After what seemed to be an eternity, their minds finally decided to work again. Their crying had already ended, but they still had red eyes and runny noses. Kyuhyun went to get some tissues and handed some to Jongwoon. The older thanked him and blew his nose. When his face was clean enough, he started talking.

"So... You say you confessed..." Jongwoon said unsure. He was still trying to wrap his mind around this whole mess.

"Yes, I did." Kyuhyun nodded.

"... But I confessed too..."

"I think...? But if you did, doesn't that mean that we feel the same way?"

"Not necessarily. What did you mean exactly when you said you confessed your feelings?" Call him paranoid, but Jongwoon needed to make sure they were talking about the same thing.

"Really? Isn't it obvious?" Kyuhyun was feeling too shy to say it explicitly. He already had a hard time saying it the first time. He thought the word confession was self-explanatory, but it seemed it wasn't.

Jongwoon shrugged. "I don't know, you could have meant you don't share my feelings or something. To confess can be used when admitting crimes or sins as well."

"Being in love it's not a crime nor a sin. And even if it is I don't care." Kyuhyun talked with confidence, but then it dawned to him that he might practically have said he loved Jongwoon. He got bet red and looked at Jongwoon with wide open eyes.

"L- love?" Jongwoon was as red as Kyuhyun, not sure if he heard correctly.

"No, well- I'm not saying I love you, I don't- well, like-" Kyuhyun couldn't form words correctly in his flustered state.

"You... don't like me?" Tears started to form in Jongwoon's eyes once again.

Kyuhyun quickly noticed this and added in a hurry. "It's not like that!" Kyuhyun hurried to be next to Jongwoon. He kneeled and wiped the tears in the older's eyes with his handkerchief. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry, I made you cry again."  Kyuhyun started to say comforting words while holding Jongwoon's hand. This soothed the older enough to notice Kyuhyun's awkward position.

"Come here, you'll bruise your knees." Jongwoon moved to give space in his chair so Kyuhyun could sit down. Kyuhyun was taken aback, but quickly complied and sat down.

Unlike that time they shared a chair months ago, they weren't leaning on each other as Jongwoon twisted a bit to face Kyuhyun. He was using the table and Kyuhyun's shoulder as support. Kyuhyun put one hand in Jongwoon's waist to not let him fall. He used the other one to take a grip on the chair. He wouldn't be able to support Jongwoon if he himself fell.

Once they settled in a stable position, Jongwoon looked at Kyuhyun in the eyes. "Then? What were you trying to tell me?"

"About that... What I was trying to say is... I like you. A lot. Not in a platonic or brotherly way. Well, I do want to keep being friends if that's what you want, but- that's not the point. I- I want to date you." Since he was nervous, Kyuhyun was rambling. "I can't tell if this is love yet, but I really want to be with you. And well, it would be too soon to say it is anyways. It's- it's okay if you don't feel the same way, I understand. And I'd understand if you don't believe me either, I'm always teasing you and all. I haven't showed you how much you mean to me... I just wanted to tell you now and- you know-"

"Kyuhyunnie, shut up." Jongwoon ordered with fondness permeating his voice. Kyuhyun immediately obeyed and closed his mouth. He looked nervously at Jongwoon, expectant for his answer. Leaning to him, Jongwoon trapped Kyuhyun in a bear hug, wrapping his arms tightly around him. "I like you too. I'd love to date you, Kyu."

Kyuhyun took a few seconds to react. He didn't believe his ears when he heard Jongwoon, but seeing as the man hugging him was very real and evidently Jongwoon, he came to realize this was truly happening. He slowly moved his arms to return the hug, some doubts still lingered in his mind. He didn't trust his voice to sound steady, but he needed the reassuring. "Really? Do you mean it?"

"Of course! I'm not joking, I really want to be with you." Jongwoon wanted to say a lot more, but he couldn't find the correct words to express all the feelings he had in his heart. Instead, he decided to use his actions and try to express it like that. He pulled apart just enough to be able to kiss Kyuhyun's cheek. Then his forehead, his nose and his eyes. When he finished his ministrations, Jongwoon directed the most dazzling smile to Kyuhyun. "I'm very serious."

