Oof, this is a long one! I started this about two months ago bc Hyunjin's selfies with his cute I  ❤  NY shirt inspired me all of a sudden! This is basically just soft boys being in love. I needed to write Hyunsung, bc they make me soft and let's face it, the world needs more Hyunsung! 

I'd like to apologize for typos in advance. 

I hope you guys like it! 

 

PUBLISHED: 09/24/2018 
EDIT: 09/11/2020

 

"It's not the distance that's the enemy, but the endless time I have to wait until I hold you in my arms." 

– Besski Levius

 

"Channie, I'm nervous. What if it's not like we hoped?"

Han Jisung was currently panicking at Incheon International Airport where he was about to board a plane to New York City. He had been saving up for his one-month-stay there since his sophomore year in high school and now that it was finally here, he was beyond nervous.

"You couldn't shut up about this guy ever since you two started talking. You're finally going to meet him after three years. It's not like you don't know him so what are you afraid of?" Jisung's friend Bang Chan questioned, watching the younger pace around frantically.

"I'm scared that we won't get along in person. I'm scared that once I come back the magic will be gone...maybe going to visit him is a mistake...what if I'm not what he imagined..." the younger panicked. Chan stood in his way to stop him from pacing and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You will be just fine, Jisung. You're ready for this! You've wanted this for so long and now it's finally happening. It's only natural that you're nervous, but once you're on that plane things are only going to get better!" Jisung nodded, grateful for his friend's encouraging words. He knew that Chan was right. He had been waiting for this and it wasn't like he was going to meet a complete stranger.

"Now go, before you miss your flight!" Chan warned him, a fond smile spreading on his lips, as he pulled the younger in for a hug. "Have fun, okay? We'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too. You and Minho better be dating by the time I get back!" Jisung , only barely dodging the swing he got in return. He laughed and waved at Chan one last time before heading to his gate on the way to meet his boyfriend of almost three years for the very first time.

"Hwang Hyunjin, here I come."

~Flashback~

Jisung had just turned 15 years old when he talked to Hyunjin for the very first time. It was a boring Saturday afternoon in a way too hot September. Jisung was in his room, his window wide open and a glass of ice tea standing next to him on the bedside table, as he was going through Twitter.

He knew he should study right now, since his sophomore year in high school had just begun, but he couldn't get his up and do it.

"Jisung, sweetie, is your homework done?" his mother called from downstairs.

"On it, mom!" he shouted back.

He was just about to close Twitter and get to it before he'd get his kicked when he stumbled across a picture of Manhattan Bridge. He didn't know why it intrigued him so much as he'd seen thousands of pictures taken at that exact spot, but something about the way '@jinnie_hwang' had captured it was... different.

The caption read: 'there's no place like home~ #myshot #photography #newyork'.

Jisung retweeted the picture before finally closing the app and putting down his phone. He got up from his bed with an exaggerated groan due to the heat and patted over to his desk to get his homework done.

It didn't take long until his attention was drawn back to his phone, though. He went to snatch it off his bed, promptly sitting back down on his desk chair, in case his mom would come to check in on him doing his homework.

Jisung opened Twitter again and looked at his latest retweet. Before he could stop himself, he clicked on the username and was led to '@jinnie_hwang's profile. His layout was also New York themed. This person really seemed to love their city, but how could they not? New York City was an amazing city after all. The sophomore proceeded to read '@jinnie_hwang's bio.

Jinnie
@jinnie_hwang

15|hobby photographer|he/him
"Photography is the story I fail to put into words.' – Destin Sparks

So the photographer was his age? He was extremely talented for being so young, Jisung noticed as he went through Jinnie's tweets, most of which included his photographs. He found some occasional tweets about him not wanting to go to school and similar things Jisung related to. He stopped at one tweet that also had a picture attached.

'First Pride! #NYCPride #lgbtq #pride #pridemonth #gayandproud'

The picture was of a guy, back facing the camera with a rainbow flag hanging from his shoulders. Jisung smiled at the picture. He had yet to tell his parents that he was gay, so he felt both happy for this guy to be able to be this open about his uality, and sad that he didn't have the courage to be like him.

He scrolled through a few more tweets before deciding to follow the account. Deciding that he should probably really get to work now, he put his phone back down and continued doing his homework.

~

Jisung found himself back on @jinnie_hwang's Twitter the very same evening. He couldn't put his finger on what exactly he liked so much about the guy's pictures, but he couldn't stop looking at them. It was like they spoke to him. He felt like he was getting to know the photographer simply by looking at his art.

That was when it hit him – he wanted to get to know this guy; befriend him. His DMs were open...he just had to send one...

~present day~

"Would you like anything to drink, sir?" the flight attendant asked Jisung, effectively ripping him from his thoughts about how it all began. It was thanks to this gorgeous picture of Manhattan Bridge that Jisung was even on this flight.

"I'd love a Coca Cola, please," he answered the young woman's question. She smiled and poured him some of the beverage into a small cup. "Thank you," Jisung said. She bowed and moved along. He looked out of the window. 11 more hours until he would finally see Hyunjin in person for the first time.

He smiled at the memory of his very first, very awkward DM to Hyunjin, sent almost exactly three years ago. 'Hey, um, I saw your pics and you're really good. Wanna be mutuals? I'm Jisung, by the way...'

To this day, he sometimes still asked himself why Hyunjin had even answered that awkward mess. ('Thank you! I'd love that. I'm Hyunjin!')

It was amazing how fast they'd grown closer from that point onwards. They had discovered their similar taste in music – which was Jisung's passion -, their love for the same school subjects and so much more. Soon the two of them took things to texting as they told each other more about their lives.

Jisung found out that Hyunjin was Korean-American and could speak both English and Korean fluently, which made things way easier for Jisung. Granted, his English was almost perfect from having spent most of his middle school time studying in Malaysia, but sometimes he just couldn't find the right words in English. Being able to resort to Korean if he had to was very helpful to him.

It had felt so good to talk to someone about everything he couldn't discuss with his friends and family, like his uality or his interest in becoming a rapper. Sure, he knew that his friends loved him no matter who he loved, and he was aware that Chan had similar dreams about getting into the music business. But with Hyunjin everything was different. He got him like nobody else did.

After three months of texting they had exchanged their first selfies and if Jisung hadn't already had a crush on Hyunjin and his sweet personality by then, his face surely would have done the rest...

Next, they started talking on the phone before eventually moving to occasional video chats. By then, Jisung's friends had caught on to the fact that something was going on. It wasn't that Jisung had been a gloomy kid before but talking to Hyunjin made him... glow. He smiled all day long, perking up every time his phone buzzed, even when he got in trouble for texting in class, his mood never faded. Not too long after, he finally gathered enough courage to come out to his parents.

They had been so much more understanding about it than Jisung would have expected. He had told them about his dreams to become a musician and they hadn't taken it well, so he hadn't been too sure about letting them know that he was into guys. All of Jisung's worries had been for nothing, though.

He told his friends about Hyunjin first. He told them how he made him feel the happiest he'd ever been. It earned him lots of teasing, but Jisung didn't mind at all. He waited with telling his parents because he knew they would probably worry about his safety too much, even though he was certain that Hyunjin was just a harmless 15-year-old.

Jisung had thought about confessing to Hyunjin for about a month after telling his friends about him, but he hadn't been sure if he should. He didn't know if he could handle Hyunjin rejecting him and possibly break off all contact. His friends had encouraged him to do it, though; something he'd be eternally grateful for.

~Flashback~

Jisung: 
Jinnie...I have something to tell you...

Hyunjin: 
Are you okay? Is it something serious?

Jisung: 
It's serious, but not bad...
Not necessarily, at least...
Can I call you?

Hyunjin: 
Wait, give me a minute. I'll head up to my room
Okay, you're good

Jisung took a deep breath before clicking the call button, his heartbeat picking up in speed when Hyunjin answered almost immediately. "Hi..." the younger mumbled. He heard shuffling noises figuring that Hyunjin must have gotten comfortable on his bed.

"Hey... what is it that you wanna talk about?" Hyunjin asked. Jisung didn't miss the concerned undertone in his voice, which made him fall for the older even harder. Now was the time to confess his feelings!

"I... uh..." he trailed off.

"You know, you can tell me anything, right?" Hyunjin encouraged him. Jisung smiled because it was true. The older always listened to him and vice versa. Their 13-hour time difference often forced them to give up some sleep, in order to be able to talk, but neither of the two minded.

"Jisungie?" Hyunjin asked softly.

The younger snapped out of his thoughts and cleared his throat. "Sorry... I... don't quite know how to do this."

"Just say what's on your mind. I won't laugh, judge or hang up," Hyunjin promised.

Jisung took another deep breath before he finally said what was on his mind:

"I think I like you..."

A silence followed, that caused Jisung to sit up in his own bed, clutching onto a pillow and holding it to his chest tightly, bracing himself for the incoming rejection. Maybe this had been a bad idea...

"You- you do?" Hyunjin finally stammered.

Jisung nodded, before remembering that he was 7000 miles away and couldn't see him. "Yes... I've liked you for a while now... I'm sorry..."

"No, don't be! I... I'm just surprised. I never would have thought that you'd like me back!"

Jisung's eyes widened. "Did you say... I-... you..."

Hyunjin laughed at the younger's stutters. "I like you, too, Han Jisung...I'd love to tell you that in person, but that will have to wait..." he clarified. Jisung blushed furiously. Hyunjin liked him back and actually wanted to meet him?

"I-I've been saving up..." Jisung confessed. "Ever since we got closer and started joking around about visiting each other, I've been saving up all my allowance and the money from my part-time job at the pet shop. I can come visit you in New York one day. I... I mean if you want me to."

Hyunjin made an excited noise on the other side of the line. "That would be amazing! I'll show you all my favorite spots!" he exclaimed.

Jisung smiled; his chest felt like it was about to burst open. "I can't wait for that day to come. I'll talk to my parents about it," he promised Hyunjin.

Despite his excitement about possibly being able to go to New York and Hyunjin returning his feelings, Jisung felt his eyes getting droopier. Hyunjin chuckled when he heard Jisung yawn, even though he'd tried to disguise it as a random noise.

"Go to sleep. It's 3am over there," he said softly. "We'll talk tomorrow, okay?" Jisung yawned again before humming in agreement. "Sweet dreams, Jisungie," Hyunjin added. The younger mumbled a sleepy farewell before they both hung up. A few seconds later, his phone lit up with a text.

Hyunjin: 
Wait – does this mean I can call you my boyfriend now?

Jisung typed back a sleepy 'that's exactly what it means' before drifting off with his phone lying on his chest and Hyunjin – his boyfriend on his mind.

~present day~

Jisung couldn't help but smile every time he thought about that day. He never would have thought that he would end up in a long-distance relationship with @jinnie_hwang. It was hard, the distance, especially when Jisung's parents didn't allow him to go to New York until he graduated high school. After he'd finally told them about Hyunjin, they wanted to see for themselves if it would even work out, so they set this goal for him.

He remembered the determination he'd felt inside of him when they had told him that if he worked hard and graduated well, they'd even pay for a part of his trip. Sure, he'd been upset about not being able to see Hyunjin right away, but he'd also started taking school and his part-time job more seriously.

If he looked back at his 15-year-old self now, he was kind of grateful to his parents for not letting him go immediately. With the goal set in their minds, he and Hyunjin had had enough time to strengthen their relationship; see if they could even handle being with each other while being 7000 miles apart.

He remembered Hyunjin telling him that his aunt and uncle and many other relatives were so against this relationship, trying to encourage him to find someone close-by – if he already had to date a guy. Jisung had heard similar things from some of his own relatives. Even his parents at some point.

But there was no feeling like getting home after school and texting Hyunjin, asking if he was awake and up to talk. Of course, they couldn't always stay awake for each other, but whenever they were, they'd stay up for hours, talking about anything and everything.

Jisung had never met Hyunjin before, but he missed him so bad.

~Flashback~

"Can you miss someone you've never even met before?" Jisung asked his friend Seungmin when their customer had just left the pet shop with her newly bought puppy.

Seungmin looked at him. "I assume you're talking about Hyunjin," he said knowingly.

Jisung blushed. "Maybe... it's just we talk almost every day and I still miss him..." he tried to explain. His friend turned to face him.

"It only makes sense. You're together but not actually together. I think I'd miss him too, if I were in your shoes," he told Jisung, who sighed. "I guess... but it's just... hard."

"Of course, it is, but graduation is only half a year away. You've been strong all this time. Six more months and you'll be able to see him in person," the younger encouraged him. Jisung sighed again but nodded nonetheless.

Six months seemed incredibly long to him. But this was about...he was worth it. So worth it.

~present day~

He was nervous, excited and just extremely happy. After all this time of waiting and longing, he was now only three hours away from Hyunjin. He couldn't wait to finally stand in front of him, hold his hand and just be close enough to touch him.

He looked out of the window impatiently. Of course, he wasn't able to see a thing, but it didn't matter. Looking out of the window made him feel somewhat closer already. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't believe it. Three years of good times, not so good times, laughing together or crying when the distance between them seemed further than usual; today they would take their relationship to a new level.

