Send My Love  (Inspired by Adele)

"Cheol, say hi!" Jeonghan holds the handicam capturing up to Seungcheol's bust. 

It was one of those days when the two of them are just lazing and doing dumb things. Crazy and beautiful. Like Seungcheol. Like loving Choi Seungcheol.

"What d'you got there babe?" Seungcheol pulls Jeonghan to him, as the first rotates the monitor screen to themselves.

"Collecting memories," Jeonghan beams at him as he felt his arms lace from his stomach to his back. 

Seungcheol hums, smiling while looking at him. 

It's there. That incomprehensible but breathtaking veneration in his eyes.

He pushes Jeonghan's stray locks behind his ear. 

He then had his red hair to his shoulder. 

"As if we.re going apart from each other," Seungcheol breathes besides Jeonghan's neck.

"I love you Cheollie,"

"I love you too Han..."

---

"Shh, Im gonna surprise Jeonghan," Seungcheol holds his index finger next to his lips as he whispers to the camcorder he set on a tripod by the kitchen's door.

He tiptoes silently towards the unknowing male who had his back to him all the time because he's cooking.

Just as Seungcheol puts his arms around Jeonghan, the latter turns around. Seungcheol yelps which makes Jeonghan laughing like nuts.

"You.re steps are too loud," the latter says wiping the tears from his eyes.

Seungcheol pouts and folds his arms. 

Jeonghan kisses his left cheek. "I surprisingly love your pouts more than you Cheol."

Seungcheol can't help but smile so he turns Jeonghan away. 

"Bad Jeonghan.."

Jeonghan laughs at this and puts Seungcheol's arms around his waist as the latter would intended to do.

"I love you more Han..." he whispers through his hair which Jeonghan thinks it reverberates in the compartments of his soul. 

---

"Han why do you have a veil on?" Jeonghan turns to see a slack-jawed Seungcheol. 

"What? Do you wanna wear one too?" He decides to

It was one of those things he fell for the buff guy. Even if Seungcheol does not speak it often, he feels his love and sees it in his eyes. The overwhelming adoration. Like nobody exist but just him. 

Thinking of how much he loves Seungcheol sends blood to his cheeks. He cant help but drown. Jeonghan had to drop his eye contact with him. He tells himself he cannot sway always. But his heart beats a hundred times in a moment. 

"No but --

"Oh it's the girls. You know Hana right? She.s getting married. How cool is that?" Jeonghan opts to get his hands busy. Tone down the redness of his cheeks. Calm down his defeaning heartbeat. 

"Do you want to?"

"What?"

"Get married, with me, of course," 

"What?" 

Jeonghan drops the bouquet of flowers he was fiddling. 

Seungcheol, on the other hand, just realized what he said. His face even his ears are all red. 

Jeonghan stands in front him and chuckles. With face flushed, he cups Jeonghan's face and leans his forehead on him.

Overwhelmed. 

How could a feeling be this overwhelming? 

Like raging floodgates. 

Like flooding rivers. 

Like overflowing lake basins. 

Jeonghan has to close his eyes. He feels warm liquid bubbles on his eyes. 

"No crying babe," Seungcheol wipes the escaping tears with his thumbs.

"I love you so much Choi Seungcheol," he laughs and sobs at the same time. 

"I love you even more, Choi Jeonghan," he takes his left hand and kisses his open palm. 

---

Jeonghan lets out a big sigh as he leans on his chair. He has been trying to finish all his deadlines earlier so he could go home, be with Seungcheol. Both of them have been very busy. Occupied not to meet anymore, call or message at least thrice in a week. 

When did he start counting?

They have been, if he dare say, drifting.

Apart. 

He does not want to name it. He cant let that happen. Whatever it is. 

Because Seungcheol has been his anchor.

Because thinking of him keeps Jeonghan at bay. Never losing himself. Always reminded that he has somewhere safe. 

Because Jeonghan has already forgotten what life is without him.

At three in the afternoon, Jeonghan goes out for coffee. He takes his phone, and is about to speed dial Seungcheol. 

---

"Hi Cheol," Jeonghan slips beside the pink haired guy Seungcheol has been talking to with the same - god he wants to cry - more intense awe than he gives him.

"Han..."

No placating tone. No intentions of explanation. 

Jeonghan starts to be scared. 

"I see," he keeps a straight face trying hard not to make his voice shake. 

Jeonghan takes a good look at the stranger. He thinks he might find answers why the anchor, his Seungcheol, was no --

No Jeonghan. Don.t label it Jeonghan. 

"Jihoon? Lee Jihoon," Jeonghan remembers. He, in all the same time, drops at the very same moment, remembers.

The said Jihoon bites his lower lip as he was addressed. He holds his gaze but does not cower. 

As if this has been decided a long time now.

As if Jeonghan has been a side trip all this time.

As if a time's up has been announced.

In fact, if this Jihoon shows pity at him, Jeonghan will punch him in that stupid face of his.

But Lee Jihoon didn't even spare him pity.

And he does not look stupid. 

Jeonghan, however, feels tragically stupid.

"Im sor-"

"Don't be," he cuts him. 

Jeonghan finds the situation ridiculous. The bitter laugh rising to his throat is choking him. 

The tears - he suddenly lose the ability to hold them. With the rain on his eyes slips the traitorous chuckles he does not understand the origin. 

Crumbling.

Crumbles.

