prompt: Strangers to Lovers
length: 9663 words

It was a breezy afternoon in September. The weather was much milder than it was back in Korea, which Kihyun was grateful for as he walked along the Champ de Mars. His sand-colored tweed coat was fending off the stronger gusts of wind that occasionally came about, but for the most part, the atmosphere of the Field of Mars was calm and quiet. Although there were several groups of people milling around the park, it was easy for Kihyun to keep to himself.

He had spent most of the day at the Musée du Louvre, wandering around the various exhibition rooms to look at gigantic paintings and sculptures from different eras of European art history. The entire Louvre museum was much too large to finish in one day, so he had opted to only explore parts of the first floor and the second floor, keeping solely to the Denon Wing where most of the paintings were. Kihyun’s main goal, like that of most other tourists, had been to see the Mona Lisa with his own two eyes and take a picture with it.

Along the way, he had taken several detours, since it wasn’t every day that he got to look at some of the most famous pieces of artwork known to mankind. But upon finally reaching the room where the Mona Lisa was on display, Kihyun had been slightly disappointed by how small and normal it was. The painting, which was protected by a rope barrier and two security guards, had been surrounded by a dense crowd of people who had all been clamoring to take pictures with it and he had grudgingly forced himself to weave his way to the front. The number of times someone elbowed or stepped on him hadn’t been enough to deter Kihyun from this self-imposed mission, but it had soured the experience itself for him, so his smile was weak in the photo he had managed to snap with the Mona Lisa.

Although the other sections of the Louvre museum hadn’t been as jam-packed and hectic, there were so many paintings and sculpture busts on the first and second floors of the Denon Wing alone. After walking around for about six hours straight, Kihyun had decided that he was done seeing what the art museum had to offer and that he needed to relax in a more natural setting. The Champ de Mars was relatively close to his hotel, despite there also being so many tourists since it was right next to the Eiffel Tower. But since it was currently the beginning of autumn, there weren’t as many people as there were during the summer or the winter.

As he leisurely strolled around the park, Kihyun mused to himself that he only had two weeks left before he had to return to his home country. This solo trip, while filled with so many wonderful experiences and memories, still seemed to lack something that he just couldn’t put his finger on. But there was only so much one could do in a month, especially on an extremely tight budget. Kihyun had arduously saved up every cent that he could for this vacation, ever since he graduated from university around ten years ago, and although he wasn’t as financially stable as he would’ve liked to be at this point in his life, he also wasn’t getting any younger. Either he traveled now with his limited funds or never as he continued scrimping to pay monthly bills.

Although Paris was an expensive option, Kihyun had dreamed of coming to the City of Love for years, simply because he was a romantic at heart. Although he had never been in a serious relationship before, Kihyun still harbored small fantasies of visiting Paris with his future significant other. That obviously hadn’t happened, but at least he had seen the city while he still had a chance. He had no idea what the future held, so he had reasoned to himself that he might as well go while the door of opportunity was still open instead of regretting passing up on the prospect later on.

And Paris was nice. No one bothered him as he walked alone on the streets or sat in cafés by himself. Kihyun had learned when the subway trains were the busiest and actively avoided the rush hours by busying himself with sightseeing in whichever arrondissement he was in at the time—he tried not to stay in the seventh administrative district too often, since Paris was more than just the Eiffel Tower. And at night, when he returned to his hotel, he would sit quietly on the balcony of his room with his jars of colorful fairy lights twinkling in front of him as he contemplated life.

Kihyun didn’t mind being alone, but it was true that he sometimes got lonely. Especially when seeing loving couples stroll down the street next to his hotel, a dull pain would creep into his chest and he would force himself to refocus his gaze to his fairy lights. Memories of the past would resurface and it would take more than a few sips of wine to chase them out. More often than not, Kihyun would fall asleep feeling slightly tipsy and if it weren’t for his blaring alarm that sounded at eight on the dot every morning, he probably would have slept until the afternoon and missed out on sightseeing the city.

He wondered if his standards were too high, if he happened to be too picky whenever others expressed interest in him. It just seemed difficult to click with others on that more intimate, romantic level. And sometimes, he worried if he would ever find his other half. But Kihyun wasn’t just looking for any average guy. He was looking for someone who could make the fireworks burst in the sky, someone who could send his heart into a whirlwind, someone who—

And, without warning, Kihyun was jolted out of his thoughts when he felt the sting of hot coffee seep through his coat and onto his right arm. As he jumped backwards, his right arm in front of him while dark brown liquid dripped from the sleeve onto the ground, Kihyun looked up and found a tall, lanky Asian man staring at him in horror. A light brown cup was on the floor next to him, its white cap partially detached while more coffee spilled out.

“I’m so sorry!” the other male immediately said in accented English, his eyebrows pinched with worry while his hands hovered awkwardly over Kihyun’s now-stained coat. “I didn’t see you and then all of a sudden, you were there, but I didn’t react quickly enough and…and…your coat! Please let me clean it or at least pay for the cleaning fee or buy you a new coat or…or…or something!”

“It’s fine,” Kihyun answered as he slowly shook his drenched sleeve, but immediately regretted it when he felt his arm burn from the friction. He couldn’t help but let out a curse in Korean as he gingerly shrugged his coat off.

The taller male’s eyes widened considerably upon recognizing the swear word and he tentatively asked, “Are you Korean?”

Kihyun’s eyes briefly flickered towards him, and the shorter male nodded before returning his gaze to his coffee-stained coat and his reddening arm.

“So am I!” The other man’s expression noticeably relaxed as he switched to Korean, formally saying, “Once again, I deeply apologize for my mistake. I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings. Now you’re injured because of my negligence.” He then pressed his hands together in a prayer position and bowed his head. “Please tell me how I can make it up to you. I’ll do anything!”

