Seuncheol was 7 years old when he first met Jisoo. It was the first day of elementary school. It was playtime, and Seungcheol was swinging on his own because he didn’t know anyone yet. He saw a crying boy on the ground and couldn’t help but run to him and lend him a hand. The boy looked at him with big cat-like eyes and shyly took his hand. Seungcheol smiled at the boy wholeheartedly as he helped him to his feet.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Seungcheol asked.

“No,” the boy answered with a sniffle.

Puzzled, Seungcheol asked: “Why are you crying then?”

The boy sniffed and replied “I fell. I want mommy.”

Seuncheol squeezed the boy’s hand in his in reassurance. “I’m here. I can help you, I’m a big boy now,” he told him proudly.

The boy’s eyes caught at Seungcheol’s, impressed “Hm?”

Seungcheol’s smile widened. “I’m Seungcheol. What’s your name?”

The boy’s lips curved into a small smile “Jisoo” he answered.

“Nice to meet you Jisoo. Let’s go back to our class okay?” Seungcheol pulled Jisoo towards the school building, and they walked back to the class holding one another’s hands.

Ever since then they never let go of each other hands.

~~~

Seungcheol was 15 when he realized he was gay. And 16 when he realized he was head over heels in love with his best friend. Jisoo still had those big cat-like eyes and the most peaceful smile Seunghceol has ever seen. Seungcheol felt at home when he was looking at Jisoo’s face, holding his cold delicate hands in his own warm ones.

Seungcheol never told him how he felt. It started with lingering touches, feathery back hugs and the smell of Jisoo’s hair when Seungcheol leaned his head on his shoulder to secretly inhaled his ravishing smell. That continued with timid hands caressing each other’s cheeks, foreheads leaning against each other as their breath brushing each other’s lips. Seungcheol’s strong hands wrapped around Jisoo’s waist, holding Jisoo firmly against his chest. They never said “I love you” to each other; they never needed to say it. When Seungcheol kissed Jisoo’s eyelids as he was crying, then his nose, then his cheeks which were wet with tears, and then his trembling lips; his hands on Jisoo’s cheeks, holding him in safe, they both just knew…

Seungcheol and Jisoo became a couple instinctively. They never questioned it. That was what felt comfortable, what felt right. They loved each other with all that they had but they never voiced it. They expressed their feelings with actions; with the way they were cuddling at night. With the way their hands caressed each other’s bodies. With their lips which found each other’s lustfully. With how there wasn’t a spot on Jisoo’s body that Seungcheol had not kissed. With the way Jisoo took care of Seungcheol when he was sick. With Seungcheol waiting for hours at the school gate just to walk Jisoo home and make sure he went home safely. With hoe they both chose the same college, just to be with each other. And with how Seungcheol kneeled down in front of Jisoo and gave him a key: the key to their house; the key to their new life together.

~~~

It was the 2nd month of college when Seungcheol started thinking about moving in with Jisoo. Seungcheol was staying in a dorm but he wasn’t very comfortable living with three other boys. And Jisoo was still staying with his parents, but his parents’ house was away from campus. Even though Jisoo never complained about it, Seungcheol knew it was hard for him to go between his parents’ house and college. So he started thinking about the idea of living with Jisoo. When he shared this idea with a new friend of his, Jeonghan, Jeonghan insisted that he do it. Jeonghan even helped him to find a perfect house for the two of them and helped choose a key chain that Jisoo would like. Seungcheol was thankful to Jeonghan more than he could express.

Jeonghan was also the one who arranged everything for the night Seungcheol asked Jisoo to live with him. It was Jisoo’s birthday, and even though Jeonghan had only met Jisoo a couple of times, he didn’t have a problem arranging the birthday party. He was a warm and friendly person who would talk easily with people he’s not close to. He got the numbers of Jisoo’s college and high school friends from Seungcheol and called them to invite them to the party. He also reserved the trendy night club just for them and ordered a delightful birthday cake. To Seungcheol, Jeonghan was his an enormous help, a fairy who was always there for him.

~~~

The birthday party went really well. Jisoo was amazed to see this well arranged birthday party: the perfect place, the perfect birthday cake, all of his friends. It was beyond he could have expected from his boyfriend. After the birthday cake and tons of drinks, Seungcheol held Jisoo’s hands in his and pulled him to the center of the dance floor. Before Jisoo could comprehend it Seunghceol was on his knee, holding a key with a cute kitten keychain attached to it and asking him to live with him.

“Until the end of the world” said Seungcheol. Jisoo just nodded with the brightest smile Seungcheol had seen on him and held Seungcheol’s hand to lift him from the floor.

Jisoo took the key from Seungcheol and said “It’s beautiful” as he looked at the kitten whose eyes looked just like Jisoo’s. Seungcheol smiled and showed Jisoo his keychain. A puppy whose eyes looked just like Seungcheol’s.

“Do they look good together?” asked Seungcheol without looking at Jisoo. Jisoo nodded his head again.

“Yes, they look perfect together.”

Seungcheol embraced his boyfriend and nuzzled his nose to his neck. They stood there like that for a while, holding each other close, inhaling each other’s scent, feeling the love that doesn’t need to be said.

~~~

It was 5 in the morning. The sky was still black except a few stars that could be seen from where Jisoo laid down, and the room was dark without any light. It had been two years since Jisoo and Seungcheol started living together. They went from boyfriends to life partners automatically. It was comfortable for them like everything else… Seungcheol and Jisoo, Jisoo and Seungcheol, best friends since the age of seven, the perfect couple that everyone envied, the lovers that didn’t need to say “I love you” to feel the love.

Jisoo heard the opening sound of the front door. Then the footsteps were getting closer. The bedroom door opened with a crackle and Seungcheol stepped in, trying to be silent. Jisoo watched his lover without moving as he was undressing to go to the bed.

“Hey” said Jisoo towards his boyfriend’s side of the bed. Seungcheol shifted to Jisoo before hugging him thightly without saying anything. “Are you okay? Did something happen?” asked Jisoo with concern in his voice.

Seungcheol snuggled closer to Jisoo without answering his questions and just smelled him. It was still as ravishing as the first time. Jisoo wrapped his arms around Seungcheol’s warm body and held him in an embrace.

The time stopped when Seungcheol lifted his head to look at Jisoo’s beautiful eyes in the dark room, when he muttered a “I love you” to Jisoo for the very first time.