Photographs are exquisite things.

For they are what we can only describe as small moments that we have captured, and frozen. After people, places and items in them have died, are no longer there, or have been destroyed or stolen, are still there, a pinprick of a reminder of what remains, a fingerprint of a memory, reflected off human's eyes and on to a sheet of glossy paper. Staying long enough to show memories for more than a thousand years. Even after the moments are long forgotten, they still linger, hidden away somewhere, unknown until they are found, and they find their way into someone's mind, bringing back locations and emotions alike.

Ryeowook thinks that they are nothing short of astonishing.

Traveling around the world, Ryeowook has captured infinite photos. His aspirations having taken him to sitting in tall trees to hanging upside-down, all in effort to get the most perfect shot he can. Buildings, people, places, all seen with his own eyes and safely stowed away in the countless number of pictures kept in his camera, and embedded in his own timeless memory.

His travels have taken him to Cheonan, a few hours from his own home of Incheon,  and he's now taken his camera to an isolated beach on a calm summer evening, the sun near setting point.

Little waves of water the same of a rich shade of deep aquamarine blue, tinged with orange, lap at his feet, tickling his toes as he walks along the shore. It brings a soothing feeling that fills the youth with happiness.

Ryeowook soon notices that the sun is setting, and he takes out his camera to capture the beautiful view before it disappears. The wide stretch of sky is exploding with a million hues of red, orange, pink, and purple, billowing bursts of colour flooding through the cloudless azure like drops of dye in water. A smile graces his features, eyes shining like the shimmering water that washed over his feet. He breathes in, the sharp smell of sea spray and salt filling his senses to the brim.

That's where he met Jongwoon.

Having finished with his camera, he put it back in its case and slung the camera bag over his shoulder, the bag resting at his hip. Ryeowook started to walk again, the remnants of the sunset beginning to fade into the darkness of night.

Jongwoon, who was sitting not ten feet away from where Ryeowook stood in the tide, was smiling as the sun dipped below the ocean, his eyes somewhat resembling the shine of the sun.

And before anything has been said, Ryeowook wonders if he's fallen a little bit in love.

Ryeowook learns his name through hushed whispers through the space between them, finding out the reason Jongwoon was there was also for his own inspiration, a notepad and pen in his hands as an explanation. His voice was smooth and husky, and if you could catch sounds like photos, Ryeowook would have wanted to capture it, the soft notes he had sung still lingering in his ears.

He can't help it when his mouth suddenly opens and what sounds like a jumble of an offer for a drink escapes through his used-to-be-closed lips. Jongwoon chuckles, and smiles, but accepts the offer nonetheless.

It's how he finds himself seated at a table in a café that stays open for incredulously long hours, cups of coffee placed on front of both of them, and smiles on both their faces.

Jongwoon's eyes glisten when he's speaking of music, his dark orbs shining like stars in the night sky, and Ryeowook decides to make his stay in Cheonan a little longer.

...

Jongwoon meets up with Ryeowook every morning on his trip to get a coffee, and is always talked into following Ryeowook around the whole day.

Secretly, he doesn't mind.

He needs his own inspiration, and the smaller photographer's a perfect muse. From morning, when the sun is shining brightly, too late in the evening, when the stars are out, he jots down small notes that remind him of Ryeowook's humming as he takes photos, tiny grace notes that make him think of the curve of his lips. Crotchets for the way his eyes light up when he speaks of the photos he's taken. Minims for the comfortable silence that grows between them when Ryeowook leans on his shoulder in between photos.

And semiquavers for the way his heart beats around him.

It only seems natural one night, the last night of Ryeowook's trip, when Jongwoon leans in ever so slightly, letting their lips brush together softly. It's such a light movement, Ryeowook could pull away if he wanted, but he doesn't, instead, he smiles at the millions of butterflies thumping around in his stomach, almost instantly knowing that they weren't from the sharp coldness of the air surrounding them.

Ryeowook's heart spills between them, and he practically lets his camera fall from his grasp and to its place on his hip, as of all but to fall against Jongwoon, an arm snaking its way around his waist as their lips move against each other. It's shy and awkward at the start, but nothing short of perfect to Jongwoon, almost able to feel Ryeowook steal his breath away more and more with each passing moment. It's all but silent, apart from the small puffs of air between them, after they part, Jongwoon pressing their foreheads together to chuckle breathlessly.

The stars wink down on them from the sky, almost like they are Cupid's secret eyes, happy with the newly found couple, but Ryeowook feels more drawn to the brilliant brightness shining through in Jongwoon's eyes.

....

Jongwoon awakes felling slightly cold, even though wrapped tightly in multiple sheets, missing the warmth that had been there a few hours ago.

He remembers how Ryeowook had gotten up at the crack of dawn, and pressed their lips together in a kiss filled of reluctance and longing to stay, and how he'd growled and pulled the smaller back to bed, staying for a few minutes prior to leaving, a small kiss have being placed on his forehead before he was off and out the door.

The night was long gone, the stars that had watched them under the moonlight now having disappeared in favour of the bright light of the sun, which was now gleaming through a slight gap in the curtains.

Jongwoon groans, but sighs at the memory, and sits up, a bundle of blankets forming like a nest around his sitting form. His head turns, thoughts of what to do running through his head as he tries to locate the time somewhere.

Before he can do that though, he spots a small picture placed on his nightstand, a piece of notepaper from his pad resting next to it.

The photo, he notices, it a picture of himself, it's him sitting down, face in profile, notebook in hand and all, with nothing but the colours of the sunset in the background. It's nothing less than perfect, and Jongwoon has to take the time to ponder about how Ryeowook managed to take it without him noticing. His thumb slides over the glossy background, and he suddenly feels the want of having Ryeowook here with him again.

The paper, on the other hand has nothing but an address and the words, see you there on it.

Jongwoon decides to leave just after noon, wondering that when he arrives, the sun will be setting for them.

---

... Hi...

Happy reading~