_____________________________
"Time ends too soon when I'm with you"
_____________________________
•| ⊱✿⊰ |•
"ARE YOU SURE that's how you cut carrots?"
Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa who was looking over his shoulder, a pout on his face.
"What difference does it make? In the end they will be mixed with the rest of the ingredients."
Seonghwa preferred not to say anything, resting his head on the other's shoulder, watching him chop the carrots as if they were onions.
Seonghwa had been spending his days with Hongjoong for about a week, much to the delight of his friend and his mother, Miss Abernathy, who seemed to want to adopt him. His mother found no inconvenience, knowing full well that it was not much fun for him to stay at their aunt's watching her slowly recover. Anyway he was a grown man, he could take care of himself. As long as he was safe, she was content.
"Oh screw it, let's just bang everything in and call it a day" grumbled Hongjoong putting down the knife and gathering the weirdly chopped carrots and the flecks of coriander that lay upon the chopping board and throwing them in with the rest of the ingredients already boiling nicely in the pan.
"Once you've mastered making a basic soup, you'll always be able to prepare a nice meal in no time at all," Miss Abernathy had told them when they had so suddenly decided to prepare lunch.
Seonghwa was not quite sure they had mastered this first attempt...
Miss Abernathy suddenly came rushing into the kitchen, arms flapping, a panicked expression on her plump face.
"Heavens! Hongjoong! The Bread!" she cried out, rushing to the oven where a loaf of bread was baking.
"Good lord! One minute more and it would have been burnt and you would have had a clout!"
She then got it out of the hot oven and placed it on the kitchen table in the middle of the kitchen to let it cool down.
"Right, I shall go now that my bread is out, I'll leave you two boys to what you were doing," she smiled putting down the knife she had used to check the bread. They both nodded and Hongjoong sat down at the table and rested his head on his hands while Seonghwa stirred the simmering soup; it would be ready soon.
"You're leaving soon, aren't you?" Hongjoong suddenly declared, breaking the peaceful silence.
Seonghwa dropped the spoon he was using to stir the soup in the pot, feeling a lump forming in his throat.
"Your mother told you when she wanted to leave, didn't she? I can see something is bothering you." Hongjoong continued.
Seonghwa nodded gravely, his heart heavy, his words feeling strangled in his throat.
"In two weeks..."
Hongjoong gave him a rueful smile, a glint of sadness flicking through his eyes and he stood up, approaching Seonghwa and resting his forehead on his own.
"I'm scared..." muttered Seonghwa.
Hongjoong didn't answer and just hugged him. A slow sigh escaped his lips, as if his brain needed that time to process the news.
There was a silence in Seonghwa's soul. He could feel a chill run through his veins. A coldness bringing the thoughts in his brain to a halt. He felt waves of unsettling emotions flowing inside him.
He didn't want to go...he didn't want to leave him alone as he had been once before. He didn't want to let him go.
"I didn't want to say it,...I...I thought that if I didn't talk about it it would only turn into a bad memory, never to be spoken of again."
He felt tears welling up in his eyes and he shut them tightly.
"It's going to be alright," Hongjoong reassured him pushing him away and looking him in the eyes.
"Let's look on the bright side. We still have two weeks." he uttered smiling softly.
Seonghwa nodded, a small smile making his lips twitch upwards.
"Come on, exclaimed Hongjoong slapping his thigh affectionately, the soup will burn otherwise."
The heavy atmosphere of grief dissipated as quickly as it had come, replaced again by a new cheerfulness.
If they only had two weeks, they would enjoy every single day to the fullest as if it was their last day.
Hongjoong went to stir their soup as Seonghwa watched him.
The soup had given the aroma of comforting wintry days to the kitchen and Seonghwa found himself relaxing.
"It's ready!" exclaimed the blond, a spoon in one hand.
