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"I need all the time I have and a thousand times more than all the time I have and, most of all, I'd like to have all the time there is just for you, for thinking about you, for breathing in you."
Franz Kafka, Letters to Milena.
Hongjoong still eats with his eyes first.
He can't help it. Somehow not loving Seonghwa in silence anymore has made him more greedy. The creature inside his chest now tamed but still clawing at its boned cage every time Seonghwa so much as smiles at Hongjoong or tells him i love you.
Hongjoong has never known how not to be a starving man when it comes to Seonghwa, he's not sure if he even wants to. He's still content with looking at him just as he is content with getting to hold him to sleep and waking up to Seonghwa gently carding his fingers through Hongjoong's sleep mussed hair the first thing in the morning when he gets up for school.
No matter how much Seonghwa kisses him, it is somehow never enough; no matter how many smiles Seonghwa graces Hongjoong with, they are never enough; no matter how many times Seonghwa tells him i love you, it's never enough. Hongjoong is always greedy for more more more more more.
But one thing Hongjoong has learned about Seonghwa over the three—almost four—years they have been married, it is that Seonghwa is just as greedy for Hongjoong as Hongjoong is for him.
While Hongjoong's greed is silent, Seonghwa's greed is loud, making its presence known every time it appears. While Hongjoong tries to restrain it, Seonghwa lets it free—letting it sink its teeth into Hongjoong who is a willing victim.
Hongjoong responds to Seonghwa's greed in kind, matching it with the same kind of intensity that fuels it.
Hongjoong matches Seonghwa for every kiss he gives him in public, every touch he bestows upon him in the quiet of their bedroom, every hushed i love you whispered against his lips before they fall asleep, every goodbye peck that he gives Hongjoong in the warmth of his car, every i love you shouted from the entrance of his workplace as Hongjoong makes his way back to the car to leave.
Seonghwa's greed makes Hongjoong's love for him louder, something that he is proud of, something that he wants everyone to know, something that deserves to be shown, something that doesn't deserve to be hidden in the crevices of Hongjoong's heart where every tissue is soaked in i love yous.
The apartment is quiet when Hongjoong gets home from the studio. As someone who lived with his husband and a cat it was out of the ordinary for him. But Seonghwa had told him that he would be home early. They had decided to set up the Christmas tree together as had become a custom for them ever since they got married.
He wonders if there was some change in plan when he sees Seonghwa's shoes neatly lined up beside his and his big padding jacket thrown on the couch arm. Hongjoong picks up Seonghwa’s jacket and hangs it up on the stand along with his own and then he’s on his way to look for Seonghwa.
When he gets inside he finds Seonghwa sitting on the floor by the window, the one he said he likes when they were looking at different apartments because it was a French style and gave a beautiful view whenever the sun set. Maybe now Hongjoong understood what he had meant back then because the pinkish purple beams from the sky entering the room from the windows made Seonghwa’s silhouette look like the kind of skies he often captured in his camera.
He had an assortment of wrapping paper and different boxes in front of him and seemed to be working on wrapping them with his earphones in. Yaong-ie was with him too, accompanying Seonghwa with her tiny body pressed completely against his leg while Seonghwa worked. Ever so often he would stop his work and run his hand over her little body, occasionally scratching her head in the way that made her purr softly. He must be very focused because he hadn’t heard Hongjoong come in.
Hongjoong makes his way towards Seonghwa and sits down behind him, mindful of the white furball sleeping next to him. He rests his head on Seonghwa’s shoulder to get a better look at the gifts. Seonghwa doesn’t turn to look at him but instead leans against Hongjoong more comfortably, melting against him as his back makes contact with Hongjoong’s chest. Hongjoong can feel Seonghwa’s warmth faintly even through the layers of his thin shirt and the thick material of his hoodie. It makes him want to hold Seonghwa more closely, keep him close so that he can save that warmth for himself.
