July

This was the day. Three months after their relationship had taken a turn for the worst, Donghae was finally ready to make it up to his husband.

No, they hadn't stopped fighting. And no, their fights haven't gotten any less brutal. But thankfully, they haven't gotten any worse either. However, Donghae still was unable to repair their relationship during the past month. He was still reluctant to talk to Hyukjae about everything, somewhat afraid of the other's reaction. He feared that Hyukjae would take it the wrong way and possibly think it was a confrontation rather than an attempt to fix their problems.

So he waited, and he purposely waited until this specific day. The most important day of the year, it still was and has been since their marriage.

He had an immaculate plan, nothing at all could make the day go bad. It was almost noon. Hyukjae had left early this morning, saying he had 'something important to do,' without giving Donghae any details. It didn't matter though. With Hyukjae out of the house until the evening, it was much easier for the younger to prepare everything.

He had already set everything up. Outside on the terrace of their apartment, he had set up a small round table with two chairs. The table had an off-white fabric tablecloth and was littered with dark rose petals and candles of all different sizes. It was plain and simple, but that's how Hyukjae liked things anyway. He was never an over-the-top kind of husband, and neither was Donghae, so the basic yet meaningful decorations would be just fine for this special occasion.

Inside the apartment, starting from the front door and leading to the terrace door was also a path outlined by rose petals and a few candles. Once Hyukjae would arrive home, he would find the apartment to be darkened, save for the candles that would be illuminating the room. 

Now, all that was left was to cook the dinner. Donghae had gone to the store that morning and bought all of his husband's favorite foods along with the other decorating supplies he needed to transform the apartment into something out of a romance novel.

Donghae knew that he could never cook a meal as good as what Hyukjae has cooked for him before. He was a chef at a five-star restaurant, nothing could compare to his cooking. But it's the thought that counts, right? He knew the food would at least be good enough to please his husband. At this point, he was willing to do anything to please Hyukjae.

He had spent the entire afternoon preparing. It was now just after 5:00 in the evening, and Donghae knew that his husband would be home very soon. He had dimmed all the lights in the house and lit every candle, making the scene perfect for when Hyukjae would arrive. He had cooked an amazing dinner and even took the extra step to bake a strawberry cake -- Hyukjae's favorite dessert -- as well. 

The brunet had taken his time to get dressed after cleaning up, styling his hair nicely and spraying a bit of Hyukjae's favorite cologne on his wrists and neck. Donghae pulled a black v-neck t-shirt and dark blue skinny jeans from his closet and quickly dressed in them before heading outside to the balcony to set the table and wait for Hyukjae.

He didn't wait for very long. Within ten minutes his husband had returned from work, closing the apartment door quite loudly. Donghae fidgeted in his chair, barely overcoming the nostalgic feeling of experiencing their first date all over again.

He blinked back the tears that welled in his eyes -- he didn't know why they were there. Perhaps he was just nervous, maybe even afraid of what would happen. He didn't know how Hyukjae would react; it was so hard to read the older man after everything that has happened between them. It's almost like Hyukjae has no emotions anymore. He was an expressionless statue.

This was it; his last chance to finally do something so they could make up. Donghae couldn't deal with it anymore, he wanted his husband back and he wanted them to just stop all of this. All of the emotional pain, everything he's gone through the last few months was just too much for him to handle. He was ready to go back, ready to give Hyukjae all of his love again and never stop.

Donghae glanced up at the doorway and wondered when Hyukjae would appear. He heard the sound of keys dropping on the kitchen counter, followed by slow footsteps.

But then there was silence.

"Hae?" he heard Hyukjae call. The brunet's heart skipped a beat. Hyukjae had called him by his favorite nickname, something he hasn't done since... well, Donghae couldn't remember.

The footsteps started again, this time coming closer and closer, and Donghae's heart sped up with each tap tap of Hyukjae's shoes on the wooden floor. The brunet nearly jumped out of his chair as Hyukjae suddenly appeared in the doorway, a confused yet adorable expression on his face. The married couple locked eyes for a moment, Donghae feeling a bit shy under the raven head's gaze. Hyukjae scanned the table, eyeing the candles, rose petals and the delicious food that were placed on it.

"I made dinner for us," Donghae stated quietly, as if it wasn't already obvious. He shifted uncomfortably as the raven haired man just stood there still looking at him, but listening to his every word without interrupting. Donghae lowered his gaze to his lap and chewed his lip. "I thought you might like it and... we should talk about some things afterwards."

Hyukjae stood for a moment, his eyes floating back and forth between Donghae and the door. He then let out a relieved sigh and even dared to give a small smile as he sat down. "That sounds wonderful," he said quietly, picking up his chopsticks and reaching for the tastiest looking sushi roll.

They knew it was a big step for both of them. It had been such a long time since they've spoken more than two sentences to each other, even longer since they've sat down to have a meal together like this. And they both savored every second of it. Hyukjae surprised himself upon realizing how proud he was of his husband for having enough courage to set this up. 

The sushi was probably the best thing Donghae had ever cooked. And he could tell, just by the look on Hyukjae's face every time he took a bite. Donghae's heart fluttered and a tiny, tiny feeling of excitement and relief grew within him. Maybe things were getting better.

They finished their dinner not long after they sat down together. Everything was delicious and both were satisfied as every dish was empty. Donghae chewed his lip nervously and stared down at his lap, feeling like he was on his first date with Hyukjae all over again. He knew it shouldn't be this difficult to start the conversation that both of them were somewhat anxious about, but it was anyway.

Hyukjae stared at his husband as he squirmed in his chair, the sight bringing him back in time to the day they had gone out to dinner and had a long walk through the city of Tokyo afterwards. He had taken Donghae to his favorite restaurant, and they had wandered aimlessly through the lit up city streets long after the sun had set. He remembered how nervous he was that night, having planned that whole vacation simply to make that one moment happen.

He remembered how he wasn't able to sit still during dinner, just like Donghae was now. He was so nervous, so worried that something would go wrong. But nothing could go wrong. He was confident that everything would be perfect, but there was still that little bit of anxiety playing in the back of his mind.

He had brought Donghae to the Tokyo tower, one of the places both had wanted to go while they were on that trip. And Hyukjae knew it would be perfect. They made their way up to the highest point of the tower and Hyukjae was thankful that the space was vacant. The view of the city lit up at night was breathtaking, but not as beautiful as the man he had standing next to him. Donghae's smile was brighter than those city lights, and Hyukjae had never felt as much love for the other than he did in that moment.

Hyukjae had proposed to Donghae that night. He remembered every detail, and could repeat everything he had said to his boyfriend if he was asked to. His words, filled with love and adoration, brought Donghae to tears.

Hyukjae would give anything to have that night back, to have Donghae in his arms again and to know that they loved each other without any doubts.

The man sighed and reached across the table to take Donghae's hand, and he stood up while his husband looked at him curiously. "Let's talk," Hyukjae said quietly.

Donghae stood up as well and the raven head gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Okay."

A flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder overhead startled the couple, neither of them having noticed how dark the sky had gotten. It was instantly followed by the rain, falling