Work Text:
March 21st, 2025
It's been one year since Suho started rehabilitation, one year and 3 weeks since he started waking up. The nurses were all astounded by his recovery, noting how he was able to start walking with one crutch 10 months into rehab, and making considerable progress in his speech and reading just 4 months in. It was, in all cases, pretty much a miracle. Due to the nature of his injury and how long he was out for, he should have been considered ‘a lost cause’. Sieun didn't allow that. He couldn't. He made sure Suho's brain was stimulated with simple questions, slowly upping the difficulty every time he came by from his classes. He stopped going to cram school. He was already smart enough, this was more important. Helping Suho was more important.
Sieun got into University a few weeks ago. His schedule changed wildly, but he's still made sure he used up his free time to be with Suho.
—
“Focus on your fancy vet school, Sieun-ah. Remember what the nurses said about me being strong? I'm practically invincible.” Suho said, lifting up his right arm to flex his bicep. It was a little shaky and he'd lost quite a bit of muscle, but it did the trick.
Sieun was sitting next to his hospital bed, eyes threatening to close every few seconds. He hated evening classes because of this. Losing precious time to connect with Suho and check his progress. He ended up falling asleep on the armchair in the corner of the room after Suho had banished him there to preserve his back from hunching. Suho watched him with a fond smile before drifting off to sleep too.
—
Suho has just been discharged from the hospital. He will still have to come by for physical rehab every morning, but it's a start.
The sun is starting to set, hues of orange and yellow painting over the city. Sieun has been lugging Suho's belongings into his own apartment. He remembers how they came to agree to the arrangement – and how it wouldn't have happened if Halmeoni hadn't talked to him.
—
Sieun and Suho's Halmeoni were sitting at a table near the front of the hospital cafeteria. Suho had just been helped by the nurses to the bathroom, leaving the two of them alone.
“Sieunnie… How are you feeling?” Halmeoni broke the silence. “Suho is finally going home.” Her hands were clasped on the table as she flashed a small smile.
Sieun swallowed. “It’s… Different.” He stared down at the wooden table, fidgeting with his nails over the wooden plank. “I'm happy, yes. But I got used to this. Being here with Suho.”
There was a beat of silence.
Halmeoni gave him a knowing look. “Have you considered living together?”
Sieun freezed. Suho had joked about moving in with him before. With the time Sieun spent at the hospital they might as well be living together already. He eats and sleeps there more than he does in his own apartment.
Halmeoni knew that, Suho told her. He's told her a lot that Sieun doesn't know.
Halmeoni's words made him reconsider if he wanted it to be just a ‘joke’. Or if Suho meant it as just a ‘joke’ in the first place.
He nodded slowly. He looked up at Halmeoni with his heart in his throat.
“You have a kind soul, Sieunnie.” She grabs Sieun's hands from across the table. “Something tells me you might need him more than I do now. I know he needs you too.”
—
Suho is lying on the couch, crutch propped up against the same side his head is resting on. He watches as Sieun sifts through his things, separating his clothes to file away into their respective drawers. He feels his phone vibrate on his chest and brings a hand up to lift the screen towards him to check it.
“Halmeoni is asking how it's going.” Suho calls out to Sieun. “And if the lava lamp made it here okay.” He adds with a chuckle.
“Tell her everything's good.” Sieun doesn't look up at him, his mind too focused on the task at hand.
The lava lamp is fine. It sits on the TV stand glowing a bright orange. Halmeoni wrapped it in uncountable layers of bubble wrap and tape. Sieun appreciated the caution at first, but he quickly realized she had not considered how much of a pain it would be to unwrap.
They return to a comfortable silence, where only the faint clicks of Suho tapping on his phone's keyboard fill the air. He shoots Halmeoni a quick message and puts his phone down again, looking back at Sieun.
“Are you sure you don't want me to do anything?”
“Yes. It's the least I can do.” Sieun's tone is firm, but not harsh. “You can read while I do this. I'm sure you're tired of just staring at me.”
Suho's eyes wrinkle at that and he lets out a small exhale. He wishes he could make himself useful, he feels a little helpless letting Sieun do everything – but he could never get tired of staring at him.
