It was 11pm on a tuesday night. Luhan was standing in his small bathroom listening to the sound of the rain tapping on his window whilst brushing his teeth. His bathroom looked simple but nice; the walls were painted a beautiful baby blue which matched the white and blue tiles on the floor. There was a shower, a sink, a toilet and a little cabinet where he kept his towels and beauty supplies. He felt happy, humming a song the entire time he went through his ‘get ready for bed’ routine. Today had been good to him. He felt like he aced his english test, he got most of his homework out of the way and the students he tutored behaved very well. However nothing in this world could make him happier than the thought of being able to go to sleep.

Every single day Luhan is struggling with the feeling of not belonging anywhere. Because of his bright and cheerful personality he is able to make a lot of friends but these friendships never last long. Luhan is a wanderer, roaming around this world looking for certain things. Whether it’s knowledge, a place to call home or in Luhan’s case to search for one particular person. He is searching for a man 3 years younger than himself. A man who is passionate, affectionate and simply gorgeous. This man goes by the name of Kai. Although they have never met in real life they see each other every day. Because once when Luhan goes to sleep he will see him. Kai, the man he’s grown to love and whom he loves to take care of. They have shared many hardships together because life certainly hasn’t been good to Kai. That’s why Luhan feels the need to wrap his arms around the other protectively. Now that he thinks of all the memories that he shared with Kai he gets sad. Luhan finished brushing his teeth and stared at his reflection in the mirror. “When will I be able to find him?” he says to himself. Luhan takes a deep breath in and closes his eyes. “When I close my eyes I see you. When I close my eyes you’re here and I could almost feel your hand in mine” Luhan whispers as he opens his eyes and looks at his hand. He laughs at his misfortune. He runs his hand through his brown locks while he makes his way over to the bed. He sits there for a while, rain still tapping on the window softly, surrounded by darkness, thinking back to that first time he met Kai.

Luhan found himself in a strange city. It was around 4.30 in the afternoon and while the sun was shining brightly he felt a chill in the air. He roamed the streets, not sure what to do, but guided by the feeling that he was looking for something. Luhan went into a coffee shop to buy himself a large cappuccino. He was greeted by a grumpy barista who’d reluctantly made his drink. Once he got it he took a seat by the window so he could overlook a part of the busy shopping street. He felt strange, like something grim was about to happen. Not only did Luhan feel like it had gotten colder but the sun also seemed to slowly disappear from the sky. Luhan turned to the man sitting next to him. “Excuse me sir? May I ask you what time and day it is?” he asked, but the man only pointed his finger towards a huge clock on the wall which Luhan hadn’t seen before. It read 5.15pm. “Thank you” he muttered to the not so polite man. Luhan found it odd. He seemed to be able to speak to everyone here, but there wasn’t a single soul who spoke to him the whole day. ‘Why won’t they talk to me? They heard me speak right? So I do exist here. It’s not like I am a ghost’ Luhan thought. While Luhan was occupied in his thoughts he didn’t notice a tall, young man at the other side of the street. The man did notice him and started waving his arms in his direction. Luhan caught movement from the corner of his eye and felt an overwhelming sense of happiness at the sight of this stranger waving at him. Without thinking about his actions he stood up and exited the coffee shop. He waved shyly at the stranger. “LUHAN! HI!” the stranger yelled. His voice had a warm tone to it, and Luhan felt at ease. Then he remembered that the others had not spoken to him. He put his hands to his mouth and yelled back; “WAIT YOU CAN TALK TO ME?’. The stranger smiled his pearly white teeth, his shoulders shaking when he let out a laugh. “OF COURSE I CAN SILLY! WAIT THERE I AM COMING OVER!” He said and all Luhan could do was brace himself. The stranger looked down the street to see if it was safe to cross. Not a car in sight, so he stepped onto the road. At that moment a car made its way around the corner at full speed. Luhan saw it and screamed “DUDE, A CAR! RUN!”