He suddenly gets this urge to press his face against the back of Seonghwa’s neck, he doesn’t squash it down. He acts on it having no reason not to and Seonghwa is warm, so so warm. Hongjoong thinks he could live this way forever, both of them in the warmth of each other’s presence, Seonghwa cradled in his arms and his soft laughs filling up the empty space when Hongjoong presses butterfly kisses against his neck. He pulls away from Seonghwa’s neck with one fluttering kiss on his mole constellation and snuggles closer to him, nose pressed in his hair that smells faintly like strawberries.
They’re sitting so close right now Hongjoong wonders if Seonghwa can feel the way his heart is thrumming in his chest. Their proximity makes his heart beat faster as if making a new rhythm only for Seonghwa to feel.
Seonghwa removes one earphone and cranes his neck to look at Hongjoong, a soft smile gracing his lips as he leans back against Hongjoong even more, as if he knows what Hongjoong has been thinking and wants the same. As if he wants to be closer to Hongjoong too, meld against him so closely their souls intertwine with each other.
“Hi Joongie,” Seonghwa greets him and leans up to press a feather light kiss against the base of his neck.
“Hi baby,” Hongjoong returns Seonghwa’s greeting with his own kiss against his lips and his heart soars when he feels Seonghwa turn around in his arms to kiss him properly, a soft content sound escaping his lips that Hongjoong is more than happy to drink up.
Hongjoong pulls him closer, dragging him in so that he's sitting on his lap with legs on either side. Seonghwa pulls away from him, their lips detaching and Hongjoong can see the delicate flush high on his cheeks and he looks so irresistibly pretty like this, his lips tinted pink from their kiss.
His eyes are soft as he looks at Hongjoong and now Hongjoong understands the look in his eyes for what it is, adoration and fondness, he wonders if Seonghwa can see the same reflecting in his eyes.
It's purely on instinct when his lips find the beautiful spots on Seonghwa's face—his cheeks, his lips, his eyes, tracing every spot like he was joining the stars of a constellation. Hongjoong feels Seonghwa's cheeks rise up with every kiss, a laugh escaping him when he reaches the one on the bridge of his nose. The sound lights something up in Hongjoong's heart and he wants to hear more of it.
“Nooo.” Seonghwa squeals when Hongjoong's fingers tickle his sides, squirming as he tries to get away from the offending fingers. He tries moving away from Hongjoong's lap but he holds him down, arms tightening around Seonghwa's waist to not let him run.
With no way to escape, Seonghwa decides to bite Hongjoong on the nearest surface he can find, clamping down his teeth on the smooth skin of his ear. Hongjoong lets out a pained sound, his grip on Seonghwa loosening just a fraction that Seonghwa uses to his advantage to get away from him.
"Not fair," Hongjoong whines, pouting as he runs his throbbing ear.
"What's not fair is you distracting me," Seonghwa tells him, cupping his chin to give him a placating kiss on his ear.
Their bickering is broken by a loud meow courtesy of Yaong-ie who woke up due to the ruckus. Seonghwa coos at her, gathering her in his arms and pressing apologetic kisses all over her tiny face. Hongjoong sits there looking at them and feels his chest fill with warmth. He looks at how gently Seonghwa holds Yaong-ie and how soft his voice gets when he talks to her like she understands what he's saying.
He still remembers the day Yaong-ie found a home with them. Seonghwa had called him in the middle of a workday and asked him whether he could come over. When Hongjoong got to the school, he found Seonghwa sitting in the middle of his classroom with a small cardboard box in front of him and his kids sitting around him in a semi circle.
Seonghwa had looked up when he heard Hongjoong, giving him a smile before beckoning him closer. On getting closer Hongjoong heard more than saw the tiny kitten in the box, frail and scruffy. He knew then and there why he had been called.
Seonghwa had made his wish known early on in their marriage about how much he wanted a pet. He had always wanted one even before they started dating but time didn't permit him. With their schedules and work timings, Hongjoong thought it would be difficult for them to manage and so he had been resistant to the idea, not really outright rejecting it.
Hongjoong stood no chance at resisting when he was being bullied by twenty pairs of puppy eyes and a chorus of tiny voices pleading him to let their Teacher Hwa take the kitty home. That day they went home with that tiny kitten in the cardboard box that Seonghwa's students had so graciously named Yaong-ie, after getting her checked. It was Seonghwa's doe eyes and pleading look that had ultimately made him agree.
