jongdae looked out the train window. he couldn’t articulate in words the beauty that passed by him. she stood tall, was lovely and fair as dove, and exuded power that made his body feel like it had been electrocuted. she had an old soul that knew things way beyond what he could fathom. he had ached to see her, and through his efforts, he had gotten a few moments alone with her, even if she was mostly unaware of his small and humble existence.

well, he wasn’t completely alone. he also had a dear friend with him, who was currently drooling on his lap.

“minseok, wake up! look outside!” jongdae exclaimed.

the friend in question, minseok, groggily arose from his slumber. his breath stank and the corners of his eyes had little crusty bits in them. jet lag threatened to shut minseok’s eyelids for a few more hours, but he fought back. “what, are we there yet?,” he croaked.

“no, but do you see it? those are the swiss alps!,” jongdae replied, repeatedly tapping at the window.

minseok saw it, alright. he too, saw the behemoths that made southern switzerland their kingdom. the mountains were pretty, of course. suddenly, he thought that the sound of music didn’t capture the scenery quite right. it was beautiful, but it also felt unreal. like he had stepped into a storybook that he used to beg his mother to read him when he was nine. if the view of every color in the spectrum had a textbook definition, this would be it. his stomach turned.

minseok turned back around. he leaned his head against the headrest covered in cheap, coarse fabric and closed his eyes. he blindly searched for jongdae’s hand with his own and intertwined them together when he felt a warmth. minseok didn’t really ever have to leave his house. he thought that the palm that he held had more potential in it than any of the cobbled lanes or natural wonders he’d visited in the past two weeks.

“mmh. it’s nice,” mumbled minseok

as jongdae stared at their hands together, he felt nervous and excited. for years, he knew that there was a soft, dull ache that washed over him whenever he was around minseok. but he didn’t know whether minseok had felt the same. jongdae had suggested the trip around europe on impulse, and wasn’t really sure that minseok would want to go. but despite the older boy rattling on about the logistics of the trip, he still had a glint in his eye.

they went around everywhere, just the two of them. europe truly lived up to its reputation of romantic cafés and twinkling lights and what not. it was like every city street and historical monument encouraged them to be together. and so, day by day, both of them inched forward, crossing the self-constructed boundaries they formerly denied themselves from leaving. an offer to help carry the other’s bag turned into a friendly pat on the head that turned into a prolonged gaze and now was currently hand-holding.

both of them couldn’t wait to see what happened next.