Nitrile stretches over Johnny's hands before snapping into place. Johnny turns, hands still held up attentively as he approaches the operation table, assistants meticulously ensuring every last detail is in place.

"Is that comfortable?" a particularly gentle voice asks. The gentlest voice, in fact. "How is this?"

The sweet voice in question belongs to his anesthesiologist, one Lee-Seo Taeyong, who is not only his partner in the operatory but in life, married for what's going on seven years in exactly two days.

"Alright, I'm going to have you count back from ten now," Taeyong gently urges.

There's a reason Johnny works with him, and it's not just because of his own obvious biases. Johnny couldn't imagine anyone better for the position. Laying on the operating table, surrounded by intricate machines and stainless steel instruments while alien-looking lights loomed overhead, is nothing short of daunting, and that would be the understatement of the year.

But Taeyong, with his soft voice and sweet, round eyes, gently encouraging you to go to sleep, promising to watch over you the whole time? That's the real reason why Johnny's patients trust him with such a conscientious task from the most vulnerable of positions, he's sure of it.

Taeyong looks up at him from the other side of the operating table. Like Johnny and everyone else, he's covered head-to-toe in personal protective equipment, only his eyes exposed beneath the layers of sterile coverings, decorated with the little rose scar atop of his cheek next to them as though marked by the deities themselves to display how special he is.

Ah, Taeyong's eyes. They're so large and beautiful. They scrunch in the corners, and Johnny knows he's smiling. Johnny smiles back.

It's those eyes that had drawn Johnny to him in the first place.

He'll never forget the first time he saw them in the early years during his residency. Taeyong had been covered head-to-toe not unlike how he is right now, and all it took was one look from those big round eyes, and Johnny had to know who they belonged to.

Taeyong resisted his charms initially, the peak of professional as well as cautious about his own heart. Johnny respected that, but he also knew that the time and energy necessary to prove that he genuinely had the best of intentions would be worth it, and in the end, Taeyong finally said yes to a date.

And now here they were nearly a decade later wearing matching rings (which hang on necklaces securely beneath their scrubs while they work), about to complete their last surgery before they would fly out to Jeju Island, where the two of them could celebrate seven years since they recited their personal vows to one another.

Their gazes lock for a moment, a silent reassurance, then Johnny's magnifying glasses are brought over his eyes, and Johnny disappears, replaced by Dr. Seo as he immerses himself into the procedure until the operation is complete.

Once Dr. Seo enters his flow state, there's no pulling him out. However, a part of him is always in tune with Taeyong's presence. His responsibility may be to keep the patient sleeping and monitoring him, but he does just as good of a job keeping Dr. Seo grounded so he can dedicate himself solely to his work like they have this silent link between them.

And six painstaking and incredibly diligent hours later, Johnny is releasing a heavy breath and peeling off the nitrile, ing his hands under warm soap and water while he and his team congratulate themselves for another highly successful operation.

That evening, while Johnny is in his office seated at his desk, scrubs traded out for a button-up and tie, he hears a gentle knock on the door. Looking up from his laptop, he sees his husband standing in the doorway and smiles, flipping the laptop shut and standing up.

Taeyong lets himself in, walking around the desk to meet Johnny.

"I thought I could order us takeout tonight," Taeyong says. "So we don't have to worry about dishes before our flight tomorrow morning?"

"You're always so thoughtful," Johnny replies with a grin. However, the soft expression on his face disappears as he glances back at his laptop. "Actually though, I still have some business to finish up here, so you should probably just get yourself something, and I'll meet you at home later."

"Okay," Taeyong says, the grin on his face small. "Don't leave me waiting too long though? It's our seven-year anniversary, and I can't wait to start our vacation."

Lifting a hand, Johnny glides his fingers through Taeyong's brown hair. "Believe me, I can't either."

Taeyong moves in, his grin turning playful, and he curls his fingers around the knot of Johnny's tie, gently tugging him down so he can place a kiss on his lips. "I'll see you soon."

"See you, baby."

Johnny watches him leave his office, tasting Taeyong's cherry gloss on his lips.

One might think that after being married so long that their initial spark would've long since run dry, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Taeyong, with his eyes so kind and smile so bright, Johnny just can't get enough of him. He's the first thing he sees when he wakes up and the last before he goes to sleep, and it will never be enough.

