a/n: This occurs 3 or so months after the end of In-laws and about a year since they got together in Eventide.

         Jinki tightened his right arm around Jonghyun’s middle as he pulled away and attempted to get up. With a huff Jonghyun landed back against him, smiling fondly when he felt Jinki nuzzling closer. Their room at the Kynesgrove inn was facing the west, allowing the sun falling into their room to be slower than the last time they had stayed here. “Babe, I have to go to Windhelm. I can’t stay in bed all day.”

         “Windhelm bad.” Was all Jinki muttered, fingers twitching a little as he shifted against Jonghyun’s bare lean stomach.

         “I need to use the blacksmith before we go back to the College. I’ll be back in two hours tops.” He tried to pull away, but when Jinki’s hold didn’t lessen at all, he sighed and turned slowly to face him. Jinki opened his eyes with a smile only after a warm kiss was pressed to his lips. Jonghyun caressed his cheek, thumb moving over his cheekbone as he spoke. “It’s important. You don’t have to come with me and I’ll be okay. I’ll even pick up from fruit for you.”

         Jinki squinted slightly, “Are you trying to bribe me with fruit?”

         Jonghyun grinned brightly. “Completely.”

         “Fine,” Jinki pushed forward to press their lips together, deepening it as he flicked his tongue past Jonghyun’s, right hand flat and sure on his lower back with fingers pushed just under the band of his sleep pants. “If you must.”

         “Oh, you play dirty.”

         Jinki withdrew from holding him, rolling onto his back with his hands up above his head. He grinned lazily as he pushed up to lean against the headboard of the bed, the blanket falling to his lap. “You should know just how dirty I am by now, Baby.”

         "I guess I could push it back.”

         “Nope, you lost your chance. Go play with fire and metal big boy.”

         “But-”

         When Jonghyun moved to touch his chest Jinki gently swatted at his hand, eyes crinkling with how amused he was. “You promised me fruit.”

         Jonghyun flopped back onto the bed, dramatically sighing as he wiggled frustrated before going limp to stare up at his lover. “You’re mean.”

         “I’m alluring. There’s a difference.” He ran his hand slowly through Jonghyun’s messy locks of hair, fondly gazing at him. “The quicker you go handle what’s important in Windhelm, the quicker you can return to me, Love.”

         While he was correct, Jonghyun found it very difficult to focus on getting dressed with Jinki going through his morning stretching routine in just his sleeping pants. He had seen him do it for almost a year at this point and yet it still painted Jinki in such an arousing light Jonghyun was a bit embarrassed to admit it. He had to remind himself just what was waiting for him to do in Windhelm for him to close the door behind himself and head toward the front door of the inn to go to the city.

-----

         Curiously when Jonghyun returned Jinki wasn’t in their room. It took him a moment to see the note left on the small table against the wall to the right of the door, but after placing the small bag of fruit above it he took the note into both hands. ‘Went to the river down the hill~ Love you, Jinki.’

         He knew that Jinki would probably return soon, but he grabbed the bunch of snowberries he had bought and headed out of the room. As he stepped onto the crest of the hill, a bright smile pulled on his lips. Jinki was sitting with his feet in the river, long hair pulled up into a bun on the top of his head, and sketchbook in his lap as he gazed over the far horizon. Carefully he makes his way through the swaying tall grass to the bottom of the hill. He half expected Jinki’s head to lift and turn, but the man didn’t move his focus from his drawing even as Jonghyun stepped directly behind him. Instead, Jinki just softly says. “Hey, beautiful.”

         “How did you- I’m not even jingling.”

         It’s then he turns a little over his shoulder, grinning, “Healing you so much has given me a tap into your energy. I sensed you as you got closer.”

         Careful not to jostle the sketchbook in his lap, Jonghyun sat beside him, their shoulders gently touching. He held out the small bag of snowberries as he commented, “I’m not sure how I feel about a magic locator.”

         “Stop getting hurt all the time and the connection wouldn’t be getting stronger.” After handing his sketchbook over in exchange for the berries, he asked, “Everything go alright in Windhelm?”

         The book was placed behind him in the grass as he laid his head on Jinki’s shoulder, barely keeping his boots out of the water. “Just perfect. My important business was taken care of easily.”

         “What business was so important?”

         “You’ll find out eventually.”

         Jinki’s mouth smacked a little as he threw in a few more berries, “I don’t like the sound of that. You know I hate surprises.”

         “I do, but you’ll like this one I think.”

         There was a slight pressure against his hair as Jinki pressed his lips against it, “I trust you on it.”

----

         Waking up Jonghyun expected to be laying on Jinki, either his chest or his arm as he spooned him, but the space beside him was oddly cold under the furs. Groggily, he pushed up onto his elbows, squinting around the cave for his lover through the blindly light of the fire. Jinki was sitting at the end of the bedroll, sleeping pants pulled over his legs and a tin cup held in his hands. His hair was laying around his shoulders, slightly curled around his temples from their lovemaking some time before. Jinki lowered the cup from his lips when Jonghyun moved closer, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his shoulder. “What are you doing up?”

