“Ah! I love this place,” Himchan ranted before he filled his mouth with another hearty pile of noodles.

The corners of Jongup’s eyes crinkled as he watched his boyfriend happily engorge himself.  He was fully aware that this restaurant just happened to be Himchan’s favorite.  Though he may not always come off as the smartest guy to grace the earth, Jongup usually had rather thought out reasoning behind most of his actions.  This whole day, in fact, had been planned out for weeks.

“Ya! Don’t just sit there and watch me eat.  You need to eat too,” Himchan scolded, holding out the bite he had in his chopsticks to the younger man.

Jongup’s lips twitched in a mixture of amusement and adoration before he leaned forward and took the bite offered to him.  He loved that Himchan was always looking out for him, always taking care of him.  He loved that he never feared being himself around his Hyung; he never felt judged or looked down upon with him. There was such a comfort between them that Jongup didn’t feel most others.  With Himchan, he didn’t feel the need to overthink each word before speaking them in fear of being torn down because he couldn’t properly put his thoughts into words.  No, Himchan had a way of building him up and making him feel worthwhile and special before he could even slip into self-doubt.  There were so many things he admired, and today he intended to finally return the affection Himchan constantly showered him with.

“It’s almost weird having a day off again.  If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know what I would do with myself,” Himchan admitted as he closed his eyes and filled his lungs with the early spring air.  “Taking a walk was such a great idea.  I can’t believe there aren’t more people here.  It’s so beautiful out today.”

The younger male nodded in response.  He had done a bit of research and found that though this particular park is indeed beautiful, it’s not usually crowded which made it perfect for the two of them to take a tandem stroll through the blooming cherry blossoms and along the small creek that ran beside the trail.  This day was meant to be perfect and Jongup had put an immense amount of thought and effort to make sure it would be.  

Jongup was a man of few words and did not often express what Himchan meant to him.  Most often he preferred to quietly watch the elder male rant, rave and enjoy life loudly while he simply observed.  Seeing the joy Himchan displayed was far more appealing than involving himself in whatever shenanigans he and the others usually found.  But today would be different; today was special.  It was three years ago this day that Himchan confessed his feelings amongst stutters and chewed lips.  Today marked three of the best years in Jongup’s life and he decided that actions alone were not suffice in showing Himchan just how much he meant to him.

Breaking the comfortable silence, Jongup finally spoke.  “I have one more place I want to go before the day is over.”  Himchan glanced at his lover with a raised eyebrow; his curiosity piqued.  This whole day had been a fun, relaxing adventure for him.  Almost always, it was he that chose their activities or the places they visited.  Jongup’s sudden dominance over their free time was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.  And after all the perfect ideas the young man had throughout the day, Himchan was most excited to see what he had planned next.

Watching the scenery pass by and become increasingly familiar, Himchan glanced across the car at his boyfriend, silently questioning his plans.  His confusion reached an all-time high when Jongup parked the car on the street in front of his parents’ house.  Only a handful of times had Himchan brought him to his childhood home and he had certainly not initiated this visit.  He almost felt self-conscious about showing up at his parents’ without planning the visit himself.

“Jongup, what are we going here?” Himchan questioned, climbing out of the vehicle just after his lover had silently done so.  In response, he only received a small, knowing smirk and subtle shrug, stirring even more curiosity and slight panic within him.  He worried that they would be imposing on his parents’, showing up unannounced, but his fears were quickly put to rest when his mother opened the door and excitedly greeted them before they had even walked half the length of the path leading to the inviting home.

Himchan smiled happily to himself, completely overjoyed to see his mother doing so well and radiating such genuine delight in seeing them.  Upon entering his former home, his smile grew all the wider, surprised to not only find his sister was also visiting, but the living room was filled with him and Jongup’s closest friends and family.  Realization hit him and he turned a questioning grin to his boyfriend who stood behind him with an unwavering shy smile and his hands buried in his pockets.

“I wanted everyone to be a part of our special day.  I figured it wouldn’t be complete if there weren’t with us too.”

There were no words for how touched Himchan was for all the work Jongup had put into this day.  Though he never truly believed his precious Guppy would forget their three year anniversary, a part of his had wondered if he remembered.  Really, he hadn’t expected more than a meaningful gift or two and a relaxing day spent together.  All this was such a surprise; it almost brought him to tears.

“I also wanted everyone to witness what I’m about to say.”  Jongup cleared his throat, shyly looking around at the others before locking his gaze with the man he loved.  “I know I don’t tell you very often how much I love you and how much you mean to me.  You know I’m not very good with words and I don’t want to fail in letting you know that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.  We have been through so much together as a couple, as a team, and as brothers.  Every day you encourage and inspire me to be a better man.  I can only hope to spend the rest of my life trying to do the same for you.  I’d be lying if I said this was how I was expecting my life to turn out, but I couldn’t imagine it any other way and I would like to spend the rest of it together… with you.  If you know what I mean.”  Nerves finally took over and broke Jongup’s heartfelt proposal.  He swallowed the lump forming in his throat as his bit his bottom lip and scratched the back of his head before pulling a silver chain from his pocket and held it out before him to allow the white gold ring to dangle between them.

Himchan blinked, staring at the jewelry that glistened in the setting sunlight streaming from the living room window.  Everyone was silent, waiting eagerly for his response.  But for the first time in his life, words completely escaped him.  His lips moved but formed no words, so he did the only thing he could think to do and pulled Jongup into a tight embrace before tenderly laying his lips upon the younger man’s.  Usually, he sidestepped public skinship and displays of affection in favor if Jongup’s shyness over it, but in the moment, the elder man needed more than words to reveal to his lover just how much this confession meant to him.  How much the day meant to him.  How much he meant to him.

“You’re stuck with me forever,” Himchan finally whispered after breaking the kiss.  Behind them the house erupted in hollers of joy and celebration.  

Life was perfect.