Kyuhyun looked at Jongwoon with such awe and care it was as if he were in front of the most precious being in the world. Laughter started to bubble in Kyuhyun's chest as new tears formed in his eyes. But they weren't caused by sadness nor pain. He was so happy right now he thought it wasn't possible to reach higher levels of happiness. Jongwoon started to laugh gleefully as well, bringing Kyuhyun impossibly closer and squeezing him. Kyuhyun buried his head in Jongwoon's shoulder and nuzzled his face in the older's neck.

"So we're dating now?"

"Yeah, we are." Jongwoon whispered in Kyuhyun's ear. Kyuhyun sighed at the sensation.

"I'm so, so glad. I was so scared when we misunderstood each other, but we could solve it so easily I feel dumb for worrying over nothing."

"Me too. We need to work on our communication skills."

"We do." They laughed remembering the silly moment from some minutes ago. Kyuhyun was so thankful it was just a misunderstanding. He didn't know in what state his heart would be if he was actually rejected.

They stayed like that for some time, melting in each other's arms. They shifted a little in their position to reduce the discomfort of having to twist their waists to hold each other, but neither cared about it. As long as Kyuhyun had Jongwoon in his arms, he didn't mind the awkward position. He knew, though, that they'd have to move to some other place sooner or later, preferably to keep cuddling. Jongwoon knew this as well, but he wanted to enjoy the moment for a little more. Still, there was a thought ruminating in his mind.

"Were you really going to run away to Europe if I had rejected you?" Jongwoon pulled apart from the embrace to look at Kyuhyun. A glint of mischief crossed his eyes. He was up for some teasing now that the tension disappeared. And he was actually curious about this.

"I panicked! I couldn't think of any other way to create some space between us for enough time to move on."

"Really? You could have just moved back to your parents house. And even if you really wanted to study there, moving to England one year prior is too much!"

"I was sure they wouldn't let me go back and- wait, moving? I was planning to be there for just a couple of weeks."

"What? But I read your scribbles in some paper sheet, it had plans to go next month and stay there until the course started!"

"No, no. I was going to be there for two weeks next month, see if I liked the program and the environment and then I would have been back. I realized it wasn't the best idea to decide something like this in a whim. I was going to see first if going there was worth the time, money and distance. But I won't go anymore. Not when you're here."

"You shouldn't miss the opportunity to do what you want just because of me. I don't want to be in your way to your goals."

"I didn't really want to go. There's a similar course in the university I studied in. Same level of preparation, same prestige. That was actually my first option if I ever wanted to take that specialization."

"Oh, really?"

"Really. I prefer staying in Korea anyways. My English isn't that good."

Jongwoon felt a wave of relief wash over him, but then he realized this was actually concerning. "You are very reckless! Taking what must be an important decision in a whim. You were really going to run away!" Jongwoon scolded Kyuhyun, who just laughed amused. He slapped his arm, but Kyuhyun just kept laughing. Jongwoon followed soon after and they returned to hug each other. After their laughter subdued, Jongwoon sighed. "Ah, really. I worried over nothing. I even thought you were trying to get used to the food when I saw the table full of western dishes today."

"I'm not going anywhere. About the food, I saw some recipes and tried some dishes I thought you would like."

"How sweet! But wait, then what were all those secretive calls you got?"

"I can't tell you about that."

"Why?" Jongwoon tilted his head. He didn't have any ulterior intention doing it, but the cute act almost convinced Kyuhyun to tell him everything. However, Kyuhyun was a stubborn man, so he didn't get swayed that easily.

"Because I can't. You know I hate spoiling things." Kyuhyun pouted trying to distract Jongwoon. However, the older didn't see it as he was trying to figure out Kyuhyun's words.

"Spoiling things...?" Jongwoon thought about what could Kyuhyun mean with that. Then an idea popped in his mind. "Were you planning a surprise party for my birthday?"

"Nope. You know that isn't my style."

Jongwoon thought for a little more before coming with another guess. "Were you helping mom making me a birthday party?" Kyuhyun just looked at some very interesting point in the wall, not looking at him at all. Jongwoon smiled and clinged to him once again. "Aww, thank you!"

"You don't have to thank me, it wasn't my idea... What am I supposed to tell your mom now?"

"She won't mind. I'll tell her I was the one who pressured you to tell me."

Kyuhyun sighed, enveloping Jongwoon with his arms. "But the surprise got spoiled. Just like my confession. I wanted to make it all suave and, well, less awkward."

Jongwoon giggled. "This will be a very amusing story to tell in the future. And now we can celebrate my birthday together as boyfriends."

