out of the shade

to be loved

One Week Later

"I think this place is just about done." Sunghoon smiles as he pulls off some painter's tape from around the windows.

The new grayish blue colors of the walls inside the garage stares back at them and Riki can't help but smile at Sunghoon's proud expression as he looks around at the garage that his boyfriend breathed new life into— yes that's right, boyfriend.

It really hasn't been hard for the two to fall back into each other and they wanted to do things right this time so Sunghoon asked Riki out the night of their confession on the roof after they spent hours up there cuddling, holding each other close and savoring the time that they have with one another now.

His parents had been furious about Riki coming home around three that morning and almost grounded him if it weren't for his dad feeling his son's emotions at the time and easily realizing what happened. Riki was able to get off only with a scolding before being shooed upstairs to go to bed.

That afternoon though, he started helping Sunghoon fix up the garage even more; they went to paint shops, shopped around for various parts and tools whilst Sunghoon told Riki way more about cars than he has ever heard before as Riki intently listened.

It was nice to just spend the day together and the cute cat cafe that Sunghoon took him to after all their shopping definitely made the day go down as one of Riki's favorites ever.

"It looks amazing, babe. Your dad would be so proud of you." Riki states sincerely as he wraps an arm around Sunghoon's shoulders and pulls him into a side hug.

Sunghoon smiles back at him as he wraps his arms around Riki's waist before leaning in and placing a peck on the younger's lips, "Thanks for helping me, princess."

Riki still flushes at the nickname although Sunghoon uses it so often at this point as he's wrapped up into a warm embrace by his partner who gently presses a peck to Riki's neck, sending shivers down his spine.

"Ready to go?" Sunghoon asks as he pulls away to look at his boyfriend.

Riki hums in confirmation before noticing something on Sunghoon's face.

"But you definitely aren't since you have a little paint right here." Riki says as he wipes away a dot of paint from Sunghoon's cheek with his thumb.

Sunghoon smiles as he takes a rag from his pocket and wipes Riki's thumb, "Thanks, it would have been awkward if I showed up to see our friends with a random blue line on my cheek." Sunghoon half-teases and Riki snorts as he knows the older is mimicking something he said on the very first day that they met, right before Riki got to meet the amazing people in his life now.

Look how far they've come.

"That feels like forever ago," Riki comments, his tone almost nostalgic.

"Yeah it does." Sunghoon agrees, "Both like forever and just yesterday and it makes me think about the forever that we have left."

Riki's heart swells in his chest, the promise akin to forever filling him with this secure warmth, "When did you become such a romantic?"

Sunghoon simply smiles, eyes full of adoration as he looks up at Riki as though he hung the stars, "When I met you."

𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓𖤓

"You know that you still haven't told me about your plans for uni." Riki brings up as they drive down the road, Sunghoon's hand resting on his thigh, "I feel like I just got you back in my life and the idea of you leaving so soon..."

Riki trails off, not really wanting to think about how much harder it will be for them to see each other and the limited amount of time they would have together, especially so soon after reconciling and finally coming back to each other.