Work Text:
Baek Saheon did not know what to do.
Strewn across his bedroom was a flurry of clothing — everything from casual to formal, relaxed to flirtatious — from his now-emptied wardrobe. A variety of patterned ties hung from above his mirror, his shoes were thrown about the floor, and each cologne bottle lid was severely misplaced. Even hair accessories and various embroidered and laced eyepatches which had never seen the light of day prior to this were out in display amidst the pile of obscurities. His phone had been tossed somewhere in his room playing music on full blast; despite the volume, he’d probably still need a homing device to pinpoint it amongst the disarray.
One might think his room was raided by a thief, meticulous to scatter the most mundane things, or perhaps a hurricane, a mindless disaster that spewed chaos and despair into there. He wished it were as simple as that. But that wasn’t the cause of him standing in that room, half-naked with a couple of burn marks across his hands from failing to use a hair straightener.
Today was the day.
Scribbled in excited circles and confetti on his calendar was this exact date; September 13th.
His boyfriend’s birthday.
Everything had to be perfect.
Saheon had spent months planning this very day — not that he would admit it — in which he had thrown himself into calculating the perfect birthday date. Lists upon lists covered in his fanatic scrawl were shoved under his bed, detailing the possibilities.
Amusement parks were okay, but not ideal. Resorts were relaxing. Trains, buses and taxis were out of bounds, and so were lodges and mountainous areas. Live-shows were a hazard, but large shopping centres and museums were more so.
Unlike a time before, Saheon knew his boyfriend well.
He was no longer a psychopath, bloodthirsty and dopamine-seeking, but instead softhearted. He wasn’t naive or clumsy, but steadfast and quick-thinking. His boyfriend was sweet, kind, and true of heart.
His boyfriend was all his.
When he had first confessed his secret to Saheon, disbelief flickered through his entire being. Seriously, a coward, him? He was clearly an astounding actor, surely that self accusation was just another act to pile onto the list. But as time went on, Saheon’s view had changed.
Saheon became more meticulous to his boyfriend: the way his boyfriend’s eyes would flit from one shadow to another; the way he would shrink behind Saheon under a feigned excuse of the latter taking the lead; the way he would softly listen to children’s songs in the dead of night to maintain a semblance of sanity as Saheon ‘slept’ in his lap.
He was an endearing man — practically an angel bestowed upon Saheon.
In a way, he was one.
With a jolt, Saheon stopped spacing out as a soft knock reverberated through his door. Despite its quietness, Saheon could still hear it — most likely due to his experience at Daydream, yet he claimed to himself that he could hear his boyfriend missing him from the ends of the world. Besides, who else would request to enter his room in a manner as gentle as that except for the man who tore his heart out with an axe and returned it with a promise hidden in a paper boat.
But, despite however much Saheon loved his boyfriend, this was horrendous timing.
Scurrying to find his phone and shut off the music, Saheon dived towards his bed and switched it off, before sprinting towards his bedroom door.
“Ah, shit! Hold on, don’t come in, I’m not ready—“
A slight creak and the handle was turned.
“Saheon…?”
Before the door could be opened ajar, Saheon slammed his body against it, breathless, and yelled an apology.
“10 more minutes! Don’t, give me a bit, don’t come in!”
The sound of a sincere apology followed by faded footsteps allowed Saheon a moment to breathe.
He was going to make his boyfriend’s birthday unforgettable.
— ☆ —
After what felt like years of agonising over clothing and cologne, Saheon finally emerged from his room, hair slicked back, adorned in a suit subtly embroidered with a grapes motif. September, his boyfriend’s birth month, was truly the perfect month for his hidden away custom suit, designed swiftly after first learning the name ‘Agent Grapes’, to finally see the light of day.
His boyfriend was sitting on the couch of their shared dorm, turned away, a soft blush decorating his ears as he timidly pet his little bunny plushie. It was another one of the cute actions that made his boyfriend so special.
Upon seeing the sight, surreptitiously and swiftly, Saheon sauntered towards his boyfriend from behind without attracting his attention before wrapping his arms around the other’s shoulders and leaning in for a kiss on the neck. It was comforting, the consistent warmth that exuded from his boyfriend, especially wherever he brought his lips to.
When Saheon pulled away, the other’s ears were a few shades brighter than he had previously noted. He always loved how easily his boyfriend found himself blushing despite his constant façade.
Saheon would never stop referring to his boyfriend as his.
No matter how fleeting any part of his life was, his boyfriend always found a way back to him. Always.
Moving around the sofa to stand in front of his boyfriend, Saheon leaned down as his arm was outstretched, beckoning the other to take his hand.
“Happy birthday, Soleum.” He said, careful to not stumble over his words like the countless practices he had in front of his mirror. With a flourish, he continued. “Let’s go out for dinner now, okay?”
A smile emerged across Soleum’s face; a genuine smile, born of happiness and not the exhausted smile Saheon found himself too used to.
“Thank you, alright.”
Soleum took his hand.
Saheon was ready to make this the best night of both their lives by far. Double checking the small, handheld box within his inner blazer pocket, he escorted his boyfriend out of the dorm.
Despite Saheon’s adoration for calling Soleum his boyfriend, he found himself more inclined to the title of his husband.