"I guess." Kyuhyun smiled thinking about what would they do. But there was something bugging him. "I think we're forgetting something... Weren't we eating...?"

They turned to look at the table. The forgotten food remained there, cold and half eaten.

"Maybe we should reheat it and finish eating."

"That's a very good idea."

They stood up and recollected the food to reheat it. Once it was done, they continued eating, merrily chatting about everything and nothing. Some moments were filled with silence, as they just looked at the other lovingly with goofy smiles. There was this warm feeling permeating the air, making a simple moment like this feel incredibly special.

They cuddled in Kyuhyun's bed after finishing eating and cleaning everything. They had already brushed their teeth, but it was still too early to actually prepare to sleep.

Lying on their side, they were facing each other, legs intertwined and gaze connecting. Jongwoon was running his little fingers in Kyuhyun's hair while his other hand held Kyuhyun's. He looked mesmerized as the younger drew invisible patterns in the back of his hand and caressed Jongwoon's arm with his other hand. They told sweet nothings from time to time, but they were mainly enjoying the touch and intimate moment.

Jongwoon thought this was very cozy, but there was something else he wanted to do. He looked unsure at Kyuhyun. The younger was currently admiring how perfectly their hands fitted each other, entranced by the size difference. Jongwoon thought it was a very cute sight and didn't want to interrupt him. Still, after making up his mind, he called him.

"Kyu."

"Mmm?"

"Can I kiss you?" His cheeks were tinted with a light blush.

"You don't need to ask now that we're going out." Kyuhyun searched for Jongwoon's lips and gave him a short chaste kiss. He actually wanted to make it longer, but Jongwoon was stiff, worried about something. He pulled apart and looked at him with his eyebrows furrowed. "What's the matter?"

Jongwoon cupped Kyuhyun's cheek with his hand. He looked at him with a serious expression. "I did some research and found out that some ace people don't like kissing. Are you really okay with doing it?" With the way he said it, Jongwoon thought Kyuhyun just agreed because they were dating and not because he wanted.

Kyuhyun directed a sweet smile to Jongwoon. It was kinda weird being asked like that, but the fact that Jongwoon cared made something in Kyuhyun's chest squeeze and get filled with warmth.

"I am." Kyuhyun was very sure of this. He closed the space between them and sealed his lips with Jongwoon's. It was just a peek, but Kyuhyun hoped it was enough to prove his point. He separated a little from Jongwoon to add something. "I'm not confident if things get too intense, but I do want to kiss you."

Jongwoon searched for any trace of discomfort in Kyuhyun's eyes, he didn't want to force Kyuhyun to do something he didn't like. But as he only found warmth and fondness in those chocolate eyes, Jongwoon took Kyuhyun's face with his hands. "Then I won't hesitate." A playful smile formed in Kyuhyun's face as Jongwoon got closer to him. They shared a meaningful look before closing their eyes.

Their lips met again in a delicate touch. Since they were tasting waters, they mantained a close mouthed kiss. It was something simple, but it was sweet and affectionate.

After getting the first taste of each other, they pulled apart just enough to savour the experience. Jongwoon looked at Kyuhyun's smiling eyes and wondered how someone could be so beautiful. He used his hand to caress Kyuhyun's flushed cheek. He traced the soft skin with some acne scars with his fingers, trying to memorize every curve forming that lovely face. Kyuhyun brought one hand to Jongwoon's and took it. He guided it to his mouth, giving a soft kiss in Jongwoon's palm.

Jongwoon didn't know how to respond and froze. Looking at the deeps of Kyuhyun's eyes took his breath away. Kyuhyun took the opportunity to get closer and start kissing Jongwoon's face. From his temples to his jawline, Kyuhyun landed kisses in every corner he could, getting nearer and nearer to thin lips. Once Kyuhyun reached the corner of his mouth, reason returned to Jongwoon. He decided to take the next step and deepen the kiss, tasting more of those sweet plump lips. Kyuhyun got surprised at first, but since he liked how things were going, he decided to go with the flow.

Kyuhyun's hand traveled down to Jongwoon's waist and brought him even closer. Jongwoon didn't put any resistance and even helped in the quest to reduce at the minimum the distance between them. Hands tenderly caressed skin as their lips danced in a slow rhythm. There wasn't any trace of lust in their actions, just the desire to shower the other with love. Kyuhyun didn't think there was something better than this.