Yaong-ie had latched onto Seonghwa, obviously choosing him as her favourite human in the house. On a good day she might let Hongjoong pet her without hissing. No amount of sneaking her treats to gain her favor had worked so far. But they had soon come to an understanding due to their love for Seonghwa, she didn't hiss at Hongjoong anymore and even let him play with her when Seonghwa was around.
Seonghwa puts Yaong-ie down with another loud smooch and a scratch on her head. Yaong-ie goes back to her corner of the living room, butting her tiny head against Hongjoong's knee in greeting as she leaves. Hongjoong is quick to sneak in a rub over her back. When he looks up, Seonghwa is putting away the gifts to the side.
"Hongjoong-ah, start setting up the tree, I'll join you after tidying up a bit." Seonghwa tells him, not looking at him as he rolls up a sheet of wrapping paper.
Hongjoong starts working on their tree, he's done with fixing the base when Seonghwa joins him. He has put on one of the playlists Hongjoong had made for him a while back, full of sappy love songs. Hongjoong had been so flushed while making it, he thought he was going to permanently turn into a tomato.
He was glad Seonghwa found it amusing because he couldn't stop giggling every time their eyes met and Hongjoong turned away from embarrassment, his ears heating up every damn time. A year of being in a relationship, three years of marriage, not even counting the years they've been friends and Hongjoong still hasn't managed to find a way of expressing his love and affection without feeling like he was going to combust.
It was so much easier to lay his heart bare in film for Seonghwa to see, pages and pages of albums filled with photographs that showed just how much love Hongjoong held in his eyes and heart for him.
He has gotten a lot better with words too.
By the time they are done with tree decoration and putting up the lights, it's already dark outside. Hongjoong flops down on the wooden floor with a dramatic sigh of exhaustion, his breath getting punched out of him when Seonghwa decides to follow suit and flop down on top of him instead. Seonghwa doesn't respond to his wheeze, only shifts a little so that his head is resting on Hongjoong's chest. He puts an arm around Seonghwa's back, rubbing the sliver of warm skin that is exposed from where his hoodie has ridden up.
Hongjoong can feel the way Seonghwa's body relaxes more by the minute, it won't be soon before he falls asleep on him. He can't allow that because as much as he wants to wrap tightly around Seonghwa and let sleep take over them both, he knows they'll wake up with sore bodies and a killer pain in the back. They made the mistake of doing that once right when they first moved into the house and then swore to never do that ever again.
"Seonghwa-yah, Park Seonghwa," he starts softly, gently rubbing along Seonghwa's back the way he does with Yaong-ie. Seonghwa's response is similar in that regard because he turns more liquid on top of him, letting out a soft contented sound.
"Hmm Joongie," Seonghwa's response is slurred as he snuggles deeper into Hongjoong's chest. Hongjoong can't help the fondness that fills him at that.
"We need to get up baby, can't sleep here." Hongjoong tells him, his voice barely louder than a whisper in the quiet of their home. He gently cards his fingers through Seonghwa's hair, letting his palm rest on his warm cheek, thumb caressing the soft skin.
"Come on, we can get to bed early today." He adds.
"A few more minutes, we'll watch a movie afterwards. I don't want to sleep so early." Seonghwa tells him, his voice now less sleepy but just as relaxed.
Hongjoong lets him rest for some more time, opting to look outside the window as his hand continues rubbing along the length of Seonghwa's back. A few minutes later, he sees that it has started snowing, small flakes slowly falling from the sky. The snow gradually increases until it has turned into a steady snowfall.
"Seonghwa-yah, it's snowing outside." That makes Seonghwa get up, he pushes his body up until he's sitting on Hongjoong, his thighs on either side of his waist. He turns his head towards the window and gasps lowly when sees the scene outside.
Seonghwa turns his attention back to Hongjoong, sleepy eyes twinkling with excitement as he smiles down at him.
"Get the blankets, I'll make hot chocolate." Seonghwa tells Hongjoong, not even giving him a chance to respond before his up and moving after giving him a peck on the lips.
