party in the living room with his best friends. On the bed, his outfit was already waiting for him. With a trembling hand, he brushed over the protective cover. It was happening. He was getting married.
Sitting in front of his mirror, he did his best to steady his trembling muscles as he applied his makeup. The tears came back several times, but he held them in.
Not yet. Soon.
With care, he removed the protective cover from his outfit. Slipping into it sent shivers down his spine, as if things were finally becoming real, more than they had been during months of ceremony discussions. The white trousers fit him perfectly at the waist, but Seonghwa knew it was the sheer embroidered top that highlighted his silhouette. The flowers and curves embraced his body like a second skin. He decided not to put on the long, train-like white coat just yet, to avoid getting it dirty. Instead, he carried it over his arm along with his shoes before heading back down to his friends.
In the meantime, his family had arrived. He could hear Wooyoung gushing over his little sister, who had surely grown even taller since the last time he saw her. The voices suddenly fell silent when he stepped onto the staircase. Seonghwa didn't dare lift his gaze until he reached the bottom, clutching his coat in apprehension.
Yunho was the first to react.
- Oh my god, you look stunning, Hwa, he breathed, without any hint of teasing, making Seonghwa's cheeks flush softly.
His mother quickly pulled him into an embrace, whispering how proud she was of him and how happy she was that he was getting married, bringing tears to his eyes. Wooyoung quickly separated them, playfully accusing his mother of ruining all his mental preparation to keep Seonghwa from crying, making her laugh.
After that, time moved too fast. Seonghwa was styled and perfumed, and before he knew it, they were leaving the house together for the ceremony venue. The journey wasn't long, but the nervousness was so overwhelming that they had to stop twice to let the groom take in some fresh air. Once there, Seonghwa was led to an adjacent room in the church, away from everyone's eyes. His family kissed him, and his friends surrounded him in a collective hug before the door closed. Taking a deep breath, he faced the mirror and slipped on his long coat. He looked majestic.
Tears welled up once more, but he forced himself to smile. This was the most beautiful day of his life, and he would smile as much as he could.
The music began, and he imagined his friends walking in one by one, tossing flowers toward their loved ones. He imagined Hongjoong’s groomsmen taking their places behind him, giving his shoulder one last squeeze for courage. A gentle knock on the door made him turn, his father peered in.
- Are you ready ?
Seonghwa nodded firmly. He was ready, more than he had ever been. At the doors, his father placed a reassuring hand over Seonghwa's on his bicep.
- You are the brightest star today, my son, and I am sure this boy will keep your flame burning as long as you let him.
And with that, the doors opened. The guests rose, watching the father and son walk slowly down the aisle, but Seonghwa saw only Hongjoong. Hongjoong, whose eyes brimmed with barely contained tears, but also with happiness and love. Hongjoong, who radiated in his navy-blue suit that complemented his blond hair. Hongjoong, who looked at Seonghwa as if he had never known what beauty was until he saw his fiancé walking toward him.
Seonghwa’s father stopped at the altar, taking his son's hand with nostalgia, kissing it before placing it in Hongjoong’s outstretched one.
- Kim Hongjoong, my son has chosen you to take care of him. I hope you will protect him as fiercely as I have all these years.
With a voice trembling with emotion but unwavering conviction, Hongjoong responded.
- I swear to protect and love your son until the end of my life and to dedicate my existence to making him happy, Mr. Park.
His father nodded, placed a kiss on his son's black hair, and went to join his wife in the front row. Seonghwa climbed the last steps, his hand in Hongjoong's steady grasp. His heart was so full that he doubted he could ever explain to anyone how wonderful this day was, how loved and protected he felt by everyone he cherished most.
- You're beautiful, Hwa, Hongjoong murmured before the priest took his place. Proposing to you was the best thing I’ve ever done.
Seonghwa didn’t have time to respond, but he knew he didn’t need to, Hongjoong already understood what he felt. This love so powerful it seemed to carry them away, this unique desire to unite in a way no one else would ever truly understand, this joy at the thought that each of their closest friends supported them in their new life.
The priest gave his speech and then invited the grooms to exchange rings. Hongjoong thanked Seonghwa’s little sister before turning his full attention to his soon-to-be husband. He let a moment pass, then locked eyes with Seonghwa, speaking directly to him, as if engraving each word onto his soul.
