"you know, I was actually going to move on if I wasn't able to find you that day."
"...what?"
"i was going to move on from you for good if I wasn't able to find you that day."
seonghwa stares at hongjoong with surprise visible in his eyes. the smaller man makes a small smile at him, sadness and reluctance visible in his eyes.
"i learned, from being apart from you for those 2 and a half years, that it wasn't worth wasting all my time wallowing in sorrow and self hate for a man whom i wasn't sure was coming back. i learned, during those 2 and a half years, that i still had friends and family with me, and also learned that i should live for myself too."
hongjoong says before he takes a sip of water from his mug. seonghwa sometimes to stare at him, stunned and trying to process what his lover just said.
"but you know what?"
"...what?"
"im happy with this now. while punishing you for that 1 month, i learned that i could still live for myself even if im dating you. i learned that I could still love and care for myself even if I'm dating you."
hongjoong clears his throat and looks at seonghwa seriously.
"even though we have been together for so many years, it feels like I only got to know you yesterday. there is still many parts of you that I don't know yet, and there are many things about myself that I still haven't realise."
hongjoong shows a big smile and seonghwa's heart unintentionally skips a beat.
"im only saying this because I thought you need to hear it. right now, I feel like I'm getting the best of both worlds. so seonghwa,"
he reaches out to grab the taller man's hands and squeezes it tightly.
"i hope we will stay together forever, and I love you."
seonghwa stares at his lover for a few seconds, stunned and still trying to process his words. he sighs after that and proceeds to hug hongjoong tightly, smiling.
"i hope we will stay together forever too, and i love you too."