Inside a coffee shop in the middle of town there was one open table, and two regular customers, who were strangers to each other, who wished to sit and drink their coffee; the strangers looked at each other, then at the table, and back to each other. They both nodded in silent agreement and sat on opposite sides of the table with their coffee and breakfast.

“I’ve seen you before, but I never thought we’d be at the same table.” The taller blonde broke the silence after a sip of his coffee, “Not that I have a problem with sharing a table, of course.” He shared a smile towards the brunette male.

“I’ve seen you too, and I agree completely.” The brunette offered a smile of his own, “My name’s Donghae.” He stuck his hand out, reaching for the other’s own.

“Nice to meet you, Donghae; people call me Eunhyuk, but my name’s Hyukjae. Feel free to call me which ever.” He took the hand stretched out and shook it gently, “You look pretty young; do I have the right to ask why you’re here every morning?”

“Just a bit hectic at home in the mornings; how old do I look?” Donghae smiled mischievously, trying not to laugh at the blonde man’s slightly nervous look.

 “I’d say…nineteen?” Hyukjae’s lips lifted in a lopsided nervous smile.

“Close enough. I’ll be nineteen in October. Now, I do believe I deserve an age and a reason as well?” Donghae sipped his coffee and looked at the male over the foamy cup.

“I believe you do,” Hyukjae smiled and Donghae had to look at the cup in his hands briefly to keep from blushing. This man was handsome; Donghae couldn’t deny that no matter how much he wanted to, “I’m twenty-one, and I’m here for just about the same reason as you, but instead of home being hectic it’s too quiet.” Donghae nodded slowly and they were surrounded by a comfortable silence as they both started to eat their muffins, check their phones, and sip their hot coffee.

Donghae racked through his brain for something to talk about, when he remembered the handsome man’s nickname; Eunhyuk. He’d never heard it before, but it already sounded like the name of a glittering jewel. He looked up at the blonde man; he truly was handsome. His hair was dyed bleach blonde, and his eyes were a dark chocolate; almost black. He had plump lips that seemed to have a natural lipstick-like color to them. His jaw and nose were sharp, but they ironically added to his smooth aura.

“Your nickname…” Donghae started and looked down when the man looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “Is there a special meaning behind it?” he hoped the handsome man didn’t think he was weird for asking that, especially when they first met.

“It does; everyone says I’m ugly, but I want to prove to everyone that I’m as gorgeous as a jewel.” Hyukjae smiled and made a dramatic move of his hand on his heart making Donghae laugh, “What about your name? Donghae?”

“My mom said it was because I’ve loved water my whole life, and apparently basically lived in it when I was little.” Donghae felt a heat in his cheeks and looked at his hands, a little embarrassed about the meaning of his name, “Everyone else says it fits because I look like a fish.”

“Everyone is right,” for second Donghae thought that was the only response he’d get, and he couldn’t help but wonder what Hyukjae had meant by his words, did he think Donghae was ugly as well? “You do look like a fish; but more like that cute clownfish. Nemo, you know?” Hyukjae smiled at the brunette, causing him to freeze. Was he hitting on Donghae? He smiled at the table, too afraid to look up at blonde and his charming smile.

“Do I really?” Donghae smiled at the random memory of his mother’s and little sister’s words of advice, ‘Never let a man know you’re flustered or flattered without making him feel flattered and flustered first,’ and Donghae wouldn’t let them down.

“You do, indeed.” Hyukjae leaned closer on the table, his dark eyes staring right into Donghae’s own brown orbs.

“Well, I’m in the mood to go buy some jewelry about now…” Donghae let himself lean forward as well, “You know, since my world is filled with jewels.” Donghae was mentally cheering himself on, seeing a blush work its way up Hyukjae's barely-visible ears behind his hair. They leaned closer to each other like there was some magnetic force attracting them to one another; just as they were inches apart they were startled out of the trance they were in by a phone alarm. Donghae snapped back in his chair and grabbed his phone off the table to silence it.

“I have to get to school. I have a morning lecture, and I wouldn’t want to be late for it.” He started getting up and heard Hyukjae’s frantic voice.

