Work Text:
Taesan had just moved into a new apartment.
In his 25 years of living, he'd only moved less than a handful of times. Once from Gwangju to the dorms at Yonsei, then to a small one-bedroom just off campus in his third year followed by another slightly larger apartment by the river before he'd ended up here.
(No place had ever felt like home since leaving Gwangju, a feeling that Taesan desperately tried to ignore with each move that occurred.)
While he hadn't particularly had a problem with his old apartment he couldn't deny that this one was growing on him quickly. It was quieter, for starters, located in a less busy neighborhood of Seoul that didn't get as much foot traffic and was actually surrounded by trees instead of skyscrapers. It was closer to the studio than his last place which meant his commute wasn't a bitch but far enough that he could still hear the hum of the city without getting overwhelmed by its intensity. His apartment was a corner unit, which meant extra space for his vinyl collection and the rent wasn't terrible. There was a nice older lady who lived just down the hall named Mrs. Lee and in the four days he'd lived there, no one had complained about him playing music until late at night.
It was fine, nice even.
One thing definitely worked out in his favor though. The biggest perk of his unit by far was that it was one of the only ones with a balcony attached which meant that Taesan could indulge in his guilty habit without having to leave his apartment. So the second he got home from work he threw his bag down, put on his headphones and went outside to have a smoke.
He'd just lit up and took his first drag when he spotted them.
Taesan couldn't see the person's face thanks to the angle they were sitting at but Converse shoes dangled carelessly over the edge of the rooftop, their owner obviously not worried one bit about losing their balance. Whoever this person was they had wrapped themselves around the lower part of the railing so the danger of them falling was probably quite low. Taesan pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and exhaled slowly, watching smoke rise towards the mystery individual. He stared for a little longer, idly wondering if they would say anything but a moment passed with no reaction so he just shrugged and took another deep inhale.
Taesan blew another plume of smoke out again the exact same way, directly upwards, and waited again for something. Anything.
Oasis was a dull roar in his ears through the headphones, an album he'd heard countless times the background music to this strange moment. Taesan couldn't explain why he wanted to see the face of this person so badly but there was something intriguing about them because why were they on the roof in the first place?
Was this just a onetime occurrence or— like Taesan— was it a guilty habit they indulged in probably more than they should?
Did they even live in the building or were they just visiting a friend?
Taesan let the questions swirl around in his head as he waited in silence, still not sure what he was even waiting for. He tugged his headphones off in the middle of "Whatever" and took a final hit off of his cigarette. He held the smoke in his lungs for a few seconds longer than he usually would, trying to stretch the moment out for as long as he was able. It was only when his lungs started screaming for mercy that he let the smoke billow out from between his lips and begin its climb up towards the rooftop like a beacon that Taesan couldn't state the meaning of.
Still, there was no response and something in Taesan's chest twisted in disappointment.
Maybe another time then.
The cigarette was burnt down to almost nothing but Taesan still stubbed it out on the ashtray he'd brought out with him. He was about to head back inside when he heard movement above him— just the barest whisper of fabric against concrete— before a voice filled the air.
"Oh, hello."
The words were said slowly, almost with a tone of surprise. Like the person had just realized they'd had company this whole time. The voice was decidedly male, low and soft with a jazzy quality to it— warm and heady, like honey and bourbon.
Taesan tilted his head back again but instead of seeing the evening sky like he had before, this time he was met with a pair of dark brown eyes staring down at him curiously through the lingering blue-grey haze that the smoke had left behind.
He didn't know what he'd been expecting but it certainly wasn't this.
Haloed by the light of the setting October sun, to anyone else the man would have been considered handsome with his thick eyebrows, defined features and strong nose. The only word that Taesan could think to use to describe him was pretty.
Eyes that sparkled with more stars than Taesan could count stared back at him unblinkingly. It was something that others might consider unsettling but to Taesan it felt very much the opposite. The man had double eyelids and Taesan noticed that they tilted slightly downwards at the outer edges, transforming what would have been a sharp gaze into something doe-like and soft. Pale cheeks puffed out slightly as petal-pink lips pursed in the gentlest of pouts and it added a sort of boyish sweetness to his already attractive appearance.