He watched as Hongjoong ladled the soup into dark wooden bowls, before grabbing a knife to cut the freshly made bread. He then placed the bowls and spoons on a tray and Seonghwa placed the slices of bread he had cut near the steaming bowls, in order to keep the heat of the bread. They then left the kitchen and put on their warmest coats before going out into the garden with the tray.
The sun was low on the horizon, producing long shadows from short herbaceous stems all over the snow-covered garden. Winter trees lined the bottom end of the garden, their denuded forms standing starkly against the snow, almost like dark shadows. It would be some time before the trees would awaken, the small buds covering the branch yet to come.
"Well! If this isn't nice!" exclaimed Hongjoong a bright smile on his face as he stepped towards a snow-covered bench wiping it with one of his sleeves.
It would be wet but neither of them minded and they sat down, their coats just long enough to cover the top of their pants and prevent them getting their bum wet.
Hongjoong handed Seonghwa his bowl of soup. In it floated oddly shaped bits of carrots and a lot of pepper. Miss Abernathy had told them, "Everything tastes better with pepper." It was a motto she had followed for several decades, and if she said it did, then it must and they would follow her orders. Most of all it contributed to the warm feeling they were now both feeling.
"Let me be curious about you again?" Hongjoong suddenly asked before sipping his soup.
"What do you want to know?"
"About your relationships. I'm curious, not to say nosy.
"You mean if I ever fell in love before I met you?"
"You're quite right."
Seonghwa let a small laugh escape his lips. "Oh no. There was nothing before this. Your are the first man and probably only man I have ever cared about.
I mean, I had a one sided affair once but it didn't last very long thankfully."
"Who was it?"
"Oh, a girl I met in town once."
"I bet I can guess how you met her, Hongjoong declared. You had your head in the clouds and you were walking in town not looking where you went. And then of course, you crashed into her and she fell in love with you straight away upon seeing your handsome face."
Seonghwa laughed, nudging the other's shoulder.
"It's a pretty hackneyed story if I have to be honest. But you are not that far."
He laughed again shaking his head.
"It was quite silly honestly. She rode her bike into me by accident and knocked me over. I ended up with a sprained wrist. Every few days we just coincidentally met at different places. In the end she stuck to me and my friends. I thought she was just feeling guilty about the accident and that's why she stayed with me, until she asked me out. And as you might have guessed, I didn't accept."
"Well that's quite sad." Hongjoong said placing his empty bowl down on the bench.
"Don't be silly. She was a pretty girl, she found someone else in no time after that." Seonghwa grinned lightly, also placing his empty bowl down and snuggling himself into his coat to keep warm.
"Everything is good then," laughed the blond.
Seonghwa felt his heart tighten ever so slightly. Was it? Ignoring his sad thoughts he leaned back against the other man.
The cold air was pinching his face, yet Hongjoong's arms filled him with a cosy and warm feeling.
In his arms, the world seemed to stop still on its axis. There was no time ticking away, no cold, no frosty wind blowing. Seonghwa's mind was at peace. He felt pure, cherished, worshipped, free. This was the kind of love he had sought for, wished for. He inwardly thanked the stars for granting him one wish and hugged the other man more tightly. He felt at home, he felt happy.
"Hey, let's go back in I want to show you something!" Hongjoong suddenly exclaimed getting up, grabbing the bowls and placing them on the tray.
"I haven't had the chance to show you all of my collection! You'll love it, I just know it!"
Seonghwa chuckled, a smile of baffled amusement playing on his lips as he watched the excited boy hurry away towards the house. He followed him, curiosity building inside him.
They washed and cleared the two bowls before skipping up the grand staircase and into the blond's bedroom.
Hongjoong scurried straight away towards his wooden closet - one that looked like the one in Seonghwa's room whenever he stayed the night - opened it wide, got out a heavy cardboard box and put it down on his bed. They sat on the bed with the silky burgundy red sheet and the blond opened the box under the curious eyes of Seonghwa, revealing a multitude of music cassettes.
