Our Rainy Day

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In the midst of a bright, sunny morning, sounds of pattering reverberated on the roof situated above him. Startled, he lifted his gaze from the phone in his hands, eyes wide as he witnessed what seemed to be a sudden rainshower in the middle of the day. As his eyes raised towards the sky, he could see some light-gray clouds hanging overhead, implying that this wasn’t going to be just a brief sunshower.

Where are you right now? he texted on his phone.

The expected reply came only after a few seconds.

 

💬 I’m here. By the park.

💌 Are you covering yourself from the rain?

💬 No. There isn’t any shelter here.

💌 What? You’re going to be soaking wet!

💬 I found a newspaper by the bench. Hurry up, hyung.

💬 I’m still gonna wait for you no matter what.

💌 Stay there.

 

And he ran.

 

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By the time he arrived at their meeting place, it was already becoming a downpour. The sky was still as bright as ever, but the sun wasn’t shining anymore as it was covered by the clouds. He tried to wipe off the droplets from his lashes using the sleeve of his coat, but since his clothing was already dripping wet, it was a useless action. Frustrated, he shook his head instead and ran a hand through his hair, slicking his bangs back and preventing them from getting into his eyes.

When he neared the center of the park, he saw him.

“Hyukjae!” he called out.

At that moment, the person whose back had been facing him instantly turned around. His eyes were wide in surprise as he clutched the thick yet dripping wet newspaper above his head, but his lips immediately parted and curved into the brightest smile he’d ever seen.

“Jongwoon-hyung!”

Under normal circumstances, Jongwoon would have scowled at Hyukjae and scolded him for being too stubborn.

However, this wasn’t just any other normal situation. Today, with no other people around them, with their bodies completely wet from the rain, with Hyukjae’s adorable gummy smile and his happy expression…

Jongwoon found himself smiling back.

Surprising even himself, he broke into a brief sprint towards his lover, grabbing his hand along the way. Hyukjae, startled, dropped the newspaper he was holding in the process, but he relaxed considerably when he saw that Jongwoon was grinning at him brightly.

“What are you doing?” Hyukjae asked.

“Don’t you wanna play in the rain?” Jongwoon responded playfully.

Hyukjae’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?! You?? Play in the—...” His voice trailed off when he saw the excited expression on his lover’s face. One that he hadn’t seen in a while; it was the kind of excitement you’d usually see on a bright, innocent kid’s face.

He’s so cute, Hyukjae admitted to himself as he agreed and went along with his hyung, both of them skipping around in circles and enjoying the weather.

The rain splattered on their heads, but they were too busy laughing to care. Hyukjae looked at his lover and reveled at the sight of Jongwoon enjoying himself as if he were a kid again. It was times like this that Hyukjae wished he had a camera with him to capture the exact moment when Jongwoon laughed so wide that all his teeth showed, when Jongwoon’s eyes closed as he let himself go, when Jongwoon’s hands kept gripping his own and never letting go.

Soon enough, the rain grew stronger, causing thunder and lightning to grace the sky, and their brief moments of fun were over.

“Let’s go home,” Jongwoon said with a smile, his voice loud enough to be heard over the sound of the downpour.

Hyukjae nodded.

When they reached their apartment and closed the door behind them, Hyukjae immediately tickled his lover at the sides, knowing how sensitive Jongwoon was in those areas. And, as expected, Jongwoon burst into laughter, begging for Hyukjae to stop as they both suddenly began playing around the living room. Hyukjae, however, being the mischievous brat he was, continued to chase Jongwoon around the room, their clothes dripping wet on the floor and creating a giant mess.

“Stop, stop!” Jongwoon half-wailed, half-chuckled. “Look at how dirty the tiles look! Who’s gonna clean this all up?!”

“You will!” Hyukjae teased, sticking out his tongue childishly. “I’m gonna go shower first!”

“Are you kidding me?! Hey, come back here!” Jongwoon called out, chasing after the younger with fervor.

Soon, Jongwoon caught up with Hyukjae and caged him in his arms. Hyukjae laughed and tried to wriggle away, but Jongwoon wouldn’t let him.

“Caught you,” Jongwoon breathed out.

“You always do,” Hyukjae responded, pouting in defeat.