But as magic as the moment was, they had to break apart at some point.

They nuzzled in each other after breaking the kiss. Kyuhyun sighed contently in Jongwoon's ear, making him shiver sightly with the hot breath. Jongwoon tried to conceal it, but Kyuhyun noticed. This made the thought about a pending mater surface. Thinking how to bring it up, Kyuhyun rolled to lie on his back. This took Jongwoon's attention, who looked at him with confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"No... I was just thinking." Kyuhyun looked at the ceiling for a few seconds before looking back at Jongwoon. "Hyung."

"Yeah?"

"I'm... I'm okay with doing it."

"It?"

Kyuhyun thought it was better to say it bluntly, else they may end up in another silly misunderstanding. "Having ."

Jongwoon incorporated and used his elbow to support himself. He looked at Kyuhyun, studying him. "You said you didn't like it."

"I don't particularly like it, but I don't dislike it either. It's just kind of meh. We can do it if you want."

"Kyun-ah, I don't mind if we don't do it t all. You don't have to force yourself to do things you don't enjoy."

"I wouldn't be forcing myself. It's not a problem to do it. Just ask me beforehand... Or do you not want to do it?"

"It's not that..." Jongwoon would be lying if he said he hadn't looked at Kyuhyun in that way. He was very attractive, with those thighs and that that should be illegal. It seemed as if Kyuhyun read his mind, as there was a knowing look in his eyes.

"Then?"

Jongwoon looked intently at Kyuhyun. "Kyuhyun-ah, do you really want to do it because it's your decision, or did you say you're okay with it because you think you have to?" Jongwoon didn't knew much about the scars in Kyuhyun's heart (and he wasn't going to pry), but he knew this was a sensitive subject that had to be addressed properly.

Kyuhyun didn't expect to be asked something like that. He took some time to think seriously about it, he knew a thoughtless answer wouldn't do.

It was true Kyuhyun thought of as an obligation, especially taking into account his past relationships. He didn't have good memories of most of his past experiences doing it. The fact that he was demanded to do it was self explanatory. But he have had some good experiences, so Kyuhyun knew he didn't have any problem with the act itself. It was like accompanying someone he cared about to go watch a movie he wasn't interested in. Not appealing enough for him to like it, but entertaining enough to not bore him. It wasn't something he would do often, but he would do it gladly from time to time. He would do it if it made the other person happy.

Even if he wouldn't feel much doing it, the satisfaction of making Jongwoon feel good would be enough.

He knew Jongwoon wouldn't impose himself on him, neither would accuse him of not loving him if he refused to do it. Kyuhyun felt more than safe enough to agree to do it by will and not because of the fear of being abandoned.

Kyuhyun looked at Jongwoon, who waited patiently for him to sort his feelings out. "I... I may be a little conditioned to expect to be asked to do it... But it's true I'm okay with doing it. Just- I need to figure out what I'm comfortable with."

Jongwoon didn't think that solved everything, but it was enough for the time being. Jongwoon used his most reassuring voice to talk to Kyuhyun. He wanted to make it clear he was fine with any decision Kyuhyun thought was the best. "There's no need to rush things. We can figure what works for us, one step at a time."

Kyuhyun smiled at his answer, he knew Jongwoon would say something like that. However, he started laughing after thinking about it. "We're already married. There's not much left to rush."

"Yah, you know what I mean." Jongwoon tried to be serious, but couldn't help laughing himself. It was true, after all.

They stayed in silence for some while, thinking about what they just talked about. At some point, though, Kyuhyun rolled to trap Jongwoon under him, buring his face in Jongwoon's chest. Jongwoon was going to ask the reason behind the sudden action, but stopped himself hearing Kyuhyun's voice.

"Thank you." It was barely a whisper, but Jongwoon was still able to hear it.

"? Why?"

"For caring." He wasn't specific, but Jongwoon understood what Kyuhyun meant.

"You don't have to thank me. That's basic human decency."

"I just wanted to say it."

Jongwoon took Kyuhyun between his arms and kissed the top of his head. He Kyuhyun's back with his hands in a soothing motion. Kyuhyun remained under Jongwoon's comfort for some time, but then he lifted his head and looked at Jongwoon with the utmost care in the world. He shifted so their faces were at the same level. He drew closer to him and kissed his cheek. When he looked at him, Jongwoon couldn't help getting lost in those beautiful eyes.

