The shrill ring of the phone cuts through the silence in the car and manages to get Jongin's attention. "Um" an uncertain but smooth voice manages to sound through the speakers, "How much longer will it take you to reach?" 

"Give me maybe five minutes?"

"Okay then." A few more turns and some almost mishaps later Jongin finally reaches the modest yet telling cafe which probably held the memories of many such inconspicuous meetings as the one he himself was about to attend. But after working three years as a wedding planner,  Jongin realised that every conversation exchanged held weight and was hardly ever just an exchange of words. Maybe it was because his own encounters with his clients always led to one of the biggest moments of their lives, but to Jongin every moment of every interaction was a page from a storybook that was still yet to be over.

 

"Hello, you must be Do Kyungsoo. It's nice to meet you. And congratulations on the engagement." Jongin flashed a bright smile at the other male who returned the same with a shy one of his own. 

 

"Thank you. And you must be Kim Jongin. We've heard a lot about your work."

 

"Well I hope it's all good that you've heard of me."  Jongin says with a laugh.

 

"We wouldn't have even considered hiring you if it wasn't so." Kyungsoo say back with a twitch of his lips.

 "Very well then. If you don't mind me asking, your fiancé is  Mr. Park Chanyeol, right? It'd have been nice if he could've been a part of this meeting today so as to make sure there are not many conflicting decisions down the line regarding the wedding."

 

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure my fiance would hardly disagree with my decisions." 

 

"If you say so." Jongin says with an air of wariness. It isn't as much because of his distrust in the words that came from the other man but rather it's the stream of naivety that he suspects to have seeped through them that made him feel less than pleased.  "We can get straight to the point and start planning the big day if you're sure that it'll be fine with just the two of us."

 

"Of course it''ll be." Kyungsoo replies with a chirpiness in his voice and a beautiful smile that could blind.

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Amongst wishes that could bruise lilies with hues of neon and wants of splashes of rainbows on a spring morning, Jongin realises that Kyungsoo is one of fairytale sceneries, optimistic romances and an unfiltered way with words. For Kyungsoo's every suggestion, there was Jongin's silent denial that would never be worded. The music they tried to create isn't much of a duet as it is a mismatch of two singers with no connection in style. Jongin was never one to judge though, he'd seen plenty such as Kyungsoo who were about to get married and he truly believed it brought out the inner romantic in all. But there seemed to be an exception. Even though it had been 3 exact days since the wedding preparations could be said to have officially commenced, Jongin was yet to meet with the lovely Mr. Do's fiance. Kyungsoo spoke about the man he was to marry with so much love and passion it almost made Jongin's perception of the man so far waver in its place. But it came to stand still again when Jongin made note of Kyungsoo words situated in a past too far away.

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"Jongin, you're boring."

 

"I don't think I am."

 

"Really?" Laughter resonates through the otherwise peacefully quiet room.

 

"Yes, really." Jongin replies feeling offended.

 

"If you say so." Kyungsoo replies trying to rub off the tears forming from healthy laughter driving Jongin to vow to prove himself to be much more interesting. 

 

"I know origami. Give me some credit." Jongin says after a pause, handing over a duck made of paper foldings to Kyungsoo.

 

"Looks pretty. One point to you mister. You know Chanyeol is such a big romantic, Jongin. He used to do such cheesy stuff for me when we were in college." Kyungsoo says while they're looking over carnations.

 

"I hope you get to meet Chanyeol soon, Jongin. I'm sure you'll like him a lot. He's quite like you- a bit reserved but a little prodding here and there and you can see the inner angel." 

 

"You think I have a, uh, 'angel' deep inside?"

 

A stifle of laughter escapes Kyungsoo at this, "Doesn't everyone? A soul is always untainted.That's why most people are said to be pure on the inside."

 

"What about those who're not said to be pure on the inside?"

 

"See that's a misconception, just because someone is said to not have a pure soul doesn't mean they don't have one. You just need to dig deeper."

 

And somehow,  Jongin is impressed because this man assured him of being in possession of knowledge that he figures is honest in some ways anyway.

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Jongin does in fact have the pleasure of meeting the said fiancé the next day when he arrives at the soon to be wed couple's humble residence. It's a Sunday so he figured a meeting would be coming anyway.

