Chapter Text
The sun had barely risen when Donggyu arrived at the airport, the world outside still wrapped in sleep. Yet there he was — standing alone in the arrival hall, waiting for the flight from Shanghai to land on a cold December morning. Waiting for him.
Time crawled. He checked the clock again — 6:15 a.m. The flight was 15 minutes late. It wasn’t much; delays happened all the time. Still, unease coiled in his chest. Maybe it was just impatience, or maybe it was the ache of missing him — almost three long months apart, and now every second felt unbearable.
After F1are was announced to debut, the pre-debut members were granted four months to rest — time to be with family, go out with friends, or simply live the last traces of their normal lives before everything changed. It was generous, considering the administrative chaos between their individual companies. For now, they could breathe, free from the weight of endless evaluations and practice rooms.
But Donggyu didn’t want to rest. He wanted to debut already.
He’d had enough of the empty practice rooms, the stale air of his company’s basement studio, and the suffocating silence that came with uncertainty. Every day blurred into the next — training, rehearsing, waiting — all without the promise of ever stepping on stage. It was torture disguised as routine.
Now, though, things were different. The idea of debut no longer felt like a distant dream but something tangible, something his. He had a reason to push forward — people he looked forward to working with, people to love and be loved by.
Most importantly, he had Kaiwen.
Well, not now. Instead of having his boyfriend in his arms at the dorm, Donggyu was waiting—for what felt like forever—for him to come back from China.
Kaiwen had been impossibly busy ever since Boys2Planet ended. Right after the finals, he was already on the first flight to Beijing for his CEO’s concert. Then Shanghai for a fan meet—where Donggyu spent an entire hour on text complaining about the whole Masato thing. (“Kaiwen do you love me or Masato more” “Babe, please…”).
And as if that wasn’t enough, he went straight to Wuzhen for a filming schedule with some of his company’s artists. Donggyu pitied him. The man barely had a moment to breathe, much less reconnect with his family.
Donggyu also felt a little guilty. He’d been begging Kaiwen to come back to Korea right after his shoot, whining that he couldn’t stand another minute without him. It was supposed to be a joke—something playful he said out of missing him too much—but he quickly regretted it when Kaiwen, without even hesitating, agreed and went to ask his managers if he could leave that same night.
Panic set in instantly. Donggyu texted him nonstop, telling him to stay a few more days, to spend time with his family and friends instead. But Kaiwen only reassured him with that calm tone he always had, saying it was fine—that he missed him a lot too.
KE642 – Korean Air
From: Shanghai, China
Status: Arrived
Donggyu shot up from his seat the moment he saw it. His heart pounded as he rushed toward the arrival gates, eyes darting through the crowd spilling out from the doors. Dozens of unfamiliar faces passed him, but he was only looking for one—a tall man, 182 centimeters, light brown hair.
He was getting stares for how frantic he looked, but honestly? He couldn’t care less. He just needed to see his baby again.
A group of tall, broad-shouldered Chinese men and a few lady staff members with lanyards emerged from the arrival doors, forming a loose shield around someone in the middle. Then—there he was.
Their eyes met.
Donggyu’s heart skipped. He smiled and waved, and Kaiwen’s face immediately broke into that familiar toothy grin. He lifted one hand to wave back, the other still caught in his manager’s grip—clearly being stopped from giving fan service this early in the morning. Donggyu almost laughed. It was the crack of dawn; no one in their right mind would be at the airport at this hour to ask for selfies or autographs. Still, it was so Kaiwen to be that eager—to want to greet anyone who even looked his way.
He waited—barely breathing—as Kaiwen finally stepped past the gate. The moment he did, Donggyu pulled him straight into his arms, hugging him so tight it almost hurt. The warmth that had been missing from his life for the past five months was finally back, pressed against him, alive and real.
Kaiwen giggled softly against his shoulder, arms wrapping around him in return. Guess he wasn’t the only one who’d been counting the days.
🎄🎁❤️
“Kaiwen, baby, wake up—we’re here.” Donggyu’s voice was soft as he gave the sleeping man's shoulder a gentle shake. His heart ached watching him stir; part of him just wanted to carry Kaiwen straight to bed and let him sleep the whole day away.
Instead, he took Kaiwen’s hand and guided him inside, letting the managers deal with the luggage.
“Donggyu… ’m sleepy…” Kaiwen mumbled, voice slurred with exhaustion.
Donggyu chuckled quietly, his chest warming at the sound. “I know, sweetheart. You can sleep inside, but first you gotta get up”
As soon as they got in the house and in their shared room, he helped Kaiwen out of his coat, undoing buttons and pulling off layers until the younger man stood there looking small and heavy-lidded from fatigue. It was probably overboard—Kaiwen could handle it all himself—but Donggyu couldn’t bring himself to leave his side. The poor boy looked like he could collapse at any moment.
