The place looked a whole lot different from the last time he’s been here. The mementos that once covered the walls were already tattered and torn, some had completely faded. But the feeling of being here remained the same—just like how it was seven, eight years ago. Even though it’s been a while, the familiarity takes him back to when he was a few years younger. It’s true that everything does change, but somehow and some way, he liked to believe that some still stay the same. 

Luhan looked up from his phone. The message he’d been waiting for is yet to come. When he steps out from the car, the cold winter air envelops his small frame. He shoves his hands inside the pockets of his oversized jacket and crosses the street. 

Outside, the streetlight illuminates the store sign. Like usual, there are few people walking around the area. Luhan stands by the sidewalk and waits.. In a way, he is also grateful that times have truly changed. When the stage lights begin to dim on you and the cameras start to focus on someone and something else, it’s a tell-tale sign of freedom. He’s glad that he is able to relax and not worry about people recognizing, and crowding at him

In a few minutes, the reunion he’s been yearning to have will happen. For months and years, this has been an on-and-off plan because of the circumstances they’re in. 

The fate that they’ve been tied to could only permit them too much, and even then, it still wasn’t enough. Their late-night drives and dates were fun for some time until it wasn’t. Eventually, one of them would be tired or unintentionally frustrated, so that had to stop too. Sometimes when Luhan inadvertently reminisced about the years that had passed, he wouldn’t be able to keep the tears from building up in his lids. Sometimes when he couldn’t help but think of all the that they’d had to go through, he’d lock himself in his room and spend hours sobbing against the ironman pillow he got from a certain someone for his birthday. 

Luhan shakes off the dreadful feeling that was sneakily creeping up on him, and lets out a sigh. It’s a quarter past 8 PM and the shop will close soon. Just as he was about to take his phone out of his pocket, it started ringing. He slides a finger against the screen and holds up on his ear.

“Where are you?” he asks.

“I’m on my way, hyung. Give me five minutes. I’m walking.” 

Luhan frowns. “Don’t you have a car? It’s freezing.” he turns to the other side and peeks at the street. It was empty. 

Although, he nearly gets a heart attack when he feels an arm slide around his waist and pulls him in. 

“I know. We should get warmed up.” It’s Sehun. Cladded up in black turtleneck, an oversized plaid coat, scarf, dark jeans and sneakers. He looked warm despite the steam coming out of his mouth while he spoke. 

For some reason, Luhan’s default reaction was to get into the other man’s warmth as best as he could. He moves to wrap his arms around Sehun’s waist, and quite literally, buries his face against his chest. 

“Ahh, it’s warm~” his voice was muffled against the thick layer of clothing. “Hi Sehunnie!” Luhan moves back and detaches himself from said man. 

Finally, Sehun could see him much better. The last time he did, he was on a work trip to Beijing for an event. When there was a sudden surge of partnership requests for chinese brands, Sehun took every chance he could get. Although, even if he was in the country ever so often, it didn’t warrant any meet-ups with the other man since they were really just busy. When he had been in Beijing then, he took a train by himself and met up with Luhan at a museum. It was a weekday and there were about fifteen people around, mostly old tourists. So they were really able to catch up properly. It was a good day. But that had been nearly 3 years ago. They didn’t get a lot of chances to meet up after that, and they had to power through a storm of media controversies too. Sehun could only cringe internally as the memories briefly flashed inside his head. 

“Hi, hyung. Let’s go?” Sehun answers. Luhan’s hand naturally finds its way to his and they walk inside the shop. The sign ‘COFIOCA’ glowed brightly outside.

----
 

They were the only ones inside. The ahjumma flashes them a big smile and doesn’t even bother asking for their orders as she already knew it by heart, she just asks them to take a seat. Luhan goes back to his thoughts earlier again. Although he could barely see any signs of their old pictures anymore, and the signatures on the wall have been long replaced with new ones, he thinks—yeah, some things still stay the same. 

For a while, he and Sehun sit across each other in silence; just taking in the old memories this place once gave them. On the far corner of the shop, he sees an old group photo with their signature on it. A small smile graces his lips as he looks at their youthful faces, they had been through so much good and bad together but still found happiness in each other’s company. 

Then, he feels a tap on his shoulder. When he turns, he sees Sehun staring at a picture on the side behind them. It’s an old one, taken about six years back. He vividly remembers the memory. It was in China and they had come for a schedule. Sehun had been extra clingy that day—not that he’d minded— and insisted on taking a selfie together. He didn’t have to insist though, as Luhan would’ve gladly done it anyway. 

He remembers having his phone nearly blow up from the notifications on his instagram that he had to turn the settings into silent. Sehun had posted that picture, with the caption saying “Lu”. Luhan smiles at the memory. That day was one of the good ones, even though he could feel a storm was already brewing. But he held on to it, kept that memory, and occasionally re-visit it when he’s feeling low. 

So seeing it on a wall surrounded with hearts and ‘520’s on it at— what a regular person would deem—as a random bubble tea shop, definitely made him smile from ear to ear. 

“You look like you haven’t aged a day!” Sehun laughs, his gaze switching from the man across him and back to the picture of them. “Hyung is still like a baby~”

“Sehun-ah!” he playfully swats his arm. “How many times do I have to say I’m a manly man”

“You’re not, hyung. But okay” Sehun smiles at him, cheekily. 

Their drinks arrive in a bit, and they start savoring it. Although Sehun occasionally comes back to this place from time to time, it still hits differently when he’s got Luhan right here with him. 

----

As much as he’d like to focus on the now rather than the before, the past really played a big part on how they got to where they are in the present time. And for that, he is grateful. Looking at Luhan now, for sure, age had caught up to him in a way. Actually, it caught up on both of them. Sehun grew a couple inches taller and wider. Luhan, albeit his face not looking much different unlike Sehun, looked more relaxed with his cheeks more fuller. Knowing that he’s been eating well and not overdoing the diets and exercise gave Sehun a peace of mind.

