So just like that there was Jongho and Yeonjun walking side by side and a couple paces behind them were Hongjoong and Seonghwa, and things were kind of . . .weird.
The beach was only two minutes away by foot but the way things were right now had each minute feeling like it was stretching into hours.
As they had all stepped out of the house Yunho and San had these ridiculous grins on their face as they waved from the front door, and now every time Jongho looked over his shoulders at his dad and his father they too wore these ridiculous grins, and they kept giggling like school girls with gossip they were only dishing between one another.
Look, Jongho knows too damm well how strange his family is, especially his father and his dad, but they were actually really out of character even for them.
The most strange thing that was happening right now though was happening to the very boy walking beside Jongho.
Yeonjun of course.
Yeonjun hadn't swallowed whatever crazy gas his family were on and instead seemed to have taken something completely different.
Yeonjun was quiet, really quiet, and when Jongho had taken the boys hand in his own Yeonjun had flinched out of his skin and Jongho had let go again.
The milli second Jongho had held Yeonjun's hand though he noticed how uncharacteristically sweaty it was, and he figured if Yeonjun was going to hold his hand maybe he wanted to wipe them on his pants or something first. . .save getting unnecessary sweat on him? That was probably why he flinched?
It's not like they swap unnecessary amounts sweat amoung other things at other times. It's totally normal to not hold hands with your boyfriend when your hands are sweaty. . .right?
Sarcasm.
Denial.
Yes that's what was going through Jongho's mind right now.
Jongho was silently telling Yeonjun in his head to wipe his damn hands on his pants, because he just wanted to hold his hand to make him feel better even though he had no idea why Yeonjun looked so nervous and off put all of a sudden in the first place.
It was kind of like how he was in the car when they arrived this morning, except this time nothing Jongho was saying could snap his boyfriend out of his stupor, so much so that they were now walking in silence. . .and ahh, damn Jongho looked over his shoulder again at his crazy ass fathers only to be met with giggles. GIGGLES!
His father and his dad were pretty lovely dovey but this whole giggly business happening right now was so bloody strange.
Jongho faced forwards again, noticing the beach for a small second. Oh how he was so thankful for it to come into his sight. He felt like everyone would stop acting crazy if he could just get to the beach.
Jongho began to turn to Yeonjun saying "Oh look the bea-"
But that's all he could say.
Jongho couldn't finish his sentence because suddenly he was spun around, his dads were dashing forwards and. . .
Did he. . .was he just. . .blindfolded?
"Um what's happening?" he questioned as his body froze in confusion.
Why the hell was he being blindfolded?! Jongho's mind ran at a rapid pace trying to make sense of his current disposition.
He could hear Yeonjun breathing beside him, his fathers gentle grip on his arms and his dads gentle touch on his face as he tightened the blindfold.
"Like seriously guys what the hell. . .Yeonjun? Dads?" He said, his voice going up an octave.
All was ridiculously silent other than the blood rushing in Jongho's mind at the complete utter confusion of the situation and the breathing of the three around him. Jongho wasn't really one to get scared, he was tough, so right now he was more so concerned than anything.
Something was up but Jongho had no clue as to what.
Jongho suddenly found his heart skipping a wild beat, as out of the blue Yeonjun's hands, Yeonjun's no longer sweaty hands, slipped into his own.
Jongho couldn't see a damn thing but he could tell Yeonjun was in front of him now. "Trust me" he said before he let go and his father and his dad's arms looped around his own and started pulling him forwards.
Jongho could only imagine what the hell this scene would look like from someone passing by. Two older men flanking a young man while another younger man with bright pink hair floated nearby. He couldn't pin point Yeonjun's position but he could sense he was near.
Jongho decided to trust that thing's would make sense soon, and hence allowed himself to be walked by his fathers for god knows how long. The ocean was a lot louder, calm, but louder, and Jongho could feel that the ground beneath his feet was no longer the concrete path but indeed the sand; they were all at the desired location, just why was it that he had to be blindfolded? Why were his fathers flanking him like they were and. . .hold up where was Yeonjun?
