Ewon

"Hey, stranger."

Ewon looked up from the pile of boxes he'd stacked on the lawn outside his apartment. He'd been trying to figure out the best way to load them into his U-Haul. It was a little more than a year since he'd first met Taehyung, and now that his lease was up, he was moving on and moving out. It was goodbye to his tiny town in Busan and hello to...

"Taehyung." Ewon said. He couldn't say that he was shocked - Taehyung had told him in no uncertain terms that he would be driving over to Ewon back home. Ewon just hadn't expected him for another few hours. He grinned "You're early."

"You're not happy to see me?" Taehyung teased "I only drove forty-three hours to be here."

Ewon laughed. He closed the distance between himself and Taehyung and wrapped his arms around his neck "No, I'm plenty glad to see you. It means you can help me move these boxes you've been bossing me around about packing. There's not going to be any more distance to shield you from being elbowed. What are you going to do?" 

"I'm going to get bruised, apparently." Taehyung said with a laugh. It was familiar to Ewon now - they'd been talking every day since their paths had diverged after the cruise, and Ewon had flown over to spend two weeks with Taehyung over Christmas. They'd spent the snowy December weeks in bed with each other, snuggled up beneath the sheets while the world moved on without them. It had been one of the most blissful times of Ewon's life, and he was eager to make it his every day.

Now that his lease was up, he was moving across the country to be with Taehyung. He'd found a job in Seoul a short commute away from Taehyung's place, and he'd pulled the trigger. He wasn't cut out for life in his small town. He'd try his luck in Taehyung's big city instead.

"So...are you going to kiss me, or are you still mad that I made you get off the phone the other day so you could focus on packing?" Taehyung grinned "Because I'll admit that I was an , but you're kind of moving in with me, so you'd do best to get over the whole not-kissing me thing...or it's going to be a very long year."

Ewon laughed. He rested his forehead against Taehyung's "Why is it my responsibility to kiss you?"

"It's not. I'm just being an again." Taehyung smirked. Then he tilted his head to the side just enough that his lips met Ewon's. Ewon hummed and kissed back, too happy for words. Christmas had been a long time ago, and he'd been missing Taehyung like crazy. Being apart from the man he loved was a pain unlike anything he'd felt before, and he was glad that he'd never have to deal with it again. 

The kiss broke. He took a small step back. If he kept kissing Taehyung, they'd never get any work done. It was a good thing his bed was already disassembled and packed up, or else he'd ask Taehyung to come test it out with him.

"We've still got work to do." Ewon said "Help me pack these boxes. We're going to have to squeeze them in."

"I'm going to need a bigger house." Taehyung said, whistling under his breath "Where are we going to put everything?"

"We'll figure it out." Ewon rolled his shoulders back. He picked up the box on top of the stack "We've got all the time in the world to do it, don't we?"

"Well, we've got the next forty-three hours, at least." Taehyung laughed. He picked up the next box "Alright. Let's see if we can get these boxes loaded. I just so happen to be the Tetris grand champion of Seoul."

"Bull." Ewon laughed.

Taehyung winked "Maybe. But I'm not bullting about being able to pack a mean truck. Let's get this stuff under control."

Taehyung led Ewon to the back of the truck, and they worked together to fit the last of Ewon's belongings into the available space. The sun beat down on their shoulders, and Ewon had worked up a sweat moving all his boxes and what few pieces of furniture he couldn't bear to part with down to the truck, but even though he was sore and uncomfortable, he was too happy to care. Taehyung was here. They weren't  talking to each other over the phone anymore. They weren't video chatting, or texting, or sending each other racy photos. They were together, face to face, and they would be forever more. Ewon was nervous about moving across the country, but he knew that it wouldn't be all that bad. He'd met Taehyung's six best friends through video chat, and all of them had been excited to meet him.

Excited to meet him. 

It blew Ewon's mind. He'd lived mostly in the closet here, afraid of what coming out would do to his reputation, but Taehyung had come out to his friends like it was nothing - and they'd accepted him, or it. Ewon still couldn't get over it.