Seonghwa gaped in awe."I have no idea why I suddenly had the idea to show them to you. The idea just came out of the blue. I thought to myself as we don't have so much time, we had to do as much as possible." smiled Hongjoong.
"How is it possible to have so many??" stuttered Seonghwa dumbfounded. "Those things are expensive!"
Hongjoong shrugged, rummaging through the many tapes. "A lot of them belonged to my brother. He gave them to me when he moved in with his girlfriend. He loved collecting things. It was a hobby he had."
"Ah! I forgot I had an album of "A-ha"! My mother loves this band so much! he exclaimed happily, putting the album aside.
"She would be dancing to 'Take on Me' all the time in the kitchen." He sighed, a faint smile on his face, as he dug back into the cardboard box filled to the brim.
Seonghwa noted that he had many Michael Jackson albums which didn't surprise him that much. Time and time again the blond had said that it was his favourite role model and artist. Seonghwa had no doubt seeing how many albums he had. Without forgetting that he was always humming one of the songs. It was quite funny the interest he had for this artist.
Rummaging a little himself in the box he came across cassettes of U2, Prince, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie... His own mother would find her paradise there, he was sure of it.
Hongjoong suddenly let out a shout of victory brandishing an Allanah Myles album in one hand. Seonghwa looked up from the box, an inquisitive look on her face.
"What's the matter?"
"I know you will love this one! he burst out, not really answering the question.
He scrambled off the bed and sat on the floor in front of his cassette player on a small dresser, before inserting the cassette in. He strummed the keys, probably choosing a song as Seonghwa looked on.
"Black velvet, Hongjoong said turning back to Seonghwa. It's a tribute to Elvis Presley."
This one only nodded absently.
Hongjoong's eyes widened suddenly. "Don't tell me you don't know Elvis Presley!?"
Seonghwa nodded with a laugh. "Of course I do, silly! Who doesn't! I was playing with you. Come on, show me the song."
Hongjoong made a funny face before putting his hand on his heart as a reassurance. "Oh - don't tease me."
He then pressed the start button and music filled the air without effort.
The song had quite a beat and Seonghwa found himself bobbing his head to the rhythm.
"Do you like it?!" asked Hongjoong wiping his head round and smiling brightly at him. He looked as if in his smile he had gathered everything inside of himself and directed it towards Seonghwa.
The latter could only stare in awe, lost for words.
His glowing smile was like sunshine on a rainy day. And hell, how much he loved it.
"It's pretty good actually," he murmured at last.
Hongjoong seemed pleased, oblivious of the fact that the other man was gazing at him as if he was his everything and started humming to the tune.
When Hongjoong hummed, it was more beautiful than the softest of singers. His gentle humming filling the bedroom.
The last note ended and another song began. This one much quieter and slower.
Hongjoong got up from his huddled position and began to slowly dance. His movements awkward, his arms swigging stupidly at his side.
Seonghwa couldn't help giggling when he saw him fidgeting like that on his own. It was really comical.
Hongjoong turned his head towards him and gave him a mischievous wink before extending a hand.
"Shall we dance?"
Seonghwa rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, but got up from the bed and took the hand of his friend making him twirl in his arms. They fell into step. Slowly swaying their bodies to the rhythm of the music. Everything around them blurred, meaning nothing. It was the two of them, and nothing else. Seonghwa met Hongjoong's sparkling eyes and a smile spread across his face.He felt his body surge with happy feelings, bubbling inside his chest. He hugged him tight and ran his hand through the blond locks falling in the other's eyes, tucking delicately a few strands behind his ears. He brushed one of his thumbs against Hongjoong's cheekbone, a silent smile on his lips.
"If this isn't romantic..." chuckled the other.
They continued swaying calmly to the song. Their minds at peace.
Cause I've done everything I know
To try and make him mine
And I think I'm gonna love you
For a long, long time
As the last note of the tune finished Hongjoong moved his head from Seonghwa's chest and gazed with those mesmerising eyes into Seonghwa's, his aflamed smile igniting his friend's heart.