From underneath the hood of his sweater hair the color of dark chocolate spilled out and framed his face in messy curls, slightly frizzy and imperfect but somehow fitting. Taesan wanted to reach out a push a few of those strands back just to find out if his hair was really as soft as it looked. A sudden breeze caught them both off guard but Taesan noticed the way the other's nose twitched a little because of it and he suddenly found himself thinking that he looked like a bunny.
A very cute bunny, to be precise.
"Hey," he murmured back, just loud enough to be heard. Taesan cringed because he could hear the breathless awe in the single word and hoped that the beautiful stranger didn't catch it, otherwise he'd never live it down.
Wide eyes blinked at him for the first time as the man tilted his head to the side a little, "I've never seen you around the building. Did you just move in?"
"Yeah, I um— I moved in the other day. On Friday." He leaned back against the railing to get more comfortable, trying to play it cool even as he could feel heat crawling up his neck the longer he stared into those sparkling eyes.
"Taesan!" Taesan flinched when the word slipped out louder than he'd intended, feeling like a complete idiot, "I mean, my name— My name's Han Dongmin but you uh… You can call me Taesan."
A slow smile spread across his face, "So you're the person who moved in while I was away! I've been in Busan since last week and just got back this morning. It was literally the first thing Mrs. Lee told me about when she saw me coming in."
So he did live here then. Taesan wondered what floor he was on as he idly stared at that too-pretty mouth as it formed words.
"I'm Kim Donghyun, everyone calls me Leehan though. Well, everyone except for Mrs. Lee."
"Yeah, she refuses to call me Taesan too." Taesan snickered, shoulders finally relaxing a bit, "Said there's no sense in wasting a perfectly good name by replacing it with another one."
Leehan let out a laugh that was high-pitched and a bit squeaky. The sound was odd but sweet as it rang in Taesan's ears, "She told me the exact same thing when I first introduced myself to her!"
Silence stretched between them in the small lapse in conversation. He watched Leehan fold his arms on the lower rail and rest his head atop them. His cheek squished a bit thanks to the change in his position and again, Taesan could only think: cute.
His fingers itched for another cigarette out of habit but Taesan found himself wanting to talk to Leehan more instead of caving to that urge, "So… how long have you lived here?"
Leehan's face screwed up a bit as he thought on his answer, "Hm I think about two years? Wait… maybe three? I moved in right after finishing my degree so that seems about right."
"What'd you study?"
"Marine Biology!" Leehan's whole face seemed to light up, "I've always loved fish so it was kind of a no-brainer for me honestly. What about you?"
Taesan smirked, confidence returning at the change in topic, "I did Music Production and I'm actually a producer for KOZ now."
Leehan's head shot up as he leaned forward over the railing a little more, looking shocked but impressed, "Seriously?! Have you made anything I might have heard?"
They talked for a while longer until Leehan happened to check his phone and realized that it was well past midnight and both of them had work in the morning. Taesan watched Leehan swing himself up to his feet, swallowing hard for some reason as the moonlight hit his stupidly beautiful face at the right angle when they locked eyes again.
"I'll see you soon?" Leehan phrased it like a question that he already knew the answer to, a confident sparkle in his eyes that Taesan found irritatingly charming.
"Maybe," Taesan shrugged, hiding a grin at the little huff Leehan let out in response, "I guess we'll see."
He could hear the smile trying to fight its way through Leehan's pout as he mumbled, "Goodnight Taesan."
Taesan waited until he could hear his footsteps fading before he responded, "…Night Leehan."
˙⊹܀☁˚˙⊹⁺.
It wasn't until almost two weeks later that Taesan saw Leehan again.
Things had been rough since their last meeting. There had been a power shortage at the studio, they'd lost half of the tracks they'd been working on for the better part of a month and Taesan had practically lived in the studio for the past several days desperately trying to recreate his lost work. He'd downed enough coffee and energy drinks to probably kill an elephant at this point but the work was done and he could finally relax a bit. Frustration and anticipation made his fingers itch, desperate for something to calm his nerves before he vibrated out of his skin.