Taeyong is his husband, but he's also his best friend. He's his grounding, his strength, and while Johnny had always been vastly independent and ambitious, he only realized when he met Taeyong how much more all that work and success actually meant when he had someone to share it with. So here, a decade later, seven years married, if Johnny had a chance to do it all over again, he wouldn't change a thing.

He loves Taeyong. He's in love with him. And while he makes sure to tell him frequently, he still feels like there are no words that can really express the depth of what he feels. That's why Johnny determines himself to show him every chance that he gets, and now that they have this chance to be alone together on this dream of a vacation, Johnny has to make sure everything is perfect. He has to make sure Taeyong knows just how much he loves him.

—

Johnny bursts into Doyoung's office. "I need your help!"

Doyoung startles behind his desk, placing his hand on his chest and blinking his eyes wide up at Johnny. "What is it?"

Johnny stops in front of his desk, palms pressing along the edge as he leans over, shoulders hunched. "I still haven't found an anniversary present for Taeyong!"

Doyoung's posture slumps as he exhales, eyes downcast. "Dr. Seo, for a moment there, I thought you had an actual emergency."

Johnny's eyes narrow. "This is an actual emergency!" he hisses, as though they were in danger of being overheard, as if Taeyong hadn't long since left for the evening.

"I am your PA, not your personal assistant," Doyoung says, meeting his gaze. "How many times do I need to explain this?"

"I'm asking you as a friend," Johnny says with a gentler tone.

"Are you going to pay me as a friend?" Doyoung asks. "Because I'm sorry, but I still have quite a bit of business to attend to myself right now."

"Yes," Johnny answers without a second thought. "Now please help me."

Doyoung sighs. "Dr. Seo…"

"You're helping me as a friend," Johnny says. "What have I said about calling me that outside work?"

Pressing his lips together, Doyoung then clears his throat. "Johnny," he says curtly. "Honestly, how do you not have this figured out? You and Dr. L—" He clears his throat again. "Taeyong, have had this vacation planned for months already!"

Johnny tosses his head back. "I know!" he laments. "I thought for sure that would've been plenty of time to find the perfect gift! Believe me, I've been looking every day, but I still have nothing."

Doyoung shakes his head disbelievingly. "Surely you could get him some flowers? Jewelry?"

"I have gotten him those things," Johnny explains. "But those aren't the gift, Doyoung." Pushing himself up from the desk, Johnny starts to pace in front of it. "Every year, when Taeyong opens his present, he gets emotional. He's not going to get emotional about roses and a necklace."

Coming to a stop, he turns to face Doyoung again. "Do you remember what I got him last year? The donation to the dog shelter in his name? Every time we receive a photo in the mail of a dog who's been rehabilitated and adopted thanks to that donation, he starts crying again! How am I supposed to top that?" Johnny throws his arms out to the side. "I set the bar entirely too high."

Doyoung looks solemn. "You really did outdo yourself with that one…"

Johnny groans. "Oh, if I could go into the past and tell the Johnny of a year ago to tone it down! That we weren't going to be able to top that, to maybe find something else and save that one for later."

"It was an incredible gift," Doyoung says. "But I also think you may be overthinking this. Your anniversary gifts aren't in any contest with each other, and you and Taeyong have been together for quite some time now."

"That's just it, Doyoung," Johnny says, leaning in to grab the opposing edge of his desk again. "We've been together a long time. I don't want him to think that I'm taking that for granted, that our love has gone stagnant, or that—God forbid—I love him any less."

"I don't think you are in any danger of that, Johnny," Doyoung says matter-of-factly. "Anyone who spends any length of time in the two of you’s company can tell how much you love each other. Even our patients notice."

Johnny stays quiet.

"I really think that what Taeyong would want most is to spend quality time with you well away from here," Doyoung concludes.

Reaching into his pocket, Johnny takes out his phone. He swipes through it until he pulls up an image of a West Highland Terrier. He holds it out for Doyoung to see. "Do you see this? This is Mr. Muffins. He was found hiding behind a dumpster half-starved before someone brought him into the shelter—but look at him now!" Taking his phone back, Johnny swipes through a few more times, pulling up different images. He holds his phone in Doyoung's face. "He has a family, he's healthy, and he has his own Instagram!!"