. The stranger ran but it was in vain. The driver of the car tried to slow down and avoid the young man, but slipped and hit him with the side of the vehicle. Luhan gasped and ran over to the young man lying lifeless on the street, blood pouring from his body and painting the pavement red. The stranger was still breathing so he told the driver to call an ambulance, but the man just handed his phone to Luhan. He dialed the number, but didn’t hear anything on the other line when they picked up. Despite feeling scared for this strangers life, and knowing the others wouldn’t talk to him he yelled into the phone “I NEED AN AMBULANCE QUICKLY. THERE’S BEEN AN ACCIDENT ON…”. He realised he didn’t know the name of this road. The stranger moved a little in Luhan’s arms and said two things, “Cherry road” and “Kai”. Luhan was stunned since he didn’t expect the stranger to be conscious. He heard a siren in the distance. Luhan threw the phone away and clutched the man’s hand. “Don’t die on me ok? You’re the only one who talks to me. I will make sure you’ll be fine!” Luhan said. The ambulance came round the corner and they took the man, accompanied by Luhan, to the hospital. They took the man into the emergency room. Luhan sat down in the waiting room to gather his thoughts. ‘Who is that man? Why does he talk to me, but the others won’t?  Why did I feel happy when I saw his face? Is he that ‘something’ I was looking for?’ Luhan’s eyes widened when he realised the man had said another thing in the short period he was conscious. “Kai” he whispered to himself. He wondered if that was his name. It must be. It felt a little familiar to Luhan, as if he had heard it before, as if he knew someone called Kai. It was now 9pm and Luhan stood up looking for coffee since this was going to be a long night. He found a fresh pot of coffee at the nurses lounge, grabbed a mug and poured the liquid all the way up to the edge. He crinkled his nose at the strong smell and sighed because it was exactly what he needed to get through the evening. Somehow he felt like he needed to stay here. He was curious about Kai and wanted to know everything about him. If he was kind or a bit of a douche, if he was into sports or liked music, what he wanted as a career and if he had siblings. He wanted to know everything. Luhan has to admit that he was intrigued by this handsome figure. Yes, handsome. That’s the thing Luhan remembered him as, and perhaps also a little silly. Luhan smiled to himself when he recalled his arms flinging about waving frantically. He walked back to the same chair he’d be seated at before, his eyes focussed on the doors to the emergency room. “You have to make it Kai. Please, for me” Luhan said. It was more like a prayer than an actual sentence. Right at that moment the doctor that took care of Kai came out of the emergency room. Since Luhan knew the man wouldn’t talk he paid extra attention to his face. It didn’t look sad which was a good thing. The doctor came up to him and gave him a thumbs up, signalling that Kai was going to be fine. Luhan stumbled backwards into the chair he sat in before and releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “He is fine” he whispered and smiled. The doctor grabbed his hand and guided him to a dull looking room. There in bed lay Kai. Luhan took a good look at him for the first time since they met. Even though Kai had a bruise on his face Luhan could tell he was handsome. His skin was a beautiful bronze with plump lips, and he looked peaceful. “Almost like an angel” Luhan whispered while he took a seat next to the bed. He took Kai’s hand in his and gave it a little squeeze, signalling that he was not alone.  A few minutes later he felt him squeeze back and Kai slowly opened his eyes. “Hey there” Luhan said with a smile on his face. “Hi” Kai answered with a hoarse voice. “Could you get me some water?” he asked and Luhan took a glass from the side table, poured water in it and handed it back to Kai. “Thank you”. Kai took a sip of water and continued; “Oh we haven’t been formally introduced. I am Kim Jongin, but you can call me Kai” he said while extending his hand. “I am Luhan, just Luhan” he said while shaking Kai’s hand. “Nice to meet you just Luhan. Say, how about a date when I get out of the hospital? It’ll be my treat. I have to thank the handsome stranger who took care of me so well” he said gave Luhan a wink. The latter blushed at the bold request and nodded. “I think I would like that very much” he said shyly. “You think or you know?” Kai asked while faking a hurt expression on his face. “I know.. I-I know. I really want to go out with you” Luhan spluttered which made Kai laugh. “You’re really cute Luhan” he said and took the older boy’s hand and kissed it. “Thank you for rescuing me, knight in not so shiny armor”. This made Luhan blush even more and he muttered his thanks before Kai told him that he was tired. “Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up I promise” Luhan said. However the moment Kai went to sleep, Luhan woke up from his.

