Work Text:
-`♡´-
By the time Minghao reached the destination, the sky had turned into the lovely shade of pink and gold. The campus grew quieter compared to the usual chaos of the afternoon. All that were left were the scattered groups of students passing by, leaves rustling, and bicycles clicking on the pavement.
Minghao’s phone read 05:19PM, and beneath the tree was his handsome boyfriend, who has been sending him notes on an hourly basis for the past eight hours, pacing like a man waiting outside a delivery room for good news of his pregnant wife.
Junhui keeps glancing down at his phone, then back up toward the pathway every few seconds, hoodie sleeves shoved up messily to his elbows. There is a paper bag at his feet, probably holding something dramatic. The view of pink ribbons tied around the old confession tree fluttering above his head in the breeze was truly cute. Minghao took a moment to capture the scene in his heart at how lovely of a boyfriend Junhui was.
And then, Junhui looked up, locking his gaze with him. The moment Junhui spotted Minghao, his whole face glowed brightly, his shoulders relaxing all at once. Minghao took his path towards Junhui, who was giddy and smiling silly.
“There you are,” Junhui breathed out. “You’re here!”
Minghao hummed slightly and melted into Junhui’s embrace, a pleasant fragrance of cookies and flowers blended well, making Minghao smile unconsciously at how cute his boyfriend is.
“Did you think I won’t show up?” Minghao asked.
“No, I’m just happy that you’re here before 5:20!”
“You made Channie, Kwannie, and Seokmin do all the delivery work, shouldn’t I show respect to them?” Minghao asked, eyeing the faint smudge of icing near Junhui’s sleeve cuff, probably from the cat cookies earlier.
“I bribed them with food, it wasn’t free labor!" Junhui pouted and looked somewhat proud.
“Are you sure?” Minghao smiled.
“Well, I might have said Seokmin that if the cookies break, I’d be very sad.”
“Ge, that's emotional manipulation!” Minghao laughed, clearly remembering how concerned Seokmin was to check whether the cookies were broken or not.
Junhui grinned so hard his nose scrunched, making Minghao want to bite him. Instead, he pinched them, making Junhui giggle.
“So, you’re here for me.” Junhui said it with a stupidly cute, fond smile on his face.
“Ge, you sent gifts every hour and flowers to my department. Half of them believed I was getting proposed to. I had to tell them it’s like a Chinese Valentine’s Day.”
“Oh? So what would you have done if I really proposed to you?” Junhui asked, stepping closer, snaking his hands around Minghao’s waist.
Minghao blinked and smiled back. Minghao cupped Junhui’s face and placed a small kiss on his mole above his lip. “Even if you ask me now, tomorrow, or even after three years, I would only have one answer,” he said, pressing a quick peck on Junhui’s lips before mumbling against them. “Yes, laogong.”
Junhui’s breath hitched before kissing him hungrily, making Minghao giggle against him.
“Don’t laugh,” Junhui complained weakly between kisses, tightening his hold around Minghao’s waist like he was afraid Minghao would disappear if he loosened it even slightly.
“You’re kissing me like you’ve been starving.”
“I have been starving,” Junhui argued immediately. “I have been trying my best to not to come across you all day, because if I did, I surely would have lost my control and kissed you silly.”
Minghao laughed softly again, the sound swallowed by Junhui kissing him once more, slower this time, warm and lingering beneath the pink evening sky. The old confession tree swayed gently above them, ribbons fluttering around their shoulders whenever the wind passed by.
When they finally pulled apart, Junhui rested his forehead against Minghao’s and exhaled quietly.
“You know,” Junhui murmured softly, thumb rubbing circles against Minghao’s waist, “I kept thinking today wasn’t enough.”
Minghao blinked. “What?”
“The gifts, the notes, the flowers, all of it.” Junhui smiled sheepishly. “It still feels too small compared to how much I like you.”
Minghao’s expression softened immediately. Junhui huffed out a tiny laugh and looked away for a second, suddenly shy despite orchestrating an entire campus-wide boyfriend event.
“It’s embarrassing,” Junhui admitted. “Because sometimes, I look at you and genuinely don’t know what to do with myself.”
“Ge—”
“No, let me say it properly.” Junhui squeezed Minghao’s waist gently before continuing.
“I know we joke around a lot, but I really mean it when I say I want this for a long time.”
The evening breeze brushed past them softly, making everything else oblivious to whatever this little bubble was experiencing.
“I want to spend more 520s with you,” Junhui said quietly. “I want more ordinary Tuesdays with you too. I want to annoy you during lectures and bring you snacks during studio hours and walk you back to your dorm when it rains. I want to kiss you during our late-night study sessions, and I want to cook while you watch me. I want to adopt more cats and start a family with you.”
Minghao felt his throat tighten.
Junhui smiled then, too softly and impossibly fondly, making Minghao smitten even more.
“And maybe one day,” Junhui whispered, eyes shining under the golden light, “if I’m lucky enough, I’ll get to stand beside you and call you my husband for real.”
Minghao’s eyes burned instantly, all those words promising him back, as if his beloved Junhui were reading his mind.
“Wen Junhui,” Minghao mumbled, his voice smaller now. “You can’t say things like that after making me emotional all day.”
“But it’s true, baobei.” Junhui reached up carefully, brushing his fingers through Minghao’s hair.
“I love being loved by you,” Junhui confessed softly. “I think it’s my favorite thing that has ever happened to me.”
That did it. Minghao cupped Junhui’s face immediately and kissed him again, slower and tender enough that Junhui melted against him with a tiny broken sigh.
“You’re so unfair, Gege.” Minghao whispered against his lips.
Junhui smiled softly. “You still like me, though.”
“I really do.”
Junhui’s eyes curved so prettily at that.
Then Junhui leaned down and pressed one last lingering kiss against Minghao’s forehead before mumbling quietly, "Good, because I’m planning to keep you forever, Xioahao.”
-`♡´-