Doyoung inclines his head and exhales a long-suffering sigh.

Johnny slams his hands down on the edge of the desk and leans in. "Help me!"

"Alright, alright," Doyoung exhales defeated, lifting his hands. He frowns, eyes flitting up to Johnny. "But your anniversary is in two days. I do hope you realize you're asking a miracle out of me."

Johnny smiles. "If anyone can do it, it's you!"

"I will be charging you by the hour, and I'm starting right now," Doyoung says curtly.

Johnny's smile grows. "Deal!"

Returning to his own office, Johnny pulls open his laptop. It's not his intention to make Doyoung do all the work, he just needs the extra brainpower. Two heads are better than one and all that, especially when that second head happens to belong to Kim Doyoung.

The problem is Johnny just feels like he's in the same endless loop when he tries searching himself, reaching as deep as he can into every corner of the internet to try to find some inspiration. There are all kinds of ideas, of course, and plenty of things that strike him as good, but nothing that really sparks that moment of aha!—that definite moment of just inherently knowing that he's found the perfect gift.

Regardless, it's very easy to get caught up in the rabbit hole of the internet—more like rabbit holes with the endless amount of windows he has open, not to mention tabs among each of those. Johnny loses track of time. He sighs, burying his forehead into his palms, no wiser about what to get Taeyong than when he started.

Glancing outside into the night sky, Johnny then looks at the time on his laptop. "," he whispers to himself, jolted with the urgency of realizing how late the hour is. He stands up and slams his laptop shut, scrambling to juggle all his stuff into his arms and rush home.

He's not surprised when he gets home to find all the lights off. He flips the kitchen light on to see a box of takeout set out on the counter with a note set on top of it.

 

I'm sorry, my love. I tried to stay up for you, but I got too sleepy. I'm sure you can microwave dinner. Don't stay up too late though, please? We have to be up bright and early for our flight tomorrow, and I would hate if you were exhausted for our first day of vacation. I'm so excited!!

I love you so much! ♥

-Taeyong

A wistful grin finds its way to Johnny's lips. His eyelids are heavy, and honestly, all he wants to do is skip dinner and go crawl into bed and pull Taeyong into his arms.

However, his awareness that the clock is ticking and he still doesn't have a gift twists hard in his stomach, and he just can't ignore it. Chances are, he'll be up tossing and turning ruminating about it anyway; he might as well try to be productive. Johnny microwaves his dinner and ends up sitting on one of the bar stools, eating with his laptop open.

It's not until well into the early hours of the next morning when Johnny is slumped against the bar counter with his head on the laptop keyboard, dozed off for the umpteenth time, that he finally drags himself to bed.

The comforter and plush mattress feel so inviting as they cradle his exhausted body and mind, further emphasized by the warmth of Taeyong's small body as he tangles himself around him and hugs him to his chest.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Johnny groans, burying his face into the top of Taeyong's head and holding him tight, hoping his husband will just turn off the alarm and go back to sleep with him.

Taeyong has other plans though, throwing down their comforter and extracting himself from Johnny's embrace.

Johnny whimpers into the blankets, reaching for Taeyong.

Taeyong gently presses his hands down. "We have a flight to catch, darling."

"Five more minutes."

"Five is going to turn into ten, and ten is going to turn into twenty, and so forth," Taeyong says. "Come on. Let's just get up. We have a whole vacation that we can spend relaxing."

Groaning, Johnny forces himself up.

In the kitchen, Johnny down a cup of pure espresso.

"Darling…" Taeyong says concerned. "What were you doing last night?"

"Just taking care of some last-minute business," Johnny sighs. It's technically not a lie.

Taeyong frowns. "Well, that's enough of that. We're on vacation now!"

"I know, I know," Johnny smiles down at him sleepily. "From here on out, it's just you and me."

Taeyong smiles, rising up on his feet to press a kiss on Johnny's cheek.

He caffeinates himself enough to get to the airport and check in. However, by the time he and Taeyong board the plane, the energy burst has burned out, and Johnny sleeps the whole flight.

