“I don’t think we’re going the right way…”

“Don’t be silly, of course we’re going the right way.”

“Oh, well if you say so…”

“That’s right, don’t question me.”

Ryeowook sipped his iced tea, looking around at the ancient buildings surrounding them. There was ivy growing up the sides and sunlight streaming through the cracks in the stone archway. He pivoted in a slow circle, admiring the beauty of Italy. A while back, he had visited the place, but it had been a long time since he had gone.

“Hey, look, look!” Kyuhyun called from beside him.

“Hmm, what is it?” the shorter male turned around, lifting his head up just in time to feel two arms surround him in a bubbly hug. Ryeowook giggled, holding his iced tea out of the way just in time to avoid having it crushed between them.

Kyuhyun smiled, looking down at his husband. “It’s me, obviously! You weren’t paying any attention to again,” he stated, leaning down to kiss him.

“Sorry, Kyuhyun,” Ryeowook apologized half heartedly, breaking into a grin. He brought the iced tea back between their close bodies, offering it to the other male. “Here, try it.”

“Feeding me to appease me doesn’t work,” he huffed, drinking it nonetheless, “you should know that already.”

Ryeowook rolled his eyes under the brim of his bowler hat. “Right, right, sorry again,” he tried to keep the amusement from his voice, “It’s been seven years since we’ve known each other like that though. You should give me a break.”

The arms around him tightened as a smirk crossed Kyuhyun’s face. “Oh sure, you haven’t known me? So that means you didn’t read every newspaper and magazine that mentioned me?” his voice dropped to a whisper as he said those words, dark eyes shining with teasing.

Heat crawled up Ryeowook’s face and he tried to wriggle away. “That’s not fair!” he cried, laughing, “You probably did the same thing!”

“Yes, I did,” Kyuhyun responded without missing a beat, “but that’s to be expected. I wasn’t the one who ran away. You left me pining after you for seven years. That’s a harsh punishment when I only left you for one year.”

For a second, Ryeowook was going to continue the fight, but he chose then to get a conscience again. There was a definite undercurrent of seriousness in Kyuhyun’s voice. As much as both of them had been joking around and casually talking about the years’ long rift between them, it hurt deep down. Ryeowook knew what he had done changed things, and even if it didn’t affect their feelings for one another, it twisted their mind sets.

Kyuhyun was vulnerable around him now – and that most certainly wasn’t due to being married. In his heart, he was probably still hurt. Ryeowook thought he was being pompous for thinking he had such a profound effect on Kyuhyun, but that was proved to be an understatement. The boy clung onto him every night. He refused to let him go anywhere but the bathroom alone. Ryeowook couldn’t remember one time during their honeymoon so far where Kyuhyun wasn’t with him. Actually, only half the time was he in the bathroom alone. The other half, his new husband was in the shower with him, or brushing his teeth with him. Ryeowook didn’t mind any of it though. They had been apart for so long.

So long.

Lord, had it been that long?

“I really am sorry,” Ryeowook said softly, pushing forward just enough to brush their lips together. In that brief moment, Kyuhyun ironed his grip around the slender male’s body, holding him as if the world would crumble if he let go.

Their mouths crashed together again, passion and fervor mixing with the pain and loss and renewal. Kyuhyun’s eyes were tightly shut, chest rising and falling with each erratic heartbeat. A soft noise slipped from Ryeowook’s lips and he felt his knees beginning to buckle. Thankfully, Kyuhyun was there, always now, and he leaned back against the narrow alley wall, holding the smaller body against him as they continued kissing.

“My drink…,” Ryeowook managed as he tried to catch his breath between short, heated touches. It was already warm that summer. Kyuhyun didn’t make it easier.

“Just drop it,” he mumbled, changing the angle and deepening the kiss.

Ryeowook sighed, struggling with the perspiring beverage. Deciding he couldn’t litter, he just continued holding it, using his other hand to balance as well as he could against his husband. “Kyu…,” he breathed, “…if we’re still lost…”

“That’s fine,” Kyuhyun murmured, “as long as we’re lost together, it’s not a big deal.”

“What a pickup line,” Ryeowook laughed quietly against the male’s lips.

The taller man scoffed. “It’s not a pickup line when I’ve already picked you up. You’re mine, Ryeowook.”