As nervous as Jisung was, he was ready!

~Flashback~

"I can't believe that you'll be here in 48 hours," Hyunjin said, a wide smile spreading on his face as Jisung adjusted his position on the bed to get more comfortable. It had been a while since he and Hyunjin had seen each other, since the older had caught a cold and didn't want Jisung to "see him suffer".

"Me neither. This feels so surreal..." the younger agreed, adjusting his beanie. He didn't want to show Hyunjin his new hair color just yet. Hyunjin ran a hand through his own, slightly grown-out raven hair. Jisung absolutely loved this look on his boyfriend, though he looked good either way. 

"What do you want to do first when you get here?" Hyunjin questioned. Jisung pretended to think about it, even though, he had pictured the moment at least a million times.

"I want to kiss you," he said. Usually, it was Hyunjin who was more confident about the ways he'd show affection to Jisung. Even through the phone screen, he could see his boyfriend blushing. "Then I want to hold your hand and never let go..." he added. "And then I want to go eat something, since I'll probably be starving."

Hyunjin cracked up at the last bit. "Of course, I wouldn't have expected anything else. I'll treat you to a fancy sandwich at Subway... or a nice pizza."

Jisung beamed at the mention of pizza. "You're a man after my heart, Hwang Hyunjin," he said.

"Don't forget to bring mine..." Hyunjin told hm.

"Your what?" Jisung asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

Hyunjin grinned. "My heart." Now, it was the younger's turn to blush. Hyunjin would get cheesy like that sometimes because he loved to make him flustered. Jisung loved it, though he didn't always know how to respond to it.

"Do you want it back?" he asked, shyly because he usually didn't play along like this.

"No, it's yours. I just want you to bring it with you."

"Don't worry about it. It's always right here with me," Jisung assured him.

~present day~

"We're asking all passengers to please fasten their seatbelts, as we will be landing in approximately 10 minutes time. Thank you."

Jisung fumbled with his seatbelt excitedly, putting it on. 10 minutes until he'd finally be in New York City for the first time in his life. His heartbeat picked up again, as he realized just how real this was. He was only minutes away from Hyunjin.

The landing was smooth and, as soon as he could, Jisung undid the seatbelt and jumped to his feet. The 14-hour flight had exhausted him to no end, but that didn't dim his excitement at all.

He passed the immigration and headed straight for baggage claim before making his way to arrivals where Hyunjin said he'd be waiting for him. He looked around, seeing dozens of people with signs in their hands, as they searched for whomever they were waiting for. Jisung couldn't see Hyunjin anywhere. He wouldn't give up so easily, though.

Jisung kept searching the crowd for his boyfriend when a seemingly handmade sign written in Korean, caught his attention.

'My darling, Han Jisung'

And there he stood, meeting his eyes just as Jisung had spotted him among the others. Hyunjin's face lit up and he lowered the sign, as the younger approached him, dragging his suitcase along behind him, gradually picking up in speed until he was running.

It was like a scene out of a romance movie.

Jisung downright dropped the handle of his suitcase when he was only a few more steps away from him. Hyunjin opened his arms, also letting go of the sign, Jisung practically jumping on him, engulfing him in a bone-crushing hug. It was surprising that Hyunjin didn't fall over. Jisung wrapped his arms around the older's neck and his legs around his hips, clinging on to him like a koala.

Hyunjin put him down after a few seconds, only to cup his cheeks, thumbs caressing them once or twice and looking him over. His eyes got stuck on the younger's lips for a few seconds before he leaned down and kissed him.

Jisung's arms found their way around Hyunjin's waist. He moved closer, filling the last bit of space between them as he melted into the kiss. It was indescribable; like the kiss he had been waiting for his entire life. Hyunjin's lips were soft and full and they tasted like coffee. His hands wandered from Jisung's cheeks to his shoulders and down to his back where he gently wrapped his arms around his waist.

Eventually, they had to pull back due to their need for air kicking in. Their foreheads were touching as Jisung took a few seconds before he opened his eyes again after that mind-blowing kiss.

"Hi," Hyunjin said with a small chuckle and slightly out of breath. Jisung smiled, tears of joy starting to brim in his eyes. He pulled Hyunjin in for another hug, mumbling a "hi" in return before burying his face in the crook of his neck. He felt Hyunjin's grip around him tighten as the younger practically inhaled his scent.

Hyunjin smelled like cinnamon and coffee and just... himself. He smelled like home. On one hand, Jisung wanted to stay like this forever, entangled with his boyfriend, basking in his warmth. On the other hand, Jisung wanted to see him. He pulled out of their hug, looking into the older's eyes, reaching out to touch Hyunjin's face as if to make sure that he was real.

His fingertips gently pushed back a strand of raven hair, before moving down over his cheek and down to those beautiful, now kiss-swollen lips. Hyunjin was indeed real and he was here right in front of him.

They didn't know how long they stood there, just staring at each other, but eventually Hyunjin spoke up: "I think you said something about wanting to hold my hand and never let go..." His voice was small like he didn't want to ruin the intensity of the moment. Jisung chuckled.

"Right, I did say that," he answered, instantly reaching out to lace his fingers with his boyfriend's.

Hyunjin's hand was larger than his, but Jisung's fit in it like it was made just for him. The younger smiled at the sight. He'd often imagined what Hyunjin's hand would feel like when he held it. It was soft, just like the rest of him (well, that wasn't entirely true, he had felt how toned his body was when he'd hugged him).

Hyunjin went to pick up Jisung's abandoned luggage, still holding his hand before he faced the younger again. "Now, how about we get out of here and I'll take you to my place before I treat you to the best pizza in all of Brooklyn?" he suggested. Jisung grinned and nodded.

"I like that plan."

~

Jisung was mildly impressed by the fact that Hyunjin had driven here by car, though he knew that he had a license. He smiled fondly when he remembered how the older had sent him a picture of it on the day he'd passed his driving test.

Hyunjin loaded Jisung's luggage into the trunk and pressed a short but sweet kiss onto Jisung's lips before opening the passenger's door for the younger to get in. "Gentleman," Jisung teased. Hyunjin chuckled and closed the door, jogging around the car to get in on the other side.

He started the car and drove off. Jisung's eyes were practically glued to his side-profile. How was he even more handsome in person?

The older chuckled. "You're staring," he pointed out.

Jisung grinned, for some reason not at all embarrassed about getting caught. "I know. How can I not?" he said. Hyunjin laughed.

"You're so cute..."

~

The drive to Hyunjin's apartment wasn't very long and soon enough Jisung found himself in a spacious, comfortable-looking two-bedroom apartment. He couldn't describe it very well, but the vibe was just so utterly New York. He loved it; it somehow instantly made him feel at home.

"I'm sorry for the mess, we just moved in a month ago and I haven't really gotten around to unpacking everything yet", Hyunjin pointed out, as he set Jisung's suitcase down in what the younger assumed to be his boyfriend's room.

He looked around. Hyunjin had told him a while ago that he was moving in with two of his friends, before they'd start attending university together this fall. What Hyunjin had referred to as a mess was actually just a few boxes stacked next to the window, but other than that, Jisung couldn't see anything close to an actual mess.

He grinned at Hyunjin. "I'm the messiest person you'll ever meet, so I think I'll have to apologize to you in advance," he told the older, who just chuckled fondly.

"I can handle that," he replied. Hyunjin reached for his hand again and led him to the kitchen. It wasn't as spacious as the rest of the apartment, but still cozy. It mainly consisted of a counter, a shelf and a large fridge that had tons of delivery service flyers pinned to the front.

"We're not too big on cooking," Hyunjin said, taking his phone out of his pocket and dialing the number of one of the pizza delivery services. Jisung chuckled.

"I can tell," he answered.

"What do you want to eat?" the older asked.

"I think I'll take peperoni." He watched Hyunjin order a large peperoni pizza and some onion rings all while still holding his hand. Jisung could really get used to this.

"Prepare to be blown away. I wasn't kidding when I said that they have the best pizza in Brooklyn," Hyunjin told him with a grin on his face as he pulled the younger closer, casually wrapping his arms around his waist.

Jisung returned the grin as he stood up on his tip toes to connect his lips with Hyunjin's, while snaking his arms around Hyunjin's neck. He felt the older pull him closer, as he deepened the kiss. Jisung played with the long strands of Hyunjin's hair at the nape of his neck while gently biting down on his plump bottom lip, earning himself a small gasp from his boyfriend.

Before things could go any further, though, they heard someone clear their throat, causing the two of them to jump apart. They faced the intruders. Jisung tried not to blush at getting caught like this.

"Hey guys," Hyunjin greeted the two newcomers who stood in the doorway, grinning at the couple. One of them had faded pink hair and freckles, the other one was a little bit shorter than the first one with brown hair and a small face. He would probably look intimidating if it weren't for the teasing grin on his face.

"Hi," the freckled guy said, addressing Jisung with a bright smile, "you must be Jisung. Hyunjin literally never shuts up about you. I'm Felix, this is my boyfriend Changbin." Jisung was a little caught off guard by how fast Felix was talking.

"Um... hey," he answered. He was still lowkey embarrassed, which seemed to delight Felix even more.

"Did you two eat already? We were about to go out again," Changbin asked. Hyunjin put an arm around the younger's shoulders.

"We're just going to have pizza and stay inside. I'm sure Jisung's exhausted. You two have fun, though," he explained.

Jisung silently agreed. Now, that he got over the first wave of excitement he was really craving a shower and some food before going to sleep.

Felix wagged his eyebrows. "You too, just not too much," he said. The very next moment Hyunjin was chasing the other boy through the apartment. Changbin simply shook his head at the two before looking at Jisung.

"What Felix said was true, by the way. Hyunjin talks about you a lot."

"I hope it's all good," the other joked.

Changbin chuckled. "You have no idea. I don't think I've ever seen him care so much about anyone. And I've known him almost all my life," he explained. Jisung felt his cheeks heat up. He hadn't been aware that his impact on Hyunjin had been this big.

"Binnie! Save me!" Felix low voice shouted from another room. Changbin snorted but went to collect his boyfriend nonetheless. About a minute later Hyunjin rejoined Jisung where he still stood in the kitchen, as Felix shouted: "We're out. See you later, lovebirds!"

"Sorry, darling. Felix has a big mouth sometimes," Hyunjin said.

Jisung waved off. "I don't mind..."

Hyunjin smiled. "Do you want to wash up before the food arrives?" the older questioned. Jisung nodded eagerly. Hyunjin let him fetch some fresh clothes before showing him the bathroom – which was across from his room. "Alright, towels are over here, and you can put your clothes in that laundry basket...I'll be in the living room," Hyunjin explained, before leaning down to kiss the younger on the cheek and turning to leave the room.

~

Jisung took a quick shower, which was extremely refreshing after his long- flight. He quickly dried himself off, before putting on his underwear, black sweats and a-... wait, where the heck was his shirt? He was almost 100% sure that he'd brought on to the bathroom.

"Jisung? Pizza's here; are you almost done?" Hyunjin called through the bathroom door.

"Uh... yeah. I just forgot to bring a shirt," the younger answered.

He could hear his boyfriend snicker before he said: "Hang on, I'll get you one." Jisung heard the older's footsteps, as he went to his room to fetch him a shirt and came back. "I got one," Hyunjin announced.

Jisung opened the door just a crack, taking the shirt from the older and mumbling a shy "thanks". He looked at the piece of fabric. It didn't look familiar at all. "Wait, this isn't mine..." he called through the door, which only earned him another chuckle.

"I know. It's mine...just put it on, love," Hyunjin said.

Jisung blushed. He'd sometimes envied the couples who got to wear each other's clothes. Even Minho walked around in Chan's hoodies more often than not and those two weren't even dating – yet. Now, here he was with Hyunjin's shirt in his hands. They finally got to be a 'normal' couple. 

He pulled the shirt over his head and left the bathroom. Hyunjin leaned against the opposite wall, next to the door to his room. He grinned at Jisung. "You look cute in my clothes," he pointed out. The shirt was a little big on him, considering Hyunjin was taller and broader, but Jisung didn't mind.

Hyunjin smiled and reached out, signaling for his boyfriend to take his hand, which he did. Together, they headed to the living room, where a large pizza carton stood on a glass coffee table, along with a box of onion rings and two sodas. Only now did Jisung realize just how hungry he'd been. Sure, he'd eaten on the plane, but that had been hours ago. The smell of fresh pizza made his mouth water.

They sat down cross-legged on the couch, devouring their food. "How was your flight, by the way?" Hyunjin asked, wiping some tomato sauce off the corner of his lip with his thumb.

"It was alright. 14 hours pass incredibly slow when you're looking forward to something, though..." Jisung replied.

Hyunjin chuckled. "I can relate. This past week felt like a whole month. I was literally counting the hours until I'd get to see you," he said. "I like what you did with your hair." Hyunjin reached out to play with the younger's freshly dyed orange hair. The younger blushed again.

"Thanks. I kind of wanted change," he explained. "My mom wasn't happy about it," he added with a little laugh.

"I think it suits you," Hyunjin told him. Jisung smiled, happy that his boyfriend liked this look on him.