Taeyong wakes him when they land. He's frowning.

"What's wrong, baby?" Johnny gently nudges him.

"The island and volcanoes were really beautiful coming in," Taeyong says quietly.

"That's a good thing?" Johnny blinks.

"I wanted you to see them too," Taeyong sighs.

"Baby, we have a whole helicopter tour that's gonna give us a really up-close look at the whole island!" Johnny reminds him.

"Yeah, but…" Taeyong worries his lower lip. "There's something about the sight when you're first arriving to the island that's really magical."

Guilt twists in Johnny's chest. He lightly hugs one of Taeyong's arms and presses a kiss to the top of his head. "Baby, I'm sorry I was up so late. But I'll be good the rest of the day, the rest of the vacation, I promise. Please don't be upset with me?"

He nuzzles against Taeyong in that way he knows his husband finds cute, and a light grin slides onto Taeyong's lips.

"Okay," Taeyong replies gently, turning his head to smile up at him. "We're on vacation now. Just me and you. No work, okay?"

"No work," Johnny promises, and Taeyong presses a kiss to his lips.

They check in to the villa that sits on the hotel's topmost floor, complete with a luxurious patio and a crystal clear blue pool that looks animated with the way the sunlight elegantly reflects through it. Lush green surrounds them, overlooking the ocean a short distance off.

It is the ultimate romantic getaway and no less than what Taeyong deserves.

Taeyong playfully hops through the villa, giggling breathlessly as he checks out all the amenities. It had taken a lot for Johnny to be able to book such a place, but seeing Taeyong's reaction to it made it more than worth it.

Johnny has more caffeine, deciding he will power through today's fatigue and sleep tonight. Given his profession, running his circadian rhythm through the wringer is really nothing new.

"You like it?" Johnny asks as he approaches his husband out on the patio, whose gazing at the island surrounding them with a dreamy glint in his eyes.

Taeyong turns to face him, sliding his arms up around the back of Johnny's neck. "It's perfect."

"You're perfect," Johnny murmurs, nuzzling down against Taeyong.

Taeyong giggles breathlessly. "Johnny!" It tapers off into a content sigh. "You know, we're married, and we work together, but sometimes, it feels like we spend most of our time all scrubbed up. It's kind of torturous. Like you're right in front of me all the time, and I can't even touch you."

"Baby, believe me, I know exactly what you mean," Johnny hums, resting his forehead against Taeyong's.

"And when we're not at work, it's like all we have time to do is eat and sleep, and even our days off, there's always some business we have to take care of…" Taeyong sighs. "I just can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this. This place is beautiful, but honestly, even if we were back at home in our sweats, as long as it was just me and you, that's really all I would care about."

Johnny smiles. "I feel the exact same way."

Taeyong rises up to slide his lips up against Johnny's, which Johnny is all too happy to receive. He hums into the kiss, lips shifting languidly against Taeyong's, his hands pressing into the curve of his back while his husband's arms tighten around him.

Then his phone goes off in his pocket, and Johnny gently draws back, letting go of Taeyong as he ducks his head and fishes it out.

Taeyong takes the cue, letting go of Johnny and heading back into the villa.

A text from Doyoung displays on Johnny's phone screen. He opens it to see that Doyoung found something he might be interested in.

Kim Doyoung. His savior. He knew he could count on him.

Johnny opens it, and his eyes widen. It's perfect. Does it beat the dog shelter donation? No. Does it properly express Johnny's love for Taeyong in an intimate and personal way? Absolutely. Will Taeyong tear up when opening it? All signs point to yes.

Just one snag. Doyoung needs his help to put it together.

"I was thinking," Taeyong says, approaching him again. "Since you didn't get much sleep last night, we could start out today pretty easy-going? Just do some low-key, relaxing things."

"I'm glad you said that," Johnny says, looking up from his phone and hiding it behind him. "Because I actually have a surprise for you! A spa day! You work so hard, and you deserve all the pampering."

"A spa day! That's perfect!" Taeyong lights up. However, his expression fades a moment later, eyeing Johnny cautiously. "You mean, we deserve all the pampering, right? You're coming with me."

"Yes," Johnny says carefully. "But—"

Taeyong frowns.