- I, Kim Hongjoong, take you, Park Seonghwa, as my husband. With this ring, I promise you my love until death do us part. With this ring, I swear to support you, even through the storms. With this ring, I vow to stand by your side despite the arguments, despite the disagreements, despite the passing of time, despite the chaos of the world outside. With this ring, Seonghwa, I promise to love you, cherish you, protect you, and make you proud. Through this marriage, I dedicate my life to your happiness and comfort and promise to make you happy as long as you will have me by your side.
Hongjoong gently slid the ring onto Seonghwa’s finger. The rings they had chosen were simple, smooth, thick enough, and made of white gold. They represented their relationship. They represented them, in love without artifice.
- I, Park Seonghwa, take you, Kim Hongjoong, as my husband. In sealing this marriage, I bind my fate to yours, I leave behind my family to create a new one with you, I leave behind a life of adventure to build a new one together. With this ring, I promise you my love, my loyalty, my shoulder to support you, and my arms to comfort you. With this ring, I declare to the world that I am yours, just as you are mine. I declare to the world that I have found the man I want to share my life with, even in old age. I declare to the world that I love you and that I will cherish you for as long as fate allows. With this ring, Hongjoong, I promise to dedicate my life to our happiness, to fight against the storms that try to pull us apart, and to never give up, even when everything seems lost.
Seonghwa slid the ring onto Hongjoong’s finger, and his hand carried the gold just as beautifully as Seonghwa’s.
- You may kiss the groom.
Hongjoong offered him a radiant smile before leaning in to kiss him, tears finally spilling from his eyes. Seonghwa let out a soft sob, mixed with the sound of his laughter, and pressed his lips to Hongjoong’s in return. This kiss was different from any he had ever known, raw with emotion, sweet in its essence, filled with promises for the future. Their foreheads met, eyes still closed, as they listened to the cheers and applause echoing between the walls Seonghwa had always dreamed of walking through.
He cradled Hongjoong’s cheeks in his hands, never pulling away.
- I love you so much, Park Hongjoong.
Hongjoong’s body shuddered as his tears fell even harder, drowning his smile and his adoring gaze.
- I love you just as much, Park Seonghwa. I could never have dreamed of a better husband, he whispered, meant only for the two of them.
Eventually, they parted. As they walked down the aisle together, Seonghwa glanced at his parents. The pride and love in their eyes filled his already overflowing heart. His friends were crying too, but their smiles had never shone so brightly, and Seonghwa couldn’t help but give them the biggest smile he could muster in return. Then, arm in arm with Hongjoong, he walked down the aisle, surrounded by applause and cheers.
Their whole family was there. For him. For them.
When he turned to look at Hongjoong, he found his husband already gazing at him with those beautiful eyes Seonghwa had fallen in love with. Then, a shower of petals rained down on them, and Seonghwa burst into joyful laughter. Hongjoong soon joined him, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward their car amid the cheers of the crowd.
Once inside, they saw their guests rushing to their own cars to follow them, but they didn’t wait. In fact, they had somewhere else to go first.
Hongjoong drove them to a small clearing on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Gently, he took Seonghwa’s hand in his own and pulled him forward, running toward the edge. A few meters from the brink, he turned and lifted Seonghwa into his arms, making him laugh once more. Holding his gaze, he asked a question.
- Park Seonghwa, would you grant me this dance in the very place where we first met ?
- With pleasure.
And so, Hongjoong spun Seonghwa around in the clearing, with only the car radio as their speaker and the sea as their only witness. Seonghwa had long since abandoned his jacket, as had Hongjoong. The salty ocean breeze kissed their skin, but nothing else mattered except them.
In one final movement, Hongjoong pulled Seonghwa against him and kissed him; deeply, the way he had wanted to since the moment he saw him standing in that doorway. Seonghwa pulled him even closer, returning the kiss, his hands threading through Hongjoong’s hair, brushing against his neck, cradling his cheeks, as if he could never be close enough.
Breathless, they pulled apart, and Hongjoong pressed a kiss to Seonghwa’s forehead.
- I make this vow, here in the place we cherish, that I will love only you, in this life and the ones to come. There will never be anyone else.
Seonghwa smiled.
- And I vow to wait for you in every life after this one, to never stop believing in us. I promise there will never be anyone else, because I love you, and a life without you isn’t a life worth living. I love you, Park Hongjoong.