Jihoon tugs his headphones off as he hears a knock on the door and someone calling his name. He turns to see the receptionist standing at the door.

“For you,” she says with a smile, as she hands him a small pot of flowers.

Jihoon accepts it with wide eyes and the receptionist leaves with a small giggle.

He stares at the large pink flowers for a long moment, wondering why someone would send him flowers - and peonies, of all things. He tugs at the card attached to the ribbon around the pot, and reads the short message.

He chuckles as he sees Seungcheol’s name at the bottom.

“Cheesy,” he says as he sets it down on an empty space on his desk, away from his equipment.

But his mind fills with memories as he continues through his day.

He sees the rows of CDs on the shelf, and he remembers the old vinyl that he and Seungcheol had been looking at when their hands accidentally touched, that first day. The vinyl that still sits on their shelf at home, despite selling the rest of their vinyl collections - because that one is too special. The vintage record store where they met has since closed down, but Jihoon still thinks of that first day every time he walks past where the shop used to be.

He sees one of the Marvel figurines on his desk, which Seungcheol gave him on their third anniversary - because it reminded them both of their first date. He remembers the two of them sitting next to each other in the old run down cinema. He had been too nervous to pay attention to his favourite superheroes on the screen, especially when Seungcheol had reached over to hold his hand. Two teenagers with clammy hands, hiding pink cheeks in the dark of the cinema - classic first date.

Jihoon still remembers how they had held hands even after the movie ended.

He fixes a particularly tricky rhythmic section and remembers when Seungcheol helped him on a similar one for his music production class. It didn’t matter that it was 3AM, due in 6 hours, and Jihoon had snapped at him earlier due to the stress - Seungcheol was there, and stayed with him all night. Or, well, morning. Jihoon submitted it at 8AM, and then they both fell asleep on the couch, heads together and Seungcheol’s arm across Jihoon’s shoulders.

“So it’s true then, that you got flowers,” one of the other producers grins, as Jihoon steps out of his studio and enters the foyer. “Who is it from?”

Jihoon grins back. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Do you have more fans than we think?” he laughs. Jihoon chuckles and shakes his head. “No? Girlfriend then? Boyfriend?” he calls as Jihoon opens the main door.

Jihoon turns back, smiles, and says, “Husband,” and then steps into the evening sun.

Jihoon inhales the cool air as he heads to his car and remembers the first time Seungcheol implied that they were dating. He hadn’t called Jihoon his boyfriend though.

"Lover" was the word he had used, and Jihoon had turned to look at him, surprised. It felt like a more intimate word than boyfriend, somehow.

Seungcheol had just shrugged. “It just felt right,” he had said later, when Jihoon asked him about it. He never used it again, but Jihoon never forgot the butterflies that arose in his chest from that first, and only, time Seungcheol used that term.

As Jihoon adjusts the strap of his bag on his shoulder, reaching for his car keys, he remembers that time Seungcheol injured his shoulder. He had lifted a little too much at the gym, without warming up enough, trying to impress Jihoon, and subsequently pulled a muscle in his shoulder.

Jihoon had accompanied him to all the doctor appointments until he recovered, and smiled whenever Seungcheol looked bashful about it.

“I think you looked cool then,” Jihoon had said, “But you’re cool now too,”

“I’m cool now, having to see a doctor every week because I was stupid?” Seungcheol had replied, scepticism across his whole face.

“Yeah, because you care about your long term health enough to go see a doctor and mature enough to take their advice,” Jihoon had smiled, warm and soft. 

Seungcheol had later admitted it was those words that showed him that Jihoon thought of him in the long term. That it was the moment when Seungcheol knew Jihoon was for the long term too.

It was hard to still think like that, the first time they fought. It was over something small at first, like where to go for dinner, but it had spiralled quickly, too much stress and not enough communication. 