Although his arm was throbbing and his coat was probably ruined now, Kihyun didn’t feel any animosity towards the stranger. If the shorter male hadn’t been so wrapped up in his own thoughts as well, he could’ve avoided the collision. He sighed, mostly at himself, before reiterating, “Really, it’s fine. I should head back to my hotel anyway, since it’s getting late.”

“I’ll go with you!” the stranger immediately offered, his head shooting up and a beseeching expression painting his youthful face. “That way, I can pay for the hotel laundry service to clean your coat!”

“Seriously, you really don’t—”

“Please! I insist!”

Kihyun pursed his lips as he stared at the taller male, whose eyes swirled with desperation and a glint of stubbornness. Although he wasn’t sure why this stranger was so adamant about paying for the damaged coat, he didn’t think it would be productive to continue arguing back and forth. Any longer and they’d attract unwanted attention from passerby, which Kihyun wanted to avoid if he could. With a deep sigh, he carefully folded the soiled coat and turned towards his hotel, saying, “Well, it’s this way. You honestly don’t need to come with me, but I won’t stop you if you decide to tag along. Knock yourself out.”

The tall stranger’s face instantly lit up and with his long legs, he was able to quickly catch up to the other male who was briskly walking away. “Yes, sir, thank you!”

--

On the way to Kihyun’s hotel, he learned that the other man’s name was Chae Hyungwon and he was a freelance animator who had come to Paris for some fresh inspiration after completing a project for Studio Mir. That was how he typically lived his life: complete a short-term project, explore a new country while recharging his artistic battery, get hired for another short-term project, travel to another country for several weeks, rinse and repeat. Kihyun was in awe as he listened to the taller male regale him with tales of traveling to Japan, China, the United States of America, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, Madagascar, Sweden, and about a dozen other countries. It seemed almost impossible for someone who wasn’t working in international relations, travel blogging, business administration, or air travel to have visited so many different countries in less than a decade. Heck, it sounded like Hyungwon traveled even more than in-demand celebrities who were constantly touring did.

“How do you manage to pay for all of these trips? Is animation that lucrative of a profession?” Kihyun thought that maybe he had made a mistake taking on a corporate job instead of pursuing the arts, especially with his less than stellar pay. Perhaps the creative route had been the better choice.

Hyungwon grinned widely, seeing the cogs turn in the shorter male’s head, as he answered, “Well, a lot of factors go into how much an animator will get paid, especially a freelance one like myself. I only take on projects that I like and I try to negotiate a price that’s worth my time. It helps that I have solid references and a diverse portfolio to back me up during the negotiation process. And I have commissions open year-round that I work on every week, whether I’m abroad or not.” His eyes twinkled brightly while he added, “Those pay pretty decent money, especially since I have a relatively strong fan base.”

“Wow…” Kihyun could only imagine what it must be like to live with as much freedom as the taller male did. It made his life seem extremely dull in comparison.

Seeing Kihyun’s expression fall, the animator hastily added, “It’s really nothing much for me to brag about. I don’t know why I’m going on and on, like I’m some hot-shot artist. I’m just very lucky to be in the position that I am.”

The shorter male sent Hyungwon a lopsided smile, realizing that he wasn’t doing a good job of concealing his frustrations with himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring down the atmosphere. I’m in a bit of a rut and this trip to Paris is the most exciting that’s happened to me in…forever.”

Hyungwon nodded sympathetically. “I had a hard time establishing myself when I first started out and I was barely making enough to pay rent each month. It didn’t help that my parents weren’t supportive of me deciding to draw for the rest of my life instead of taking over the family restaurant,” he revealed as they turned a corner. The streetlights cast a bright yellow glow around the pair as they steadily walked. “If it weren’t for my younger brother stepping in to inherit the restaurant, I would’ve been stuck in Gwangju for the rest of my life,” Hyungwon added with a wry smile.

“Oh, you’re from the south?”

The animator nodded again. “Lived there until I was nineteen and then moved to Seoul to take animation classes. Luckily, I had two friends from my hometown who were also making the move, so we rented a small apartment together. I don’t think I could’ve afforded a place by myself, since I didn’t have much saved up.”

Kihyun felt even smaller in comparison. He had previously dreamed of being a musical actor, since he had the voice for it and he genuinely enjoyed performing on stage. But the dream had seemed unattainable, despite living so close to Seoul. Not to mention, his parents had drilled the importance of financial stability into his head from a young age and after his older brother had abruptly moved to Japan as a translator, it had fallen on Kihyun’s shoulders to be the filial son and work at a company near home. In a way, he seemed similar to Hyungwon’s little brother. Kihyun’s only solace was that Goyang, his hometown, was one of Seoul’s satellite cities, so his parents had allowed him to move to the capital and take a job there instead of continuing to live with them. “Does your brother like working at the restaurant?” he tentatively asked.

“I think so,” the taller male answered with a shrug. “Kyungwon—that’s his name—is a simple guy. He enlisted in the military as an active duty soldier as soon as he came of age, since he didn’t want to attend university. Afterwards, he came home and started dating his best friend from high school. They waited to get together until after he completed his service, just to make sure their feelings for each other were real. It worked out and now they’ve been married for five years with two kids.” Hyungwon took out his phone and unlocked it so he could scroll through his photo gallery. “Here are a few pictures, if you’re curious.”

Kihyun carefully took the phone from Hyungwon’s slender hand and found himself staring at a family of four: a man in his late twenties standing behind a chair, a woman around the same age sitting in the chair, a boy about three years old standing and clutching his mother’s leg, and a baby girl nestled in her mother’s arms. They were all smiling brightly for the camera, even the baby, whose mouth was open in mid-laugh. Kihyun then swiped to the next photo, in which the four were facing each other and laughing together. The third photo was only of the adults; Kyungwon was staring lovingly into his wife’s eyes as they held each other by the waist. And the final picture was of Kyungwon’s son sitting on the floor behind his younger sister, his chubby legs somewhat caging her in to prevent her from crawling away.