Hongjoong sighs at his eagerness, shaking his head fondly when he hears the stove being turned on and the sound of the pot and mugs being set on the counter. He gets up too, doing as he's told to and fetches the blankets from their bed. He spreads out one blanket on the floor of their balcony, and keeps the other blanket aside for later.
He brings out his speaker as well, connecting it to his phone and putting on another playlist that Seonghwa had made for him with even sappier love songs in response to the one Hongjoong gave him. Seonghwa had admittedly looked less like a tomato and more like a pretty flower in bloom when he looked at Hongjoong with a bashful smile.
Hongjoong is done adjusting their temporary sitting area when Seonghwa comes out with two steaming mugs in his hands. Hongjoong quickly takes the mugs from him, putting them to the side and helps Seonghwa settle down beside him before taking the spare blanket and wrapping it around Seonghwa's shoulders before handing him one mug and pulling back after giving him a thank you kiss on his cheek.
"The snow looks so beautiful," Seonghwa says dreamily, looking at the tiny snowflakes fluttering in the sky, stretching out one hand to try and get one to land on him.
Hongjoong hums, not really looking away from Seonghwa. Happiness looks so beautiful on him. The creature in Hongjoong's chest slithers closer to its bone prison, whimpering pathetically as it tries to get a closer look.
Seonghwa turns his head to look at Hongjoong, his lips still stuck in a smile that softens into something fond when he meets Hongjoong's eyes. His nose and cheeks are already turning red from the cold, Hongjoong reaches out to wrap the blanket more firmly around him. Seonghwa shrugs it off and holds one end of the blanket open instead, a clear invitation for Hongjoong to join him.
"Come on husband, keep me warm," Seonghwa says cheekily, his smile turning teasing. Hongjoong joins him as a huff of fond laughter vibrates through his chest. Seonghwa is quick to pull him closer until he's half sitting in Hongjoong's lap, legs all but thrown over him.
"Now drink the hot chocolate before it gets cold, it's from some new brand Wooyoung told me about." Seonghwa picks up his own mug and takes a sip, his eyes widening with delight as he makes a happy sound at the taste. Hongjoong mimics the action, taking a careful sip of the hot chocolate that has turned a bit warm now. His mind unhelpfully supplies him with the thought that Seonghwa probably tastes the same.
Hongjoong keeps his mug aside and takes Seonghwa's mug too, keeping it to the side, ignoring the confused sound Seonghwa makes. He reaches forwards to wrap a hand around Seonghwa's neck to hold him in place and surges forward, pressing their lips together. Seonghwa sighs softly at the contact and Hongjoong is quick to drink up the sound.
The kiss starts off slow, their lips moving together gently. Seonghwa's face is cool against Hongjoong's from the cold winter wind, but it warms up quickly under Hongjoong's touch. Seonghwa's hand comes to rest over his chest, fingers grasping at his shirt weakly. Hongjoong licks along his bottom lip and Seonghwa opens up for him so beautifully. He tentatively licks into Seonghwa's mouth, swallowing up the low moan he lets out.
Seonghwa tastes vaguely like a mix of his vanilla lip balm and chocolate, it's addictive and Hongjoong can't get enough of him. His grip on Hongjoong's shirt tightens as he scoots closer to him, moving to straddle Hongjoong who is quick to let his hands wander up his hoodie. Seonghwa whines when Hongjoong's cold fingers settle on his waist, so deliciously warm.
Hongjoong doesn't know how long they sit there, just kissing one another. He finally breaks the kiss, their lips pulling away with a wet smack. Seonghwa's face is flushed, his eyes lidded and lips red, slick with spit. He looks so beautiful like this, relaxed and pliant in Hongjoong's lap it makes his heart hurt.
Hongjoong gently tucks away a stray strand of hair that had fallen on his face, Seonghwa's eyes falling shut as he leans into the touch. Hongjoong is half sure if Seonghwa wasn't able to feel the erratic rhythm of his heart before, he surely will be able to now.
"I love you," Hongjoong tells him, a quiet confession in the quiet darkness of the night as snow continues to fall in front of them.