Jongwoon chuckled and helped Hyukjae out of his shirt. “Let’s take this off before you catch a cold,” he said, pulling the wet material out of Hyukjae’s upper body. “Now go take a shower first and I’ll finish cleaning up before it’s my turn.”

Hyukjae glanced at the wet, dirty floor behind Jongwoon and guilt immediately pooled in his chest along with embarrassment. “Hyung, you don’t have to. Let me help you out,” he offered.

Jongwoon stared at him incredulously, then laughed aloud. “What are you talking about? Hurry up and shower already. I’ll take care of it here.” He then muttered in a voice loud enough for Hyukjae to hear, “You’re not good at cleaning up, anyway.”

“Hey!” Hyukjae exclaimed, offended. “I resent that!”

“Just go already, you annoying brat,” Jongwoon said, chuckling as he went to the kitchen to fetch a mop.

Hyukjae frowned, but turned towards the bathroom anyway. However, before he could go inside, he yelled out, “Take off your shirt too, hyung! Or else you’ll get a cold!”

Jongwoon’s voice echoed back from the kitchen, “Okay, okay, I get it!”

 

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When Hyukjae came out of the bathroom, Jongwoon walked into his sight the moment he heard the door open.

“Finally, it’s my turn,” Jongwoon sighed as he immediately ran into the shower. When he closed the door behind him, Hyukjae let out a chuckle and stepped into the kitchen, drying his wet hair with a small towel.

There, he caught sight of two mugs and the water boiler automatically turning off when smoke came out of its small opening. Curious, Hyukjae walked over and saw that there were two packets of hot chocolate behind the mugs.

Hyukjae smiled.

 

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When Jongwoon came out of the bathroom and went towards the kitchen while dressed in his pajamas and drying his hair, he paused in his tracks when the mugs he placed on the counter were gone. Blinking in confusion, he sought for his lover in the apartment and frowned when Hyukjae wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Where could he be?” Jongwoon mused to himself as he made his way towards their bedroom. The rain was still pouring heavily outside, and the atmosphere inside the apartment was getting chillier by the second.

Jongwoon was already itching to get inside his blankets and keep warm, so he went and opened the door to their bedroom.

Hyukjae looked up from his phone and grinned. “Hyung!” he said, waving with his free hand. “You’re finished showering?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Jongwoon said, one side of his lips curving up in amusement as he hung his wet hair towel over a nearby chair.

Hyukjae pouted. “It was a rhetorical question!”

Jongwoon laughed. “Anyway, so you filled the mugs yourself?” he asked, eyeing the said cups by the nightstands on each side of the bed.

“Yep!” Hyukjae responded proudly, putting his phone down on the mattress. “Come over here, hyung! It’s cold,” he urged, grabbing the blankets beside him and holding them up over his head.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” Jongwoon said softly, sliding into the space next to Hyukjae. When Hyukjae tucked his body into the blankets, Jongwoon snuggled against him, nuzzling his shirt.

“Why are you doing that?! Let go, you’re tickling me,” Hyukjae protested weakly, trying to squirm out of Jongwoon’s grip.

“No, you’re warm~” Jongwoon muttered happily, still not letting go of his lover.

Hyukjae finally gave up and let Jongwoon cling to him, admitting even to himself that the gesture was quite soothing. It was a cold day after all, and this kind of warmth was always welcome.

“Then come closer,” Hyukjae said softly as he sank into the sheets, turning his body towards Jongwoon and hugging him back. He heard a quick muffle of surprise from his lover, but that immediately changed into a chuckle.

“You always give the best hugs,” Jongwoon uttered softly as he raised one of his arms to gently push Hyukjae’s head into the crook of his neck, caressing the younger’s soft strands.

“You too,” Hyukjae responded quietly, nuzzling against his lover’s skin and kissing it lightly.

Jongwoon laughed, feeling a bit ticklish. “I like it whenever you’re affectionate like this,” he said in amusement. “Most of the time, I’m the one who has to initiate some sort of skinship with you.”

Hyukjae pulled back from the warm crook of Jongwoon’s neck to face his lover and look at him in the eyes. “What are you talking about? I’m always affectionate with you.”