The second he got home he took the world's quickest shower. His hair was barely dry when he grabbed his pack of cigarettes and lighter out of his bottom drawer. He'd smoked plenty over the last week and a half— most of them bummed off of Jaehyun because he'd been too frazzled to remember his own and the older claimed that he was trying to quit anyways— but that had been to out of stress whereas this was for relaxation.
The click of the lighter and the first inhale was immensely satisfying and immediately settled the electricity under his skin. Taesan leaned back against the railing and this time wasn't surprised to find a pair of shoes dangling above his head again. Converse sneakers had been traded for a pair of boots, more stylish than functional, dark jeans clung to slim calves and were tucked into the tops of them carelessly. Leehan peered over the edge with an excited grin, like he'd been waiting for this.
"Hello again, Taesan."
Taesan nodded, considerately tilting his head to the side so that the smoke didn't rush up directly into Leehan's eyes, "Hey."
Leehan's smile didn't dim in the slightest at the placid greeting and his gaze stayed locked firmly on Taesan who didn't look away. They stared at each other in silence for what felt like forever, just observing one another.
His initial reaction to Leehan's appearance was muted thanks to his exhaustion, allowing him to actually look at the other without immediately feeling flustered. He was still impossibly pretty but Taesan could see the slight shadows under his eyes, indicating his own tiredness and it made something soft swell in his chest to see a crack in what he'd previously thought was a flawless countenance.
Leehan had straightened his hair sometime between the last time they'd seen each other and now. It looked good on him but Taesan imagined anything would look good on someone as attractive as Leehan. He took another deep inhale of smoke to prevent himself from saying the errant thought out loud.
By the time he exhaled, Taesan had gathered his self-control enough to feel safe to not blurt out something embarrassing, "I never asked about it but you mentioned last time that you'd been in Busan the week I moved in?"
"Mhm," Leehan hummed quietly but didn't volunteer any further information, patiently waiting for the next question. There was an air about him that exuded endless patience, a calm that seemed unshakeable. Taesan almost envied it.
He pressed on regardless, "So was it for a vacation or, like, work?"
Taesan wasn't usually the type to be nosy. Hell, he used give Jaehyun shit on a near-daily basis for asking him so many personal questions their first year of rooming together in university. Even to this day Taesan still rolled his eyes at the older's overly sociable nature, even though he now considered him to be his closest friend.
Maybe it was the buzz of nicotine in his lungs or perhaps it had something to do with the way Leehan looked at him, gentle and open despite them practically being strangers to each other, but Taesan wanted more. He was filled with the single-minded desire to get Leehan to keep talking, if only to hear his voice for a few seconds longer.
"I was born there actually," Leehan's eyes shimmered in the dim light of dusk as he shifted his gaze away from Taesan to look out into the city, "I lived in Busan my whole life until I moved here for university when I was 18. The rest of my family are still there; I was visiting because it was my birthday and I hadn't been back since the spring. Mom insisted."
"Happy belated." Taesan flicked a bit of ash off the end of his cigarette, "So when you're back in Busan do you go by Donghyun or Leehan?"
A small smile quirked the corners of Leehan's lips, "Funny story: my older sister was the one who came up with the nickname when we were kids. I don't even remember what inspired it but one day she started calling me by it and before I knew it, I was hearing it more than my actual name. The teachers even started using it during attendance. The only people who still call me Donghyun at this point are my parents and grandparents."
"So I'm curious. Donghyun and Leehan… Is there any difference between the two of them?"
The question tumbled out of Taesan's mouth without much thought but Leehan didn't seem to mind the strangeness of it, "Donghyun was… complicated. Well, that's what other people thought anyways. Some of the other kids… They weren't very nice to him." A grimace replaced the tentative smile, the line of it quivering almost imperceptibly at the edges, "They said he was too weird, too much, and for a while he let himself believe that he was."
Taesan took another drag, casting a glance up through the haze as he exhaled, "…And then?"
That brittle expression brightened, the tension in Leehan's shoulders loosening slightly as he shrugged, "He realized that it didn't matter what those kids thought. He decided that he wanted to live honestly and refused to be anything less than his authentic self, even if other people didn't like it. Leehan, Donghyun— they're one and the same. Both of them are me. The experiences I've lived under both of those names have helped shaped me to become the person I am today and I'm grateful for them, in spite of everything."