He missed Kai. He hated the fact that he only saw him in his dreams. He still remembered how guilty he felt after he had woken up from that dream. Luhan really wanted to be there when Kai would wake up, to keep his promise and to spend more time with him. The handsome young man intrigued him. Luhan’s frantic search for the younger had begun when he realised that his feelings were real, and that the possibility of Kai’s existence was real. Whenever he had time off from school he would travel the world. Luhan has been to many places, some of which he thought he recognized but none of them included Kai. He turned a light on, which stood on his bedside table and his gaze fell upon the wall to his left. On the grey painted wall hung dozens of maps with pins, pictures and drawings. Luhan had moved his wardrobe to the guestroom so he had room for all the documentation of his search. He stood up from the bed and walked towards the wall. His eyes were drawn to one picture. A picture that he put in the middle of everything. A selfie he and Kai took on their first official date. Luhan touched the picture with a smile recalling the great day that they had together.

Luhan was walking on a path made of cobblestone that led through a beautiful park. There was a huge field of grass and trees scattered around. Kids were playing football, couples were enjoying each others company and dogs were running around freely. It was the perfect day for a walk through the park. Luhan kept on walking along the road, passing a bench every few meters.  He even passed a hot dog vendor and there was a small kiosk where people could buy newspapers or magazines to read. Luhan decided to pick up a music magazine that caught his attention. Music was his greatest love. He learned to play piano when he was little but he was most passionate about singing. When he walked on he came across a pond with a bridge running over it. Weeping willows were surrounding it and it was the most amazing sight Luhan had seen in a long while. There was someone on the bridge looking down, throwing pebbles in the water and whenever the ripples seemed to fade he would throw another one in. The man seemed familiar to Luhan and when he arrived at the bridge he saw who it was, Kai. He ran towards him, almost running into him apologizing over and over again. “Kai, I am so sorry. So so sorry. Please forgive me. I wanted to be there when you woke up and help you, but... “ Luhan said while enveloping Kai in a hug. The younger his back lazily, trying to comfort the now sobbing man. “Hey Lu it’s okay” he said breaking the hug and stray tears from Luhan’s face with his thumbs. Kai noticed that Luhan felt really bad for not being here for him. “Look at me I am doing perfectly fine. I am not mad. Actually I am very happy that we meet again because now we can have our date. You still want that right?” he asked. Luhan had calmed down and felt relieved that the other didn’t hate him for leaving him so suddenly, even when it was beyond his control. “Why are you so nice to me?” Luhan blurted out. Kai chuckled at this and gave him a little smack on the head. “Didn’t your mother teach you to be nice to everyone?” he said and Luhan pouted at the soft blow to the head. “You’re cute Lu. I am nice to you because I like you, and you make me feel at ease.” He said and put his arms around the others shoulders. Luhan nodded at this. “You make me feel comfortable as well. I… Kai?” he asked while looking at the slightly taller man. Kai hummed and waited for him to continue. Luhan took a deep breath and said “Kai… I am ready for that date now”. The younger man got really excited, took Luhan’s hand and dragged him out of the park and towards the nearest café he could find. Luhan thought his enthusiasm was really cute and something that suited him well. He was happy seeing the other smile so brightly and he knew that he wouldn’t grow tired of seeing those pearly white teeth and the twinkle in his eye. Kai led them to a table in the back. “Lu, what do you want to drink?” Kai asked. “Iced tea thank you but I will pa…” before Luhan could finish his sentence Kai had ran off to get their drinks. Luhan chuckled and muttered that he’d pay for something next time. He took out the magazine he bought before and flipped through the pages while waiting for his date to come back. “You love music?” he heard his date say. He took his drink and nodded. Kai had taken a seat