And that smile was all his.
⋆⋄✧⋄⋆
Seonghwa's feet crunch in the pearly white snow as he walked calmly towards the big Victorian house standing proudly at the bottom of the hill.
He had the impression that the old house was the sanity of these hills. It had been up for ages, amid such changes. He has no idea that once he left he would always be able to remember it perfectly. Its luxurious interior, its engraved and polished furniture, the pleasant smell of coffee lingering in the kitchen, the entrance of the house. How he loved the blue door made of planks of wood tamed by the carpenter to create something majestic. It was always comforting to touch the handle before entering. It stood there as if it were an invitation to a new adventure each day.
He skipped down the hill jumping over clusters of twigs, gnarled and twisted, extended like the hands of a creature trying to grab him.
He found Hongjoong sitting on the porch of the house with his arms folded, waiting for him. Seonghwa looked at him with big doe eyes, with a child's searching wonder.
"We're going on an adventure." Hongjoong told him, a mischevous grin on his lips.
Seonghwa didn't answer and held out one of his hands towards Hongjoong, his eyes gleaming with excitement and curiosity. "Let's go then."
Hongjoong didn't have to be told twice. He got up and shoved one of the bags he had next to him to Seonghwa.
"What's this?"
"You'll see once we've arrived at the place."
Seonghwa found himself even more curious after that.
They set off hand in hand through the completely whitened landscape. Snowflakes slowly spiralled out of the sky, landing gently on Seonghwa's face as he looked up. The smell of damp pine trees and wood bark made the air feel fresh and clean. He felt so peaceful, and satisfied. He felt honoured to walk in such a magical place. The sun shone against the snow making it glitter and shimmer, it seemed as if someone had scattered diamonds across the land.
"How much further?" Seonghwa asked finally.
"We don't have much longer. It's worth it. I promised." answered Hongjoong still as enigmatic as before. Seonghwa pouted at him but the blond ignored it.
A rustle of bushes suddenly made them turn their heads in surprise. Under their amazed eyes two dear jumped out of the bushes and stopped in front of them. The two young men could only stare in utter amazement as the animals gazed at them with such sweet and gentle eyes before bounding away on their graceful legs. They had that way of moving, a strong confidence with grace that made Seonghwa think that there was no animal as majestic as a deer.
The two boys stood there motionless with wide eyes, amazed at what they had seen before Hongjoong urged Seonghwa to continue.
"Majestic, aren't they?"
Seonghwa could only agree.
They resumed their walk through the snowy hillside in silence, swinging from time to time their connected hands. Seonghwa felt alive in this snowy region, with the cold Scottish wind biting his nose and frost stiffening his dark hair and even his eyelashes. He loved watching the way his breath formed and curled before him, creating cloudy puffs. And before all, he loved the way his feet would crunch on hardened snow before sinking in slightly. There was no other place he would be happier.
Hongjoong finally stopped at the top of a hill and pointed ahead of them, a satisfied look on his face reddened by the cold. Ahead of them lay a large lake that meandered between two banks. It had frozen over. By the side of the lake, the trees bend over the bank with the weight of the snow. Seonghwa suspected that once the snow disappeared, the trees would stand proudly once again.
Hongjoong dragged him along, and hand in hand they slid down the hill, giggling and squealing in amusement when they couldn't find anything to slow them down.
They miraculously found a bench near the bank where they put down their bags and sat down to catch their breath.
"Open your bag." Hongjoong smiled when they had calmed down.
Seonghwa didn't need to be asked. Inside the bag he found a pair of old ice skates.
"I should have known...," Seonghwa laughed. "I was wondering what kept digging into my back..."
"What are you waiting for? Put them on!" Hongjoong said, his naughty smile hinting at a devilish plan he probably had in mind.
Once the two were outfitted they clumsily hobbled towards the frozen lake with excitement.
"Are you sure it's solid enough?" Seonghwa asked as Hongjoong prepared to place a foot on the smooth surface of the lake.