"Do you miss it?" Not the complicated parts or the people that had obviously hurt Leehan even though he didn't say it out loud, "Busan, I mean."
"Sometimes I'll suddenly remember the way the ocean smelled when I'd walk home from school or how the sound of the waves would lull me to sleep every night. I go back when I can but I've got work and friends here, other responsibilities that I can't just neglect because I start feeling homesick every now and then. I've gotten used to Seoul's rhythms after this long and I love it for all its faults but…" Leehan sighed softly, the sound a little wistful, "Yeah, I miss it."
"It's been the same for me since leaving Gwangju," Taesan admitted quietly, "I've lived in Seoul for almost seven years and I'm more comfortable in it now than I was back when I first moved here but there's something about it that I can't fully get used to. Like the city's trying to suffocate me when all I want to do is breathe mountain air. In Gwangju… it wasn't like that."
He tipped his head back further to look at the night sky like it held all the answers, "My parents still live in the house I grew up in and both of my siblings are there too. Every time I go back I find myself wondering why I left in the first place even though I wouldn't want to trade the life I have right now."
Leehan nodded like he understood, "We both chose to be here. And I'm glad because," His eyes turned to crescents as he smiled down warmly at Taesan from the rooftop, "It means that I got to meet you."
They were perfect strangers dumping their insecurities on each other like they'd been friends for years but somehow it felt natural. Taesan felt a soft grin stretch across his face in reply, "Me too."
They drifted off into companionable silence that was broken with little bits of conversation as Taesan continued to smoke and watch Leehan gaze up at the stars.
They talked about work, friends, family, showed each other pictures of the dogs they'd both left behind when they'd moved to Seoul— Koni was ridiculously adorable and Leehan had practically melted on the spot when he laid eyes on Dupal— and just anything they could think of.
Their birthdays were just a scant two months apart. Taesan teased that Leehan he would have to call him hyung during the time when they weren't the same age again. Leehan rolled his eyes in exasperation but didn't argue.
Taesan told him about his favorite bands and explained that music had always been a huge influence in his life. He quietly recalled the first time his dad had taken him to record store when he was 8, how easy it had been to fall in love with the splendor of it all. There was no genre he wouldn't listen to, no limits to his curiosity when it came to music which was what had led him to where he was today.
Leehan went on a long-winded dissertation about the variety of fish he kept in the tank in his apartment that Taesan listened to with rapt attention even though he'd never heard of most of the fish he was talking about. He talked about the aquarium he worked at as both an exhibit coordinator and a marine biology researcher. Leehan also confessed that he also loved giving tours whenever he got the chance. He especially enjoyed it when there were children on the tours because he loved watching the way their small faces would light up in wonder when they looked in the tanks.
Leehan adored gummies in a way that bordered on obsession, Taesan wasn't much for sweets by comparison. Leehan liked iced coffees while Taesan preferred his black. They discovered they shared a love for ramyeon and that Taesan liked his as spicy as he could get it whereas Leehan could barely tolerate Shin.
"There's this insanely good place just down the street from the studio. A guy I work with— Jooyeon— told me about it a couple of months ago and it's been my favorite ever since. I could… I could take you there some time. If you'd want to, I mean."
Taesan's tone was casual, if a bit nervous, and Leehan beamed at him like he'd offered him the entire universe on a silver platter, "I'd like that, Taesanie."
It was nice, familiar in a way that Taesan wasn't used to. He'd never been antisocial, just careful of whom he chose to be close to and how much he shared with them. With Leehan it felt easy to peel back the layers and let the younger see him for who he was. When he finally bid the younger a goodnight and slunk back into his apartment there was a part of him that felt bereft at the sudden lack of Leehan's company. Taesan had always valued his solitude before but now…
Now there was someone he wanted to share it with.
˙⊹܀☁˚˙⊹⁺.
After that it became something of a ritual between the two of them.
They'd never agreed on a specific time but every night they both ended up outside at 8 o'clock sharp. Taesan would tilt his head back so he could stare up at Leehan who'd bend himself over the lowest rail so that he could look Taesan in the eyes.