They looked like the perfect family.

Kihyun mentioned that as he handed the phone back to Hyungwon.

“Yeah, Kyungwon is a great husband and an even better father. He loves those kids to death,” the animator said with a soft smile as he gazed at the last picture before locking his phone and tucking it back into his coat pocket. “And now my parents have a pair of cute grandchildren to spoil, so they’re happy as well.”

It was very subtle, but Kihyun could detect a note of bitterness in the taller male’s voice, so he cautiously asked, “Are you not thinking of settling down as well?”

Hyungwon let out a mirthless laugh. “It’s not that. I can’t have kids of my own, since I’m—well, I’m gay. That’s another reason why my parents kept pushing me to stay home. They wanted to find a local girl for me to fall in love with and ‘erase the gayness’ from me.” He mockingly held up his long fingers in air quotes while a look of disdain crossed his face.

“That really . I’m sorry,” Kihyun answered in understanding. His own heart clenched as he thought back to the countless nights he had agonized over coming out to his parents, knowing how traditional they were. It didn’t help that he already hated himself for giving up on his dreams to be a musical actor, so it had been a huge mess of emotions as he tried to untangle his confusing love life. Granted, his parents weren’t as bad as Hyungwon’s parents sounded, but they had still been upset upon finding out their youngest wasn’t straight.

“No need to be sorry,” the animator answered with a flippant wave of his hand. “I send them a monthly check to keep them off my back and if I happen to be in town for the holidays, I briefly show up for the festivities.” Seeing the shorter male’s grimace, Hyungwon quickly added with an easygoing grin, “It’s not awful. Kyungwon’s family is usually there and since my parents don’t want their precious grandchildren getting any strange ideas from their weird uncle, they don’t mention anything and we pretend everything is perfect.”

“That still doesn’t sound like a fun time for you,” Kihyun commented with a slight frown. But before he could say more on the topic, the shorter male realized that they were now in front of his hotel. “Well, we’re here. Are you sure you want to come in?” Kihyun gestured to the dark night sky. “It’s late and you probably want to go back to your own hotel.”

“Nonsense, I promised I’d pay for the laundry fee and I won’t leave before I get to do that,” Hyungwon declared as he marched through the double doors, making a beeline for the front desk while Kihyun followed him with a heavy sigh.

After ten minutes, the coat was collected by a bellboy and Hyungwon handed over his credit card to pay the service fee. Kihyun let out a disgruntled noise after being blocked from using his own credit card by the animator’s long limbs. The concierge then promised that the coat would be returned the next evening, so the pair moved to the elevator and waited for the next ride.

“Thank you, Hyungwon. You really didn’t need to do that, but I appreciate it all the same,” Kihyun said after pressing the Up button to call the elevator.

“But it was my fault your coat got dirty,” the animator insisted again. Then a smile appeared on his handsome face as he added, “It was fun talking to you, though. Would you mind if we continued our conversation tomorrow? You’re probably tired, so I don’t want to bother you anymore tonight.”

“Don’t worry. I usually spend an hour or two on the balcony before I go to sleep every night, so we can chat for bit there if you don’t need to head back to your hotel right away,” Kihyun offered just as the elevator chimed and the doors opened. The smaller male stepped in, but kept his arm outstretched in order to keep the doors from closing before Hyungwon could make his decision.

Luckily, it only took a second for the animator to hop into the elevator as well. “I’d love to!”

--

It wasn’t long before the two males were tipsy off of the red wine that Kihyun had brought out for them to drink as they talked. They had both consumed at least five glasses each, although not purposefully. It just so happened that they’d take small sips as they chatted and Kihyun wasn’t shy when it came to refilling the glasses as soon as they emptied, so there was a steady stream of conversation and alcohol.

Hyungwon narrowed his eyes, his voice slightly slurred, as he asked, “I didn’t have a chance to ask earlier, but are you planning to settle down anytime soon? Is there a pretty lady waiting for you back home?”

The shorter male wildly shook his head while pinching his lips together into a pout. “No ladies for me. I’m as gay as they come, just like you.”

Hyungwon’s eyes began shining brightly as he leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table. “My deepest apologies for assuming you were straight. Any good-looking lads waiting then? And if so, do they have any single friends I can get to know?”

“You’re shameless,” Kihyun stated with a good-natured punch to the other male’s shoulder.

The animator faked collapsing on the table from the force of the hit while loudly whining, “Cut me some slack. I’m a sad, lonely man who hasn’t had a boyfriend in years. And you didn’t answer the question.”

Kihyun chuckled as he pulled Hyungwon back up so that they were properly facing each other. “There’s no one,” the shorter male answered after a brief pause. “I’ve been single my entire life.”

Hyungwon arched an eyebrow in disbelief. “You’re joking.”

Kihyun sent the taller male a lopsided smile as he answered, “Nah, I’m serious. I honestly haven’t been in a relationship before. I’ve gone on a few casual dates with several guys, yes, but nothing more than that.”

A loud whistle sounded from the animator’s thick lips. “Dang, I can’t believe it. Do you just not believe in relationships? Are you a one night stand kind of guy?”

“God, no,” Kihyun immediately denied, looking scandalized at the thought. “I definitely do not do one night stands. Those never end up well, from what I’ve heard.”

“Don’t knock ‘em ‘til you try ‘em.”

This time, Kihyun was the one to arch an eyebrow as he stared at Hyungwon, who smiled sheepishly. “And I suppose you’re an expert who can enlighten me?”

The animator instantly shook his head, trying to dig himself out of the deep pit he had just made. “Not an expert, per se, but I was a stupid young adult with friends who liked to go clubbing. I used to hang out with that crowd, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I do,” Kihyun said drily.

“But we’ve all mellowed out since then and most of them have settled down, except me,” Hyungwon admitted ruefully.