After a quick chat with the ahjumma, they say their goodbyes and head out. Sehun suggests moving to a different place just to be safe and Luhan agrees. So they take Luhan’s car—Sehun drives—and cruise around the town. 

In some way, they find themselves parked nearby the Namsan Tower. Luhan looks at Sehun in confusion as if asking what the hell are they doing here ‘lest they wanted to get caught. 

The other man just shrugs. “I’m sure there’s not many people around—what? It’s a nice place!” 

“Are you serious??” Luhan nearly shrieks. But Sehun seems undeterred and steps out of the car anyway. Luhan could only sigh in resignation and followed the other man. It’s already dark outside but he puts on a mask just in case. “Sehun-ah, i really don’t think we should be here.”

“It’ll be fine, baby. Trust me”

As if lightning struck him and ran through his body, Luhan trips and barely catches himself. Good thing Sehun’s long arms and quick reflexes saved him from face planting on the concrete. 

“Easy there” the taller man offers him a smile before helping him up. Once again, Luhan's fingers link around his and they walk hand-in-hand towards the tower. 

“Sehun-ah” he nudges the other. “Put a mask on”

“Huh? Oh, right. Thanks, hyung” 

So it’s hyung again. Luhan pouts despite scooting closer against Sehun that they were literally walking side-by-side. 

They head over to the entrance. And, to Luhan’s surprise, the place was unusually empty. Perhaps they’d picked a lucky day to visit since everyone collectively decided that they weren't feeling the Namsan Tower tonight.

“We should have brought food. I think the dining places are closing already” Sehun remarks, looking around the area as they head to the elevator that’ll take them high up.

If it wasn’t for the warm hand firmly clutching his, Luhan would’ve already clammed up at the thought of having to go seven hundred feet off of the ground. The fear of heights still looming at the back of his head like a sinister shadow. But he shakes it off and this time, lets go of Sehun’s hand so he can wrap his arm around his. They enter the elevator with Luhan holding onto the other man almost like an oversized koala. 

“It should be fine, I’m not hungry anyway and the bubbletea got me full.” he replies.

Sehun hums and asks him if he was okay, most likely noticing his now firmer grip on his arm as the glass box shoots up to higher levels. “It’s okay, I got you” sehun puts his other hand over his, and they look out the clear walls. 

The higher they go, the more of the city they could see. Flashing lights lit up the buildings down below, and it offered such a calming view. Soon enough, they reached the top and they stepped out. Aside from an elderly couple, there was literally no one else around which—again—surprised Luhan. 

“Remember when we came here back then” he hears Sehun say while they walk towards the ledge to get a better view of the city. “Who is dahye?” Sehun mimics a familiar line that had Luhan letting out a guffaw. The taller man joins him shortly.

“Stop it! Sehun!” he laughed out loud, remembering how silly he must have looked on camera when he saw the random padlock with Sehun and a random person’s name on it. Luhan nearly tears up from laughing. 

“That was a fun time, wasn’t it?” Sehun recalls. The hours and hours of tiring filming, and yet it was one of the funnest times they’ve had together. He secretly yearns for the day they get to do that again, but this time, there would be no cameras following them around.

Luhan nods in reply. “Hmm, sometimes we talk about it, too. Kris and Tao. They miss everyone too.”

“I’m sure. At the least, Kris hyung still has Tao’s annoying around.” Sehun laughs. “And now, I have yours.”

“Hey!”

----
 

They take a rest at a nearby bench, huddled up together due to the cold air of the night. Their ears are a bright shade of red that matched their noses. Luhan’s hands are hidden inside Sehun’s jacket pockets, and his head resting on the other’s broad shoulders. He could feel Sehun’s thumb rubbing circles at the back of his hand. 

“If you think about it,” Sehun says. “Time has its own version of forever, no?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, for someone else, they might think of forever as—you know, literally spending every waking hour with that someone you love or something like that.” Sehun then takes their hands out of his pockets and holds them out to his chest. Tight.

Luhan couldn’t fight the blush creeping up his cheeks and wished that Sehun would just think it was because of the cold.  

“But our time made our forever different. It constantly took us apart and only gave us chances to make choices. And for every chance we got, we just kept choosing each other even if we had the freedom to just stop.” sehun continues, his gaze fixed into luhan’s. The gentle ray of the moonlight illuminating his face. 

“Sehun...I—” Luhan starts, but he feels something lodged in his throat and his eyes start to prick with tears. “For the times that I didn’t choose you, I’m so— 

“It’s okay, hyung.” sehun cuts him off. Luhan wasn’t entirely sure but a look of hurt passed by his face briefly. “You...you had to. And you had to do it, so you could grow into the person you are now. Just like I did.”

In a different universe, things would be so much different. Things that had happened wouldn’t have happened at all. Luhan wishes it could be like that, although it’s impossible. But he is happy. He thinks, the lights shining right at him  have really gone dim and the watchful eyes have turned away. 

“Sehun-ah, I never got to say this much before. But, I really love you.” This took Sehun by surprise, and as Luhan notices, he lets out a chuckle. “Thank you for choosing this life with me.”

“Baby…” Sehun answers, a cheeky smile playing on his lips. He laughs lightly when Luhan pouts at him. “I will always choose you.”

Even though life is not the same anymore, and they didn’t have as much as before, they were happy. Marginally, exponentially happier. That is all they could ever ask for. And they hoped it was enough.

“Promise?” Luhan holds his pinky out.

“Promise.” 

And he seals the deal with a kiss.