However, as they were going for another kiss, Kkoming and Melo ran into the room and jumped to the bed. Jongwoon's attention shifted completely to the puppies. He sat up to pet them and cooed when they didn't ignore him. Kyuhyun sat up as well. He couldn't get angry at the doggies for interrupting them, but he was sightly disappointed. But they could continue another time.

He started petting Melo, who asked for his attention after abandoning Jongwoon. After playing with them for some time, they got up and prepared to go to sleep.

There were more things about their relationship they had yet to figure out, but they were going to take things easy. They were going to take the necessary time to explore what they liked and what they didn't. A relationship isn't built in a day, after all. And given the fact they wanted to make this last, taking time to properly build it was important.

***

There wasn't much that had changed in the two weeks since they became lovers. But being honest, neither expected a dramatic change in so little time.

Even if they slept together more often than not, they still had their own rooms. They liked their privacy and having their own space, so their current arrangement was perfect. They cuddled just a little more than before, but that would tell just how much they did it before the confessions' day. Jongwoon had always been very touchy.

In general, their routine was pretty much the same.

The new thing were the kisses. Whether it was a peck before going to work or a more heated make out session, it was always special when they did it. Each kiss, not matter how simple it was, felt as magic as the one they shared after becoming lovers and way better than the one at the wedding.

A surprising (or not really) fact was that everyone knew instantly that they started dating with just one look. Everyone who knew it was an arranged marriage, of course.

As Jongwoon offered to help with the party after knowing about it, his mother was the first one to realize the change in their relationship. She didn't say anything when she noticed the closeness between her son and her son in law, she just smiled knowing she took the right choice when she told her husband to plan a meeting between Jongwoon and Kyuhyun.

Jongwoon's mother didn't tell anything to anyone, hoping for the new couple to announce it when they were ready. However, as soon as Heechul arrived to the party (he was the last one to arrive), he caught on what was happening. He practically shouted from the rooftops that he knew it was going to happen.

It was a small party in the house of Jongwoon's parents. They only invited family and close friends, so no one bat an eye at Heechul's behavior. No one except Jongwoon.

He was taken by surprise when Heechul clinged to him and told him he knew all along they would make a good pair. Jongwoon didn't think anyone would notice. Kyuhyun wasn't much of PDA, so they kept it down when they were in public. (Kyuhyun knew some of their friends were psychics, so he wasn't all that surprised.)

"I knew it! I told you you would end up being all lovely dovey with Kyuhyun!" Heechul said almost shouting due the emotion.

"Hyung! Keep your voice down! We haven't told anyone!" Jongwoon whisper-shouted to Heechul. The latter, however, just made a dismissive gesture.

"Everybody already knows." Heechul rolled his eyes when Jongwoon looked at him with a disbelieving expression.

"Yep, we were just waiting to see how long it would take you to tell us." Jongjin commented as he passed besides them.

"We didn't want to pressure you to tell us if you weren't ready, so we didn't mention anything." Kyuhyun's mother said.

"I knew since I saw you two together." Ryeowook added from his spot at the table.

"I was trying to be a good friend for once and wait for you to say it." Eunhyuk sighed and walked to Jongwoon. He gave him a few pats on the back. "But I guess that isn't compatible with the nature of our friendship."

"Huh? Weren't you together from the start?" Siwon asked cluelessly.

"You didn't know it was an arranged marriage?" Leeteuk asked him incredulous.

"I knew it, but they were acting like lovers when I first met with Yesung hyung, so I thought..."

"Well, now you know." Ahra told him, laughing at her cousin's exaggerated expression.

The carefree answers Jongwoon received made him a flustered mess. Kyuhyun didn't react at first, but then he found himself in a similar state to Jongwoon's. As soon as the supposed secret (that was actually known by everyone) was revealed, their siblings and friends swooped to tease them. Jongwoon's mother had to bring their attention back to the food before the poor boys died of embarrassment.

Once everybody started eating again, the conversation took different routes, sometimes returning to the recent revelation. Since Kyuhyun had time to calm down, he could counterattack when the tease started again. He smirked with every victory, but he would still get flustered with some comments. Heechul was a strong opponent. The man could be gentle as well, though.

"Ma'am, let me help you." Heechul stood up to help Jongwoon's mother carry some more food to the table.