“Would you give me your number? I mean, so I can call you? Or hang out?” Donghae figured he had made the male flustered enough, and let him see the blush that crept its way up his face with a shy smile and nod. They exchanged numbers and Donghae left for the college campus with Hyukjae promising to text him later in the day. True to his word, Hyukjae had texted Donghae and they had made more plans for the following weeks; spending time together at movies, concerts, beaches, and even at school when Hyukjae showed up to eat lunch with him after his lectures. They became so close that they were inseparable and eventually became a ‘thing’; Hyukjae did his best to be romantic, and Donghae, his sister, and his mother were always flattered at the effort the now maroon-colored hair man put in to make the now blonde Donghae happy and prove his worthiness. For years they were happily together, and Donghae could only see himself with Hyukjae in the future. For their six year anniversary Hyukjae proposed and Donghae couldn’t be happier. Donghae’s mother gave them money for a trip to the sea for the weekend; a trip Donghae would never forget.

“Hyukjae! Hyukjae, where are you?!”Donghae was going hysteric; tears streamed down his face, his hair flew everywhere in the harsh wind of the surprise storm. Hyukjae had been swimming in the water, ignoring Donghae’s warnings of the waves being massive and rough, and Donghae went into the rented beach house to watch the weather on TV. He was walking out of the house when he heard a shout and then nothing but the waves; panicking, he ran out onto the beach to find himself in his current hysteria. Hyukjae was nowhere to be found. The police came and they searched the water for what seemed like forever until they decided he drowned, and that they were sorry, but Hyukjae was gone. Donghae swore he could hear Hyukjae’s voice in the wind, whispering ‘I love you’ through the air, “I’ll be back, Hyukkie. I’ll come back here one day for us to be together forever. I’ll only love you, just wait for me.”

Donghae woke up from a nap to the silence of his sister’s usually busy house. He lived with his sister, her husband, and kids; watching the kids and grandkids since he didn’t have any of his own. He was alone at the house, his sister and her husband along with the kid and grandkids had gone to a wedding for someone on his sister’s husband’s side. Donghae had politely refused to go; once Hyukjae had drowned Donghae felt like his world disappeared; he was always by ponds watching the fish and the water, or staring at the big glittering jewel as blue as the East Sea in the center of the ring Hyukjae proposed to him with. He was never really completely ‘there’ anymore, like half of him had drowned with his only love. Despite his and her sister’s constant arguments on finding another love, Donghae never took off the engagement ring he got the night before he died, refusing to take off his jewel. The next day was his and Hyukjae’s seventieth anniversary, and he planned on spending it like every other anniversary he has had the years before: promising Hyukjae he’ll see him again soon.

“Uncle Hae, are you awake?” one of his great nieces came in the room shyly.

“I’m up, what do you need, Sunny?” Donghae slowly sat up with the assistance of his niece; he was getting old, too old in fact, and he knew his time was coming to an end.

“I know Grandma just wants you to be happy and looked after, but I want you to know that I think it’s really nice how you are that loyal to the first and only man you have ever loved…” Donghae was moved by the girl’s words and hugged her, “Everyone else is gone for the night, and we have a car, so I’m going to help you see him again.” Sunny handed him a house key, “I want you to go to the sea one more time; go see Hyukjae one more time.” Donghae couldn’t hold back the tears anymore; he sobbed loudly and wrapped his shaky arms around the smiling girl.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” Donghae chanted in Sunny’s ear. They sat for a while as they planned the final move; the place that had once separated them would bring them back together. Donghae was helped out of bed and into different clothes; Sunny grabbed his walker and they set off for the car. Donghae told her of the dream he had; he explained their meeting in full detail and how he knew he would never fall in love with someone else no matter how hard he tried. Donghae had to take a train to get to the beach house they had stayed in, and he was happy to know that he would be able to see his love again.

“The train leaves in fifteen minutes. Mom, Grandma and the others will be back tomorrow; I can’t come with you because I’m supposed to be home sick, so I’m just going to see you off.” Donghae nodded and smiled brighter than he had in years. He felt like he was eighteen again, going to meet Hyukjae for the first time at the little coffee shop that became more and more popular for couples over the years. The train came and the two hugged and waved as the train left, leaving Donghae to meet his fiancé of seventy years.  The skies became grayer as the train got closer to his destination, but he paid no mind to it; he welcomed the rain and the storms to join him and make the whole scene happen again. Getting to the train station he still needed to take a cab to the rented beach house, and held the key in his hand with white knuckles until the cab had stopped in front of the house.