His books are stacked up on the coffee table – all of them either autobiographies (Sieun's idea) or romance novels (Suho's request). Sieun got them to help Suho learn to read again. The one at the top has a bookmark sticking out of it. To ease Sieun's concern he picks it up and flips to the page he had bookmarked. He scans the words on the page, pausing at the end of each paragraph to glance over at Sieun.
Sieun picks up a few piles of clothes and disappears into his bedroom, leaving Suho to actually pay attention to the book.
The sun sets completely during the time it takes Sieun to put Suho's clothes away. He leaves the books on the coffee table where Suho can easily get to them.
Suho looks up from his book at Sieun. His eyes are sifting between Suho and the couch, the gears turning in his head. He doesn't want to ask Suho to move.
“Can you just sit down, Sieun-ah?” Suho bends his knees to make room on the other end of the couch. Sieun blinks at him before moving across the living room and taking a seat.
Sieun rests his head on the back of the couch as he looks at Suho.
Suho lifts the book he's reading into Sieun's line of vision. It's Song Kiheon’s autobiography – a decorated baseball player who exploded on the scene, earning himself Rookie of the Year and several MVP awards over the years. Sieun got it for him since it had just been released a few months prior. He read the summary on the back cover briefly. His story seemed to be on the more light-hearted side, he figured Suho may like it then. By the fact that Suho is over half way done with it, he can safely conclude he does.
He hums approvingly, eyes returning to stare into Suho's. They stare into each other's eyes for a beat too long. Suho breaks eye contact rapidly and awkwardly. He clears his throat before slotting the bookmark onto the page he was on and closing the book. He lifts his back off of the couch, using both hands for support. Sieun carefully takes the book and puts it back in its place.
Suho lifts his head back up to look at Sieun, sitting side by side with him now, bodies turned slightly towards each other. He reaches his hand into the pocket of his windbreaker, fiddling with something that Sieun can't see.
He clears his throat, bringing a thumb to wipe the side of his nose. “I actually have something else. For both of us.”
He takes his hand out from his pocket to reveal a small black box. Sieun looks down at it, curiosity piqued. He notices Suho's hand is shaking.
“I know it's cheesy…” He uses his other hand to pry the box open, revealing two stainless steel rings. “Halmeoni helped me pick them out a couple days ago while you were at Uni. I thought it would be a good way for us to remember each other, even while you're out studying to save all the puppies and kittens in the world.”
Sieun didn't realize he was crying. Not until he tries to speak and his breath hitches in his throat, mucus clogging his airway briefly. He blinks the tears away from his eyes and they slide down his cheeks, making him bring a hand up to quickly wipe them away.
It's the sweetest gesture anyone has ever done for him. He can hardly wrap his brain around the layers of love poured into it. Not only did Suho want to make sure he thought of him while he was at school (disregarding the fact that it was impossible not to), he wanted a permanent reminder of Sieun with him at all times. Suho wants to be here with him just as much as he does.
Suho softly takes Sieun's left hand and places it on his lap. He takes the smaller ring and places it on his ring finger, then takes the other, slightly bigger ring to place on his own. He rests his hand down next to Sieun's on his lap, staring at them. He fights back tears as they threaten to build on his waterline.
They both look up from Suho's lap at the same time, eyes locking on each other. Sieun's eyes are glossy, dripping with love. Suho's eyes are squinted, love beaming from them.
Sieun wants to crawl into Suho's ribcage. Make a home there so they're never apart. So Suho never has to worry about them remembering anything.
He does the next thing he can think of and leans in to kiss him. He doesn't really know what he's doing – he's never kissed anyone before. Suho's eyes widen for a moment before he brings his hand up to cradle Sieun's face, turning his head to a better angle, cold steel making contact with his flushed cheek. Sieun brings his hand up to rest of Suho's shoulder. It's inexperienced and clumsy, yet passionate beyond measure.
Sieun pulls away for air, looking up at Suho. Suho looks about as lost as him. It looks like he just kissed every single word out of his mouth. Sieun's face contorts into his once rare downward smile. He speaks despite fearing his mouth will betray him.