Chanyeol turns out to be a lanky, lean young man with a beautiful face and a charming height to go with it. But other than his physical features, Jongin did not believe he was impressed.  Kyungsoo's big speeches about how Chanyeol used to sing to him and bribe him with gifts when his mood was grey seemed to be spewed from imagination knowing that Chanyeol always looked awkward and out of place with everything regarding the wedding and seemed generally disinterested. But then again, Jongin figures, time changes people and maybe Kyungsoo has yet to confront it.

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They step inside the florist's and inspect the flowers put up for sale. Suddenly Jongin feels his wrist being pulled and he sees Kyungsoo pulling him towards the aisle with roses decorated in colors significant to different meanings.

 

"Aren't they just beautiful?" Kyungsoo looks around at the roses. "The red ones are my favourite. It's significance make it much more admirable."

 

Without thinking twice, Jongin picks one of the red roses out and sniffs it, then turns towards Kyungsoo and holds it out to him, "You can have this, since you like it so much."

 

Kyungsoo looks at Jongin surprised and then turns his head away from him, looking red, but accepts the rose anyway.

 

They walk up to the counter where a girl politely smiles at them.

 

"We needed to place an order..for, um, my wedding. And this rose too, um, not an order for this rose, but, uh, just, uh, we're buying it. Um, yea." still flustered, Kyungsoo speaks up.

 

The girl just smiles at Kyungsoo and replies, "Congratulations on the wedding. You look good together." 

 

Kyungsoo's red face gets a shade deeper and Jongin realises he likes seeing him flustered.

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"Jongin?"

 

"Mhmm"

 

"Don't you think chrysanthemums are pretty?"

 

Jongin looks up from the list of caterers in his hand to notice Kyungsoo staring at the pamphlet they had got from the florist earlier.

"I guess they are."

 

"Chanyeol had given me a bunch of chrysanthemums once. I didn't give any back to him. Maybe I should have." Kyungsoo says with a sigh.

 

Jongin doesn't understand the direction the conversation took but he decides not to ask. He just looks at Kyungsoo who keeps staring at the florist's pamphlet. He looks up from the pamphlet and catches Jongin's stare and returns the gaze with a sad twitch of his lips.

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"I'm hungry."

 

"Then eat."

 

"Well that's rude. We've been at this for hours. We didn't even have lunch."

 

"I was supposed to meet with Chanyeol for lunch. Two hours ago." Kyungsoo says softly. "He couldn't make it so I didn't mention it. Sorry."

 

"Why are you apologising? If anything Chanyeol-"

 

"Chanyeol doesn't  have anything to apologise for. He'd have come if he wasn't so busy. I'm saying sorry because I didn't mention lunch because of my own sour mood. Chanyeol doesn't have anything to apologize for. He doesn't. Doesn't."  Kyungsoo's attempt at convincing Jongin ends up sounding more like he's trying to convince himself.

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"Jongin, do you have a girlfriend?"

 

"No, I don't swing that way."

 

"Oh, then do you have a boyfriend?"

 

"No. Nobody wants me." Jongin says, deadpan.

 

"Don't say that! I want you!" Kyungsoo's face reddens when he realises what he said. "I mean...I...-"

 

"Leave it." Jongin replies, glad that his face is angled with the light in a way Kyungsoo can't see the smirk blooming on his face.

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Jongin meets Chanyeol again a few nights before the wedding. It's only their second meeting, and to say they aren't awkward would be a lie. 

 

It was a dinner with many other friends of the couple's which Jongin was at presently but not without feeling a bit out of place. Kyungsoo invited and Jongin declined but it was at Kyungsoo's insistent "You're my friend too, Jongin!", a piqued interest in his social circle, and the pride (and somewhat disappointment) over being worthy of being friend to Do Kyungsoo, Jongin decided to go, but now regrets his decision somewhat. Kyungsoo's friends, putting it nicely, are loud and noisy. They are the kind of people that Jongin did not quite enjoy being with. They are friendly (overly much at that) but that was as redeeming as they seem to Jongin.

 

"So Jongin I've been hearing a lot about you from Kyungsoo. As best man, how had I not met the planner until now?" Baekhyun, Jongin thinks (he doesn't quite remember, he was paying more attention to how Kyungsoo's face was lit up brightly while introducing his friends), asks in an attempt to create conversation.