Over time Taesan lost track of how many conversations they'd shared. What he did know was that each one revealed some new little detail, a previously unknown fact about Leehan that he committed to memory without hesitation. It wasn't long before the lines between where one story started and another ended started to blur with the warm feeling of belonging.
After a week of those nightly meetings, Taesan noticed that his pack of cigarettes had gone untouched for days and found himself feeling lighter for it.
By the time December rolled around and the biting chill of winter set in, their talks had moved indoors.
Over dinner in Leehan's apartment Taesan told him about Jaehyun's latest attempts at flirting with the guy who owned the new coffee shop that had opened up near their studio. (Spoiler alert: he still hadn't gotten Riwoo's number and it had been almost three weeks.) Taesan confided that he suspected Riwoo was just playing the long game because he found Jaehyun's dramatic reactions amusing.
Taesan was making them breakfast in his kitchen one morning as Leehan sat on the counter next to him, swinging his feet as he recounted the tale of Sungho and Woonhak's recent blowout over the youngest's apartment looking like a bomb had gone off in it when they'd gone over for a movie night. He'd nearly burned the pancakes because he'd been laughing too hard at the part where Sungho had practically dragged Woonhak by the ear down to the convenience store to get garbage bags because somehow he'd run out and just never noticed.
Taesan brought Leehan to the restaurant near his studio as promised. Leehan tried the smallest bite of his spicy noodles and spent the next ten minutes chugging water, pouting at Taesan like a particularly upset bunny until he'd bought him ice cream on the way home even though it was terribly cold outside. The sight of Leehan's happy smile had been worth the inevitable brain freeze.
Leehan took Taesan on an afterhours tour of the aquarium he worked at, explaining each and every species of aquatic life with sparkling eyes as he bounced from tank to tank eagerly. Taesan followed him closely, warmth blooming in his chest every time the younger turned to look at him with childlike excitement practically pouring out of him in waves.
Being with Leehan… It made Taesan feel a certain type of way. It had never been this easy to be with someone before— just existing in the same space as them. Not even Jaehyun who he'd known for the better part of six years now.
A week before Christmas Taesan threw out the almost-full pack of cigarettes without a second of hesitation. Seeing the curve of Leehan's proud smile as he'd watched Taesan do it provided a high that was far superior to what any carcinogenic could offer him.
A new addiction in the making.
˙⊹܀☁˚˙⊹⁺.
Taesan couldn't pinpoint exactly when their relationship turned into something more.
It started when he realized that he found himself searching for Leehan first when he entered any room the younger was occupying regardless of how many people might also be there. Their friend circles had naturally merged over the weeks since they'd met to the point that Taesan had become certain that Jaehyun liked Leehan more than him at this point.
He'd grown accustomed to the boisterous boom of Woonhak's voice calling out his name, found an immense amount of joy in teasing the youngest just to watch him throw a tantrum. The sound of Sungho's relentless laughter whenever something even remotely funny happened had grown familiar, often echoed by Jaehyun's raucous cackles. Even Riwoo— whose real name Taesan learned was Sanghyeok— had started joining them after the revelation that he was Sungho's former roommate, both of them still incredibly close.
(The sight of the two men together had proved to be the undoing of one Myung Jaehyun. Taesan had never been more amused as he watched his best friend continue to prove that he couldn't flirt to save his life in front of not one but two people he was determined to woo.)
He liked watching Leehan smile and laugh with their friends. Couldn't contain his pride when he noticed the way the younger's eyes would search him out too. Over time Taesan noticed when those shared gazes started lingering longer and began to feel charged in a way that felt heavier with something more than just friendship.
And then there was the touching.
Taesan had learned quickly that Leehan was affectionate by nature and adored acts of physical contact but was choosy as to whom and when he provided them. Taesan had found himself paying closer attention to subtle shifts in Leehan's body language, discerning what touches were acceptable— all of them, evidently— because he didn't dare push things too far, afraid to ruin the delicate balance between them.
At first it was just little things like a light brush of fingers over Leehan's cheek under the pretense of removing a stray eyelash or a playful nudge with an elbow when Taesan did something to make Leehan's eyes roll.
