Soundtrack: The Killing Moon – Echo and the Bunnymen

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“Let’s go for a bike ride.” Jaehwan suddenly said after hours in silence and deep focus; the only talk done between them about the game they so desperately tried to beat a second time, but on the hardest setting.

“It’s 4AM.” Hongbin stated matter of factly, but Jaehwan only shrugged at him, smiling. “I’m feeling restless from sitting for so long. Come on!”

He got up to stand and moved to turn off the TV, to which he had lost the remote to the very first week he owned it. “Let’s go.” He halfway commanded and reached a hand out for Hongbin to grab. He accepted it and let himself get dragged up to a stand and they walked hand in hand all the way into the garage attached to the Lee family’s suburban home, without thinking anything of it.

“You can borrow Sanghyuk’s bike, he won’t mind.” Jaehwan motioned lazily towards his little brother’s rattled but beloved bike.

“You sure?” Hongbin questioned. He had never seen Sanghyuk go anywhere without the help of his bike. The two brothers both traveled everywhere by bike ever since a very young age. Jaehwan just nodded in confirmation and Hongbin grabbed hold of the bike despite not being entirely convinced.

“Where do we even go?” He asked. He was not the spontaneous type, Jaehwan the complete opposite; never planned anything. Jaehwan stopped to think for only a moment, and then he flashed a brilliant smile that made Hongbin’s guts tickle playfully within.

“I’ll show you something amazing.” He said secretively and pressed the button to open the electronic garage door. As usual; Hongbin just went with whatever Jaehwan was up to and walked after him as the opening became big enough for them to exit, bikes by their sides.

It was moderately dark; the summer on for full, sunrise about happen and the air filled with damp clouds of morning dew, crickets singing loudly all around them. The air was warm and clammy, Hongbin’s shirt sticking to his back immediately after stepping out of aircondition heaven.

They got on their bikes and Hongbin followed his best friend mindlessly, letting the breeze comfort and refresh him and his tired, sleep-deprived brain. Jaehwan was in the lead, taking them through the suburban neighborhood – completely devoid of people and stunningly beautiful in Hongbin’s eyes. He watched around them as they passed colorful homes with neat gardens and lamps illuminating the finer details. His own family lived in an apartment downtown, but he had always loved the quiet, but still somehow bustling with life, neighborhood. Jaehwan would always try to assure him that he was presented with an illusion and that life here was unbearably boring. Hongbin would quietly disagree, because there was always something to do and someone to be with. At his own apartment, going outside would sometimes even be dangerous and there were no kids his age around. So his parents did not mind him spending most of his holidays camped over at the Lee family home for weeks in a row.

They reached the end of the neighborhood and Jaehwan turned his bike in the opposite direction of civilization. Away from where Hongbin knew his way around and into unexplored territory. It made a small tinge of worry stir in his gut, and he shouted forward; “Hyung, where are we going?”

“You’ll have to wait and see!” Jaehwan turned his head to the side and shouted in answer, picking up the speed. With his curiosity not sated, Hongbin huffed and speeded up to come up to the side of him. Seeing him smile, feeling the wind in his face and the refreshing feeling of moving his stiff body was enough for him to cast away all of his worries and just smile as well.

The road was completely deserted, no cars passing them as they biked along for about 15 minutes. The landscape was flat, but Hongbin was not used to biking like Jaehwan was and he felt his muscles ache uncomfortably. He was in great shape from playing basketball in school, but that did nothing for him here. Jaehwan was normally the less athletic one, but he seemed absolutely unaffected. Still; he slowed down along with Hongbin when he started struggling with keeping up as the road started going upwards.

The hill kept getting steeper and turned into what felt like circles as they climbed higher up the landscape. The view was starting to reveal itself between the trees beside them, but Hongbin was too concentrated on keeping up to notice. All he could hear was Jaehwan, now in front of him again, express various sounds of adoration and awe at the sight.

Hongbin was just about to burst out that he needed a break, when Jaehwan led them both off the main road onto an off road in between the trees, in direction of the view. The road was flat; giving huge relief to his lungs and legs.