next to Luhan. “Yes I do. I learned piano when I was really young and as I grew older I found out I like singing better than playing an instrument? What about you do you like music? he asked him feeling slightly nervous because Kai was seated next to him. Weren’t you supposed to sit across from each other on dates? Gaze in each others eyes and all that romantic stuff? “I do love it yes, but I am more of a dancer myself. Let the music flow and guide my body to express the emotions I can feel in a song” Kai answered and wanted to flip the page at the same time Luhan did which made their hands brush together slightly. He felt a shiver down his spine when he came to contact with the other and this made Luhan understand why sitting next to each other was just as romantic as across from each other. “Perhaps you can sing for me one time?” Kai said trying to break the tension a little. Luhan looked up and made eye contact with Kai who looked at him with puppy eyes, lips slightly pouting. He let out a laugh, “How could I resist those puppy eyes of yours. One day I will sing for you”. Kai let out an excited yay and Luhan saw that same twinkle in his eye from before. He loved seeing that. “So Kai tell me a little something about yourself?” He asked. Kai shifted a little in his seat so his body was facing Luhan. This did make this a little more intimate and date like. Luhan liked it that Kai was facing him. It showed him that he had a genuine interest in him, and luckily he felt the same way. “Okay… Uhm… I am Kai, 21 years old. I have 2 older sisters. I want to pursue a career in dancing, it doesn’t matter whether that’s as a dancer or a choreographer. I have been dancing since I was 4 years old. I learned ballet and jazz but recently I have taken an interest in hip hop. I love music, not only because I need it for dancing but also because a song can have different meanings and emotions. I can listen to one piece of music and feel happiness, sadness or hope. Life would be really silent without it don’t you think?” Kai looked at him and Luhan could only nod at this. He spoke so passionately about things and it was something that made his heart flutter. “You’re really passionate about these things huh?” He asked him. Kai smirked and responded with; “You should see me in the bedroom honey. These dancer hips can be passionate too.”. Luhan had just taken a sip of his drink and choked on it. Kai pat his back laughing and apologizing for being so bold. “Anyway, yes I am very passionate about the things that I love to do. Besides music I also like reading and also, excuse me but I have to say it... “ Kai took Luhan’s hand in his “you”. Luhan entwined their fingers together hoping to show his feelings this way because he was at a loss for words. Everything was moving so fast, but he could not help how familiar and safe he felt in the younger’s company. Kai looked him dead in the eyes and the twinkle was back, or it never left. His date ran his thumb over the back of Luhan’s hand and he knew that the message was received. “It’s your turn now” Kai said. Luhan laughed at this feeling so much more at ease since everything had been going really well. “I am Luhan, 24 years old and an only child but I always wanted to have a younger sibling that I could play with or look after. As you know I love music as well, and to a certain extent I feel the same way about it as you do, only I love to be the one who puts the emotion into it. I love to write lyrics to express how I feel, so I suppose that I would be responsible for your emotions” He said with a wink which made the younger laugh. “I love to play football as well. I am studying english so I would be able to make it as a singer not only here but worldwide. I know it’s pretty ambitious and not everyone will make it, but I want to give it a shot. If I fail then I don’t mind to become a teacher. I don’t really know what else to tell you. As you noticed I am not really good at first dates.” Luhan finished talking and waited for Kai to respond, which he didn’t. It seemed like he was thinking about something to say to him. Instead he stood up and dragging Luhan around again. “Kai, where are we going?” Luhan asked struggling to keep up with how fast Kai was going. “We’re going back to the park again to play football, perhaps that will loosen you up. Besides I am in for a little fun.” he said. When they entered the park they went up to the teens who were