“You sound like you’re living your best life though, traveling and all,” the shorter male pointed out as he took another sip of wine. “It beats what I usually do back home.”

“Yeah, but sometimes, it would be nice to share the experiences with someone else.” The animator leaned his elbows on the table and cupped his chin while staring off into the starry night sky. “I like having the freedom to do what I want, whenever I want, but I’m not getting any younger. And the dating pool isn’t very large for guys like us in the first place.”

Kihyun hummed in agreement as he leaned back in his seat to stargaze with Hyungwon. “I guess the two of us will be bachelors for the rest of our lives.”

There was a stretch of comfortable silence after that as they both stared at the sky, lost in their own thoughts. It was past two in the morning at this point, but neither male seemed to be in a hurry to turn in for the night. The pair seemed content to bask in the stillness while a calm autumn breeze blew around them.

After some time, Hyungwon finally broke the silence with a soft question. “Why haven’t you had a boyfriend before?”

Kihyun took a moment to collect his thoughts before answering, “I’m…not sure. It’s not like I don’t want one. I guess I just haven’t found Mr. Right yet. All of the guys I dated in the past were nice, but I’m not only looking for nice. I’m looking for someone I can bond with on a deeper level, y’know?”

“Yeah,” the animator nodded, “I feel that.”

“But like you said, we don’t have many choices, especially since most people our age have already settled down.” The shorter male let out a loud sigh, not bothering to hide his displeasure. “And it’s not like I have that much time to date in the first place. I work seventy hours a week, because my boss is a madman, and I saved up all of my paid time-off for this vacation, so I’m basically stuck where I am for the rest of my life. Alone.” This time, Kihyun was the one to collapse on the table in frustration, his fists balled up on the tabletop.

Hyungwon gently prodded the other man, trying to get him to properly sit up again. “Say, this might be a crazy idea from a guy who’s a bit drunk at the moment,” he started as Kihyun turned to look at him curiously, “but would you go on a date with me tomorrow?”

The shorter male tilted his head to the right, looking utterly confused. “You and me?”

“Well, is there anyone else around here other than the two of us?” Hyungwon chuckled as he gestured around the otherwise empty balcony.

Kihyun just stared at him blankly, unsure of whether he was hearing things incorrectly due to his slightly inebriated state. It took him another handful of seconds to process the animator’s request and all he could come up with was, “Why?”

“Why not?” Hyungwon shot back with a wide grin. “It’s perfect. You’re single, I’m single. You’re lonely, I’m lonely. I still owe you a new coat—”

“But you already paid for the cleaning fee earlier today,” Kihyun quickly reminded him.

“—and I have two VIP tickets to a Moulin Rouge show tomorrow night,” the animator plowed on, smiling triumphantly when he heard the sharp intake of breath from the other man. 

“Aren’t those extremely expensive?”

“They were offered to me by a client,” Hyungwon explained. “I accepted since it’s one of those ‘must-do’ activities in Paris, even though I don’t have anyone to go with. I’d rather not waste a perfectly good ticket and it seems like it’d be fun to go with you.” The animator beamed as he clumsily took out his wallet and fished out the pair of tickets. He slid one over to Kihyun, who stared wide-eyed at the slip of paper. “At least give it a try, eh?”

Kihyun lightly nibbled his bottom lip, his hand hovering over the ticket as he contemplated whether or not to continue seeing the other man. It wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy Hyungwon’s company; in fact, he quite liked their conversations. There weren’t many people he could comfortably talk to about virtually every topic in existence. Then again, since they were strangers, it made sense that everything seemed fresh and new.

Well, it wasn’t like he’d lose anything by going on one date with Hyungwon. If he didn’t feel anything afterwards, that would be the end of that. They’d go their separate ways and Kihyun would finish this solo trip as a solo guy. Just as expected.

“Okay, I’ll go with you,” he finally answered as he picked up the ticket.

The corners of Hyungwon’s lips quirked upwards as he placed his own ticket back into his wallet. “You’re not doing this just for the Moulin Rouge show, are you?” he teased when Kihyun held the ticket up to the sky and stared at it like it was a star.

“Of course. Why else would I agree to the date?” the smaller male joked back. “Certainly not for your looks, I’ll say.”

“Your harsh words wound me,” the animator declared dramatically as he mimicked being stabbed in the heart.

Kihyun couldn’t help but burst into laughter and seconds later, Hyungwon joined him until they were both out of breath with tears streaming down their faces. “Let’s clean up and turn in for the night,” the shorter male managed to say once their giggles had subsided. “I’ll go down to the lobby with you to call a taxi for you.”

“There’s no need. My hotel is actually two streets away, so I’ll just walk back.”

“Not on my watch. You’re drunk and it’s almost three in the morning. I’m calling that taxi for you, whether you like it or not,” Kihyun insisted as he gathered the empty wine glasses and bottles into his arms while using his foot to push open the balcony door.

“Wouldn’t it be better if I just stayed over tonight, since you’re so worried?” Hyungwon wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before laughing again as he followed the shorter male into the hotel room.

Kihyun dumped everything onto a round table that nestled in the northeast corner of the hotel room, deciding he’d let his future sober self deal with the mess. “Nice try, buddy. Now let’s get you back to your place in one piece.” Even so, he couldn’t help but grin as he hooked arms with the animator and strutted out of the room, both of them holding their heads up high.

--

There were several loud knocks on the door and Kihyun groaned loudly as he was roused from sleep. He hadn’t drank enough the previous night to have a severe hangover, but his head still ached a bit from staying up so late. With another noisy grunt, he hauled himself out of bed and padded to the door, not caring that he was still in his pajamas. It took him a moment to open the door, since he was still feeling sluggish, but once he saw who was on the other side, Kihyun was jolted completely awake. “Hyungwon?!”