Once the managers dropped off the last of Kaiwen’s things and left, Donggyu ran a warm bath, the steam curling around them as the morning light filtered through the frosted window. He coaxed Kaiwen in, ignoring his sleepy protests, and climbed in after him.
“See? Warm,” Donggyu murmured, brushing damp hair away from Kaiwen’s forehead as he helped wash his back. Every now and then, he pressed a small kiss to his shoulder, gentle and fleeting—just to remind himself he was really here again.
For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. The dorm was quiet, the air filled with the faint sound of morning birds and the distant scent of falling snow.
Perfect.
By around 9 a.m., Kaiwen was fast asleep in Donggyu’s arms, sprawled across the couch where they were supposed to be watching a movie. Donggyu found himself far more interested in the small mole near Kaiwen’s right eye than the antics of the main character on the screen. His boyfriend’s cheek was pressed against his arm, using it as a pillow. His mouth was slightly open, and long bangs slipping over his eyes—he looked unbearably cute.
Donggyu’s hand, which had been resting on Kaiwen’s waist, reached up to gently push the bangs away, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. Kaiwen shifted closer, nuzzling into Donggyu’s chest, and Donggyu tightened his embrace, cupping the back of his head. Surrounded by warmth and the quiet rhythm of Kaiwen’s breathing, he let himself relax completely, content to stay just like this until the world woke up.
When he woke again, the room was suddenly alive with chatter and loud noises coming from all corners of the house—the kitchen, the TV, the bathroom. Donggyu, just roused from sleep, became hyper-aware of everything around him.
He tried to sit up, but something heavy pressed against his arms, holding him down and forcing him back into the couch.
Kaiwen’s cute, still-sleeping face was inches from his, soft snores rising despite the increasing noise around them. Donggyu couldn’t help but smile and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.
“Gross, Donggyu hyung!”
The voice made him lift his head. Woojin, cup of steaming tea in hand, was stepping out of the kitchen, glaring right at him. The living room was bustling with the rest of the group, back from their holiday, each doing their own thing. Donggyu blinked, realizing he had completely forgotten—the group had agreed to return to the dorm a month before debut, to bond and get used to the dorm atmosphere together.
“Looks like you guys had fun with the dorm all to yourselves,” Kangmin teased.
Suddenly very tired again, Donggyu let out a groan, dropping his head and closing his eyes. “Kaiwen just came back this morning… I was in the dorms alone for the whole two months…”
“Aww, was our Donggyu lonely? Did you miss us?” Leejeong cooed, heading over with puckered lips, aiming for a kiss. Donggyu turned his head into his arm—the one Kaiwen was resting on—blocking his attempt without a word.
The movement stirred Kaiwen awake. His eyes fluttered open, still half-sleepy, taking in the playful chaos around him.
“Hey, Kaiwonie~~ how was your flight?” Kangmin asked softly.
“Mm… so tired,” Kaiwen murmured, sitting up slowly, his voice still thick with sleep.
“Missed you guys though,” he added, and the group collectively cooed at his sleepy affection.
“Hey… you didn’t say you missed me when I saw you earlier,” Donggyu sulked softly.
“Gosh, Donggyu, he’s yours, we get it—but save some Kaiwen for the rest of us!” Haneum chimed in, and the room burst into laughter at the sheer cuteness of the couple.
Kaiwen yawned, leaning into Donggyu, who grumbled but wrapped an arm around him protectively, secretly loving the attention from the group despite pretending to be annoyed.
The day went on as usual. The group went out for hotpot, played games on the TV, and ended the night with a horror movie—Woojin hiding against Junmin’s shoulder at every jump scare.
🎄🎁❤️
As the night deepened, everyone dispersed to their own rooms, most already fast asleep.
Kaiwen stayed in bed, waiting for Donggyu to finish getting ready. His eyelids were heavy, and he struggled to keep them open. Finally, a small plea slipped out.
“Baobei… please hurry… I’m so sleepy…”
Donggyu paused, staring at his boyfriend. Even with his eyes half-closed, Kaiwen still seemed to be fighting sleep.
The nickname sent a warm tingle through him, a possessive flutter that made him feel like only he could hear it. He quickened his pace and slipped under the sheets, wrapping himself around Kaiwen. Listening to the steady rhythm of the other’s breathing, Donggyu couldn’t stop thinking about that little pet name. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, a small smile tugging at his lips as he dreamed of Kaiwen.