After eating, Jisung felt the tiredness sink in. He yawned, causing Hyunjin to coo at him. "Aw, my baby's tired. Come on, let's get you to bed," he said, pulling Jisung to his feet. "Since we only have two bedrooms in total, you get my bed. I'll sleep on the couch," the older explained.

Jisung, sleepy as he was, pouted at him from where he'd already fallen onto his boyfriend's bed. "Don't be ridiculous. I wanna cuddle..." he complained.

Hyunjin laughed. "And here I was, trying to be an honorable gentleman," he teased. Jisung waved off.

"To hell with that. You're warm and we're finally in the same time zone. Cuddle me!" he demanded playfully.

Hyunjin shook his head fondly but climbed into his bed where his cute boyfriend made grabby hands at him. He didn't even bother changing, not wanting to deprive Jisung of his well-deserved cuddles anymore. The younger immediately snuffled up to him, letting his head rest on Hyunjin's chest. Hyunjin responded by loosely wrapping his arms around Jisung.

He'd wanted to hold his boyfriend in his arms for so long. Now, that he finally got to, he fell asleep with a content smile on his face. He just hoped that this wasn't all just a dream.

~

"Did you get it? Aw...they're so cute..."

Hyunjin was woken up by excited whispers, which sounded suspiciously like Changbin and Felix. He lifted his head, careful not to wake up Jisung, who was still sleeping soundly on his chest. "Get the out, you weirdos," he whisper-yelled at his friends. The couple stood in the doorway, taking pictures of him and Jisung with their phones. They giggled and quickly fled Hyunjin's room.

Hyunjin sank back into the pillows as Jisung shifted, cuddling up to him even more and burying his face in the crook of Hyunjin's neck, all without waking up. The older still couldn't quite believe that this was reality. He had to resist the urge to pinch himself.

If he looked back now, his 15-year-old self never would have thought that he'd end up dating @squirrelcheeks00, who had complimented his photography skills.

~Flashback~

Hyunjin had been texting with Jisung, the boy from Twitter for about three months now. At first, he'd been reluctant to exchange numbers with a stranger, but talking over text was so much more convenient for both of them.

Jisung was nice and, even though they hadn't been talking for that long, Hyunjin already felt close to him. So far, nobody knew about his online friend, aside from his little brother Jeongin. Today, the 14-year-old had voiced a concern that had already bugged Hyunjin for about a week now.

"What if he's catfishing you, though? For all we know Jisung could be a 69-year-old ert named Herbert!"

Hyunjin nodded slowly, opening his texting app. "I should just ask him for a picture... but what if it makes him uncomfortable?" he asked his little brother.

"Well, you can still tell him that he doesn't have to. I'm sure, Herbert won't mind, though," Jeongin joked dodging the older's playful swing at him. Hyunjin fell back on his bed, staring at his phone.

"I'll just do it!" he said, checking the time. Right now, it was 11pm here, which meant that it was currently noon in South Korea. Since it was the weekend, Hyunjin figured that Jisung wasn't at school. He thought about how to approach the subject.

Hyunjin:
Hey, you there?

Jisung: 
Yeah, hi! What are you up to?

Hyunjin: 
Just hanging out with my lil brother
wbu?

Jisung:
Oh, I just woke up
Sundays were made to sleep in after all.

Hyunjin: 
Right 
Hey uh...
This might sound weird, but...
Don't you think it's time to, you know...
See what the other looks like?
I mean, we don't have to right now! It's just...
I could be catfishing you for all you know

Jisung:
Are you?

Hyunjin:
Of course, not. But wouldn't you like proof?

Jisung: 
Bby, if you want me to send a pic you just gotta say the word

Hyunjin: 
I just don't want to pressure you.
I like talking to you and I'd just really...
I don't know, I'm rambling

Jisung: 
Dw, it's cute
I have to warn you, though...
I'm not as good-looking as you might imagine 
[Image attached]

"Oh my god, what do I do, he's handsome!" Hyunjin exclaimed, sitting up to look at his little brother. Jeongin snatched his phone away and looked at the picture. It showed a cute, brunette boy with squishy cheeks, doing V sign.

"Damn, big brother. You got yourself a whole snacc!" Hyunjin swatted at the younger again.

"Shut up, we're just friends! Besides, where the hell do you even learn these words?" he exclaimed.

Jeongin chuckled. "Felix" was his only response.

Hyunjin rolled his eyes. "Of course..." he mumbled. "Now, what should I do?" he questioned when Jeongin held his phone out to him.

"For now, you should probably reply, cause he's panicking."

Jisung:
So, yeah... that's me
...
I scared you off, didn't I?
I told you, I wasn't good-looking
I'm sorry
Um... if you could just forget what you saw...?
Hyunjin?
Okay... I'll just see myself out then

Hyunjin:
No! 
Sorry for not replying 
You're amazing!
Um... you look really good, I mean
Like... handsome...
Why would you think you're not good-looking?
You look like a literal angel!

Jeongin, who was peeking onto his screen, snorted. "Just friends, alright," he muttered. Hyunjin glared at him, but the younger just laughed and got up. "I'll leave you two friends to talk," he said, wagging his eyebrows. Hyunjin responded by throwing a pillow at him, which missed Jeongin by a hair.

He waited until his brother was out of the room, before looking at his phone again. Jisung had already replied.

Jisung:
I mean, I wouldn't say 'angel'
I've been told that I'm too...
Idk...
Chubby?

Hyunjin:
What?! Who said that?! I'll fight!

Jisung:
dw about it
Um... so... do I get to see you, too?

Hyunjin:
Oh right, sorry!

Hyunjin contemplated whether he should take a new selfie or find an old one. He decided to just quickly take a new one. Luckily, he didn't look too messed up.

Hyunjin:
Here you go... that's me...
[image attached]

Jisung:
o h

Hyunjin: 
What? 
Something wrong?

Jisung:
Nothing at all! 
I just didn't realize that you were so-
You...
You're just really handsome and... 
I may or may not have dropped my phone onto my face

Hyunjin: 
lol, you're cute

Jisung:
And you're gorgeous
Oh wow, I did not mean to say that
My brain is malfunctioning
I mean
You're obviously handsome but-
You know what
I'll get back to you in a few minutes

Hyunjin giggled. Jisung was just too cute. His adorable personality matched his face all too well. Hyunjin didn't have to be a genius to figure out that he already liked him way too much. He'd already realized that a while ago. And now, he had a face to daydream about...

~present day~

Jisung stirred awake, effectively taking Hyunjin back to the present. The younger lifted his head and looked at Hyunjin, who smiled at him fondly and reached out to play with a loose strand of his orange hair.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said softly.

Jisung returned his smile. "Morning," he muttered, his morning voice low and raspy. "I almost feared this was a dream..." he added. Hyunjin could understand that all too well. How often had he dreamed of being inside a plane and getting ready for landing at Incheon International Airport, only to wake up before he'd even reached the ground.

"Are you gonna show me your city today?" Jisung asked Hyunjin with an excited grin on his sleepy face. The older poked his cheek gently, loving his boyfriend's squishiness.

"Sure, if you think you've rested enough."

Jisung took his hand, starting to play with his fingers. "I'm good," he assured him. He sat up cross-legged, though not letting go of Hyunjin's hand. The older looked at him; his tired eyes, squishy cheeks and messy bed hair... he was beautiful.

"What?" Jisung questioned when he noticed Hyunjin just staring at him.

"Nothing... just admiring you..." he answered.

The younger blushed. "S-so, um...about the sightseeing," he mumbled, effectively switching subjects. Hyunjin laughed. How was his boyfriend so cute? He finally sat up as well, leaning against the headboard and watching Jisung play with the ring on his index finger.

"I figured we'd do the touristy stuff this week. I've actually never seen the city from a tourist's perspective. Then next week I could show you the city how I know it and, um..." Hyunjin trailed off.

Jisung tilted his head. "What's up?" he asked.

"My family asked to meet you. We don't have to go. I can tell them-"

"No, it's fine! I understand that they'd want to meet their son's online boyfriend. I'll be there," Jisung said, quickly assuring him.

"Good... my little brother will probably embarrass me to no end, but I'd love for you to meet him," Hyunjin told him sheepishly.

"Then I will."

~

After getting up and dressed, they had a quick breakfast. Next, they took the subway to get into the city, in order to go sightseeing. Jisung snorted at Hyunjin when he took a picture of him with the camera that hung from his neck.

"What? I'm just taking some beautiful pictures..." Hyunjin explained with a wide grin. Jisung rolled his eyes playfully. The older wrapped an arm around his shoulders as they walked through the crowded streets of Manhattan. "Now...which cliché thing is the closest from here..." Hyunjin mumbled to himself, making Jisung laugh

They spent the day looking at many different things Jisung had only seen on TV before. Hyunjin kept taking pictures of his boyfriend, sometimes asking him to stand somewhere specific, but mostly he just captured all the precious moments Jisung had – which were a lot.

"Am I really that interesting to you?" the younger asked with a chuckle. They were currently on top of the Empire State Building as the sun slowly began to set. Jisung had excitedly pointed at something and quickly turned around to find Hyunjin taking a picture of him.

Hyunjin lowered the camera and stepped closer to his boyfriend. "You're like living art," he told the younger. Jisung blushed and turned away and turned away, pretending to watch the city again. Hyunjin chuckled and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder.

Jisung leaned back into his chest after a while and the two of them just stood there in silence, enjoying each other's presence.

~

When they got home later that evening Changbin and Felix seemed to be in their room if the video game sounds and the yelling was anything to go by. Hyunjin let Jisung wash up while taking the souvenirs the younger had bought to his room. He gently placed his camera onto his desk, before heading to the kitchen and grabbing a soda each for him and Jisung.

He went back to his room, opening the window, which would lead to the fire escape. Jisung came into the room, just as Hyunjin was about to climb through. The older motioned for him to follow him, which he did.

The was a refreshing breeze in the air, but other than that, it was a warm August night. Jisung and Hyunjin sat down on the stairs of the fire escape, just staring off into distance. Hyunjin handed his boyfriend one of the sodas.

"It's really nice out here..." Jisung broke the silence after a while.

Hyunjin nodded. "I often come out here to think. There's just something about Brooklyn at night," he answered. Jisung loved how calm Hyunjin looked right now. The city below them was still busy, but for Hyunjin it seemed to be the most relaxing thing ever.

"Is that why you didn't move closer to NYU?" Jisung asked.

The older looked at him. "It is...I wanted to stay here because it's my home. I've spent my whole life in Brooklyn. I want to enjoy it for just a little while longer..." he explained.

"I'll probably live on campus once the semester starts..." Jisung stated. He'd gotten into Seoul National University College of Music, which he was extremely excited about. "I can't really afford my own place and my parents' place is a little too far. Besides..." he trailed off.

"Besides what?" Hyunjin asked.

"Besides, my parents aren't too happy about me going to study music. They kind of support me, but at the same time they think it's a waste of my time..." the younger explained.

"But it's what you want to do, right?" Hyunjin asked him.

"Yeah...but they suggested for me to become like a teacher or a lawyer or something... anyway, I've had lots of discussions with them, but I figured, it's better if I move out. I don't want to distance myself from them, but I just need space to figure things out..." He took a sip from his soda before leaning into Hyunjin's side as the older put his arm around him.

"What did your parents think of you going to study photography?" Jisung asked him.

Hyunjin chuckled. "They saw it coming, to be honest. I used to always steal my mom's crappy old flip phone and take really low-quality pictures with it. I got my first real camera when I was 9," he told his boyfriend. "I think they also wouldn't mind if I did something more...sophisticated, I guess? After all it's just taking pictures to them. But all in all, they're happy I'm even going to college."

Jisung was glad that at least one of them had their parents full support. "I'm glad you're doing what you love. You're really talented, you know that?" he admired, lifting his head to look at Hyunjin. "Like, it's not just pictures. It's art... it's like you're showing other people the world through your eyes." Hyunjin looked surprised at Jisung's words.

"I've actually never viewed it from that point of view..." he said.

Jisung set his soda aside and faced the older completely. "There's this thing about your pictures that just... inspires me. I mean, it took one picture for me to be completely intrigued and... I mean, look at us now..."

Hyunjin looked down at his knees with a tiny smile. "Your art inspired half of the lyrics I've written since we met..." Jisung admitted. He usually kept the lyrics he wrote about Hyunjin a secret. Only Chan knew about their existence, but not even he was allowed to look at them.

"I didn't know you wrote about me." Hyunjin's smile slowly grew, as he also faced Jisung completely. The younger blushed – that happened a lot when he was around Hyunjin, he noticed.

"Well...it's just random stuff...really sappy...and extremely embarrassing," he stammered. Hyunjin chuckled and took both of Jisung's hands in his.

"I love you..." he said suddenly, completely catching Jisung off guard. Neither of them had said it before, so he was more than surprised to hear it now. It was nothing but a pleasant surprise, though.

"I love you, too", Jisung said. He'd waited to say it for a long time, but it had always seemed weird to do it through a screen. Hyunjin scooted closer to him, leaning in to press a soft kiss onto his lips. They both smiled into the kiss, just happy that they could share this moment with each other.