"Oh, my. Thank you, sweetie. But I'm fine, this is nothing. Jongwoon-ah and Jongjing-ah didn't let me do anything earlier, let me do this myself."

"You already worked a lot making so much delicious food, you should not push yourself so hard."  He managed to take the food out of her hands. She tried to get it back but gave up at Heechul's persistence.

"I didn't do that much, Kyuhyun-ah helped me with all the cooking." She patted Kyuhyun's shoulder in her way back to her seat.

"Mmm? Really?" Heechul looked at Kyuhyun with a face that made Kyuhyun want to punch him. However, Kyuhyun was a decent person. He wasn't going to resort to violence, as infuriating as Heechul was. He resorted to glare instead.

"Yes, he was so eager to help with the party. He was a great help." She smiled at Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun's eyes softened when she looked at him.

"No, no, I was hardly helpful." Kyuhyun said while denying with his hands. "This is all your hard work, omoni."

"Already calling her omoni, I see." Kyuhyun wanted to make Eunhyuk shut up after hearing him (specially when he knew Kyuhyun had been calling her omoni since the wedding), but he had to pay attention to what Jongwoon's mother was saying.

"Nonsense, you made half the food here and helped with all the planning. I couldn't have finished everything if it weren't for you."

"I didn't do anything..." Kyuhyun's ears were getting red. Everyone was looking at him with these sweet eyes, making him cringe.

"Woah, you put a lot of effort in this." Donghae said while putting an arm around Kyuhyun's shoulders. He was trying to praise him, but it ended up making Kyuhyun feel even more shy.

"He even prepared a special present for Yesung hyung." Ryeowook revealed with an innocent smile even when Kyuhyun was throwing daggers to him with his eyes.

"You did?" Jongwoon looked at him excited.

"It's nothing big..." Kyuhyun said without giving much detail.

"It's a song. I'll help him with the piano." Ryeowook supplied the missing information. If looks could kill, Ryeowook would be long gone. But in Kyuhyun's opinion, even if that were the case, Ryeowook would have some sort of immunity seeing how little he cared that Kyuhyun was directing him his most venomous glare.

"What song is it?" Jongwoon asked curious, ignoring Kyuhyun's glaring.

"It's ‘Happy birthday to you’ by Kwon Jinwon. Kyuhyunnie changed the lyrics to better suit Yesung hyung."

A fuss to convince Kyuhyun to sing right then started. Kyuhyun refuted saying they were still eating, but at the end he relented. After setting the keyboard and a microphone, Ryeowook started playing. Kyuhyun started singing right after.

"You're full of artistic feelings
Everyday you're present with us
Whenever we think of Yesung
Our hearts feel joyous

Congratulations, Yesung"

Jongwoon, who got up to see everything in first row, hugged Kyuhyun once the last note was played and everyone started clapping. Kyuhyun made a face, but Jongwoon only laughed at this. When they pulled apart, Kyuhyun took Jongwoon's hand.

"Happy birthday, hyung."

"Thank you." A radiant smile bloomed in Jongwoon's face. Even though some people in the public were dying to tease them, they contained themselves. The moment was too sweet to ruin it.

Since the microphone and keyboard were already settled, the stage became s karaoke. Since it was for fun, they kept goofing around. Leeteuk made a performance with the only objective of making everyone laugh and he landed it. Heechul went for a rock style, while Ryeowook sang some songs from his favorite group. Eunhyuk sang imitating Jongwoon, resulting in a persecution around the dinning room. Jongwoon and Kyuhyun sang as well, some times together. But since Kyuhyun mainly listened to ballads, he didn't know the full lyrics of almost no song that weren't from the genre. They ended up singing sappy songs, which got them more teasing and even some catcalls. Thanks the heavens their parents hadn't left yet, who knows how wild things had gotten if they weren't there.

Still, neither Jongwoon nor Kyuhyun could deny they enjoyed looking at each other while singing their hearts out.

As the night came, the excitement subdued. They were mainly chatting after tiring themselves playing around. Kyuhyun was talking with Eunhyuk and Ryeowook when he noticed Jongwoon went out into the garden. Kyuhyun excused himself and followed him. He found the older seated in a bench, looking at the moon.

"Why are you here all alone?" Kyuhyun stood next to him. Jongwoon heard him getting closer, so he wasn't startled.

"I just needed some air." He patted the empty space next to him. "Want to sit with me?"

"Sure."