Jongwoon’s lips curved into a grin. “If you call flicking me on the forehead and mocking the sound of my low voice ‘affectionate’ gestures, then okay…”

Hyukjae pursed his lips, trying to look offended. “But I do those because I’m fond of you!”

Jongwoon rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Just say you love me already, geez…”

“Hmm… nope!” Hyukjae responded mischievously, bumping his nose against his lover’s. “I’ll save those words for my wedding day.”

“Cheapskate…” Jongwoon muttered under his breath, but his eyes were shining.

Hyukjae grinned and cupped his boyfriend’s face with his hand, kissing the older’s cheek. “You love me, anyway.”

“Yeah, poor me…”

“See, you’re insulting me again! I’m the poor one here!” Hyukjae accused.

Jongwoon shook his head. “Do we really have to fight over something silly like this on a rainy day?” he said wryly.

“Our fights bring us closer together, though,” Hyukjae said cheekily. “No matter how silly they are.”

They continued to stay like that for a while, embracing each other, staring at the other’s face with smiles on their faces. It was only when thirty minutes passed that they realized that they’d forgotten all about their hot chocolate, so both of them sat up on the bed and leaned their backs against the headrest, enjoying their somewhat lukewarm mugs in their hands.

“Do you wanna take a selca?” Jongwoon suggested.

Hyukjae nodded. “Sounds good,” he agreed.

Holding his cup with one hand, Jongwoon used his free hand to grab his phone from the nightstand. After tapping the screen a few times, he aimed the camera on their faces.

“Smile,” Jongwoon said as he pressed the ‘capture’ button. After that, he choked out a laugh when he saw that in the picture, Hyukjae had turned his head towards him, making a move as if to kiss his cheek.

“I want to post this on my SNS,” Jongwoon said eagerly as he began to edit the photo.

Hyukjae grinned, but didn’t say anything as he sipped his hot chocolate. His boyfriend had always liked posting their photos on his social media account. Even though Hyukjae never really cared about that sort of thing, he could understand why Jongwoon loved it. Seeing their memories all throughout the years was actually quite amazing to see. They had come a long way together — not everything was all fluff and rainbows, after all. They had struggles along the way, too. Their opposite personalities, their own weird mannerisms, and their different attitudes towards various situations.

It was why Hyukjae treasured this relationship he had with Jongwoon. With Jongwoon, he didn’t nag or fuss that much compared to when he was with his family or close friends. With Jongwoon, he felt comfortable and safe, as if he was someone he could really trust. With Jongwoon, he felt like a better, genuine person, and he loved that kind of rare feeling.

“Send me that photo, too,” Hyukjae said softly as Jongwoon finished posting, earning him a big, bright smile from the latter.

After that, they placed their empty mugs on the nightstand beside them and began to fall into a peaceful, comfortable silence. It was times like this that Hyukjae wished time would stop for a moment so that he could enjoy being with his lover like this.

Glancing over at his boyfriend, Hyukjae noticed that Jongwoon’s gaze seemed to be a bit distant. However, not wanting to interrupt whatever trance his boyfriend was in, he whipped out his phone and started to download their photo that Jongwoon just sent to him.

Everything was quiet and serene until Jongwoon’s low voice broke the silence.

“Hyukjae-ya,” Jongwoon spoke up softly, his gaze fixed on the large glass window across the room. It was opened slightly, allowing the cold air to come inside. Raindrops were pouring heavily from the outside, spattering against the roof in a rhythmic manner.

Hyukjae glanced towards his lover, diverting his attention from his phone. “Hyung?”

A small smile curved Jongwoon’s lips as he continued watching the rain. “Hey… if I ever die before you do…” he said quietly. “You need to find someone else quickly, okay?”

“...” Hyukjae stared at him for a moment before promptly bursting into laughter.

Jongwoon’s fixed gaze on the window was broken as he turned towards his boyfriend, a frown playing on his lips. “What’s so funny?” he demanded.

Hyukjae shook his head, slightly amused. “Nope,” he said simply.

Jongwoon’s frown deepened. “Nope…?”

“Yep,” Hyukjae said, nodding sagely. “That’s my answer to you. Nope.”

“What are you—”

“Hyung.” Hyukjae’s tone was suddenly low. “If you ever die before me…”

Jongwoon stiffened.

“...then we’ll die together,” Hyukjae finished casually before he turned his attention back to his phone.