~

Jisung woke up alone the next morning. He sat up, looking around sleepily. There was a note on the pillow next to him. He ran a hand through his hair, as he picked up the piece of paper.

Good morning, my darling~
I had to head out this morning, but if you need anything Felix and Changbin are here
See you in a few hours
I love you
-Hyunjin

Jisung smiled at the last bit of the message, putting the note aside, before falling back into his pillows with a dreamy sigh. Hyunjin was just too sweet. Jisung wasn't sure what he'd done right in his past life to deserve someone like him.

He contemplated going back to sleep for a while, but he wasn't really tired anymore. So, he got out of bed and waddled to the kitchen. Judging by the silence, Felix and Changbin seemed to still be sleeping.

Jisung grabbed a glass and poured himself some orange juice before sheading to the living room and sitting down on the couch. He the TV, where a random cartoon was playing at the moment. It didn't take much longer for Felix' and Changbin's door to open. Felix came into the living room, looking just about as tired as Jisung still felt.

"Hey," the now-blonde boy greeted him, as he plopped onto the couch next to him.

"Hey."

Felix looked around sleepily. "I guess Hyunjin's out," he stated.

Jisung nodded. "He left a note, but he didn't say where he was going."

"Most likely to his dark room... I'm sure he took lots of pictures when you two were out yesterday," Felix explained.

"Yeah. He took a lot," Jisung replied, remembering the amount of times he'd seen the older with a camera in front of his face.

"How long have you two known each other?" he switched subjects. He figured he wanted to get Hyunjin's friends a little better, considering he would spend the day with them. Felix grinned at the question.

"I think it's been about four years now. I met him when I moved here from Australia. And he was also the one who introduced me to Binnie," the pink haired boy explained. Jisung chuckled. Felix and Changbin were really cute together from what he had seen so far.

"You know, it's nice to see him happy like this. Changbin and I sometimes feel a little bad because we get to be together all the time, even though he says it's okay. But you're really special to him," the blonde told him.

Jisung blushed. "He's special to me as well..." he replied.

Felix gave him an excited grin. "You two are the cutest! Maybe even cuter than me and Binnie – don't tell him I said, though," he whispered the last part. Jisung laughed. This guy was definitely something.

~

Once Changbin woke up, the three of them ate breakfast (cereal, because they were too lazy to even attempt to make something else). Jisung learned quite a lot about the couple.

They had been dating since Felix' junior year in high school, after two years of mutual pining. Changbin was already in his second year of studying music – which sparked an entire conversation about songwriting and music production. Apparently, Felix was going to start studying fashion.

Jisung got along with the two of them really well, also telling them about his own friends back home.

"...and Chan's been into Minho ever since middle school! You'd think he'd finally grow a pair halfway through college, but no. It's painful to watch, honestly," he explained his two older friends' weird relationship.

Felix laughed. "Sounds like a lot of stress...", he commented. Jisung nodded in agreement.

"You don't know the half of it! I had to listen to Chan go on and on about how nice Minho's thighs look when he dances. Another time, Minho kept rambling about how cute Chan looks when he smiles. Though...I guess it makes up for all the times I-..." he trailed off, blushing at almost spilling the fact that he, too, had spent hours swooning to his friends about every single great thing, regarding Hyunjin.

Changbin and Felix weren't dumb, though, so they quickly caught on to where Jisung was going with this. "Don't be embarrassed. He was the exact same," Felix said chuckling. Jisung hid his face behind his hands in embarrassment. "I think the words he used to describe you were cute, squishy and... extremely gorgeous, was it?" Changbin recounted.

"Don't forget hot and ethereal," Felix reminded him with a sly grin on his face. The couple obviously enjoyed flustering Jisung to no end.

"He was obviously exaggerating," he muttered.

Felix looked at him. "Whoa, did the insecurities pop out just now? Take it from a taken man; Hyunjin was not exaggerating," he assured him. Changbin nodded in agreement.

Hyunjin had often told Jisung that he found him handsome, gorgeous...beautiful, even. But there were also the guys at school who'd called him chubby, unattractive or just simply ugly. It felt kind of good to get reassured. It only took one Lee Felix to make Jisung feel less insecure about himself.

"Thanks, guys..."

~

Hyunjin came back in the evening, finding Jisung in the living room on his phone. Felix was sitting on the floor watching some random cooking channel, with Changbin sleepily resting his head in his lap.

"Hi, my darling," Hyunjin greeted his boyfriend, kissing him on the cheek softly. Felix snorted and muttered something along the lines of "domestic boyfriends" under his breath. Hyunjin ignored the comment and sat down next to Jisung on the couch.

"Did you miss me?" Jisung looked over at him with a small grin.

"Maybe a little bit," he said. Hyunjin pouted, but Jisung just leaned in and kissed it away. "Did you develop your pictures?" Hyunjin nodded and reached into a small bag he had slung over his shoulders.

"A lot of them are of you..." the older warned him with a soft chuckle.

It was true. A good 85% of the pictures were of Jisung. He posed for a few, but most of them were just moments Hyunjin had randomly captured. Changbin and Felix had ditched their cooking show and joined them on the couch, also looking at the pictures.

"Those are just me, looking at things you should actually be taking pictures of," Jisung stated with a small laugh. Hyunjin smiled at a picture of the younger watching the view from the Empire State Building.

"You're just too beautiful not to capture. Especially when you don't know. It's 100% natural. This is how I see you..." Hyunjin explained.

"Spoken like a true artist," Changbin stated. Jisung tried to hide his blush. He should have gotten used to his boyfriend being so sweet, but he still managed to get flustered a lot. Hyunjin only chuckled. He was about to say something when his phone rang.

"It's my mom, I should take this," he said and got up, disappearing to his room, while picking up the call. Changbin and Felix focused back on the TV but Jisung kept looking through the pictures for a little while longer. Hyunjin really had a gift. He could even make Jisung look good in a picture.

He scoffed at himself. Maybe he should really stop having such self-deprecating thoughts and listen to his boyfriend when he said that he was good-looking. A little confidence couldn't hurt...

He stayed in the living room for a little longer, waiting for Hyunjin to return. When he didn't, Jisung excused himself and went to check on the older. He knocked softly, entering the room after hearing a muffled "come in."

Jisung stopped in the doorway when he saw Hyunjin in the process of dropping his shirt to the floor. "Oh, ...I'm sorry...I didn't-..." the younger stammered.

Hyunjin laughed, picking up a pajama shirt from his bed. "It's okay, love. I have nothing to hide", he said.

Jisung tried to stop himself from looking but something caught his eye. He stepped a little closer. "Is...is that a tattoo?" he questioned. Hyunjin looked down at his own chest. Underneath his collarbone, inked in delicate letters, stood the words 'Distance means so little when someone means so much...' He looked back up at Jisung, who was now close enough to inspect it.

"I... um... I kinda got it a few months ago when I turned 18. It's about you... is that weird?" he asked, sounding a little unsure of himself. Jisung didn't answer immediately, instead he reached out, gently tracing his index finger over the tattoo. Hyunjin shuddered at the touch and reached up to grab the younger's wrist, making him look up.

"I love it," Jisung finally answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It makes being away from you a tiny bit more bearable. Every time I look at it I get reminded of how much I love you," Hyunjin explained just as quietly.

Their faces were only inches from each other. Jisung's eyes flicked down to Hyunjin's luscious lips, causing him to softly bite his own. He stood up on his tip toes to close the little distance that was left between them. Jisung would never get sick of kissing Hyunjin. It felt like he was floating; like every problem in the world could be solved by just this...

He really loved this guy.

Another thing he loved was the way Hyunjin's arms always found their way around his waist to pull him closer into his currently bare chest. Jisung could stay like this forever. Tangled up with Hyunjin, their lips moving against each other as they forgot everything around them.

Eventually, the need for oxygen forced them to pull apart. They stayed close to each other, not really wanting the intensity of the moment to fade. Hyunjin's arms were still around the younger's waist.

"Should we head to bed?" Hyunjin asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

Jisung sneaked another look at his boyfriend's exposed chest. "Are you going to put on a shirt?" he questioned.

Hyunjin chuckled. "Do you want me to?" he teased. The honest answer was 'no'. Not even just because the older had the body of a god, but because he loved the sight of his tattoo.

"It's probably better if you do," he said, causing Hyunjin to laugh again. He pecked Jisung on the lips and then on the nose before detaching himself from him. Jisung tried not to stare, as the older faced him with his back to put on the pajama shirt he'd dropped some time in between everything.

"You're staring again," Hyunjin pointed out, still facing the other direction. Jisung scoffed, though more in amusement than exasperation.

"You're acting like you're not the most breath-takingly beautiful person I've ever seen..." he said with a sudden spur of confidence.

Hyunjin turned back to him and Jisung would be lying if he didn't relish in the way his boyfriend's cheeks tinted a little pink. "Let's go to bed..." he mumbled shyly. Jisung chuckled but did as he was told.

~

The two of them spent the rest of Jisung's first week doing more touristy stuff like visiting the Statue of Liberty or watching Times Square at night. As promised, Hyunjin began showing him 'his New York' in the second week of Jisung's stay.

On Tuesday morning, Hyunjin woke up feeling excited. He'd promised Jisung a picnic at Prospect park, telling him that it was so much less cliché than going to Central Park. He climbed out of bed, careful not to wake up Jisung and made his way to the kitchen. He packed some juice and water before proceeding to make a few sandwiches.

He decided to get some baked goods from the bakery down the street. He packed everything into a picnic basket just as a sleepy, messy-haired Jisung came out of the older's room.

"Hey, my darling... I've already prepared everything for our picnic later," Hyunjin informed him with an excited grin. Jisung smiled and lazily wrapped his arms around Hyunjin's waist. He rested his head on his boyfriend's chest and yawned cutely.

"Aw," Hyunjin cooed, patting Jisung's head fondly. "You're like a cute kitten, you know that?"

"I thought I was a squirrel..." the younger muttered.

Hyunjin chuckled. "That too...", he agreed.

Jisung pulled out of the hug and looked up at Hyunjin. "You're really tall," he stated, causing his boyfriend to laugh again. Why did Jisung have to be extra cute in the morning.

"No, I'm not. You're just tiny..." Jisung made a noise of protest, but Hyunjin just ruffled his hair before pulling him closer again.

~

Jisung had liked Central Park a lot, but Prospect Park was something else entirely. He didn't quite know how to put it, but the whole atmosphere was much more romantic. It just seemed more intimate. He walked along the path, holding Hyunjin's hand, as they looked for a comfortable place to hold their picnic. There were many couples sitting around or taking walks, but not too many for the park to be crowded.

"I think over there's good. Underneath the tree", Hyunjin spoke up, pointing to said tree. It would block the sun just fine and give them a nice view of the lake.

"It's really beautiful here..." Jisung stated once they had spread out their picnic blanket and began taking out the food.

Hyunjin smiled. "It is..." he agreed. He lifted his camera and snapped a picture of the scenery. "I have hundreds of pictures of this place, but every day is different, so I never really take the same picture twice, you know..." he explained himself.

Jisung couldn't help but stare at him. Hyunjin was the most beautiful when he talked about the things he was passionate about. It sure did things to Jisung's heart. The older looked at him, only to catch him staring at him with a probably really goofy smile on his face.

"What?" he asked in a teasing tone of voice.

"Nothing, just...you're amazing..." he mumbled.

Hyunjin chuckled. "Not as amazing as you, my darling. I'm just the guy behind the camera", he replied.

"Don't sell yourself short. You're a true artist..." Jisung told him. Hyunjin just smiled at him, before lifting his camera again and taking a picture of his boyfriend. The younger playfully covered his face, causing Hyunjin to laugh, but he didn't stop snapping pictures.

Eventually, Jisung just lunged forward in a playful attempt to snatch the older's camera away. He caught his boyfriend by surprise and they toppled over. Hyunjin landed on his back with a surprised yelp and a Jisung on top of him.

"Now, what are you trying to do here?" the older asked, his startled expression getting replaced by a smug one, eyes darting down to his boyfriend's lips and back up to his eyes. Instead of blushing or shying away, Jisung smirked and closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together. Hyunjin's camera slid off where it lay on his chest and next to them onto the picnic blanket, as the two young boys got lost in their own world.

Hyunjin's hands came to a rest on Jisung's hips, as the younger deepened their kiss. He gently nibbled on his boyfriend's bottom lip, which – as he'd previously discovered – Hyunjin seemed to like, silently asking him for access. The older didn't need much convincing.

They'd never gone this far before, but Jisung surely didn't hate it. On the contrary, actually. He grew more confident, as Hyunjin's large hands briefly wandered underneath his shirt. It wasn't until a passing teenager on a skateboard shouted something that sounded like "get a room" that caused him to pull back.

Hyunjin looked out of breath, his cheeks tinted in a rosy pink and the smug expression completely vanished. His lips were red and swollen. Something inside of Jisung swelled with pride that he did this. They just stared at each other for a few more seconds, speechless and stunned. It was one of those intense moments where neither of them dared to speak.

Finally, though, Jisung scrambled off his boyfriend and took his hands to pull him up into a sitting position. "Well... damn..." was all the older said.