Kyuhyun sat down and Jongwoon leaned to him. The younger encircled his lover with his arm and leaned his head in his. They watched the moon in silence, hearing the sounds of the night. It was almost September, but the nights were still closer to summer's weather. Still, there was a small breeze that appeased the hot weather, making it comfortable.

"I feel bad." Jongwoon suddenly started. "You prepared a lot of things for my birthday, but I didn't give you anything in yours."

"We were a mess with the plans for the wedding and all that, don't worry. And we can do something next year."

"True." Jongwoon smiled, thinking about plans for the future. He looked at Kyuhyun and remembered something. "But I think I can give you something now." He looked for something in his pocket before taking it out. "Here." Jongwoon handed Kyuhyun a small box. Kyuhyun took it and looked at it confused.

"But it's your birthday."

"I prepared this gift to myself." Jongwoon showed him a similar box. He pointed at the one in Kyuhyun's hand and explained. "This is the other half."

Kyuhyun looked at the small object curiously. "Can I open it?"

Jongwoon nodded effusively. "Let's open them at the same time."

When Kyuhyun opened the box, he found a necklace. It was made of silver and had a penguin pendant. There was a small half heart attached a little above of where the penguin fell from. He looked at Jongwoon, who showed him a similar one, just that his had a turtle instead of a penguin. It was amazing how the style made two animals which would usually be considered too different match so well.

"Look, these parts are magnets." Jongwoon brought the little half hearts closer and they instantly attracted each other, forming a full heart. "Isn't it cute?"

"It is." Kyuhyun looked at Jongwoon and asked him to give him the necklace. "Let me put it on you."

"Okay." Jongwoon giggled at the idea and turned to let Kyuhyun have a easier time putting him the necklace.

"Close your eyes." Kyuhyun delicately placed the accessory in Jongwoon's neck after making sure he wasn't looking. After an appreciative look at his work, he nodded to himself. "Done. You can open your eyes."

Jongwoon sent Kyuhyun a look full of affection and took the pendant with his fingers. He got confused at the unexpected shape. He looked at it and found out he had Kyuhyun's penguin.

Before Jongwoon could ask about it, Kyuhyun explained it to him. "This way you'll remember me when looking at it." Kyuhyun laughed embarrassed of his own words, but the smile he directed to Jongwoon was full of genuine adoration.

"As if I'm not thinking about you enough." Jongwoon guided one hand to his face, hiding the blush spreading in his cheeks. He recovered quickly and asked Kyuhyun to give him his necklace animatedly. When he finished putting the necklace on Kyuhyun, he gave him a back hug. "Now we match." Kyuhyun held Jongwoon's hand with his.

After Jongwoon released him, Kyuhyun turned to look at him. He took the turtle pendant with his hand. "Do you think I can stop wearing the wedding ring and replace it with this?"

"That's on you."

"I fear I may lose it... But I think I'll wear it often." Kyuhyun leaned forward and peeked the corner of Jongwoon's mouth. "Thank you."

"I should be the one thanking you for all you did today."

"Well, you could show your gratitude with a kiss, if you want."

Jongwoon rolled his eyes, but still leaned to Kyuhyun and kissed him. They enveloped the other with their arms, bringing the pendants close enough to form the full heart. But unlike the pendant, their hearts didn't break when they pulled apart. Even if they were separated, the connection between them wouldn't break.

There would be ups and downs from now on, but having each other, they would find the courage to go through anything.

_____________

Author's notes: And it's done!

Yes, this is the end.

I'm actually planning to write an epilogue, but since I'm still not sure how to write all my ideas properly, I'll mark this as completed for now.

I wanted to upload this sooner, but I had a hard time figuring out how to describe their feelings and almost everything. I'm not good at feelings nor descriptions, so it was complicated. I had a clear image of how I wanted the scenes to be like, but I kept forgetting words and had to search on the dictionary to see if I remembered the definitions correctly.

(Sorry, I felt overwhelmed seeing my drawing at the start of the chapter and took it down in a whim)

But yeah, that's all for now.

Thank you for giving so much love to this fic. I got so happy reading every comment and seeing the notifications of new upvotes and subscriptions. When I first thought of this story I didn't expect to have so many views nor have such a positive response. Thank you for sticking until the end and giving me the opportunity to share this silly story.

I hope you receive as much affection as you showed me and have a great day.

Bye bye! 💙 💙 💙 🐧🐢 💙 💙 💙