“Thank you, Suho-yah. They're perfect.” You're perfect.
Suho returns to himself all at once, a small smile turning into a full blown grin, then a laugh. He pulls Sieun in for another kiss.
They fit together perfectly. Like magnets being pulled towards each other until they finally collided.
April 3rd, 2028
Suho returned to working at his family's restaurant a few months ago.
Between late shifts and Sieun's busy schedule, dates at the restaurant became the norm. Suho's auntie has taken a liking to Sieun since long before they started dating. She remembers how Suho would drag him in with him when they were younger, and how Sieun would visit the restaurant regularly while Suho was in his coma to check in. He rarely ate anything, usually just observing from a deep corner of the restaurant – but she made sure he went home with a takeaway container of beef stew every time.
The dead of night has settled in by the time Sieun makes it to the restaurant. Suho's shift ended about 30 minutes ago, leaving him to sit at a round table near the entrance, playing on his phone. His head perks up at the sound of the glass door sliding open and he immediately puts his phone away.
Sieun scans the half-dead restaurant before he spots Suho, who's waving a hand to get his attention. His tired eyes regain life as a small smile creeps onto his face, walking over and plopping down next to Suho. Suho's hand immediately reaches up to circle Sieun's waist as he pulls him closer to kiss his cheek. He would have aimed for his lips but that prompted a smack to his arm last time, making him lose his grip on Sieun and nearly sent the smaller man toppling to the floor – drawing even more attention that Sieun didn't want.
Sieun grumbles and squints his eyes shut, but the red tint on his cheeks and ears tells a different story. He watches as Yeongi approaches the table and looks at her with pleading eyes, like she could somehow save him from his predicament.
She smacks the table with her hand to get Suho's attention. “Put it away, freak. I need to get your order.”
Suho pulls away and looks Yeongi in the eyes. From the look on his face she can tell whatever idea he's having isn't a good one.
He turns his head back to Sieun and licks a stripe up his cheek and quickly pulls his arm away, tucking back into his seat fully before Sieun takes the chance to maim him right there. Sieun pulls the most disgusted face he’s ever pulled in his entire life, looking at Suho in utter disbelief. He quickly pulls his sleeve over his palm and uses it to wipe Suho's saliva away.
“You're actually disgusting. Oh my god.” Yeongi turns away from the spectacle, bringing a hand up to shield her face. “I'm just gonna assume the usual.” She starts walking back to the kitchen.
“Bring me a beer too!” Suho yells back. Yeongi doesn't turn but flashes a thumbs up over her head to signal that she heard him.
Sieun immediately forgets about what just happened. Blinking away disbelief, worry washing over it instead.
Suho looks back at him and notices the change. His eyebrows crease, matching Sieun's expression. “What?”
“Remember what I told you about drinking alcohol?”
Sieun researched the effects of alcohol after a coma after hearing the doctor rattle off a list of things Suho was advised against doing until he was fully cleared. He is now, but he still runs a slight risk. He hasn't drank any alcohol in years. He was never the type to get drunk either, only enjoying an occasional beer. Sieun read that drinking after a brain injury would increase your sensitivity to alcohol, making you prone to getting drunk off a lot less than before. Suho has never been drunk – Sieun has no baseline.
“It's okay, Sieun-ah.” He grabs Sieun's hand under the table. “It's just one beer. Plus, I'm eating while I drink, didn't you say that helps?” Sieun nods. “And you're here. You wouldn't let me do anything reckless if I was sober either.”
Sieun swallows his anxiety down. He knows he can't keep acting like this, like Suho is one wrong step away from slipping away again. He's healthy now. He shouldn't be so worried.
Yeongi comes back with their food eventually and the dinner goes smoothly. Suho only drinks half of his jug before Sieun cuts him off, immediately catching the cues that Suho was starting to get tipsy. The way he got slightly more touchy and he would giggle after almost anything Sieun said.
He scrapes his chair closer to Suho's in the event that Suho starts losing balance. He looks up at him, cheeks now tinted a rosy pink as he stuffs his mouth with the last bit of rice in his bowl.