"There are a few details about our stay here that I need to take care of," Johnny explains quickly. Once again, it's technically true. "And they're a surprise."

Taeyong is still frowning.

Johnny swallows. "But I'll take care of them as fast as I can, and I will meet you there, but I don't want to hold you up over this."

Taeyong's expression softens, but the grin doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Okay, my love. Please don't make me wait too long."

"I won't," Johnny promises. "Trust me, baby, I want to spend every last second with you that I can."

The grin widens then, and Taeyong presses another kiss to his lips.

Once Taeyong is sent on his way, Johnny pulls up his laptop and calls Doyoung on speakerphone.

"We're going to need a lot of photos for this," Doyoung says.

"That is not a concern," Johnny says, accessing all his raw photograph files. "I'm pretty sure that I have more than enough for several lifetimes."

"Yes, but picking out the best among them is what's going to take a lot of time," Doyoung says over the speaker.

Johnny sighs, knowing how right he is. "Well, let's get to work."

They do, and it is a painstaking tedious experience going through the insane number of photos Johnny has collected over the years, even between the two of them, which, given Johnny's line of work, is saying a lot.

He gets so invested in getting this done though, excited by the fact that he finally has the perfect gift and Taeyong is going to love it. He doesn't even notice the way that time flies by.

"Do you think we should take a lunch break?" Doyoung asks.

Johnny looks at the time on his laptop. "," he hisses. "Taeyong is going to be done at the spa, and we're not anywhere near finished."

"Send him a cab to take him to lunch as another surprise," Doyoung suggests.

"Brilliant," Johnny says, picking up his phone to do just that.

He and Doyoung work for longer, and Johnny sends more cabs to take Taeyong to various shows and shopping markets to keep him occupied so they can finish this incredibly daunting task without interruption.

It feels never-ending, but after a tireless amount of hours and minutes navigating Johnny's vast photo collection, he and Doyoung manage to get it all put together.

Johnny looks at the clock. Just in time for dinner. Excellent.

"You do realize that getting this rush created and sent out to you by tomorrow is going to be quite costly?" Doyoung asks.

"I'm not concerned about it," Johnny says. "However much it costs, just get it done."

"Will do," Doyoung says.

Behind Johnny, the door to the villa unlocks and opens.

"Thank you so much," Johnny says. "You're a lifesaver."

"What would you do without me?" Johnny can hear the hint of a cocky grin on the other line. "Have a good night, Johnny. Send Taeyong my regards. Happy anniversary."

"Thanks, Doyoung," Johnny says. "Goodnight."

Doyoung hangs up.

"You were talking to Doyoung?"

Johnny turns from where he's seated to look back at Taeyong standing in the doorway.

Johnny hesitates, well aware of the danger alarms going off in the back of his mind, but he ultimately answers, "Yes."

Taeyong scoffs and shakes his head, marching for the villa bedroom.

"Wait!" Johnny slams his laptop shut and scrambles to his feet, going after Taeyong. "Yongie, I know how it looks, but—"

"I can't believe you!" Taeyong whirls around, brows furrowed and fury burning in his eyes. "I only asked you for one thing, and you can't even do that much!"

Johnny stops in his tracks. Taeyong may be small, but man, if looks could kill.

"I know, baby," Johnny says, tone caught between apology and a plea. "It wasn't work-related, I swear. Doyoung was helping me with something for here, and it's really important. I just need you to trust me."

"Trust you?" The fury in Taeyong's eyes grows, as though Johnny just tossed fuel over it. "I trusted you when you said you would leave work back at home. I trusted you when you said you were going to take care of a couple things quickly and would meet me. I trusted you when you said you wanted to spend our anniversary together with me."

The fire in Taeyong's eyes is gone, doused out by the heavy well of tears built up in them now falling down his cheeks as his chest heaves.

In that moment, Johnny is sure he knows what his patients would feel like if he performed on them without anesthesia, sternum held open with a stainless steel retractor, heart exposed.

"Yongie, I'm so sorry," Johnny says gently. "Look. I'm all done with it now, I promise. Let's go get dinner."

Taeyong sniffs and turns toward the room. "I'm not hungry."

"Baby…" Johnny says, walking after him.