Suddenly he couldn't hear him breathing, he couldn't hear his footsteps anymore. . .and now he couldn't feel his fathers either, the grasp on his arms gone in an instant as Jongho was left in the darkness of his blindfold with only the ocean to give him a sense of position.
Jongho was confused out of his mind and his heart beat rapidly, so rapidly Jongho almost wished he was in the ocean so he could calm himself down.
But then there was a hand on Jongho's back, and the blindfold dropped away.
Jongho held up his hand to shield his eyes as a strong amber glow shone into his vision. It would seem his fathers had walked him long enough for the sun to drop down in the sky and the sunset to take effect. It's glow turning everything around them a soft yet warm orange and pink.
Jongho looked downwards to his feet, pressing his eyes shut before slowly opening them again.
No matter whether his eyes were ready or not, the moment he looked up though his eyes were wide open, and just like that he was rendered completely blank. . .well almost.
The whole world didn't exist, that beautiful sunset didn't exist, even his father, his dad and Yeonjun's mum?- Why was she here? -didn't exist.
What did exist was Yeonjun, standing in a little makeshift archway, a long red carpet decorated in fresh petals the only thing between them.
Holy shit.
Jongho understood immediately the moment his eyes made contact with Yeonjun's why his whole family had been acting like they all took a sip of crazy gas today. He understood the strange greetings, the secret conversations and the way out of wack state of his boyfriend.
Sure Jongho's expression was a mixture of shock, excitement, and disbelief, but unlike prior situations where he had been rendered frozen in place, his feet were moving him along without a second thought.
"Yeonjun..." Jongho started to say, "Junnie. . ." he said as a single happy tear rolled down his cheek. In that moment all he wanted to do was hold Yeonjun and kiss him, but instinct told him to stop. So he did, right in front of Yeonjun at the end of the long red carpet under the archway.
Yeonjun smiled and grabbed his hands with a squeeze and Jongho sniffled. Yeonjun then giggled at him and Jongho found himself copying him back.
Yeonjun took a deep breath.
"Jongho, from the moment we met in high school I knew we had to be friends. We had so much in common, so much to talk about and I knew I needed you in my life.
"What I didn't know was that you would become the boy that would steal my heart.
"You kept me up at night as thoughts of you danced in my mind, and you made my days brighter every and each time you came into view.
"When you smile at me my heart would leap and any time we shared a hug I wished I could stay in your arms forever.
"That first time we kissed on valentines it truly did feel like I had wings. My whole entire being was soaring, and it was soaring with you.
"You are my other half Jongho, and without you in my world I am not complete. I know we've both spoken of our future, but I can't wait for the future to roll around when I want it to start today"
Yeonjun let go of Jongho's hands.
Got down on one knee.
Pulled out a small red box.
annnd. . .
"Will you marry me Park Jongho? Will you be mine forever?"
Jongho couldn't hold back the waterworks as he nodded.
"Yes" he whispered.
Yeonjun's smile widened to the size of the setting sun as he pulled the ring out of its box. It was a delicate ornate ring of two strands weaved together to form one, and Yeonjun slipped it with ease onto Jongho's ring finger.
As soon as the ring was in place Jongho pulled Yeonjun to his feet and their lips smacked into one another with an unforeseen amount of fury as cheers resounded from off to the side and they were showered in a further show of petals.
Then as the petals fluttered around them, Jongho had Yeonjun off of his feet as he held him and spun around.
Jongho didn't say it out loud, but in that moment he promised to always be the one to help Yeonjun soar, in a way he already was that person, but still he promised it to himself again.
Jongho put Yeonjun down on his feet and the two shared a warm embrace as they looked at one another.
The setting sun was bright, but the fire between them was creating their own light, a bright one that would last for years and years to come.
Yeonjun blinked out a single tear and Jongho found himself kissing it away before resting his forehead against his now fiancée, before comfortably pulling away.