playing football and asked if they could join the game. Kai insisted that they’d be put on separate teams. Luhan felt completely in his element while playing, his competitiveness showing on his face. He was determined to take Kai’s team down and wipe that smirk off his face. One of the boys passed the ball to Luhan and he made his way towards the goal. Right before he wanted to shoot he was tackled by none other than Kai himself. They both fell to the ground, Luhan landing on top of Kai. The latter smiled and said “I may have done this on purpose” and planted a kiss on Luhan’s now red cheek. Flustered he crawled off of Kai and asked for a free kick since this was definitely a foul. The rest agreed with it and Luhan got behind the ball. Determination coursing through his veins. No way that he was going to let that kiss put him off of his game, but in the end it was all that he could think about. Kai stood in the wall created by their goalkeeper and he made kissy faces with those luscious plump lips of his. ‘Why is he so goddamn gorgeous and distracting?’ Luhan thought. He couldn’t think about anything else but those lips on his and how it would feel. ‘Get your head back in the game Luhan’. He took a few steps backwards and he knew exactly how he was going to curl the ball into the back of the net. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind and kicked the ball. Just like he imagined it went into the goal, scoring. He was hugged by his fellow teammates and he winked at Kai. Luhan started to feel a lot more confident.

They played for a few hours more until they grew tired and both men decided to sit on a park bench close to the bridge where they had found each other again. “Kai can I ask you a question?” Luhan asked. They sat next to each other and Kai had his arm around Luhan, resting on the back of the bench. “Of course you can Lu” he answered. “Are you real?” Luhan said shyly. “I know that I am asleep right now and that this is a dream, but are you real? Are you out there somewhere in the real world?” he really wanted to know before he would allow himself to actually fall for the younger man. If he wasn’t real then what’s the point in putting any effort in this. “I am but I feel you that you wouldn’t believe that.” Kai answered and Luhan hated that he was right about that. “Okay I assume that if this wasn’t real you wouldn’t be able to take anything with you right?” he said and Luhan nodded. The man had a point. It was impossible to take anything from a dream to real life. “So how about we take a picture of us together right here to remember our first date. We can take it on your phone. How does that sound?” Kai suggested. “So you’re telling me that if I wake up, and see that picture this is real?” Luhan asked to which Kai nodded and answered with a yup. “Okay let’s do this, but I want to make a deal with you, since you already seem to think that all of this is really happening. I want to meet. We’ll pick a date, time and place. If I have that picture on my phone by the time I wake up I won’t hesitate to show up. If you like me the way you claim to do you will show up as well. How does that sound?” Luhan suggested putting extra emphasis on ‘that’ throwing another suggestion right back at Kai. “That sounds absolutely perfect, equally as risky for the both of us but I can assure you that I will show up. Let’s meet in Barcelona, the most beautiful city in the world, in my opinion” Kai said and smirked. Luhan smiled at this liking the idea of going to Spain. “I have never been there. Alright Barcelona it is. Where and when?” he asked. Kai thought for a moment before mentioning Park Güell as the place to meet. Luhan had a look of confusion on his face. “Park Güell?” he asked. Kai explained that it was a park that housed famous works of an old artist called Antoni Gaudi. He opted for meeting on this long bench situated in the park. Kai explained that the bench was made of colorful mosaic and was several meters long. He told Luhan that it left a big impression on him when he visited the park with his parents when he was young.  “I would really love to show it to you. So when do you want to go? What is your birthday Lu?” Kai asked. “April the 20th” Luhan answered knowing damn well where this was going. “Because that will be the date when we’re going to meet. I will take you out to dinner and make sure to bring you a gift, if my presence isn’t enough for you.” Kai said and smiled his perfect white smile. Luhan blushed and found it really hard to keep the younger at a distance. He had fallen for this man in such a short period of time, but he couldn’t help it. Kai was extremely attractive, funny on occasions and they had a lot on common so far. Besides that he made Luhan feel comfortable and safe, like he was in the right place. “April the 20th it is then, and trust me when I say that your presence then will be the best birthday present I could ever receive” he said deciding to go for it and show Kai his feelings. If he wanted Kai to show up on that day then he has to take a risk and leave a little piece of his heart with him. The words Luhan uttered made Kai’s smile grew wider and he tightened the arm he had thrown around Luhan so the elder was pressed closer to him. “Barcelona, in Park Güell, April 20th at 1.14pm. Make sure to remember it Lu” He whispered hard enough for Luhan to hear. “I will” He said taking out his phone, unlocking it and looking for the camera app. He held it up high so it would show both him and his date. Kai cuddled up to Luhan burying his head in his neck, eyes close and lips slightly curled upwards while Luhan looked in the camera shyly, blush painting his cheeks a rosy red smiling slightly. He clicked the shutter and took the picture, setting it as his lock picture so he would see it straight away when he woke up. He sighed and leaned into Kai a little more, not wanting to part ways but it was getting dark. Considering the last time they had met Luhan vanished when Kai had fallen asleep. Just in time with his thoughts he heard the younger yawn next to him. “Kai…” he said “shouldn’t you go home and sleep?”. Kai groaned and buried his hand into his neck again, shaking his head. Luhan could hear a faint “Don’t wanna” and he chuckled at how childish he had become. Luhan pulled himself away from Kai’s grasp and looked at him, a cute pout gracing his face. Luhan wouldn’t be completely honest when he said he didn’t want to go. Of course he loved to spend more time with the younger but most of all he wanted to know whether or not this was more than just a dream. His curiosity getting the better of him. “Kai, go home. Sleep. Please for me?” Luhan asked and pouted, trying to see if aegyo would working on Kai as well. The latter groaned and gave in, standing up, taking Luhan’s hand in his and planting another kiss on it. “Will you be alright with being alone for a while?” he asked and Luhan nodded, assuring the other that he’d be fine. They parted ways with the promise of finding each other on the 20th of April in Barcelona.

Luhan smiled at the picture of him and Kai. He had to admit they look really good together. He still remembered how happy and relieved he felt when he saw the picture on his phone. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach, a wave of nausea hitting him fast when he woke up. The picture was dated, december 3rd 2014. “It has been such a long time since I saw you, touched you, talked to you”.  Luhan closed his eyes again, took a deep breath and muttered the same sentences that he has said before. “When I close my eyes, I see you. When I close my eyes, you’re here but then I open my eyes and you’ve disappeared.” He smiled before opening his eyes, “but in a week time I will see you again”. Or well he hoped Kai would be there. It was a little bit scary, because Kai could have forgotten their deal, or he could have met someone else over the course of these few months. Luhan felt something tighten in his chest, a lump stuck in his throat. It was terrifying to know that this might not work out. Luhan wanted Kai. He wanted him more than anything in the world, to hold him, love him, support him in his career, watch him practice his choreographies and practice his own singing in front of him. He wanted to fight for this man who had the power to make him fall this hard and fast. Built a relationship that would last a lifetime and built it on a foundation of friendship. Not only did he want Kai to be his lover but also his best friend. Someone to lean on during hardships, a comforting shoulder, someone to joke with, someone to go out with and have fun. In the short period of time they have spent together Kai had become an important part in Luhan’s life. One week until it was his birthday. He yawned since it was almost 1 am. Luhan crawled back into bed and drifted into a dreamless slumber.