         “Just thinking.” Jinki’s left hand fell softly to rest against his, shifting to gaze at him over his shoulder. “I’ll be okay if you want to go back to sleep.”

         “It’s cold without you,” Jonghyun mumbled into his skin, eyes squeezed shut as his cheek squished a little.

         “You always say that Baby.”

         “‘Cause it’s true.” The rumble of his laughter made Jonghyun softly smile, arms tightening around him as he lifts his head. As silence falls, he’s captured by how beautiful Jinki really is with the golden glow of the fire over his features, the gentleness of his gaze and touch, and the way his light hair falls so pretty around his cheeks. Slowly he turned to look at their packs against the wall, toward the ring he had made in Windhelm. Kibum was going to make a cake and help get all types of flowers into their room when they got back to the college. He had so many plans for their anniversary, for his proposal, but sitting here wrapped up with him in the warmth of this cave something in his chest told him this was the right moment.

         As he withdrew from Jinki the man quietly asked, “Where are you going?”

         “Give me a second, Mr. Impatient.” Jinki’s scuff was too quiet to be heard over his rummaging through his bag to as deep as he could hide it, just in case Jinki went into his bag for something. His eyes fluttered closed as he took a deep breath, fingers curling around the ring tightly. It was easy to return to his original position, cuddling close.

         “Are you going to explain what that was or are you just being strange in the middle of the night Jingles?”

         “Marry me.”

         “Sure Baby.” Jinki softly laughed, patting the back of Jonghyun’s hands. But then Jonghyun lifted his right hand with his palm up revealing the ring and Jinki in a ragged breath before whispering. “You’re serious.”

         “Very serious.”

         Jinki’s head whipped up, and it took Jonghyun a moment to pinpoint the expression on his face. One of fear. “Jonghyun I-”

         He swallowed thickly, pushing down his own fear of rejection down until he could smile. “It’s okay if you don’t want to say yes I just… It’s been almost a year Jinki. I love you so much and I know anniversaries aren’t important to you, but you’ve never had a happy one, not really and I’ve thought about making you my husband for a while. If you think this is too fast or that you don’t want that anymore, I understand I just-”

         “Jonghyun I wasn’t going to say no.”

         “You aren’t?”

         Jinki shifted, moving away far enough so he could sit with his legs crisscrossed in front of him and hold Jonghyun’s hands in his own. His gaze was downcasted looking at their intertwined hands when he spoke. “I love you. You know that I do. The last time I thought I found my forever and wanted to take the next step, it didn’t work out because we wanted… needed different things. A few months ago you told me you would stay at the college with me for the rest of our days. For me to say yes, I need to know that still holds true.” Slowly then he lifts his head and his eyes are blurry, wet streaks moving down his cheeks as he takes a shuddering breath. His thumbs are moving over the backs of Jonghyun’s hands gently as if he’s afraid he’ll hurt him. “Do you want children?”

         “Jinki that’s not-”

         “Please Jonghyun.” Jinki flashed a little smile, but it fell quickly. “Be honest with me.”

         Deeply sighing, he was. “I do.”

         “Could you truly live the rest of your days with me without them?”

         “We’ve been through this Jinki.”

         “We have, but now I’m certain I could never be comfortable having another child call me Pa, to be someone else's father. That is permanent and won’t change. I need you to really think Baby if I am good enough for you. If living at the College with me is enough.”

         Jonghyun flicked his eyes over Jinki’s features, from his warm gaze to the teardrop rolling over his lips, and back again. “And if I say you aren’t?”

         Jinki reacts as if he’s been physically blown, eyes shut as he flinches. “Then I’ll have to say no.”

         Looking directly at the man he loves, had seen an entire life spanning out before him connected to him, he forces himself to think about a different life. A life where he would leave the College one last time, hopefully finding someone new, starting a family, but it’s almost immediately that the picture feels wrong. Just thinking about never seeing Jinki again, let alone hold his hand, kiss his cheek, make him pink by telling him he loves him ever again made him want to throw up. There were so many things he wanted to experience with Jinki and he realized then that children weren’t one of them. Marriage was. As quick as he had removed his hands from Jinki’s grip they were holding the man’s cheeks, the ring held on his pinky. Before he could question it, Jonghyun’s lips were pressed against his, rising up to his knees to kiss better.

         Jinki put one hand behind him to steady them while the other rose to grip Jonghyun’s hip as the kisses deepened. Just as the thought occurred that this was too serious of a conversation to distract from through kissing, Jonghyun pulled away, but just enough that the tips of their noses were brushing against one another still. “You’re enough. You’ve always been enough for me.”

         Then as if it was the first time Jinki had ever been told he was enough, the man crumbled completely, falling forward to wrap both arms around Jonghyun and press his nose into his neck. Through the soft sniffles, he managed to make out, “Yes. Jonghyunie... I’ll marry you.”