"I love you, too." Seonghwa's smile is brighter than any star twinkling above in the darkest night sky.
Hongjoong has been in love with Seonghwa for nearly half of his life, and every time Seonghwa smiles at him, he's reminded why. Getting to hold him, touch him, love him, was something he only dreamed about, once upon a time. Now having Seonghwa here, with him, in his arms, looking at Hongjoong with the love he had so graciously decided to give him, Hongjoong knows those dreams never even came close to how it would feel in real life.
───｡ﾟ☆:*.☽.*:☆ﾟ.───
Sometimes Hongjoong looks at Seonghwa and is still hit with this feeling of disbelief, even more than three years later since that fated night when he finally managed to muster up much need courage and told Seonghwa he loves him, only to have a piece of his heart be gently cradled by Seonghwa who completed it with his own half, both the pieces joining like a puzzle that is complete within its incompleteness.
Even now as Hongjoong waits for Seonghwa by the school entrance, he can't stop thinking about how lucky he is to be loved by Seonghwa who lights up when he sees Hongjoong waiting for him. Seonghwa breaks into a wide smile, covering the distance between them with a small jog that makes his tan coat sway behind him.
Seonghwa leans down to greet Hongjoong with a swift kiss as soon as he reaches him, gently rubbing his nose against Hongjoong's in a small eskimo kiss before pulling back. The gesture warms Hongjoong's heart, it was something he had started doing early on in their relationship. When Hongjoong asked him why he did that, Seonghwa had only shrugged with a pout and told him why not.
Nevertheless, the action always managed to swarm Hongjoong's stomach with butterflies and made him giggle shyly as his face heated up.
"For me?" Seonghwa asks, pointing at the small bouquet of azaleas and lilies clutched in Hongjoong's hand.
"Hmm, maybe," Hongjoong says in fake contemplation.
"I appreciate the gesture but you should know my husband won't be too thrilled about me receiving pretty flowers from other men." Seonghwa barely conceals the smile threatening to break on his lips before managing to smooth his face into perfect blankness. Four years of being together as a couple and Seonghwa still likes doing his little roleplay every time Hongjoong gets him flowers.
"That's a shame, these beautiful flowers will go to waste then." Hongjoong plays along, trying his best to sound disappointed. Seonghwa cracks an imperceptible smile at his response before hiding it.
"Oh no, that won't do. Since you did get me such a beautiful bouquet, maybe I'll take them. I'll just have to explain to my husband how I got them," Seonghwa says, reaching for the bouquet.
"No, no, I can't possibly cause a misunderstanding between you two, I'll just return them." Hongjoong tells him, moving the bouquet away from Seonghwa's outstretched hand.
"Yah, give it to me," Seonghwa whines, breaking character as a little pout appears on his lips.
"Okay, fine." Hongjoong relents, handing Seonghwa the bouquet who gently examines the flowers with a smitten smile on his face, bringing it up to his nose to smell the fragrant flowers.
"What are you doing here?" Seonghwa questions, readily letting Hongjoong take the bags from his hand having long since known that refusing him is of no use. Hongjoong adjusts the bags in one hand before reaching out to hold Seonghwa's hand in his empty one.
"Just because. Can't I visit my beautiful husband without any underlying motives?" Hongjoong teases Seonghwa playfully, his heart fluttering at calling him husband despite it being three years since their marriage.
"Of course you can, I missed you today." Seonghwa tells him, pressing an apologetic kiss to his cheek as they walk back to the car. Hongjoong can't stop the smile that spreads on his face at that, like a sunflower helplessly blooming for the sun.
"I missed you too," Hongjoong says, pulling Seonghwa in for a longer kiss. His heart stutters in his chest when Seonghwa smiles against his lips. He pulls back with another peck, opening the passenger door for Seonghwa and helping him in before putting away his bags in the backseat.
Seonghwa is still looking at the bouquet when Hongjoong gets in the car and settles in. His lips are curved into a soft smile as his fingers caress the delicate petals of the flowers. Hongjoong is so, so in love with him, it hurts. It hurt back then and it still hurts now, he hopes that it never stops hurting.