The blonde rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "Who do you take me for? Of course I know! Don't be scared! Trust me, it's good."
And with these words he placed his foot on the ice and let himself slide smoothly. Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong with amazement. It looked so natural, it seemed as if he was meant to be on ice. Both him and his skates moved fluidly and calmly over the ice like it was natural.
This gave courage to Seonghwa who in turn set foot on the frozen lake. He had already ice skated as a child but, having practised little, he had lost his training and suspected that he wouldn't be standing for a long time on his first try.
He pushed on one foot and slid forward for a short distance, squatting down until his knees were bent. Seonghwa wobbled on a bit, arms flapping about but his eyes looked forwards at all times and he managed to regain his balance under Hongjoong's amused eyes.
After a few goes he got more adventurous and ventured further out on the icy lake towards Hongjoong.
"You're quite good! I thought that I would need to help you but I get the impression you've got the hang of it!! exclaimed the blond.
He then took long strokes, one foot after the other sliding towards the middle of the lake.
"Come, follow me!"
Seonghwa dutifully followed him, letting his eyes explore the blond locks at the back of his friend's head.
He looked down at the ice. The lake looked like frosted glass, there were no reflections.
He suddenly felt hands grab his forearms and felt himself spinning in circles. Hongjoong smiled at him as they spun in circles, laughing.
His laughter was Seonghwa's serenity, for in those moments they felt the happiest.
They finally stopped spinning, feeling dizzy.
Hongjoong wrapped him in a hug and Seonghwa buried his face in his shoulder, breathing in with content.
"I think I like you more than I had planned." the blond suddenly declared.
Seonghwa broke away, holding his hands instead, a naughty smile on his face.
"Are you flirting or starting a fight?"
Hongjoong rolled his eyes and slapped his chest, huffing.
"I'm glad I met you."
"I'm not very special." laughed Seonghwa.
"You're special to me."
⋆⋄✧⋄⋆
Seonghwa's feet padded against the fluffy carpet as he quietly made his way towards Hongjoong's room.
He was leaving tomorrow. His bags were packed, ready to leave for good. Everything was ready. Except him.
The light in Hongjoong's room was off. Pushing the door gently he saw his shape under the duvet. He was sleeping. Seonghwa wasn't. He could not.
Silently he slipped into the bed and gently wrapped his arms around him, snuggling his head in the other's back.
Hongjoong let out a little grunt and shifted in the bed.
"Seonghwa?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you..."
Hongjoong was silent for a moment and instead turned to face the other man.
"What's wrong?"
He knew very well what was wrong since he wasn't doing well either.
"I stayed up all night thinking about you and trying at the same time not to think of you. I tried not to think of... after...but I just can't, I'm scared." whispered Seonghwa sadly.
"It's funny how much can happen in one month...Hongjoong smiled weakly, to think that a few weeks ago you didn't know my name and I didn't know yours..."
"It's not fair," Seonghwa breathed tucking his head into the crook of Hongjoong's neck. "How am I meant to say goodbye to you when my only desire is to stay right here? What if when I'm gone I can't forget you? What if I fall in love with someone else? What if everything I see and do reminds me of you? I'm lost, I have no idea what to do Hongjoong..."
"Then don't forget me."
It might have sounded selfish but Seonghwa understood perfectly.
"I don't care how long you go. As long as you come back one day...," Hongjoong whispered.
Seonghwa felt emotion well up inside his throat and he swallowed painfully, squeezing the other closer to him. If hugs could solve all of this, he'd hold him all night.
"It's terrifying, isn't it? Hongjoong whispered. "It's terrifying the way I may never see you again..."
Seonghwa felt his lower lip quiver with emotion."I promise...I'll come back...wait for me...I need you to wait for me."
He left it at that, letting his words sink in. Would he come back? He had to.
Seonghwa saw little in the dark but with the faint light of the moon shining through the curtain he saw Hongjoong's bright shiny eyes looking at him.