 

"I prefer not to associate myself with friends and family and extended family. I'm just the artist, and the audience is for the art to have." Jongin replies with a polite smile.

 

"That was deep. Well sometimes the artist needs to be appreciated too. And when that time comes, you can come to me." Baekhyun says with a smirk. Jongin is taken aback by the statement, not because of how straightforward Baekhyun was but rather because he did not expect the Kyungsoo, who was forever flustered at anything remotely insinuating, to be friends with people so openly blunt. And that is when he finds himself questioning, just how much does he know Kyungsoo, or rather why does he even want to know Kyungsoo? He looks at Kyungsoo who seems to be looking at Baekhyun with a straight face after hearing the conversation between them and slowly turns his gaze on Jongin. Their eyes meet and they both just look at each other, the conversations around them a quiet hum in the background.

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"Jongin"

 

"Yeah Kyungsoo?"

 

"I'm getting married."

 

"I know."

 

"To Chanyeol."

 

"I know."

 

"I love Chanyeol. I've always loved him."

 

"I know."

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The sun is setting in the background, the heat of summer frozen to a comfortable warmth in the Semptember bliss. Jongin sits on his balcony holding out the cigarette and watching the small puff of smoke leaving him to dissolve into the pleasant autumn air with a tail trailing behind. He hears the sound of his doorbell ring once, then twice and then a third time. Whoever it is has no patience, Jongin thinks to himself. He extinguishes his cigarette and goes to his door. Looking through the peephole, he sees the young man who had been occupying quite a part of his mind lately. He opens the door to a Kyungsoo looking squeamish and worried. 

 

"You okay?"

 

"I don't know Jongin." Kyungsoo replies with trembling lips.

 

"Come on in."  Jongin holds the door open as Kyungsoo steps into his apartment.

 

"Do you want to talk about it?"

 

"You never asked me what I do for a living, Jongin."

 

"I didn't think it was relevant." Jongin replies, confused by why Kyungsoo chose now to come over to his apartment and inform him of how lacking he was in knowledge regarding the subject of Do Kyungsoo.

 

"I write, Jongin."

 

"Write?"

 

"Yes, write. I write fiction. Do you know why I like writing?"

 

Jongin shook his head. He was not sure where Kyungsoo was going with this.

 

"It's cause when you write a story, you direct it. You create the beginning, the end, the epic in the middle. You're in control. You're allowed to let yourself believe in your imagination, you're allowed to create another world. You have freedom, you sculpt every adventure to perfection. Isn't it crazy how that works? I love happy endings Jongin. I only write happy endings. Jongin?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"I want a happy ending." Kyungsoo says, looking on the verge of tears.

 

Not knowing what would be the most appropriate thing to say, Jongin just smiles and says, "And you're going to get just that. You're getting married to the love of your life in 2 days."

 

Not yet reassured, Kyungsoo replies, "Is Chanyeol really my happy ending though? I mean I try to convince everyone that everything is perfect, we're perfect, but it's ridiculous cause I can see it's a lie but I choose to ignore it. Chanyeol and I, we've been together for 6 years. That's a really long time." Kyungsoo finally lets his tears escape. "Do you know when Chanyeol asked me to marry him? It was our 2nd anniversary. We were so in love back then. I said yes but obviously we decided to wait a while before getting married. That 'while' turned into a whole 4 years. We got out of college, tried to find ourselves jobs. Chanyeol obviously climbed up the career ladder while I worked as a freelance writer." Kyungsoo chokes out his words.

 

"You don't need to tell me all this if you don't feel like it."

 

No, I..I want to, no actually I need to get it out. We were so perfect once, Jongin but it feels like an obligation now. Chanyeol is a habit to me. It feels like I stay with Chanyeol and Chanyeol stays with me because we know no other way to live. We're so used to each other it feels like if I lose Chanyeol, I'd lose the oxygen supporting my every breadth. He's the ground I walk on, he's part of the very core of my existence. But he's not my happy ending. I don't think he is."