Suho feels his presence draw closer and tilts his head down to rest it on Sieun's shoulder. It startles Sieun for a moment before he realizes it's just Suho being Suho. Until he opens his mouth to speak.
“—‘M gonna marry you one day. You're so good to me.”
Sieun's breathing stops. No amount of internet research could prepare him for what a drunk Ahn Suho would say.
Suho continues, slurring over his words and talking slower than usual. “We'll have a small wedding. Keep it simple. I know you don't want anything flashy. Maybe you can convince Baku to be the flower girl—”
“You're drunk.”
Sieun is catatonic. His eyes are unfocused, pointed straight ahead as Suho snuggles further into this shoulder.
“So?” Suho tilts his head to catch a glimpse of Sieun's face, still not lifting it from his shoulder. The angle gives him nothing to work with, though his vision is a little blurry around the edges anyway. “Do you not want that?”
Silence.
Sieun wants that. Of course he does. He's just not ready to think about weddings and getting married when he's got enough on his plate as is. How does he explain that to Suho? How does he know he's actually being serious and it's not just the beer talking?
“Let's just go home.” Sieun stands up, inadvertently bringing Suho along with him.
Suho drags behind him like a sad puppy as Sieun crosses the restaurant to go up to the counter and pay, his cheek pressed against Sieun's and his arms wrapped lazily around his waist to support himself. Suho's auntie looks between them with an unreadable expression, while Yeongi sighs from the side. Sieun is sure the sight is ridiculous.
Sieun calls a taxi to take them home. Neither of them speak for the rest of the night, apart from a soft ‘good night’ from Sieun as he watches Suho sleep, keeping a hand over his chest to feel his heartbeat.
The next day, Suho seems to not remember what happened at the restaurant. Sieun figures it's for the best.
April 25th, 2028
Suho and Yeongi are stocking the drinks fridge. They work in tandem, conversation flowing easily between them. Suho is ranting about a petty argument he had with Sieun that morning before he left for school.
“I literally told him it was fine! Neither of us can control if the washing machine works or not. That thing has a mind of its own.” Suho laughs at how ridiculous it all was. They weren't mad at each other, Sieun was just mad at himself. It was his turn to do the laundry and he didn't double check that the stupid washing machine had finished the cycle properly, leaving Suho's work uniform sopping wet and soapy. Suho tried to calm him down but it was no use.
“Jeez, you guys are like an old married couple.” Yeongi says.
Suho stops for a second, looking up at Yeongi. He clears his throat awkwardly before picking up another bottle.
“What? You literally live together and wear matching rings but me saying you're married is pushing it?”
“No it's just… Sieun has been acting weird for a few weeks now. Ever since that night I got drunk.”
Suho remembers everything. He remembers Sieun's silence, his dismissiveness. The light airy feeling of the buzz made the words flow out of him like an avalanche. He regretted it instantly.
“Don’t tell me you proposed drunk.” Yeongi stares at him in disappointment “You dumbass.”
“Not really…? I may have told him I'm gonna marry him one day… And I may have told him to convince Baku to be the flower girl.”
Yeongi laughs. “Wow, Suho-yah. Very subtle.”
Suho sighs.
“Why can't I be the flower girl?”
“Baku would actually wear the dress. You'd rather die than do that.”
Yeongi scoffs. “Can't even have a flower girl in a suit at your gay wedding. Very progressive.”
“Shut up.”
—
Baku, Gotak and Juntae all looked concerned as Sieun told them about what's been bothering him.
“I don't understand, so you don't wanna get married? ever? Isn't that like the final step for a relationship?” Baku questions as Sieun fiddles with his spoon, swirling it around in his tea.
Gotak slaps his arm. “You idiot. A lot of couples stay together without getting married. Maybe Sieun-ah doesn't want a wedding.” Juntae nods.
“No. No. I want to. I don't know if Suho meant it. He was drunk, he could've been saying anything.” Sieun's thumb flicks the rim of his mug as he thinks, looking down at the light brown liquid. “I don't want to think about that yet. Not until I'm done with school, at least."
“Have you tried talking to him about it?” Gotak asks. Sieun shakes his head.
“It wouldn't hurt to. Maybe he's been meaning to say it but didn't know how to bring it up.” Juntae adds.