“Rise and shine!” the animator greeted cheerfully, looking impeccable and very upbeat for someone who had barely gotten six hours of sleep after a night of drinking.

“What—what’re you doing here right now?!” Kihyun flushed when he realized how sloppily he was dressed compared to the taller male and he quickly angled his body behind the door to preserve a shred of dignity.

“It’s time to go shopping for your new coat,” Hyungwon explained as he let himself into the room and strode to the bed before shamelessly sitting down, as if he owned the place.

“I told you yesterday that you didn’t need to buy me a new coat,” Kihyun reminded him as he scrambled to find some clothes and bolted to the bathroom to change.

“But you won’t have your original coat until tonight and you should wear something nice to the cabaret show,” Hyungwon pointed out, projecting his voice so that the other male could hear him through the bathroom door. “After all, you don’t want to look out of place, especially since we’ll be sitting in the VIP section.”

Once he was properly dressed, Kihyun stepped out of the bathroom and dropped his folded pajamas into his open suitcase. “Well, you’re not wrong—”

“So let’s go!” The animator jumped up and began shooing Kihyun out of the hotel room. “Time’s a-ticking and our dinner reservation before the show is at five, so we need to head to the ninth arrondissement at four-fifteen.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up!”

Hyungwon paused and tilted his head in bewilderment. “Is something wrong?”

“No—well, yes, kind of—I mean, not really, but—”

“What’s wrong?” the animator repeated, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to decipher Kihyun’s garbled thought process.

“Could we, I dunno, slow down the pace a bit? I just woke up and, disregarding the headache I have from drinking more than I should’ve last night, I’m also starving.” A low growl then sounded from the smaller male’s stomach, as if to prove his point. “I appreciate your excitement, but this is a bit much, especially first thing in the morning.”

“Sorry!” Hyungwon immediately said, guiltily dropping his hands from Kihyun’s shoulders. “I guess I got too carried away. And you’re right. Let’s get breakfast first. I passed a diner on my way here that we could go to.”

“Sounds good.” The shorter male darted around the room to grab his essentials, stuffing them in his pants pockets, before shutting the room door behind him. It whirred as it automatically locked and Kihyun tested the door handle to verify that the hotel room was secure. “Okay, now let’s go.”

--

After sating their appetites with a hearty breakfast at the diner, the two males found themselves in a relatively tiny boutique. Hyungwon had claimed that the larger, more mainstream stores were overly expensive. Kihyun, who didn’t shop for clothing very often, trusted his words and had blindly followed him into the boutique. There was a young, blonde-haired French woman who was dressed primly in her store uniform and she welcomed them with a bright smile.

The pair nodded and then made their way to the men’s section. Several racks of coats were spaced out about a foot from each other, categorized by color and material. It didn’t take long for Hyungwon to start riffling through the racks and gather several coats into his arms. Kihyun stood to the side, watching in mild amusement as the pile of coats grew and grew.

And then he paled upon realizing that he’d have to try on all of these, so he rushed over to the animator, telling him to not go overboard.

Within minutes, the small male was stuck in a changing room, surrounded by various coats of almost every shade and style. Hyungwon instructed him to try them on one at a time and model each one in the waiting area outside of the changing room. Luckily, there were no other customers in the men’s section, so it was just the two of them goofing around as Kihyun pretended he was a professional model—despite his short stature, but that was the fun of pretending—while Hyungwon critiqued every look with an expert eye.

When Kihyun walked out of the changing room sporting a long, bistre brown trench coat that went down to his knees, the animator clapped his hands while nodding in approval. “This one looks really good on you. It brings out the color of your eyes,” Hyungwon noted with a satisfied smile.

“My eyes are brown.”

The animator immediately tsked as he nudged Kihyun to slowly rotate in place. “They’re still lovely. Sure, people like to rave over blue, green, and hazel eyes, but brown is just as striking.”

“I mean, I guess—”

“In fact,” Hyungwon continued without a pause, theatrically sweeping his left arm outward, “brown eyes are absolutely mesmerizing if you look, really look, at them. They’re like hot cocoa in the winter, filling you up with warmth and comfort. They’re like teddy bears you cuddle with at night, wrapping you up in a soft hug. They’re like newly made stringed instruments, blinding you with their glossiness.”

“I didn’t know you were Shakespeare’s reincarnation,” Kihyun commented with a lopsided smile.

“I spend a lot of time drawing people and there are so many ways to positively showcase brown eyes,” the animator explained. “And I really mean it when I say your eyes are attractive.” He smiled kindly, his fingers lightly brushing against the smaller male’s left cheek as they stared at each other.

Kihyun’s breath caught in his throat, the two of them seemingly frozen in time while gazing into the other’s eyes. Now that he thought about it, Kihyun realized he had never looked directly into someone’s eyes before. Not until this moment. And Hyungwon was right. Brown eyes were gorgeous. Well, at least Hyungwon’s were.

They were dark, almost black. The color reminded Kihyun of brown ink before it dried on the page. Smooth, yet accented by refracting light. Deep, as if they could pull the other male into those black hole-like pupils. Soft, draping around him like a thick blanket.

The animator’s penchant for flowery language had invaded Kihyun’s mind as well and he couldn’t stop himself from spiraling even further into the depths of Hyungwon’s beautiful brown eyes.

In fact, he hadn’t even realized he had been holding his breath the entire time until he felt his chest tighten from the lack of oxygen. Exhaling loudly, Kihyun felt his head spin and he turned around to briefly rest against a wall.

“Are you okay?” Hyungwon’s hand reached forward to rub soothing circles against the smaller male’s back.

“Yeah,” Kihyun breathed out, trying to ignore the hammering in his chest. Seconds later, he straightened up and carefully peeled off the coat. “I’ll buy it. With my money,” he quickly added before the animator could insist otherwise.