The week had flown by and Luhan found himself fidgeting in his seat. He was on a plane towards Barcelona. He would be arriving at 10 in the morning with plenty of time to find his hotel and to look around the city before he had to meet Kai at the Park Güelll. Luhan would be staying for a week including the flights, so he had around 5 days to explore the city and surrounding countryside. Even though there was a slight possibility that this trip could end in a disaster Luhan was determined to see everything he wanted to. Kai had talked so passionately about the park and this Antoni Gaudi person. He had looked everything up on the internet. Besides Park Güell he was also looking forward to this cathedral called Sagrada Familia. It was said to be really beautiful. ‘Only 3 more hours to kill on this stupid plane’ Luhan thought. Why did he even agree to flying to freakin europe when he hated flying, or heights in general. He blamed Kai and his enchanting presence for his brain not functioning properly and agreeing to fly to Barcelona, but Luhan had made a nice trip out of it. He even arranged to visit a school of performing arts and meet with one of the vocal teachers. When he pitched the idea to his mentor he was over the moon and made a call to the school in Barcelona asking if they had time to receive Luhan. He took his phone out skipping a few songs till it landed on Roy Kim’s Love Love Love. It was just the song he was looking for. He had found it a month ago by accident when he was trying to find something to accompany his mood. The guitar melody filled his ears and instantly set his heart on fire, warmth spreading through his body. The butterflies came to life and when Roy’s smooth and light vocals accompanied the melody, singing about thinking of that loved one, a smile spread onto Luhan’s face. The lyrics were engraved on his heart. He got even more fidgety, nerves bubbling to the surface spilling out of his fingers by tapping along to the melody on his thigh. If only time would move a little faster. Luhan rummaged through his backpack to find the book he brought to read but instead he found the present he had gotten for Kai. An Atletico Madrid football shirt with the number 9 and Kai’s name. After they had played that time in the park he had mentioned that Fernando Torres was his favorite footballer. Since his number was 9 and played for Atletico Madrid he thought it would be a nice present for him. Besides they were going to meet in Spain, although Luhan knew about the rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid. He needed to make sure that Kai wouldn’t wear it during their stay. He put the shirt back into his back, grabbed the book he was looking for and read until the plane landed in Barcelona. It took him a good hour before he stood outside of the airport, backpack slung over his shoulder and suitcase in his hand. He decided to take a taxi to the hotel, settle in and then explore the city a big before making his way over to Park Güell to meet Kai. At 11 he was checked into the hotel. When he entered his room there was a huge card on the table for him. He opened it seeing a huge deer on the front who sang happy birthday. The text inside read: “Happy birthday our little deer. You’ve grown so much and me and your father are immensely proud of you. I am sorry we cannot spend your birthday with you. I hope you have fun in Barcelona and find what you’re looking for. Remember we will always love you. Love, mum.”. Luhan was touched reading the beautiful message his mum left him. He hadn’t told her anything about Kai or how he met them. He simply told her that he was going on a trip for a week to see the city, do something for school and to search for something. His mother thankfully didn’t pry and left her son to do what he wanted. Besides he turned 25 today, he’s an adult now and can do what he wants. Not really though since his parents paid for this trip. All Luhan had to pay for were his excursions, shopping and food. The hotel and flights were paid for. “Consider it a birthday gift” had his dad told him. Luhan put his things away, took a quick shower and changed into a different set of clothes. He had to look presentable enough. Since the weather was nice he chose black ripped jeans, a white t-shirt and a blue blazer. He styled his hair up and brushed his teeth before grabbing his backpack, hotel key and phone. He rushed out of the hotel and made his way through the streets of Barcelona. The city truly had wonderful architecture. He could see why there were always so many tourists here. Luhan looked at the time 12.30. He debated whether to make his way to Sagrada Familia or to go to Park Güell already and be there a little early. It was about a 10 minute walk according to the navigation on Luhan’s phone. He decided that it was safest to just go to the park. If it was as beautiful as Kai had described then he wouldn’t mind being early. It was busy when he walked through the gates of the park. There were little houses on either side of them both with colorful roofs, one of them having a tower with a cross on top of it. Walking a little further led him to some stairs and in the middle there was a salamander looking creature made entirely of mosaic. Luhan had to admit that what this artist created was absolutely magnificent. ‘It must have taken him such a long time to make all of this, even if he had help from a construction crew’  Luhan thought.  