 

Kyungsoo's eyes are red now and it seems as though he cried every last drop of tear in him. He's panting heavily and Jongin feels the incoherent need to hold him, so he does. Kyungsoo buries his face in the crook of Jongin's neck and Jongin hopes he feels the warmth of Jongin's skin irradiate him with comfort.Kyungsoo brings his face up to look at Jongin's eyes and in a moment of impulse he crashes his lips with Jongin's. Jongin tries to push Kyungsoo away because he realises Kyungsoo isn't his to have but Kyungsoo's grip on him is relentless and he slowly lets himself fall into the kiss. Clothes are discarded and a clumsy walk is made to the bedroom. Jongin mumbles out a low "This isn't right, Kyungsoo" to be met with a demand to "Shut up and don't think". And Jongin submits to Kyungsoo's words because somehow he realises that although he should fight harder for his stand, he doesn't want to.

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"Jongin?"

 

"Thank you"

 

"For what?"

 

"I don't know. Everything?"

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The soft sun rays kiss his skin through the bedside window and stir him out of his sleep. He looks beside him and sees messy brown hair, closed eyes and a pretty face huddled under the comforter in a mass. Jongin feels his stomach grumble in anticipation of food and recalls not eating dinner and the preceding events of the previous night. He feels blissful over somehow moving over to another territory with Kyungsoo but it worries him that he did something he shouldn't have. He cleans up and is making breakfast for two when he hears shuffling in the bedroom and waits for Kyungsoo to come out.

 

"Good morning" he greets Kyungsoo with a polite smile.

 

Kyungsoo seems a little uneasy but replies with a straight face, "We need to talk."

 

The words somehow dishearten Jongin because of the implicit tone in which they were spoken and the amount of weight they carried. He still mages to smile and say, "First, breakfast" and offers Kyungsoo a sandwich.

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"We really should talk."

 

"I already know what you're gonna say though."

 

"No, you don't."

 

"I'm a lot of things but dumb I am not, Kyungsoo. 'Jongin you're a nice guy but I love Chanyeol, I always have and I won't leave him, I won't run away from my wedding to elope with you in some sort of plot twist inspired by cheesy old movies.' Am I not right?"

 

Kyungsoo looks dumbfounded for a moment before saying softly "Wow, you turned out to be a jerk."

 

"Really? I'm the jerk? Kyungsoo, you kissed me first! I told you everything was wrong! You were the one who decided to use me as a one night getaway from your flimsy crisis regarding an absentee fiancé when you had nothing to even cry over because in the end you'd be going back to him anyway!" Jongin feels terrible for throwing the blame on Kyungsoo because he just as well could've said 'no' to Kyungsoo and that'd have been the end of it. But he gave in to temptation and now his ego wouldn't allow him to accept that the fault was as much his as it was Kyungsoo's.

 

After a pause, Kyungsoo manages to say "I like you Jongin. I don't know how much. But I do feel attracted to you. You make me feel wonderful and when I compare it to how I feel with Chanyeol, that wonderful feeling magnifies ten fold. But the truth remains that I love Chanyeol. I've loved every bit of him for 6 years and I still do. People change Jongin, feelings don't. Our feelings just don't manage to harmonise with the new person that the change has brought forward sometimes. And that's how I know Chanyeol still loves me too, Jongin. That's all I have to say to you. I'm getting married to Chanyeol tomorrow. I hope I'll see you at the wedding." Kyungsoo smiles at Jongin one last time and leaves the apartment.

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Jongin walks into the hall with a gift in hand. He knew he was late for the wedding but he didn't seem to mind as much. He walks in quietly through the doors and sees the couple finish exchanging the vows and rings. The minister, which Jongin recognises as one of Kyungsoo's friends (Chen was it?) request the couple to now kiss each other. The couple does and Jongin observes how happy the couple looks to have got married. Kyungsoo seems to have noticed Jongin cause he sends a shy smile his way and Jongin receives it with one of his own, feeling proud that he managed to give two more their big day regardless of the trials.

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A/N okay. First of all, I know I said 2-3 days but I posted this within less than 24 hours of putting up the foreword. But that's cause I finished the first part and got excited xD

Also I haven't proof read this properly. Sorry I'll do it later.

That said, here's my first attempt at a fanfic. I really need to work more on my flow. Sorry if it read weird.

I know this whole thing probably read like a tragic love story, but this is supposed to be a 2 shot and this chapter is only the first part. Don't worry I'm quite like the Dyo in this story in that I dislike sad endings too x)

If you liked this then comment, subscribe and upvote! If you didn't, then I guess I'll try harder next time to write better ^^

P.S. Just a warning, I have a maths test earlier in the coming week so I might not be able to update the next part until further into the week. I apologise.