Eventually they evolved into acts like an arm lain casually across the back of the couch while they watched a movie that would drift down to curl around Leehan when the younger inevitably dropped his head to use Taesan's shoulder as a pillow. There was something soft and comforting in the way that Leehan folded himself into Taesan's space, slipping carefully into the little pockets he unconsciously left for the other to fill like he belonged there.
Each bit of contact had fondness swelling in Taesan's chest, every returned gesture causing his heart to race ever faster.
It felt like a fire spreading under his skin, this greedy feeling of wanting more and more to the point that the rest of the world burned away until…
Until it was just them.
˙⊹܀☁˚˙⊹⁺.
When they finally kissed, Taesan swore it felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
It was Christmas Eve and they were holed up at Leehan's place. Snow fell in tiny flecks outside and the apartment was dim in the hush of late evening but the living room was filled with a warm glow thanks to the strings of lights around the windows that Taesan had helped install a couple weeks ago. There was a small tree in the corner, fake but still pretty, decorated with an eclectic collection of ornaments that were so blatantly Leehan that Taesan couldn't help but smile as he inspected them.
"I got that one from Woonhak last year," Leehan hooked his chin over Taesan's shoulder as he watched him run his fingers over the small plush fish wrapped in a bow. Taesan tried to hide his frown when he felt Leehan's gentle warmth move away so that he could point out another ornament on the far side of the tree, this one a small alien in a saucer, "And Sungho-hyung gave me him when I first moved into this apartment."
"I didn't bother getting a tree," Taesan threw himself down onto the couch, lounging back against one of the many plush pillows Leehan kept there, "I've never really been overly into Christmas I guess. I usually just went along with whatever my siblings wanted to do."
He looked around Leehan's apartment, now as familiar to him as his own was.
The tank against the wall lent an additional glow to the room, the fish swimming around merrily without a care in the world. Leehan's work bag sat abandoned by the door not to be used again until he went back in the New Year. Taesan's jacket was haphazardly tossed over the back of one of the chairs at the island, dark leather catching the colors of the Christmas lights.
Taesan watched Leehan fuss with the presents under the tree for a couple of minutes— a variety of packages with both of their names on them, some from their families and friends but also gifts for each other. Once he finished there, he bustled back into the kitchen to check on the dwaeji gukbap that had been simmering on the stove for the better part of the last hour. It smelled good, which was already a massive improvement from the first time Leehan had attempted to make it for him just a few short weeks ago. Taesan would never forget the strange, sharp tang of the first bite he'd taken that had caused him to reel away from the bowl like it was poisonous or the way Leehan's face had crunched up in a grimace when he took a bite of his own before he pulled out his phone to order food delivery.
The apartment was warm and Taesan felt his eyelids grow heavy, contentment and the lingering scent of Leehan's perfume on the pillow lulling him into a comfortable daze.
Distantly he heard snow hit the window as Leehan move the dishes around, cutlery clinking against the countertop. A sleepy chuckle escaped his mouth as Leehan muttered a soft curse when something dropped, his Busan accent wrapping around the syllables charmingly. The whole thing felt domestic, warm and relaxing and something Taesan had never really imagined himself sharing with someone else.
He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew there was a gentle hand shaking him and an even softer voice called his name.
"Taesan," Leehan sounded so sweet, so wonderful, like the most beautiful siren song, "Taesanie, wake up. The food's going to get cold."
Taesan opened his eye and was about to respond when felt his voice stall in his throat.
Leehan was sitting on the edge of the couch, leaning forward just slightly to reach him. He looked down at Taesan with something in his eyes that he couldn't put a name to but it was… breathtaking. Leehan hadn't straightened his hair in weeks— not since the day Taesan had confessed that he preferred his natural curls— so they framed his face with the same beautiful imperfection that they had the first night they met. Taesan's hand reached up instinctively to thread into the soft strands, licking him lips nervously as Leehan leaned into the touch.
"Taesan," Leehan's voiced pitched low as he said his name like a question and the last thread of Taesan's self-control snapped.