Jongwoon’s brows almost rose to his hairline in surprise. “What’re you talking about?! Hey, don’t tell me—”

“I told you before, didn’t I?” Hyukjae said, grinning as he continued to fiddle with his phone. “Back when we were in college. That wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

A lump rose in Jongwoon’s throat. “B—But that doesn’t mean…”

Hyukjae turned to his boyfriend with a smile. “Eyy,” he teased. “Why are we even talking about this so seriously? Like that’s ever gonna happen, right?

“Whenever I think about our future together, I can only envision good things. Whenever I dream about being married to you, I can only see ourselves dying together due to old age as we watch the sunrise with our arms wrapped around each other.

“So don’t think about that kind of thing again, and don’t make me repeat my cheesy words just now, either.” Hyukjae laughed as he leaned towards his lover and landed a quick kiss on Jongwoon’s cheek. “Because I only say these things to you, and you only.”

Jongwoon couldn’t help but smile at that. It was true, and it warmed his heart to hear it right from Hyukjae himself.

“Anyway, I gotta clean up for a bit. I’ll be back,” Hyukjae said as he began to rise from his position.

However, when he got out of bed, planning to put their empty mugs in the sink, he was startled when Jongwoon suddenly rose as well.

Still holding the cups in each hand, Hyukjae was about to turn towards his boyfriend fully when he suddenly felt arms snaking around his waist from behind.

“What are you doing?” Hyukjae asked, surprised. Then, he added playfully, “You miss me already? Gosh…”

Before he could tease even more, though, Jongwoon’s hands lifted and took the mugs away from Hyukjae’s grip. Hyukjae watched in surprise and curiosity as Jongwoon put the mugs back on the nightstand and turned to face his lover.

“Hyung?” Hyukjae said, his heart leaping in his chest at the sight of the soft expression on Jongwoon’s features. His boyfriend had always been such a handsome man, with sharp, manly features and dark eyes that could pull you in. Now, that same face was smiling at him, looking at him with such warmth and affection that reminded him just how much he reciprocated those feelings as well.

Without a word, Jongwoon stepped towards his lover and took Hyukjae’s arms in his grip, gently guiding them towards his waist. The action caused Hyukjae to step closer towards his lover, his arms automatically wrapping itself around Jongwoon’s torso.

Jongwoon smiled down at him and embraced Hyukjae by the shoulders, pressing their bodies against each other.

“Ah, this handsome guy~” Jongwoon mused with a wider smile. “I can’t believe you chose me, of all people...”

Hyukjae stared up at him in astonishment. “Wait, are you getting sentimental now, hyung? Really? After all the years we’ve been together?” he teased.

Jongwoon tapped his lover on the forehead in retaliation. “That’s exactly the reason why I’m being sentimental right now, you little brat,” he remarked fondly. “You know that I still can’t believe we lasted this long.”

Hyukjae shook his head, smiling after letting out a brief sigh. “Here you go again, thinking about useless things. Seriously, hyung…”

Jongwoon pouted. “It’s not useless!” he protested.

“Yeah, yeah, and you always think too much,” Hyukjae said dismissively as he pressed his face against the material of his lover’s shirt, inhaling Jongwoon’s scent. “Don’t be cringey; you know I hate that.” His voice was muffled.

“I don’t like being this cringey, either,” Jongwoon muttered, but then he lifted a hand and cupped the back of his lover’s head, the warmth of his skin causing Hyukjae to sigh contentedly.

Soon, Hyukjae drew his head back and looked at Jongwoon in the eyes. “Hyung…” he said softly. “Don’t do it, okay?”

Jongwoon leaned down and kissed Hyukjae’s forehead. “Don’t do what?”

“Die before me,” Hyukjae responded, causing Jongwoon to jerk his head back in response.

“You’re the one who told me not to think about that anymore—”

“Yeah, but…” Hyukjae sighed. “When you mentioned it to me earlier, I…” He took a deep breath, seemingly having trouble forming the right words to say. “Hyung… we’ve been together for a long time now, right? And in those years, we learned how to let our guards down towards each other. We learned through time how to be vulnerable and know that it’s not a bad thing at all to bare our souls and confide in each other whenever we need it the most.