"Alright." Taehyung said. He stepped back from the truck and glanced at the clear line for the sliding back door "I think we're clear. Everything is jammed in there pretty tight. You did a good job packing up the best of the truck, babe. I don't think anything's going to be going anywhere."

"Should we close it up, then?" Ewon asked. He pointed at the hanging nylon handle dangling from the bottom of the door overhead "I don't have anything else to put inside. All we need to do is close and lock it, and we'll be good to go. I made sure that it's hitched to my car securely. Are you good to get back on the road? I figure we can take out at least five hours today, if you're able to do it. I don't know how far you drove today." 

"Five hours'll be easy." Taehyung said "Lock her up and let's hit the road. Did you already make a reservation along the way?"

"Yep. Once I close up the truck, I'll give you the info." Ewon hopped up on the ramp of the trailer and pulled on the nylon handle. The door came down, and he secured it, then locked it in place. A thrill worked its way through his body. In just a few minutes, he'd be leaving his old life behind and starting fresh. He was moving across the country for love - it was the biggest adventure of his life, and he was going to take it on with one of the greatest men he'd ever met "Okay, so, I'm guessing you've got your map pulled up on your phone?"

"Yep." Taehyung took his phone out. It was a thrill to think that all this time, Ewon had been on the other side of the phone, and now, they were together in person and he could see the phone he'd used to talk to Taehyung through. He shivered "Okay, I've got it opened. Do you have the address?"

Ewon turned his phone around and showed the address to Taehyung, who punched it in.

"Thank you for coming all this way...and then driving back again right after." Ewon said once Taehyung was done "I'm sorry you're burning your summer vacation to do it."

Taehyung shrugged, a grin on his face "What else would I do? Go on a cruise?"

Ewon shot him a look, and Taehyung laughed. 

"Anyway, it's really not a problem at all. I got to see the country, got to spend some time to myself, and most importantly, I got to think about all the things we'd do once we made it home together."

"Oh?" Ewon crooked a grin "Things like what?"

"Mm, I don't know. I was thinking - and this is a pretty grand thing, mind you, but I think we can pull it off - of doing a tour of the northern side of the country. East to west, of course."

"Of course." Ewon said with a grin. He liked where this was going.

"And we'll make love all across the country, from cheap motel to cheap motel."

"Glamorous." Ewon said with a laugh.

"So once we get home, we'll be reintroduced to each other's bodies, and collapsing into bed together will be like a dream." Taehyung grinned "Then, of course, we can take our tour other places. To a beach house on the Constitution Day in July weekend, maybe in an expensive hotel in Liberation Day on weekend, and then a trip down to Jeju before the snow sets in."

"I like the way you think." Ewon kissed Taehyung's cheek "So...if we want to be able to do all of that, we should get going, don't you think? We've got a lot of ground to cover."

"We do." Taehyung nodded toward his car "You want me to follow you, or do you want me to lead?" 

"I'll follow you." Ewon said "Just don't drive too crazy."

"Can't promise anything. The thought of getting you home is enough to make me drive like a maniac, if it means we can get there a few hours sooner."

Ewon grinned. He leaned against the side of the U-Haul and looked Taehyung over "Drive safe and we can spend years together. Let's arrive alive, okay?"

"You sound like a public service announcement." Taehyyung teased.

"Then let me put it to you this way." Ewon kissed Taehyung, letting their contact sizzle. He'd waited so long to be back in his lover's arms, and now, against all odds, they wouldn't have to miss each other anymore "I love you. I've waited too long for anything bad to happen now. Let's drive safe, okay?"

"If you kiss me like that, I'll agree to anything." Taehyung said with a goofy grin. He kissed Ewon again, and Ewon gave himself over to the kiss. He didn't care who saw, or what anyone thought. He'd gone away on a cruise to get away from it all, and somehow during his travels, he'd found home.

He'd found Taehyung.

And he had a feeling that this big move was the first of many wonderful adventures to come.

The End