He used the tender grip he had on Leehan's hair to tug him down and slot their lips together.
Taesan didn't rush. He kept the kiss slow and gentle at first, just the lightest of touches that eventually melted into something deeper but no less sweet. Leehan let out a small sound that Taesan eagerly swallowed like it belonged to him. A shiver started at the base of his spine and spread rapidly through his whole body, until every nerve ending prickled with electricity.
Leehan's hands pressed against his chest, not pushing him away but curling in the front of his hoodie like he needed something to hold onto lest he get swept away. His lips were so soft and tasted faintly of cherry thanks to his new lip balm and Taesan chased the flavor as he slipped his tongue into the younger's yielding mouth. Taesan felt a shudder wrack Leehan's slender body and anchored a hand on the small of his back to steady him.
They could have been locked together forever or just mere seconds but however long it was, Taesan was certain it would never be enough.
Eventually they pulled away from each other but stayed hovering close, mouths just an inch apart.
"Was that…" Taesan's voice was rough in his own ears, like velvet over gravel, "Was that okay?"
In lieu of an answer Leehan dragged him into another kiss and Taesan happily let himself get lost in it, allowing Leehan to pull him down into the depths and drown him in his love.
˙⊹܀☁˚˙⊹⁺.
It was much later that they came up for air but neither drifted far.
They were curled together on the couch. On the table, the gukbap had long gone cold as Leehan had warned it would but neither of them could bring themselves to care. Taesan wrapped an arm around Leehan's waist and pulled him close against his chest, nestling his chin into the crook of the younger's neck.
Taesan placed a soft kiss on the hinge of Leehan's jaw, chuckling when he let out a soft whine, "Let's take a picture together. Our first selca as a couple."
"Right now? I probably look like a mess."
Leehan's cheeks were flushed bright red, curls a wild thing falling in and around his pretty face thanks to the fingers that had been previously combing through them. His pouting lips were kiss-swollen and there was only the thinnest ring of brown around his dilated pupils as he blinked owlishly up at him. He was so adorable and beautiful, at the same time looking as though he'd been thoroughly ravished. Taesan tried to tamp down the immense feeling of pride that he was the cause of all of it but failed spectacularly.
Taesan leaned in to kiss him again, just because he could.
"You're gorgeous," he murmured when their lips parted, running his thumb over the curve of Leehan's cheek tenderly, "You always look amazing no matter what."
"Since when have you been such a smooth talker?" A hand slapped his chest lightly, a note of teasing slipping into Leehan's voice even as a flattered blush darkened his cheeks further, "I remember you stumbling over your words the day we met."
"You forget that I write love songs for a living, baby," Taesan nuzzled his nose into the nest of Leehan's hair, pressing another kiss to the shell of his ear for good measure, "And to be fair, I was kind of stunned by how pretty you were when I first saw you so I think it should be forgiven that I couldn't form full sentences right away."
Leehan let out a huff but didn't complain any further as Taesan pulled out his phone and held it up at just the right angle to capture the both of them. When he put his arm back down Leehan was already crowding in close to look at the screen, eyes shining as Taesan opened his gallery to look at the picture. Taesan felt his heart skip a beat when the image loaded.
Leehan's head was tucked under his chin, eyes squished into delighted little crescents as he smiled widely and full of affection. The collar of his shirt was askew just enough to see the edge of a mark Taesan had left on his collarbone just a few minutes before. In contrast Taesan's eyes were bright as he curled himself around Leehan like a protective blanket. There was a silly, almost boxy grin that took up most of his face that would've been embarrassing if not for the fact that he looked so goddamn happy.
They looked right. Like they belonged together.
"Send me this," Leehan's voice was insistent, quiet but serious. Taesan did but only after he set it as his background first.
"Merry Christmas, Leehan."
Soft lips brushed up against his chin and Taesan tilted his head down to accept a proper kiss before moving back to let Leehan breathe, "Merry Christmas, Taesan."
They cuddled together on the couch, food completely forgotten as they basked in the presence of one another. Snow continued to fall outside, Leehan's fish swam around in their tank completely blind to the world around them and Taesan… Taesan felt a once-familiar feeling wash over him.
He was finally home.