Sieun fiddles with the stainless steel ring on his finger with his thumb.
Baku looks down at the ring and attempts to cheer Sieun up. “You're basically married already, we just have to officiate it. Juntae can be the priest, Gotak your best man and I’ll be the flower girl. Wait no, I wanna say ‘you may now kiss the groom’—”
Sieun smiles at Baku’s antics, feeling a sense of relief. They can figure it out one day.
July 15th, 2028
It takes Sieun three months to work up the courage to talk to Suho about what happened. He doesn't even think Suho remembers, which has only added to his anxiety. For all he knows Suho might think he's been acting like this for an entirely unrelated reason.
The fire crackles in front of them, the breezy night settling on them. It's Sieun's summer break and Suho had suggested they rent a tent house near the beach. The walls of the apartment are all encompassing, echoing with words neither of them dare to say. They desperately need to get some air.
They finished dinner long ago, purely soaking up the essence of the campfire now. Suho is holding Sieun's hand, fingers brushing over his knuckles and his thumb rubbing over his palm as it lays on the arm rest of his chair. They're both looking at the flames wisping into the air in deep thought.
“Hey so—” ”I need to—”
They both talk at the same time, turning their heads to each other simultaneously.
Suho chuckles. “You can go first.”
Sieun tilts his head forward slightly, as if waiting for confirmation. Suho nods for him to speak.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
The single scariest sentence Suho could ever hear. He knows immediately what Sieun wants to talk about, he was about to bring up the same thing. It was like a ticking time bomb. Suho swallows.
Sieun looks away, turning his eyes back to the campfire, Suho's kicked puppy gaze too overpowering. “Do you remember what happened the night you got drunk?”
Suho sighs. “I do.”
It's not like he ever lied and said that he didn't. Sieun assumed he didn't and by his reaction, Suho figured he shouldn't bring it up again. He feels immensely guilty for how on edge Sieun has been lately.
“Okay.” Sieun shuffles in his seat. “Did you mean it? What you said?” Sieun clenches and unclenches his fist around the fabric of his pants. He looks back at Suho.
Suho looks like he's about to break. He nods.
Sieun's gaze drops to their joined hands. “I'm sorry. I wasn't sure.”
“I'm sorry too.”
Sieun curls his fingers over Suho's thumb. The silence lingers for only a little.
“I do want to get married. Just not yet. Not while I'm still in school.”
Suho feels relief crash into him like a tidal wave, so strong that it knocks him down. He leans his back against the wooden chair as he lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
Sieun's gaze softens as he watches him. He hadn't realized just how much it was weighing on Suho's mind – he didn't even know he remembered until just a few seconds ago.
Suho turns his head to Sieun again, grip tightening on his hand. “Anything you want, Sieun-ah. I'll wait until we're on our death beds if it makes you feel better.”
“Not that long, please.” Sieun smiles.
“You wanna add it to your planner? I can tell you the exact day I'll propose. I'll even let you pick out the ring with me.”
Sieun shakes his head, smiling harder, eyes turning glossy. “No. Do it how you want to. I'll still be happy.”
Suho reaches over his chair and cups Sieun's cheek with his free hand, his other hand still holding Sieun's tightly. He vows to himself that he could never get tired of getting lost in those eyes.
He leans in and presses his lips against Sieun's slightly parted ones. They tune out the sounds of the fire crackling, the crickets, the wind rustling against the leaves – until it's just them. Like it's always been.
Suho pulls back and settles into his seat again, his smile never leaving his face.
“Can Baku be the flower girl then?”
Sieun laughs. It's like music to Suho's ears.
“I'll think about it.”
May 15th, 2034
It's Sieun's 28th birthday. He doesn't get to do much celebrating since he's at the clinic the whole day and everyone else is busy, but Suho wants to make sure the day is still special.
The sun starts to set as Suho moves around the kitchen, careful hands stirring the pot boiling on the stove. He remembers Sieun telling him he really likes his auntie's beef stew, so he's taken it upon himself to recreate it. He realizes he could've just brought some home after his shift, but he took a day off today and it just wouldn’t be the same. He had called his auntie this morning right after Sieun left for work.