Voices abruptly interrupted them. A small group of apparent college students were fumbling around lost just outside of the alleyway. They were speaking in rapid Korean and immediately, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook exchanged a knowing look. Those Italian street signs could be so tricky sometimes.

Ryeowook slowly slid back from his husband and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, do you all need some help?” he called.

One of them, a tall boy, smiled with relief and hurried over to them. “Oh thank goodness. We’re trying to get back to this hotel, but our friend got us lost. Do you know how to get there?”

Kyuhyun made an irritated noise and then took Ryeowook’s hand, pushing past the college student. “Follow us. We’re staying at the same hotel.” Under his breath, he may have complained about how of course they were in the same hotel, but Ryeowook couldn’t be sure.

Their fingers laced together, and Ryeowook laughed to himself, sipping his drink.

***

“Are we really doing this?”

“You want to marry me, don’t you?” Kyuhyun demanded as they stood outside of the Italian chapel.

I stared at him, but then I smiled and the sun’s rays grew stronger. “Everyone back home will get really angry at us for doing this.”

“We should’ve been married years ago. I’m not going to wait even one more day,” he responded, taking my hand without further arguing. Kyuhyun’s back faced me as entered the small chapel and walked up the aisle.

Standing on the altar was Henry. Sitting in the front row was YoungSaeng. I looked at them, waiting for an explanation, but all Henry did was holding up a marriage officiator license. “You guys are really just leaps ahead of me...,” I laughed.

Kyuhyun swung me around as we made it to the front of the intimate platform and both of our hands interlocked. “Start it, kiddo,” he murmured to Henry without looking at him.   

“Why are you smiling?” Kyuhyun’s soft, lulling voice whispered near Ryeowook’s ear.

The latter’s eyes flickered open. Morning light peeked through the somewhat translucent white curtains. Ryeowook tilted his head up, using one hand to run his fingers through Kyuhyun’s messy dark hair. “I was dreaming…,” he mumbled sleepily, noticing, as he did every morning, the silver band on his fourth finger.

“Dreaming about what?” he prompted, smiling at the gentle fingers brushing his hair. Kyuhyun brushed his nose against Ryeowook’s, lips managing a slow, grazing kiss on the other.

Ryeowook scooted closer, growing warmer when he felt Kyuhyun automatically tug him against his body. “The day we got married.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful dream,” Kyuhyun mused, rolling his husband half on top of him, “no wonder you were smiling.”

“Best dream I’ve ever had come true,” he said quietly, their bodies tangling together beneath the blankets.

Kyuhyun shook his head, “This was never a dream; this was just delayed reality.” He brushed his thumb across Ryeowook’s lower lip, trailing down his jaw and throat. “The dream is what’s happening right now.”

“You think us being together is a dream?” he asked. Originally, Ryeowook had meant to , but the question came out more serious than even he had expected.

“Sometimes…yes,” Kyuhyun said barely above a whisper. “You…You disappeared. You didn’t contact me even once. I was ready to marry someone and say goodbye to you, but then you showed up and everything went back to the way it was. I wanted everything to be the way it was when we separated.” He sighed, unable to stop himself at that point. “I keep thinking that when I wake up, all I’ll have is a note telling me you’ve left again. Or maybe, I’ll wake up and find out that this was all a dream.”

Taking a miserable breath, Kyuhyun touched Ryeowook’s cheek, smiling softly. “I hate that feeling. I hate thinking that this is so surreal and that there’s a good chance I’ll wake up to find it has been eight years now.”

Ryeowook pressed his fingers to either side of Kyuhyun’s face, and then proceeded to pull harshly on the skin. The latter cried out, pushing the hands away. “You’re not dreaming,” Ryeowook assured in a soft, breaking voice. His lips were trembling from suppressed tears and his body was shaking with disbelief. “Even if you were dreaming, you’re never going to wake up. I won’t let you wake up.”

“Is that a promise?” Kyuhyun smiled, gaze affectionate.

“It’s our world, Kyuhyun. We can do whatever we want here and no one else can trespass.” Ryeowook closed his eyes, pressing a firm, warm kiss to his husband’s lips.

Kyuhyun rolled them over, arms wrapping around the slender figure as they messed the blankets and sheets up for the hundredth time. I won’t let this new world fall apart…