As he marched up to the cash register, the coat folded neatly in his arms, the smaller male wondered if he had been imaging the sparkles in Hyungwon’s eyes.

--

“That was amazing!” Kihyun clapped his hands as they walked out of the building, going with the flow of the crowd now that the cabaret show was over. “I still can’t believe we were so close to the dancers!”

Hyungwon grinned. He was also riding the high of emotions after witnessing the flamboyant performances. “Would you have gone on stage if they invited you to, like they did with the guy sitting at the table next to us?”

“Probably not, since I’m a terrible dancer,” Kihyun revealed with a half-smile.

“I could show you a thing or two,” the animator offered as they broke away from the crowd and headed towards the subway station. “I dabble a bit in dance, since it forces me to move around instead of sitting hunched over my desk for hours on end while I draw.”

“You’d most likely end up hating me for being such a bad student,” Kihyun said with an apologetic smile. “I’ve got two left feet, jelly limbs, and rusted joints. My sense of coordination is pretty awful as well. I tripped over my feet a lot when I was younger.”

“No worries. I like a challenge.” Hyungwon flashed the other male a cheeky grin before reaching over to grab Kihyun’s wrist and pull him closer to the animator, in order to avoid colliding with a man who was speed-walking with his head facing the sidewalk. “Whoops, careful there!”

Kihyun blushed while silently scolding himself for not watching his surroundings again. “See what I mean?”

“Yeah, you’re just a magnet for trouble,” the animator teased, lightly bopping the tip of Kihyun’s nose. “Guess I have to keep a closer eye on you to make sure you don’t end up falling into someone else’s arms, especially when I’m already here for you.”

“Is that your roundabout way of asking me out on another date?”

“Maybe,” Hyungwon answered innocently. The animator’s eyes were twinkling as he crossed his arms behind his back while they walked.

It was obvious what he wanted. Kihyun would have to have been stupid to not catch the underlying message in the taller male’s strong gaze, especially since Hyungwon wasn’t exactly being subtle.

Did he feel a spark between the two of them? That magnetic pull he envisioned would lead him to his other half? Kihyun honestly couldn’t say. The moment in the coat store was something, but he wasn’t sure it was what he’d been trying to find all these years.

But Kihyun supposed that was what dating was for: to get to know other people, to learn who they were, and to see how well he meshed with them. At the end of the day, he technically wasn’t committed to Hyungwon and they could amicably part ways if this ultimately didn’t work out, just like Kihyun had with his previous dates. The animator would become another memory, another story, and they would both move on with their lives.

That thought was strangely reassuring, especially considering the alternative of an emotional falling out. Then again, it didn’t have to necessarily end that way.

“Okay, I’ll bite,” he finally decided, much to Hyungwon’s delight. “But this time, I’d like to do something a bit more low-key.”

“But I thought you liked the cabaret show.” The animator nervously wrung his hands, which were still behind his back, worried that he had messed up his chances already.

“I did,” Kihyun quickly reassured the other male. “This is a night I’ll never forget and I’m really happy you chose to take me as your plus-one. But I’m more of a coffee shop-date kind of guy, to be honest. Especially in the beginning stages, since it’s relatively inexpensive and you have a lot of time to talk and get to know the other person.”

Hyungwon let out a sigh of relief before eagerly nodding in agreement. “I’d love to grab some coffee with you! Did you already have a place in mind? You can take the lead on this date, since I’ll admit I monopolized our schedule today,” he said, smiling sheepishly.

“No, not really,” Kihyun admitted. “But do you want to come back to my hotel room and sit on the balcony for a bit again, and we can look up a few places we might like to go to?”

The animator beamed brightly. “Of course I would!”

--

They were sitting in a tiny café in the fourteenth arrondissement. It was near Tour Montparnasse, but since most tourists in this area spent their time at the gigantic skyscraper, there weren’t many patrons except for a few locals who were all working on their laptops. The pair had managed to secure a spot in a secluded corner, where they could converse without bothering anyone else.

“How long are you in Paris for?” Hyungwon asked while staring curiously at the smaller male.

It took a moment for Kihyun to mentally calculate and answer, “I’ve got twelve days left until I fly back to Korea.”

“Wait, twelve days?” The animator unlocked his phone and searched through his email inbox. He then showed the screen to Kihyun. “You wouldn’t happen to be on this flight to Incheon, would you?”

The smaller male’s eyes widened as he quickly scanned the flight details before exclaiming, “Yeah, this is my flight! Dang, what are the odds that we’d be on the same plane?”

“The universe is trying to set us up,” Hyungwon joked. “This encounter was fated to be.”

“Uh-huh, the universe totally meant for you to spill your coffee all over me, which is the most romantic way anyone could ever meet their future significant other,” Kihyun deadpanned. However, the edges of his mouth were barely tugging upwards as he tried to suppress his smile.

“It could’ve been way worse. Imagine if we hated each other when we first met.” The animator grimaced at the thought.

“We probably wouldn’t be sitting here then,” Kihyun pointed out.

“Yeah, that would a lot. And I would’ve gone to the Moulin Rouge show like a lonely loser who has no one to love.”

The shorter male snorted. “You’re so dramatic.”

Hyungwon grinned devilishly as he straightened his shirt collar. “It’s part of my charm.”

“Are all Gwangju boys like you?” Kihyun asked with a chuckle.

“You mean handsome, charming, and extremely talented, right?”

“No, more like arrogant and insufferable.” The smaller male snickered when Hyungwon’s expression contorted into one of disbelief. “I’m kidding, you dummy.”

The animator joined him in laughter as he replied, “I know. I was joking as well. But to answer your question, I’d have to say probably not. A good example is my little brother, who’s basically the opposite of me.”

“Yeah, I can see that from what you’ve told me,” Kihyun replied, bobbing his head up and down. There was a slight pause before he suddenly asked, “Do you miss home?”