Jisung chuckled sheepishly. "Maybe was should eat... that's what we came here for after all," he suggested.

"Sure. We can always...finish what we've started when we get home..." Hyunjin said with a smirk spreading on his face.

Jisung flicked his boyfriend's knee. "We're not 'finishing' anything, you hear me?" Hyunjin just laughed.

~

The next day, they decided to go to an arcade nearby, because it was raining like crazy. Jisung was ridiculously good at every single game Hyunjin challenged him to. However, Hyunjin wasn't particularly sad about losing, since he always got a consolation kiss to make up for it. Perhaps, he even lost a game or two on purpose just because he was looking forward to it...

"Let me take you to a movie," Hyunjin suggested on the drive back. The rain was still coming down in buckets, but it kind of made the atmosphere in the car more comfortable.

"Sure, I love movies...do you wanna go tonight or tomorrow?" Jisung asked. Hyunjin hummed in thought.

"Let's go tonight. We can get food afterwards," he said. The younger grinned in delight. The mention of food tended to have that effect on him.

~

The movie theater wasn't too full when they arrived. Hyunjin bought them two tickets for a random action movie, that didn't sound too bad in the description, and a big bowl of popcorn for them to share. They found a seat in one of the last few rows of got comfortable. Jisung hinged up the armrest and scooted closer to his boyfriend, who chuckled and put an arm around the younger's shoulders pulling him closer. With a satisfied smile, Jisung snuggled into Hyunjin's side and reached for some popcorn.

Soon after, the movie began – and it was awful. Hyunjin seemed to feel the same way because he began shifting his attention to Jisung, barely 15 minutes into the movie. He played with the younger's hair and his dangly earring, effectively making Jisung look at him.

"This movie ," he whispered.

Jisung huffed and nodded in agreement. "What do you want to do about it?" he questioned. Hyunjin pretended to think about it for a few seconds, before looking at the younger with a smirk.

"I think I know a good way to pass the time," he told him. Even in the darkness of the theater Jisung knew that Hyunjin could see the roll of his eyes before he closed the distance between them and kissed him.

~

"So, I've been thinking..." Felix began one Friday evening in Jisung's second week in New York. The four of them were hanging out in the living room, bored out of their minds.

"What could four insanely hot, young guys do on this wonderful Friday night?" Jisung found the mischievous glint in the other boy's eyes slightly unsettling.

"I'm not sure I want to hear the answer to that..." Hyunjin muttered from beside Jisung.

"Oh, come on! Let's go out and have fun! All we ever do is watch movies and eat takeout," Felix complained.

"And what is so bad about that?" Changbin asked.

Felix patted his boyfriend's knee. "Nothing...but it would be fun to do something else for a change. I happen to know this club not too far from here...they're not very strict about IDs and the bouncer has a crush on me," the youngest explained excitedly.

Changbin looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "How the do you know that?" he questioned.

Felix laughed awkwardly. "Doesn't matter. Who's coming with me?"

"I'm down, I guess..." Jisung said with a shrug. Hyunjin and Changbin looked at him. "What? It always looks fun in the movies. Let's go!"

He looked back at Hyunjin. "Alright", the older agreed.

Changbin snorted. "Whipped," he muttered under his breath.

~

Jisung had never been to a club before, but as soon as he stepped inside, he knew he was going to love it here. Sure, it was crowded as , and the faint smell of alcohol and sweat was a little bit overwhelming. However, Jisung didn't mind. The music wasn't too bad either.

They looked for a booth before Felix stormed off to get them drinks, claiming to know what they needed without taking their orders. Jisung sat down next to Hyunjin (naturally) with the older's hand resting on the small of his back.

"Do you like it so far?" Hyunjin asked, raising his voice, so that Jisung could hear him over the booming music. The younger replied with a wide smile and an enthusiastic nod. Felix came back with a small tray of drinks. How he'd managed to get back here without spilling anything was a mystery to Jisung. The youngest began to hand out their drinks.

"Beer for Jinnie," he said, receiving an exasperated look from Hyunjin.

"Felix, I'm driving us home!" Hyunjin argued.

Felix rolled his eyes. "Just kidding, here's a coke," he said and set a glass bottle of coca cola down in front of him. "The beer's for Jisung, actually," Felix announced.

Jisung's eyes widened slightly as he took the bottle from the blonde. "Martini for my lovely boyfriend. How classy," Felix said and gave Changbin a grin. "And last, but certainly not least, the mystery drink for me," he continued picking up a cocktail glass with a pink drink swirling around inside. Jisung wasn't sure if he even wanted to know what was inside of this so-called 'mystery drink'.

He took a careful sip of his beer, not quite knowing what to expect. Jisung grimaced. This stuff tasted nasty as . "You'll get used to the taste," Felix told him with a wink.

"I'm not entirely sure about that," Jisung replied, taking another sip nonetheless.

~

Jisung wouldn't say that he was drunk, but he definitely felt a lot gigglier than he did two hours ago. He was currently on the dancefloor with Felix, because according to him Changbin 'didn't do dancing'.

"Having fun?" Felix shouted over the music.

"Yeah", Jisung called back. The blonde grinned.

"Good. I'm going to take a break and maybe convince Changbin to dance after all." Jisung accompanied the very slightly younger male back to their booth, only to reach for Hyunjin's hands and pull him to his feet.

"Dance with me," he almost-slurred. Hyunjin let himself get dragged onto the dancefloor by his tipsy boyfriend. He put his hands on Jisung's hips – he really seemed to like doing that – as the couple mixed with the other dancing bodies. Jisung loved being this close to Hyunjin, and maybe it was the alcohol, but he felt extremely confident.

He s his arms around Hyunjin's waist, causing them to dance even closer together. "I love you..." he mumbled. He wasn't sure if Hyunjin had heard him over the loud music, though.

Hyunjin chuckled, leaning down to speak into his ear. "You're kind of cute when you're drunk."

Jisung smirked. "I'm not trying to be cute here..."

He didn't know how much time passed, nor did he take much notice of the other people around him. He only saw Hyunjin and it seemed to be the same way for the older. Eventually, though, Jisung felt exhausted from all the dancing. "I feel like another drink..." he exclaimed.

Hyunjin reached for one of his hands, chuckling again. "How about I take you home instead?" he offered. The younger pouted but didn't protest and followed Hyunjin to their booth where Changbin and Felix were busy making out.

"Guys, we're heading home," Hyunjin announced.

Felix reluctantly detached himself from his boyfriend, seemingly wasted. "Already?" he slurred.

Hyunjin gave him a stern look. "Get your asses up," he said. Luckily, Changbin wasn't quite as drunk as Felix, so he could focus on getting the youngest back to the car while Hyunjin guided Jisung.

~

"I'll get you some water if you're still thirsty," Hyunjin announced 20 minutes later when he had finally managed to get his boyfriend into bed. He proceeded to take off the younger's shoes for more comfort. Once that was done he headed to the kitchen to pour Jisung a glass of water, hoping that he wouldn't fall asleep while Hyunjin was gone.

He went back to his room, glass in hand to find his boyfriend sitting up and looking at him. "Here you go, my darling," Hyunjin said. Jisung gratefully took the water. The older was glad that his boyfriend hadn't drank that much. He didn't want him to wake up with a hangover.

"Did you like it? The club?" Hyunjin asked while changing into more comfortable clothes, not missing the way Jisung's eyes were practically glued to the tattoo underneath his collarbone. "Yeah, it was fun...dancing with you was fun..." he finally answered before downing the entire glass.

Hyunjin joined Jisung on the bed, as the younger set his now empty glass down on the nightstand. "I liked dancing with you, too. I wish we could have done stuff like this earlier," Hyunjin stated, getting underneath the covers before letting Jisung cuddle up to him, apparently unbothered to change out of his club clothes. He seemed to be too tipsy and too sleepy to care.

"I love you, Hyunjin..." he mumbled, barely coherent, due to his face being nuzzled into the crook of Hyunjin's neck. The older smiled and slightly tightened his grip on the younger.

"I love you, too..."

~

"Hey, uh..." Hyunjin began the next day, looking at his phone screen. After going out the previous night, he and Jisung had decided to spend today at home.

"Everything okay?" the younger asked.

"Yeah... um, just... remember when I asked you if you'd want to meet my parents?" Hyunjin asked. Jisung nodded slowly. "How does tomorrow sound to you?" the older continued, causing his boyfriend's eyes to widen slightly.

"Tomorrow?" he questioned.

"We don't have to. They just texted me, asking if we could come over for dinner and want to stay the night," Hyunjin explained.

"That sounds... pretty nice actually. You can show me where you grew up. But...are you sure you parents will like me?"

Hyunjin put his phone aside and faced Jisung completely. "My parents will love you. I'm absolutely sure they will. And if we go there and you feel uncomfortable in any way we're out of there..." he assured the younger. Jisung took a deep breath before nodding.

"Okay, let's do it," he agreed. Hyunjin pulled him into a hug – that alone made saying yes worth it. "Thank you, my darling," the muttered.

~

Jisung had insisted change his hair color before visiting Hyunjin's parents. The older didn't think he needed to, but when he told Jisung that, he only got a "please, Hyunjin! I can't meet your parents for the first time with poorly washed-out orange hair!" in return. So, Hyunjin watched Felix skillfully transform Jisung back into a stunning brunette (Felix' words, not his – though he didn't disagree.)

"Do you feel more comfortable now?" Hyunjin asked him on the drive to his parents' place. Jisung nodded.

"I was getting sick of the orange anyway..." he replied. Hyunjin chuckled.

"I liked it," he told the younger who grinned.

"Did you now?" Jisung .

Hyunjin didn't answer and just reached for his boyfriend's hand. "Today's going to go well," he assured him. Since he was focusing on the road, he couldn't look at Jisung to accentuate his words, but the gentle squeeze the younger gave his hand already told him everything he needed to know.

The drive to Hyunjin's parents' house wasn't too far, so soon they stood in front of the small two-story house. Jisung's hand found Hyunjin's again, as the older pressed the doorbell. Not even 10 seconds later a woman opened the door, her face immediately lighting up when she saw her son.

"There you are, my baby! Let me look at you." She squished Hyunjin's cheeks. "Are you eating well? You're not just eating pizza, right? My, look how much your hair grew since last time!" Hyunjin chuckled and took one of his mom's wrists, gently removing her hand from his face.

"Slow down, mom," he said in an amused tone.

"Right, sorry... I still have to get used to my little baby being an adult!" Mrs Hwang apologized. "Now, come in first..." she added. The two young boys stepped inside, and Mrs Hwang closed the front door.

"Mom, I want you to meet Jisung," Hyunjin finally introduced his boyfriend, who had just been standing there silently. Mrs Hwang shifted her attention to Jisung, regarding him with a warm smile.

"Jisung. It's so good to finally meet you!" she told him. "Um... likewise..." Jisung replied shyly.

"Your dad and Jeongin are in the kitchen. Dinner should be ready soon. You should go great them," Mrs Hwang addressed Hyunjin.

"We should," her son agreed, taking Jisung's hand again and gently guiding him through a narrow corridor and into what was obviously the kitchen. A man and a teenage boy were inside, their backs facing Hyunjin and Jisung. They seemed too invested in their conversation to notice them come in.

"I don't believe it for a second!" Hyunjin's little brother said. The other man, his father, chuckled.

"Doubt me all you want, son. I was really called the 'Spice Master' back in the day. It's one of the many charming things that wooed your mother and eventually led to your existence!"

Hyunjin snorted at his father's words, effectively getting their attention.

"Jinnie!" Hyunjin's younger brother exclaimed, dropping his spatula into the pot and practically crushing Hyunjin in a tight hug, causing him to let go of Jisung's hand.

"Hey, Jeongin," he greeted the younger fondly, patting his back. "You act like you haven't seen me in years," he added as Jeongin released him.

"Well, it's been long enough for your hair to grow like this!" the younger replied cheekily.

Mr Hwang also came over from where he'd stood next to the stove to give his son a hug. "It's good to see you, Hyunjin. You should really come by more often. Your mother worries a lot!" he said.

Jeongin snorted like Hyunjin just had. "It's not just mom."

Hyunjin ruffled his brother's hair. "I knew you'd miss me," he teased.

Jeongin grimaced. "Ew, no!" Hyunjin just laughed.

"Anyway, you guys...I want you to meet Jisung!" he finally introduced his boyfriend, who had, again, just silently watched the older goof around with his family.

"Hello..." Jisung said, still sounding shy and awkward like he had with Hyunjin's mother just now.

"I've heard a lot about you! I almost wish I was kidding..." Jeongin told him, giving him a once-over. "You're shorter than I'd imagined."

"Jeongin!" Hyunjin and Mr Hwang exclaimed at the same time. However, Jisung only chuckled.

"I get that a lot..." he replied. Mr Hwang ordered his younger son back to the stove before reaching out a hand for Jisung to shake.

"Hyunjin has really swooned of you a lot. It's good to meet you at last, Jisung," he said, sounding just as friendly as his wife.

"The pleasure's mine, sir." Jisung replied.