“Almost there!” Jaehwan shouted in the front and Hongbin groaned in relief. His only consolation was the other’s heartfelt laugh spreading beautifully in around them as it got caught in the breeze and echoed off the mountain sides. It warmed him, gave him more energy, made him smile – all at the same time.

Meanwhile the view around them became cleared into a full-on overview of the valley that was Jaehwan’s home; the sight simply breathtaking in the dimmed light of upcoming dawn. There was a grass field with a collection of various sized rocks making a nice pile there, and Jaehwan discarded his bike carelessly by the side of the road. He waited for Hongbin to do the same, all the while wearing a relaxed and content smile. Always smiling. He must be in a extra good mood, Hongbin thought to himself as warmth spread through him and to his flushed cheeks. He laid Sanghyuk’s bike down as carefully he could manage; Jaehwan started to walk towards the rocks, and he followed right behind.

It seemed as if the world was turning brighter by the minute by the time they had reached the clearing, and Hongbin finally realized they would be able to witness the sunrise like this.

“Did you take me here to see the sunrise?” He asked while Jaehwan climbed his way upon a nice, broad rock and patted beside himself for Hongbin to come sit as well. He stepped carefully, afraid of falling, and sat down beside the other as close as possible. He felt the warmth of his body; their thighs aligned side by side. Jaehwan leaned into his side and hums. “Yeah.”

They leaned on each other in silence, both of them too tired to move or think; just watched the view as the sky slowly turned orange and the sun started coming up from behind the mountains in the distance. It made a beautiful painting in front of them, the sky painted in pink and purple colors, the clouds looking like pastel colored cotton candy in various flavors and the sun a powerful orange and red in the middle of it all. Hongbin hears a silent gasp beside himself at the sight, which then turned into a big yawn – making him chuckle quietly, covering his mouth with his hand as he felt himself starting to yawn as well. Jaehwan let his head fall onto Hongin’s shoulder, his height a perfect fit for the other, and he tilts his own head to rest on top of Jaehwan’s. And like that they enjoyed the sight in silence, the rays from the sun already giving them comforting warmth.

“Hongbin.”

He had almost fallen into a slumber when the calming silence was disrupted by Jaehwan calling his name in a soft voice, as if checking if he was still awake and not wanting to wake him if he wasn’t. He lifted his head and turned to look at him as he did the same. He saw emotion swim in his eyes as they met each other, and he feels his pulse surge in a jumpstart. He waited for him to speak, not trusting his voice to not ruin the mood by cracking or making him cough. He became increasingly nervous as Jaehwan closed his eyes to take a deep breath, and he saw his own hand move to Jaehwan’s knee automatically.

He was not one to be touchy with others, but with Jaehwan it had always felt natural and easy. His eyes opened again and found Hongbin’s, shining with resolve.

“There’s something I’ve wanted to do for a really long time.” Jaehwan finally said and Hongbin’s breath catches softly, his heart beating hard and the hand on the other’s knee clenching slightly. Jaehwan’s eyes flickered down to the hand for a quick moment and his lip twitched slightly on one side. Finding Hongbin’s eyes again; he searched for understanding.

Hongbin was speechless; too scared to think or even assume what was about to happen, but gave a tiny almost invisible nod. Jaehwan’s hand found his on the knee, his eyes flickered to Hongbin’s lips and his face came closer and closer. Until he was unbearably close he moved, only to stop and look into Hongbin’s eyes to look for any signs of protest. Hongbin was rigid, unmoving, his free hand desperately the edge of his t-shirt and his heart threatened to jump out of his chest. He gulped as his eyes fell shut.

Soft lips met his and he let out a quick gasp as he finally managed to breathe; all his hopes and assumptions coming true with exploding intensity within him. He was sure his heart even stopped for a millisecond at the way it beat into his chest after a quick pause at contact. The hand on Jaehwan’s knee thigh clenched hard, and Jaehwan’s hand on his did the same in response.

With his eyes clenched shut tightly, he tried to relax into the kiss – but only when Jaehwan angled his head slightly to the side and moved his lips more into the kiss, he felt himself relax and finally let go. He accepted the kiss fully by opening his lips for the other and letting out a soft moan.

.End.