“Well, I don’t miss Gwangju, if that’s what you mean. But I do miss my place back in Seoul.” Hyungwon sighed as he picked up his coffee mug, slightly swirling the drink before bringing it to his lips to take a gulp. “As much as I love traveling, nothing beats the familiarity of my apartment and my own bed.”

“Really?” Kihyun couldn’t help but respond, surprised by the answer. He had pegged Hyungwon to be the type driven by wanderlust, based off of his adventures all around the world.

The animator nodded as he explained, “Traveling takes a lot of energy and since I’m also working on-the-go, it can get a bit overwhelming at times. When I’m at home, everything is where I want it to be, when I need it to be. I can focus on my art and it’s easier to communicate with others in Korean instead of English.” He let out a shallow laugh before adding, “Honestly, I’m really glad you know Korean. I get a headache after speaking too much English.”

“I know what you mean,” the smaller male agreed, thinking with chagrin at how difficult it had been to navigate Paris in the beginning. Having spent most of his life in Korea, Kihyun’s English skills were adequate at best. He had pushed himself to study the language again—the last time he had looked through his English textbook was around ten years ago when he was still a university student—before heading on this trip, knowing that it would be impossible for him to pick up French in such a short amount of time. However, he had still made several elementary mistakes that he internally berated himself for at night.

After swallowing another mouthful of coffee, Hyungwon asked curiously, “Do you miss home?”

A low hum vibrated throughout Kihyun’s throat as he contemplated his answer to the animator’s question. His pointer finger aimlessly drew invisible circles on the napkin trapped under his left hand and his chin was resting against his right palm. “Yeah, I’d say I do,” he finally replied, a serene smile decorating his face. “It’s not like I’m dying to return, especially since it took so much effort to get here in the first place, but there’s a small part of me missing the familiarity of home. Paris is amazing, but I don’t want to stay here forever.”

“Would you travel more if given the opportunity?”

“I would,” Kihyun answered firmly. “The world is so vast and I’ve barely seen any of it. Yes, I’ll always be drawn back home at the end of the day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to explore what I haven’t seen before. Paris is just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Then, if I may be so bold to ask, would you like to explore more of Paris with me?” There was such a hopeful look in Hyungwon’s eyes that Kihyun couldn’t help but lean forward and pinch the taller male’s left cheek, cooing as he did. “Is that a yes?” the animator asked, blinking his large brown eyes.

“It is, you doofus,” Kihyun confirmed with a wide grin. “So what do you want to do tomorrow?”

--

Throughout the week, Hyungwon never failed to show up at Kihyun’s hotel room every morning, dressed to the nines and beaming like a sunray incarnate.

After eating breakfast in nearby cafés, they would explore an arrondissement like a pair of carefree kids who were amazed by everything they encountered. Kihyun couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun; even though the first few weeks in Paris had been filled with plenty of adventures, there hadn’t been anyone for Kihyun to share these experiences with. He hadn’t minded at the time, but now that he knew what it was like to travel with someone else, it was like a whole new world had opened up for him to explore.

Some days, they would go to famous monuments and take pictures with exaggerated expressions and wacky poses. Any other time, Kihyun would have been very self-conscious of himself, especially in such public areas where there were hundreds of tourists also milling around. But with Hyungwon, the two of them goofed around like nobody’s business. It helped that he focused only on the animator, who also drew most of the stares from passerby due to his long limbs and thin stature.

Sometimes, they would go to parks and walk around with their hands clasped tightly together. Hyungwon’s hand was big and warm around Kihyun’s smaller one, and these calm afternoons would be spent in leisure. They’d relay childhood stories or workplace shenanigans with each other, or even just stroll in complete silence as they basked in each other’s company. These days felt like home, despite the two of them being halfway across the world.

The coffee dates were some of Kihyun’s favorites, since the weather turned even cooler as autumn progressed. The two males never went to the same coffee shop, since there were dozens of hidden gems to discover in each arrondissement, and many hours were spent talking and sipping warm lattes.

However, the best moments were when they sat on the balcony of Kihyun’s hotel room. Hyungwon would bring his tablet so he could work on his commissions while Kihyun curiously watched the animator work his magic. They’d quietly chat and sip wine—not as much as they had that first night though, since Hyungwon was working most of the time—until they decided it was time to sleep.

It was…a comfortable arrangement.

And when he was alone in bed, staring up at the ceiling despite the room being pitch-black, Kihyun wondered what life would have been like if he had met Chae Hyungwon earlier.

--

A loud yawn escaped his mouth as Kihyun watched Hyungwon complete another commission. This one was of a graceful female elf with long light brown hair tucked behind her pointed ears and amber-colored eyes glittering mischievously. She was dressed in a mauve dress with lavender accents and there was a ball of orange-red fire levitating above her left hand.

The animator had just finished highlighting her hair when he looked up in time to see Kihyun’s head nod forward, the smaller male’s eyes fluttering close. “I think it’s time for bed, young man,” Hyungwon teased as he saved the image with a gentle tap of his stylus.

“A-are you done—” Another sudden yawn punctuated his words. “—done drawing though?” he asked while groggily rubbing his eyes. “Because I can…wait…” Kihyun’s head almost slammed onto the table this time, saved only by Hyungwon’s quick movements to pull him back.

“Yes, I’m done,” the animator assured the other man, an amused smile painting his face. “Let’s get you to bed, okay?”

Kihyun hummed in agreement, his eyes now completely closed, as he felt his body being lifted from his seat. As if on instinct, the smaller male wrapped his arms around Hyungwon’s slender body while he buried his nose against the fabric of the taller male’s thick sweater. Comforting warmth radiated from the animator and all Kihyun could think in his lethargic state was that he wanted to be perpetually swathed in this feeling. Hyungwon smells so nice, he mildly thought as he inhaled the notes of mint, cinnamon, and sandalwood.