"It would be great if you could all stop exposing me now," Hyunjin muttered with a pout on his face. Jisung had to refrain from cooing and squishing the older's cheek

"Aw, but it's fun", Jeongin commented. "Let's just say it's payback for all the times I've had to sit through your soft rants about how 'cute and handsome' he is..."

Hyunjin blushed. "Okay, enough of this! I'll give Jisung a tour before dinner!" he exclaimed, taking his boyfriend's hand again and leading him out of the kitchen and up a set of stairs.

"So, cute and handsome, huh?" Jisung him. Hyunjin whined in protest.

"Stop, it's embarrassing!"

The younger laughed. "You were never embarrassed before," he stated, as Hyunjin opened a door at the far end of the corridor. It was his room. Jisung immediately recognized it from the countless video chats and good night or good morning selfies.

"That's because we were alone then, and nobody was teasing me about it," Hyunjin said, still pouting. Jisung stopped looking around his boyfriend's room and instead wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Aw, I think your family is really sweet. They seem to care about you a lot," he stated.

"They do...", Hyunjin said. "My parents tease me a lot, but I know that it took them a while to fully understand and accept me after I came out to them." Jisung looked up at him. It seemed like he was thinking about the past. Hyunjin had never really shared many details about his coming out and Jisung hadn't asked, not wanting to pry or make him uncomfortable.

The older let out a sigh before looking at his boyfriend again. "I'm really glad I've found you, you know that? As much as my family teases me about it, I am completely and utterly whipped for you, Han Jisung," he told Jisung. The sincerity in his tone made Jisung blush.

"I feel the same way..." he answered.

There it was again. Their intense eye-contact. Jisung stood on his tip toes, about to close the distance between them, when a loud knock on the (open) door startled them.

"Dinner's ready", Jeongin announced with a cheeky grin on his face.

Well, Jisung figured, he'd get enough alone time with Hyunjin later. For now, it was time to get to know the parents.

~

"So, Jisung...how was your flight here? It must have been exhausting," Hyunjin's mom questioned a few minutes later when they all sat at the dinner table.

"It was alright, actually. It was long, but I found ways to pass time..." Jisung told her, giving his boyfriend a side glance. He had spent the entire flight thinking about him, so time really had passed relatively quickly.

"Are you going to start university as well?" Mr Hwang asked him. Jisung nodded in confirmation.

"I'll be studying music in Seoul," he explained.

"That sounds interesting!" Hyunjin's mom said. "Why don't you tell us a little more about yourself?"

"Um...well, what would you like to know?" Jisung asked a little unsurely. He didn't want to bore his boyfriend's family with random facts about himself.

"Anything. Do you have any siblings? What are your hobbies?" Mrs Hwang helped him out a little.

"I do have an older sister, who's married and currently living in Hong Kong with her family..." Jisung told them. "As for my hobbies, they're mainly regarding music. I write my own rap lyrics, I like to sing and I dance a little bit. I just really like to express myself that way, you know."

Hyunjin's parents nodded in understanding. "Have you ever been to the states before?" Jeongin asked him.

Jisung shook his head. "Nope, it's my first time. But I love it so far. New York is so much more than I imagined..." he replied, looking at Hyunjin again, who of course, was looking right back at him.

"I'm going to show Jisung the neighborhood tomorrow. I've kind of saved it for this visit..." Hyunjin told his parents, averting his gaze from his boyfriend to look at them.

"That's a lovely idea," Mrs Hwang replied.

After dinner, Jisung insisted on helping Jeongin with the dishes. Hyunjin remained at the table with his parents. He looked in the general direction of the kitchen where he could hear Jisung and Jeongin talking and laughing. They seemed to get along pretty well.

"He's wonderful, Hyunjin," his mother spoke up, which directed Hyunjin's attention back to her and his dad.

"He is..." he agreed with a smile. "These past two weeks with him were amazing," he added, thinking back to all the things they had done since Jisung's arrival here.

"But – and please don't take this the wrong way... what's it going to be like once he goes back? Won't it be..." she trailed off.

"Hard... it'll be incredibly hard to let him go again. But we'll make it work... we always do..." Hyunjin finished his mother's thought. He had been thinking about the fact that Jisung eventually had to leave again, but he didn't want to spoil their leftover time with these kinds of thoughts. He wanted to spend as much quality time with his boyfriend as possible.

"We just don't want you to get hurt," his dad finally spoke up. Hyunjin's face darkened the slightest bit.

"So, what? Should I break up with him to save myself the trouble? I'm not going to do that, so if that's why you-"

"Calm down, son. That's not what we're trying to say!" Mrs Hwang interrupted him.

"We're just concerned. We love that you're happy. He's a great boy but we've seen how much this long-distance thing has put you down at times."

"It's worth it..." Hyunjin told her. She smiled.

"That's all that matters. Just know that we're always there for you", she assured her son.

Hyunjin nodded. "Sorry for that little outburst just now," he apologized sheepishly.

"It's okay. We haven't always been as supportive as we could have been," Mr Hwang waved off. Hyunjin didn't like to think back to the less wholesome times with his family, shortly after his coming out.

"It's in the past," he told them reassuringly. And he meant it. He had long since forgiven his parents for their lack of understanding back then.

He rose from his seat. "I'll go see if those two need any help," he said. He was making his way over to the kitchen when his mom got up as well.

"One last thing!" she called out. Hyunjin faced her again, giving her a curious look. "You and Jisung..." she trailed off, looking slightly uncomfortable. "You're being safe, right?"

Hyunjin's eyes widened at the unexpected question. "Oh my god, mom! We're not... we haven't-... oh my god!"

"We just want you to be responsible!" he exclaimed. Hyunjin was pretty sure he was red like a cherry.

"And I will be! In the future!" With that he fled to the kitchen where Jeongin was washing dishes and Jisung was drying them off. He backhugged his boyfriend, hiding his burning face in the crook of his neck. Jisung's breath hitched at the sudden contact.

"What's up with you?" he questioned, chuckling after getting over the surprise. Hyunjin mumbled something incoherent. "What did you say?" Jisung questioned.

"I said," Hyunjin began as he lifted his head, "my parents are being embarrassing."

Jeongin cackled. "They probably asked him about some private stuff," he pointed out. Hyunjin swatted at his brother, but to no avail and Jisung caught on nonetheless.

"Oh... u-um...", he stammered.

Jeongin let out another cackle as he handed Jisung the last plate. "Well, my duty is done. I'll leave you two to do gross couple stuff," he announced. He gave them an obnoxious wink before heading out of the kitchen.

Jisung dried off the plate and put it away, luckily without having to move much as his boyfriend's arms were still wrapped around his waist. This was all so unbelievably domestic, Hyunjin could practically feel his heart swell in his chest. He pressed a feather-like kiss to the younger's neck.

"I love you..." he mumbled against Jisung's sun-kissed skin. His boyfriend leaned back into his chest, covering Hyunjin's hands on his belly with his own.

"I love you, too," he replied.

~

They joined Hyunjin's family in the living room shortly after. Much to Hyunjin's dismay his mother had whipped out some old photo albums, claiming that she couldn't miss out on the opportunity to properly embarrass her son in front of his boyfriend.

Jisung fawned with her over baby Hyunjin, laughed at silly Hyunjin and just listened to the stories behind the different pictures with a half-fond, half-pouty Hyunjin tuning in from time to time.

"I have an idea. Why don't we add something to the memories," he suggested, holding up his camera. "Sit over there, please," he instructed them. Hyunjin's parents sat on either side of Jisung with the photo album still in his lap and Jeongin sat next to his mother.

"But what about you?" Jisung asked. Hyunjin grinned.

"I want one of you guys first. I'll join afterwards," he replied. He lifted the camera and snapped a few pictures of his family before setting the camera down on the sill above the fireplace and pressing the self-timer.

He was quick to join the others on the couch. His father had scooted over so Hyunjin could sit between him and Jisung. He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's waist and rested his head on his shoulder while making a V sign with his free hand. The self-timer went off and snapped the picture. He got up again, fetching his camera.

"How was today?" Hyunjin asked an hour later. He and Jisung were the last ones downstairs; everyone else had gone to sleep.

"I loved it. Your family is amazing," the younger replied, comfortably leaning into his boyfriend's side.

"They like you, just like I said they would..." Hyunjin told him. He didn't have to see him to know that he was smiling. Jisung had been really worried about meeting Hyunjin's family, so the older was glad that they got along.

Jisung yawned and snuggled into Hyunjin's side. "How about we head upstairs, my darling?" the latter suggested. Jisung let out a sleepy grumble. "Are you to make me carry you? Because I will," Hyunjin fake-threatened. The younger grumbled again, but got up nonetheless. Hyunjin smiled at him fondly and laced their fingers together before leading Jisung upstairs.

~

"We'd really love for you to come back the next time you visit," Mrs Hwang said the next morning after a delicious breakfast.

"I will! Thank you so much for having me," Jisung answered. He received a hug from Mrs Hwang, a handshake from Mr Hwang and a high five from Jeongin before Hyunjin took his turn saying goodbye.

"Don't you dare wait another month until your next visit!" his mother warned him playfully. Hyunjin hugged her and kissed her cheek. "I won't, mom. I promise," he assured her with a chuckle. He also hugged his father and little brother, telling both of them to take care, before taking Jisung's hand and leading him to his car.

He waved at his family again, as he got in. "So, are you up for a tour through my past?" he questioned dramatically.

Jisung chuckled and nodded. "Sure, I am", he answered.

"Then let's start at the place where I spent most of my time, aside from home – my old high school.

~

Hyunjin's old school seemed like it was straight out of a cliché teen movie. Nobody was there since it was still summer break, but Hyunjin showed him around campus anyway.

"Felix and I would sometimes come here and just skip class," Hyunjin said when he and Jisung had reached the track field and were now sitting on the bleachers.

"Cutting class, huh..." Jisung teased.

Hyunjin rolled his eyes playfully. "We didn't do it that often...", he said.

"Sure." The younger laughed.

"I had my first kiss here," Hyunjin suddenly switched subjects. Jisung snorted but looked at his boyfriend in interest.

"Are you telling me you kissed Felix?" he joked. Hyunjin made a face.

"No. Never," he said with an exaggerated shudder. "I mean I love the guy, but that thing with him and Changbin was love at first sight," he told Jisung.

"Then who was the lucky guy?" Jisung asked. Hyunjin looked at him like he was making sure if he was truly okay to talk about his past romances.

"His name was Noah. I was 14 and confused about my uality. He just went like 'well, there's only one way to be sure' and... yeah," Hyunjin explained after a while.

Jisung laughed at his boyfriend's story. "How romantic," he joked. "Did you date afterwards?"

Now it was Hyunjin's turn to snort. "Nah, the next day he pushed me to the ground and called me a fa-... an... ugly word. It wasn't the nicest experience, but I was finally beginning to embrace who I was. It didn't take me very much longer to come out to Jeongin... and then Changbin and Felix..." the older told Jisung.

"Wait, so that Noah guy kissed you and then called you... that?" Jisung asked in disbelief. Hyunjin nodded.

"I didn't hold much of a grudge, though. I understood that he struggled more with accepting his uality. His parents were very conservative. He was scared I'd tell..." he explained. "He was so scared that he outed me to the rest of the school."

"He did what now?" Jisung exclaimed.

"I would have been able to deal with that if the school counsellor hadn't called my mother. Back then my parents didn't know. I had prepared to come out to them, but thanks to Noah, they found out like this and... well, they freaked. My mother yelled at me, asking why I had to turn out this way and what the neighbors, or even worse, my grandparents would say..."

Hyunjin paused. Jisung could tell that talking about this wasn't easy for him. He wanted to tell him that he didn't have to open up about this, but he felt like Hyunjin might need to let it out.

"I ran away that night. I showed up at Changbin's place as a crying mess. I couldn't understand how most of the people at school somehow didn't care that I was gay, but my own mother treated me like some sort of alien..." Hyunjin lowered his head, tears b at his eyes.

Meanwhile, Jisung couldn't believe it. That warm, loving mother he had bid his goodbyes to less than an hour ago was supposed to be the same person that said those horrible things to Hyunjin. The younger reached for Hyunjin's hand, making him sniffle and wipe his eyes with the back of his free hand.

"Um... anyway... my mother obviously knew where I was. She let me stay the night and came to pick me up the next morning. On the way home, she apologized to me for yelling at me and for saying what she said. She said that she talked to my dad and that Jeongin knocked some sense into them after I ran away." Hyunjin paused to wipe at his eyes again. It broke Jisung's heart to see him like this.

"They both realized that one day, I might not flee to Changbin's and things could get much worse and they didn't want to lose me. Mom told me that they didn't really understand my attraction to the same gender, but that they wanted to try if I was willing to give them time. And that's just what I did. It took lots of time and it was really awkward and tense for a long time. But eventually, they accepted me after realizing that I was still the same person they'd known for 14 years. They saw that I was still me, still their son and so they did what good parents did. They confronted Noah's parents about what their son had done."

Jisung tilted his head. "What happened to him?" he questioned.

"He apologized. I told him that I understood that he was scared and that I was there if he wanted to talk. I also thanked him..." Hyunjin answered. "You... thanked him?" Jisung asked, even more confused than before.