The creature in his chest whines pitifully, pawing at his six-boned prison like a wounded dog.
Feeling Hongjoong's unrelenting stare on him breaks Seonghwa's attention from the bouquet in his hands as he turns to give Hongjoong a questioning look, eyebrows raised but his lips still curved in a soft smile and eyes bright. Over a decade of loving Seonghwa and Hongjoong can never get used to the fondness that surges through him every time Seonghwa looks at him.
Hongjoong just shakes his head, leaning into Seonghwa to buckle him in to which Seonghwa thanks him with another kiss on the side of his head. He puts the car into drive, the heater whirring softly as warmth immediately fills the space. Seonghwa sighs contentedly as his body turns liquid against the seat. Hongjoong lets out a huff of laughter at the dramatic display before he starts driving.
Ten minutes into the drive and Hongjoong can feel Seonghwa's stare boring into him, his lips quirk up in a small smile at the undivided attention. The creature in his chest purrs lovesick at the loving look Seonghwa keeps staring at him with.
"You've been staring nonstop, you know? Some more and you'll burn a hole through my face," Hongjoong says, sneaking a glance towards Seonghwa, his hand finding its place on his thigh. He gives it a light squeeze, thumb rubbing circles on Seonghwa's thigh through the soft material of his trousers.
Seonghwa doesn't reply to that. Instead, he shifts in his seat so that he's facing Hongjoong as much as possible with the seatbelt constraining him. He leans the side of his head against the headrest, now properly looking at Hongjoong.
"Thank you," Seonghwa says suddenly, one hand curling tighter around the bouquet as he reaches to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Hongjoong's ear. Seonghwa gently pulls out a single lily from the bouquet and tucks it in behind Hongjoong's ear too, carefully making sure the flower is nestled in his hair, muttering a soft pretty under his breath when he takes his hand back.
"Huh? What for?" Hongjoong slows down at a red sign and turns to look at Seonghwa, a confused frown marring his face.
"For the flowers, I love them." Seonghwa leans forward, one hand cupping Hongjoong's cheek as he presses their lips together, kissing him at a languid pace. He nibbles softly on Hongjoong's bottom lip, laving at the plushness to soothe the sting before pulling back without giving Hongjoong a chance to kiss him back properly.
Seonghwa's face is flushed pink, from both the warmth of the heater and kissing Hongjoong. He looks prettier than ever, the way he always does when he is happy and just a little shy when Hongjoong does something for him.
Hongjoong doesn't have the chance to respond when the signal turns green. He starts driving, moving his hand from Seonghwa's thigh to hold his other hand instead, the one not cradling the bouquet of flowers like it is the highest kind of offering he has been given. He gives it a squeeze bringing it to his lips to press a reverent kiss on the back of his hand, playfully biting around his knuckles.
Seonghwa pulls his hand back with a squeal, laughing as he makes a show of wiping his hand on Hongjoong's sleeve. Hongjoong joins in, their combined laughter creating a beautiful symphony in the confines of the car. They settle back into comfortable silence after that, Seonghwa pulling Hongjoong's hand to rest their intertwined fingers on back on his thigh.
"You skipped the turn," Seonghwa breaks the silence when Hongjoong bypasses the turn to their neighbourhood.
"Yup, we're not going home just yet." Hongjoong tells him, briefly looking at him before turning his attention back on the road.
"Where are we going? What about Yaong-ie?" Seonghwa asks him, face turned to look at Hongjoong.
"Yaongi is with Wooyoung. She's having a play date with Byeoli. I dropped her off before coming to pick you."
When Hongjoong called Wooyoung to ask whether he'll be okay with taking care of their cat for the night, he readily accepted. He was even happier when Hongjoong told him it's because he was planning on taking Seonghwa on a date, a little outing at the winter fair that had been set up just outside the city.
Despite the winter break starting a week ago, Seonghwa still had to go in for some work before the school closed for the year. It was finally Seonghwa's last working day of the year and with Hongjoong being busy with the special year end issue of Selfish Waltz too, they didn't exactly get time to go on dates.