He took the time looking around seeing things like pillars with a white ceiling with little round artworks every so often, everything made of mosaic. He also passed something that seemed like balconies but then made out of stone. Then he reached the most important part of the park, the bench. The square was filled with people, some of them sitting on the bench and some of them walking along it, admiring the artwork. It truly looked fascinating. “It’s something you just have to see for yourself” he said in awe. He took out his phone to look at the time, 1.10pm. He was right in time. He took a quick look around to see if Kai might’ve been there already but unfortunately he wasn’t. Luhan took a seat on the bench, somewhere in the middle overlooking a part of Barcelona. ‘Breathe Luhan he will show. He said he would”.  He was nervous. He kept telling himself over and over again that Kai would show up. Luhan heard a little kid crying and turned his attention to the kid being scolded by his mother, probably for climbing on the bench.  He chuckled since the kid reminded him of himself when he was that age, always doing dangerous things. After the mother had turned around the little boy was trying to climb onto the bench again. This time he succeeded and started walking on it, rudely stepping over the people seated on there. This made Luhan laugh out loud. ‘Such a rebel’ he thought. Following the little boy for a little while took his mind of Kai. But when the mother had carried the kid off the bench and had walked away angrily his mind was brought back to it. Phone still in hand he looked at the time, 1.16pm. Luhan frowned at this. ‘2 minutes is nothing Luhan. Your phone might be a little ahead’. 1.20pm and still no Kai. ‘Did he forget?’ Luhan thought, feeling a lump forming in his throat. A few more minutes passed and still no Kai. Luhan’s nervousness that plagued him a good 10 minutes before the supposed meeting was quickly turning into disappointment and fear. Was it all a dream after all? There was a constricting feeling in his chest and tears threatened to fall when the clock on his phone showed it was 1.45pm. He was looking down at the picture of him and Kai. Face buried in his neck, a smile on his own face. His grip tightening around his phone, knuckles turning pale quickly. He didn’t notice that someone was approaching him. “Uhm…… hi” a familiar deep voice rang in his ear and his head shot up to reveal a certain handsome, tall, tanned boy standing in front of him. He has a huge bouquet of flowers in his hand, a box in the other and he looked apologetic. “I am terribly sorry I am late but I didn’t know which cake you liked best so it took me a while to pick one. I figured you like strawberry?” Kai said, his look going from sorry to worried. Luhan felt a few tears he had been holding in before spill from his eyes and he quickly looked down. Kai set the cake and flowers down on the bench before kneeling in front of Luhan and taking his hand. Kai grabbed his chin softly and made the older look at him. With a smile on his face said, “Why do you always cry when we meet?”. This made Luhan laugh. “Has anyone ever told you how beautiful brown your eyes are Lu? They seem to sparkle” Kai said, cupping Luhan’s face with his hands. The elder shook his head at this, his hand coming up to rest on kai’s, face leaning into the touch. They looked at each other for a moment before Kai leant in and pressed his lips softly onto Luhan’s. They lips moved slowly and tenderly before Luhan pulled away and started rummaging in his backpack. He handed Kai the shirt he had gotten for him. “What is this?” he said taking the shirt from his hands and looking at it. “LU, NO… LU, are you serious?” Kai asked grinning and eyes wide. “You told me how much you love Torres so I wanted to get you this, because… because… I think I…” a blush creeping on his cheeks. “Because you what Lu?” Kai asked. He knew what the older boy was going to say but he wanted to hear it from him. “because I think Iminlovewithyou” Luhan hastily finished. Kai gave a small peck on his lips, before taking something out of his back pocket. It was a silver ring. Simple but still beautiful and handed it to Luhan. There was an inscription on it: ‘Kailu, december 3rd 2014’. “I think I am in love with you too Luhan. Happy birthday baby.”, Overwhelmed with love and happiness he lunged himself at Kai and attached their lips again. This time with a little more passion. Luhan was planning to never let him go again, and neither did Kai.