"Yeah. I mean, it clearly wasn't the way I wanted to come out to my parents, but it's thanks to him that I gained the confidence to even think about it. He helped me come to terms with my uality. I told him that, if he wanted to, I could help him as well...but his parents didn't take him being gay very well and sent him to boarding school in Germany..." the older closed his story. He sighed. "This wasn't supposed to turn into a whole story time..." he stated.

Jisung looked at their still intertwined hands. "It's okay, I'm really glad you told me..." Hyunjin leaned over to quickly peck Jisung's lips, before pulling back again, but the younger was having none of it. He put his free hand in Hyunjin's nape and pulled him closer again, reconnecting their lips.

The older let out a content sigh, as he practically melted into the kiss. Jisung scooted closer, so he was almost in his boyfriend's lap. Hyunjin's arms s around his waist, pulling him even closer. They almost didn't hear the surprised "oh!" that suddenly came from a male voice. Jisung and Hyunjin pulled apart to see a guy with brown hair and a cute teddy-like face give them a shocked look.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you guys..." he apologized. His eyes landed on Hyunjin and recognition sparked up in them. Hyunjin was faster, though.

"Jinwoo?" he exclaimed, rising from his seat.

"Hyunjin! I almost didn't recognize you with that hair... and the tongue down your throat..." he mumbled the last bit.

Jisung spluttered, but Hyunjin remained unbothered. He looked at Jisung again. "Darling, this is Park Jinwoo. He's an old friend and senior. Jinwoo, this is my boyfriend Jisung," he introduced them. Jisung was still a little bit embarrassed about the older man catching them in such a compromising situation, but he shook his hand nonetheless.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Hyunjin asked Jinwoo.

"I'm visiting my parents' place before the new semester begins and I figured I could take a trip down memory lane," the older replied.

"Right, how's Brown?"

Jinwoo chuckled. "It's okay. Stressful, but it's my dream university, so I don't mind a bit of stress." Jisung listened to the two of them catch up, occasionally answering some of the questions Jinwoo asked him. The older man seemed nice, with a certain, older-brother kind of fondness for Hyunjin. Jisung decided that he liked him.

"Hey, how would you like coming over some time this week? I'm sure Changbin and Felix would love to see you," Hyunjin suggested.

Jinwoo smiled and nodded. "Sure, I'm here until the end of the week, so I should have time. Is your number still the same?" he questioned.

"It is," the younger confirmed.

"Great, I'll text you," Jinwoo said. He checked his phone. "I think I have to go now. It was so good to see you," he added, before looking at the youngest, "and nice to meet you, Jisung."

"Same here," he replied. Jinwoo left with a last wave and Jisung and Hyunjin were alone again.

"Now, I think we should continue that neighborhood tour," Jisung said. Hyunjin grinned.

~

Hyunjin proceeded to show Jisung the playground he used to play at as a child – the place he'd first met Changbin, they then went to Hyunjin's favorite diner to get a quick bite to eat and lastly, they took a few selfies as they just casually walked around. Hyunjin would sometimes point out something and tell a little story about his past.

Jisung loved every bit of it.

Eventually, they returned home, though. They hadn't even noticed how late it had gotten until the sun had started to set.

"I'm sorry, my darling. We spent all day just talking about me," Hyunjin apologized that night after the two of them had cuddled up together in Hyunjin's bed. Jisung lifted his head from where it was resting on the older's bare chest. ("It's warm, okay? Besides, don't act like you don't like it.")

"Why are you apologizing? I loved learning things about your past. I think the last two days were my favorite so far, regarding my stay here," the younger told him sincerely. Hyunjin smiled and ran a hand through his boyfriend's now chocolate-colored locks. "We can still talk about me once you visit me in Seoul," Jisung added.

Hyunjin chuckled. "I guess that works..." he agreed.

The younger pecked his boyfriend's lips before resting his head back on his chest, fingers absent-mindedly tracing the tattoo. Jisung dreaded bringing 7000 miles between them again. He'd gotten so used to being with Hyunjin that he couldn't imagine to just go back to the way things were.

"What are you thinking about, babe?" Hyunjin questioned. Jisung stopped retracing the ink on his boyfriend's smooth skin and looked up at him again.

"Maybe I should get one as well. A tattoo...", he spoke his mind.

Hyunjin raised his eyebrow. "Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

"I don't know... maybe I also need something that makes being away from you more bearable..." Jisung admitted. Hyunjin looked surprised to hear that. "I'm sorry...I'm bringing down the mood..." the younger added. The older reached out to caress his cheek.

"You're not bringing down anything. You're allowed to feel that way... and if you think getting a tattoo is the way to deal with the distance then you should do it," he assured his boyfriend. Jisung smiled, though a little sadly, and nodded slowly.

"We'll see... for now, let's not think about me leaving..." he muttered, getting comfortable again. Hyunjin wrapped his arms around him and soon they drifted off to sleep.

~

Their get-together with Jinwoo happened two days after they'd met him at Hyunjin's former high school. As expected, Changbin and Felix were beyond excited to see their old friend again. Changbin mysteriously got a few bottles of beer 'to celebrate'. Jinwoo came by in the evening and together they sat down in the living room, drinking and talking.

"Are you and your girlfriend still together?" Felix asked the oldest. Jinwoo shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. She went to California to study law. We tried long-distance, but eventually she stopped calling... we just grew apart," the oldest said. "But I met someone at Brown. Her name is Mina and we've been texting for a while now."

Hyunjin had tensed up a bit at Jinwoo mentioning his failed long-distance relationship. Jisung seemed to have noticed, since he put his hand on Hyunjin's causing him to relax again. Jinwoo looked at them.

"How do you two handle it? The long-distance thing, I mean. You've been doing this for years. My ex-girlfriend and I didn't even last six months..." Hyunjin and Jisung shared a look. The older laced their hands together, before looking back at his friend.

"I just knew that I'd found my soulmate. When you love someone, you have to fight for them..." he admitted. Jisung nodded in agreement, but also blushed at his words.

"Ugh, you two are so cute together. I wish Jisung could stay longer. I don't think I've ever seen Hyunjin this happy", Felix stated.

Hyunjin was truly the happiest he'd ever been. He got to see Jisung in person, touch him, kiss him; he got to show him his hometown. But at the same time, he knew that he would eventually have to let him go again. The end of Jisung's stay kept coming closer and closer and Hyunjin dreaded it so much.

"Anyway, I admire you two a lot," Jinwoo told them sincerely.

Hyunjin smiled. "Thanks," he replied. He looked at Jisung again, noticing how thoughtful he looked. Hyunjin made a mental note to ask him about it later.

~

Jinwoo decided to call a cab around 1am after deeming himself unfit to drive home by himself. Hyunjin offered to clean up and Jisung excused himself with a headache while Changbin and Felix went to take a shower.

Hyunjin went to join Jisung in his room when he was done, only to find it empty. His window was open, though, so he figured that his boyfriend was outside. He climbed through his window. Jisung sat there on the fire escape, hugging his knees to his chest. He had that same thoughtful look as before.

"Are you okay, love?" Hyunjin asked, sitting down next to him. Jisung didn't answer immediately. Instead, he kept staring at the busy city below them. Hyunjin couldn't deny that he was kind of worried. What was upsetting him so much?

"Have you ever been unhappy about how things were with us?" Jisung finally asked, though still not looking at him. Hyunjin hadn't seen that question coming.

"No... not really. I just really missed you, even though we'd never met before..." he replied honestly. He took Jisung's hand, making the younger look at him. "I'm not going to lie to you, being apart from you did drag me down once in a while. But you just make me so happy, so I was able to live with that because I knew that I would meet you one day." Jisung gave him a small smile. "I meant what I said earlier. I love you and that means I'll fight for you..."

Again, Jisung didn't reply, instead he just hugged him. "I love you..." he said eventually. Hyunjin wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's middle and buried his face in the crook of his neck.

"I love you, too...more than you know," he mumbled. They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's presence.

Suddenly, Jisung chuckled. He was really confusing today. Hyunjin pulled back and gave him a confused look. "I just thought about the most ridiculous thing..." Jisung waved off. "Shortly after I told my mom about us, she wanted to set me up with a guy from our neighborhood. She didn't believe this was going to work. I just thought about the fact that I would have missed out on the love of my life if I'd believed her."

Hyunjin's cheeks flushed from being called the love of Jisung's life, but at the same time he felt curious about the revelation the younger had just made.

"You never told me that," he stated. Jisung looked at him, as if to check if he was mad, kind of like Hyunjin had when he'd told the younger about Noah. Hyunjin wasn't mad though.

"I didn't want you to worry. I mean, I never even looked at other guys that way, but it's easier to get doubts when you're apart. I wanted to avoid that..." he explained himself. "As soon as I realized what my mom was trying to do I went home. I refused to talk to her for the rest of the day. She apologized the next day. I told her that I believe in our relationship. I want to be with you, even though I'm so far away," he continued. "And that I was happiest when talking to you..."

Hyunjin smiled at him and kissed him without warning. The younger let out a startled sound but returned the kiss either way. Hyunjin was more in love than he could ever say with words. It was safe to say that Jisung was also the love of his life.

They decided to head to bed shortly after, as it was getting ridiculously late. They were cuddling when Hyunjin suddenly decided to voice his thoughts: "I got so used to this...to us being together...I don't want to let you go already..." He thought back to what Felix had said earlier. He also wanted Jisung to stay longer.

The younger pecked his cheek. "I feel the same way. But we still have a little more than a week left. Let's make every bit of it count..."

~

The weather didn't allow may outdoor activities for the rest of the week, so Jisung and Hyunjin spent a lot of time inside, watching movies, eating takeout and cuddling with the occasional make-out session, or playing weird drinking games with Changbin and Felix.

Much faster than they wanted, Jisung's last week in New York City had begun. He tried to hide it, but he was feeling gloomier every day that was closer to his departure.

"Hey, I figured I could show you NYU today. Are you up for it?" Hyunjin asked in an attempt to cheer him up one day.

Jisung smiled faintly. "I'd love to see your university," he said.

The rain had finally stopped, so they got dressed and headed to the subway station, deciding that it would be more convenient than going by car. The drive to NYU was just about 30 minutes. Jisung noticed how excited Hyunjin looked. He smiled a little, realizing how much the older was probably looking forward to starting university.

When they arrived, Jisung could definitely understand the excitement. NYU already looked impressive from the outside! The younger sure wouldn't mind studying here for several reasons.

"What do you think?" Hyunjin asked him. He had that excited expression on his face again. Jisung smiled and reached for his hand.

"It's amazing. I know you'll do great here..."

"We'll see about that," Hyunjin answered with a light chuckle.

Jisung shook his head determinedly. "I mean it. You're the best photographer ever," he said sincerely. For some reason, he just felt like he had to let Hyunjin know that, to Jisung, there was no better photographer than him.

"Thanks, love. You know, it means a lot to me when you say that," the older replied. Jisung smiled and gently tugged on his hand.

"How about a tour?" he asked. Hyunjin grinned and nodded in agreement.

~

After showing Jisung around NYU, they decided to get something to eat before heading back home. Hyunjin could see how much Jisung tried to hide his gloominess. He felt it, too, with Jisung's departure only being three days away. These past four weeks had passed way too quickly. It felt like yesterday to Hyunjin when he'd excitedly gotten into his car to pick Jisung up from the airport.

At first, it had felt like the best dream ever, but soon he had grown so attached to Jisung. He was used to holding the younger in his arms at night, to hearing his raspy morning voice first thing in the morning or to watching him talk and laugh with his friends. It had only taken such a short time for Hyunjin to be unable to imagine his daily life without Jisung.

Hyunjin had known that he was in love with Jisung ever since they were 15 but the younger's visit had just made him fall for him all over again and this time even harder than the last.

They were currently walking to the subway station hand in hand to make their way back to the apartment when Hyunjin blurted out the ridiculous thought that had been on his mind all day:

"Just stay forever." Jisung stopped in his tracks and looked up at him. They maintained eye contact for a short while before Jisung chuckled.

"I would love to do that, if I could..." he said. "But I think it'd break my parents' hearts if I just left the country. Besides, I got into university as well..."

Hyunjin didn't reply at first. Instead, he just pulled Jisung into a hug. The younger responded by wrapped his arms around the older's middle, hands clawing into the fabric of his shirt almost desperately.

"I'm sorry for being selfish... I just..." Hyunjin trailed off.

"It's okay. I've been thinking about that, as well... but I have to be reasonable. Even if it for now and I just want to throw everything aside to be with you," Jisung mumbled. They stood like this for a while, entangled in each other's embrace and tempted to never let go again. It took their combined willpower not to cry right then and there in the middle of the street.

"I love you so much..." Jisung muttered into the crook of Hyunjin's neck.

"I love you, too..." the older replied. They finally pulled apart and continued their way back to the subway station.

~

As it turned out, Changbin and Felix weren't too happy about Jisung's fast-approaching departure either. Felix was almost crying when he told Jisung that he'd become a great friend over these past four weeks.

"Now, you have one more person to video call regularly, understand?" the blonde said, wagging a stern finger at him. Jisung chuckled.