Taeyong spins around, wet eyes red and narrowed. "Don't 'baby' me!" he snaps. He grabs the door. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Wait—"

But it's too late. Taeyong has slammed the door shut, and Johnny hears the unmistakable click of the lock.

Johnny steps up to the door, slumping against it with his forehead and palms flat against the surface. "Taeyongie, please…"

Taeyong doesn't say anything.

As awful as the image of teary-eyed Taeyong burned in his mind feels, considering all the work he's put into the past twenty-four hours, frustration still boils its way to the surface. "You know, for someone that says they wanna spend all their time with me, this sure doesn't feel like it."

From inside the bedroom, Johnny hears Taeyong scream. Then music turns on, and the volume is cranked way up.

Johnny bites his tongue. Why the had he said that? He could punch himself.

"," he huffs under his breath, pushing off the door. His fingers tangle into his hair, holding chunks on each side of his head as he paces outside, trying to think of what he can do to make this right but coming up with nothing.

His arms flop to his side, and he comes to a stop, looking at the villa's front door.

It's very tempting to go downstairs to the hotel bar and grab a drink or two or ten. However, somewhere in the back of his mind, Johnny knows that doing so will probably result in him making an even bigger mess of the current situation, and he really needs to quit while he's ahead—or rather, while he's not too far deep.

So Johnny grabs a blanket from one of the closets and drags himself over to the couch and flops down, turning the television on and sufficiently feeling like . Despite not getting much sleep the night before, Johnny doubts he'll get much tonight either with the way his mind is buzzing.

Taeyong's eyes. They enraptured him at first sight, made him fall in love, but , they sure could hurt too.

Sleep does eventually come for Johnny in the wee hours, and when the sun starts to rise over Jeju Island the next morning, the morning rays peeking through the glass doors of the patio wake Johnny.

Yawning, he sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes. He blinks slowly, looking in the direction of the villa's bedroom. From the silence, he suspects that Taeyong is still sleeping.

It's tempting to go back himself, but Johnny forces himself up. He walks over to the villa phone and picks up the breakfast menu, knowing Taeyong's favorite foods and calling in orders for both of them.

When room service arrives with the cart, Johnny takes it and rolls it over to the bedroom door. He takes out his phone, pulling up Justin Beiber's "Sorry" on Spotify. He leans his forehead against the door, gently singing along with the lyrics, hoping to convey his apology in a display that is both romantic and maybe a little funny.

Johnny lifts his head when he hears the door click. It opens just enough for Taeyong to reveal his face.

His brown hair is a mess, and his eyes are swollen, lower lip slightly puffed out. It's like a crank to the proverbial sternotomy retractor.

They're grown men in their thirties, and yet Taeyong will always look like a baby.

Johnny sleepily smiles. "I got us breakfast. Strawberry waffles. Your favorite. You don't even have to get out of bed, I'll just wheel it in, and we can eat it there."

Taeyong looks up at Johnny in consideration a moment then wordlessly turns away, opening the door the rest of the way.

Johnny will take that as a win.

He wheels the cart in, setting the trays of food on the bed, and the two sit together while they eat it. Johnny nurses his mug of coffee, silently grateful that he resisted the impulse to pay the bar a visit.

"Taeyong," Johnny says gently. "I am so sorry that I've hurt you. Believe me, I really didn't want to spend yesterday here. I wanted to spend it with you."

"Then why didn't you?" Taeyong mutters after he swallows his mouthful of waffle, not looking at Johnny.

"Because," Johnny sighs. He hangs his head. "The truth is, I've been struggling to find you the perfect anniversary gift for months now. With the way you reacted to the dog shelter donation, anything else I could get you seemed to pale in comparison."

"Johnny…" Taeyong says gently, finally looking over at him.

"It's not like I had put it off. I really just couldn't find anything that seemed good enough," Johnny continues. "And next thing I knew, months turned into weeks, weeks turned into days, and it was the night before we were leaving, and I still had nothing. So I enlisted Doyoung's help, and he came through, but it was kind of a project, and he needed my help. So that's what I was doing yesterday."

Taeyong blinks down at his tray, processing all of that. Then he sets down his utensils, scooting closer to Johnny and leaning against him. "Johnny… I love the gifts you get me, but they're not what's important to me."