Within minutes, they had reached the bed and the animator gently laid Kihyun on the mattress. Hyungwon tenderly brushed aside some stray hairs from the small male’s forehead, causing Kihyun to whine. “What’s wrong, you big baby?”

“You’re not…going to leave…are you?” he murmured sleepily.

“Do you not want me to?” Hyungwon asked, lightly tracing his fingertips over the edge of Kihyun’s smooth face.

The smaller male childishly shook his head, his lips scrunched up in a pout. “As my boyfriend, you’re not allowed to leave until I say so,” he commanded, cracking open his eyes to send Hyungwon a stern look.

The animator raised his eyebrows at the statement. “I’m your boyfriend now? But I haven’t even asked yet if you’ll be mine.”

“You were taking too long to ask,” Kihyun complained, “so I’m now officially declaring you, Chae Hyungwon to be the first ever and only boyfriend of Yoo Kihyun.” He weakly jabbed a finger at the animator’s chest as he added, “First, last, and only boyfriend, got it?”

“Yes sir, I won’t let you down,” Hyungwon answered with a comical salute, which elicited several giggles from Kihyun, whose eyes curved into crescent moons.

“Good. Now let’s go to sleep. I’m tired.”

The animator smiled as he slipped off his coat and shoes before maneuvering his long body onto the mattress next to Kihyun. The smaller male immediately snuggled up to him, deeply breathing in his scent again, while Hyungwon slung an arm over his boyfriend. “Does that mean I’m staying here for the rest of our trip?” he whispered as his fingers the back of Kihyun’s neck.

“Yeah,” Kihyun mumbled into the animator’s chest. “Don’t waste your money on taxiing between hotels anymore.”

“Alright, I’ll check out tomorrow after breakfast and bring my stuff here.”

“Sounds good…” And with that, Kihyun was finally fast asleep, his breathing light and even.

Hyungwon silently watched his boyfriend for several minutes before chastely pecking Kihyun’s forehead and then shifting so that the smaller male’s head was nestled against his chest again. Moments later, the animator’s eyes were closed as he also drifted into dreamland.

--

It was their last night in Paris and Kihyun’s heart had never felt fuller. It was so surreal that he was leisurely strolling in the Champ de Mars with his hand intertwining Hyungwon’s. The taller male’s hand felt like a shelter, big and warm, which was a nice contrast against the cool autumn breeze. They had decided to return to the place where they had first met on that fateful afternoon, despite how cheesy it was. But Kihyun, as a romantic, enjoyed the symbolism of the outing and Hyungwon thought it was endearing how the shorter male looked so starry-eyed when they walked by several trees were draped in all sorts of colorful lights.

These past two weeks had been everything that Kihyun could have hoped for and more; he was no longer lonely, not when he had the funniest, most persevering, sweetest, most understanding, and best-looking man walking beside him. To have been lucky enough to meet someone who shared the same zeal for experiencing the world while appreciating the comfort of their home country was something Kihyun still had a bit of trouble wrapping his head around; it seemed too good to be true.

But Chae Hyungwon existed and by the grace of serendipity, their paths had crossed at the right intersection.

All of the late-night chats on Kihyun’s hotel room balcony, all of the whimsical afternoon café outings that involved copious amounts of coffee and people-watching, all of the early morning walks when they marveled over Parisian architecture, and everything else they did together in these last two weeks had culminated into something beyond either one of them. It was no longer two individuals’ vacations that happened to coincide. This was a vacation that they jointly enjoyed and planned for by the day.

And it was…close to perfect, if Kihyun had to grade the experience.

There was just one thing missing to officially seal their relationship and Kihyun could feel the apples of his cheeks burn when Hyungwon’s strong gaze raked over him. Their faces slowly inched closer and closer, both knowing what the other wanted without having to say a single word. It seemed impossible that they could be on the same wavelength already, but Kihyun had never felt more in tune with another person in his life.

Everything felt so right with Chae Hyungwon there.

And when their lips finally pressed against each other’s, fireworks went off in the sky while the Eiffel Tower flashed dozens of colors for its hourly light show. The night air was cold, but their hearts were on fire as they held each other. Even though they had only known each other for two weeks, Kihyun knew that there was something special between him and Hyungwon. He felt it in his bones, in his veins, in his very core as his body lit up with sparks every time the kiss deepened.

He couldn’t remember ever kissing any of his previous dates this passionately and his head was in a whirl as Hyungwon gently tilted the shorter male’s head upwards to reposition his lips more comfortably. Kihyun’s fist clutched the back of the other’s dress shirt as he slightly tip-toed while pressing their bodies even closer together. Hyungwon hummed with satisfaction into the kiss as his fingers threaded through Kihyun’s fluffy hair and the smaller male could feel himself melt into the soft vibrations.

Paris really did feel like the City of Love at that moment.

Kihyun whispered sweet nothings when they paused briefly for air, causing Hyungwon’s dark brown eyes to swirl with joy and desire. And the pair stood there, kissing and kissing until the fireworks show finally ended.

“Shall we go home?” Hyungwon murmured softly, his breath ghosting over Kihyun’s sensitive neck.

“Our flight is in,” the shorter male checked his watch, “three hours, so we’d better finish packing and go to the airport.”

“It’s too bad we won’t be able to sit next to each other. Are you sure I shouldn’t try to change my seat?” Hyungwon asked while interlocking his fingers with Kihyun’s as they began walking to the hotel.

The smaller male shook his head. “I’d rather you save the money for something more important. Besides, we’ll only be apart for about twelve hours. After that, we have forever to be together.” Kihyun couldn’t believe he was saying such cheesy words, but his heart was beating faster and faster at the thought of being with the taller male for the rest of their lives.

And Hyungwon clearly agreed as he swooped down to press a light kiss against Kihyun’s smooth cheek. “Forever with you sounds nice.”

♈♈♈