—
The phone rang a few times before the call was picked up. Suho laid on their bed, phone pressed to his cheek, with a notepad and pen in his other hand.
“Hello? Suho-yah?” His auntie's voice came out hoarse on the other end.
“Hey Imo. I know it's early but I was wondering if you could tell me what the beef stew recipe is again?”
He heard her sigh on the other end of the phone. “It's 7 in the morning, Suho. Is it that urgent?”
“Yes, sorry. I'm making it for Sieun. It's his birthday, remember?” He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand.
There was a pause. Suho guessed she was probably checking the date.
“Okay, honey. Make sure you write this down.” Suho could hear her smile through the phone and her exasperation.
He flipped onto his stomach and plopped the phone down onto the bed next to him, putting it on speaker. He clicked the pen and got ready to write down everything his auntie said. His handwriting was neat, though a little rushed.
“Also, tell Sieunnie Imo wishes him a happy birthday. He's a very lucky boy.”
—
He has the TV on to keep him company in the empty apartment, though it acts mostly as background noise. He periodically checks his phone until he gets the usual text from Sieun that he just got on the bus.
He spends the next 40 minutes pacing. The stew is already done, but he keeps lifting the wooden spoon to his mouth to check the taste. He keeps lifting the lid of the cake box to check it, eyes tracing over the letters to make sure it's perfect. It’s strawberry, Sieun’s favorite. The icing is white and the letters on it are a dark red, written in pretty cursive writing. He reaches his hand into the left pocket of his sweatpants and spins the little black box in it around with his fingers – Sieun’s engagement ring. Halmeoni didn’t get to help him pick this time, but he’s sure she would still approve. It’s a twisted silver band, adorned with a small white opal. He plans to ask him after dinner and cake, though he’s not sure he can contain his excitement for much longer.
The door slides open and Suho’s ears perk up. He hears it shut and the sound of Sieun shrugging his jacket off and kicking his shoes off – and then nothing. Sieun doesn’t leave the entrance.
Suho lifts his back off the counter to check on him. When he rounds the corner his heart breaks a little.
Sieun looks up at him with puffy eyes, hands clenched at his sides. He’s been crying.
“Sieun-ah—”
He walks closer and brings Sieun into his arms. It takes Sieun a beat before he lifts his arms up Suho’s back. He’s not crying anymore, which is a good sign.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Suho rubs his hand up and down Sieun’s back.
“Hard day.” Sieun mumbles into Suho's collarbone.
It's not the first time Sieun's been overwhelmed at the clinic. It's a hard job, they told him so on his first day. He's never been this bad, though. He wants to sink into the floor and never return.
He always gets anxious around his birthday, it's hard for him to even remember why anymore. It's like his body remembers something his brain refuses to. The irony stings.
Suho navigates the situation expertly, with the caution of someone who's done this a million times over.
He guides Sieun to the bathroom slowly, shielding his view of the kitchen. He shuts the door behind him to drown out the sounds coming from the TV, which he just became acutely aware of – he needs to turn that off. He closes the toilet lid and lets Sieun sit.
Sieun looks at him with tired eyes as Suho kneels down to his eye level.
“You okay to take a bath?”
Sieun nods. His brain feels heavy in his skull.
Suho turns to the tub and lets the water run, checking the temperature with his fingers. When it's warm enough, he lets the tub fill up, pouring in Sieun's bath oils. The scent of mint, jasmine, lemongrass, and freesia fills the bathroom – Sieun's signature mix, he's concocted it over the years. Suho has always kept it in the back of his mind.
He turns back to Sieun and holds both his hands, resting them on Sieun's knees.
“We should get these off, hm?” He looks down at Sieun's dark blue scrubs. He's told him how cute he looks in them many times, though now might not be the best one.
He helps Sieun undress slowly. First his shirt, then his pants, then his underwear, then his socks. It's methodical and careful – and so, so loving. Once he's done he lifts himself back up to press a gentle kiss on Sieun's forehead.
The water finally fills the tub fully and Suho swiftly turns the faucet off. He guides Sieun off of the closed toilet seat and into the tub.