He remembers storming out of Seungcheol’s apartment and slamming the door shut. Seungcheol had run out after him without a jacket, only to find Jihoon standing just outside the front doors of Seungcheol’s apartment building, debating whether to call back in. He had looked up at Seungcheol breathing heavily in the cold winter air, and simply ran to bury his face in his chest, arms going around his waist, as he apologised. Seungcheol had held him in the freezing air and exhaled in relief as he apologised too. They talked the rest of the night, and their relationship tipped over the point of giddy teenagers dating, to partners for life.

Pulling into the apartment building driveway, Jihoon looks across the street and sees a couple sitting in the front glass of the cafe. He smiles as he drives into the apartment car park and remembers their first Christmas living together.

Seungcheol had insisted on getting a Christmas tree and decorating it in early December. But it was Christmas Eve itself before Jihoon noticed that the Christmas tree had no topper.

“Isn’t there meant to be a star on the top?” Jihoon had asked and Seungcheol, in his reindeer jumper and holding a cup of eggnog that he found in the supermarket, had turned ashen.

Jihoon had just laughed. “It’s fine,” he had said, but Seungcheol had shaken his head and insisted on going to find one, otherwise Christmas was ruined.

Jihoon hadn’t been able to convince him otherwise, so they both bundled up in their giant padded jackets and drove around trying to find a shop that was still open. One of the department stores was just about to close, and Seungcheol had rushed in and quickly purchased a golden star to put atop the Christmas tree. He had held it above his head, almost triumphant, as he walked out of the store. Jihoon had just laughed.

Seungcheol had answered that with a kiss to Jihoon’s cheek and pulling them both into a cafe to get something warm to drink before heading home.

Sitting by the front window of a chain cafe, hands wrapped around cups of hot chocolate, Jihoon had stared at his boyfriend and whispered a soft, but heartfelt, “I love you,”

Seungcheol had looked up with a hot chocolate moustache atop his lips, and JIhoon had laughed earnestly. Jihoon never explained the sudden declaration of affection, but he didn’t need to. Seungcheol understood that Jihoon didn’t need the perfect Christmas tree and seemingly endless Christmas traditions that Seungcheol wanted for them both - Jihoon just wanted time with Seungcheol.

As they left the cafe, mittened hands clasped, Seungcheol had said it back, and kissed the side of Jihoon’s head before leading the way to the car, and driving them back home. 

The star atop their Christmas tree had sparkled there for many more Christmases after that.

Jihoon pulls out the keys to open the apartment and sees the simple silver band on his left hand and smiles.

He remembers that day - it had been raining, but he hadn’t even cared. He remembers how Seungcheol’s mother had cried before they even walked down the aisle. He remembers Seungcheol’s suit, and the way he had Jihoon’s favourite flower pinned to the collar. He remembers how he had Seungcheol’s favourite flower pinned to his collar too.

He remembers the vows - Seungcheol’s words about not wanting to live life with anyone else, his own words about life with anyone else was just unimaginable. He remembers the “I do”s. He remembers looking up at Seungcheol, realising he was agreeing to this forever, and only feeling how happy that idea made him.

Jihoon enters the apartment with a deep breath. There’s a hoodie thrown over the couch arm, and there’s a couple of dirty cups in the sink from their morning rush.

Jihoon just smiles, and drops his bag down. He puts down the pot of peonies onto the kitchen table.

“Ah, water,” he says, reaching for a cup and filling it with water.

“I’m home!” Jihoon hears Seungcheol call out as he turns off the tap.

Seungcheol steps into the kitchen to see Jihoon gently pouring water into the pot of pink peonies in the middle of their kitchen table.

Jihoon looks up as he puts down the cup he had been using to pour the water.

He meets Seungcheol’s eyes and knows Seungcheol had been remembering the same kind of memories all day too.

Jihoon smiles. “Welcome home. Happy anniversary, Seungcheol-ah,”

Seungcheol beams. “Happy anniversary, Jihoon-ah,” he says.