"Alright, that's got to be the last box, right?"

Minhyun dabbed at the sweat pooling around his neck, fighting the itch coming from his lifelong allergy. Hyunbin nodded, hands reaching up to turn on the air conditioner before dropping himself on the wooden floor. The room was in a mess, boxes after boxes piled up one on top of the other. The late noon sun was scorching too, burning into the living room from the full-length windows. There's scattered newspapers, their luggage bags, and a simple coffee table in front of the empty wall space with sockets, all ready to welcome the 42-inch smart tv that's set to arrive the next day.

The elder of the two walked around, stepping over the younger's long body as he rummaged the bag for a clean towel. He couldn't rest without a sense of cleanliness in the room, dusty and dirty from all the moving in they've been doing the entire morning. Stifling a yawn, he folded the towel, using it as a make-shift pillow while he joined Hyunbin, laying on the floor. "All I want to do is to take a bath," he commented briefly, nose scrunching as he tilted his head away when a giant body of warmth climbed on top of him, pinning him down with his weight. "Yah, it's hot!" he complained, shoving lightly. Hyunbin didn't budge, letting out a whine as he wrapped his arms around the elder's waist. In the few instances their skins touched, it burned, hot, and sticky. It's uncomfortable to say the least, but Minhyun allowed him a moment of affection as he sighed, laying there.

The move to the new house wasn't an easy one. They've been living apart officially for the longest time, but it's clear that Hyunbin had been spending way more time over at Minhyun's space. First there were the shared clothes, then Hyunbin's outfits started hanging in his closet, shoes filling up the racks. Minhyun had gotten used to snuggling close as they fall asleep together after a night of love-making, and waking up to his younger lover's light snore but safe hug. Hyunbin would walk through those doors and Minhyun would casually reply with a 'welcome home', no questions asked. Neither of them recalled when it started, but it happened. And now, they've decided to make it official.

It took a few friends' shout of disbelief along the lines of 'what do you mean you guys are not living together', till Minhyun's own mother had chimed in on how Hyunbin seemed like a good boy and a good roommate, heavily emphasising on the last word with a knowing smile. That, and Hyunbin's apartment lease coming to an end anyway, made for a good timing to move into their next phase of life.

( Of course, Minhyun wouldn't be able to see this, but Hyunbin will never forget how Minhyun coughed twice before he popped the question. An awkwardly soft 'do you want to move in with me' matched with the red blush that painted his neck and ears. He had agreed all too easily, pouncing on him like an excited puppy, and kissed him senseless. Now, he would never let Minhyun live it down. )

The scheduled move, however, was nestled in between a horribly busy period for the both of them. Minhyun was scheduled to have a small Japanese tour while negotiations for the new house were starting, and Hyunbin had his overseas fashion runway just as one week before they needed to move out. Everything else was done in a frenzy - boxes after boxes of things just tossed within the cardboard walls and sealed. They decided to give up most of the furniture in light of new ones; the couch was coming in the next day, IKEA shelves empty as they await to be filled by his old books, and their old mattress gone, replaced by a brand new King-size that's up to both their standards.

After all, they do intend to spend quite some time on it.

Hyunbin, struggling with jetlag upon his return, barely had time to recover when he was dragged into the whirlwind of moving house, spending more time trying to seal the cardbox box than he did actually sleep. It was a mess, but they've conquered one-third of it. With things starting to fill up this gorgeous new apartment, everything seemed to finally settle in place. Minhyun felt his eyelids flutter, fighting against the sleep that was falling upon him, his breath synchronizing with the easy drone of Hyunbin's even breathing. In the past, such close proximity always had Minhyun in jitters, tummy feeling butterflies with anicipation and embarrassment. Now, hearing his heartbeat was a sense of comfort, especially when they leaned against each other, hearing each other's heart beats pumping slowly but firmly, a loud beat in a silent room. He ran his hands through the hair of the younger lover, coaxing him with soft calls of his name.

"Hyunbin. Hyunbin-ah, don't fall asleep here, hmm? Clear up a few more things, shower, then we can test out the new bed."

The male lifted his head so quickly that it surprised Minhyun, lips parted and eyes blinking in confusion. He watched as his lover pulled his lips into a puppy smile, almost like a smirk, but one with more warmth despite the teasing edge hanging at the corner of his lips.

"Test out the new bed, you say?"

The realization had Minhyun flustering over his words, spluttering a mess of incoherent words as he shoved at him, covering up his embarrassment with a few coughs. Even though he's two years older, Minhyun was always the one on the teasing end. Almost always, anyway; the way Hyunbin's mind churned in quick wit was utterly different from the soft, almost demure outlook when he's on television, sitting awkwardly among the seniors in the industry. Then again, that had been a few years back. Hyunbin had moved beyond modeling into the acting world, but his main gig lied in the new brand he just set up last year, selling high street fashion. 

Minhyun himself had kept relatively to his main role as a singer, but he dabbled into the world of acting mainly through musicals, feeling the pump of adrenaline through the characters under the stage lights. OSTs, voice acting, radio hosting, Minhyun had a taste of the different gigs throughout his career, and now at his age of wanting to settle down a tad more, he supposed he truly found where his main passion lied. Music. 

And now with the new apartment, it felt like he was embarking on a new chapter. 

"...hyung?"