“Hyukjae, I’m here… I’ll see you soon, my love.” Donghae said when he reached the front door to the rented beach house. It was the same, the house hadn’t been renovated, repainted, fixed up, or anything; it was the same as the very first time he saw it, the only difference being Hyukjae not being by his side or holding his hand as he walked through the door. The bed frame was new, but the mattress was the same; on the corner of the bare bed was ‘Hyukjae and Donghae, the jewel as blue as the East Sea’ and Donghae decided he wasn’t going to put the sheets that were folded on the couch they had cuddled on over that corner of the bed. Donghae watched the sunset on the front porch while he ate Ramen, which was the only food that Hyukjae knew how to make when they went on the trip together, smiling sadly at the waves and how the storm had gone the other way than the train did earlier.

“Hyukjae, I miss you. I did as I promised; I came back, just like I said. I’m here now, so you can come out now. Please? I’ve loved only you, and still do; did you wait for me?” The wind blew and he felt tears well in his eyes when he recalled what happened, but when the tears spilled over he smiled when the wind seemed to caress his face and whisper to him; he heard Hyukjae’s gentle ‘I love you’ through the winds and allowed himself to relax against the bench he sat at with his bowl next to him. When the sun disappeared completely he went inside with one last glace at the sea for the night, at the spot next to a big rock; staring at the last spot he had seen Hyukjae’s beautiful and mischievous smile directed at him.

There was a loud crash when he woke up, and he smiled at the coincidence of a storm being there the next morning, deciding to watch a couple Disney movies that he and Hyukjae had watched together he silently ate an apple, not feeling well enough to cook anything and too tired to change out of his long pajamas. After a few movies and another apple for lunch he decided to walk to the shore and put his feet in the crashing waves. The wind had picked up sometime during his movie marathon and Donghae couldn’t help but walk farther into the water, feeling tired and wanting to sleep, but wanting to be closer to Hyukjae. With his eyes trained on the last spot Hyukjae had been seen above the water he walked farther in, ignoring the cold shock that went through his entire being with every wave and how the waves got higher every step he took, engulfing more and more of him until the waves covered his body completely, submerging his frail frame under entirely.

His brown eyes were wide open as he lost his breath and slowly started being dragged by the water. Donghae smiled as the water brought him farther down and away from the shore, so far away the he saw the rock Hyukjae was next to that day right in front of him when he started to sink straight down, facing the sky he started to close his eyes. Donghae was confused to say the least, how people tell stories of seeing someone drown, or how it was done in movies was different than how he felt at the moment. Instead of a panicky feeling, he was experiencing a calming warmth, even as the water filled his lungs. He knew he should be dead, but his determination to fulfill his promise to Hyukjae, to see him one more time, kept his eyes open through the event. He hit the ground and felt some kind of sticks under him; the water currents pushed everything on the sandy ground beneath him around and something wrapped around his torso; he decided to not be distracted from his mission and ignored it, but whatever was on him hit the light of a lightning bolt just right and shined brightly, Donghae decided to look down as he felt his body start to go numb. There was a skeleton’s arm, which frightened him until he saw that on the left hand on top of his own was a silver ring with a sapphire jewel that matched his own; closing his eyes, he mentally cried. He had found Hyukjae; he got to see him one more time.

A glittering light came from all around him, and the bone on his body gained skin and there was sudden movement from underneath him to be above him, and as he closed his eyes he felt a bright warmth engulfing him in an embrace he missed, a voice whispering in his mind. His eyes shot wide open to see if he was being tricked. There, holding him in his arms, was Hyukjae; he looked just as he did in the coffee shop the first day, and he looked down to see himself floating up, leaving his own body that had become bones and a silver band with a blue jewel just as the one under his; looking back up he smiled.

“You kept your promise.” Hyukjae said and pecked Donghae’s lips. He felt like crying; he did it, he was able to see Hyukjae again, and he knew he wouldn’t be going anywhere without him now.

“You waited for me.” Donghae said and wrapped his arms impossibly tighter, pulling him closer, “I’m not losing you again. I’m staying with you.” Hyukjae smiled and tightened his own arms around his love’s waist.

“I love you.” They said in unison, and drifted together throughout the waters, fading away in one another’s arms. The only thing left of their physical existence being the two skeletons wrapped around each other, left hands on top of each other, silver bands on both ring fingers.

Since that moment, whenever you go to the beach on a sunny day, when the sun hits the water just right and makes it look like a glittering sapphire jewel, you can hear soft whispers of ‘I love you’ repeated with sounds of laughter and years of desperate loneliness ending.