"I know," Johnny sighs, but the gentle weight of Taeyong against him eases that ache in his chest. He wraps an arm around him. "I love you so much, baby. I want to express that properly. I love seeing you happy."

"You express that plenty," Taeyong says, looking at him. "Every time you look at me, I can see it. You don't need gifts for that."

A small smile momentarily appears on Johnny's lips. "I'm really sorry, baby," he says. "I should've had this long since figured out. I shouldn't have let it eat into our vacation time. I really am so sorry."

Taeyong fiddles with the belt of his robe then looks up at Johnny, a little more humbled himself. "It's very sweet to me that you would go so out of your way to put together something for me and still try to keep it a surprise. You really are the best. I'm sorry too. For assuming the worst and shutting you out last night."

A half grin finds its way to Johnny's lips. "That's alright, my love. You're my little firecracker sometimes, and it's one of the many things I love about you."

Taeyong smiles.

"And now that all is said and done, I have nothing but time to spend with you, and that's all I'm going to do," Johnny says. "From here on out, you're not going to get a moment alone. I'm gonna be clingy. I'm gonna be annoying."

Laughing, Taeyong wraps both his arms around Johnny's torso, leaning into him more firmly. "Good!"

It's about midday when they're on one of their tour treks through the lava tunnels that Johnny gets a call from the hotel, stating that his package has arrived.

Excitement thumps in Johnny's chest, and he turns away from the small tour group as he talks on the phone. "Could you hold it at the desk for me? I need to check on it before it's wrapped. I'm sure I could get a taxi down there in—"

Behind him, Taeyong clears his throat.

Johnny turns to look back to see him standing with his arms crossed and lower lip puffed out.

Swallowing, Johnny turns away. "On second thought, could you please have it wrapped and sent to my room? Thank you."

He's just going to have to trust Doyoung on this one.

Pocketing his phone, Johnny turns to Taeyong, who smiles up at him and wraps his arms around Johnny's elbow.

That evening, Johnny and Taeyong finish their dinner at a scenic outdoor, beach-side restaurant. The moonlight outlines the surrounding trees and dances off the gentle waves of the ocean nearby. Lanterns are strategically placed all around the dining area, trees, and the walkway to the beach to create an ambient glow throughout, like they were surrounded by little fairies. The gentle ebb and flow of the water harmonizes with the soft live music playing.

It's beautiful, but Johnny isn't paying any mind to his surroundings, too captivated by the man sitting in front of him, draped in chiffon, hair effortlessly swept, gold gleaming from his neck and diamonds from his ears.

Taeyong is truly a real-life fairy-tale prince. His fairy-tale prince.

When their dinner is long since finished and champagne flutes near empty, Taeyong hands Johnny a small red box.

"Aww, baby," Johnny says with a grin. "You didn't have to."

Taeyong lightly huffs. "After all that stress you went through to get me a gift, you're gonna say I don't have to give you one?"

With a light laugh, Johnny looks down at the box and unwraps it. It's a glass frame with an image of them laser cut into it. Along the bottom, a heart-shaped ECG pulse is etched in gold. A caption reads below it: "Everyone trusts you with their heart. Thank you for trusting me with yours."

"Baby," Johnny breathes. He sets the glass frame down and reaches across the table to take Taeyong's hand into both of his. His fingers loosely tangle with his husband’s, and he bows his head to press a reverent kiss to his wedding ring. "You're the only one I would ever trust with mine."

Taeyong laughs, letting Johnny continue to devote his affection.

He sets Taeyong's hand down, picking up the frame again. "Thank you. It's wonderful. Just like you."

Taeyong presses his lips together as though it would conceal his grin.

Johnny then takes out a metallic navy package for Taeyong and hands it to him. He watches him look down at it, his heart hammering as he sits there with bated breath.

Taeyong strips the wrapping to reveal a book. His big round eyes regard it curiously at first.

"Open it," Johnny encourages, grinning.

Taeyong does so, flipping carefully through the pages. Johnny's eyes are locked on Taeyong's expression as it changes. First, his eyes are large with curiosity, then realization sets in, his mouth falling open as his fingers come up to lightly cover it. The more pages he flips through, the more his eyes start to squint, growing increasingly glossy against the soft lighting surrounding them.