------

         In the morning Jonghyun nuzzled into the back of Jinki’s neck, smiling as his hair almost tickled his nose. “Good morning, Babe. Or should I say, fiance?”

         Jinki quietly laughed, voice full of sleep as he replied. “Let’s just stick with Babe. I don’t think I’ve processed you proposed.”

         “I did. We’re going to be husbands.”

         “I suppose we are, huh?”

         Jonghyun just contently hummed, warm and at peace cuddled next to him before he recalled something. “Oh, surprise.”

         Maybe it was his sleep addled brain or the shock still of having the ring on his finger, but it took Jinki longer to piece it all together than Jonghyun expected. “Did this have to do with your important business in Windhelm?”

         “Mm, yeah. I made the ring there.”

         “Wait, you made this?”

         “Yeah. I wanted to make it and Winterhold doesn’t have a blacksmith or a forge for that matter.” When Jinki fell completely silent, Jonghyun pushed up on an elbow concerned. “Magey? You alright?”

         Slowly Jinki turned, running his fingers through his hair to move it from his face before cupping Jonghyun’s with his palm. “I love you. I love you so much, you romantic idiot.”

         “Hey wait a minute I-” But then Jinki was kissing him, fingers curling into his hair as he moaned against his lips and any complaint fell from his mind. They had planned to make breakfast and break camp as soon as possible after sunrise, but as Jinki threw a leg over his hips both knew they wouldn’t be making it back to Winterhold and the College any time soon.

------

         As soon as they step into the big door of the main part of the College Taemin is smacking into Jinki full force and almost knocking him over. “Whoa, Sweetheart take it easy.”

         “You were gone forever.”

         “Well, I’m here now.” Jinki ran a hand over the boy’s hair before leaning down a little to speak with him at eye level. “If you let Jonghyun and I get settled, and you’re up for it, we can have some tea and talk about things.”

         Taemin grinned brightly. “I’d like that a lot... Brother.”

         The last word was whispered as if worried it was something still needing to be kept secret. Jinki squeezed his shoulder before stepping back and letting there be more space between them. “I’ll see you in about an hour then, Little Brother?”

         The way the little boy’s eyes shined being called that so loudly and openly almost made Jinki want to cry. He blamed it on the proposal and heightened sensitivity to emotions. “See ya then, Jinki.”

         “I told you he’d come around.” Jonghyun softly quipped a few moments later as Jinki focused on unlocking their room door.

         “Sometimes you’re right. I’ll admit that.”

         Jonghyun was smiling, proud before he realized. Jinki was already stepping into the stairwell as he exclaimed, “Wait what do you mean sometimes? Jinki come back here!”

------

         It’s a few weeks later that Jinki wakes up in the middle of the night in their room at the College to an empty bed. Casting a magelight to hover just in front of him, it quick to figure out Jonghyun isn’t in the room. The stone floors are almost freezing as Jinki pads down the stairs barefoot toward the Arcanaeum, figuring it was a good place to start as any, even if it wasn’t one of Jonghyun’s most frequent visiting locations. Surprisingly as he steps from the door and closes it softly behind him, there’s light from a single candle in the middle of the room. The candle tells him it’s Jonghyun even if the energy of him wasn’t one Jinki was entirely familiar with. Magelights are one of the first spells taught at the College. A mage wouldn’t need a candle.

         Without making a sound Jinki takes the steps over behind him, leaning over to run his hands down Jonghyun’s chest, succeeding in startling the poor man. “ing Jinki!”

         The book the man had been reading had tumbled from his grip in his fright, and his rush to grab it before Jinki intrigued the mage even more. “What are you doing?”

         “Reading,” Jonghyun quips, holding the opened book directly to his chest in a possessive hug.

         “Interesting. I’ve never seen you willingly read before. That’s my thing.” As Jonghyun sags against him, Jinki perks up, stepping around him to kneel beside him. “What’s wrong Baby?”

         “You’ll think I’m being stupid.”

         “Running in to fight that bear who stole your fish was stupid. This isn’t.” He squeezed his knee very softly with a smile. “You can tell me.”

         In response, Jonghyun lets his arms fall from his chest and twists the book around so Jinki can see the cover as he closes it. “I was reading this.”

         “Why on healing?”

         “Because,” Jonghyun his bottom lip through his teeth, tears a little glossy in the blue tint of the magelight. “I don’t want you to die because I can’t heal you as you can me or because you’re low on energy helping me and can’t heal yourself. I don’t want Mzulft to happen again. I can’t lose you.”

         “Jonghyun,” Jinki smiled warmly after taking the book to push onto the table before taking Jonghyun’s hands into his. “If you wished to learn how to heal, I’ll teach you.”

         “Really?!”

         “Of course. Even for your reasons, it means so much to me you wish to learn any magic. This isn’t stupid and neither are you.” He carefully lifts Jonghyun’s hands to press soft kisses on each set of knuckles. “Magic is a part of me and any part of it you wish to learn and be a part of means the world to me. Of course, I’ll teach you.”

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