The singer snapped back to reality, eyes staring into the worried ords before he raised a hand to touch the cheek. It felt warm as Hyunbin nuzzled into his hand. It felt real, that after all these years, they're finally together. He pushed himself up from the floor, dusting himself by tugging at the fabric of his tee as the younger shifted into a kneeling position. It's almost hard to imagine how they could walk to this very point. From knowing each other to having a break up to getting back together again, from having to hide their relationship from the world to taking the courage to meet each other's parents for approval, it took them six years. 

"Just thinking how crazy this all seemed to be. Us moving into our home. It felt like yesterday when you were just trying to flirt with me in a karaoke room filled with drunk peopled."

"What, you're getting sentimental now?" he asked, laughing as he shifting his position, sitting down so he could wrap his long legs on either side of the elder. Minhyun allowed himself to be pulled closer, taking a deep breathe with eyes shut as Hyunbin slide his arms around his waist. Minhyun's own laughter was more quiet. He's never someone that's that sentimental. A man who always looked ahead because he knew he could never change the past, he's been doing that more and more often lately, especially with how he's leafing through all the old memories they've had while packing up. 

An old box of photographs that they kept, printed out because Hyunbin spontaneously had the idea of going out with film cameras on a weekend drive and have the developed, in pure vintage ( hipster ) style. Ticket stubs of movies that Minhyun had the habit of keeping, ink long fade, but if he closed his eyes he could still remember selected titles he's dragged the younger along to the theatres. Two promise rings that they had, silver bands that Hyunbin bought for them on their third anniversary, now stored away as Minhyun bought the new pair that they're wearing now, on their sixth anniversary. The same day he asked Hyunbin if he wanted to move in together.

Here in Seoul, marriage was out of the question. But moving in, that was synonym with the idea of being exclusive to each other for the rest of this lifetime. 

"Saw a lot of old stuff when packing. Brings back a lot of memories."

He hummed, cracking an eye open when the weight on his waist disappeared. Instead the hand moved to cup his cheek, while the other combed stray strands of hair behind his ear. Their foreheads rested against each other, and there they stayed for a little while.

"Thank you, hyung."

"...What for?"

"For letting me into your life."

"And you call me the sappy one?" Minhyun whispered back, lips pressed into an amused smile so he wouldn't laugh out loud. Yet, he understood what he meant, because wasn't he exactly the same? Minhyun would never forget the look of complexity flashing across the face of Hyunbin's mother. Like every parent in the world, she loved her son, so much so that she's worried about his future as a public figure; so much so that she's willing to put aside her own selfishness for wanting a grandchild, as long as Hyunbin was healthy and happy, puppy smile beaming and feet light as if they were bouncing off the floor. Minhyun understood the expression. Appreciated it instead, in some manner, because it meant that she was trying to accept him, and accept her son's decisions in life. So instead, he accepted her smile that took an additional second to extend.

( He also teared up when she told him to take care of him when they were washing the dishes, silent whispers telling of a mother's wishes for his son's happiness. )

"Your expression," he mouthed, pressing one finger in between Hyunbin's furrowed brows. They both gave up a lot to be in this relationship when they shouldn't have. It was never a fault to be in love with someone of the same gender, never be any complicated. They were two adults who met each other favourably without a power imbalance, two adults who became fast friends, two adults who fell in love. 

Hyunbin may have been the person to barge into his life like a wrecking ball, but Minhyun knew that he never had to let him into his life. There was never a wall, a gate; everything just flowed naturally, like water from melting snow caps, settling into the nooks and cranny of the cracks and filling it up, nourishing it with passing time, so natural, so soothing. The elder let out a soft chuckle, burying his face into the crane of his lover's neck, inhaling his scent. There's something utterly 'Hyunbin' beneath the layer of grim and sweat. It's the scent that made him want to pull him down and snuggle up to, a comforting scent that put him to ease. Was that how he felt before, when he specifically asked him to hug a plushie that he's taking overseas for a gig? Minhyun wondered, but it's a question he'd leave for another day.

The male yawned.

"Sleepy?" Hyunbin asked, pulling him even closer onto his lap.

"Just a little tired, that's all." 

"Sounds like a perfect chance to test out the bed-"

A hand moved, pushing up Hyungbin's jaw to shut him up, flush dyeing his cheeks pink as Minhyun sighed aloud. "I didn't mean that! What a way to kill the moment, idiot."

"I may be an idiot, but I'm your idiot." Hyunbin grinned, grabbing onto his hand so he could land a quick kiss at the back of it, silly smile appearing on his face. The years added a sense of maturity to his looks. A lot kinder, a tad warmer. Still equally charming and young-looking for his actual age, but it still showed that he's  grown up. No longer the boy who was too naive about the workings of the world. No longer the boy who only wanted to play. But a boy full of anticipation of the future, while knowing exactly how to take the baby steps into achieving it. A boy with the goal and the drive, and still with the tender heart when it came to his lover.

Minhyun softened, ruffling his hair. No matter the age, Hyunbin will always be his dongsaeng, a lover, one that he would undoubtedly shower with affection, "That's absolutely right."

He stood up, ignoring a pouting Hyunbin as he cleared his throat. Curled fist covering his mouth as he turned his back on his lover, but his ears showed everything. 

"Well...if you help me get through the boxes, maybe we can test the bed. After a shower, of course- yah!! Kwon Hyunbin, where do you think you're taking me to-! Yah-ah!!"

( They'll have to unpack the rest of the boxes the next day, but Minhyun decided that this life, he didn't mind the spontaneity too much. )

a/n: this update has taken a while, right? i hope you guys would still enjoy this fluffy feelings, if you are still here. see you around! ♡ sng