Sweaty hands, shaky knees, hair almost completely defying gravity. Dongwoon looked like a true mess, but he didn’t really care. His stomach felt as though it were about to eat itself, along with everything else in its path.

He was unsure of whether he was nervous or excited. Maybe both. Maybe he’d be a disappointment, which was the worst part to think on for too long. He’d been reassured over and over that he was beautiful, that he was fine, that he was surely anticipated on the other side of the plane ride. He had someone waiting there, just for him. It never did stop the doubts, though.

After retrieving his carry on bag, he couldn’t stop the tremor in his hands, almost in tears with nerves. Gikwang was perfect; Dongwoon couldn’t see him being any different in person than through a computer screen, but himself? He had many worries.

A much older lady gave him a smile as she passed behind him, since he’d been simply standing there hugging his bag with large, fearful eyes. She gave him a smile that somehow knew, like she knew he was about to see somebody of importance for the first time. She looked more amused than sympathetic, which made Dongwoon huff under his breath and throw his backpack over his shoulder finally.

He left the plane, wiping his palms on his jeans and patting his hair down against his forehead. He was sure his cheeks were bright red, and with every step he took, it felt as though his stomach was beginning to physically vibrate. Perhaps it was his incessant shaking that made it that way, he couldn’t think much through the thought of finally being a few steps away from Gikwang.

Guiding himself through the gates, it felt like an eternity. He peeked first, his head jutting from behind a corner to take a look at all the people waiting for their loved ones, his eyes only searching for his own loved one.

He inhaled shakily when he saw Gikwang’s friend first, Yoseob, fiddling with what looked to be a camera. He’d seen Yoseob a few times, both through video messaging and pictures; he could spot those unique features anywhere. He was speaking quite loudly to somebody hidden behind a rather round man, and Dongwoon knew it was Gikwang. He felt his throat constrict, leaning back against the wall where he wouldn’t be seen to take a few deep breaths.

People were beginning to scatter when he finally built enough courage to leave his spot, the colour of his cheeks switching from a rosy red to a pale white with anxiety.

Yoseob spotted him first, and they exchanged smiles briefly before the camera was pointing at him. Yoseob used his foot to roughly kick the boy crouched beside him, who looked to be putting away a water bottle when he almost toppled over.

Dongwoon heard the loud shriek of, “Gikwangie, look!” from Yoseob, before he felt something colliding into his chest, almost knocking the air right out of him.

He’d barely caught his breath before he felt hands on his face and lips on his cheeks. Dongwoon felt numb with surprise as he peeked down at the little face so close to his, the very same face he’d fallen asleep thinking about for the past six months.

His hands came up to hold onto the ones at his cheeks. They were warm. He was real, he was really real.

Dongwoon bit his lip as it began to shake, and Gikwang was already in tears as their foreheads touched. The only noise Dongwoon was able to take in were the soft huffs of breath touching his lips.

“I can’t believe you’re finally here,” whispered Gikwang, his voice trembling but beautiful, and finally clear. No more would he have deal with the broken speech of horrible Internet connection and sitting in front of his laptop at night to count the others sleeping breaths.

Dongwoon tilted his head to press his lips to Gikwang’s, gently squeezing his much smaller hands. They’d measured their hands before with tape, working out that Dongwoon’s were in fact bigger, but nothing was better than being able to press their fingertips together in person and see for sure.

“I love you,” Dongwoon replied quietly, his words lost in their kiss. It was more than he thought he deserved, to finally be here where he belonged. Gikwangs lips were more a gift than anything he’d received before in his life. Softer and so much more gentle to feel than the coarse words that usually slipped from them. He loved it all.

“I ing love you,” Gikwang said as he disappeared into Dongwoon’s chest, inhaling loudly against his shirt, and Dongwoon’s nerves finally fled, leaving him happier and more relieved than he could’ve ever imagined to be. Leaving his heart thundering against Gikwang’s ear, telling him silently the effect he'd always had on Dongwoon. It was worth it, the wait.

He dropped a kiss to the top of Gikwang’s head, wiping away the tears from his own eyes that had not fallen, but were close to. He could see that Yoseob had gotten closer since the last time he looked, almost bumping his nose on the lens in his face when he lifted his head.

“This is so god damn cute, I can’t take it,” Yoseob cried, his button nose a pale shade of pink, along with his cheeks. Dongwoon grinned at the shorter boy, both in agreement and in happiness, because he’d been dreaming of nothing more than to feel Gikwang quietly shifting against his chest, and he finally had it.