Sieun lets out a long, deep sigh as he sinks into the water, closing his eyes and soaking in the warmth and tranquility. He doesn't need to worry about anything right now.
He hears Suho dip his hands into the water and then feels them brush against his cheeks, thumbs rubbing under his eyes, palms brushing over his cheeks, forehead, lips and chin. If he wasn't so worn out, Suho's doting on him would probably make him cry.
He peers his eyes open slightly to look at Suho's face. He's focused, collected, oddly calm. It's like he's just clocked in for work – except he doesn't look at anyone at work the same way he does Sieun. His eyes are soft with deep adoration. He grabs a washcloth, dipping it into the water and then moving to wash the rest of Sieun's body. His touch is feather-light, not applying too much pressure as he scrubs him clean.
“Thank you.” Sieun whispers, voice still hoarse from crying and his disused vocal chords.
“You don't need to thank me, baby. That's what I'm here for.” Suho whispers back, totally smitten with him. He smiles mostly to himself as Sieun has already closed his eyes again.
Suho leaves a kiss on the crown of his head when he's done, lifting himself up. He wipes his hands dry with a hand towel before leaving the bathroom momentarily.
When he comes back, Suho has a change of clothes in his hand, and Sieun can't hear the TV when the door opens anymore.
He sets the clothes down on the toilet lid and moves to help Sieun out of the tub, guiding him with an arm carefully draped over his back and under his armpits. He immediately wraps him in a soft towel and lets him dry himself off while he unfolds the clothes to show him. A pair of Sieun's shorts and his own shirt. It's a worn out, old UFC shirt. He selfishly picked it because he loves how Sieun looks wearing it. He's worn it countless times – the way he absolutely swims in, the sleeves drooping down to his elbows and the hem running past his hips – it gives Suho overwhelming cuteness aggression.
Sieun smiles softly as he lifts the shirt to him, and Suho's heart melts. He helps Sieun get dressed. He can't help the gentle caresses of his hands as he brushes the clothes over Sieun's body, not that he minds.
Sieun takes in the sight of Suho fully for the first time that night. He's wearing a band tee, the sleeves hugging his biceps tightly. He can see faint grease stains near the hem. He looks down to his sweatpants and the way they pool at his feet. His gaze flickers back to Suho's face, the way his bangs are frazzled, like he's been running his hands through them. He's so cozy, like the picture next to the definition of ‘domestic’ in the dictionary – and so wholly his.
“You're staring.” Suho cups Sieun's face with his hands, looking deep into his eyes, like he's pointing out the constellations in the starry night sky.
The weight on Sieun's shoulders has dissipated, washing off with Suho's careful touch. He can never stay gloomy for too long if Suho is there with him.
Suho moves closer until their bodies are brushing against each other. He leans down until he feels Sieun's breath on his skin, lips ghosting over his. Sieun leans in to steal a kiss from him and then pulls away. Suho steals one right back.
Suho guides Sieun through the house with his hands over his eyes. Sieun usually doesn't like surprises, but he always entertains Suho's antics. Suho's giggles can be heard echo throughout their home.
“Keep them closed, baby.” Suho settles Sieun down on one of the chairs, sitting him at the kitchen island.
Sieun obliges, keeping his eyes shut, hands resting on his thighs as he waits. He can hear the sound of porcelain sliding together, metal scraping against metal, and he can smell a very familiar smell. He hears a chair scrape beside him, and then hears Suho sit down.
“You can open them now.”
Sieun flutters his eyes open. The first thing he sees is a bowl of beef stew in front of him. He looks around the kitchen and sees birthday decorations in baby blue and white – confetti streamers hanging from the cabinets and heart shaped balloons.
“I asked Imo for the recipe this morning. Spent basically all day on it. She wishes you a happy birthday, by the way.” Suho chuckles. He turns Sieun's attention to the white box next to him on the island, placing a hand on top of it. “And I got you a cake. It's strawberry.”
Sieun's eyes sparkle, as if the stars in them multiplied. He looks up at Suho like he's everything he's ever wanted. With him, he's not just Dr. Yeon Sieun, he's Sieun. Baby. Sieun-ah. He makes him feel human, feel seen – feel his. It's all he could ever ask for.