He turns the book so that Johnny can see the pages. It's not just a collection of photos but a full account of their love story and all the special dates that made it what it was up to now.

"Oh, Johnny," Taeyong whispers, his breath shaky as he blinks the tears in the corner of his eyes.

Johnny grins fondly. "You like it?"

Setting down the book, Taeyong stands up from his chair, walking around the table so he can toss his arms around Johnny's neck and pull him into a kiss.

Johnny tilts his head back, eager to return it, smiling up at Taeyong as he backs away. "I know it's not as good as last year's, but I just kind of had to accept I wasn't going to outdo that. I hope you like it anyway."

"What do you mean it wasn't going to outdo last year's?" Taeyong asks, tears still falling. "It's the story of our love. It's perfect!"

He kisses Johnny again. Johnny had reserved the whole terrace just for them, though he wouldn’t have cared if others saw them anyway. "Well, for good measure, I donated more in your name to the dog shelter."

Taeyong laughs before tapering it off into another kiss, humming fondly.

Behind them, the band starts playing a gentle classical cover of "Heartbeat" by Carrie Underwood, and Taeyong eases up from the kiss, blinking as he lifts his head. "Oh, my God… Is this…?"

"Our song," Johnny answers, smiling up at him. "I may have pulled a couple more strings."

A breathless laugh slips from Taeyong, and he takes Johnny's hands, tugging him up and pulling him along with him as he backs up to the beach. "Dance with me."

Johnny is all too happy to oblige. They kick their shoes and socks off as they leave the terrace and step onto the sand, the tide drifting nearby. Johnny slips an arm around Taeyong's waist and lightly takes one of his hands while his husband curls up against his chest and rests his head atop his shoulder. Together, they gently sway to the melody.

It's perfect. All the planning and stress and costs and last-minute panic gift-making feels completely worth having this moment right here.

“Happy anniversary,” Johnny grins down at him.

"Happy anniversary," Taeyong murmurs against him in response. “I’m making a new rule.”

"Yeah?" Johnny says with a lift of his brow.

"No more anniversary gifts," Taeyong says.

Johnny laughs. "Baby…"

"I'm serious!" Taeyong lifts his head to look up at him. "I don't want things. I just want to spend time with you. So when next year comes around, I want us to put all our money and energy into the time we're going to spend together, and nothing else!"

Another light laugh slips from Johnny. "Well, if you insist."

"I mean it, Dr. Seo!" Taeyong says with a tone as firm as his face. "If I catch even a hint of you trying to get me a gift next year, I will cancel our whole anniversary vacation!"

Johnny's eyes shoot open. "Okay, okay!" he laughs. "I get it. It's about the time we spend together, not the things we get each other."

"I also don't like hearing how much you stressed yourself out over this too, you know," Taeyong says, eyes big and round. "Stress is the last thing you should be feeling when it comes to our anniversary!"

"Aw, but baby, you're worth it," Johnny says.

Taeyong backs up a little, bringing up a hand to place on Johnny's chest. "Since you entrust only me with your heart, I have to make sure to keep your stress down as much as reasonably possible."

Johnny shakes his head and smiles. "I love you."

"I love you," Taeyong replies, lifting on his toes to press another kiss to Johnny's lips. He lingers there, whispering warmly against it, "And speaking of helping keep your stress down, I know I just said no more gifts, but I do have one more thing for you."

A hint of a smirk tugs on the corner of Johnny's lips. "Yeah?"

"Yes," Taeyong whispers. He draws back, gazing up at Johnny through heavy lids, teeth dragging lightly over the swell of his lower lip in that way that makes the heat curl in Johnny's lower abdomen. "Back at the hotel."

Johnny’s already scrambling to snatch up their socks and shoes as he hastily drags Taeyong by the wrist back to the table, looking for the nearest waiter. “Check, please!”

 

The End

 

 

Author's Notes:

according to google, the average approximate number of times a heart beats in a year is 35 million. 35 million beats times 7 years is 245 million! :,D

i hope you enjoyed! comments are love! ♥

you can find me on twitter at monsterbfjohnny!