Hongjoong seemed to draw him toward himself with his eyes and Seonghwa complied.
He leaned in close towards the blond. One moment they were looking at each other and the other their lips were brushing together as they kissed. The smell of Hongjoong's skin was heavenly, making warmth blossom inside Seonghwa's chest. In that kiss was the sweetness of youth, a promise of years to come in the future and their pure and vulnerable selves.
⋆⋄✧⋄⋆
Seonghwa's eyes travelled around the big house one last time. He wouldn't be coming back and he didn't want to forget any small details of it.
The house was a kaleidoscope of memories, from the smell of old furniture, the warm fire always crackling away in the chimney and the photographs adorning the walls. Seonghwa felt emotional at the idea of leaving all of it behind and forgetting.
He noticed a picture of him and Hongjoong in the snow, the blond grinning like an idiot. Miss Abernathy had insisted on taking it, wanting to immortalise the moment forever. Seonghwa closed his eyes, letting his mind fill with the memories of the happy moments he had spent here. His mind filled with Hongjoong's weird flirting that he would never hear again, to the retorts he would never have the possibility to say anymore. Each object conjured those sweet eternal moments they'd had here. Seonghwa imprinted them in his mind.
He stepped out of the house, with a heavy heart. Hongjoong pressed against him, a sad smile on his face.
Miss Abernathy suddenly ran out of the house before giving Seonghwa a motherly hug.
"Oh sweetheart...I shall miss you dearly! Come back whenever you want, I shall be there!" she cried. Seonghwa nodded sadly holding her close to him. Miss Abernathy had always been good to him. She was like a second mother to him and he knew he would miss her dearly.
"I promise you, I'll come back to see you..." he murmured, knowing perfectly well that it was an empty promise.
He separated from her and Hongjoong took his hand, squeezing it in comfort. Seonghwa put one foot in front of the other, gradually moving away from the house and towards the rising hill which, once crossed, would hide the house for good. This hill had never been so hard to climb. He felt his legs trembling slightly, a knot in his stomach.
He turned one last time towards the house and Miss Abernathy who was at the door.
He could see her holding a tissue to her face as she tried to stop the flow of tears streaming down her face, her tears leaving wet spots on the material.
Seonghwa forced a smile on his face and waved at the old lady in a last farewell.
She waved back, her bittersweet smile mingled with joy and sorrow.
And then he was gone, passed the hill with Hongjoong.
They walked in silence, hand in hand through the forest. The same forest where Seonghwa had lost himself a month ago.
He recalled the wonderful moments they had had together with a heavy heart, feeling the sting of melancholy growing in his chest.
Trees ticked back and forth as their feet crunched in the pure white snow, the wind blowing gently. Snow fluttered to the ground and the bare branches of the trees around them, coating them in a white down. It was a beautiful day.
Hongjoong stopped suddenly, crouching in front of a tree stump, caressing the top.
"A month ago you were here...," he murmured.
Sadness seeped through Seonghwa's veins like icy slush. This was where it had all began. This very tree stump was the place where he had found his real happiness.
Hongjoong got out a penknife before wiping the snow off the top of the tree stump and carving his initials on it. He then handed it to Seonghwa, a rueful smile on his lips.
A silent scream was lodged inside his throat as he carved his own initials into the wood, his hands trembling.He then got up, wrapping an arm around Hongjoong and admiring their work.
These engravings were a symbol of friendship and shared experiences. They would never forget each other. There would always be a trace of them.
"I'm afraid." Hongjoong whispered.
"Afraid of what?" Seonghwa croaked.
"It sounds stupid and selfish...but, I'm afraid you'll fall in love with someone else and forget all about me. I'm afraid that someone that's not me will make you happier, I'm afraid you' ll never come back to get me..." A solemn tear fell down his cheek and he didn't bother to wipe it away.
"I hope you'll remember me, he continued. I hope that you'll laugh and smile at the memories we shared together. I hope you'll always love me like you do now."