Hongjoong had heard one of the interns talking about the fair some time back and after looking into it thought that it would make for a perfect date. It had been snowing steadily too and with Seonghwa absolutely loving winter, it only made sense that Hongjoong took him to the winter fair.
"Oh that's nice. That doesn't tell me where we're going," Seonghwa says when his phone pings the customized tone he has set for Wooyoung. Whatever he was going to say next is forgotten when he starts cooing at the pictures Wooyoung has sent him of Yaong-ie and Byeoli napping together that Seonghwa shows excitedly to Hongjoong.
Thankfully the pictures and Wooyoung distract Seonghwa enough until Hongjoong reaches their destination. Seonghwa looks up from the phone when Hongjoong is putting the car in park. His head whips to see Hongjoong so fast after seeing the entrance board, he's impressed Seonghwa doesn't get dizzy.
"No way, you didn't." Seonghwa breathes out, voice full of disbelief as he stares at Hongjoong wide-eyed.
"Yes, I did." Hongjoong's smugness is audible in his voice.
"I love you, did I ever tell you that?" Seonghwa's building excitement is visible on his face, in the way he can't stop smiling.
"A few times, but it surely doesn't hurt to hear it more." Hongjoong tells him with mock seriousness.
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you." Seonghwa chants, crossing over the console to attack Hongjoong with kisses all over his face accompanying each i love you. Hongjoong is breathless with laughter when Seonghwa pulls back, chest heaving as he fails to contain his joy.
"Come on, let's go."
The winter fair is big with food and game stalls scattered everywhere. The place is covered with snow which had been falling steadily through the evening. Seonghwa drags Hongjoong along like a kid in a candy store, his excitement uncontrollable. Ever so often Hongjoong has to stop Seonghwa to adjust the scarf he had forcefully made him wear in the car before leaving.
Seonghwa drags him to a game stall first, the one where you need to throw hoops around the toy you want to get. While Seonghwa is hopelessly bad at aiming, it's no surprise that Hongjoong does way better than expected. Years of training to steady his hand while holding a camera has more than prepared him, not counting years of peering through the viewfinder that helped him better his aim.
He wins Seonghwa the plushie he had been to stuck on, an orange squirrel soft toy that he insisted resembled Hongjoong. Seonghwa clutches it close to his chest the entire time they walk through the fair.
Next Seonghwa drags him to a food stall where the ahjumma is cooking fresh hotteoks. The first bite of hotteok helps warm them up, the warm sugary filling with nuts sprinkled taking Hongjoong back to his childhood when his mother would buy him one after a long day of grocery shopping. Hongjoong almost burns his mouth because of how hot that first bite turns out to be but it's worth the way it makes Seonghwa giggle.
They keep alternating between food and game stalls until they reach the Ferris wheel. Seonghwa drags him to the small queue, one hand tightly holding the squirrel and other tucked away into Hongjoong's coat pocket. The queue shortens quickly and the next thing Hongjoong knows is that he's being ushered into a small cabin with Seonghwa following close behind. The closed space of the cabin provides some warmth after walking around in snow for hours.
"Thank you for bringing me here, Hongjoong-ah," Seonghwa says suddenly, reaching over to hold Hongjoong's hand as they gradually ascend.
"I'm glad you had a good time Seonghwa-yah." Hongjoong tells him, bringing up their joined hands to press a soft kiss on Seonghwa's cold knuckles. Hongjoong wraps both his hands around Seonghwa's and brings them to face, blowing on them to warm his hand up. He does the same with his other hand, taking the squirrel plushie and tucking it away safely in his coat pocket.
"The moon is pretty tonight," Seonghwa says quietly and Hongjoong turns his head to the window to try and catch a glimpse of it. It's too cloudy for Hongjoong to see anything in the sky. He's about to ask Seonghwa what he's talking about when the realization settles in, his ears and cheeks heating up in response.
His flush only gets worse when he looks at Seonghwa only to find him already looking at him, his eyes tender and smile soft.
"You're a sap." Hongjoong tells him, cursing Seonghwa's ability to make him blush like a teenager even more than three years into their marriage.