"So this is why my family was extra crazy today" Jongho said with a tut.
Yeonjun closed his eyes and hummed his yes. He then opened his eyes and pulled back a little, "Your family is always crazy, but they're also pretty savvy too. This was both your dads idea." Yeonjun said while he gestured at the little path, archway and petals around them. Originally I was just going to drop on one knee in the sand and ask you to be mine"
Jongho chuckled and lightly slapped Yeonjun's chest before reconnecting their hands again.
Yeonjun shrugged with a light hearted laugh, "But hey you're going to become a Choi so you can always pretend you don't know them if they get too crazy" he giggled.
Yeonjun's giggle didn't last long though.
"Like hell he's going to pretend he doesn't know us! You may make him a Choi, but you both are 100% stuck with this family" his dad said, putting his foot down.
Jongho smiled at his dad as Yeonjun shrunk in on himself.
"Congratulations son" Hongjoong smiled.
"We're so proud of you, both of you" Seonghwa added.
Yeonjun's mum stepped forwards "I'm more than glad to be the sane one in this family" she winked at Jongho.
Yeonjun turned around to look at her, "Mum you're just as crazy as them!"
"Oh shush" she said before then pulling Yeonjun and then an unsuspecting Jongho into a hug. "Welcome to our family" She said, looking at Jongho, "I'm so proud to know you'll be the one who will make my boy happy"
"I promise I'll always make him happy"
"Will you now?" Hongjoong said cheekily with a waggle of his brows, making Yeonjun blush, his mother cover her mouth with a bashful smile, and Jongho and Seonghwa swat him.
Everyone found themselves laughing and smiling as more hugs were shared between one another.
Jongho hadn't even the twinkle that Yeonjun had proposal on his mind, today of all days, but he was happy that Yeonjun chosen this location of all places; the place where they'd first told each other they loved one another, because it made what was happening right now even more special.
As they watched the sun completely set the newly engaged couple found themselves sitting side by side. They'd taken their shoes off and now had their feet buried in the sand.
The warmth of the sun was fading, but neither boy was cold as heat radiated from their hearts.
Nearby their parents were packing up the little proposal set up, but soon they had made themselves scarce leaving the newly engaged couple alone to enjoy one another's company.
Jongho currently had his head on Yeonjun's shoulder, as they both looked at the new ring adorning his finger.
Jongho wiggled his fingers of his left hand in the setting sun before Yeonjun soon reached up, grabbed his hand, kissed his ring finger and laced their hands together.
They snapped a photo of their hands entwined and posted this for the rest of the family to see. Clearly they were all waiting for news because as soon as the photo was up their family were the first to reply.
Jongho and Yeonjun sat there for who knows how long, talking about how they looked forward to university being over, how they wanted to find a place of their own, and how happy they were.
Although they'd been together for 6 years now, as of this moment it felt like a new beginning, one they knew would last for the rest of their lives.
"So Choi Jongho ay?" Jongho said, combining Yeonjun's last name with his own. There was something so completely and utterly perfect about Yeonjun's last name. Jongho would always be a Park, but he felt like becoming a Choi was what he was always supposed to be.
"I like the sound of that" Yeonjun said after a moment, "I know we never really spoke of who would take whose last name so I also don't mind taking yo-"
"No" Jongho said imediately stopping Yeonjun in his tracks "I want to be yours, all yours, and I like the sound of Choi Jongho. . not going to lie, but I may have dooddled it down the back of a couple of school books throughout the years" he said, nudging Yeonjun's side.
Yeonjun chuckled "Well thats good to know since I always doodled Mr. Yeonjun & Jongho Choi."
Now Jongho chuckled.
"It was meant to be"
"Indeed it was"
~ Fin ~
A/n So that concludes this little extension hehe, I hope you liked it :)
Maybe in the future I'll write more for this universe as I have plenty of notes for side stories I could write that span way back from Woosangs time line to now.
But for now that's all folks!!!
Much love,
Lorri xx