A cold, dark abyss of sadness and pain swallowed Seonghwa. His vision had turned blurry and he found it difficult to see Hongjoong clearly.
"I don't care how complicated this will get, he choked out. One thing is sure is that I won't forget you, I'll come back to you one day."
The faintest smile flit across Hongjoong's mouth as if those words were all he had been wanting.
He grabbed Seonghwa in a bear hug squeezing him tightly as if scared he might vanish into thin air.
"It's ironic how we look so broken and sad when it's something we've seen coming..." Hongjoong chuckled sadly.
Seonghwa looked at his watch and knew it was time, he had to go.
Hongjoong seemed to understand and he gripped Seonghwa's hand tightly in his own.
"We won't forget each other right?"
"Why would we?"
Hongjoong grinned at him, his tears leaving a moist trail on his skin as they slowly flowed onto his cheeks. Seonghwa wiped them delicately.
The blond let out a chuckle."You know, maybe in a few years, our paths will cross again and I'll tell you how deeply in love I was with you. And then, we can laugh about how flustered my nutty flirting made you."
Seonghwa laughed faintly.
"That's so corny, but I love it..."
The snowflakes twirled and danced in the wind that was slowly rising, creating a mesmerising display all around them.
Seonghwa turned on his heels not looking back and walked away from the other man, sadness pulsing through his veins with every beat of his heart.
"Seonghwa!"
He didn't want to look back for fear he would not find the strength to leave, but yet at the call of his name his head whipped round.
Hongjoong ran up to him and stood in front of him before taking off his woolly hat and putting it on Seonghwa's head like he had done during their first meeting.
"You won't forget to give it back to me, will you? You'll have to come back."
"I am not a thief. It will be my duty to return it to you."
A cheeky grin appeared on the blond's face and he patted his shoulder affectionately.
"I'll meet you where we began." was all he said and when he looked up his eyes shone with a promise. A promise to keep, a promise to cherish.
They both reached for each other, their bodies meeting in a gentle embrace.
As Hongjoong hugged him, Seonghwa knew it would be their last before a very long time and he only cherished it even more.
And then, when they broke away from each other it was as if they were strangers once again.
Seonghwa turned round and walked away this time not looking back at the man he had left alone in the place that held so many memories.
They didn't say goodbye to each other and in a way a part of Seonghwa believed that it was because he would be coming back.
They didn't share their phone numbers nor their house address but they were oddly okay with that too. Their time together felt like an old dream that would slowly fade away as time passed. Their love was the kind of love you had during a holiday trip. Sweet but short.
Nobody really knew what to call their relationship and what happened between them, but it was fun. It felt silly and fragile and it was good.
Hongjoong was like a breath of fresh air in Seonghwa's life.
He knew the day he had met him that his life would never be the same.
*
*
*
*.✩ 𝗌𝗆𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾:
I am currently crying loll. I've finished it!! I've finally finished it!! It took soo long and it was a hell of a ride but I did it haha!! Well, I still have to write the epilogue but that's another story :D.
I've never been really into romance and stuff but this story really broke me lol. It's probably a bit corny and cheesy at some moments but hey, why does it matter? xD
You might have seen I used a few quotes hehe. I'm a sucker for these kinds of things.
You probably know what will happen in the epilogue don't you ? Hehe.
I'm quite sad it's 'finished', I'm going to miss this story so damn much :')
I loved writing it with ATEEZ members, I'll probably write another one one day with them in it once again, who knows ;).
I never learn haha! I was literally listening to Outlaw while writing the last scene...I think I'm just going to yeet myself away lol. I changed it to sad music in the end because things weren't working out as they should xD.
Oh and you might see a small resemblance with another ff called The summer of 1984! I was inspired by that. The story was just beautiful!
Anyways, I'll meet you in the epilogue people !
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Hope by TalkWithYourFingers ¸¸♫·¯·♪¸¸♩·¯·♬¸¸
-Seraphine -'ღ'-