Seonghwa only laughs at him, the sound fond and bright as it fills the enclosed space of the cabin. He leans closer to Hongjoong until their noses are a breath apart and Hongjoong closes the minute distance between them, claiming Seonghwa's lips in a slow kiss.
It feels like something out of a movie, getting to kiss Seonghwa like this at the top of a Ferris wheel ride. Hongjoong's heart expands in his chest as the creature inside tries to break out of its cage. Seonghwa is so warm against him, Hongjoong wants him close close close closer to himself.
The ride comes to an end much sooner than Hongjoong would've liked. It's already late by the time their turn is over, people already starting to wind up and gather their stuff as they get ready to close their stalls.
It's right when they're leaving that Seonghwa sees it, the photobooth. It's only natural that he drags Hongjoong to take pictures, apologies spilling from his lips when he bumps into other on-goers. With Hongjoong trying to bring his camera less on their dates, they didn't really take many pictures at the fair, too busy enjoying the moment to capture it for later.
The photobooth is compact with only one stool in the middle, fit only for a single person. Seonghwa doesn't let it deter him, a man on a mission as he forces Hongjoong down on the stool before popping down on his lap. Hongjoong is more than happy to wrap his arms around Seonghwa and pull him close until they're an entangled mess of limbs.
Seonghwa quickly sets the timer and then it's a blur of snapshoots. They take enough photos for three separate photo strips and Seonghwa gets two copies of each strip, one for himself and other for Hongjoong.
Out of all the photos trips, the last one is undoubtedly Hongjoong's favourite. It has four pictures.
The first one where Seonghwa was pressed snugly in front of Hongjoong, both of them squeezed into the cramped up space with Seonghwa’s head tilted up towards Hongjoong, his teeth lightly latched onto his jaw as Hongjoong’s face scrunched up mid-laughter.
The second one was rather simple, Hongjoong smooshing Seonghwa’s face with a hard kiss against his cheek as their bodies leaned back with the force of it, Seonghwa’s eyes squeezed shut mid-laughter as his hand came up to hold Hongjoong’s cheek to stabilize himself.
The third one was of them smiling brightly at the camera, Hongjoong's arms wrapped tightly around Seonghwa's waist as Seonghwa leans back into his chest, his head pressed against Hongjoong's cheek.
The fourth one was probably Hongjoong's favourite out of all four pictures. It was a still of them kissing, normal enough but Hongjoong can see the way Seonghwa's cheeks are raised up under Hongjoong's hands that cover them. They're smiling too much for it to even count as a kiss but Hongjoong wouldn't have it any other way.
Hongjoong's heart is warm with happiness when he drives them home. Seonghwa is already fast asleep in the passenger seat, the day's exhaustion finally catching up to him. He's still holding Hongjoong's hand tightly as he sleeps, his head lolling towards Hongjoong.
When they reach home Hongjoong will gently coax Seonghwa awake and guide him back into their apartment. Seonghwa will whine about not wanting to change but will still freshen up before sleeping because he hates going to bed all sweaty.
Hongjoong will carefully tuck the blankets snugly around Seonghwa before going to freshen up and Seonghwa will stay awake through sheer will power despite his eyes not being able to remain open for more than a few seconds because he doesn't want to go to sleep without Hongjoong.
Hongjoong will try to be as quick as possible before getting under the covers and pulling Seonghwa close to him and letting him press his cold feet against his shins despite hating it because he loves Seonghwa.
The next morning Hongjoong will wake up to Seonghwa pressing butterfly kisses all over his face, because Seonghwa always wakes up early, the habit ingrained into him from back when they were still roommates in university. Hongjoong will complain about being woken up so early and will succeed in trapping Seonghwa in bed with him for atleast an hour more.
When they wake up again it will be well into afternoon and Seonghwa will be the one to complain about waking up so late but he'll still kiss Hongjoong good morning and he'll know that Seonghwa isn't truly mad.
For now Hongjoong drives them back home, the sound of soft music playing from Seonghwa's playlist and his gentle breathing keeping him company in the quiet night. He drives them home, happy and content and the only thing on his mind is how much he loves Seonghwa and how he can't wait to spend the rest of his years with him by his side.