Suho takes Sieun's hand in his, squeezing it tightly. He gives him a quick peck. “Happy birthday, Sieun-ah. Now eat up, we're lucky the stew is still warm.”
Sieun smiles. A deep, genuine smile. He shakes his head and starts eating.
The stew is delicious, though it comes as no surprise. Suho has always been an excellent cook. The cake is beautiful. The swirly red letters on top read ‘Happy Birthday Sieun-ah’, with hearts all around them.
When they're done, Suho refuses to let Sieun do so much as lift a finger to help him clean up. He lifts him with an arm across his upper back, the other under his knees and lays him down on the couch, Sieun throwing weak fists at his upper back in protest as he does so.
Sieun watches from the couch as Suho washes the dishes, his wide back on full display. He turns back every minute or so to look at Sieun, eyes always locking, a smile always on both their faces.
When he's done Sieun has already started to drift off, hands clasped over his stomach. Suho admires his long lashes as they fan over his under eyelids, his lips slightly parted as he takes in even breaths, the curvature of his jaw.
Sieun senses Suho's presence and peers his eyes open. He echoes Suho's words. “You're staring.”
Suho chuckles and bends down to pepper him with kisses. Sieun reaches his hands up to circle Suho's neck and the taller man uses it as an opportunity to scoop him into his arms again. Sieun doesn't protest this time as Suho guides them to their bedroom.
He lays the smaller man down on the bed carefully. The curtains are drawn back, inviting in the soft light of the night sky.
Suho lays down next to him and attacks him with kisses.
“My.” smooch. “Pretty.” smooch. “Baby.” smooch.
“So.” smooch. “Perfect.” smooch.
Sieun giggles through it, only fueling Suho more. He presses one last kiss on his lips before pulling back to look at him.
“How are you feeling?” Suho asks.
“Better. Thank you. For everything.” Sieun wraps an arm around Suho's waist, pulling himself into his chest. “Always so good to me.” He mumbles into Suho's shirt.
Suho stills as he feels something rustle in his pocket. Shit.
The ring.
He was so focused on Sieun that he forgot to propose.
The irony almost makes him laugh, but he springs into action before he can. He places a hand on Sieun's hip to pull him away.
“Wait. I have another gift for you.”
Sieun blinks his eyes open slowly. He looks up at Suho, full of curiosity. Suho can feel his own heart thumping in his chest, about to rip through his chest and lunge out at Sieun.
Suho has never been great with words – speeches, more specifically. He takes a deep breath and tries anyway.
“We’ve been together for 9 years. 9 years I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. You're the greatest gift I've ever received, ever since I saw you in your gray sweater, face buried into your textbook in class. And since you tried to throw a chair in my face.” They both laugh, Sieun throws a weak punch to his chest. “We've been through so much. Sometimes I feel guilty for all the mess you went through. I know you feel the same way too. But you can't change the past. I'm just thankful that in the end you stayed. You stayed with me.” Suho's breath hitches. Sieun's eyes start to blur with tears and he quickly blinks them away so he can look at Suho's face.
“That's why…” Suho reaches his hand into his pocket and pulls out the small black box. “I wanted to make sure you stayed with me. Always and forever.”
He pops the box open. The white opal shines in the moonlight. Sieun lets out a small gasp.
Suho takes a deep breath, tears already running down his face.
“Yeon Sieun, will you marry me?”
The tears flow out of Sieun like a waterfall. He's already nodding frantically before he can get the words out.
“Yes. Always.”
He wraps Suho into the tightest hug he can muster. Suho returns it immediately. He reluctantly pulls away when Suho taps his shoulder blade with the box. Both of them laugh as Suho slots the ring over Sieun's stainless steel one. They match.
Sieun doesn't admire it for long before he's pulling Suho into a passionate kiss, like a wave crashing onto the shore. In the mix of limbs over limbs, bodies pressed together, it's hard to tell where Suho ends and Sieun begins – and vice versa.
They fall asleep tangled together, the small black box forgotten on some corner of the bed. It's just them. Like it's always been. Like it always will be.