Paris. The City of Lights.

 

Hyukjae still couldn’t believe that he was stepping Paris. After all his efforts and all the double shifts he had worked, he had finally gotten enough money to travel to that big city as personal graduation gift.

The journey had taken about twelve hours, a heavy trip perhaps to other people but not for him, since he pretty much spent it sleeping to recover the energy that he knew he would need when he arrived.

 

He crossed the airport and, as best he could with the little English and French he knew, he took a taxi to take him to an inn or hostel to stay for the next two weeks. While traveling he looked out the window to admire the landscape the city had to offer and as the taxi crossed the Seine River, Hyukjae had a perfect view of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower.

 

He couldn't wait to explore the city on his own, he'd most likely get lost, but he'll enjoy it the most.

 

 

~ • ~ • ~ • ~

 

 

He was sure that the Champs Elysées were in that direction, why he couldn't get there? Frustrated, he closed his guide and gave a loud huff. He had never been good with directions but still wanted to explore the city on his own, that's more interesting he had thought, but now it seemed like a terrible idea. Perhaps he could go back and ask for a guide? No, it would be quite embarrassing since his French was poor and the same was with English, the other language he could use. He could also ask for a translator, but the mere thought hurt his pride.

 

“Why the hell did I decided to come to Paris in the first place?” he complained loudly.

 

“Because it's a beautiful city.” Answered a voice not far away. Donghae, startled, spun around toward it when he realized that the voice had spoken in Korean.

 

“Sorry, I didn't want to in, but you spoke in Korean so...” it was a blond man who looked no older than him. “It's quite strange, isn’t it? There must be millions of people walking by and suddenly I run into a Korean. Maybe it's fate.” He said with a small smile.

 

“Maybe.” Donghae couldn’t help but smile, because the fact was actually pretty funny.

 

“Sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. I'm Lee Hyukjae.”

 

“Oh! Donghae, Lee Donghae.” He replied still a little stunned.

 

“Donghae? As in East Sea?” Donghae nodded a little embarrassed, “Wow, that's funny. And we even have the same surname.” This time the man, Hyukjae, grinned showing his gums. Unlike what Donghae expected, it wasn't a mocking smile, more rather a friendly and charming one.

.

.

.

Perhaps his mind was a little slow due to that smile; because the next thing he knew was that he was finally crossing the Champs Elysées next to Hyukjae.

 

“I still don't understand how you got lost Donghae, is fairly easy to find the place thanks to the Arc de Triomphe.” Hyukjae teased and a slight blush crossed the brunet's face.

 

“I've never been good at these things.” He murmured and the blond laughed merrily.

 

“To tell you the truth, me neither. I think I got lucky today.” he said and smiled again, face all gums and joy, cute little wrinkles around his eyes.

 

Donghae relaxed and laughed with him. Apparently his vacation would be quite entertaining thanks to the person next to him.

 

 

~ • ~ • ~ • ~

 

 

The Eiffel Tower, the Tuileries Gardens, the Stade de France, the royal basilica of Saint-Denis, an excessive number of museums and plazas and finally Notre Dame. He and Donghae had gone to an endless number of places during the time they had been in Paris; of course they had been lost countless times too, but that only turned their experience a lot more fun.

 

In the short week and a half they had met, Hyukjae discovered that he and Donghae had many things in common, besides the last name. Both were born in the same year, both lived in Seoul -although Donghae was born in Mopko-, the other had also traveled to Paris as a graduation gift, the two enjoyed singing and rapping, loved dancing, jokes and strawberries (obviously he enjoyed them more than the younger).

 

But perhaps the most surprising and somewhat encouraging for the blond, was the fact that both were gay.

 

Donghae decided to tell him a few nights ago while they enjoyed a delicious dinner, somewhat reluctant to mention it, but no less secure and even proud. Slightly touched by the confidence that the other man had to confess something so intimate, Hyukjae decided to open up the same way with the brunet revealing that he had the same preferences.

 

He could swear that Donghae's eyes sparkled when he said it.

 

“Hyukkie, lets travel the Seine River on a cruise?” Donghae's voice brought the blond back to the present and the pet name with which the other had decided to call him since that night made ​​Hyukjae smile.

 

“Of course Hae, but you’ll left me with no money before the end of the week you know?” He said to the fish-like boy in feigned reproach.

 

“Don’t worry; today I want to invite you.” Donghae replied with a smile.

 

 

~ • ~ • ~ • ~

 

 

That night, after the cruise and thanks to another suggestion of Donghae, both headed to the Pont des Arts. They walked the famous ‘Bridge of Love’ slowly, admiring Paris lighting and how it reflected in the water of the river.

Hyukjae couldn't help noticing that Donghae looked a little nervous as they walked and looked at times to the railing of the bridge.

 

“Hae, it's something wrong?” he asked while directing his gaze to the same spot the younger had and soon he noticed that to where the other looked were a few padlocks. “Hae?”

 

“Remember that the Pont de l'Archevêché also had a few padlocks on its lattice?” Donghae suddenly asked without looking at him.

 

“Sure ...” he replied somewhat doubtful of where the other one was going with this conversation.

 

“Well, one could say that this bridge was the ‘original’ in which couples hung those padlocks as a symbol to seal their love, but from time to time they remove them, so now there are only a few ...”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Well, I-I wanted ...” Donghae stopped suddenly and from the pocket of his coat pulled out a padlock with a pair of intertwined hearts. “You know, not as a way of sealing a love or anything, but maybe we could do it as a symbol of our friendship?” he finished, words barely a whisper and cheeks as red as tomatoes.

 

“And that's why the lock has a pair of hearts?” Hyukjae teased, trying to lighten the mood although his cheeks were as flushed as the other's.

 

“Well, this was the only padlock I could find and–” his sentence was interrupted when he felt plump and cold lips pressing on his own.

 

“Shhh. I think is perfect.” Hyukjae whispered after separate from the other's lips with a slight smile and flush now reaching his ears.

 

After recovering from the shock, both placed the padlock with the word EunHae written on it, courtesy of Hyuk ("Since my nickname is Eunhyuk and it sounds better combined with your name" "I didn't even know you have a nickname"), and then continued walking holding hands towards the inn where the two were staying.

.

.

.

“So… this means we’re together?” Hyukjae asked.

 

“Maybe.” Donghae replied nonchalantly.

 

“Now you're playing hard to get?”

 

“No, but we have only known each other for a couple of weeks, so I can’t assure anything you know…”

 

“Says the one who told me he was gay after a week.” Hyuk rolled his eyes, a smile dancing on his lips, which Hae quickly pecked, “Shush, that’s beside the point,” he said over his lips, their breaths mingling, and captured the blond man’s mouth again in a rather heated kiss. When they parted, Hyukjae, stunned, asked breathlessly, “Now what does this means?”

 

“When we’re back in Korea I’ll tell you.” a y Donghae winked at him with a very y smirk and as quickly as it appeared, it faded, only leaving a cute fish-like boy tugging at his sleeve beckoning him to walk.

---

 

Sorry this took so long. My laptop broke and I lost the document and then I had a huge exam, so I couldn't update it. Anyway, hope the wait was worth it?