"I'm not gone yet, Felix. I promise to call, though..." he assured his friend.

~

On Jisung's last evening Hyunjin had an idea to go somewhere. The younger tried to get information out of him but Hyunjin wouldn't tell them a thing about the location they were heading to until they were there. Jisung stared in awe at the scenery. He knew this place, even if he'd never been here before. He turned to Hyunjin, eyes widened and suddenly b with tears.

"This is..." he trailed off.

Hyunjin smiled. "Manhattan bridge. I figured you might want to see it in person," he explained, tone fond as he looked at the bridge. Jisung followed his gaze. It was just a tourist attraction, yet it held so much meaning for both of them. This very bridge might have just been the reason that he was even standing here today. It felt like this was the place where he'd fallen in love with Hyunjin all those years ago.

Hyunjin removed the camera from around his neck and asked another tourist to take a few pictures of them, which she did. Jisung felt like crying when Hyunjin backhugged him and kissed his cheek. Nevertheless, he smiled for the pictures and watched his boyfriend reclaim his camera and thank the tourist.

Jisung was so happy and so sad at the same time. He loved Hyunjin so much for taking him here and for coming into his life in the first place. He didn't notice that he had given in to the tears until he felt Hyunjin gently wipe them off his face. The older looked close to tears as well, which made Jisung cry even harder.

"I don't want to go..." he told his boyfriend who responded by hugging him. Jisung was sure that he received a few looks for ugly sobbing in such a public place, but it didn't matter to him. Hyunjin pulled out of the hug and cupped Jisung's squishy cheeks, making his boyfriend look into his eyes.

"This won't be a permanent goodbye. I'll visit you in Seoul next and we'll make even more great memories together. I promise you that," he consoled the younger. "I'm so grateful that I got to spend these past four weeks with you, my darling. And, even though, sending you back to Seoul will be the hardest thing I'll ever do, I'll just think about all those beautiful memories we've made here. I love you so much, you know that, right?"

They were both crying by now, despite Hyunjin making an inner promise to himself to hold the tears until the airport. Jisung nodded at his words, not trusting his voice enough to answer, instead, pulling Hyunjin closer to kiss him. Hyunjin all but melted into the kiss, not minding the salty taste of tears on their lips. He pulled the younger impossibly closer, almost forgetting the world around him.

Jisung pulled back and wiped his eyes. "I love you..." he said, his voice hoarse and even like this; eyes red and face tear-stained, Hyunjin found him absolutely beautiful.

"I love you, too..."

~

Jisung couldn't sleep.

It was 3am and he should be snuggled into Hyunjin's side, basking in his warmth but instead, he sat outside on the fire escape. He was clutching a can of coke in his hands as he watched the lively streets of Brooklyn. He would miss this. All of it. But he would miss Hyunjin the most. However, even with all the pain that leaving New York was bringing, he didn't regret coming here.

Jisung heaved a sigh. How had time passed this quickly?

Eventually, Jisung figured, he should go back inside. Even if he couldn't sleep, he at least wanted to be with Hyunjin. He finished his soda and went back inside, crawling into his boyfriend's bed. The older looked so peaceful and gorgeous, Jisung couldn't help but admire him.

He reached out and gently pushed a strand of Hyunjin's rave hair out of his face. He took in every single detail; the mole under his eye, his oddly beautiful nose, and his full lips, which were slightly parted right now, as even breaths escaped through it. Jisung cuddled up to him, still admiring his sleeping figure, and still not feeling tired at all.

Time passed quickly and before Jisung knew it the sun was up and Hyunjin's alarm blasted through his room. The older stirred awake, blindly reaching for his phone to turn off the annoying source of disturbance. Jisung watched him rub the sleep out of his eyes and sit up before his eyes landed on his boyfriend.

"How long have you been awake?" he questioned, voice thick and full of sleep. Jisung smiled and sat up as well.

"A while..." he answered.

Hyunjin reached for his hand and squeezed it. "We should probably get ready..." he mumbled reluctantly. Jisung was so tempted to just say " it" and miss his flight, but his inner reason won, causing him to nod. They got out of bed, washed up and ate a quick breakfast.

Changbin and Felix came out of the room about halfway through the procedure, hair messy and eyes still half-closed. "We were almost worried we'd overslept," Felix said, his morning voice deeper than the depths of Tartarus.

Jisung got up from his seat. "We'll be leaving soon..." he told the couple.

"Then I suppose, it's time for goodbyes..." Changbin spoke up.

Jisung gave each of them a hug. "I'm gonna miss the two of you..." he said, after he'd pulled back out of his hug with Felix. The youngest looked like he was about to cry. "Don't worry, we'll keep in touch!" Jisung promised. He found himself thinking that if it was already this hard to say goodbye to his newfound friends, he didn't even want to know what it was going to feel like with Hyunjin.

~

After a – in Felix' case – tearful goodbye from their friends, Jisung grabbed his previously packed stuff and followed Hyunjin to his car. The drive was silent and dreadful, so much unlike the first one.

They arrived at the airport way too quickly for either of their liking. Hyunjin got the younger's luggage out of the trunk before taking his hand and carrying the suitcase for him. They still had some time on their hands, so they decided to have some coffee before Jisung had to go check in. The two of them didn't talk a lot, mostly scared that they would start crying again. There was still enough time for that later, Jisung figured.

"It's time..." Hyunjin spoke up quietly after a short look onto his phone. Jisung checked his own phone and saw that Hyunjin was indeed right. He should head to check in now. "You have your ticket, right?" Hyunjin questioned, reaching for his hand again, as they made their way to the right check-in.

"I almost wish I didn't," Jisung answered with a bitter chuckle. Hyunjin squeezed his hand again.

"Me too...", he muttered, but the younger heard him anyway.

They reached the check-in and it hit Jisung. This was it. Not much longer and he would be on a plane home. To Seoul. All in all, he did miss his home, but the fact that he didn't know when he would see Hyunjin again, made him realize that the city wasn't his only home.

Hyunjin was, too.

The older turned to face him with his whole body. "Don't forget that this is only temporary... there will be a next time," he said, as tears welled up in his eyes.

"I won't forget..." Jisung assured him. Hyunjin leaned down and kissed him. Jisung felt a tear roll down his cheek as his lips moved against Hyunjin's. Unsurprisingly, his lips tasted like coffee, just like the first time. The older eventually pulled back and wiped the tears off Jisung's face.

"I'll miss you, my darling..." he mumbled, bringing their faces closer again to peck Jisung's lips shortly.

"I'll miss you, too... so much..." the younger answered; the tears his boyfriend had wiped off were quickly getting replaced by new ones. He wrapped his arms around Hyunjin's waist and buried his face in his chest.

He could feel Hyunjin run his hand through Jisung's hair. "I love you," the older told him. Jisung would never get sick of hearing that. He looked up at Hyunjin, his vision slightly blurry, thanks to the tears.

"I love you more..."

Jisung knew he had to go, but the temptation to just stay grew with every second Hyunjin stood there, looking at him with those pretty brown eyes. Reluctantly, he picked up his luggage and gave Hyunjin a look.

"Have a safe flight, okay? Call me when you get home, no matter what time it is." The older looked down at their still intertwined hands.

"I will..." Jisung promised. "Well, then...", he trailed off.

He let go of Hyunjin's hand and gave him a teary half-smile and a last, tight hug, before finally heading to his check-in. When everything was done, he turned around to give his boyfriend another wave before he went out of sight.

~

Hyunjin didn't know how he made it home after he waited for Jisung's flight to take off, but he sure was grateful for his still very sleepy friends crawling into his bed as he let go of the tears he'd been trying to hold in so badly. He already missed Jisung like crazy. His smile, his scent, his touch... everything. He knew that this would be hard, but he hadn't expected it to be this hard.

His sheets still smelled like Jisung...

Felix and Changbin took him in the middle and cuddled him until the tears stopped flowing and he'd fallen asleep from exhaustion. Hyunjin knew he would see him again. He just hoped that it wouldn't take another three years. And he wished to get more than a month with the love of his life next time.

~

"Jisungie!" he heard Chan exclaim 15 hours later. He stood there, waving excitedly. Minho, who was holding Chan's other hand, as Jisung noticed, was clearly judging the older. Jisung smiled and approached the two of them. He was aware that he probably looked like , considering, he had spent most of the flight crying silently. The older two didn't mention it, though and just pulled him into a hug.

"We've missed you..." Minho told him.

"I've missed you guys, too. But it seems like you've been doing pretty well without me," the youngest pointed out, nodding to the couple's hands, which were linked again. "Took you long enough," Jisung added teasingly, smirking at the way they both blushed.

"Why don't we take you home and you tell us everything about New York?" Chan switched subjects.

Jisung's smile remained, but he still felt like he was going to cry again. "Can we get ice cream first? I could really use some..." he asked. The couple nodded. Chan took Jisung's luggage and together the three made their way to their favorite ice cream place.

Jisung told them about all the things he'd seen, the great people he'd met and how much he was going to miss it. And, of course, he told them how Hyunjin was everything he'd dreamed of and more. He did end up crying a little, but his friends hugged him and assured him that he would see Hyunjin again, sooner than he'd know it...

~a few months later~

Falling back into the way things were before hadn't been easy, but Jisung and Hyunjin had made it work. The only difference was that they missed each other way more than they had before.

They had both successfully finished their first semester at university. Jisung was living at the dorms, just as planned. During his first semester, he'd had to put up with a weird roommate, but the guy had dropped out, so Jisung had the room to himself for now.

Second semester was going to start in a week and Jisung couldn't wait. However, there was also something that bothered him. Over the past few weeks, Hyunjin had been harder to reach and every time they did talk it felt like the older was hiding something from him. He trusted Hyunjin with his life, but it was still just a little bit unsettling.

He had just tried to video call Hyunjin for the third time today. This hadn't been the first time he hadn't picked up or at least returned his calls. Jisung didn't know what could possibly be going on with his boyfriend and he was slowly beginning to fear that this was Hyunjin's way of ending things.

"No... you're overreacting. He's probably just busy..." he told himself, tossing his phone to the side as he fell down, face first, on his bed. It was almost noon, so he figured he could go and make himself some ramen soon.

A knock on the door interrupted his trail of thought. He asked himself if he'd made any plans with Minho, Chan or Seungmin today and had forgotten about them. Jisung scrambled off his bed with a groan and straightened out his shirt. Well, Hyunjin's shirt, if he was completely honest. He'd borrowed it before he left to have a reminder and even though it had stopped smelling like his boyfriend months ago, he still loved to wear it.

He opened the door – and froze.

"Hi, this is room 4419, right?" Jisung opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn't muster any words, just staring at the other person in front of him. He leaned against the doorframe, a smirk on his face. "My name's Hwang Hyunjin and I'll be your roommate for the semester," he added.

Jisung finally snapped out of it and all but pounced onto Hyunjin who reacted quickly by catching him. He clung onto the older like a koala, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Was he hallucinating? There was no way Hyunjin was here! In Seoul – as his new roommate?!

"W-what are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Jisung questioned, finally trusting his voice enough to speak.

Hyunjin put him down on the floor again, a wide grin on his face. "I wanted to surprise you! I've decided to get a change of scenery and spend my second semester here... with you," he explained. Jisung couldn't believe his ears. Hyunjin had really just decided to come here? For him? "Now, am I going to get a proper greeting?" the older questioned. He didn't have to ask twice.

Jisung grabbed the front of Hyunjin's shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. God, how much he had missed those full, plump lips. The older still tasted the same as last time and it made Jisung's heart swell with so much love that he was almost afraid that it would burst out of his chest.

Hyunjin was really here!

"I've missed you so much," Jisung muttered against his lips, before reconnecting them with his own. Hyunjin sighed in content, his hands finding their familiar spot on the younger's hips, pulling him closer. They were still in the middle of the doorway, but it didn't matter.

~

"I was worried that you were starting to drift away from me because you were being so secretive..." Jisung said about 15 minutes later when they could finally keep their hands off each other long enough to move out of the doorway and settle down on the younger's bed. Hyunjin's suitcase stood forgotten in the corner. According to him, his other stuff would be moved here soon.

"I'm sorry, my darling. I didn't mean to worry you. I just couldn't stay away from you any longer," Hyunjin apologized.

Jisung pecked his cheek. "I'm just glad that you're here...but what about Changbin and Felix? And NYU?" the younger asked. Hyunjin smiled, lacing his fingers with Jisung's.

"They'll be fine without me for a while. After all, there's no place like home..." Hyunjin had told him. They stared at one another for a while, their eye-contact still as intense as ever. Jisung leaned in to kiss him once again. Hyunjin's hand caressed his cheek as their lips moved against each other, perfectly, just like two puzzle pieces.

"I love you, Han Jisung," Hyunjin murmured after they pulled back, faces still only inches apart.

"I love you, too, Hwang Hyunjin."

That was all that needed to be said before they closed the distance again, making up (or rather, out) for all the lost time. Jisung finally felt completely at home.

Maybe distance did make the heart grow fonder, or maybe Jisung and Hyunjin were just two boys who were completely, utterly and hopelessly in love with each other, no matter the time zone.

THE END.