“We’ve been through ups and downs together, we know each other’s flaws and accepted ourselves for who we are. That means we’re long past the point of hiding behind meaningless masks, right?” Hyukjae’s lips curved into a tender smile. “I wasn’t lying when I told you that I’d follow you wherever you go. If you’re not here with me, Jongwoon-ah… it would be the same as being dead, too.”

Jongwoon’s throat went dry at that statement. Not only was Hyukjae being completely sincere in front of him now, but he also called his name affectionately and without the normal formalities. That only ever happened whenever Hyukjae was baring his soul to him, trusting him wholeheartedly and never minding about any weakness or cringey sides he might show.

“Then I won’t,” Jongwoon said resolutely, pressing his forehead against Hyukjae’s. “Nobody’s gonna die first, because we’re both dying together.”

Despite the seriousness of their words, Hyukjae had to hold back a laugh. “Suddenly, we’re both talking about dying. And on a rainy day, too!” he mused with a grin.

Jongwoon smiled and nuzzled his nose against his lover’s. “Then let’s not think or speak about it now,” he whispered. “What matters to me right now… is that you’re here, right in front of me. Smiling at me, loving me, hugging me… It’s all I could ever ask for in my life.”

“You’re being cheesy again!” Hyukjae exclaimed with a laugh.

Jongwoon’s smile turned wider, and then he raised his hand to cup the side of Hyukjae’s face. The latter stopped laughing, understanding shining in his eyes. To Jongwoon’s surprise, though, Hyukjae was the one who gently grabbed the back of his head and pushed their lips to meet.

Like many other kisses they’d shared, this one was sweet and gentle, lips moving against each other gently. Hyukjae at Jongwoon’s bottom lip and at it, his arms wrapping around his lover’s waist to keep him there. Jongwoon smiled at that action and continued to respond gently yet eagerly.

The room’s atmosphere began to grow warmer the more they pressed their bodies closer to each other, the kiss growing urgent bit by bit as both began wanting more. When they parted for air, they looked straight into the other’s eyes.

“I’ve told you this a thousand times,” Jongwoon began quietly, his voice husky, “and I’ll say it over and over again. I love you, Hyukjae-ya.”

Hyukjae didn’t say anything, but as Jongwoon gazed at him closely, he could spot tears welling up in his lover’s eyes. Chuckling at this rare display of emotion from his usually nonchalant boyfriend, Jongwoon lifted his hand and gently wiped a stray tear that fell down Hyukjae’s cheek.

“Aw, don’t cry, sweetheart...” Jongwoon said softly, soothingly.

At that moment, Hyukjae grabbed his lover’s hand, gently took it away from his face, and once again brought Jongwoon’s head down towards his for another kiss. This time, his mouth moved slowly at first, and then hard and hungry. Jongwoon, taken aback by this sudden assertiveness, could only stand there in surprise as Hyukjae poked his tongue against his lips, asking for entrance. When Jongwoon obediently parted his mouth, Hyukjae immediately took advantage and began to explore the inside.

“Hy — mmph…” Jongwoon’s words were drowned out as Hyukjae kissed him harder, causing him to stagger backwards until both of them accidentally fell back on the bed.

“Ah!” Jongwoon said in surprise as the back of his head hit the mattress. In response, Hyukjae pulled back, grinning at him.

“Oops. Did I kiss you too hard, hyung?” he said teasingly, earning him a smack on the shoulder from Jongwoon.

“Naughty brat,” Jongwoon said, shaking his head. He smiled, however, when Hyukjae hugged him tighter, pressing his face against Jongwoon’s chest and hiding his expression.

So cute, Jongwoon thought to himself fondly as he his lover’s hair gently, lovingly.

If only every day can be just like this...

“I love you,” Jongwoon said tenderly.

Hyukjae didn’t say anything, but his grip on Jongwoon tightened even more, if that was possible. He lifted his head slowly, and Jongwoon could see the beautiful smile that graced Hyukjae’s features.

He was still being a brat by not saying it back, but honestly, Jongwoon didn’t really care. He already knew without even hearing it from his lover’s lips.

And that was more than enough.

 

fin

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[♡] Thank you for reading! This oneshot can also be considered as a part of the “Memories” universe a year prior to the main storyline.