"Don't cry Han. Please," Seungcheol has his eyes on him.

But it isn't there. Where did my man go?

There isnt even a hint of hope or mirth that this is all a joke, a ruthless joke. 

He sneers, "That's Jeonghan to you-" he takes a deep breathe in, he can't give up, "But I want you to think about all this."

At that, a storm reels in Seungcheol's eyes. It.s the same visage every time something came up to stop him from what he wants. 

Seven years. All those years and Jeonghan can tell. 

Jeonghan knows.

Jeonghan understands.

Why Cheol. Why. 

"It.s actually nice meeting you, Jihoon," Jeonghan squishes Jihoon's close fist. 

And leaves.

Without waiting for neither of them to speak. 

Not now. 

He can't take that much now.

---

Jeonghan wakes up to the rays of sun slipping in between his blinds. 

He didn't dream about it in a while. It was a his dark past. His dark age. 

Three years after and no one could sweep him off like that guy could. He isnt comparing the people that came after him. But nobody clicked.

His door bell rings. 

"Yo Angel!" The landlord has been this little ball of sunshine ever since he meet him.

"Mr Wen," he ushers him in.

"That.s my father writer-nim. I want to remind you, our precious condo owner, that at-" his neck cranes for the wall clock, "9.30, fourth floor people will have a meeting. Urgent," he smiles showing his teeth and flutters his lashes.

"Jun, do i have to? You can barge in here any time and just tell me," Jeonghan leaves his visitor. 

Jun follows suit. "No can't do sir. You understand urgent right?" He smirks as he leans on the wall fronting Jeonghan's toilet. 

"What - bursts - YAH!" 

Jun's laugh echoes through the corridor of their floor. The water pipe on his toilet collapses leaving a drenched and all wet Jeonghan. 

"Wish granted?" - where Jeonghan glares at him and brings forth another wave of laughter, "Calling off the meeting. See you at the office." He hears his door locks.

---

"We're really sorry that your place got the brute of the situation. Lately, fourth floor has been complaining of the water fluctuation. We couldn't identify the root problem so -"

"Whose idea Minghao?" 

"That dumb over there," he points Jun who at the moment is occupied with the fishes in the tank.

"Oh."

"Hey i heard that downcast tone you use there Jeonghan. Hyping the water supply at fourth floor was neat! We identified the problem so we can now fix it,"

"Still dumb," Minghao rolls eyes.

"My place feels like some spring," he heaves. "What now?" 

"Easy," Jun raises his thumb. "Fix the things you need," "You move out," - raises index finger. "We clean up," - raises middle finger.  "Comeback when we say okay," - raises ring finger (where his ring shines). "Lastly --" 

"I want to strangle you Junhui. But it's not a solution," Minghao massages his temples.

"You love me too much," Jun side eyes them.

"God,"

Endearing. It is how he describes Jun and Minghao's relationship. 

He is once in that situation. Was. 

---

"New owner?" Mingyu happens to see the ruckus on his floor. 

"Oh hi Mingyu! Sorry 'bout the noise," Minghao shrugs as he leads the spare condo arrangement. 

"Nope and no less than two meters away from Haohao," Jun emerges from the adjacent room. 

"Jun please,"

"That's funny Mr. Wen. Do you need help Minghao?" Mingyu takes the nearest box he sees.

"You Minghao MY Minghao, while Im Mr. Wen? What is up with you people?" Jun grunts and disappears to the room where he came from.

"You know this room's will-be owner called him Mister too, hahahaha," Mingyu notices the glint of evil when Minghao talks about his landlord's misadventures. He chose not to mention it to Xu Minghao, his bestfriend. 

"Ah that explains why he's grumpy," he lands the 'kitchen' labeled box on the counter.

"Serves him right, hahaha," Mingyu gets a cold spine from his laugh. He wont mention that too. 

"Anyway, the water line caved in and bursted. So we're transferring him temporarily here," 

"I can do a little plumbing,"

"I know. But i need someone - Minghao stops what he's doing and gives Mingyu a roundabout scan - who does NOT need help too. When was the last time you got a good sleep?"

"You.re sharp," Mingyu slow claps.

"You look like a rag doll," - disdain from Minghao which Mingyu answers with all the sarcasm he could muster in a guffaw.

"Okay best friend time over. Let's go Haohao. Im done here," Jun grabs Minghao's arm half pulling and dragging him. 

"When will you act your age Mr. Wen?" Minghao shakes him off and strolls away. "Lock the door Mingyu. See you."

"Not you too!"

"Yeah," Mingyu mutters. 

"Bring me along huh Haohao?" 

Mingyu chuckles. He still hears them bickering. 

He's happy his best friend found Junhui. Somebody who balances him well. 

Mingyu sometimes wishes for someone he could bicker with too. 

He leaves a scribble on the light switch.

"Hope you enjoy your temporary stay, four-o-six."

---

Mingyu opens his door to find a mean Yoon Jeonghan doing akimbo. 

"So Id like to check my favorite writer's progress," he smiles, which Mingyu thinks is venomous. He internally panics.

"Im not your favorite."

"Oh you're aware. Also, go find a shirt."

Mingyu short circuits. He leaves the door open and scrams back inside.

---

1. [Happy birthday Kim Mingyu. All the love in the world!]

2. [Please leave a comment. I want judgment.]

3. [THANK YOU. just knowing you spared time reading this, is life.]

4. [Fighting SEVENTEEN!]